Part 2 of 2: Dr. Bell (Cherokee) is a professor at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). Intriguing topics covered in her interviews include “An Indian with a pen,” the “The lost generation”, and the power of oral storytelling and its relationship to Native American writing.
Countries: US
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Guest Author Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo (Muskogee Creek) is a poet, scriptwriter, editor, filmmaker, and musician. She also holds the position of Professor of Literature at the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque). Topics of discussion include the relationship between poetry and oral traditions, urban Indian poetry, and the art of teaching poetry.
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Guest Author Luci Tapahonso
Luci Tapahonso (Navajo) is a professor at the University of Kansas (Lawrence) and a very well-respected poet in her own right. Topics covered in this discussion include the matriarchal structure of Navajo culture, the nature of American Indian poetry, and the ways in which Navajo readers – both children and adults – can feel more empowered through literature targeted to them.
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Guest Author James Welch
James Welch (Blackfoot/Gros Ventre) is an internationally respected poet and novelist. Topics covered in this class include the power of the word, the nature of the women in Winter in the Blood, and the importance of names and family history.
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Guest Author Susan Power, Part 1
Part 1 of 2: Susan Power (Dakota/German) is the author of the national best-seller, The Grass Dancer. Ms. Power is originally from Chicago, and holds both undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Topics covered in this class include Indian boarding schools, the religious impact of Christianity on American Indians, an author’s relationship to “place”, and the occasional aggressiveness of white “helpers.” James Welch also makes a reappearance in this class via telephone.
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Far East Religion
Explores the relationship between the ethical and social dimensions as demonstrated by East Asian religions. Included in this study are the religions of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Japanese Shintoism, and a mixture of ancient folk religious practices that dates back to prehistoric times. This class investigates the six dimensions of Chinese religion, the ethical and social dimensions of Confucianism, the “radical” quest for balance and ethical harmony in Taoism, and the difference between Eastern and Western religious/spiritual perspectives.
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Social Dimension: Religious Diversity
Focuses on issues that emerge from religious diversity. Students hone the worldview analysis skills introduced at the beginning of the course by applying them to the “religious ecology” of the United States – the most religiously diverse country in the world. Factors contributing to religious diversity are outlined in opening lesson segments. Investigative interviews with religious leaders reveal the sociological factors that often result in dilemmas behind the institutionalization of religion.
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New Religious Movements
Applies sociological methodology to establish a neutral ground for understanding sect and cult formation. The lesson further investigates emerging religious institutions such as the Ramtha School of Enlightenment and Diana’s Grove. Topics of discussion include the “cultic impulse”, and outlines the many profiles of religious organizations, including church, denomination, sect, and cult. Students explore the impact of secularization of established religious institutions.
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Religion: New Directions
Concludes the study of religion by looking toward the future. The lesson examines the role of religion and religious leaders in a world where society is becoming increasingly religiously pluralistic, and raises the question of how adherents of different worldviews might respond in an expanding religious landscape.
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Putting it all Together
In this follow-up review class, we revisit the six dimensions of religion and consider different ways of exploring the relationship between those dimensions. A second dimensional triangle has been added in order to more accurately present the relationship between the doctrinal, ethical, and social dimensions. We review key class themes such as boundary questions and rites of passage and discuss how real religion is common in all human experience, across temporal and cultural lines.