Our Impact

Testimonial from Dr. Rajka Rush

My Comparative Religion Class PHIL 2200, M (6-9:55 p.m.), from MCC visited the exhibition that was organized by the Project Interfaith organization, as a part of the curriculum agenda for this class.

Students and their instructor have used all provided resources prepared by the Project Interfaith members:
                           1.    The Exhibition Guide
                           2.    Images of Faith Discussion Guide

As a class, we worked on the Discussion Guide, discussing the backgrounds of five featured religions so we can comment on the exhibits applying our knowledge about the major world religions. Each student used The Exhibition Guide while observing the exhibits, and this was of great help so we could concentrate and comment on every single photograph, statue, or any other religious exhibit.

As a class we spent at least twenty minutes on exhibits A and B identifying the mudras on impressive Tanka that represents The Historical Buddha and connects via the colors of different Buddhas to variety of Bodhisattvas in Tibetan Buddhism (the Vajrayana, Diamond Wheel). A student from Nepal, Saliendra, was very intrigued with the Buddha statue and the Tanka, and he commented along with the Instructor about these two exhibits showing to the group the significance of many details. As a class we discussed how religion is an encoded language in symbolic forms that tend to achieve the aesthetical relevancy for a believer. In this sense, to observe a religious object is similar to observing a work of art, and understanding the interplay between the parts and the whole. Students were inspired very much with the statue of Vishnu, and many other exhibits, such as Exhibits from Java and Taiwan. A student from Lebanon, Wisam, helped us to better relate to exhibits from Islamic tradition sharing his experiences and knowledge for everyone’s benefit.

One of the most exciting parts of the exhibition was to listen to each student discovering and recognizing exhibits from Christian and Jewish tradition and sharing his or her experiences (Jeremie, Andrew, Wisam, Cintya, Liesa). As an instructor I often had to “calm down” students not to be to loud and excited, sometimes even not to touch the exhibits. It was an interesting experience for me as an instructor. I would have never thought that this exhibition would have brought so much excitement for students. Every single student really enjoyed and commented on every single exhibit.

As a class we spent two full hours at the exhibition. At our next class everybody commented on how exciting it was to go out of the classroom and to be in touch with religion through the maze of religious objects and to become more familiar with each of the five world religions through this experience. I, as a teacher, have found a great satisfaction in going with my students to see the “Images of Faith” exhibition because I have seen that students had been fully engaged in excitement of true learning.

Rajka Rush Ph.D., Philosophy Instructor
Metropolitan Community College
October 19, 2008

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