Studying world religions reduces cultural misunderstandings and fosters civil discourse

This survey-and-response class is designed primarily for 8th-12th grade students through adults (parents are welcome to join in).  

This monthly class is designed to teach about the history, structure, and beliefs of major world religions (including Western religions like Islam, Judaism, and Christianity as well as Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism plus Modern and Blended religions like Baha’I and Secular Humanism), and to help students learn how to formulate a personal response to the studied religions.  

The course materials and instructor will not tell the students how they should respond, but will instead guide the student to first acquire basic knowledge of a religion’s history and teachings, then to examine those teachings through credible sources.  Next, the student will discuss the religion with a parent or other adult family member and then with a spiritual mentor (such as a youth leader, guide, pastor, or another trusted adult).  Additionally, the student will develop a personal response in essay form and will prepare a short video summary of his/her findings to post on the class stream.  Students must be prepared to courteously comment on other students’ and the teacher’s videos in the class stream and will answer questions from other students and/or the teacher.  

This class will be conducted via Google Classroom from August to January. *NOTE: This is a semester-length course

2024-5 classes begin August 26.