Connections Quarterly Winter 2018 - World Religions | Page 28
L I TERAT URE IN RE VIE W
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c. Islam through Its Scriptures
e. Hinduism through Its Scriptures
d. Buddhism through Its Scriptures
f. Sikhism through its Scriptures
These courses are rich in visual and multimedia material, and also lay out the principles of
the study of religions.
Deeper looks into some seminal scriptures are available:
• Introduction to the Quran: The Scripture of Islam (Notre Dame) edX
• The Talmud: A Methodological Introduction (Northwestern) Coursera
• Introduction to Kabbalah, (Ben-Gurion University, Negev) edX
For a Peace Studies course, again from Harvard (edX):
• Religion, Conflict and Peace
This is a truly exceptional offering, showing what technology and great teaching can do
when they come together. The course covers conflicts around the world in which religion
plays a part, from the United States to Ireland, Nigeria to Myanmar, and beyond. The
course uses video, articles from world publications, lectures, and primary sources to ex-
pand the classroom walls. There is a strong emphasis on diversity, womens’ issues, and the
role of the arts in peacebuilding that goes beyond the bounds of dialogue and debate.
Social Justice and Ethics courses:
• Justice (Harvard) edX
• Moralities of Everyday Life (Yale) Coursera
• Effective Altruism (Princeton) Coursera
Michael Sandel
Paul Bloom
Peter Singer
Before MOOCs, you would have to enroll at all three of these universities to hear these
varied stars of ethical thought. Now of the three, Sandel is the most interactive, so stu-
dents can imagine themselves answering his probing questions. The other two are sound
lectures courses, with Singer adding interviews with a variety of activists who explain their
approaches to measuring and refining the impact of their efforts.
Richard (Dick) Barbieri “retired” after 40 years in independent schools only to take up a new
career in conflict resolution and mediation. He mediates between parties and facilitates
discussions in a broad range of circumstances, from family and court cases to cross-cultural
dialogue between students from universities around the world. In addition to Connections
Quarterly, he writes regularly for Independent School, and online at www.mediate.com.
He has just been named editor of ACResolution, the quarterly of the Association for Conflict
Resolution. Contact him at [email protected].
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CSEE Connections