Chat and discussion

Just to note: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RPEglos/ has been very lively recently - and all can join the group where we have had pics from the day trip, debates about gay marriage, contraception, death and all the usual fun...
d.

RPE Day Trip to London

7:30am - a bit early to be on campus...

Last Friday saw staff and students head to London for a day trip..


After an early start at FCH campus, we arrived at the Swaminaryan Mandir in Neasden, where we witnessed Aarti.. 


After substantial shopping in the gift shop, it was back on the coach, to head to central London.

The Swaminaryan Mandir in Neasden

We then had a little free time, for most of us this meant coffee and some people-watching..


Then we entered the British Museum, and Roy sorted tickets and we entered the Hajj Exhibition. 


This was very impressive and well-laid out. There was so much to take in, and so much detail, and I felt that I had learnt a lot... I hope the students felt the same way...

There is a good video re the Hajj which you can see at http://bri.mu/ppPcPg  - as well as the one here...




Then it was rather a long coach trip back - but overall this was a really good day out - there will be more pics on the course Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/RPEglos/ 


After Easter we will be doing a day in Oxford, looking at material in the Ashmolean Museum...


Cheers,
D.

Bible & Spirituality Seminar.. 15th Feb

Dispirited: Does Contemporary Spirituality Make Us Stupid, Selfish & Unhappy?


In a first for me, I'll be giving a (free) public lecture as part of the Bible & Spirituality seminar series here at Gloucestershire..

I have also have a blog on this topic at http://dispirited.org/

There is an open invite at: http://www.facebook.com/events/336044036422582/ - feel free to respond..


Details below..

• • When

    Wednesday, 15 February 2012
  • Time

    17:30 until 19:00

• Where

  FCH Campus, Room TC007, Swindon Road, Cheltenham, United Kingdom

• Description

  Does Spirituality Make Us Stupid, Selfish & Unhappy? A talk, and discussion, as part of the Bible & Spirituality Seminar Series. The talk will begin with an assessment of "non-religious spirituality", and conclude with a plea for a critical, existentialist, atheism.

Day Trip to London for Hindu Temple visit and Hajj Exhibition

A limited number of tickets are now available for students for a day trip on 2^nd March to the stunning Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasdon followed by the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum.

The coach will leave FCH at 8am and we will be given a tour of the Hindu Temple at 10.30. After lunch we will be taken to the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum, leaving London for the return journey at 5pm.

For details of the Temple: http://www.mandir.org/

For details of the Hajj Exhibition: http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/hajj/introduction.aspx

Tickets are limited and it is first-come, first-served. We are offering this for £15 for the whole day (admittance to the Hajj Exhibition alone would normally cost £10) and can be purchased at the University Online Store: http://store.glos.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?modid=1&prodid=755&deptid=4&catid=25&prodvarid=0

Ticket-holders will be given more information about the trip closer to the time.

Mindfulness...

Of interest to those on the Indian Religions module?

Invitation to visitors / students / potential students

Just a quick post to note that http://www.facebook.com/groups/RPEglos/ - our course Facebook group - is open to all - and is mostly made up of staff, RPE graduates, current students and also people considering taking the course. Others are, of course, welcome.

Christmas Banned - no post this year..

We have already covered at length the 'Christmas Banned' tabloid stories in previous years, so if people do want to read about it - you can:

http://r-p-e.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmasreligion-not-actually-banned.html

There is more here too: http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/10/13/how-the-daily-mail-is-planning-its-next-christmas-banned-outrage/

Humanities at Gloucestershire

Thought some of the viewers of this blog might like to see this presentation about Creative Writing, English Literature, History, English Language, Theology and RPE (Religion, Philosophy & Ethics) here at the University of Gloucestershire.. 


(use the 'play' type button to view this presentation, one step at a time)

Open Day Humanities 2011 on Prezi

The God of Philosophy

Just thought some might like to know that the 2nd edition of RPE tutor Dr Roy Jackson's The God of Philosophy is now out!

Info at http://www.amazon.co.uk/God-Philosophy-Second-Roy-Jackson/dp/1844655016

Roy has published extensively as you can see HERE

Michael Stone and Buddhism, at Occupy Montreal

Michael Stone draws on Buddhism in his talk at the Occupy Montreal Protest..


Michael Stone at Occupy Montreal from Emily Gan on Vimeo.

Gloucestershire Philosophical Society

A list of upcoming talks - at which our students are always welcome - can always be found at http://www.glosphilsoc.co.uk/whatson.html

Some info about the next ones:

Wed.Nov. 9th. 2011. FCH Room HC203. Malcolm Pritchard and Harry Cowen (Gloucestershire Philosophical Society): “The University of the Future: What Role For Philosophy?”.
In the current period of material uncertainty, the humanities, including philosophy, are coming under attack. Yet in recent decades major intellectual works have appeared in political and social philosophy, ethics, philosophy of mind, etc. So what is happening to the nature of the university? What will/should be the role of philosophy in higher education?

Wed. Nov. 30th. 2011. 7.30.p.m. FCH Room HC203. Dr. Oren Ben-Dor, University of Southampton: “The temporal persistence of differend: reflections on Art, Truth and Practical Reason.” : Reading Heidessger and Spinoza, the talk discusses how mortals are as nature, and how this relationship originates in the primordial truth of unconcealement. Reinterpreting Lyotard, Oren focuses on the temporal, material and political aspects of this relationship. Oren is the author of 'Thinking About Law: In silence with Heidegger', 2007. .

Wed. Dec. 7th. 2011. 7.30.p.m. FCH Room HC203. Professor Alessandra Tanesini, Cardiff University: “Science, Values and Impartiality”. In this talk Alessandra Tanesini examines and ultimately rejects the view that science must be autonomous, value neutral and impartial. Instead she defends the claim that ethical and political values are an inevitable part of science and that at least in some cases their influence on scientific knowledge is positive. (Please note that before the talk there will be a short AGM.)

Glad you asked?

Forgot I had done this! It is only an edited (not by me...) sample - but may provide some entertainment..
d.

New visitors

I have just come back from an Open Day here in Cheltenham, talking to people about the RPE course...

I thought I'd pop a post here in case any of them/you are looking for more info...

The blog archives are a good start - including ones about our field trip, and our 'worst argument' competition... - just browse and see what is there.

Also - see the course Facebook group at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/RPEglos/ - you don't have to join to look at info here, but anyone with an interest is welcome to join - and feel free to post questions and chat with our current and past students.

http://www.visitcheltenham.com/ can give you more info about the town, and http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/ has loads of info re Cheltenham International Literature Festival, and the others festivals that the town hosts  - more about this HERE..

 Of course - you can always get in touch via email: dwebster@glos.ac.uk and ask us questions...
Cheers,
Dave

'Spirituality and the Emotions in Early Christianity'

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES: Bible and Spirituality Research Seminar
 Dr. Stephen Barton
Durham University

Thursday 3 November
5.30-7.00
TC007
Francis Close Hall

All welcome

Dr. Barton was until recently Reader in the Dept of Theology and Religion, in the University of Durham. He is the author of The Spirituality of the Gospels (SPCK, 1992), and has just published ‘Eschatology and the Emotions in Early Christianity’, Journal of Biblical Literature 133 (2011). 

Gloucestershire Philosophical Society

 Wednesday, 5th.October, 2011, 7.30.p.m., FCH Room HC203. 

Dr. John Hockey, University of Gloucestershire, will be giving a talk on "Embodied Ideology: the case of infantry".

In this talk, John discusses how the military organisation-which constitutes the cutting edge of the state-socialises its members into particular values and norms, and also into particular somatic practices.

 ALL WELCOME