Jason Johnson Participates in Educational Religion Trip

Jason Johnson of Lithia, a senior exercise science major at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., participated in an educational trip April 18-21 with the University's Living World Religions Bible class. Johnson was among more than 80 students who toured various religious institutions in Dallas.

The trip was directed by Dr. Monte Cox, dean of the College of Bible and Ministry. Johnson visited the Hindu Temple of Dallas and Fort Worth, Buddhist Temple Center of Dallas, Barcuh HaShem Messianic Jewish Congregation, Dallas Central Mosque, Sikh Gurdwara, Congregation Shearith Israel, Plano Baha'i Center, Dallas Cultural Center and the Marsalis Avenue Church of Christ.

The class spent the semester learning and preparing for the trip by studying a number of religions. The trip served as a culmination of the course for the students to experience different religions first-hand.

"This field trip is crucial to the Living World Religions course," Cox said. "It is one thing to study these religions in a textbook or to listen to a teacher lecture on each one. It is quite another thing to visit these places of worship, ask questions of those who host us in each place, and are practitioners of these religions."