DIANE MOORE: Hello, and welcome to Religious Literacy.

The first module in the "World Religions Through Their Scripture" series.
Religions have functioned throughout human history
to inspire and justify actions that range
from heinous crimes against humanity to nearly unfathomable acts of compassion,
courage, and generosity.
The power of religion remains potent here at the dawn of the 21st century,
in spite of modern predictions that religious influences would steadily
decline in concert with the rise of secular democracies and advances
in science.
Understanding these complex religious influences
is a critical dimension of understanding modern human affairs
across the full spectrum of endeavors in local, national, and global arenas.
My colleagues and I have had a wonderful time
planning this exploration into the rich and diverse dimensions of religion
through the lens of sacred texts expressions.
Though each module has its own integrity and can be taken alone,
all modules share a method for how to understand religion in general,
and scriptures in particular.
And I'll be introducing you to that method
here in our first module on Religious Literacy.
In our first 4 sessions we'll explore what Religious Literacy entails.
And how a lack of understanding about religion fuels
bigotry, and prejudice, and hinders cooperative alliances
in local, national, and global context.
You'll learn why it is important to make a distinction
between particular religious expressions or assertions
of devotional beliefs on the one hand, and the exploration
or study of diverse beliefs and practices on the other.
You'll also learn how religious are internally diverse.
How they evolve and change as living traditions.
And how religion functions in all aspects of human experience, as opposed
to be isolated in a so-called private sphere of religious belief and ritual
expression.
In our last four sessions we'll apply the method specifically
to issues related to scripture.
We'll explore what scripture actually entails.
And we'll learn that scripture means different things
within and among different religious traditions.
We'll also learn that scripture includes, but is not limited to, text.
We'll consider issues of interpretation and inclusion,
who decides what is considered sacred within traditions,
and who has authority to interpret the sacred and why.
We'll examine these and related questions
through different interpretive themes that will recur throughout the course
when studying religion in general, and scriptures in particular.
We'll examine issues related to gender and sexuality, violence and peace,
science, the arts, and the interpreted other.
Finally, in this module we'll be modeling
the interactive learner-centered pedagogy
that will be replicated throughout all the modules.
You, as participants, are the greatest asset of the course.
And interactions with each other in response to the content
will be exploring will be a highlight of our experience together.
So let's start by hearing from you.
Please record or post a short introduction
by sharing your name, the country, state, and city or township
where you live, and why you are interested in this class.