While the percentage of college students who identify themselves as Jews has reportedly been in decline for the past two decades (due to intermarriage and assimilation, say some researchers), many campuses are experiencing a marked resurgence of activity in Jewish student organizations, says Aaron Kaufman, executive director of Penn State Hillel. "An increasing number of Jewish young adults are identifying ethnically or culturally as Jewish, as opposed to religiously Jewish, and this has led to significant changes in how Hillel approaches Jewish student life and engages Jewish students," he said. (more)
The eighth annual film festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus will begin Tuesday, Oct. 12, with film events continuing throughout October. In conjunction with the start of the film festival is the opening of a juried photography exhibit presented by the Coalition for Equity that will be on display through Jan. 12, 2011. A common theme of religion ties the two events together. Both events are free, open to the public and take place in the campus' Williams Building. (more)
People who leave strict religious groups are more likely to say their health is worse than members who remain in the group, according to a Penn State researcher. The percentage of people who left a strict religious group and reported they were in excellent health was about half that of people who stayed in the group, said Christopher Scheitle, senior research assistant in sociology. (more)
For 2,000 years, the paradoxical nature of Jesus Christ -- that he embodied completely both the human and the divine -- has been at the core of Christian belief. Yet there was a time, according to history and religious studies scholar Philip Jenkins, Penn State's Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities, when this belief was on extremely shaky ground. (more)
The depiction of the Ten Commandments in America lies at the heart of a presentation by acclaimed Jewish scholar and author Jenna Weissman Joselit, which will take place on March 1, at Penn State Harrisburg. Joselit is the Charles E. Smith chair in Judaic studies at George Washington University. The presentation begins at 6:15 p.m. in the Olmsted Building Auditorium and is free and open to the public. It marks the final installment in a yearlong series of programs hosted by the college's Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies. For information, call 717-948-6039. (more)
The University Libraries will hold a presentation titled "Hinduism: Principles, Beliefs, Traditions, and Practices," from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 22, in Foster Auditorium (room 101) at Pattee Library on Penn State's University Park campus. It is being held in conjunction with the Hindu festival of Diwali, which this year falls on Oct. 17. (more)
The Rev. Millicent Hunter knows personally that success is built many times in small steps. Hunter brings her global perspective to the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. Her presentation is free and open to the public and is an installment in Penn State Harrisburg's yearlong Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Series and is being held in partnership with Kingdom Embassy. (more)
More than a year has passed since $6 million was put on the table for the expansion of Eisenhower Chapel on the University Park campus. In that time, donations have continued to come in for the $9 million project and its significance as a symbol of Penn State's commitment to the spiritual life of its students has grown exponentially. (more)
Faculty and students are reminded of Penn State's policy regarding students' requests for absence from class for the purpose of observing a religious holiday. The University Faculty Senate Policy on Class Attendance (42-27) states that instructors should provide, within reason, opportunity to make up work for students who are obliged to miss classes for legitimate reasons. (more)
When deciding on a college four years ago, Lauren Mack was concerned about how a large institution might affect her faith traditions, her ethics and morals. Graduating from Penn State this weekend, Mack looks back on her time at the University as one that, in part, enabled her to develop her own Catholic faith while enriching her knowledge and bringing her closer to a diverse student body of varied religious and spiritual beliefs. Mack joined a panel representing student affairs and Penn State's Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs (CERA) in an informational report to the University's Board of Trustees Friday (May 18) on CERA and its services to the University Park community and beyond. (more)
