Divinity School (audio)

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Trina Janiec Jones (Wofford College) had her dissertation colloquium in Swift Hall on September 12th, 2001. The events of the previous day not only impacted her colloquium, but eventually, also took her teaching career and scholarly interests in directions she never imagined while sitting in Regenstein working her way through Sanskrit declensions. Trained in Buddhist philosophy at the Divinity School, she soon found that every job for which she interviewed required that she create a course on Islam. Since her graduation from the Divinity School, she has taught at two liberal arts colleges, teaching courses that have required her to become more of a generalist than she anticipated. This seminar focused on an undergraduate course on interfaith engagement and religious pluralism that she recently co-taught, and used its syllabus as an entry point into broader questions related to the role of the teacher in the undergraduate religious studies classroom. How, for example, does one negotiate students’ desires to explore “religion” or “spirituality” with one’s own pedagogical desire to foster an atmosphere of academic rigor and critical thinking? What, ultimately, should the goals of an undergraduate religious studies course be? The quarterly Dean's Craft of Teaching Seminar is the flagship seminar of the Craft of Teaching program, centered on issues of course design and institutional context. Katherine (Trina) Janiec Jones (AM, 1993; PhD, Philosophy of Religions, 2002) is an Associate Professor of Religion at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., where she also serves as the Associate Provost for Curriculum and Co-Curriculum. She has won several teaching awards, served on a leadership team at the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion (for a workshop for Pre-Tenure Religion Faculty and Colleges and Universities), and has consulted at several schools seeking to examine their introductory religious studies curricula (also through the Wabash Center). She was a recipient of an American Academy of Religion/Luce Foundation Fellowship in Theologies of Religious Pluralism and Comparative Theology and participated in a Seminar in Teaching Interfaith Understanding, sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges, the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Interfaith Youth Core. She is also a co-author of a rubric focused on pluralism and worldview engagement (https://www.ifyc.org/resources/pluralism-and-worldview-engagement-rubric), the research for which was funded by the Teagle Foundation. The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. William Schweiker (University of Chicago) on “The Saint and the Humanities.”

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Jean Bethke Elshtain (University of Chicago) on “Why Augustine? Why Now?”

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. David Tracy delivers the keynote address, “A Troubling Conflict: The Two Selfs in Augustine.”

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. "The War on Drugs – A New Paradigm: Health Not Punishment." Rev. Alexander E. Sharp (MDiv'96), speaking on the work of Clergy for a New Drug Policy. CNDP, of which Rev. Sharp is the founder and executive director, mobilizes clergy nationally to end the War on Drugs and calls for a health not punishment response to drug policy. Rev. Sharp has been working on progressive criminal justice issues for 20 years. He served as the founding executive director of Protestants for the Common Good from 1996 through June 2012 and then as acting executive director of the Community Renewal Society Wednesday Lunch is a Divinity School tradition started many decades ago. At noon on Wednesdays when the quarter is in session a delicious vegetarian meal is made in the Swift Hall kitchen by our student chefs and lunch crew. Once the three-course meal has reached dessert each week there is a talk by a faculty member or student from throughout the University, a community member from the greater Chicago area, or a guest from a wider distance.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Vu Tran, Assistant Professor of Practice in the Arts in the Department of English and the Committee on Creative Writing. Prof. Tran, who joined the UChicago faculty in 2010, has published his short fiction widely, and is the author of the noir novel “Dragonfish” from which he will be reading today. Tran is a fiction writer whose work thus far is preoccupied with the legacy of the Vietnam War for the Vietnamese who remained in the homeland, the Vietnamese who immigrated to America, and the Americans whose lives have intersected with both; “Dragonfish” concerns an American police officer’s search in Las Vegas for his ex-wife, a Vietnamese refugee Wednesday Lunch is a Divinity School tradition started many decades ago. At noon on Wednesdays when the quarter is in session a delicious vegetarian meal is made in the Swift Hall kitchen by our student chefs and lunch crew. Once the three-course meal has reached dessert each week there is a talk by a faculty member or student from throughout the University, a community member from the greater Chicago area, or a guest from a wider distance.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Hank Owings, 2nd-year Divinity School student and a Baha'i, brings back our popular 101/Lunch crossover series with "Baha'i 101." "101s" are a no-pressure, no-prior-knowledge-required opportunity for students to learn from fellow students –students present a short, informal introduction to the history and main themes of a particular author or movement they’ve studied and analyzed (e.g. Islamic Law, Yogācāra, Stoicism). There’s always food, drink, laughter, and really basic questions Wednesday Lunch is a Divinity School tradition started many decades ago. At noon on Wednesdays when the quarter is in session a delicious vegetarian meal is made in the Swift Hall kitchen by our student chefs and lunch crew. Once the three-course meal has reached dessert each week there is a talk by a faculty member or student from throughout the University, a community member from the greater Chicago area, or a guest from a wider distance.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. The Divinity School marks the University’s 125th anniversary – and the Divinity School’s 150th anniversary – with a panel discussion on the history of the Divinity School, followed by a reception, a dinner, and further remarks after dinner. The panel was introduced by Richard A. Rosengarten, Dean and Associate Professor of Religion and Literature. Nuveen Panel* on Divinity School History: Larry Greenfield, DB'66, AM'70, PhD'78 Martin E. Marty, PhD'56 Daniel Meyer, AM'75, PhD'94 The panel discussion also served as the 2015 John S. Nuveen Lecture. Founded in 1890, the University of Chicago celebrates 125 Years of Inquiry and Impact in 2015. The anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on our history, our community past and present, and the founding principles that continue to guide our direction. The celebration takes place throughout Autumn Quarter 2015 with events held across campus in the divisions, schools, and other units, beginning with the Opening Convocations in September and culminating in the 525th Convocation in December.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Richard A. Rosengarten, Dean and Associate Professor of Religion and Literature, kick off our 2015-2016 Lunch program. Wednesday Lunch is a Divinity School tradition started many decades ago. At noon on Wednesdays when the quarter is in session a delicious vegetarian meal is made in the Swift Hall kitchen by our student chefs and lunch crew. Once the three-course meal has reached dessert each week there is a talk by a faculty member or student from throughout the University, a community member from the greater Chicago area, or a guest from a wider distance.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Bernard McGinn (University of Chicago) on “Semper agens, semper quietus”: Notes on the History of an Augustinian Theme.”

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. John Cavadini (University of Notre Dame) on Solidarity and Ideology in Augustine’s City of God.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Willemien Otten (University of Chicago) on “The Open Self: Augustine and the Early Medieval Tradition.”

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Adrian Peperzak of Loyola University on “Teachers Without and Within.”

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Jean-Luc Marion speaking on “The Impossibility of the cogito according to Saint Augustine." Marion is the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Professor of Catholic Studies and Professor of the Philosophy of Religions and Theology.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Françoise Meltzer speaking on “Baudelaire, de Maistre, and Hyper-Augustinianism.” Meltzer is the Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor in the Humanities, a professor in the Divinity School and the College, and Chair of Comparative Literature at the University of Chicago.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A conference honoring David Tracy, the Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Fredrick Lawrence (Boston College) speaking on “Philosophy, Theology, Self-knowledge and Conversion: How Saint Augustine Influenced Heidegger and Longergan.”

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Olatunji Oboi Reed, speaking on the transformative power of bicycling. Oboi Reed is the co-founder and president of the Slow Roll Chicago bicycle movement – "building an equitable, diverse bicycle culture in Chicago, transforming communities as we ride" – and is involved with groups such as Red Bike & Green and South Side Critical Mass, organized rides focused on getting more people of color biking. An organizer and advocate in many venues for communities of color and low- to moderate-income communities throughout Chicago to have access to the health, economic, and social benefits of cycling. Wednesday Lunch is a Divinity School tradition started many decades ago. At noon on Wednesdays when the quarter is in session a delicious vegetarian meal is made in the Swift Hall kitchen by our student chefs and lunch crew. Once the three-course meal has reached dessert each week there is a talk by a faculty member or student from throughout the University, a community member from the greater Chicago area, or a guest from a wider distance.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. This conference uses the particular case study of astrology as a means to study the broader implications of boundary-work. It examines the intersections among science, the occult, and the religious cultures that lived in the medieval Islamic world—including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The conference hopes to complicate the categories of magic, science, and religion by looking at how boundaries between these fields were articulated by medieval scholars. Boundary-work, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary; the conference will bring together scholars of religious studies, history, sociology, art, and science studies to collectively examine the chosen case study of astrology. By looking at practices of, categorizations of, and debates surrounding astrology in the medieval Islamic world, the conference hopes to shed light on the broader questions of when, where, why, and how definitions and boundaries are established between science, magic, and religion.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Divinity School Professors Margaret M. Mitchell, Wendy Doniger, Richard Rosengarten, Jas Elsner, Dan Arnold, Kevin Hector, and Sarah Hammerschlag speak on “Introducing Religion.” One of the most difficult, yet most important, tasks for the scholar of religion is thinking about how to teach the college-level introductory course in Religious Studies. How should you teach it -- as a "World Religions" class? A "Theory and Methods" class? What should you teach, given that most of us don't specialize in all religions, everywhere? At this full-day colloquium, seven members of the Divinity School faculty facilitate a richly textured conversation on the introductory course in all its complexity, taking as a starting point the notion that the academic study of religion should begin with its sources, broadly construed. The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Divinity School Professors Margaret M. Mitchell, Wendy Doniger, Richard Rosengarten, Jas Elsner, Dan Arnold, Kevin Hector, and Sarah Hammerschlag speak on “Introducing Religion.” One of the most difficult, yet most important, tasks for the scholar of religion is thinking about how to teach the college-level introductory course in Religious Studies. How should you teach it -- as a "World Religions" class? A "Theory and Methods" class? What should you teach, given that most of us don't specialize in all religions, everywhere? At this full-day colloquium, seven members of the Divinity School faculty facilitate a richly textured conversation on the introductory course in all its complexity, taking as a starting point the notion that the academic study of religion should begin with its sources, broadly construed. The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Divinity School Professors Margaret M. Mitchell, Wendy Doniger, Richard Rosengarten, Jas Elsner, Dan Arnold, Kevin Hector, and Sarah Hammerschlag speak on “Introducing Religion.” One of the most difficult, yet most important, tasks for the scholar of religion is thinking about how to teach the college-level introductory course in Religious Studies. How should you teach it -- as a "World Religions" class? A "Theory and Methods" class? What should you teach, given that most of us don't specialize in all religions, everywhere? At this full-day colloquium, seven members of the Divinity School faculty facilitate a richly textured conversation on the introductory course in all its complexity, taking as a starting point the notion that the academic study of religion should begin with its sources, broadly construed. The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Divinity School Professors Margaret M. Mitchell, Wendy Doniger, Richard Rosengarten, Jas Elsner, Dan Arnold, Kevin Hector, and Sarah Hammerschlag speak on “Introducing Religion.” One of the most difficult, yet most important, tasks for the scholar of religion is thinking about how to teach the college-level introductory course in Religious Studies. How should you teach it -- as a "World Religions" class? A "Theory and Methods" class? What should you teach, given that most of us don't specialize in all religions, everywhere? At this full-day colloquium, seven members of the Divinity School faculty facilitate a richly textured conversation on the introductory course in all its complexity, taking as a starting point the notion that the academic study of religion should begin with its sources, broadly construed. The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Divinity School Professors Margaret M. Mitchell, Wendy Doniger, Richard Rosengarten, Jas Elsner, Dan Arnold, Kevin Hector, and Sarah Hammerschlag speak on “Introducing Religion.” One of the most difficult, yet most important, tasks for the scholar of religion is thinking about how to teach the college-level introductory course in Religious Studies. How should you teach it -- as a "World Religions" class? A "Theory and Methods" class? What should you teach, given that most of us don't specialize in all religions, everywhere? At this full-day colloquium, seven members of the Divinity School faculty facilitate a richly textured conversation on the introductory course in all its complexity, taking as a starting point the notion that the academic study of religion should begin with its sources, broadly construed. The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Divinity School Professors Margaret M. Mitchell, Wendy Doniger, Richard Rosengarten, Jas Elsner, Dan Arnold, Kevin Hector, and Sarah Hammerschlag speak on “Introducing Religion.” One of the most difficult, yet most important, tasks for the scholar of religion is thinking about how to teach the college-level introductory course in Religious Studies. How should you teach it -- as a "World Religions" class? A "Theory and Methods" class? What should you teach, given that most of us don't specialize in all religions, everywhere? At this full-day colloquium, seven members of the Divinity School faculty facilitate a richly textured conversation on the introductory course in all its complexity, taking as a starting point the notion that the academic study of religion should begin with its sources, broadly construed. The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Divinity School Professors Margaret M. Mitchell, Wendy Doniger, Richard Rosengarten, Jas Elsner, Dan Arnold, Kevin Hector, and Sarah Hammerschlag speak on “Introducing Religion.” One of the most difficult, yet most important, tasks for the scholar of religion is thinking about how to teach the college-level introductory course in Religious Studies. How should you teach it -- as a "World Religions" class? A "Theory and Methods" class? What should you teach, given that most of us don't specialize in all religions, everywhere? At this full-day colloquium, seven members of the Divinity School faculty facilitate a richly textured conversation on the introductory course in all its complexity, taking as a starting point the notion that the academic study of religion should begin with its sources, broadly construed. The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Led by Christine Hayes (Yale University). The classic frontal lecture aimed at delivering content in real time is the mainstay of many university courses. How might classroom instruction be reimagined when content is delivered through online lectures in virtual time? This workshop explores the changing role of the instructor and the transformation of the classroom from lecture hall to learning laboratory in the digital age. Christine Hayes is Robert F. and Patricia R. Weis Professor of Religious Studies in Classical Judaica. Before joining the Yale faculty in 1996, she was Assistant Professor of Hebrew Studies in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University for three years. Her published works include several books and many articles in Vetus Testamentum, The Journal for the Study of Judaism, The Harvard Theological Review, and various scholarly anthologies. Her first book, entitled Between the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds (Oxford University Press, 1997) was honored with a Salo Baron prize for a first book in Jewish thought and literature, awarded by the American Academy for Jewish Research (1999). The Craft of Teaching (CoT) is the Divinity School's program of pedagogical development for its graduate students, dedicated to preparing a new generation of accomplished educators in the field of religious studies. We bring together Divinity School faculty, current students, and an extensive alumni network of decorated teachers to share our craft and to advance critical reflection on religious studies pedagogy.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. “Diversifying Theological Education" – A public lecture by Stephen Lewis, President of the Forum for Theological Exploration (formerly the Fund for Theological Education). Rev. Lewis will share with the Swift Hall community the current state of diversification efforts in the Association of Theological Schools. This discussion is particularly timely given that, by no later than 2030, ATS schools will no longer have one racial/ethnic group as the dominant presence in its schools in North America. How do we create an intellectual climate that continues to enhance our stellar academic practices as the broader community of conversation transitions into the future? The Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) is a leadership incubator that inspires young people to make a difference in the world through Christian communities. Since our founding in 1954, FTE has provided resources, events, networks, grants and fellowships to cultivate tomorrow's leaders, pastors and theological educators. FTE provides a forum through which gifted, purposeful students, young adults and partners explore their passion, purpose and call." Sponsored by the Divinity School and the Diversity Committee of the Academic Policy

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. "An Endangered Religion and a Destroyed People: The Yazidi Undoing and the Attempt to Respond." Matthew Barber is a PhD student in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, with interests in modern Syria and Iraq, and Islamic thought. He lived in Syria at the advent of the Syrian uprising and is co-editor of the academic blog Syria Comment. Last summer, Matthew was conducting research in northern Iraq when the self-declared Islamic State ethnically cleansed the Yazidi homeland of Sinjar and began a project of mass enslavement of Yazidi women. In the following months, he became highly involved in advocacy work on behalf of the Yazidis, one of most endangered religious minorities in the world. Matthew can be followed on Twitter at @Matthew__Barber.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. The third of four conferences in the series “The Engaged Mind,” reflecting on themes drawn from the work of Jean Bethke Elshtain. The series is underwritten by the McDonald Agape Foundation. Panel Session Three Sovereignty: God, State and Self Chair and Respondent — Michael Gillespie Professor of Philosophy and Political Science, Duke University Gilbert Meilaender Professor of Theology, Valparaiso University “Engaging the Mind of Elshtain on Sovereignty” Lisa Sowle Cahill J. Donald Monan Professor, Boston College “Sovereign No More? Selves, States, and God in Our Bewildering Global Environment” See more at https://divinity.uchicago.edu/theological-reflection-and-limits-politics

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. The third of four conferences in the series “The Engaged Mind,” reflecting on themes drawn from the work of Jean Bethke Elshtain. The series is underwritten by the McDonald Agape Foundation. Panel Session 2 Who Are We? Critical Reflections and Hopeful Possibilities Chair and Respondent — Melanie Barrett Associate Professor in the Department of Christian Life, University of St. Mary of the Lake Melissa Rogers Director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs, Wake Forest University Divinity School “How Not to Separate Church and State” Robin W. Lovin Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics, Southern Methodist University “Who Are We?: Realist Reflections on Politics and Human Nature” See more at https://divinity.uchicago.edu/theological-reflection-and-limits-politics

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. The third of four conferences in the series “The Engaged Mind,” reflecting on themes drawn from the work of Jean Bethke Elshtain. The series is underwritten by the McDonald Agape Foundation. Panel Session 1: Augustine and the Limits of Politics Chair and Respondent — Charles Mathewes Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia Nigel Biggar Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Christ Church, Oxford; Director for the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics and Public Life “Jean Bethke Elshtain — A Critical Appreciation of Her Work” Eric Gregory Professor of Religion, Princeton University “Taking Love Seriously: Elshtain’s Augustinian Voice and Modern Politics” See more at https://divinity.uchicago.edu/theological-reflection-and-limits-politics

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. The third of four conferences in the series “The Engaged Mind,” reflecting on themes drawn from the work of Jean Bethke Elshtain. The series is underwritten by the McDonald Agape Foundation. See more at https://divinity.uchicago.edu/theological-reflection-and-limits-politics Lunchtime Discussion John Wilson Editor of Books and Culture at Christianity Today “Jean Bethke Elshtain, The Writer”

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Brook A. Ziporyn (Professor of Chinese Religion, Philosophy, and Comparative Thought at the University of Chicago Divinity School) is a scholar of ancient and medieval Chinese religion and philosophy, and an expositor and translator of some of the most complex philosophical texts and concepts of the Chinese religious traditions. Ziporyn delivered a talk on April 28 at the Center in Beijing entitled “Religion Without God: China’s Precious Spiritual Heritage.” After the English-language lecture and Q&A session, Ziporyn continued the discussion with attendees in Chinese.