Faith in the Neighborhood: Understanding and Engaging the World’s Religions in America (DI-610)

Course Details:

The scope of 21st-century America’s religious diversity is breathtaking! It is reasonable to say that all of the world’s religions — in fact, multiple versions of most — have made themselves at home in the US. Further complicating the multifaith landscape are the many ways individuals and groups orient around “religion.” It can be confusing — even intimidating. To the rescue: an asynchronous online course helps enrollees make sense of this complexity as it fosters interfaith neighborliness, hospitality, and mutual understanding. Students are introduced to concepts, vocabulary, and practices of various religions to a degree sufficient for participation in intelligent interfaith conversation — plus techniques and resources for fruitful interfaith collaboration. Traditional lectures and reading assignments are complemented by experiential, case-study, and dialogical methodologies — all facilitated by a Canvas website. Because fieldwork is an important component of this course, students receive preparation for being an informed visitor to other people’s religious spaces. They choose their own interfaith adventures — but get plenty of help in doing so. Past enrollees have often described Faith in the Neighborhood as “a pilgrimage”— a journey they’re glad they’ve taken!

Instructor(s):

• Lucinda Mosher

Course Downloads:

• Prelim Syllabus - Spring 2021