I sometimes think of religion as an exquisite vase, passed down to me through many generations. I imagine its thin porcelain walls luminescent, burning with the sacred aura of its history. With pleasure I gaze upon the vase, until one day it tumbles from the shelf, shattering into numerous pieces. But I do not dismay; I gently fasten each shard together until, from fragmentation, a brilliant object once again emerges. I place it back on the shelf. Now as I […]
Before Stephanie graduated, we asked her a few questions about herself. Where did you go to high school? I attended John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham Alabama. How did you find out about the academic study of religion? I suppose that, academically, religion has always been a part of my life. I attended parochial schools of varying denominations (Baptist, Episcopalian, and Catholic) for my primary and secondary education, so the influence of religion in my life has been profound […]
All of my life, I have known that I wanted to be a physician in order to heal the afflicted. Yet I also knew that I did not want to follow in the footsteps of so many of my peers by earning a Biology degree. I wanted to do something different. I wanted my time as an undergraduate to be spent learning something that I am not only truly interested in, but also a subject that I would not have […]
“Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.”Have you ever found yourself in this situation? “Hello good sir/ma’am. I certainly do hate to bother, but would you happen to know a certain Mr. Adam of Beach? If so, what has he been up to and how on earth is the old cap doing?” Sound familiar? Well, it should. A study shows that 4 out of 5 Americans prefer hearing about someone instead of being […]
I was glad to receive the first newsletter from the Department of Religious Studies. Dr. Green’s article was of special interest to me. I took several classes under Dr. Leon Weinberger. After Dr. Patrick Greem arrived I also took some classes that he taught. When Dorsey Blake began teaching I enjoyed taking several “Black Religion” courses that he taught. My experience under the teaching of these men was rich and varied. It was in 1966 that I enrolled in school […]
Words of Wisdom from Clay When I think about my college life, I inevitably think of the Religious Studies department. When I started college, I never imagined I would study religion, but becoming a Religious Studies major has turned out to be one of my most fortunate decisions. The students, faculty, and staff in the department are some of the most dynamic and exciting people I have ever met, and the time I spent with all of them defines for […]
By Tim Davis Shortly before he graduated in the Spring of 2006, Tim Davis was invited to write a brief article orienting newcomers to a student’s view of the study of religion. A Student’s Perspective As an entering freshman at The University of Alabama I knew that my older sister, a junior at the time, was a Religious Studies major but I had no clue as to what she studied. Because she told me that she had taken courses in Tibetan Buddhism […]