An essential practice in our understanding of the world around us is the examination of various cultures, and so in Humanities 7 we have been focusing on the complexities of culture and how these features shape societies. One key element of culture is religion. As we explore different continents and regions throughout the year, we will be considering varying cultural practices and examining the influence that religion – among other things – has on the people of these places.

In order to more authentically explore various faith traditions, we invited leaders from the five major world religions into our classroom. Here they answered questions, provided historical context, and overviewed the basic belief systems and cultural practices of their respective faiths from a non-devotional perspective. Throughout our exploration of religion, we have highlighted the notion of situatedness – that each of us sees and lives in our world differently, based on our own experiences and understandings of social contexts. Our clergy members are situated (as we all are!), and each provided just a small window into the internal diversity found within their faiths.

Humanities 7 students welcomed the following visitors to our classroom:

Monday, 9/11: Islam – Imam Omer Bajwa, Director of Muslim Life at Yale University
Tuesday, 9/12: Hinduism – Venkat Gade, Rani Parimi, and Mahabala Salian, Board Members, Chinmaya Mission Fairfield-New Haven
Wednesday, 9/13: Buddhism – Venerable Shim Bo, Buddhist Chaplain at Sacred Heart University
Thursday, 9/14: Judaism – Rabbi Evan Schultz, Senior Rabbi, Congregation B’nai Israel
Friday, 9/15: Christianity – Father Paul Carling, St. Paul’s on the Green