I finished my degree in Sociology with a minor in History, and since I work at a University that will let me receive more education for free, I've decided to pursue a second Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, and I'm finishing a minor in Religious Studies - just two classes to go! One of those classes is Religion, Violence and Peacebuilding (PHIL 366R), a fascinating exploration of how religious thought intersects with conflict and reconciliation. Each week, we study different scholars and reflect on their ideas through short writing assignments. This blog is where I share those reflections, weaving together academic insight and personal perspective.
Week 3, we read chapter one in Divided by Faith by Benjamin J. Kaplan and chapter 2 in Jihad and the Struggle for Islam by John Esposito. After class on Wednesday, September 10, our University was shut down and classes were cancelled as tragedy struck and a life was taken too soon.
The fact that we had been talking about religious intolerance and violence just 25 minutes earlier was surreal and heartbreaking to me. There was no assignment for this week, and no other readings were assigned until the middle of next week to give faculty, staff, and students time to grieve and process what happened on our campus, where safety had now been shattered.
References:
Esposito, J. L. (1996). Jihad and the struggle for Islam. In The religion factor. Westminster John Knox Press.
Kaplan, B. J. (2007). Divided by faith: Religious conflict and the practice of toleration in early modern Europe. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
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