A Nation Must Think Before it Acts
Teaching World Religions
A nation must think before it acts.
Teaching World Religions
Date : Sat., April 28, 2001 to Sun., April 29, 2001 Category : Butcher History Institute
Demand for teaching world religions is growing in high schools and colleges. Young Americans, themselves often religious, are curious about their own and other faiths, while growing numbers of schools include students of many faiths. Coexistence and mutual understanding require that the topic of religion be drawn into classroom discussion. Moreover, religion’s importance to history, literature, political philosophy and other disciplines make it an essential part of the curriculum. The question then becomes how to define what religion is and how it can be taught without becoming theology or anti-theology. FPRI’s Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education is pleased to announce a weekend-long history institute on “Teaching World Religions,” featuring a series of lectures by leading scholars in several fields. This program is specially designed for secondary school teachers, curriculum supervisors, and junior college faculty.
Teaching World Religions Conference Summary by William Anthony Hay
Topics and Speakers
Welcoming Remarks
Director - Wachman Center for Civic and International Literacy
Keynote Address: What Is Religion and Can It Be Taught?
Professor of Catholic Studies, University of Illinois
Hinduism
Assoc. Professor of Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Christianity
Professor of Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Dinner Address: Teaching Religion in a Culture of Disbelief
Director of Program in the Humanities and Human Values, University of North Carolina
Islam
Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Virginia
Buddhism
Professor of Japanese Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Judaism
Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia
Panel Discussion: Defining and Teaching World Religions
Director of Program in Humanities and Human Values, University of North Carolina
James KurthSenior Fellow
Professor of Political Science, Swarthmore College
Paul DicklerSenior Fellow - Wachman Center for Civic and International Literacy
Neshaminy High School
David GressSenior Fellow
Professor of Classics, University of Aarhus
William Anthony HayExecutive Director - Center for the Study of America and the West
Location
Venue
Gregg Conference Center
PA Bryn Mawr 19010
Registration links
Register Deadline
What Participants Receive:
Social studies and history teachers, curriculum supervisors and junior college faculty are invited to apply for participation in the History Institute. Forty participants will be selected to receive:
* free room and board
* assistance in designing curriculum and special projects based on the History Institute
* stipends of $200 in exchange for curriculum units based on the History Institute, plus a representative selection of student work
* partial travel scholarships available for participants outside the East Coast
* free copy of Faith and Statecraft, a special issue of Orbis, FPRI’s journal of world affairs