Friday 21 December 2012

a call for help



Hi guys!
Here comes a couple of links, if you are interested to read about the results from the student survey on the nordic master programs, which RRE is a part of. The first link is here in case the second one dosent work, cause the first one leads you to the page where it is explained about the the student survey and the second one leads directly to the survey. Have fun!

http://www.norden.org/da/nordisk-ministerraad/ministerraad/nordisk-ministerraad-for-uddannelse-og-forskning-mr-u/raadgivningsgrupper/raadgivningsgruppen-for-nordisk-samarbejde-inden-for-hoejere-uddannelse-hoegut/nordic-master-program/de-studerendes-meninger-om-nordic-master-programme


http://www.norden.org/da/nordisk-ministerraad/ministerraad/nordisk-ministerraad-for-uddannelse-og-forskning-mr-u/raadgivningsgrupper/raadgivningsgruppen-for-nordisk-samarbejde-inden-for-hoejere-uddannelse-hoegut/nordic-master-program/de-studerendes-meninger-om-nordic-master-programme/student-survey-of-the-nordic-master-programme-2012


Also I kind of wrote this post as a concern for the future of the blog, since we really want to keep it, but we dont really have the time to write stuff. I am, as I have done before, urging both students, former students and professors, to write small texts or big texts they would like to see published on the blog. It dosent take much, and it would help us a lot!

again, our email is religiousroots (a) gmail.com
we love to get an email from you!

have religiously rooted holiday!

Wednesday 31 October 2012

N-M-P!

Hi guys,
you get two blogposts today, lucky you!:)

This one I (Hilde) was supposed to write ages ago, but I kind of forgot.

In September, we RREs (+former RRE`s ) had the possibility to participate in a workshop/ presentation of student survey results, in four Nordic cities. the workshop was arranged by the nordic council of ministries. They sat down at some point and had the brilliant idea to make cooperation between the nordic countries even broader, by making inter-nordic master programs. They made out a call about it, and a lot of people/universities applied for funding to start a project. Some professors already cooperating within fields of religious studies and theology in the nordic countries saw the call, put there heads togheter and Voila! RRE was born:)

As you already probably understood, RRE is not the only master program of its kind. in the workshops we participated in we met some brilliant people doing old norse studies and marine biology, and we learned that "our" way of doing a program like this is special, because the model RRE uses, with compact seminars, is after my understanding quite unique. Other programs do 1+1 year (or 1+ 1/2+1/2) meaning the students actually move been the countries while they study, unlike us who rather goes on a holiday to Helsinki or Bergen. Not that the seminars feels like a holiday, they are busy and challenging, but soo much fun:)

anyways, these meetings, taking place in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Bergen (and Stockholm?) had two parts: the presentation of the results from the student survey, and a workshop.therefore, in what follows, you will see that I asked my RRE friends to answer the following questions:

(1)What is, after your opinion, the most important results from the evaluation/student survey? and (2) What is after your opinion the  most important results from the workshop?


Nils Hallvard graduated RRE from UIO (University of Oslo) in the autumn of 2011, and is currently a phd.student at MF- Norwegian school of theology, in their religious studies department. He participated in the workshop in Bergen.

Morten is currently studying RRE at Copenhagen university, and was enrolled in RRE in 2011. He participated in the workshop in Copenhagen.


on question 1 they replied:

Nils Hallvard: The positive feedback/results which RRE got, being the biggest program within NMP and the best organized one. I find these facts especially important because we know that our field of study is not of high priority among politicians working with the field of higher education.

Morten:
The most important thing that I found out during the NMP workshop was that our program works in quite a different way from the other Nordic master programmes. They all stay a period of time at on host-university only to then move to another. I think that the way the RRE is structured works much better because it enables you to make contacts in a specific place, as well as creating connections with students and teachers throughout the nordic countries. Of course it makes some challenges in relation to E-learning, challenges that still need to be met by some of the teachers in the RRE program.


On question 2 they replied:

Nils Hallvard: It was really clear that we need better routines for the programs to continue running,better communication between the universties. and that there is a lack of information, especially for international students, about what the universities has to offer. The students needs to get the same information other international students (like exchange students) get when they start studying. Housing was mentioned as a problem for many, and visa is a constant challenge.


Morten:The most important thing that was discussed was the thing about housing and living expenses. The students might benefit from an extended hand in this matter, not just from the host university but from the coordinators of the RRE program. Given that I myself am a native Dane living in Denmark i did not have these problems, but i understand how a lack of housing, or a dorm not living up to the standard, can be a stress factor for people moving the the cold north.


Thank you Nils Hallvard and Morten! I would like to add that Morten answered me by email, and in English, while i interviewed Nils Hallvard, meeting him as his work and in Norwegian, so that it is my translation of what he said.
To their excellent replies I would like to add that the single most important thing for me is that the universities take the survey seriously and DO SOMETHING soon, because the NMPs are excellent programs, but there is a lot of logistic stuff which could go much smoother. Ask students who studied abroad which information they found important before and upon their arrival in the new country. I had an excellent mentor when I did an exchange semester in Århus, Anne who is also doing RRE now ( but was doing her bachelor in theology at that time) and for me she and other helpful students was gold to me.

This is, sadly, my last blogpost. I dident graduate RRE yet, but I will in february, and until then I am overloaded with work. I might come by and do a guestpost at some point, we will see.

Best, Hilde




Tuesday 30 October 2012

Did you know...

Hi guys!  More from Interactive corner!  This blog entry (inspired by Martin) is for everyone, even the newbie 4th cycles and professors, because every day is an opportunity to learn something new however brainy you are!  Tell us in one sentence something you have already learnt or recently learnt from the course, starting with the epithtet "Did you know that...".  This could be anything intellectual or trivial, for example, "Did you know that the nuns at the nunnery in Rome did not like to be woken up by a bottle of wine (empty, thank goodness) dropping down the stairs."

The best entry will win Catherine Bell's Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice.  

So get thinking guys, and good luck!

Thursday 4 October 2012

For those still mastering the ins and outs of the English language...

This post is for those who have had the odd, and sometimes disheartening comment about our English. (I know I have and I am a native English speaker!)  If you've misplaced your apostrophes or your word simply isn't "big" enough, chillax!  If you don't believe me, take it from Stephen Fry.  After all he is a brilliant genius, and his word is the law. FACT.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7E-aoXLZGY




Wednesday 26 September 2012

Time for a debate!

So I am posting this blog entry in the hope it will not only be a brilliant topic of discussion but also that Christina and I might be able to prove Morten wrong!

How Important is the role of that "authorial intention" plays (if any) when analysing ancient texts?

This debate derives rom a theory developed and discussed by Elizabeth Clark in chapter 8 of History, Theory, Text: Historians and the Linguistic Turn (p162ff).  This is a great booster topic for us third cycles and super great for the 4th cyclers who have just spent 2 weeks studying this!

Get debating!!!

Monday 17 September 2012

Welcome to our world, fourth cycle of RRE!

This month, 22 new students joined RRE, in six different universities of the Nordic Countries. There are 1 in Bergen, 1 in Oslo, 7 in Lund, 5 in Helsinki, 3 in Copenhagen and 5 in Århus.
Right now those lucky people are in Rome, studying hard in the lovely early autumn, eating ice creams and trying to understand theories about map and territory, and taking a lot of pictures.

The rest of us have to stay in the cold Nordic countries, write assignments and chapters on our thesis, doing languages and dreaming ourselves back to Rome.

Last week Christina, Morten and I went to an evaluation/workshop of the Nordic master programs, Ill write a post about it soon, I promise :) Right now I need to escape from the computer screen, spent way to many hours in front of it.

Have a wonderful week!

Thursday 6 September 2012

Open lectures in the beautiful city of Lund

Every month there is an open lecture in Lund, at CTR, which is the department for teology and religion at the university of Lund. If you study in Copenhagen or Lund, or happen to be dropping by this part of Scandinavia, have a look at what they offer for the autumn:

Professor Stephan Borgehammar
(Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University)
Jerusalem Pilgrims and the Holy Cross in the Fourth Century
Tuesday 11 September at 18.15, Room 118, CTR

Professor Leif Stenberg
(Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University)
Mosques, Shrines and Holy Places - discussing the
creation of sacred environments in Damascus, Syria
Tuesday 23 October at 18.15, Room 118, CTR

Docent Svante Lundgren
(Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund
University)
The Future of Zionism
Tuesday 4 December at 18.15, Room 118, CTR


Have a nice week!
Best,
Hilde

http://www2.teol.lu.se/rre/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61:islam-in-western-europe-anxiety-of-influence-and-the-simulacrum-of-purity&catid=1:news&Itemid=9

Thursday 30 August 2012

Back to business

As I struggle to analyse a text I am currently working with, I realize that its already late august, soon to be september, and that we should start blogging again.
This month the Nordic council of ministries are arranging workshops in different towns of Scandinavia, where we have the possibility to participate, to share our thoughts and ideas after spending some time within the system of the Nordic Masters programs. So definetly there will be a report from the one in Copenhagen, and we will start the project mentioned in the spring, about figuring out what former RRE´s are doing and what they feel that they gained from the RRE. If you happen to have any questions you would like us to ask them, please write to us here, or send an email to religiousroots(a)gmail.com.

We will also try to continue with the monthly academic piece, and probably find some more brilliant ideas for stuff to write, as we go on.


A new thing is that an idea for an Alumni-network is starting to develop, read more about it after we had our first official meeting in the comitee, next friday.

And I would like to remind you that if you are to apply for RRE for the autumn semester 2013, you should already now start to look for info about application process. In some of the countries the deadline is already in desember(!). The labels on the sidemenu can direct you to more information about the procedure of the different universities. If you cant find what you are looking for there, please write to us:)


Friday 29 June 2012

religious roots on holiday

From my window it does not look like much it, but we are actually approaching summer. Which also means we are taking a break from the blog until the autumn semester starts. But remember that you can easily use the labels/tags on the sidemenu to read old posts.
Also, please feel free to send us an email (religiousroots(a)gmail.com) to suggest new topics for blogposts, or, even better, if you would like to contribute to the blog by writing something.

Concerning the caption contest: we promise to post the result on monday. meaning you still have the possibility to contribute!


Have a wonderful summer!

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Why knowing a couple of vampires would make writing academic papers so much easier

No, this is not another way of procrastinating!
or at least, not only that.

Annie was saying the other day, that if we knew a vampire or two, it would be so much easier to describe the situation of female slaves/prostitutes of the first centuries, and to discuss if and in what ways slaves in Christian ownership where in different situations then those in Pagan ownership. It wouldent be so much of that guesswork which seemed to fill the whole of the Women in House churces book we read for one of our courses. You simply go to your friend Tertullius, probably called something else today so as to not draw to much attention to himself, and ask him. You have him describe everything from his own memory. Maybe he was a freedman himself, being once the slave of some rich man who gave him his freedom because he  Tertullius saved his daughters life in a big fire. Or you could call up Magdalena, who belonged to a congregation in Corinth, she had two boys and before she got attacked by a vampire, she and her boys where baptized by Apollos. She could in lively pictures tell you about the situation of the Corinthian church, and you dident have to spend hours with your head burried in your sourcetext and interpretations and secondary sources. You could go out and have a beer and get an A for your paper.

If only I knew a vampire or two....

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Goodbye is not forever.

Last week us in the second cycle had our final seminar, here in Copenhagen. It means we are about to graduate and that we are grown-up (help!) and that there is no more RREcompact seminars for us. Which is sad and good at the same time I suppose, one era is over and a new one is about to begin. Anyways, here is a really cool collage Ruth made:


Monday 11 June 2012

It is time.....

....for the 2.cycle of the Religious Roots of Europe`s final seminar!



and here are some religious muffins baked for the occasion.



later this week we will open up for a discussion about the difference between philosophy and religion. Stay Tuned!

Thursday 7 June 2012

Caption Contest- round two!

Hi guys!  Seeing as the first caption contest was a wonderful success, we have decided to go ahead and do another.  Once again we are bribing you with chocolate, we are already keeping a running tab!  So let your imagination and creativity flow on this week's picture.  This is Fritz and Krisztian from cycle 3 doing their thing at Halloween.


Wednesday 30 May 2012

"My research" - a new, monthly column in the RREblog

My research- by Martin Ehrensvärd, Copenhagen University

I've been asked to write a few words about my research. Well, my early
research was on the incredibly interesting nuances in the use of the
definite article in Hebrew, compared to a bunch of other languages. Then I
moved on to investigating the fascinating syntax of negated infinitives in
Biblical Hebrew, but neither of these subjects is what I will write about
here - for I ended up looking at how syntax, and language in general, might
be used as tool for dating biblical texts.

This turned out to be a controversial topic, especially since I landed
right in the middle of the 'minimalist-maximalist debate'. To put it
crudely, the debate is about whether to date the biblical literature
earlier - in which case it is more likely to contain correct historical
information - or later, in which case it is more justified to read it
primarily as literature/ theological narrative rather than historical
narrative.

Anyways, what I ended up arguing was that language, as opposed to what the
received wisdom said, didn't seem to be able to serve in the dating of
biblical texts, because we simply do not know enough about biblical Hebrew
to talk with any kind of precision about linguistic dating. The consequence
of this potentially is that the maximalist/ conservative argument is
weakened, since some of the strength of the maximalist hypothesis is
dependent on linguistic dating.

This has led to a fierce debate spanning the last decade. The debate
doesn't seem likely to end anytime soon. For a statement about my views,
you can read a co-authored statement found here:
http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/yount357913.shtml

For an example of criticism, see
http://www.bibleinterp.com/opeds/hen358022.shtml

- and here is the attempt at a rebuttal of the criticism:
http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/rez358028.shtml

Note how the discussion continues in the comments section below the
articles.

Monday 28 May 2012

a monday in Copenhagen

Some RRE`s decided to meet in town for a coffee/coke/smoothie, and since it was the second day of pentecost, which is a red day in the Danish calender, we chose a table with the clear message:



four of us spent sunday afternoon in a park, chilling out. My supervisor here in Copenhagen told me to enjoy the Danish spring/summer, and as we all know, you should listen to your supervisor.

greetings from sunny Copenhagen,
Hilde :)

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Student scholarships masters level

Here is something you should absolutly look into, if you are interested in Secularism and Religious Freedom.

http://www.cmi.no/news/?1014-student-scholarships-for-ma-thesis

CMI- Christian Michelsen`s institute is situated in Bergen, which is one of the six host universities of RRE.

:) Hilde


-if the link should not work, type www.cmi.no and scroll down the page.

And the winner is.....

Hi guys! It is time you have all been eagerly awaiting.... the announcing of the winning of the caption contest!

In third place is Martin Ehrensvärd for a stunning caption on the idea of the spirit
Second place goes to Jon Jarrett Nygren for his Dungeon and Dragons inspired comment.
The coveted first place goes to Yayha with his warning about crossing Troels borders!

Thanks guys, you are all winners of a yummy chocolate bar next time either me or Hilde see you!

The new photo will be posted shortly, we can't wait for some more witty and perhaps inciting comments!

-Annie

Friday 11 May 2012

Guess what they are saying and win a chocolate bar!


This weekend we start a competition here at the blog. By leaving a comment to this blogpost, where you suggest what the professor is telling his student, you enter the competition for winning a nice RREprize. Be creative, have fun!




#Comments considered insulting in any way will be deleted

Sunday 6 May 2012

we are currently busy studying....please leave a message after the beeping sound

 The road is loooong. Or my bibliography is, at least. Here are some of the books I am currently reading
RREprofessors are truly dedicated. I sent Antti Marjanen an email early in the week to ask about an article he had written, and five days later it was in my postbox:)
Since Annie is currently studying for her Latin exam, I added this picture, which is the list of  assignments for the Latin text course "Pagans and Christians-Dialogue and Polemics" I did last autumn. Good luck with your exam Annie :) And the same goes to the rest of the RRE`s, of course!

Monday 30 April 2012

a useful tip for fans of our blog

if you have a google,yahoo or twitter-account, you can "follow" our blog, getting a notice whenever something new is posted.
Also I would like to remind you that on the sidebar of the blog you can find keywords from the posts, like "thesis", "students interviewing professors" "Lund". This is meant as a help if there is something special you want to look for in the blog.

If not before properly explained: If I say that I am in the the second cycle, it means that I belong to the second class doing this program. The program started in 2009, making those starting that autumn the students of RRE 1.Cycle. So I (Hilde) am in the 2.cycle, and Annie, who started in the autumn of 2011, is in the 3.cycle. The newcomers in 2012 will be called 4.cycle.

Hope this made you wiser :)

one of lifes big questions: what should you do for your master thesis?

As most Nordic students, we are on facebook, and my cycle has its own facebookgroup aswell, which is great for sharing ideas and asking questions. Often the questions would be something like this: "Did anyone understand what to do for this weeks assignment?" "When is the deadline for chosing free or fixed exam?" "How many assignments might we miss?" "Where are people planning to stay for the Oslo seminar?"
This semester most of us are writing our thesis, and the facebookgroup is not so actively used anymore. But about a month ago (or maybe more, my memory is bad) I asked people to tell me what their thesis project is about, cause I was thinking it might be of interest to other people then supervisors and your computers document folder.

Here are some projects (copypasted directly from facebookgroup) :

-  My thesis working title is at the moment "The Angel of the Lord as a destructive and menacing angel in the Hebrew Bible". The main point is to view the ambiguous figure of "malak Yahweh" as a distinctive being from God concentrating on the passages where this figure functions as a "angel of destruction"

-  working title: Islamophobia Online?Study Case of a YouTube Video
and the outline (copypaste from the TC): In this thesis paper I examine a contemporary YouTube video, which presents an anti-Islam stance. In my opinion, this video can be seen as a part of a phenomenon of an "intellectual" anti-Islamic notion. While criticism is an important part of modern society , this video and similar Online videos and texts can be seen as crossing a border line between legitimate criticism and promoting Islamophobia.

-the Image of Eve in Judaism, Christianity and Islam". I will look at texts from Hebrew Bible, Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, New Testament and Quran and analyze them with the regard of two main topics connected with Eve: her creation and the fall

-the title is "Saint Ephrem the Syrian on Eschatology in the Hymns on Paradise". i just focus on 15 poems of ST. Ephrem, and explore his thoughts of Eschatology. the Fall of Adam and Eve, the salvation of Christ, the finial judgement, Ephrem's ascetic thought, ect. would be considered.

-I'm focusing on Book 11 of Augustine's Confessions, where he expounds his theory of time, and I'll be looking at whether or not he can be said to be writing as a mystic there. I might take up parts of Book 9 as well where he has a famous mystical experience in Ostia.


In addition to this, I know that we have people working with Atonement in the Dead Sea Scrolls/ community, Eco-theology, The Attitude Towards Armed Warfare in the Early Christian Church,
how martyrdom and persecution influenced the Christian self-understanding, Christian theologians of Arab background, topics related to gender and religion...

well, you get the picture. people are working with a lot of different and cool stuff. If you are reading this blog, working at a Nordic or other university and thinking: this person sounds perfect for our newly planned project about..., then dont hesitate! Contact us and we will put you in contact with the person working with the project you are interested in (if the person agrees to of course). Or maybe you just think it interesting to read one or more of the thesis, again, please tell us.

religiousroots@gmail.com is where to find us :)


-Hilde

Monday 23 April 2012

5 Questions to the Professor

After some riveting and insightful question and answers from the Professors, I am sad to say that this will be the last instalment.  This last entry comes, very appropriately, Antii Marjanen, who recently held seminars for the second cycle in Helsinki... Enjoy!

Before you read in haste, I would like to extend our thanks to all the Professors who took part in these five questions.  Hopefully it will pose help for those new students perusing what the course offers and for us oldies who may use these to scout for the most suitable candidate to answer any tricky questions!


1. Please state your name,age, university and connection to the RREprogram
Antti Marjanen, University of Helsinki, Local Coordinator and Teacher of the RRE Program in Helsinki



2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in the
RREprogram?
My area of expertise: New Testament, Early Christianity (especially Gnosticism and Montanism), Women in the New Testament and Early Christian Communities and Texts

I teach in the RRE Program:

Interaction between the religions: The role of women in religious communities and texts: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Greek, Coptic and Hebrew

I also supervise Master's theses (incl. Thesis colloquium, methodology and theory) of the RRE students in Helsinki


3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular
university courses but also not distance learning?
Stimulating and challenging but also pretty demanding. To give feedback in a written form on AULA demands more time and thought than to do it orally in a Compact Seminar when I am face to face with students. So I must confess that I always look forward to meeting the students in a compact seminar after having discussed with them only through AULA.


4. What do you expect from your students?
Clarity of expression, readiness to work and courage to look for and test new questions, ideas, and perspectives.



5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?
It would be actually sufficient for me to get some additional human powers which would enable me to increase tolerance and understanding between human beings.




Thank you Antti!

Here are a couple of pictures from the newly held RREcompact seminar for the 3.cycle, in Helsinki, Finland (Will upload some more picture later)










Thursday 19 April 2012

five questions to the professor

This week we moved ourselves to Oslo. In Oslo there is currently two students in the third cycle, and unfortunatly no students in the second cycle.  We hope they will have many applicants for semesterstart 2012. Look at the pictures below and see how nice Oslo is :)

Interview:

1. Please state your name,age, university and connection to the
RREprogram:

Stig Frøyshov, 50, University of Oslo, RRE coordinator and teacher


2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in
the RREprogram?

My area of expertise is Christian liturgy and ritual, especially in Palestinian, Byzantine and other Eastern traditions. I work with sources in Greek, Georgian, Slavonic and to some degree Syriac and Armenian. In my doctoral thesis I edited, translated and commented upon the oldest Horologion (Book of daily offices, originated at the Resurrection cathedral in Jerusalem), preserved in Georgian only and for its content datable to about 600 CE.


3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular
university courses but also not distance learning?

I think it is the best we can do within the program model that have we. Regular university classes are not always totally relevant and useful, either. It seems to me that the hardest part is on the students, because the contact with the teacher is not immediate and there is more individual and independent study. All in all, the student learning in RRE is not inferior to that of "regular" students. If there is a vital student group locally this weighs up for a lot. Finally, the method of frequent papers and task is beneficial for student learning and helps keeping focused.


4. What do you expect from your students?

I expect serious and regular study, to the best of each student's ability.


5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?

I very much would have liked to go back in history and actually be present at the liturgies I study! Then all my questions as to how and what and perhaps why would be answered...





Some pics from Second cycles compact seminar in Oslo, April 2011


 while some people were studying hard...
 ....others enjoyed the sunshine outside the faculty :)
 we went to a nice restaurant to eat....            (Clement, Stig and Jakob)
.... and was even invited home to Professor Halvor Moxnes

...and of course we went out in town :)                 (Magnus and Saara)

All Pictures: Tanya Mylova.

Wednesday 11 April 2012

What do RRE`s do, besides drinking coffee and doing e-learning?

Sometimes, we RRE`s are invited to lectures where the topic is related to our masters program. When in Lund, the third cycle was invited to an open lecture, where in fact our own professor Troels was speaking. With the permission of Troels we posted the lecture here (scroll down the page). At the same time I would like to remind you that CTR (center for teologi och religionsvetenskap) at Lund University has three open lectures every semester, the next one I believe is the 15.of May, and the speaker is Thomas Hoffmann, who happens to be an RRE-related professor too. The lectures are always in English, and there are refreshments and a chance for a discussion afterwards.

In addition to posting Troels lecture, we of course also have an interview with him, in our series of "5 questions to the professor". To repeat, the questions we asked the professors, in addition to their name, age and association with the program, is:
2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in the RREprogram?
3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular university courses but also not distance learning?
4. What do you expect from your students?
5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?

Lets see what Troels replied:

1. Troels Engberg-Pedersen, age 63 (which is in many ways a holy figure: 3 x 3 x 7!), Copenhagen University, academic coordinator ofthe RRE programme in Copenhagen,teacher at the Emergence course.

2. My area of expertise is rather broad: classics, early Christianity, philosophy old and new. Within those areas I have particularly focused on ancient ethics (my first dissertation was on Aristotle’s Ethics, Oxford UP 1983; then I wrote a book on Stoic Ethics, Aarhus UP 1990; then another one in Danish on The Ethical Tradition of Antiquity, Copenhagen 1997) – and then on the relationship between ancient philosophy and the apostle Paul, viewed as a main figure in early Christianity. Here I first focused on the relationship between Paul and Stoic ethics (Paul and the Stoics,Edinburgh/Louisville 2000) and more recently on the relationship between Paul and Stoic physics and cosmology (Cosmology and Self in the Apostle Paul: The Material Spirit, Oxfords UP 2010).My basic scientific interest is to understand the various ancient philosophies I have studied and a figure like Paul too as ‘wholes’ – so that one may then compare them with modern ideas.

3. I find the RRE way of teaching both quite taxing and also very stimulating. It’s wonderfulto work with a group of *very* different students from all over the world. Ifind it extremely important that we actually *meet* live, both at the compactseminars and also at the tutorials and thesis colloquium. I am generally amazedby the interest and dedication of the students.

4. I expect what I mostly get: solid, dedicated work + interest in the fundamental issues of religion asa whole. I also expect (and usually get) an interest in the *comparative*aspect of the study of the ancient religions.

5. This is, of course,an impossible question. I would *not* suddenly make people ‘good’since the fact that human beings are not just good is what gives thefundamental shape to our lives and struggle. Perhaps, however, I *would* instil one more drop of realization in human beings that *greed* is bad for everyone, not least the greedy person him-or herself. (I just finished reading a recent, Swedish ‘thriller’by Arne Dahl called ‘Viskleken’, which means ‘whispering game’.It’s overall theme is the devastating global results of unchecked greed.And Dahl writes very well.)





Troels Lecture

Monday 2 April 2012

Info of interest, from Lund

While we are in the Swedish mood, here is something that might interest you:


Open Lecture at CTR, Lund:

Tueday , 3 April, at 18.15 in Room 118 at Centre for Theology and Religious Studies,

Ingmar Karlsson, former diplomat (e.g. consul general in Istanbul 2001-2008), research fellow and honorary doctor of divinity at Lund University, will give the second lecture in the series of lectures on Border Crossing between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The lecture is entitled "Alhambra - A Model for 'the European House?", and will be about the coexistence of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in Spain in the Middle Ages, but also about the fascinating and less known Arabic heritage in European culture. A lecture you cannot miss!

The lecture is followed be free refreshments sponsored by Centre for Theology and Religious Studies.

Did you get April-fooled yesterday?

I simply had to post this link. Unfortuantly it is only in Swedish, I am not sure If they also have a version is English. Lund and Uppsala tried to trick people into believing that the two universities will become one. and it should happen already in December this year.
http://www.lu.se/o.o.i.s?id=708&news_item=8038

Somehow, big news that are posted on the 1.of April, about stuff which is suppose to happen very soon, always makes me suspicious. My hometown newspaper reported that Sir Alex Ferguson  from Man.United would visit Haugesund to see the match between Haugesund and Molde, and that he had been seen at the airport of Haugesund saturday evening. The chief/boss of the fotballteam did not get a peaceful moment during the day, cause newspapers and media from all over Norway called him to ask if this was in fact true!

How would you trick a student of religious studies/theology? any ideas (to use for next year)  :)

Saturday 31 March 2012

-and Jesus came into Jerusalem

The RREbloggers are now taking a well-deserved Easter Holiday, if not from our studies so at least from the blog. But dont worry, after Easter we can offer you more interviews with professors, interviews with former students, AND an inside report about how to stay calm and still be productive, when thesis-deadlines are ticking clooser!

Happy Easter from Denmark/England!
Hilde and Annie

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Five questions to the professor

Still staying in Aarhus, we asked Jakob Engberg to answer our questionary. Jakob is the head of our program, and is doing a brilliant job, I would say.  (and no, I am not handing in any exampapers to him this semester;)


1. Please state your name, age, university and connection to the RREprogram.
Jakob Engberg; 40 years old; Aarhus University; coordinator for the whole programme (since it was launched); coordinator for Aarhus; part of the team that applied for support for the developing of the programme (2007), developed it (2007-2009) and launched it (2009).


2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in the RREprogram?
Expertise: the relationship between different religious groups in antiquity, e.g. persecution, polemics, apologetics, conversion. I teach a course on Apologetics and conversion and have taught another on Jews and Christians in the Roman Empire, both interaction courses. In addition I teach the thesis colloquium in Aarhus.

3. How do you find this way of teaching, which is not regular university courses but also not distance learning?
I enjoy very much to be together with the students for compact seminars in and out of classes. But I also appreciate the e-learning not least because I observe that it gives the students practice in writing about the subject making the transition to the exam-paper les abrupt than for “normal” students who for a whole term have written next to nothing about a subject and then are asked suddenly to write a whole 10-page paper on it.

4. What do you expect from your students?
Commitment and diligence academically; frankness in any dealings with fellow students and with me and other teachers.


5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?
My wife would greatly appreciate if my craftsmanship was on the level of Vulcan’s (or even on the level of a human handyman). When encountering legal obstacles during the development of RRE it would have been nice to be cunning like the Norse god Loki. Sometimes a fancy spear like Odin’s Gungnir (it was unstoppable) or a thunderbolt like Jupiter’s would even have been nice. But knowing my own character I better wish for a divine ability that I cannot misuse to the detriment of others: patience!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

five questions to the professor

This weeks interview, as we move ourselves from Copenhagen to Aarhus, is with Professor Marianne Scheicher from the religious department at Aarhus University. The second cycle students had a compact seminar in Aarhus in December last year, and one of the very bests things was that all three "Three religions"-professors plus Jakob joined us for dinner and a drink :)


Name:            Marianne Schleicher
Age:               41
University:       University of Aarhus
RRE-affiliation:Associate Professor

Area of expertise:
Judaism from Antiquity till today
Cultural functions of scriptural use
Gender and Sexuality in religious contexts
Jewish mysticism

Courses taught:“The three religions in contemporary perspective”

Evaluation of the RRE-forms of teaching:
I question the benefitsof posting a lot of information on our E-platforms, such as AULA, withouthaving the possibility of looking you in the eye to see if you follow myreasoning and thereby of rephrasing what may be difficult to understand.However, the E-chat room provides a corrective to this challenge. I value theweekly assignments highly in that they enable a personal dialogue betweenstudent and professor where I as a professor can counter misunderstandings etc.within a week (where non-distance teaching allows students to hide and wait foran evaluation of their understanding until the exam). The compact seminar is myfavourite because I meet with students with whom I have corresponded already,which allows for an atmosphere of familiarity.

Expectations:
I expect discipline fromthe students in their habits of studying, i.e. that they read prior to the E-confrontations,reflect independently on the content, and that they submit their weeklyassignments in a form that reflects commitment and the best of efforts.

Superhuman power …:
If I had superhuman power,I would make use of my special ability to be in several places at the same time!Why? Because it could help me counter the problems specified above about E-learning,and it would enable me to accomplish what I consider ideal vis-à-vis being amother, a partner, a colleague, a professor, and an individual who wants todevelop as well.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

A quick reminder from Bergen :)

The 15.of April is the deadline for applicants from Norway  who would like to join the RREprogram in Bergen. You find more information here: http://www.uib.no/ahkr/utdanning/religious-roots-of-europe (there is also a link called "detailed information about structure and admission)

and you are very welcome to contact us by religiousroots(a)gmail.com if you have any questions related to being a student in Norway and specifically Bergen. 

The next deadline for international students is in December 2012 (for autumn 2013 admission)

 Bergen is a busy town, being Norways second most populated one, which means a lot of stuff happens here for students, and you can allways find activities to join toghether with other international and Norwegian students.  At the same time you can also find silence and time to reflect, in the beautiful mountains surrounding the city. you dont need to be a climber, for as you can see from the pictures below, there are good hiking-roads to walk on.








Monday 12 March 2012

Five questions to the professor


At each RREuniversity there are at least one person responsible for RRE and in personal contact with the students of that specific university. They also teach courses in the program. But in addition, there are several professors who belongs to one of the six RREuniversities and who have been asked to teach a course or parts of a course. We decided to ask professor Riem Spielhaus from Copenhagen University how she finds the RREprogram.


1. Please state your name,age, university and connection to the RREprogram


My name is Riem Spielhaus and I am researcher at the Centre for European Islamic Thought at Kopenhagen University. My research centre is located at the Theological Faculty that invited us to contribute to the RREprogram.


2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in the RREprogram?


This and last year I taught the part on Islam within the course Emergence of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In my daily life I do research on Muslims in Europe and currently am working on a project that critically looks at the many opinion surveys that have been produced about Muslims in Europe in the last ten years.


3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular university courses but also not distance learning?


I find teaching a distance learning course a bit less personal. One simply does not have the same opportunities to meet students like on campus. But it is amazing how a strong relationship can grow in a short semester with those students that are engaged in our chats and ask me questions via email. Even though I don't necessarily have a picture of the students, by reading all the written texts of them in short essays, chat comments, summaries they upload and the final essay I seem do get a full image of him or her anyway. The other thing I enjoy is that professors in this program interact really closely. I have learned a lot from both students and other professors about the other religious roots.


4. What do you expect from your students?


Without expecting that, I think in order to survive such a distance learning course you have to have a lot of motivation and sincerety. And this is what sometimes really astonishes me with our students. For me, seeing professors in the seminar or lecture used to be one of the biggest motivations to engage with knowledge. So I really admire everybody who can find this motivation in her or himself. What I do expect beyond that especially in this program is a willingness to question and relativize own roots and traditions. That does not mean students have to change or even distance themselves from their faith or religious convictions, but to learn to take a similare perspective to other and the own religion. Only then we can compare or contrast these religions. I think this in detail can be quite challenging, already because we know so much more about the religion we grew up with and with which were taught to see and interpret the world. And I hope we can organize an event to discuss questions of 'objectivity,' an issue that we did not have time enough for in the Emergency course. Apart from that many students really need to work on their academic writing skills. This will make things a lot easier.


5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?


I have to pass that one. Let me stick with my humanity. Or maybe: the ability to be at two places at the same time? Though this would totally mess up my schedule. Probably I should just learn to enjoy every moment and not ask for more.

Thursday 8 March 2012

Is there a life after RRE?

Graduating from RRE this spring and still dident figure out what comes next? well, here is a solution for you, which also makes you able to stay in Scandinavia!


Centre for Medieval Literature (CML) is a Centre of Excellence funded by The Danish National Research Foundation. The centre is operative for six years from February 1st 2012, with a possibility of a further grant for four years.

CML will seek to establish a cross-disciplinary theoretical framework for the study of medieval literature on a European scale.

The Centre is located at The University of Southern Denmark (Odense) and at The University of York and is run by prof. Lars Boje Mortensen (Centre leader, SDU), reader Elizabeth Tyler (York), and associate prof. Christian Høgel (SDU). CML furthermore consists of participants from York and Odense and of a wider group of European and North American scholars.

PhD-fellowships and Postdoc fellowships in Medieval Literature can be applied for from medio March with a deadline of April 30 and employment from September. The applications must fall within one of the three strands ‘Fictionality’, ‘Interfaces’ or ‘Canonization’ and must be comparative as described in the research programm


http://sdu.dk/en/Om_SDU/Institutter_centre/C_cml

a short but important message

The deadline for Copenhagen is now 1.of April. So if you havent applied yet, now is the time to do so!

Dont have any summerplans yet? Check out this great opportunity!



I am sorry for the bad quality, but as it says, the adress to read more about Aarhus summer university is www.au.dk/summeruniversity, and you can contact either summeruniversity@adm.au.dk or the professor Anders Christian Jakobsen alj@teo.au.dk for more information. One of the lectureres, Nick Marshall, previously studied RRE! :)

Five questions to the professor

As promised, this weeks blogpost also contains an interview with an RREprofessor from Lund. Samuel is a dedicated RREprofessor who also takes well care of his students, the RREs studying in Lund told me they have been invited to dinner at his place both in their first and second year as roots-students.



1. Please state your name,age, university and connection to the RREprogram

Samuel Rubenson, 56 years, Lund University, co-founder, representing LU at the steering committee, teacher and examiner

2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in the RREprogram?

My expertise is in Early Church history and the history of the Churches in the Middle  East. I have in particular worked on the transformation of classical education and philosophy in early Christianity, on the rise of monasticism and the history of the Coptic Church. In RRE I have been teaching the courses "The Rise of Asceticism and Monasticism in Late Antiquity", "Ancient Philosophy and the Emergence of Theology" and the "Thesis Colloquium".

3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular university courses but also not distance learning?

The internet learning has the great advantage of having students from other universities attending the courses which creates larger networks, an interesting mix and opportunities to learn from the educational traditions of lther places.. The disadvanateg is that I do not see the students and they do not have the same opportunities to get to know each other as they would have in a campus course.

4. What do you expect from your students?

Most of all I expect great curiosity about the religious roots of Europe, the common background of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the encounter between Graeco-Roman civilization and Semitic culture. Secondly I accept great openness to listen to voices from other traditions, both from other students and teachers, and from the literature and the texts. Finally I expect readiness to question one's own ideas and prejudices. In addition I certainly expect willingness to work hard.

5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?

I wish I was able to read more, understand more and remember more, so that I would be able to understand everyone from every culture throughout history and through this understanding contribute to peace among humankind

Wednesday 29 February 2012

Five questions to the professor

This week we asked Henrik Rydell Johnsen from Lund University to answer our brilliant questionary.
Next week is the third cycle students compact seminar in Lund, so in honour of that we will post an interview with a Lundprofessor that week too.
and maybe some pictures from Lund?

1. Please state your name,age, university and connection to the RREprogram.
Henrik Rydell Johnsén, 45 years, Lund University, teacher in the programme, and coordinator for RRE at Lund University

2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in the RREprogram?
Expertise: early Christian monasticism; I teach "Ancient philosophy and the making of theology in early Christianity"

3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular university courses but also not distance learning?
I like the internet teaching on Aula very much but also the compact seminars. I have appreciated that type of courses in my own studies earlier.

4. What do you expect from your students?
That they have already acquired academic skills and knowledge that correspond to master level studies.

5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?

I would like to have some kind of superhuman power that could force politicians to take all the necessary steps that would stop further global climate changes.

Friday 24 February 2012

5 Questions to the Professor

This week's instalment of 5 questions comes from Einar Thomassen, who teaches one of the two introductory courses held in Rome.  He forgot to mention under his expertise section his exemplary tour guiding skills!

1. Please state your name,age, university and connection to the RREprogram
Einar Thomassen, 60, University of Bergen. I have been involved in the programme from the planning stage and teaches in it regularly.
2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in the RREprogram?
My main area of research has been ancient gnosticism and the Nag Hammadi Coptic texts. Branching out from there I have also worked on early Christianity and ancient religions generally. I also take an interest in Islam, which I have taught for more than 30 years; specific interests are Sufism and the Quran.

I teach (1) the introductory course on Religion and Society in the Ancient World (Rome course), (2) an Interaction course on Holy Scriptures, (3) a text course on the Quran. I also teach an introductory course in Coptic in Bergen, which is open to RRE students.

3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular university courses but also not distance learning?
I much prefer classroom teaching, where I can interact directly with the students. Distance learning is difficult for me, though it seems to work somehow.
4. What do you expect from your students?
Hard work, of course, but also curiosity and inquisitiveness: the impulse to look up references given in the texts you read, to discover by yourselves reference works in each area of knowledge, to identify the most important contributions on a topic, to use your local library avidly and intelligently.

5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?
Multilocality, so that we did not have to do distance teaching.

Friday 17 February 2012

The Art of Procrastination!

Pro. cras. ti. nate
v. pro. cras. ti. nat. ed, pro. cras. ti. nat. ing, pro. cras. ti. nates

  1. To put off doing something.
  2. To postpone or delay needlessly.
As hinted at in the title of this blog, procrastination is an art. Fact.  

As a master of procrastination myself, I intend to share some useful tips and websites in order to improve your procrastinating style.  Remember, procrastination is an individual art form and therefore as a budding procrastinator (you, perchance) one must find a way to suit ones own procrastination needs.  However, hopefully by sharing my own knowledge, I can bestow upon you some of the fundamental basics in procrastination.

1.  Prepare procrastination area.
Whether this be in the library or at home, you need to prep your surroundings.  I often choose the library as this subdues the side effects of procrastinating, mostly guilt.  If you are in the library, it means you have made the effort to leave home and procrastinate elsewhere.  You can also convince yourself that you actually did want to work, but you are tired from the journey into town and you need to unwind. 

Before actually beginning the process of procrastination, you must first make it look to all outsiders that you are actually doing some work.  Lay out pens, etc. the more stationary you have out the better it looks. Take the lids of pens for extra effect.  Open books and notepads to pages you have actually written on.  It is needless to say that the internet is the greatest and most fruitful source for procrastination, so get the laptops out!  Another handy tip is to have a Word document open; either the essay or assignment you have been working on, or, if you haven't even reached that stage yet, an old essay will do the trick.  

2.  Wikipedia it!
Wikipedia is a great way of making procrastination feel like learning!  Once you open one page, you're off!  Open extra tabs galore and come back to them.  here are some categories I have found most useful for encouraging further reading (more tabs):
  • List of extinct animals
  • Royal families (not for everyone but I love a bit of aristocratic glamour!)
  • World War 2
  • A favourite TV show (e.g. Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, America's Next Top Model, GAme of Thrones)
  • Harry Potter
  • Lord of the Rings
Reducing the guilt tip:  Wikipedia a subject matter in your essay/assignment.  This not only provides you with very helpful resources, but also makes you feel like you may actually be doing something fundamentally appropriate.

3.  Facebook- making stalking acceptable
Lets face it, we all like a good stalk; we pretend that we do not like someone nosing around our Timeline but really it kinda means your interesting!  When blending Facebook and procrastination, the key is to set your appearance to offline and try to not go crazy with the 'like' button.  This, and only really to other procrastinators which will have to time to recognise your increased usage, will show people that you are, in fact, not working.  Stick to flicking through photos and make all comments in your head.

Reducing the guilt tip:  I am afraid I have lead you into a trap with this one; there simply is not way to make Facebook procrastination not guilt free.

4.  Take a Break.
This is a pure gold procrastination tip, especially if you take this said break with someone else.  This will make it seem like to the person who has asked you, that you are doing work in which you genuinely do need to take a long, long break from.  I recommend coffee... and cake.

Reducing the guilt tip:  Tell yourself and have your friend tell you that working with breaks is a much more productive way of working.

5.  Make a list
Perfect way to procrastinate.  Make a list of all the things you intend to do.  This way you are actually writing and you are kind of doing work, just not the work that needs to be done.  The longer and more detailed the list the more time taken up.

Reducing the guilt tip:  This is already pretty much guilt free, but to make it even less guilt ridden, put deadlines on these 'To Do''s.  Make the deadlines ridiculously lenient so when you do eventually do them, they will more than likely be done in time, thus making you feel great and proactive.

6.  Make a blog
I think this one speaks for itself...

I think/ hope I have provided you with the necessary means to get your very own form of procrastination well on its way.  From here on in I wish you only one thing...

HAPPY PROCRASTINATING!!!!

The Everyday Life of a Religious Roots Student!

We have had quite a lot of posts about applying and the new great one asking for the professors candid opinions!  But for you lot out there who are thinking about the course, I thought I would give you an exclusive look into the day to day aspects of a hardworking (?!) student's life!

So at the moment, like the rest of Copenhagen students we have just finished a number of exams.  I would say the average person has to complete 2 or 3 exam papers during this period, which isn't bad!  They can either be fixed or free exams, depending on how many assignments you have completed during the semester. (I will get to this thrilling discussion post haste!)  With a fixed exam the lecturer must set you a question based on a reading list you have selected and you have four days to complete.  On the other hand, the free exam leaves you far more time for the almost compulsory exam procrastinations (see other entries on helpful procrastination tips from an expert procrastinator).  

Unfortunately, there is no rest for the wicked after exam period as we choose our new modules and start reading for these.  Each module differs but usually, we have weekly assignments where we post a 300 (or there abouts) written piece about the reading and our interpretations.  We are then asked to comment on other peoples' pieces with a seemingly mandatory "well done, but" or "good job, however" as we then go in for the kill and disagree in good old fashioned debate style!  This year, I myself have chosen, what I feel are some great modules:  Latin (which I have always wanted to study, being a Classics geek!), and two 'interaction' modules entitled 'The role of women in religious communities and texts' and 'Ancient philosophy and the making of theology in early Christianity'.  Both modules offer different and interesting reading material and discussions, with plenty of primary sources.  So far, and in all honesty, I have thoroughly enjoyed both of them.

I am not going to lie and say that the workload is easy, because it isn't.  Like a full time job, you have to dedicate hours to a lot of reading and participating in discussions.  However, what we are discussing is interesting and if you through yourself in and get involved then there is so much to gain from it and others.  The real great thing about this programme is the mixture of people on it, and when you open up discussions about topics such as philosophy and gender studies, the opinions vary dramatically.  I feel that I have as much to learn from my colleagues as I do the secondary sources I read.

Another daily duty for me other than work hard, is to play hard!  I am an international student studying in Copenhagen and there is plenty to do!  If I'm not catching up on the gossip over coffee, its the cinema, a great independent restaurant, or even a sneaky drink!  I always feel that you have to balance your time, all work is not healthy and when there's so much fun to be had, why not have it!  I believe that us 'Religious Rooters' share this mentality; we are often found in the Student House gossiping together and try and organise regular events where we can just catch up!

Anyways, I think thats about it!  See ya!

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Five question to the professor- week 7


As mentioned in an earlier blogpost, we decided on doing some interviews with professors and other staff connected with the RREprogram. First one out is Martin Ehrensvärd, from Copenhagen University.

1. Please state your name,age, university and connection to the RREprogram.
Martin Ehrensvärd, 44, University of Copenhagen. I'm the local coordinator which means that I'm the one with most contact with the students, trying to make sure that everything runs smoothly. I also lecture in the programme.

2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in the RREprogram?
I'm a Semitic philologist by training and have mostly published in the area of language, mostly classical Hebrew but also Arabic. I teach classical Hebrew and classical Arabic, and in addition I lecture in mysticism and some early mystics.

3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular university courses but also not distance learning?
I love it! I teach via Skype, and I love the flexibility of it - being able to teach students resident all over Scandinavia. Also, the teaching can go on undisturbed even if they or I am travelling. On a side note, the students in the programme tend to be bright, and this adds tremendously to the joy of teaching.

4. What do you expect from your students?
I expect that they sign up to the courses out of a genuine motivation to learn - and that they expect to be able to spend seven or eight hours pr. week, including classes. I also expect and encourage them to cooperate with me so that we together can create the best possible learning environment. When everybody state what they think without holding back, it is much easier to go forward together.

5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?
Very interesting question. Ok, well, my greatest wish for every human being, including myself, is that we become more curious about what it actually is like to be in other peoples' shoes. In other words, the empathetic urge to set one's own agenda aside for a moment and genuinely sense into what is going on 'over there', be it in another person (like a relative or colleague) or a group of people. So, I would choose the power to plant the idea in everybody's heart that it might be a good idea to start genuinely finding out what it is like to be in someone else's shoes, especially the people one is in conflict with. And why? Because I think this would make the world a vastly better place to live for everyone.

Tuesday 14 February 2012

an RREproject

The video tells you how people studying RRE at the moment thinks about the program. But what is the opinion of the professors? and how about those who graduated during the year of 2011? Our project for the next weeks will be to reserach this and present you for interviews with some RREprofessors and former students. Hopefully we will have a post with "five questions to the professor" already next week. stay tuned!

Saturday 11 February 2012

The RREstudents proudly presents....a video!

This video was made by Hala during our compact seminar in Århus in November. If you want to know why YOU should chose RRE as your master, watch it!



Thursday 9 February 2012

RREchilling out in Copenhagen

Thursday the 16.of february some of us RREpeople from Lund and Copenhagen will be spending the evening at Cafe Cadeau, a non-profit cafe situated in H.C Ørestedsvej 28C, at Frederiksberg in Copenhagen area (close to "Forum" metro station).If you live in Copenhagen or nearby, or you happen to be in town, please feel free to drop by and meet us, we will be there from around 18 and until the cafe closes (21:30).  :)

-Hilde

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Copenhagen info

Thursday the 9.of February (tommorow) at 12:15 in room 243 at the theological faculty in Copenhagen, there will take place an infomeeting for students curious about studying RRE. if you yourself are interested, or you know somebody who might be, this is an important date to remember.

we will try to post info here at the blog about stuff happening related to RRE in the different universities, and if you would like to email or meet with one of us students, please write an email to: religiousroots@gmail.com and we will be happy to help you :)

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Sunday


When I first started blogging, it seems impossible to stop. which might be a good and a bad thing, you chose. I was reading this article last week, in the University Post, about how much time a regular student spends on different activities during the day. they had one diagram for Danish students, one for exchangestudents and one for international full-degree students. I am in that last category, I suppose. I cant remember how many hours we typically spent on the web, but I found myself fitting very well in. Skyping, facebooking, writing emails, checking newspapers for news from home, Its true that I do use a lot of time on this. And still I actually feel like I want to spend more time on it, because there are people I would like to communicate with more often. maybe spending less time checking random things on facebook and more time writing emails and postcards would be time well spent.

The book for todays reading is called "Som dig selv-en indføring i etik", and is a Danish book about ethics. I am writing my exampaper next week, about modern Christianity (modern as in after 1200) and my chosen literature has do with ethics, Luther and free will. I will get the spesific topic/question on monday, and have until friday to do something productive about it. Like writing 8-10pages which is supposed to make some kind of sense. Sooo, I guess I better start with todays reading. See you around!
                             
                                          a very seriously working RRE-student







reflections from Hilde, sunday the 15.of January. also posted on my blog
http://hilde-theseareafewofmyfavouritethings.blogspot.com/