OLLI101499 - Religion Reconstructed and the Meaning of Our Lives [Online via Zoom]
Course Description
Religion Reconstructed and the Meaning of Our Lives
Instructor: Alan Soffin
Day of Week: Monday
Dates: Sept. 29 – Dec. 8
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
This philosophy of religion course encourages students to think deeply about religion’s defining question: “What is the meaning of human life?” Topics include God, creation,
miracles, faith, knowledge, morality, free will, and the objectivity of values. While polls suggest that religions are in decline, philosopher Kolakowski warned that modernity lost its way when it lost its sense of the sacred. Was he right? Students will explore these ideas through a philosophical lens.
Maximum: 20 Instructor Bio: Alan Soffin holds a PhD in Social Foundations and Philosophy of Education, with primary doctoral coursework in philosophy. He is the author of Rethinking Religion: Beyond Scientism, Theism and Philosophic Doubt (2011) and Recollecting Honor in Images of Youth. His work has appeared in Educational Theory, MLA Bulletin, and Dreamseeker Magazine, a Mennonite journal for which he contributed a series of articles on religion.
Notes
Why when I’m registering do I join the Wait List?
Several of our courses are in high demand. In order to accommodate our members who are not tech-savvy and have trouble registering online, we created a registration system in which there is no advantage to registering early, no disadvantage to registering later.
When registering for this class you join the Wait List. Don’t be alarmed. This does not mean the course is full. After the registration period is over, we run a lottery on the courses, and it randomly determines who is admitted to each course and who is not. You typically will receive notification regarding which courses you are admitted to, about one week after the initial enrollment period ends.
Online courses are conducted via Zoom.
You don’t need a Zoom account, but we recommend installing the Zoom app. Refer to our Zoom Essentials guide for setup tips and a sample course link email. Zoom links are sent to registered participants the week before the semester starts and again on the day of each class.
We suggest creating a dedicated email folder for easy access. Your link is unique and stays the same all semester. If you can’t find it, check your Junk/ Spam folder or email us at olli@temple.edu. Please don’t share or use another person’s link, as attendance is tracked.