Reimagining Religion and Philosophy to Tackle Complex World By Will Elkins Last year, faculty leaders were asked to consider how their programs were meeting the changing needs of students. Te Department of Religion and Philosophy met that challenge by combining two majors and reimagining their curriculum. Te new “philosophy and religion” major will help students better understand a complex landscape of competing worldviews. Tey will begin to unravel how those worldviews are lived out in practice. Students will tackle big questions about how we should live, how we should organize our communities, how we should pursue justice, and how we make sense of our place in an increasingly polarized society. “In a globalized planet, being able to navigate challenging conversations is an essential skill — one that the new philosophy and religion major will develop,” said Andrew Mills, chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy. Tree concentrations will be available to students: philosophy, religion, and social justice/ethics. Professor Stephanie Patridge explained that the combination is built of of the natural afnity
to nauigate challenging
between the two content areas, as well as between faculty members. “We’ve always been a forwardthinking department. Te pieces were always there, we just needed to make it happen,” said Patridge. Senior Drew Wilson saw the combination frst-hand with Assistant Professor Alex Rocklin’s class, Yoga: Religion, Philosophy, and Politics. Rocklin took yoga and showed how it is more than just an exercise routine. Wilson liked how the class showed the interdisciplinary nature of concepts you can experience daily. “It’s really awesome to be able to pull ideas from both philosophy and religion simultaneously. While trying to assess a situation, you recognize ways to facilitate understanding in more meaningful ways,” said Wilson. Tis new combination globalizes traditional Euro-centric concentrations, allowing students to expand their worldview. Te major pays close attention to historical and contemporary answers to life’s fundamental questions, helping students formulate their own answers while fostering a deeper understanding of the global viewpoints. “Tese two areas are designed to help people refect on the ultimate questions in life,” said Rev. Larry Brown ’80, ordained UMC pastor and Otterbein Board of Trustees member. Brown remembered how the generations of students before him, including his father, studied both philosophy and religion together. “In the long term, this will broaden the pool of applicants for faculty and staf, increasing the possibilities for employees to directly impact our student body,” said Brown.
Illustrations by Hannah McLain ’15 6
OTTERBEIN TOWERS SPRING 2021
