Discussions en cours Commencé à nos déjeuners annuels d’études supérieures de perfectionnement professionnel
étudiants

Pedagogy II — Going the Distance in Online Education, Congress 2012, Waterloo, ON
luncheon papers:
Designing for Online Distance Education: Putting Pedagogy Before Technology — Richard S. Ascough
Welcoming Design: Hosting a Hospitable Online Course — Richard S. Ascough
Online/Blended Learning Resources


Pedagogy I — Alternative Approaches to Introducing Religion(s): Engaging Method and Theory in the Classroom, Congress 2011, Fredericton, NB


At this past Congress meeting in Fredericton in May, 2011, a panel on “Alternative Approaches to Introducing Religion(s): Engaging Method and Theory in the Classroom” had incited important, insightful and inspiring discussions amongst the presenters and audience. Everyone present at the panel felt that the discussions should continue throughout the year, and in many venues, including the CSSR website, where others could participate in sharing their insights and experiences. Please find below the papers from the panel and feel free to use this board for discussion. Thank you to the presenters and respondents for sharing their papers here.

Panel Title: Alternative Approaches to Introducing Religion(s): Engaging Method and Theory in the Classroom
Introduction to Religion or World Religions, as it is currently taught, tends to assume the phenomenological existence of religion while ignoring the problems with this position. The major ―world religions‖ are presented in terms of their teleological histories and their essentialized beliefs. This approach is not unique to the introduction to religions, but is, perhaps, most problematic in this setting. The papers presented at this panel will challenge this teleological/essentialist framework, and suggest alternative approaches to introducing religion. Based on the work of Jonathan Z. Smith and Bruce Lincoln, we explore the ways in which we can introduce religion without relying on the essence of belief. Instead we suggest analyzing the conceptual frameworks which have typically been used to define religion (especially myth and ritual, but also classification) while utilizing a comparative method which does not privilege one data set over another, be it religious or secular.

Presenters:

Ian Brown, University of Regina
Paper
Sarah Hagel, University of Regina
Paper
Jesse Bailey, University of Regina
Paper

Respondents:

Janet Klippenstein, University of Alberta
T. Nicholas Schonhoffer, University of Toronto