Three Lundanean students on their way to the compact seminar

What does an RRE student do on a Wednesday morning? Packing for the Compact seminar...

Taking the train from Lund Station...

Crossing the bridge...

Ending up in the silent coupe in the S-Tog to Nörreport...

Almost there...

We made it!

Copenhagen here we come!

While a heavy storm from Great Brittain is heading towards the Öresund area, all fifth cycle RRE students are currently making their way to Copenhagen for the first Compact Seminar of this term!

For readers who wonder what that means: twice a semester students from all the six host universities get together at one of the institutions to get some real-life lectures next to all the distance learning and the local tutorials. Needless to say that this is not only an intellectual, but also a social peak for us RRE-ers. (I.e. I think four out of five nights dinner parties have already been planned.)

From Monday afternoon to Wednesday morning, the fifth cycle will have classes in their compulsory course ‘Emergence of the Three Religions’. On Wednesday afternoon, most fourth cycle students will arrive too and four elective courses (Women in the Three Religions, Philosophy and Wisdom Traditions, Quran (Arabic text course) and Early Christian Martyrdom (Latin text course)) will head off until Friday afternoon.

I will make the trip to Köpenhamn (less than one hour over the bridge from Lund) on Wednesday morning and I can’t wait to catch up with many friends! Hopefully, I’ll manage to give an update of how things are going later during the week.

Stay safe during the storm!

/PD

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