You must Create a Profile / Sign in to complete registration.

Courses

Religious Studies

Courses & Events

Fantastic Realms: The Visions of Gnosticism

Gnosticism is a type of spirituality that describes visions of spiritual dimensions beyond our earthly existence. The Greek word "gnosis" translates roughly as "knowledge," "awareness," and "science." It generally refers to personal, experiential knowledge rather than intellectual knowledge from reasoning or accumulation of information. The forms of spirituality referred to as "Gnostic" involve purported knowledge of spiritual dimensions, angels, creation, the nature of humanity and other religious themes based on personal visions or encounters with divine beings. This course will explore examples of Gnostic literature, including early Christian Gnosticism, The Tibetan Book of the Dead and th3 writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.

Instructor Bio: James Gaither, Th.D., holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Kansas and Th.D. from Holos University Graduate Seminary. For over 25 years he has taught courses in history of Western thought, world religions, metaphysics and ethics and is currently a "semi-retired."

April 23, 2025 to May 7, 2025, KU Edwards Campus, 163 Regnier Hall, In Person and Online

The Biblical Art of Marc Chagall

There is a museum in Nice, France devoted exclusively to paintings of Biblical scenes by the Jewish painter Marc Chagall. At the beginning of the first session of this interactive online class we will discuss Chagall's biography. In every session we will read and discuss the text of a Bible story he depicted, closely examine one or two of his wonderful paintings, and compare them to works by other artists.

Instructor Bio: Sarah Rosenson has a B.A. from Georgetown University, a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.A. in Jewish Studies from the Spertus Institute. She practiced law, and then taught classes on ethics, philosophy, and world religions at a private high school. She currently teaches adults both in-person and on various online platforms, including several OLLIs.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

The Impact of Transcendentalism on American and World Culture

In 19th century New England the writings of a group of intellectuals known as "Transcendentalists" were widely read and discussed throughout America. Today those writings are regarded primarily as a genre of literature. However, a great variety of ideas are encompassed in Transcendentalism and as a movement it had a significant lasting impact on the art, politics, philosophy and spirituality of American society. In addition, Transcendentalism affected thought and politics in India and world culture. This course will explore the ideas and impact of Transcendentalists including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Walt Whitman and others.

Instructor Bio: James Gaither, Th.D., holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Kansas and ThD from Holos University Graduate Seminary. For over 25 years he has taught courses in history of Western thought, world religions, metaphysics and ethics and is currently a "semi-retired."