While most classes were affected by COVID-19 regulations, some had to cut out major parts of their syllabi. One popular class, Living World Religions, lost one of the most important events of its semester. Since 1998, Dean of the College of Bible and Ministry Monte Cox has taken his class on a weekend field trip to Chicago or Dallas to visit the places of worship for Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. Cox was forced to alter this tradition, however, in light of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one thing to listen to a Christian professor explaining the contours of Judaism or Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism,\u201d Cox said. \u201cIt\u2019s another thing to hear it from a practitioner.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In spring 2020, the class had plans to go to St. Louis. However, because of travel restrictions, the semesterly trip has been on pause since. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was one of the things I was saddest to miss when we didn\u2019t come back to campus after Spring Break,\u201d senior Nickolas Simpson said. \u201cThe alternative assignment definitely taught me a lot about differing faiths [from] my own, but I imagine actually visiting the places of worship of these various religions and them telling us about their faith in person would have been another level of experience.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of traveling, the Living World Religions class has been zooming bi-weekly with the same people they would have visited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInternational Holocaust Remembrance Day [was] Jan. 27,\u201d Cox said. \u201cWe Zoomed with a Jewish friend of mine from Chicago whose parents survived the Holocaust. Next week or the week after, we will Zoom with an imam from Dallas.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason for the conversations, according to Cox, is to help the students put real names and faces to the facts they have learned in class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEach one professes a religion other than Christianity, and they tell us their story and a little about the traditions and beliefs they hold,\u201d senior Allie Lightfoot said. \u201cMost of the students who come to Harding have been highly exposed to one or two different religions or traditions, at the most. I think a lot of us would like to have a better understanding of the people around us, and for me specifically, I\u2019m glad to learn about the contact points and contradictions of each religion that I\u2019ll be able to hopefully ask about in conversation with someone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cox said he views the Zoom interviews as a distant second best to the in-person experience and is hoping to start the traveling experience as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it helps them feel more comfortable in the future engaging a Sikh or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist in conversation about their faith,\u201d Cox said. \u201cI\u2019ll do it as soon as I can, and I hope that\u2019s November.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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