Religion
Religion courses at George School encourage students to develop a sensitivity to "that of God" in all individuals, to develop tolerance, to explore their own spirituality, to improve their sense of self-worth, and to increase their commitment to serve others.
Essentials of a Friends Community
This one term course is required of all freshmen and new sophomores. Students are introduced to life at George School and to the application of Quaker practices as a framework for living. Through a combination of classroom activities and experiential learning, students learn about living responsibly in a Quaker community.
Faith Traditions
This required freshman course, which meets during Terms 2 and 3, introduces students to the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the final segment of the course, students are introduced to the faith and practice of Friends. Topics include the history and beliefs of each tradition, worship and ritual, festivals, sacred scripture, and rites of passage. Students use factual information to engage in personal reflection on ethical and religious questions. The course develops the skills of synthesizing information and concepts, comparing different worldviews, independently following a term-length syllabus, working collaboratively, writing reflectively and critically, and applying information within different contexts. The course employs a variety of teaching methods including class discussion, lecture, cinema and documentary films, frequent use of internet web sites, and interviews with guest presenters. Homework includes reading, factual and reflective writing, in-class presentations, and small-group research projects.
Spiritual Practices
This first-term course, required for all returning sophomores, provides an experiential introduction to spiritual practices from the world’s religions. Much of the class is based on exercises from the book Essential Spirituality by Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph.D. The course helps students to recognize the broad range of spiritual experiences, as well as to identify many of the shared practices found in the world’s great faith traditions. Students learn to expand and develop their spiritual vocabulary so that they may better articulate their own experiences, regardless of whether they consider themselves religious. Skills emphasized in Spiritual Practices include close reading to understand diverse spiritual experiences, use of a theological and spiritual vocabulary, reflection on an array of experiential spiritual practices, and close listening to diverse perspectives. Students are encouraged to explore the validity of their own spiritual experiences, to articulate spiritual questions, and to cultivate an attitude of spiritual seeking. Sample topics include Cultivating Emotional Wisdom, Ethical Living, Concentrate and Calm Your Mind, and Embracing Generosity and the Joy of Service.
Holistic Health
This two-term required sophomore course allows students to explore several important dimensions of health. Sample topics include psychological health, alcohol and other chemical substances, and human sexuality. Students use factual information to engage in ethical decision making with an emphasis on personal responsibility. The course develops the skills of synthesizing information and concepts, independently following a term-length syllabus, working collaboratively, discussing abstract and controversial topics, writing reflectively and critically, and applying information within different contexts. The course employs a variety of teaching methods including lecture, multimedia presentations, role-plays, and interviews with guest presenters. Homework includes reading, journal and essay writing, in-class presentations, and small-group research projects.
Wisdom Traditions of Asia
This term elective course for juniors and seniors explores the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Utilizing Huston Smith’s The Word’s Religions and Philip Novak’s The World’s Wisdom (an anthology of sacred texts) we examined the origins, beliefs and worship of these ancient Eastern “wisdom traditions.” This course develops the skills of synthesizing information and concepts, comparing different worldviews, following a term-length syllabus, working collaboratively, and writing reflectively and critically. The course employs a variety of teaching methods including class discussion, lecture, cinema and documentary films, use of internet resources, and occasional interviews with guest presenters. Homework includes reading, factual and reflective writing, in-class presentations, and small group research projects.
This course, along with The Abrahamic Faiths, is required of students who have not taken Faith Traditions. It is open to all juniors and seniors.
The Abrahamic Faiths
This term elective course for juniors and seniors explores the biblical traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Utilizing Huston Smith’s The Word’s Religions and Philip Novak’s The World’s Wisdom (an anthology of sacred texts) we examine the origins, beliefs and worship of these “wisdom traditions.” In the closing weeks of the term we also deepen our understanding of the Quaker tradition and its faith-based testimonies. This course develops the skills of synthesizing information and concepts, comparing different worldviews, following a term-length syllabus, working collaboratively, and writing reflectively and critically. The course employs a variety of teaching methods including class discussion, lecture, cinema and documentary films, use of internet resources, and occasional interviews with guest presenters. Homework includes reading, factual and reflective writing, in-class presentations, and small group research projects.
This course, along with Wisdom Traditions of Asia, is required of students who have not taken Faith Traditions. It is open to all juniors and seniors.
Cosmology
Marcus Aurelius observed that "He who does not know what the world is does not know where he is, and he who does not know for what purpose the world exists, does not know who he is, nor what the world is." In recent history, our understanding of cosmology has been dominated by stunning scientific discoveries focusing on the role of physical laws in governing the evolution of the universe. But what does this new story of the universe mean? Cultural observers note that as a species we are experiencing a cosmological crisis, no longer clear about our place and role in the universe, and as a result are facing some of the greatest ethical challenges in our history.
This one-term religion course examines several cosmological models and their ethical implications, including both the biblical model and the emerging universe story, which reflects on the wisdom of science. Other cosmological models, such as Hindu, Aristotelian/Ptolemaic, and Aboriginal/Indigenous may be examined as time allows.
The Bible through Popular Culture
This one-term course examines biblical stories that are frequently represented in film, literature, television, art, and popular music. Stories considered may include those about creation, Adam and Eve, Noah, Japheth's daughter, Moses, Ruth, the nativity, and the good Samaritan.
Peace Studies
This term course is an introduction to the history of nonviolence. We begin by studying the emergence of nonviolence in Western thought by reading Tolstoy, Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Thoreau. During the closing weeks of the term we examine several contemporary issues including the influence of feminism, the death penalty, the Danish and Polish resistance movements, and, finally, animal rights.
Quaker Testimonies—Simplicity
This one-term course examines the historical roots and current relevance of the Quaker testimony of simplicity. Voluntary simplicity, which has been practiced in the Religious Society of Friends since its inception and has become an increasingly attractive option in recent decades as people seek ways to live mindfully in response to the urgent challenge of global consumerism, is a way that invites people to grow their awareness, to identify what is really important, to discard what’s not, to discover more meaning, to live with more integrity, to enjoy a richer experience of community, and to forge a sustainable lifestyle.
Readings for this course include selections from various editions of Faith and Practice and from the writings of John Woolman, Richard Foster, among others. In addition to helping students to develop a deeper understanding of simplicity, the course asks students to examine their own lives through the lens of simplicity and to identify and take practical steps both individually and in community.
Quakerism Then and Now
In this one-term course, students deepen their understanding of Quaker history and the evolution and application of Quaker testimonies, from the 17th century to the present. Readings include selections from various editions of Faith and Practice, The Journal of George Fox, The Journal of John Woolman, and the writings of Howard Brinton, Margaret Hope Bacon, and John Punshon, among others. Students should come away from this course with a clearer understanding that they are the “keepers” of the testimonies, and that they play a role in the future of the religion.
Feminist Spirituality
This one-term course explores topics in theology and spirituality through a feminist lens. Students consider texts from several religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Quakerism, Islam, Hindu and Wiccan/Goddess. The goal of this course is to support and nurture students’ spiritual curiosity and development, by grounding it in some of the perspectives that have re-interpreted patriarchal language and imagery about the nature of the divine, and the metaphysical powers of the universe. Students consider questions and insights that arise for them in relation to the reading, discussions, and their journaling and in connection with topics they are exploring in other courses, and in their lives outside of the classroom. Questions to be explored include: What is “feminism”? Who/what is “God?” What have been some of the different manifestations of the divine, and how does gender identity connect with them? Where are women in religious histories and stories? What are some of the gender-prescribed roles in various religions? What happened to the ancient goddesses and goddess religions?
Spirituality and Sustainability
This one-term course explores the topics of ecological sustainability and stewardship through the lens of spirituality. Students consider texts and resources from religious thinkers of various faiths, scientific researchers, political activists and, especially, people who combine and integrate these disciplines. The goal of this course is to help students to make connections between their spiritual leadings and concerns on the one hand, and their critical intellectual insights on the other. It seeks to nurture and support citizen-scholars committed to faithful stewardship of the earth. Students discuss questions and insights that arise for them in relation to the reading, movies, discussions and journaling and questions and in connection with topics they are exploring in other courses and in life outside of the classroom. Early in the term, students watch An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore's documentary campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide. This serves as a jumping-off point for consideration of questions about the meaning of “faithful stewardship of the earth” from various religious and spiritual perspectives, including the students’ own.
Theory of Knowledge
This one-term philosophy course encourages critical thinking about knowledge itself. Students ask and answer questions like these: What counts as knowledge? How is knowledge created? What are its limits? In other words, the focus is on how we know, rather than on what we know. The goals for students in this course are: 1) to gain an understanding of what it means to know something as a scientist, an artist, a mathematician, a philosopher, etc.; 2) to appreciate how the forms of knowledge relate to one another; and 3) to practice thinking and writing critically.
Students in the IB diploma program must take the yearlong IB Theory of Knowledge course, not this course.
IB Theory of Knowledge
This yearlong course is required of all IB diploma candidates. Others may take either the full course or the first term of it as a religion elective.
This is a synthesis course that examines some of the ways in which we acquire knowledge and understand the world around us. Students explore perception, reason, and language as basic means through which we understand our experience. The course also examines different areas of knowledge, such as mathematics, science, history, morality, politics, aesthetics, and religion.
The course structure frequently employs the Socratic method to challenge students to analyze philosophical issues and to reflect on their own intellectual experiences. Students read a rich variety of texts and essays that raise religious, moral, aesthetic, and ethical questions and write reflective journal entries often in response to the reading. Each student in the course must prepare an oral presentation and submit a 1,200- to 1,600-word essay on one of ten theory of knowledge questions prescribed by the International Baccalaureate Organization.
Health Topics
This one-term course is required for juniors and seniors who transferred to George School and have not yet earned a credit in health. The course covers the topics of mental health, nutrition, alcohol and other chemical substances, and human sexuality. Students use factual information to engage in ethical decision making with an emphasis on personal responsibility. Like Holistic Health, Health Topics develops the skills of synthesizing information and concepts, working collaboratively, discussing abstract and controversial topics, writing reflectively and critically, and applying information within different contexts. The course incorporates lecture, multimedia presentations, small-group work, and discussion. Homework includes reading and the preparation of in-class presentations. This course is usually offered in the third term.
Service Projects
Through extending themselves to others, students develop a sense of commitment; learn the potential rewards and frustrations involved in service; learn how specific agencies, cultures, and institutions operate; develop an appreciation for complex social support networks; and gain insight into their own values and life goals. Sixty-five hours of service are required of all George School students during junior or senior year. Service projects vary from intense, two-week experiences in a school-sponsored, domestic or international work camp, to once-a-week experiences that extend throughout the school year, to preapproved independent projects. Service projects may be completed during the school year or over the summer. Each project must take the form of direct interaction with people who are disempowered because of social, racial, economic, or health factors. School-sponsored trips can accommodate limited numbers and require an application and screening process. Students are expected to submit proposals for most service projects well in advance of the project date. Each student is required to write a reflective journal that documents personal growth and understanding of the service experience. Some work camps have supplementary reading to orient students to the population being served.