eligion department a
tUNLby '76
By Mary Shackelton
Some say religion classes are for
Sunday school kids or seminary
students. Don't believe it.
The Nebraska School of Religion,
along with a growing number of
universities and colleges across the
country, is looking at religion in
different light.
"Religion is a valid part of
human life, both personal' and
corporate," said Raleigh Peterson,
dean of the Nebraska School of
Religion, '
Peterson said he thought until
recently that Nebraska was back
ward in its attitude toward state aid
for teaching religion in state
universities. Up until the last few
years, the state has interpreted the
law to say that no state funds will
be given for sectarian instructions,
he said. The state implied that all
religion is sectarian, he said.
Peterson said Nebraska and
Washington have the strictist laws
involving state aid for teaching
.religion.
"Not to allow the teaching of
religion in state institutions is
discriminating against religion,"
he said.
The Nebraska School of Religion,
Peterson said, has submitted a
proposal, which has been accepted
by the College of Arts and Sciences
and Chancellor James Zumberge,
to transfer its endowments to UNL
and establish a department of
religion within the university.
The religion department should
be established at UNL by fall 1976,
-
S i
t
k
(Peterson said. Delay in obtaining a
;court action approving the transfer
has prevented an earlier starting
'date, he said.
! The Nebraska School of Religion
has been fiiiing the yap in
.university-taught religion courses
for the last several years, he said.
. A UNL religion department
would combine the Nebraska
School of Religion's courses and
the 75 three-hour religion-related
courses already in the curriculum.
Religion professors are nonde
nominational volunteers, Peterson
said. Endowments and tuition pay
for two office workers and building
expenses. The school offers schol
arships to minority students which
pay tuition and book costs for
religious courses, he said. Cost per
credit hour is the same as
UNL's $18, Peterson said.
Separate registration for religi
ous classes cuts down on enroll
ment he said. Students are able to
count their religion courses elective
credit at UNL, but may not count
the courses as part of the twelve
hour minimum class load.
Growth has been great nation
wide for religious departments
within state universities, Peterson
said. He cited Indiana University at
Bloomington, where religion is the
fastest-growing department, the
University of Iowa and Wright
University in Florida as examples.
Most students with a special
interest in religion take religion
classes for second "major or for
graduate teaching, Peterson said.
Raleigh Peterson, d&an of the Nebraska School of Religion.
Enrollment at the Nebraska
School of Religion has leveled off
during the past fe years. Currently
65 students are enrolled in classes,
he said.
The type cf student registering
in religion classes has "changed
gradually over the years, said
Peterson, who has been with the
school since 1946. The change has
been from pre-theological students
to university students to "Jesus
freaks" and back to university
students, he said.
Course emphasis has changed
from the Bible tc social ethics, he
said.
Keith Stephenson, a professor at
the Nebraska School of Religion,
said the school does not teach
religion, but rather teaches about
religion.
"Anything people claim is religi-,
ous, we're interested in," he said.
Courses now offered at the
school include: Old Testament
Studies, New Testament Life and
Literature, Job: A Man for All
Seasons, Basic Judaism, Black
Theology, Psychology of Religion,
Introduction to North American
Indian Religions, World Religions
and Mysticism and Human Exper
ience. Introduction to American Indian
Religions is taught by John Two
. Birds Arbuckle and is coordinated
1 by Stephenson. While Arbuckle
does not have a teaching degree,
i he does have the resources to teach
from experience, Stephenson said.
The Nebraska School of Religion
is open and receptive to persons
who have experience in a subject
and are interested in teaching,
even if they do not have an
academic teaching background he
said. '
Phenomenonology the manner
whereby things are viewed in their
bwrj right without Jhe- viewer
. making a'pro orxoa decision about
-I the subject is the teaching"
method used by School of Religion
teachers, Stephenson said. They
present the subject, he said, but
don't make judgements about it.
' "It doesn't make any difference
(in studying religion in the phen
omenohiogical sense) if you believe
, or disbelieve," he said.
Occasionally, however, students
, come into a classroom expecting to
have their beliefs reinforced or, at
least, recognized, Stephenson said.
In cases like this, Stephenson said
he experiences some conflict be
tween his obligations to his stu
dents and to objective teaching
methods.
Asked if his religion has changed
during the 15 years he's been
teaching religion in an objective
fashion, Peterson said, "My relig
ion is partly expressed by asking .
questions. My highest religious
obliaation is to question."
He said his religion hadn't been
weakened, but rather reshaped by
"frequent examination."
t
ILLIflm BOLCOfTl, pianist JOAN fTlORRIS, vocalist
Visiting artists residency September 10-13
"Ragtime and the American Popular Song"
music by Scott Joplin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter,
Richard Rogers and many others!
Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. Informal Session - Neihardt
Sept. 11, 10:30 a.m. Informal Session - Andrews
6:30 p.m. Informal Session - Sandoz
Sept. 13, 8:00 p.m. CONCERT KIMBALL RECITAL HALL
Tickets: UNL students $1 .50, all other seats $2.50 at
Union South Desk or Westbroox nj
First in a series of American Art Heritage events
sponsored by the Nebraska Union Contemporary Arts
Committee.
ah amfhican' CONUS Ticket stubs will be
honored for a 10 cent discount on American apple pie at
the Nebraska Union Sept, 9-20 (after 11 a.m.) s
YT. --"-' '
1
oiiiwprsiiiv j
CxsUyjIrlHiji
Service M.i'k
Application Calculators inuMpoi.-isfil
; University
j Bookstore
ower Level
; Nebraska Union
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HAClK pNCY YtAMr IHCOfOATD, PALMt. MASS,
daily nebraskan
page 7
!tt.t p ? .r s f
monday, September 9, 1974