Commonwealth Speakers:Religion and Philosophy
The dress of these two Amish men reflects their core belief that clothing should be simple, modest, and plain. Amish dress is part of a larger pattern of beliefs and practices that separates this religious community, and other Plain groups, from the mainstream of American society.
What Makes the Plain Peoples Plain?
Amish, Brethren, and Mennonite groups, who developed out of the radical Reformation
of 16th-century Europe, occupy a unique place in Pennsylvania's cultural and religious
heritage. Often known as the "plain peoples," their distinctive dress,
Pennsylvania "Dutch" dialect, agricultural life style, cautious use of
technology, and other factors have kept them separate—yet highly visible—
in modern society. In this slide presentation, David Eller offers a glimpse into issues of
social and religious nonconformity that continue to shape the character of these
communities.
Projection screen and display table required.
David B. Eller, Ph.D., Professor of History and Religion, Elizabethtown
Hymns, spirituals, and folk religious music are wonderfully revealing sources of our social, political, and religious history. They are remarkable documents of respect and interaction between religious communities. Many hymns have adopted entirely secular, even profane, subjects and altered them for religious purposes. Robert Rhodes discusses American religious music and what it tells us about American and Pennsylvania history, and he leads the audience in singing hymns while accompanying on guitar.
Robert P. Rhodes, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Edinboro University
"The Holy Experiment": Religious Diversity in PennsylvaniaFrom the colony's establishment as a haven for dissenters to the present, the history of Pennsylvania has been characterized by religious diversity. Karen Guenther explains how the concept of toleration developed during the colonial period and the impact that toleration had on the settlement and growth of the Commonwealth. Because of the varied nature of Pennsylvania's religious diversity, this presentation can be adapted to concentrate on a specific ethnic or religious group, a specific chronological era, or a geographic region.
Karen Guenther, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Mansfield University
Stinkin' Thinkin': Why We (Sometimes!) Reason Badly and What You Can Do About ItEvery day, in nearly every part of our lives, we rely on our ability to reason. But very few of us understand how we reason or have a good idea of what leads us to make mistakes in reasoning. Gary Hardcastle's fun and informal presentation employs a range of reasoning tasks to illustrate current philosophical and psychological theories, some of which offer very useful advice for improving the quality of one's reasoning!
Overhead projector required.
Gary L. Hardcastle, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Bloomsburg University
A strong Roman Catholic presence coupled with a large deaf community led to the establishment of deaf education in the Commonwealth. Drawing on her book Benedictine Roots in the Development of Deaf Education: Listening with the Heart, Marilyn Daniels shares delightful personal stories and offers up an intriguing mystery to solve as she follows the instructional path from a monastery in Spain to schools for the deaf in Scranton and Philadelphia. She will also discuss the recent acceptance of American Sign Language in Pennsylvania high schools. Participants will be given the opportunity to learn some American Sign Language.
TV and VCR required.
Marilyn Daniels, Associate Professor of Communication, Arts, and Sciences,
PSU - Worthington Scranton
As undergraduates at Cambridge and Oxford in the 1960s, the future members of the seminal British comedy troupe Monty Python studied ideas which formed the basis of modern philosophical thinking. Not surprisingly, the philosophy they learned crept into their funniest sketches. Gary Hardcastle uses video clips of several of Monty Python's best-known skits to illustrate and explain what philosophers do, why they do it, and why what they do is actually important. A rare opportunity to learn philosophy while giggling.
TV and VCR required.
Gary L. Hardcastle, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Bloomsburg University
Joseph B. Modica critically examines the various quests for the historical Jesus, including an evaluation of The Jesus Seminar. He explores such questions as, "What can we know about Jesus of Nazareth?" "Are the New Testament documents reliable?" "Have they been altered or fabricated?" "How might one critically study the gospels?" He also briefly examines the role of oral tradition in the preservation of religious traditions and teachings.
Overhead projector and screen required.
Joseph B. Modica, Ph.D., University Chaplain and Associate Professor of
Biblical Studies, Eastern University, St. Davids
Joseph B. Modica offers a reading of the Bible as a work of literature and explores the various genres that are contained in both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. His approach is similar to the illuminating writings of Robert Alter: The Literary Guide to the Bible, The Art of Biblical Narrative, and The Art of Biblical Poetry.
Overhead projector and screen required.
Joseph B. Modica, Ph.D., University Chaplain and Associate Professor of
Biblical Studies, Eastern University, St. Davids
The attacks of September 11, 2001, along with current U.S. military involvement in the Middle East and ongoing fears of terrorism, have brought Islam and its adherents to the attention of ordinary Americans like never before. Islamic thought has had major effects on world history, politics, art,and science, and there are now over one billion Muslims living worldwide. Douglas Rosentrater explores the origins of Islam and how they shape Muslim thought and action today.
Slide projector, screen, TV, VCR, and CD/cassette player required.
Douglas B. Rosentrater, Professor of Communications, Bucks County
Community College, Newtown
Hoping to heal the wounds from the fractious election of 1800, in his inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson said, "We are all Federalists; we are all Republicans." Today, the United States is recovering from another fractious election, and political discourse is often described as a "culture war" between "liberals" and "conservatives." Robert Rhodes examines these terms, historic meanings and how they are distorted today for political and other purposes. He demonstrates how "we are all liberals; we are all conservatives, " as both traditions live on in American life, art, and thought, and in our Constitution.
Robert P. Rhodes, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Edinboro University
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