The dominant impression from today’s classes was that everyone was groggy and out of it. The weather was miserable: muggy, wet, and way hotter than necessary. Once again, my first World Religions class went unspectacularly (I’m starting to really think that the windowless basement room — originally a computer lab — where we’ve been having class is at least partially to blame for the general low energy level); this time, though, the second one didn’t go all that much better. Low energy, poor focus (on my part, and the students’), lack of planning and preparation, — and not quite enough enthusiasm to make up for those shortfalls. For me, at least, the second class (i.e. the afternoon one) was more interesting mainly because some genuine discussion developed, even though it was not discussion on anything I had planned on spending time on. One student, who has previously (and without any noticeable awkwardness) identified himself to me and to the class as a Muslim, asked, apropos of nothing, basically how the hell Christians could call themselves monotheists while also believing in the Trinity. I made a few comments, but the main (and most interesting) result was that four or five other students (one of whom, incidentally, basically never talks) raised their hands and tried to tackle the question. No real controversy developed, which was O.K. by me, though I think the potential was there.
(more…)