What I Really Learned in Faith, Reason, and Revelation
by Dominic Tramelli
Upon entering this course I was expecting the same kind of religion class I had gotten used to throughout my entire life. The kind where I was given the questions that I was expected to take in find the answers, memorize those answers and spit them back out onto a test paper, only to forget them by the time the weekend came, but at least I got an “A.” I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that this course was far from one of those classes. We as students can take what the course gives us take it in, think about it and develop our own opinions. I mean obviously there were times when I was expected to learn a certain term or idea but it was not just simple memorization, we would discuss it in class and really break it down to its core until it was not just memorization but understanding.
Probably the biggest lesson I learned from this class was the first section’s core message. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” The more the year goes on the more I am realizing how very true this is. I found it very interesting, how on the very first day we were told to choose where we wanted to sit, and I had never really thought of my reasoning for where I sit, and that, even with something as simple as choosing a seat, is unintelligent. We should know our reasoning for everything we do. Questioning my surroundings has become an incredibly important part of my life, as it should be. I should always question myself and those around me. I had to especially question myself back at CBC and question my decision of going there and definitely questioning the idea of switching school my junior year. The famous quote is so simple, the unexamined life really is not worth living, and it’s barely living at all.
A really interesting part of this course is the way the class was able to incorporate modern issues into theological discussions, especially during the election. I was able to understand some of the views of the church and how it can be an issue when voting, but I also learned that there are many issues that need to be taken into account when voting, and one doesn’t necessarily outweigh another. We have had some very exciting debates throughout the course, all of which only enriched my understanding of all the different views that exist, much like the story of the “Blind men and the elephant.”
One of my favorite sections of this course was “challenges to faith” in particular the section about dehumanization and the crisis of advertising. I have always noticed the influence of advertising on culture and society but I never noticed how massive it was growing and how it is even using theological terms such as “faith,” “love,” “hope,” and even “peace,” to describe products such as perfume and clothing. My favorite was probably the slogan for the Gap a few years ago: “Peace, love and Gap.”
Overall this was a very enriching class, not always the easiest of religion classes, but at least it was very interactive and in the end very fulfilling. I appreciate the way the curriculum was taught to us, and the way we were given a lot of freedom with homework and web assignments. We were able to be very personal and creative, which was a nice change of pace compared to my former theology courses.
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