Religion Class Visited Hindu Temple

Westminster College students in an "Understanding Religious Experience and Expression" class recently visited the Sri Venkateshwara Hindu Temple in Penn Hills.

The group of 13 students was led by Dr. Bryan Rennie, Vira I. Heinz Professor of Religion and chair of Westminster's Department of Religion, History, Philosophy and Classics, who teaches the class. The trip was Rennie's 20th and is a standard component of the course, which incorporates a variety of experiential learning events.

According to Rennie, the Temple authorities welcome the students' visits. "Our guide the past few years has been a retired chemical engineer, who is very generous with his time in explaining the meanings, rituals, and philosophies involved," Rennie said.

"I am constantly amazed by the intensity of the students' interest and curiosity," Rennie added. "The study of world religions is too often an overly bookish and textual experience. It takes the personal experience of people of various faiths to make religion come to life and to deepen our students' understanding of those traditions. Hopefully, this will help to build bridges between our often isolated and mutually misunderstood communities."

Rennie has been with Westminster since 1992. He earned an undergraduate degree, a master's and Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He has authored four books and numerous articles on Mircea Eliade.

Contact Rennie at (724) 946-7151 or e-mail brennie@westminster.edu for more information.