Religious Experience: About the Course

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About the Course

Rationale | Pedagogical Matters | Curriculum Details

Rationale

“Religious Experience” (STH TT974) is a research seminar for doctoral students. Advanced masters students can seek the permission of the instructor to participate. Classes will meet once a week on Thursday from 9-12 in STH 115. Each class will be conducted in the seminar discussion format with mini-lectures given by the instructor only as needed or requested by the class.

The aim of this research seminar is to examine material pertinent to constructing a relatively comprehensive interpretation of religious experience. A wide range of disciplinary perspectives will prove useful, including those of evolutionary theory, sociology, psychology, neuroscience, phenomenology, history, literature, philosophy, and theology.

The phrase “research seminar” indicates both that the goal is original research and that the students participating are invited to structure the seminar as they see fit. While a schedule of readings and topics will be offered, it is expected that students at this level should introduce new readings, challenge prevailing perspectives of the class, and devise different arrangements of topics for discussion. Remember, then, that the schedule listed here is provisional and likely to change several times through the semester.

It follows from this that there is no fixed agenda and also that everyone has to work extra hard to make the whole process work. While this can be unsettling at first, when research seminars work, they are truly memorable educational experiences.

Pedagogical Matters

The pedagogical principles adopted by the teaching staff, as well as their execution, are subject to ongoing assessment. End-of-semester course evaluations are particularly helpful in that regard. This course will change next time in part because of what you say on those forms. This web page offers another opportunity to profit from the wisdom and experience of this year's class by inviting email comments during the semester about the teaching methods and performance of the staff. To make those comments, please email me at the feedback address.

Curriculum Details

This course, STH TT974, can probably satisfy the requirement for a Theology II elective in the School of Theology's MDiv curriculum. Otherwise it is a free elective in theology.

The information on this page is copyright ©1994-2006, Wesley Wildman (basic information here), unless otherwise noted. If you want to use ideas that you find here, please be careful to acknowledge this site as your source, and remember also to credit the original author of what you use, where that is applicable. If you want to use text or stories from these pages, please contact me at the feedback address for permission.