elon}Contact Us
Lynn Huber, Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Spence Pavilion 208
2340 Campus Box
Elon, NC 27244
(336) 278-5709
lhuber@elon.edu
One of the aims of the Center is promoting excellence in teaching the study of religion, both in the classroom and in the context of undergraduate research. To that end, the Center is happy to offer various resources for supporting faculty from various disciplines who either encounter religious perspectives or engage questions of religion in their classrooms. Each semester we offer faculty and staff an opportunity for conversation about engaging religion and spiritualtiy in academic settings.
A selective bibliography on resources for "Responding to Religion in the Classroom."
In light of Elon’s unprecedented commitment to diversity, our community strives to be a place in which different religious commitments and practices, including commitments to being non-religious, are respected and valued. Still, talking about closely held beliefs and traditions, things that many individuals have been taught not to bring up in “polite company,” raises anxiety for some. As we engage others on our campus, including faculty, staff, and students, about religion we may wonder: What if I offend someone by stating my religious convictions? Will my perspectives suggest my lack of knowledge about another’s tradition? Is it appropriate for me to ask another about his/ her belief? Join the Multicultural Center and the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture, and Society for a conversation with Dr. Robert J. Nash on “Engaging Religion and Spirituality on Campus” on Thursday, November 8th from 7:30-9 pm in Lindner 207.
Dr. Nash is a Professor in the College of Education and Social Services at University of Vermont, Burlington. He specializes in philosophy of education, ethics, higher education, and religion, spirituality, and education. He is the author of a number of articles and books on religion, spirituality, and ethics in Higher Education, including Religious Pluralism in the Academy: Opening the Dialogue and co-author of Helping College Students Find Purpose: The Campus Guide to Meaning-Making.
This event is primarily for faculty and staff and will be discussion based. We are limiting the number of participants, so that there will be the opportunity for everyone to be in conversation with Dr. Nash and one another. Please RSVP to Maria Erb, Associate Director of the Multicultural Center for College Access and Success, at merb2@elon.edu.
Given the relatively recent development of undergraduate research in humanities disciplines, there is a dearth of knowledge about how to effectively engage undergraduate students in the humanities in research. Two Elon faculty members have participated in two national grants examining undergraduate research in the discipline of Religious Studies for the purpose of developing disciplinary standards and best practices for undergraduate research in the field of Religious Studies. Building on the expertise of our faculty, the Center for the Study of Religion will integrate undergraduate research into its programming, as well as offering consulting for faculty and programs intereted in deepening the analysis of religion in UR contexts. In the future, the Center plans on holding an annual summer workshop to teach faculty how to design and implement research projects with students interested in the study of religion. This program will have the potential to create a significant national model for supporting undergraduate research in the humanities and offer the possibility of strengthening the undergraduate study of religion nationwide.
