The Pluralism Project at Harvard University
Dr. David Damrel
Arizona State University
World Religions in Arizona (Metropolitan Phoenix)
Project Description
Arizona State University in Tempe is part of the greater metropolitan Phoenix area, the "Valley of the Sun" that is home to over three million inhabitants. ASU's Department of Religious Studies and newly-created Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict have a special commitment to undergraduate education. Our Pluralism Project Affiliate Grant has helped develop and support a new course (REL 194A, "World Religions in Arizona") that exposes students to the religious diversity of the Phoenix area. This course combines fieldwork in various local communities with classroom discussions to help undergraduates understand issues of pluralism and religious diversity through local examples. We want students to experience their community as a "living laboratory" in which they explore first-hand global religious traditions and world-views. Supervised teams of ASU students will perform interviews, observe rituals and ceremonies, and gather information about some of the Valley's distinct religious communities -- among them Native American, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and others.
The results of this fieldwork will become part of the Pluralism Project. In addition, revised versions of these research materials will be made available to local educators in a day-long Teachers Outreach Program Workshop. The project is a collaborative effort between the Pluralism Project, the ASU Department of Religious Studies and Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, and Mr. Owen Anderson (oanderson@asu.edu) of the Maricopa County Community College District.
Center Profiles
All Saints Catholic Newman Center (2003)
Alleluia Lutheran Student Ministry (2003)
Arizona Interfaith Movement (2005)
Baha'i Information Center (2003)
Church of Scientology of Arizona (2003)
East Valley Assembly of God (Tempe First Assembly of God) (2006)
First Baptist Church of Garden Lakes (2003)
Gurdwara Sahib Guru Nanak Dwara (2007)
Iglesia Jesus de Nazaret (2003)
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) (2006)
Islamic Center of the North East Valley (2013)
Islamic Community Center / Tempe Masjid (2006)
Islamic Community Center of Phoenix (2003)
Living Word Bible Church (2006)
North Phoenix Baptist Church (2006)
Pagans and Associates Network (PAAN) (2003)
Saint Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery (2003)
St. Katherine Greek Orthodox (2006)
Tempe First United Methodist Church (2003)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (2003)
Vineyard Church North Phoenix (2008)
Additional Links:
Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict
Department of Religious Studies at Arizona State University