Description
Course Description: Sacred Spaces explores the ways religious communities create, inhabit, and experience sacred space in everyday life, with particular attention to the diverse religious landscape of greater Dallas. Grounded in the academic study of religion and material culture, the course examines how spaces—built, adapted, temporary, virtual, and shared—become sites of meaning, ritual, identity, and encounter with the divine. Students investigate how different religious traditions conceptualize sacredness, represent the divine, and express belief through architecture, ritual practice, and community life, while also considering newer religious movements and the evolving place of religion in American public life.
A central theme of Sacred Spaces is that religion is not only a system of beliefs, but a lived, embodied experience shaped by place, practice, and human relationships. Through comparative study and guided experiential learning, including site visits, conversations with religious leaders, and reflective fieldwork, students develop skills in observation, interpretation, and civil discourse across differences. The principal goals of Sacred Spaces are for students to gain a deeper understanding of religious diversity in their own community, to reflect critically on how sacred meaning is created and shared, and to cultivate respect, curiosity, and empathy toward the religious experiences of others while clarifying their own perspectives and values.
To meet the religious studies graduation requirement, either World Religions or Sacred Spaces must be completed during a student's tenure in Upper School.
Attendance Expectations & Requirements
Each section of Sacred Spaces has SEVEN in-person class meetings scheduled. Students are encouraged to attend all class meetings, and are REQUIRED to attend at least FIVE meetings. Classes require in-person attendance at the Midway campus.
Students must complete and turn in an attendance plan to the instructors showing how they plan to meet the minimum attendance requirements.
In-Person Sessions (Must attend FIVE sessions)
Thursday, May 28th (2:30 - 4:00 pm)
Tuesday, June 2nd (2:30 - 4:00 pm)
Thursday, June 4th (2:30 - 4:00 pm)
Tuesday, June 9th (2:30 - 4:00 pm)
Thursday, June 11th (2:30 - 4:00 pm)
Tuesday, June 16th (2:30 - 4:00 pm)
Thursday, June 18th (2:30 - 4:00 pm)
Final date for all Coursework - Friday, June 26th at midnight