Grades 6-8: Building Bridges (spring)
Islam - Workshop 4
1/28/2018
We continue our discussion on Islam, with emphasis on the conflict between Sunnis and Shites.
Humanism
2/4/2018
We will explore Humanism as a philosophy and as a religion, and demonstrate how religious Humanism addresses needs for meaning, purpose, moral buidance, and faith community that other religions address.
Atheism and Agnosticism
2/11/2018
We will discuss the fundamentals of atheism and agnosticism and learn about some important legal successes of the American atheist movement.
Christianity - Workshop 1
2/18/2018
We begin our discussion of Christianity, the largest religion in the world. There are important distinctions among Christian denominations and we will explore the differences in practices and beliefs. We will discuss the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and how Jesus often taught in parables.
Christianity - Workshop 2: Offsite Visit to St. Mary's Catholic Church
2/25/2018
We visit St. Mary's Catholic Church to learn about the Catholic sect of Christianity.
Christianity - Workshop 3
3/4/2018
We continue our discussion of Christianity, reflecting on our recent visit. We will learn about the Sermon on the Mount and the Jefferson Bible
Christianity - Workshop 4: Offsite Visit to Blacksburg Presbyterian Church
3/11/2018
We visit Blacksburg Presbyterian Church to learn about the Protestant sect of Christianity.
Christianity - Workshop 5
3/18/2018
We continue our discussion of Christianity, reflecting on our recent visit, and learning about the Protestant reformation. We'll discuss the differing beliefs between different denominations of Christianity.
Christianity - Workshop 6: Offsite Visit to Schaeffer Memorial Baptist Church
3/25/2018
We visit Schaeffer Memorial Baptist Church to learn about the Baptist sect of Christianity.
Christianity - Workshop 7: Evangelical Christianity
4/8/2018We will introduce the fundamental beliefs of Evangelical Christians, particularly the beliefs in the inerrancy of the Bible and the concept of being saved.
Neo-Paganism & Indigenous Religions - Workshop 1
4/15/2018
We will compare and contrast a variety of Neo-Pagan beliefs, including Wiccca. We will connect the seasonal celebrations on the Wheel of the Year.
Neo-Paganism & Indigenous Religions - Workshop 2
4/22/2018
We will explore some characteristics of indigenous religions and talk about honoring our ancestors.
Neo-Paganism & Indigenous Religions - Workshop 3
4/29/2018
We will explore Native American religions, discussing the Medicine Wheel and the belief in animism.
Unitarian Universalism - Workshop 1
5/6/2018
We will explore our own faith, discussing our origins, our Principles and our own sacred texts.
Unitarian Universalism - Workshop 2
5/13/2018
We will continue our discussion of our own faith, and the importance that social justice plays.
Bridges Built
5/20/2018
We finish our year by reflecting on the similarities between the many religions we've discussed and Unitarian Universalism. We complete our ChUUrchcraft building.