t was said that, when given the choice, it was better to show someone rather than tell them. Dr.Monte Cox, Associate Dean of the College of Bible and Religion, took this to heart when he took his Living World Religions class out of the classroom and into the middle of what they had been studying. From October 18-21, Cox was in Chicago with more than 90 students and faculty members experiencing exactly what Cox had been teaching: living world religions. Even though Harding students came from various backgrounds, Cox felt it was important for his students to understand and interact with a wide variety of religions. “The reason for the trip was because it is important for students to meet Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus face-to-face and to hear what those practitioners would say about their various faiths for the sake of accuracy,” Cox said. “I wanted the students to see me in dialogue with those different religious people.” After a day long driving journey, Cox’s class arrived in Chicago on Thursday evening, October 18, and prepared to visit seven different religious sites around the city during the weekend. The class began by visiting the Baha’i House of Prayer, followed by an Islamic mosque and finally the Soka Gakkai on Friday. On Saturday, the class began by meeting with Rabbi Elliot Gertel at the Jewish Congregation Rodfei Zedek during their conservative service where Cox was invited to lead a Gentile prayer.The class then visited the Hindu Temple Balaji and the Sikh Religious Society for dinner. On Sunday, the group worshipped at the Lakeview church of Christ and then returned to Searcy. While Cox’s students were knowledgeable about the religions they were visiting, they all felt they were able to learn a great deal more from the field trip than they ever could have learned in a classroom. “I did not know very much going into the class at all about the religions, and there were some that I had never even heard about,” junior Austin Bryan said. Because of the trip, the students became well rounded and more knowledgeable about various religions. “The students were very gracious, and they asked thoughtful questions,” Cox said. Although the students visited many diverse religious temples, the Baha’i House of Prayer was a highlight for some of the students to visit.According to Cox, the temple was one of only seven in the world and the only one found in North America. Senior Samantha Hinds was impressed by the Baha’i structure, but was most intrigued by a different religion. “The Bahai temple was beautiful and peaceful, but I thought the Hindu temple was the most different of all the religions,”Hinds said. Cox had also established a similar field trip to Dallas for the Living World Religions class in the spring semester because of the great success he had found in Chicago. “To say something is life saving is an overused expression, but I heard it again and again from this class, and I heard it 10 years later from students,” Cox said. Cox’s students echoed his goals for the field trip. “I was exposed to a wide variety of belief systems at home, but I never really understood them until after the trip,”Hinds said. The most valuable lesson that was learned on the trip was not one taught by another religion though, Cox said. “Formanyofmystudentsandforme,thewholeexperiencewasveryclarifying,” Cox said. “It clarified the heart of what we believe in — Christ.” [Jared Abelson] Imitating Bible class dives into world religions I
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