World Religions from a Pagan Perspective
 
For nearly two millennia, Paganism has been excluded from the theological roundtable. This course will examine the theologies and practices of the major world religions from a Pagan perspective. Broadly speaking, the fundamental spiritual options are Abrahamic, Dharmic, secular and Pagan. We ask: How do they differ from one another, what is a Pagan perspective and what does Paganism offer to the world's theological/spiritual forum that the other positions do not?
Master's level
Instructor: Michael York
No live class meetings
Jan 19 - Apr 26

Introduction to Interfaith
(recommended if you plan to attend the Parliament of the World's Religions) 
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Pagans have been involved as leaders at local, national, and international levels of interfaith, from the Parliament of World Religions to local discussion groups. This introduction to interfaith presents approaches, best practices, and organizational structures of the interfaith movement. Students will examine the core values and process for engaging at each level of interfaith activity.
Master's level
Instructor: David Kling
Mondays, 7 PM ET
Jan 19 - Apr 26
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Introduction to Social Justice

Social justice is the movement towards a more socially just world through the actions of a group of individuals working together to achieve its goals..
The class will introduce students to key thinkers, ideas and activists, as well as debates on topics such as poverty, racism, colonization, and the rights of indigenous peoples.
Finally, it will examine various social movements that have led to changes in society and the skills needed to work for social change.
Master's level
Instructor: Deirdre Sommerlad-Rogers
No live class meetings
Jan 19 - Apr 26
Psychology of Religion and Paganism

 

An introduction to key issues in the psychology of religion including religious development in individuals, the social psychology of religious organizations, religious experience and mysticism, and mental health and religion.
The course also introduces students to the work of influential theorists, such as Freud, Jung and William James. Students will become familiar with the application of psychological principles and research to religion in general, and to Paganism in particular.
The course provides clergy with a basic understanding of psychology, which enhances later study.
Instructor: Vivianne Crowley
Class meetings 4pm ET every second Sunday, Jan 19 - Apr 26
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Research Design and Methodology
Introduction to research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession; research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, and outcome-based research; statistical methods used in conducting research and program evaluation; principles, models, and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and the use of findings to effect program modifications; the use of research to inform evidence-based practice; and ethical and culturally relevant strategies for interpreting and reporting the results of research and/or program evaluation studies.
Instructor: Kristin N. Rivers
Master's-level
Thursdays 4 PM ET
Jan 19 - Apr 26
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Paganism and the Body



Contemporary Pagans widely affirm the sacredness of the body and of sexuality. Students will engage theological and ethical writings around gender, sexuality, and the body from Pagan and allied perspectives. Special attention will be given to Pagan understandings of same-sex relationships, BDSM, polyamory, transgender, and other marginalized expressions of gender and sexuality. Students will develop their own theologies of the body in a context that takes both personal liberation and social justice into account. Students will also consider the challenges and joys of ministering to a diverse Pagan community and emerge better equipped to counsel their communities in ethical responsibilities around eroticism and touch.
Instructor: Christine Hoff Kraemer  
Thursdays 9 PM ET, Jan 19 - Apr 26

Contemporary Global Paganisms

Introduces students to the wide variety of Paganisms being practiced around the world. Students familiarize themselves with both popular and scholarly descriptions of contemporary Paganisms, then explore the Internet and their local communities to gain first-hand experience with traditions not their own. Issues of cultural appropriation versus appropriate cultural borrowing and Paganism's position as a consciously (re)constructed, combinative religious path. Final project allows students to synthesize their knowledge in an comparison of Paganisms that supports the unique thrust of their ministerial paths.
Instructor: Jo Pearson
 Meets concurrently with students in the CHS certificate program.
No live class meetings
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Public Relations Best Practices 
Wild Hunt editor Heather Greene teaches this 4-week Rhizomes course.
How do you promote your group's events? How does the surrounding non-Pagan community respond to your group? How can these things be improved? This class provides an overview of publicity and public relations techniques specifically for small Pagan groups and individuals by a professional with extensive experience in the field. Topics may include advertising verse public relations, new and old techniques, social media, cost-benefit analysis, media response, and the ethics of public relations.
Tuesdays, Noon - week of Feb 23 - week of Mar 22
Building a Community with Teenagers and Young Adults
More Pagans are raising their children and teens in their religious tradition. How can we, as mentors, instruct them in a way that is different from our own traditional faith-based upbringing and provide them an opportunity to become excited about the possibilities as future Pagan leaders? This course throws aside the traditional Sunday school model, and dives into an exploration of leadership building and spiritual awakening for our young people. Participants find ways to develop curricula and activities from goal setting to logistics for a day program, week-long, or year-long/ongoing endeavor. Discussions include modeling of best practices.
Instructor:  Margo Wolf
An Insights course
Mondays 8 PM ET, week of Feb 23 - week of Mar 22

 

Developing a Pagan Program for Children

Many workshops and activities at festivals and conferences are presented for adults, but not much is scheduled for the younger generations who are growing up Pagan.
This Insights course will look at the possibilities available for children's activity facilitation on a budget that is friendly for everyone.
Topics branch out beyond the typical craft projects to include a more in-depth, but lighthearted educational component that supplements the kids' spiritual upbringing.
Discussions and online reading assignments will include modeling of best practices.
Instructor: Margo Wolf
An Insights course
 Wednesdays 8 PM ET, week of Feb 23 - week of Mar 22

 

Sacred Relics of Our Pagan Past

Pagan religious artifacts can be found in museums across the world from a variety of cultures and spiritual understandings.
The intersection these objects have with the world of fine art will be explored in this class.
A variety of museum collections will be accessed, looking at holdings that are of particular interest to Pagans, with a focus on the role the museum has played in preserving and developing contemporary Pagan art. Students will be required to visit a museum (or other similar space) to interact with an artifact in person and write an experiential essay after doing so culture.
Instructor: Alison Beyer
An Insights Course
No live meetings,week of Jan 19 to week of Feb 15
Healing the Spirit of Place
Together we will explore our intimate connection with our Mother Earth. We'll discover some of the wounds that Gaia has suffered, why and how they've occurred, the ways in which we might support Her healing process, and methods of teaching this information to others. As part of this process, we'll learn specific energy healing techniques for water, earth, air, and fire (our star, the Sun). We'll come to understand the language of local plants, animals, and insects, and learn how to communicate with them. Finally we'll learn how to make flower and crystal remedies and how to use them for healing our Mother Earth and ourselves..
Instructor:  Valentine McKay-Riddell
An Insights course
Tuesdays 8 PM ET, week of Jan 19 to week of Feb 15

 

Sacred Cycles I: The Way of the Earthbound Witch

Integral to our spirituality is the practice of reclaiming our bodies as part of a sacred cycle. This series of three classes, which may be taken in sequence or independently, will focus on the relationship we have with our Mother Earth, especially through our partnership with growing herbs, flowers and more. In this first class, we will discuss our relationship to the Spring cycle: working the ground, tending seed and nurturing ourselves through that connection. Tending a plant from seed to harvest, then offering the Earth back Her ancestors through their ashes, is an olden practice. It brings our bodies back into communion with the dirt we stand upon and heals us, mind, body and soul. As a family trad witch, I will be bringing my own tradition to the table that incorporates both Cherokee and the Irish Celtic methodologies and philosophies.
Instructor: Katharyn Privett-Duren
An Insights course
 Wednesdays 3 PM ET, week of Jan 19 to week of Feb 15

 

Sacred Cycles II
The second class in the series, which may be taken in sequence or independently, will focus on ways in which our bodies and spirit correspond to fertilizing, pruning and fruiting. We also will explore how plants respond to positivity and healthy maintenance and how this relates to our own bodies and spirit. Tending a plant from seed to harvest, offering the Earth back Her ancestors through their ashes, is an olden practice. It brings our bodies back into communion with the dirt we stand upon and heals us mind, body and soul.
Wednesdays 3 PM ET, week of Feb 23 - week of Mar 22
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Sacred Cycles III
In the last class of the series, which may be taken in sequence or independently, we will discuss the sacred process of harvesting. Specifically, we will explore the nature of harvest: ways in which we honor, process and become a part of the cycle. In doing so, we will come full circle in the primal examination of our bodies and their relationship to Mother Earth.
Wednesdays 3 PM ET, week of Apr 6 - week of May 3
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