GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Before classes moved online due to coronavirus, Tusculum University taught interested students about how they could connect with others with different faiths and beliefs, according to a press release.
It offered an honors seminar called Interfaith, a course that showed students how people could work together with people that held different beliefs. The class was designed to help students learn how to conduct business with others, without differing viewpoints interfering.
“Students do not have to change their own belief system when they take steps to learn more about the faiths of others,” said Dr. Gentry, a Baptist minister who teaches the class. “We challenge students on their perceptions and teach them how their biases and false impressions of religious beliefs can affect their professional lives."
One day, Dr. Gentry brought in signs of different faiths, including an Islamic prayer rug, a Buddhist meditation garden, a Protestant cross, a Jewish menorah and a Catholic rosary.
Students were asked to write about how the symbols made them feel. It was a starting point towards helping them how much the symbols could mean to people who practice the faith associated with them.
The class also taught students about how faiths are portrayed in media and politics, to illustrate how different portrayals can be helpful and harmful to interfaith dialogues.
Tusculum received a $4,000 grant from Interfaith Youth Core to fund some of the class, according to a press release from the university.
“As a university that provides a comprehensive education in a Judeo-Christian environment, Tusculum welcomes people of all faiths,” said Tusculum University President, Dr. Scott Hummel. “We encourage people to explore their own beliefs in greater depth and to expand their horizons by learning more about other traditions.