Guest Lecturing on Geographies of Religion: Interviewing My Colleagues’ Students, Focusing on Tangents
Issue: Vol 45 No. 2 (2016)
Journal: Bulletin for the Study of Religion
Subject Areas: Religious Studies Buddhist Studies Islamic Studies Biblical Studies
Abstract:
This 'Teaching Tips' article focuses on my recent experience of guest-lecturing in colleagues' classes. Influenced by Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, my initial guest-teaching revolved around posing an argument about geographies of religion as 'grounded theologies' as a problem for students to challenge. However, my recent guest lectures have involved interviewing my colleagues' students to discover why they find grounded theologies interesting. I show that this new mode of guest-lecturing - also influenced by Freire - has opened up new conversations at a primal ontological level through a wider breadth of topics discussed, including occupy movements, Game of Thrones, Black Nordic Metal, and modern imperialist ideologies. Following Sam Rocha's folk phenomenology, I suggest that the primal depths that this interview-lecture style of guest lecturing is perhaps worth a try, even though I plan to use the argumentative lecture in the future as well.
Author: Justin K. H. Tse
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Tite, Philip. 2016a. “Thank you, Justin Tse, for another excellent guest lecture (via Skype) on geographies of religion. This is the third time Justin has done this for my Theories in the Study of Religion course and each time is excellent (though very unique). And each time I learn a little something more about cultural geography. I’m glad I can incorporate this emerging theoretical approach to my course.” Facebook status. May 11. https://www.facebook.com/philip.l.tite/posts/10156980821400457?pnref=story.
———. 2016b. “Two key ‘take aways’ for me this time round were ‘relational geographies’ (as I termed it) and the ‘activation of landscapes”’ (as the mapping of meanings and counter-meanings within place).” Facebook comment, May 11. https://www.facebook.com/philip.l.tite/posts/10156980821400457?comment_id=10156980829130457&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D.
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