URI religious
studies classes 'successful'
By
Kyle Jarvis For William
J. Bartels, philosophy instructor at the University of Rhode Island,
the question as to whether students are interested in religion is
an easy one. "The classes are always full, every semester," he observes.
Bartels teaches a variety of courses in religious studies, including
one titled Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, another titled Asian
Philosophy and Religion, and other religion-related seminars.
Asked whether
religion is ultimately an important factor in the lives of college
students, Bartels says it's difficult to determine, mostly because
of the way students perceive religion these days.
"Students tend
to have a negative attitude about organized religion, religion in
the established, traditionalized sense." But that doesn't mean students
don't consider themselves to be spiritual. "On the first day of
class each semester, I ask for a show of hands on how many of the
students believe in something beyond the material and physical world,
in other words some kind of spiritual presence." About 95 percent
of the class will raise their hands, according to Bartels.
But why do
many students show hostility toward The Church, and organized religion
as a whole? Bartels said he thinks it's because they're away from
home, many for the first time and aren't under pressure to continue
the pursuit of a parentally enforced enthusiasm for religion.
Bartels pointed
out some additional reasons for a disenchanted student body. "There's
a perception that organized religion focuses too much on the negative,
the 'thou shalt not' aspects." He also says religion tends to be
"out of sync with current cultural trends."
Bartels pointed
to homosexuality as an example of an integrated aspect of pop culture.
"Religions aren't progressing at the same rate, and I think the
hypocrisy is quite bothersome to many students."
Bartels says
religion hasn't made the necessary effort to "convey the positive
aspects adequately to youngsters. If you ask most students, 'What
is the positive message this religion has to offer?' they can't
say. When you ask them what the negative aspects are, they could
probably go on and on."
Bartels, who
served as a part-time campus chaplain after coming to the University
in 1987, notes an increase in interest in the Islamic faith since
the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"It's been
a mostly negative feeling toward Islam since then," Bartels says.
But he has done his best to combat preconceived notions in the classroom.
"I often like
to take students through an exercise, where I read them a passage
from some sacred text, perhaps something along the lines of '(Allah/God
says) kill all the heathen; destroy women and children, etc.' And
then I tell them it's actually a passage from Hebrew scripts, and
they don't know what to make of it."
Another method
Bartels uses to battle religious stereotypes is to bring in guest
speakers. "Last year we brought in some American women who'd converted
to Islam, and they were able to communicate with the students very
effectively."
Regarding his
time as a chaplain here at URI, Bartels says he always "tried to
frame what I did as 'the string on the finger,' or the 'bandage
on the wound,' in terms of how I helped students come to terms with
their own spiritual connections."
Philosophy
Department Chair Donald Zeyl, who teaches the Biblical Studies course,
sees many of the same trends as Bartels. A member of the URI faculty
since 1971, Zeyl agrees that interest in the modest number of religious
studies courses is always high. "This has been the trend ever since
I can remember."
But Zeyl is
unhappy with what he sees as the university administration's unwillingness
to develop a major in religion. "There was some discussion in the
mid-1970s, and we were told the resources weren't available, he
says" Asked what that meant, Zeyl answered, "We'd have to introduce
a spate of new courses, hire several more teachers, etc., and the
money just wasn't there . . . the University hasn't seen it as a
priority."
Zeyl shares
Bartels' view that students tend to look down upon organized religion.
"Many students often reject religion because of an authoritarian
experience in younger years. . . . They don't give themselves the
opportunity to investigate the positive impact of religious beliefs
and values." Zeyl adds, "When you come from a strict background,
it's human nature to rebel."
Zeyl feels
differently from Bartels, however, as to whether religious groups
are making a strong enough effort to reach out to students. "There
are attempts being made by groups here on campus to seek the positive,
and to engage in open dialogue," Zeyl says, adding that these groups
are getting fairly strong support from The Church itself.
Regarding his
Biblical Studies course, Zeyl says it tends to be of very diverse
make-up. "The ethnic cross section at URI is well represented in
the RLS courses."
Bartels and
Zeyl also agree on the high level of interest in Asian religions
and philosophies. "They tend to be very philosophical in nature,"
says Bartels. "There's a fascination with their ideas, such as Taoism."
Zeyl, who was
born in the Netherlands and emigrated to Canada at the age of 10,
concurs. "Asian religions are more contemplative in nature than
near Eastern religions . . . contemplation is not historically part
of Western religious culture, so students look to Asian religions."
For
more information http://www.uri.edu/student_life/chaps/
http://www.uricatholiccenter.org/
http://www.uri.edu/student_organizations/esa/
http://www.urihillel.org/
http://www.uri.edu/student_organizations/philo/
