As we move into the early days of fall, another academic year starts here at Belmont. This means that primarily freshmen and juniors will be taking their required general education classes in religion. We have two different paths for students. One path focuses on the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) for freshmen and the New Testament for juniors. Another path focuses on the entire Bible first and then a topical class in the junior year.
These classes are often not quite what the student expected. For some, they are too academic. For others, they are too devotional. For some, they are irrelevant. It is easy to feel like there's no good way to teach religion.
Even with this writing, some will be inclined to "read between the lines" for some coded language about what we in the School of Religion feel is most important. Beyond any coded language, it is simply true that we have been transformed by the biblical message and our most basic hope is to help students encounter the biblical canon so they can find its meaning in their lives.
This road often produces twists and turns that are unexpected for student and professor alike. Students read the biblical text and find things that they have never read. They wrestle with what they believe based upon what they see and read. Professors share from their experience and knowledge, trying to guide students down a path of discovery. We resist the urge to provide all the answers because we know we will not always be at the student's side. We want them to learn how to find the answers they seek.
When I speak of the study of religion at Belmont, I really speak of the study of Christianity and its interaction with communities. There is more to this than we can do ourselves, so we pick and choose and try to offer students a wide variety of opportunities for dialogue. We know this is a long journey ahead of all of us and we believe that there is something about what we believe that is important for us in our becoming what we were made to be. It is never as clear or simple as we would like, but is is potentially transformative. It is our pleasure to walk along side students as they discover the many ways the biblical text intersects with their lives.
This year brings another year of wonderful opportunities to talk about the biblical text and its meanings for our lives with some of the brightest young men and women around. We look forward to learning about them and from them as we take this journey together.