January 19-22, 2009
Led by Sarah Malena, Assistant Professor of Religion

In the United States today, we observe a separation between religion and many aspects of our lives, especially in society and politics. Yet religion informs many actions and decisions in daily life, outside
of any church, mosque or temple. In fact, even the separation that exists in a secularized world has
been influenced by religion.

During our program, we will journey from the origins of religion millennia ago to the most
current events in our culture where religion and power mingle. You will learn through your own explorations, reflections and discussions and through excursions to places that gave rise to new religious and political movements right here in Central New York: Palmyra , where Mormonism
was born, Seneca Falls, home to the Women’s Rights Movement, and many other sacred spaces.

You will also have the opportunity to discover your own lineage during a genealogy study with
Professsor Chris Bailey. For the duration of the program, you'll have access to Wells' resources,
inculding open access to ancestry.com.

A note from Professor Malena:
"Religion can be a difficult topic to discuss, especially among a group of people who may not
share the same practices or beliefs. In order to create a comfortable environment for our
sessions, I ask each participant to be open-minded and indiscriminately curious. We will
examine religion from an academic perspective, which means that all traditions and topics
will be questioned and evaluated without special treatment or "kid gloves." At the same time,
I request that participants approach our topics with respect (consider a great artist that you
might respect even though you may not particularly care for his or her work). There is
absolutely no requirement for anyone to agree with or adopt any religious position that we examine or visit. Our sessions are a time for exploration, but we will strive for a safe
environment for questioning and exchanging ideas so that all participants may enjoy and
benefit from our time together."

View detailed schedule.