I'm going through a bit of a moral dilemma.
Let me begin by saying that I love Religion. I am not religious myself, but spiritual. However, I love to study world religions, their intricacies and their startling similarities. Now I am taking a class titled Religious Violence and Non-Violence. What a great topic! Mennonite pacifists all the way to organizations like Al Qaeda and the Ku Klux Klan are discussed. I am so interested to learn all of this but my teacher has a certain way of running the class that I don't agree with. We meet on Monday and Wednesday and are expected to read 4-5 chapters by each Wednesday from a book. We then write a paper reflecting on the material. On Monday he lectures and on Wednesday we have discussion that is meant to be guided but often goes very off course and accomplishes nothing. This material is precious to me and I don't want to learn it from these books! The authors give their opinions and their bias slants... I just want the facts and I'd like to have more directed discussion with my peers on the really substantial matters so that I can broaden my views. Today I have 45 minutes to write a paper spitting back at the teacher the ideas that have been given to me as intelligent fact.
I should do what the teacher asks of me so that I pass the class and can move on but it’s really upsetting to me. I am by nature a procrastinator and always put these things off but usually I do them at the last minute to turn them in. I could very well do that today but I just really don't think these papers are helping.
The professor has given us a great final project, a 10 page paper on a topic of our choosing along with a 30 minute presentation. I am going to discuss the religious justifications of a few Christian extremist groups like the Army of God and the Ku Klux Klan. This project allows me to study a singular topic and acquire the points of view of as many scholars as I choose.
Argue with me if you disagree, but I feel that Religion and Philosophy classes (excepting history) should not have textbooks. There is so much to be said about human interpretation in these subjects. I can't stand for having the ideas of a couple selected men being my only knowledge on the subject.
That's all I really have to say for now I suppose... What do you think?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I agree. my religion class is stifling. sometimes the text hinders some of the things that actually make the class interesting.
The only value of a textbook is that it gives you some point of reference from which to start. Otherwise, how would you start a generic discussion on religion?
And as for the prof and how the class is run...JUST DO WHAT THEY WANT AND GET THE GRADE. You can be morally outraged for the rest of your life (after the semester ends)!
I think a great teacher gives you several writings/references offering differing views on a subject. Lecture, literature, textbook, articles, interview, movies and especially discussion on a subject like religion are important to help you form an intelligent opinion of what the subject is really about. I think your teacher must be a bit closed minded. is this the same guy who speaks at your church?
Zenonymnom
Post a Comment