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Religion, Culture and Identity
TCNJ invites students to participate in a "Learning Community" (a community of learners dedicated to
exploring ideas and creating knowledge) entitled,
Religion, Culture and Identity, and investigate together
the beliefs and institutions of major religions and
their profound impact on human culture and individual
identity. Through interdisciplinary coursework, invited lectures
by distinguished scholars of Religion, and a
variety of extracurricular activities, students will
enhance and deepen their understanding of world
religions, the origins and evolution of religious traditions
in different regions of the globe and in different
historical periods, and religion’s intersection
with textual and non-textual forms of expression.
Planned extracurricular events include an art exhibition,
field trips to museums and lectures in New
York, Philadelphia, and Princeton, and possibly a
trip abroad.
Members of the Learning Community will enroll in a team-taught seminar specially designed for the Learning Community on the theme of Religion, Culture and Identity, in addition to completing at least two additional Religious Studies courses. The seminar will be offered in Spring 2008.
Through these learning opportunities, students will improve the skills in critical thought, analytical writing, and research that are fundamental to all fields of the humanities and social sciences. They will also learn to analyze primary documents and non-textual sources (art, music, architecture, etc.) with critical appreciation for their significance to understanding historical and contemporary religious phenomena.
Highlights from the Religion, Culture & Identity Learning Community
- Events: Religion, Culture and Identity Fall 2007 | Spring 2008
- Video: “Jewish Views of Solitary Sex” Part 1 | Part 2
- Video: “Feminists do Religion” Part 1 | Part 2
- Video: “Women's Words” Part 1 | Part 2
- Video: Starhawk, “Earth Spirit, Earth Justice” Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
- Video: Angela Davis Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
- Video: Zhihua Yao Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- Video: Jon Pahl Part 1 | Part 2
- Video: Bosnia Symposium Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
- Video: Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille Part 1 | Part 2
- Video: Art and Religious Identities in the Early Buddhist Communities of South Asia Pia Brancaccio, Drexel University
Program of Extracurricular Events
- Fall 2007 Events
- Spring 2008 Events
- Religion, Culture and Identity Art Exhibitions
- Video Recordings of Selected Events
- Religion, Culture & Identity Blog
Certificate of Participation
Students who successfully fulfill the academic requirements for the Religion, Culture, and Identity Learning Community will receive a Certificate of Participation. Please note that the Learning Community is distinct from the campus theme for 2007-2008 of the same name, though some events will overlap. Only students who successfully complete the courses of the Learning Community will receive its Certificate. In addition, all courses offered in the Learning Community will count toward the Liberal Learning Interdisciplinary Concentration in Religious Studies. With the approval of appropriate departments and faculty, courses may also count toward the minor in Religious Studies and other minors and concentrations, such as the Middle East Studies minor and the concentration and minor in Classical Studies.
Letter of Intent
Prior to registering for the Fall 2007 semester, interested students should complete a Letter of Intent indicating their desire to participate in the Learning Community. Before registration opens for the Fall 2007 semester, students who have submitted a Letter of intent will be told whether they have been admitted to the Learning Community and provided with information on how to proceed.
Courses
Students will be able to earn the Certificate by taking three courses from the following set of eligible courses; one course must be AAH 370/HIS 387, offered in Spring 2008. The other courses may be selected from the list below:
Fall 2006
- FSP 104-01: The Divine Image in India with Dr. Deborah Hutton
- FSP 114-01 & 02: Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” Ethics and Social Justice in the Middle Ages and Today with Dr. Celia Chazelle
- FSP 121-02: American Christianity: From Scopes to Sept 11th with Dr. Tim Clydesdale
- FSP 131-05: Jews, Christians & Muslims in the Pre-Modern World with Dr. Adam Knobler
- FSP 134-01: The Bosnian War Ten Years Later: Religious, Ethnic and Gender Strife with Dr. Paces
- AAH 118: Arts in the Islamic World with Dr. Deborah Hutton (two sections)
- HIS 312: Medieval Culture and Society with Dr. Celia Chazelle
- HIS 332: Islamic Mysticism with Dr. Jo-Ann Gross
- HIS 338: Indian Civilization with Dr. Xinru Liu
- CLS 250: Intro to Greek Mythology (two sections)
- LIT 251: British Literature to the Restoration with Dr. Jean Graham
- PHL 250: Philosophy of Religion with Dr. Parviz Dehghani
- POL 357: Middle East Politics with Dr. Miriam Lowi
- REL 110: World Religions with Dr. Anu Sinha (two sections) and with Joel Chernikoff (one section)
- REL 111: Buddhism & Buddhist Thought with Dr. Glory Thomas (two sections)
- REL 113: Islam & Islamic Thought with Dr. Parviz Dehghani
- REL 120: Early Judaism with Joel Chernikoff
- REL 370: Special Topics in Religion: Women and Religion with Dr. Margaret Ulizio-Taylor
Spring 2007
- AAH 105: Caves to Cathedrals
- AAH 115: Arts of South Asia
- AAH 370: Topics in Non-Western Art: Native American Art
- CSL 250: Intro to Greek Mythology
- HIS 313: Medieval Christianity with Dr. Celia Chazelle
- HIS 339: Modern India with Dr. Xinru Liu (two sections)
- HIS 455: Law and Moral Order in Medieval vs. Modern Society with Dr. Celia Chazelle
- LIT 340: The Bible as Literature with Dr. Glenn Steinberg
- LIT 358: British Literature Reformed 1550-1700 with Dr. Jean Graham
- REL 100: Basic Issues in Religion (two sections) with Dr. David Rech
- REL 110: World Religions (three sections) with Dr. Dehghani and Rabbi Chernikoff
- REL 111: Buddhism & Buddhist Thought (two sections)
- REL 121: Modern Judaism with Rabbi Chernikoff
- REL 370: Special Topics: Catholicism with Father Hlubik
Fall 2007
- FSP 101 H1: The Stories God Tells: Reading Religious Texts as Literature with Dr. Glenn Steinberg
- FSP 111 01 & 02: Mortality, Mind, and the Meaning of Life with Dr. Pierre Le Morvan
- FSP 114 01 & 02: Am I My Brother’s Keeper? with Dr. Celia Chazelle
- FSP 114 05 & 06: Buddhism and Hinduism with Dr. Xinru Liu
- FSP 134 03 & 04: Bosnia: When Neighbors became Enemies with Dr. Cynthia PacesTF 2:00-3:20
- AAH 105: Caves to Cathedrals (two sections)
- AAH 106: Renaissance to Revolution (two sections)
- AAH 216: Arts of East Asia with Dr. Deborah Hutton (two sections)
- AAH 315: Arts of Iran and Central Asia with Dr. Deborah Hutton
- AAH 348: Baroque Art (Staff)
- HIS 312: Medieval Culture and Society with Dr. Celia Chazelle
- HIS 325: Modern Germany with Dr. Cynthia Paces
- HIS 341: Islamic Society from Muhammad to the Ottomans with Dr. Jo-Ann Gross
- HNR 362: Goodwives and Witches: Women in Colonial America with Dr. Michele Tarter
- LIT 317: The Witch in Literature with Dr. Michele Tarter
- LIT 340: Bible as Literature with Dr. Jean Graham
- LIT 394/CMP 370: Topics in Comparative Literature: Literary Ecumenism in the Renaissance: Protestant Writers and Their Catholic Precursors with Dr. Glenn Steinberg
- REL 100: Basic Issues in Religion with David Rech (two sections)
- REL 110: World Religions (four sections)
- REL 111: Buddhism (two sections)
- REL 112: Hinduism with Dr. Anu Sinha
- REL 120: Early Judaism with Rabbi Joel Chernikoff
- REL 220: Catholicism with Fr. Joseph Hlubik
- SOC 375: Religion & American Culture with Dr. Tim Clydesdale
- WGS 200: Women, Culture and Society (four sections) with Professor Boughn, Professor Gamble, and staff
Spring 2008
- AAH 105: Caves to Cathedrals (two sections)
- AAH 106: Renaissance to Revolution (two sections)
- AAH 217: Arts of the Islamic World (formerly AAH 117) (two sections)
- AAH 370/HIS 387: “Topics: Holy Places, Sacred Shrines”: required Learning Community seminar with Dr. Celia Chazelle and Dr. Lee Ann Riccardi
- HIS 313: Medieval Christianity with Dr. Celia Chazelle
- HIS 324: Women in Eastern Europe 1848-present with Dr. Cynthia Paces
- HIS 331: Silk and Religion with Dr. Xinru Liu
- HIS 339: Modern India with Dr. Xinru Liu
- HIS 342: Modern Middle East with Dr. Jo-Ann Gross
- HNR 272: Philosophy of Religion with Dr. Pierre Le Morvan
- PHL 250: Philosophy of Religion with Dr. Pierre Le Morvan
- REL 370: Special Topics: Ancient Christianity with Fr. Joe Hlubik
Maymester 2008
- HON 349: TBA with Dr. Lee Ann Riccardi and Dr. Glenn Steinberg
