Understanding Religious Freedom

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E C E N T E R F O R T H E S T U D Y O F R E L I G I O U S F R E E D O M
|
FA L L 2 0 1 5
Mending Broken
Relationships
Kintsukuroi is the Japanese
art of repairing broken
pottery with gold or silver
lacquer, increasing its value
and enhancing its beauty.
The Canterbury Tales
Stories in Quilts by artist B. J. Elvgren
Entangled Identities: Legacies of 1619
What constitutes contemporary identity in America?
SEASON IN REVIEW
|
Santa Muerte: The Fastest
Growing Religious Movement
in the Americas
One of the most popular and powerful saints on
the Mexican and American religious landscapes.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
CENTER AFTER DARK
3
“
FALL 2015
The truth is that our finest moments
are most likely to occur when we
are feeling deeply uncomfortable,
unhappy or unfulfilled. For it is only
in such moments, propelled by our
discomfort, that we are likely to step
out of our ruts and start searching for
different ways or truer answers.
“
1
M. SCOTT PECK
Mending Broken
Relationships
P R O G R A M M I N G & PA RT N E R S H I P S
E
ach semester, the Center
sponsors educational
initiatives that both engage
the campus community and
reach beyond the College to
invite the larger public into
its ongoing exploration of
religious freedom. Many
programs are arranged
in partnership with local
organizations or faith
communities, among them
interfaith discussions;
semester-long symposia;
and student, faculty, and
guest presentations.
Here’s a look at the activities
planned for the fall 2015 semester.
ALL CSRF EVENTS ARE FREE
AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Becket
(film)
Wednesday, September 2
8-10 PM | FINE ARTS 9
A showing of the film Becket will
provide the backdrop for why the
Canterbury Pilgrims made their
journey to Canterbury.
The
Canterbury
Tales
S TO R I E S I N Q U I LT S
Co-sponsored with the VWC Art Department
F
ractured relationships that lead to mistrust, fear, and
alienation are at the heart of many of today’s most
complex social problems. Cultural issues associated with
religion, race, sexuality/gender, and politics are tearing at
the seams of civil society and are overshadowing efforts
to solve many of our most pressing problems.
Please join us throughout this year’s events, as we engage
each other, get to know one another, and work together to
repair broken relationships. Help us discover the beauty in
our splintered world and create a stronger, more inclusive,
and resilient community.
The Canterbury Tales: Stories in Quilts
September 3 - October 23 | NEIL BRITTON GALLERY
Six Canterbury Tales quilts by internationally respected fabric artist
B. J. Elvgren, representing each of the five stories dramatized in
Chaucer’s work, plus the addition of an “Arrival” ending.
OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, September 3 | 6-8 PM | NEIL BRITTON GALLERY
An opening reception with remarks by the artist B. J. Elvgren,
and a Readers’ Theatre performance featuring Dr. Gillette Elvgren
as Chaucer, and other pilgrims played by VWC professors Kellie
Holzer (English), Rebecca Hooker (English), Terry Lindvall
(communication and religious studies), Travis Malone
(theatre), Adam Ruh (English), and Jennifer Slivka (English).
23
3
P R O G R A M M I N G & PA RT N E R S H I P S
P R O G R A M M I N G & PA RT N E R S H I P S
NEXUS
Thursday, October 15
From Africa to America: Reconstructing
the African American Musical Past
1619
AMERICA
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
Entangled Identities:
L E G AC I E S of 1619
An interdisciplinary series of
twelve events, hosted by VWC,
building on a collaborative,
region-wide initiative.
As part of these discussions of what
constitutes contemporary identity in
America, in spring 2016 the CSRF
will host a series on religion and
race in Virginia and Hampton Roads.
Sponsored by the Center for Sacred Music
11-11:50 AM | HOFHEIMER THEATER | FINE ARTS
The African American Spiritual: Symbol
of Religious & Cultural Identity
Sponsored by the Center for Sacred Music
7 PM |
HOFHEIMER THEATER
|
FINE ARTS
Dr. Mellonee Burnim, Professor of
Interfaith Dialogue S E R I E S
This hallmark CSRF program is co-sponsored
with the Virginia Center for Inclusive
Communities. The fall 2015 series, “Religion
in the Public Square,” will discuss conflicts
that arise when the expression of faith
intersects with public space.
S
Monday, October 12
Ethnomusicology, Indiana University
Church Bells, the Muslim Call to
Prayer, and Negotiating Religious
Sound in Society
Tuesday, October 27
The Sounds of Africa
Sponsored by the Center for Sacred Music
Anthony Hailey, Founder/Executive Director,
The Mosaic Steel Orchestra
11-11:50 AM | HOFHEIMER THEATER |
The Fastest Growing
Religious Movement
in the Americas
FINE ARTS
Saturday, November 7
Swinging Down the Red Road:
The Native Presence in Jazz, Blues,
and Pop Music
Dr. Ron Welburn, Professor of English
University of Massachusetts Amherst
7 PM | PEARCE HOSPITALITY SUITE
BATTEN STUDENT CENTER
Wednesday, November 11
Dr. Isaac Weiner
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
Ohio State University
7-8:30 PM | SHAFER ROOM | BOYD DINING HALL
Monday, November 16
Wearing My Religion: A Look at the
Hijab, Kippah, and Accessories in
American Life
Dr. Kathleen Casey, Professor of History, and
Teddy Wansink, CSRF Student Fellow
7-8:30 PM
|
SHAFER ROOM
|
BOYD DINING HALL
7-8 PM |
PEARCE HOSPITALITY SUITE
BATTEN STUDENT CENTER
Thursday, November 12
Black Music and the
Construction of American
Identity: Blues, Jazz, and
Hip-Hop
Dr. Dontraneil Clayborne,
Assistant Professor of
History, Santa Monica College
and Tamanika Ferguson, Ph.D.
candidate, Howard University
7 PM | PEARCE HOSPITALITY SUITE
BATTEN STUDENT CENTER
Constitution Day
Constitution Day commemorates the
formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution
on September 17, 1787. Join us as we reflect
on the First Amendment through discussion
and displays of banned books.
Thursday, September 17
Burning Books, Banning Books, and
Religion: Free Speech and Free Libraries
Dr. Susan Larkin, Associate Professor of English,
and Dr. Craig Wansink, CSRF Director, and students
in ENG 286 Banned Books.
11-11:50 AM
PEARCE HOSPITALITY SUITE |
Soup on Friday
Friday, September 11
LIFE MATTERS
Featuring Tear Soup: A Recipe for
Healing After Loss by Pat Schwiebert
In “Life Matters,” members of the Wesleyan community
offer autobiographical reflections on their emotional,
intellectual, and spiritual experiences. All programs
are in the Shafer Room of Boyd Dining Center from
12-12:50 p.m. If you wish, you may bring a bag lunch
or purchase lunch in the dining center.
Remembering 9/11:
Rethinking Religion
C E L E B RAT I O N S
Friday, October 16
faculty, staff, students, and
members of the broader
community to come together
for food and fellowship.
Take action against hunger on World
Food Day! Any cash and non-perishable
food donations will support the Foodbank
of Southeastern Virginia.
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
CSRF OFFICE SUITE | CLARKE HALL
What is WFD?
Co-sponsored with the Center for Experiential
Learning
Friday, November 6
Satyagraha and Mulligatawny
Commemorating Gandhi’s November 6,
1913 arrest, launching his legacy of
nonviolent resistance. In collaboration
with Dr. Kellie Holzer, Assistant Professor
of English with expertise in Colonial India.
Friday, December 4
BATTEN STUDENT CENTER
September 17 – October 3
Banned Religious Books and Books
Banned for Religious Reasons
This series has been funded in part by a grant
from Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
FOOD for
THOUGHT
Opportunities for VWC
African Music to American Music
Dr. Daniel Margolies, Professor of History
Wednesday, October 28
7-8:30 pm, Blocker Auditorium
Dr. Andrew Chesnut, Bishop Walter
Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies,
Professor of Religious Studies,
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of World Studies
anta Muerte, a skeleton saint who is
believed to be the most effective miracle
worker, has attracted the devotion of millions
of Latin Americans and immigrants in the
U.S., including drug traffickers. Although
condemned by mainstream churches, her
statuettes and paraphernalia outsell those of
the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude, iconic
giants of Mexican religiosity. Chesnut will
discuss how Santa Muerte has become the
patron saint of drug traffickers and one of
the most popular and powerful saints on the
Mexican and American religious landscapes.
In honor of 2015 National Banned Book
Week, an interactive book display will
take place inside Hofheimer Library.
A Celebration of Student Art
A display of artwork created for the
Center by photography and graphic
arts students from Professor Sharon
Swift’s courses.
The series is co-sponsored with the Chaplain’s Office,
and the Center for Innovative Teaching and Engaged
Learning (INTEL).
Thursday, October 1
Dr. Sharon Payne, Professor Emerita of Social Work
Thursday, November 5
Dr. Terry Lindvall,
C.S. Lewis Endowed Chair and
Professor in Communication and Christian Thought
Saturday, September 26
10TH ANNUAL
One Love Festival
Free activities for all ages, including
drumming, music, poetry, and
much more. For a complete schedule of events visit:
onelovefestivalva.org
Noon - 9:30 PM | VWC COLLEGE CAMPUS
Town Hall Discussion: The Flag is Down:
Now What? Moderated by Barbara Hamm Lee,
host of “Another View” heard on WHRV 89.5 FM
2–3:30 PM | BOYD DINING CENTER
43
N E W S T U D E N T I N I T I AT I V E S AT T H E C E N T E R
As students mature by learning
knowledge, developing skills,
and nurturing dispositions, their
growth in those three areas
creates broader opportunities
for the Center’s impact in the
community, region, and nation.
N E W S T U D E N T I N I T I AT I V E S AT T H E C E N T E R
Look for RELIGIO & LEX: A Student Journal
Distinguished Character Award
This coming year the Center will oversee the creation of a
student-managed online journal, RELIGIO & LEX. Under
the guidance of CSRF Fellow Eric Mazur and an advisory
board including scholars of religion throughout the United
States, the annual journal will publish works by undergraduate
and graduate students from around the country. The works
will explore issues of religion and law, broadly conceived to
include not only the laws of government but also the legal
systems functioning within religious communities.
On May 1, 2015 at the College’s Honors Convocation,
the Center presented to Riley Conrad – a first-year
religious studies major from South Riding, Virginia
– its first Distinguished Character Award. The award
recognizes her service to others, her emphasis on
justice, and her concern and involvement in building
inclusive community.
Servant Leadership Internship
Here are a few of our
distinctive, new initiatives.
Starting in fall 2015, students will have the opportunity
to take an internship through the CSRF to gain field
experiences with government agencies, non-profits, or
religious organizations. The end result of the internship
is described well through two questions from Robert
Greenleaf ’s The Servant as Leader:
“
Lobbying and Religious Advocacy Skills
In January 2015, Dr. Eric Mazur offered a new annual
course that will introduce students to the purposes and
strategies of lobbying and religious advocacy. During
the course, students addressed the Norfolk City
Council (advocating the removal of religious bias in
municipal yard-sale ordinances), state legislators in
Richmond (advocating the removal of religion-based
restrictions for those applying for an absentee ballot),
and met with Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott.
Do those served grow as persons?
D
o they, while being served,
become healthier, wiser, freer, more
autonomous, more likely themselves
to become servants?
Facilitation Skills 101
Extreme Religion and Religious Freedom
Course
Self-flagellation, polygamy, serpent handling, and genital
surgery all have been seen as unacceptable by mainstream
society. Yet, societies differ in how they approach these
issues. Starting in January 2016, students in a new course,
RELST 365: Extreme Religion and Religious Freedom,
will explore the relationship between the physical body
and the law across religions and cultures.
“
5
In early September, the Virginia Center for Inclusive
Communities will lead students in a course on
“Facilitation Skills 101.” Participants will learn
how to create effective dialogue across lines of
differences.
CSRF Student Fellows: Nurturing a New
Generation of Leaders
As we seek to equip and deploy a new generation of
leaders, we are honored to have Jasmine Burrell
(pictured right), Teddy Wansink, and Riley Conrad
serve as our first three Student Fellows. Please join
us as they present their work and research this fall
and in spring 2016.
63
SEASON IN REVIEW
Signs featuring the phrase
“You Are Now Entering
Your Mission Field” are
popping up at the exits
to an increasing number
of church parking lots
around the country.
Similarly, the work of
the Center may begin
on the VWC campus,
but that is certainly not
where the mission ends.
3
“
Students increasingly
recognize that they have the
vision and the means to be
leaders and change agents in
a world that needs them.
“
7
DR. CRAIG WANSINK
A
s the Center’s Vision 2020 statement reads, “Through
high-impact learning experiences, the Center for
the Study of Religious Freedom informs, transforms, and
equips VWC students and others to be engaged leaders
and citizens, as they increasingly understand why religious
freedom is a basic human right of daily significance.”
During the first half of 2015, that vision led the Center off
campus (presenting regularly both in a senior center and
in the Bayside community), it resulted in some unusually
timed programs (starting at 9 p.m.), it took students abroad
(to Germany, France, and Switzerland), it brought people
together to see the connection between religious freedom
and soup, it created an opportunity for meditation, and it
resulted in intergenerational conversations.
W i ld
9
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
PAT H WAY S F O R YO U R E N G AG E M E N T
ideas
WELCOME
Your support, ideas, and inspiration
are important as the Center
becomes increasingly vibrant
in ways that are applicable and
meaningful to the world today.
AUGUST
Rape, and the Challenges
27Randace,Dark
Side of Humor: From Key
jango Unchained (film)
27DCENTER
AFTER DARK movie and discussion
Co-sponsored with RELST 238/338 African
American Religious Experience and the
Black Student Union
Moderated by Jasmine Burrell ’16,
Black Student Union
Thursday, 9-11 PM, Blocker Auditorium
Here are some ways you can contribute to the Center’s success.
Have a seat at VWC and invite others. Our strongest events are characterized
by good numbers, much give-and-take, and intergenerational audiences. At VWC
we want to create the kind of process, dynamics, and atmosphere that will be
replicated by others around the country. Come join us at events and be part of that.
Don’t give wine or chocolate. Looking for a gift for a birthday, anniversary,
Hanukkah, Christmas, Ramadan, Diwali, or another holiday? Honor a friend or
relative by giving a donation to the Center. We will even send them a nice card.
Tell us where to go. We love sharing our vision or specific programs with civic
groups, senior centers, synagogues, churches, masjidas, and temples, and we love
getting our students engaged in doing the same. Invited into the community this
year, we have spoken on Hampton Roads’ interfaith challenges, the Bible, and
specific social issues and challenges with religious freedom. Tell us– kindly,
please–where to go.
Share wild ideas. During our first year, we started programs that went until
midnight. We had thoughtful discussions about topics ranging from UFOs to
religious freedom and sibling rivalry. We were able to take 17 students to Wittenberg,
Germany, and the heart of the Reformation. We even linked religious freedom to the
eating of soup on Fridays. We are always looking for creative and thoughtful ways we
can reach out to others. Share your thoughts and ideas at kjackson@vwc.edu or
cwansink@vwc.edu.
Be our friend. Please “Like” the Center on Facebook to stay informed and to
comment on ongoing developing news in the world of religious freedom. If you
are known by the friends you keep, we would like to believe that our friendship
is a meaningful and good one.
Redeem financial resources. Your financial support is important to us in so
many ways, and your gift does make a difference. In addition, if you would be open
to sponsoring a specific program or initiative, please let us know.
Thank you for your support.
Craig and Kelly
and Peele to Amy Schumer
Dr. Leslie Caughell, Professor of Political
Science, and Dr. Rebecca Hooker,
Professor of English
Thursday, Noon-12:50 PM
Batten Convocation Center
SEPTEMBER
ecket (film)
2BCo-sponsored
with RELST 335 Christian
Theology and Film
Moderated by Dr. Terry Lindvall, C.S.
Lewis Endowed Chair and Professor in
Communication and Christian Thought
Wednesday, 8-10 PM, Rm. 9, Fine Arts he Canterbury Tales: Stories in Quilts
3TCo-sponsored
with VWC Art Department
Opening reception, Artist Talk by B. J.
Elvgren, and a Readers’ Theatre of Chaucer
Thursday, 6-8 PM, Neil Britton Art Gallery
Exhibition open from Sept. 3 - Oct. 23
Remembering 9/11: Rethinking Religion
11
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Soup on Friday Celebration
Friday, 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
CSRF Office Suite, Clarke Hall
acilitation Skills 101 (by invitation only)
12FTraining
led by Jessica Hawthorne, Youth
Program Coordinator, Virginia Center for
Inclusive Communities
urning Books, Banning Books, and
17 BReligion:
Free Speech and Free Libraries
CONSTITUTION DAY
Dr. Susan Larkin, Associate Professor
of English, and Dr. Craig Wansink,
CSRF Director
Thursday, 11-11:50 AM
Pearce Hospitality Suite, Batten Center
B anned Religious Books and Books
Banned for Religious Reasons
BOOK DISPLAY
Hofheimer Library, Sept. 17-Oct.3
he Mission (film)
21 TSponsored
by RELST 335 Christian Theology
and Film
Moderated by Dr. Terry Lindvall, Professor
of Communication and Religious Studies
Monday, 8-10 PM, Rm. 9, Fine Arts
24 It’s Not Your (Founding) Fathers’ U.S.
Constitution: Do “We the People” Steer It?
DEAN’S DISCUSSION
Dr. Timothy O’Rourke
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Brown-bag discussion (bring your own lunch)
Thursday, Noon-12:50 PM
Shafer Room, Boyd Dining Center
0th Annual ONE LOVE FESTIVAL
26 1Saturday,
Noon-9:30 , VWC Campus
PM
Town Hall Discussion:
The Flag is Down: Now What?
Moderated by Barbara Hamm Lee
2-3:30 PM, Boyd Dining Center
OCTOBER
1 Co-Sponsored
with the Chaplain’s Office,
Life Matters: Dr. Sharon Payne
Center for Innovative Teaching and Engaged
Learning (INTEL), and the Social Work club
Thursday, Noon-12:50 PM
Shafer Room, Boyd Dining Center
Mockingbird (film)
ToCENTER
Kill a AFTER
DARK movie and discussion
Co-sponsored with ENG 250 American Women
Writers and Theta Alpha Kappa
Moderated by Adam Ruh,
Lecturer in English
Thursday, 9-11 PM, Blocker Auditorium
12 Church Bells, the Muslim Call to Prayer,
& Negotiating Religious Sound in Society
NEXUS Interfaith Dialogue: Religion in the
Public Square
Dr. Isaac Weiner, Assistant Professor of
Religious Studies, Ohio State University
Monday, 7-8:30 PM
Shafer Room, Boyd Dining Center
NTANGLED IDENTITIES: LEGACIES OF 1619
15 EFrom
Africa to America: Reconstructing
the African American Musical Past
Sponsored by the Center for Sacred Music
Thursday, 11-11:50 AM
T
he African American Spiritual: Symbol
of Religious & Cultural Identity
Sponsored by the Center for Sacred Music
Thursday, 7 PM
10
3
ffside (film)
is WFD?
10OCENTER
16What
AFTER DARK movie and discussion
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Soup on Friday Celebration
Co-sponsored with the Center for Experiential
Learning
Friday, 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
CSRF Office Suite, Clarke Hall
ransexuality, the Church, Broken
19TRelationships,
and Reconciliation:
Personal Reflections
Co-sponsored with the Social Work Club
Adam Plant, Student, Wake Forest
University School of Divinity
Monday, 7-8:30 PM, Blocker Auditorium
27
The Sounds of Africa
ENTANGLED IDENTITIES: LEGACIES OF 1619
Sponsored by the Center for Sacred Music
Anthony Hailey, DMA, Founder and
Executive Director of the Mosaic Steel
Orchestra
Tuesday, 11-11:50 AM
Hofheimer Theater, Fine Arts
anta Muerte: The Fastest Growing New
28SReligious
Movement in the Americas
Dr. Andrew Chesnut, Bishop Walter
Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies, Professor
of Religious Studies, Virginia Commonwealth
University, School of World Studies
Wednesday, 7-8:30 PM
Blocker Auditorium
NOVEMBER
ife Matters: Dr. Terry Lindvall
5LCo-Sponsored
with the Chaplain’s Office, and
Center for Innovative Teaching and Engaged
Learning (INTEL)
Thursday, Noon-12:50 PM
Shafer Room, Boyd Dining Center
atyagraha and Mulligatawny
6SFOOD
FOR THOUGHT: Soup on Friday Celebration
In collaboration with Dr. Kellie Holzer,
Assistant Professor of English with expertise in
Colonial India
Friday, 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
CSRF Office Suite, Clarke Hall
winging Down the Red Road: The Native
7SPresence
in Jazz, Blues, and Pop Music
ENTANGLED IDENTITIES: LEGACIES OF 1619
Dr. Ron Welburn, Professor of English,
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Saturday, 7 PM
Pearce Hospitality Suite, Batten Center
Dr. Mellonee Burnim, Professor of
Ethnomusicology, Indiana University
Hofheimer Theater, Fine Arts
ALL CSRF EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Co-sponsored with RELSTDS 116 World
Religions and VWC Women’s Soccer Team
Tuesday, 9-11 PM, Blocker Auditorium
frican Music to American Music
11 AENTANGLED
IDENTITIES: LEGACIES OF 1619
Dr. Daniel Margolies, Professor of History
Wednesday, 7-8 PM
Pearce Hospitality Suite, Batten Center
lack Music and the Construction of
12 BAmerican
Identity: Blues, Jazz, and
Hip-Hop
ENTANGLED IDENTITIES: LEGACIES OF 1619
Dr. Dontraneil Clayborne, Assistant
Professor of History, Santa Monica College,
and Tamanika Ferguson, Ph.D. candidate,
Howard University
Thursday, 7 PM
Pearce Hospitality Suite, Batten Center
My Religion: A Look at the
16 Wearing
Hijab, Kippah, and Accessories in
American Life
NEXUS Interfaith Dialogue: Religion in the
Public Square
Dr. Kathleen Casey, Professor of History
Teddy Wansink, CSRF Student Fellow
Monday, 7-8:30 PM
Shafer Room, Boyd Dining Center
dvertising Virtues and Values for
19 ASociety
Dr. Linda Ferguson, Professor of Business,
and the students of COMM 326
Thursday, Noon-12:50 PM
Blocker Auditorium
DECEMBER
A Celebration of Student Art
4
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Soup on Friday
Celebration
Friday, 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
CSRF Office Suite, Clarke Hall
Understanding Religious Freedom
is published twice a year by the
Center for the Study of Religious Freedom
at Virginia Wesleyan College
Craig Wansink, Ph.D.
Joan P. and Macon F. Brock Jr. Director
Kelly Jackson, Associate Director
Eric Mazur, Ph.D.
Center Fellow for Religion, Law, and Politics
757.455.3129
csrf@vwc.edu | www.vwc.edu/csrf
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Norfolk, VA
Permit 27
1584 Wesleyan Drive
Norfolk, VA 23502-5599
Center
After
Dark
Thursday, AUGUST 27
Django
Unchained
Moderated by
Jasmine Burrell ’16,
Public Relations Coordinator,
Black Student Union
Co-sponsored with RELST 238/338
African American Religious Experience
and the Black Student Union
Thursday, OCTOBER 1
Tuesday, NOVEMBER 10
To Kill a
Mockingbird
OFFSIDE
Moderated by Adam Ruh,
Lecturer in English
Co-sponsored with ENG 250
American Women Writers and
Theta Alpha Kappa
A 2006 Iranian film inspired by
director Jafar Panahi’s daughter,
Offside is about girls who try to
sneak into the stadium to watch
a World Cup qualifying match.
Co-sponsored with RELST 116
World Religions and the
VWC Women’s Soccer Team
Oriented to students, these late-night events stimulate informal discussions
with meaningful themes — and even include popcorn with M&Ms!
ALL EVENTS ARE HELD 9-11 PM
( OR SO )
IN BLOCKER AUDITORIUM