and yet know that the realities cannot
included outside speakers, current
from numerous faiths and ecumenical
be just wished away. We seek the hope
students and alumni, and multi-media
prayers. The ministry aspires to
that goes far beyond wishing, and is
presentations. Many chapels have
nurture the spiritual life of the School,
grounded in a faith and a mission. We
featured music by student artists and
and to this end strives to cultivate
want our children to learn deeply, and
time for silent reflection. Chapels also
greater student participation.
wisely, and safely, and with confidence.
honor and recognize high holidays
We want a special place. Dates change, but in 1975 as a young immigrant from a country torn apart by sectarian violence I felt the same fears, and hoped the same dreams. For me, falling miraculously into the Doane Stuart experiment of tolerance, compromise, and possibility, I found a home, which has shaped, strengthened and supported me, ever since. Our school’s long and reflective journey in ethos, from ecumenical to interfaith, symbolized a powerful belief in education as a transforming opportunity. Equally, the geographic journey from Kenwood to Rensselaer, stated clearly that we are much more than a location or a tradition, but rather a force and an energy. I believe deeply in this place.” The “chapels” that occur in the Golub Interfaith Chapel are the most visible and communal evidence of the School’s interfaith mission. Doane Stuart’s Campus Ministry Team seeks to put together these gatherings in ways that express our spirituality. The Team tries to be the ethical center of the School. Every year, the entire student body attends chapels that celebrate the diversity of religious traditions. The purpose for chapels is to also promote a broader understanding of different religions and cultures. These chapels have
Another more tangible way that one can see Doane Stuart’s interfaith identity every day, and its evolution through the years, is in the variety of unique religion focused classes offered to our students in the Upper School: WORLD RELIGIONS explores the great religions of the world including Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and others. BIOETHICS examines the use of ethics in the biomedical/life sciences domain. Students examine important ethical concepts that help them consider each issue and develop a method for approaching any bioethical topic. WORLD MYTHOLOGY class examines the classic themes common to most systems - e.g., the hero’s quest, the creation and destruction of the world - while stories are read from cultures throughout the world, seeking to understand both commonalities and differences amongst and between disparate cultures. The goal is to come to a better understanding of the reasons cultures that seem, on the surface, to be quite different tend to ask – and try to answer – the same questions about life. BUDDHISM focuses on the basic tenets of Buddhism and the varieties of philosophy and practice in its major divisions. It covers the history of Buddhism from its inception to the present time, including its spread
throughout Asia and its recent introduction in the West. GOD(S) AND HUMANS examines the relationship between humanity and religions, between humans and God(s) and the concepts of good and evil. To achieve this, students survey the characteristics of religion with a focused study of a few individual religions and look at the nature of reality. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PERSONAL ETHICS examines issues of social justice, “the way in which human rights are manifested in the everyday lives of people at every level of society.” The social justice principles include: equity, diversity and supportive environments. Students examine issues such as: poverty, environmental rights, access to health care, labor laws, civil rights and the death penalty. ISSUES IN PHILOSOPHY This course examines the philosophical questions and issues with which Western philosophers have grappled since the inception of philosophy itself. Topics covered include God and Religion, Science and Method, Epistemology, Ontology, and Beauty and Art.
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