Back (and possibly better than ever?) - Questions to the Teacher

If you dig deeply into our archives, you'll find a very nice series of small interviews with our professors. (Or just go the tab on the right and choose 'students interviewing professors'.)

In some ancient era (okay, about two years ago), my predecessors convinced all professors that were in some way connected to the RRE program, to answer five short questions. In the mean time, several new people have become involved in RRE and I thought it would be good to catch up.

So - we're back! And today's answers come from our very coordinator (and general trouble shooter, oracle in case of stupid questions and Open lecture planner, for all of us her in Lund): Andreas Westergren. Thanks for your answers! Surprise of the day: Andreas doesn't want to be Spiderman.

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

Andreas Westergren, 39, Lund University, coordinator and teacher in Lund.

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

History of Early Christianity, especially Hagiography. Right now I am part of an exciting project investigating the connections between Early Monasticism and Classical Paideia (mopai.lu.se). I used to teach Holy men and women.

3. How do you think of this way of teaching, which is not regular university courses but neither distance learning?

Generally, I think that it has a lot of potential, both because there is much more writing (and arguing) involved than in "regular university courses", which I think is good, and because the students still know each other much better than in normal distance learning (and many university courses, for that matter). This combination of academic training and social networking is very important, I think.

4. What do you expect from your students?

That they make their full share of work - and engage.

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

Climbing walls, like Spiderman, sounds too much like a stressed out academic… To have claws, like Wolverine, and an adamantium skeleton which makes you practically invulnerable, is perhaps better for someone trying to survive in the academy… Still, I think that the blind attorney Matt Murdock's (asa Daredevil) hyperactive senses - while fumbling in the dark - is to prefer. Sometimes it would be convenient with bilocation, to be in two places at the same time, as Padre Pio, but most of the time I am just happy if I can stay enough focused to be where I actually am. 

Is there a teacher, coordinator or someone else connected to the program who hasn't been interviewed yet? Let me know and I'll send of him/her the questions as well.

/PD

Second Open Lecture in Lund

Fall has arrived. The weather gets more fresh everyday here in Scandinavia, the fifth cycle has just returned from warm and cozy Rome - I hope to be able to publish some pictures soon - and the first deadlines are coming close, especially for the new students.

In sum: IS THERE ANY POSITIVE NEWS?

Yes, dear students, there is, at least if you study in Lund or Copenhagen. (Or are prepared to travel quite a time.) To avoid an autumn depression and 24/7-studying, RRE organises this terms' second Open Lecture on Tuesday October 15th. Within the theme 'Fearing the Other', Rupert Shortt (Religion Editor of Times Literary Supplement and Former Visiting Fellow at Oxford), will talk about Christianophobia.

The lecture is open for everyone; starting time is 6.15, room 118 at CTR. Most probably, the Q&A-session that ends the lecture will be continued in some cafe or restaurant in Lund, at least by the students.

Fight that autumn dip - come!

More information about the Open Lectures: http://www2.teol.lu.se/rre/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32&Itemid=23

/PD

Must-dos in Rome

In a little more than a week, the new 5th cycle students will leave for their one and only RRE initiation: the trip to Rome! Sharing a dinner, me and some other 4th cyclist went on a nostalgia trip, while thinking of last year. Although we would rather join again, having good memories is also valuable. Moreover, we could thus create a very arbitrary and personal list of everything we think one should do when being on the RRE Rome trip. Anna, Thomas and Ivana, thanks for the inspiration! ;-) 

When in Rome with RRE, one should: 

- Arrive after 11 PM at the Lebanese sisters or at least have to run to make it in time once
- Sit on the roof of the Norwegian Institute with self-cooked dinner.

- Get awesome pizza for lunch at That One Pizzeria that is close to the Institute.

- Get lost. Somewhere.

- Enter the Vatican. Either decide not to enter the St. Peter because of the long line or stand in line for two hours and be eventually not allowed in because of too short pants/skirt.

- Find a topic for both of your papers.

- Go to a Conference on an exciting Coptic fragment.

- Pet the Norwegian-Institute cat. Be careful, she can be mean.
- Get into an academic discussion with Einar Thomassen

- Eat at least one of the following: tiramisu, lasagne, risotto, crostini. Or all, that's even better. 

- Curse the stairs (You'll know what I mean)

- Learn all the names of your fellow students. 

- Conclude that Einar Thomassen was probably right.
- Find out the Coptic fragment is a fraud.

- Found a Facebook group with your classmates. (If there's none yet.)

- Eat seven ice creams. That's once every other day and we have concluded that this should be the minimum.

- Study

- if you still have time for that...

Any additions are welcome, fellow students!

/PD

First Open Lecture Lund Fall 13

Every term, Lund's University organises a series of three-open lectures, linked to the RRE program. The theme of this term is 'fearing the other', so the three lectures will be about judeophobia, christianophobia and islamophobia.
The first one will be coming Tuesday, September 10th and the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies in Lund.  Time: 4.15 PM. Professor Jesper Svartvik will give the lecture about judeophobia.

I'm quite sure that many of us Lund students will come, which might lead to some nice socializing, drinks and possibly dinner afterwards. So if you're in the neighborhood, please come!! :-)

/PD

Remember remember - the first of September

Hooray, it’s the first Monday of September. I guess it’s the start of the Academic Year at all of the six RRE institutions. Well, at least it is in Lund. So, it took me some effort to come out of bed at an early time this morning. (And I can tell you that I consider everything before 9 AM ‘early’ after quite a long holiday…)

I started with reading a book for my course on the Religions in Contemporary Perspective: ‘Abraham’s Children – Jewish Christians and Muslims in Conversation’ by Solomon, Harries and Winter. (T&T Clark, 2005.) The concept of the book is special: it was born out of the so-called ‘ Oxford Abrahamic Group’. In this group, Jewish, Christian and Islamic scholars came together twice a year. Three scholars would present a paper on an aspect of one of the three religions, followed by a discussion. Because of the personal beliefs of the scholars, the discussions did not only have an academic, but also a personal dimension and contributed to mutual understanding, even if the discussions were sometimes heated. This book is a collection of the presented papers and the discussion that took place in this group.

Personally, I think that this is very interesting approach and it provides definitely for different reading than other academic books I have read before. When read that Harries thanked his wife Jo “who has provided hospitality for the group, with its variety of dietary requirements”, I had to smile. However – out of the 15 contributors to the book only two are women and that made my smile a little smaller.

So, fourth cycle – what do you think about the concept of this book? And what about the ‘lack’ of female contributors? Am I making fuss about nothing? ;-)

I guess I should get back to reading in the meantime…
/PD

Re-starting up!

A renewed welcome, I think one could say! For several reasons, this blog has been down for more than half a year (we apologize!), but we have the solid intention to start this up again and continue throughout the year with blogs about anything (slightly) related to the RRE program, which could be both be very academic entries, but also just fun little posts.

A warm welcome especially to the new 5^th cycle students, who will officially begin their studies next week, but in most places probably already have had a welcome meeting. We’re happy to have you here!

Writer of the above is Paula, a 4^th cycle student (that means I started in Fall 2012) in Lund. For now, I am the only one of my cycle writing blogs, but if someone – either 4^th or 5^th cycle – feels inspired to join, that would be very great. Just send a mail to religiousroots@gmail.com.

Not only this blog is starting up again, also summer is coming to an end and a new term is almost there! The new students will, like every year, start with two smaller courses: ‘Method and Theory’ and ‘Religion and Society’. Teaching for this course will be given in Rome, to which they will leave in a few weeks. (No, we are not jealous, it only seems so. J)

Me and the other third-semester students will take two compulsory courses: ‘The Three Religions in Contemporary Perspective’ and the thesis colloquium, which should prepare us for the real work in the last semester. Apart from that, we can still choose one course. In my case that’ll be a course about the role of women in the three traditions – I’m curious.

I’m looking forward to the new semester and hope you too!

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!