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Hamilton, April 29, 2017
The Religious Diversity Centre of Aotearoa New Zealand has announced that Term 2 Classes will begin in the second week of May 2017.
The classes are a part of the Centre’s ‘Raising Religious Literacy’ series.
The Course is being offered in both Auckland (Monday evenings) and Hamilton (Thursday evenings) beginning the week of 8 May 2017:
Following is a Statement issued by Dr Todd Nachowitz, an expert on the subject:
Major Religions
Learn about the history, development and contemporary practice of the world’s major religions and ‘isms’ throughout 2017. Each Term in 2017 has a different focus and covers different material. Terms 1 and 2 focus on Selected Topics in the Contemporary Practice of each of the major world religions, while Terms 3 and 4 focus on the history and development of the world’s main faith traditions.
In the first half of the year, we explore selected topics in comparative world religion, focusing on a different theme during each class in order to appreciate how each religion addresses that particular topic.
Utilising a comparative approach in this way highlights the similarities of religious behaviour across the many faith and belief traditions, and counters what we may learn about other traditions through media reporting, which tends to emphasise differences rather than focus on our shared beliefs, customs and other ritual practices.
Topics to be covered during the 8-week Term 2 class include Food & Ritual, Birth and Coming of Age Ceremonies, Marriage, Sacred Journeys and Pilgrimage, Asceticism and Renunciation, Esoteric Traditions, Religious Fundamentalism and Extremism, and Death and Dying.
History and Development
In the second half of the year, we will explore the history and development of each of the world religions, focusing on the Eastern Traditions in Term 3 and the Western Traditions in Term 4. A detailed syllabus will be available at the start of each Term.
Any Term can be taken independently of the others, and there are no prerequisites or any of the Term courses.
Each Term consists of 8 weekly classes, as follows:
Term 1 Selected Topics in World Religions: Week 1: A Brief History of Religion and Religious Behaviour; Week 2: Founder Figures; Week 3: Sacred Texts; Week 4: Image and Iconography; Week 5: Prayer and Worship; Week 6: Sacred Time; Week 7: Sacred Spaces; and Week 8: Sacred Clothing.
Term 2 Selected Topics in World Religions: Week 1: Food and Ritual; Week 2: Rites of Passage: Birth and Coming of Age Ceremonies; Week 3: Rites of Passage: Marriage; Week 4: Sacred Journeys and Pilgrimage; Week 5: Asceticism and Renunciation; Week 6: Esoteric Traditions and Mystical Experiences; Week 7: Religious Fundamentalism and Extremism; and Week 8: Death and Dying.
Term 3 Eastern Religious Traditions: Our focus now turns toward the history and development of the Eastern Religious Traditions. We first look at the rise of the Indus Valley Civilisation and the Indian traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. We will then switch our focus to both the Chinese religious traditions (Folk religion, Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism), followed by an exploration of the Japanese religious traditions (Shinto, Shingon, Tendai, Nichiren and Zen Buddhism).
Term 4 Western Religious Traditions: Term 4 begins with the foundations of the Western belief traditions, the origins of religious belief in ancient Mesopotamia, the emergence of Zoroastrianism, and the rise of monotheism. We then turn to the history and development of the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, ending our discussions with other religious movements (e.g. the Bahá’í faith), and the moral and ethical ideologies of Atheism, Agnosticism, Rationalism and Humanism.
CLASS DATES & TIMES:
AUCKLAND: Classes meet on Monday nights from 7:00-9:00pm, and are held in the Religious Diversity Centre classrooms at the University of Otago House, 385 Queen Street, Auckland. Free parking is available in the Car Park underneath the building.
Term 1 dates: Mondays 7-9pm, beginning 13 Feb, ending 3 Apr 2017.
Term 2 dates: Mondays 7-9pm, beginning 8 May, ending 26 Jun 2017.
Term 3 dates: Mondays 7-9pm, beginning 31 Jul, ending 18 Sep 2017.
Term 4 dates: Mondays 7-9pm, beginning 23 Oct, ending 11 Dec 2017.
HAMILTON: Classes meet on Thursday nights from 7:00-9:00pm under the auspices of Fraser High School’s Adult and Community Education (ACE) programme, and are held at Fraser High School, 72 Ellicott Road, Hamilton. Free parking is available in the Fraser High School car park.
Term 1 dates: Thurs 7-9pm, beginning 16 Feb, ending 6 Apr 2017.
Term 2 dates: Thurs 7-9pm, beginning 11 May, ending 29 Jun 2017.
Term 3 dates: Thurs 7-9pm, beginning 3 Aug, ending 21 Sep 2017.
Term 4 dates: Thurs 7-9pm, beginning 26 Oct, ending 14 Dec 2017.
Cost & Registration Information:
AUCKLAND class (Monday evenings):
Waged: $95 per term course cost
Unwaged/Students/Seniors: $65 per term course cost
Registration for Term 2 can be completed by emailing <rdc> to reserve a spot, and payment can be made either by direct bank deposit or by bringing a cheque made out to the “Religious Diversity Centre Trust” to the first night of class. Details can be found on the RDC’s website <www.rdc.org.nz/courses>. We are working on establishing a payment gateway and registration button on this page but this may take some time. When the payment buttons become available you will be able to register and pay for each Term course here. For now, we’ll stick with the old method!
HAMILTON class (Thursday evenings):
A single registration fee of $70 (GST inclusive) applies.
Course details and on-line registration and payment can be made at Fraser High School’s Adult and Community Education (ACE) site at www.fraser.school.nz/com-ed/category/-wellbeing-lifestyle
About Dr Todd Nachowitz
Classes are led by Dr Todd Nachowitz. Todd is a part-time lecturer in the Studies in Religion programme at the University of Waikato where he teaches two introductory courses on Comparative Religion, and co-teaches with Professor Douglas Pratt additional courses in religious studies. He is also the Centre Establishment Coordinator of the Religious Diversity Centre, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Waikato Interfaith Council. Todd has lived and worked in the United States, India, Pakistan and Nepal and is a specialist in comparative world religions, and the history, religions, languages and cultures of South Asia. His full bio can be viewed at <www.waikato.ac.nz/fass/about/staff/toddnach>.
