There’s nothing like it at the U, according to David Derezotes, a professor in the College of Social Work.
Derezotes and a teaching team of three others are offering a class next semester dealing with the different religions of the world. It’s not a class on the major religions of the world-something which is already offered at the U, according to Derezotes-but one about dialogue between those religions.
The class is called Dialogues of Spiritual Diversity, and is “based upon the premise that humanity is now being challenged to find cooperative and nonviolent ways to resolve differences between faith systems on the familial, local, national and global community levels,” according to the class syllabus.
With some undergraduate registration beginning yesterday, now is the perfect time to get the word out about the class, which is being held on a trial basis, he said.
If there is enough student interest, Derezotes says he hopes to sell the idea of the class to a college or program at the U.
The class is “appropriate on a lot of different levels,” Derezotes said. On the global level, “the way that we humans deal with religious diversity can either lead to higher good, or our demise.”
Derezotes plans to invite clerics of all different faiths in order to develop a dialogue in which a common understanding can be achieved.
The goal is to “study ourselves-how do we feel, think and act when we’re around others” of different faiths, Derezotes said.
“Every faith system in Salt Lake City will be represented,” he said.
Part of the class will include visiting three churches “other than what you belong to,” he said.
Class requirements include keeping a journal of those three visits, as well as a journal of the class.
“Our textbook is ourselves,” he said.
According to Derezotes, a major motivation in establishing the class is some of the current events around the world, including numerous conflicts and wars.
That’s not just confined to the Middle East, he said, pointing to conflicts all around the world, including on the continent of Africa.
Religion plays a vital role in many, if not most, of those conflicts, and Derezotes says finding a nonviolent way to deal with differences is essential.
“How do we bridge differences…If it isn’t possible to do it in a classroom, then what chance do we have globally?” he asked.
Although he says he does not belong to a particular religious group, “I see myself as a very spiritual person.”
The class is open to all undergraduate students.
