Here are some of the guest faculty who regularly contribute to our classes.
Bill Redfield
Elliott Bazzano
Elliott Bazzano is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Le Moyne College, where he teaches courses on Islam and comparative religion. Storytelling, case-studies, and media analysis are particularly important elements of his pedagogy. He also remains committed to interfaith work both inside and outside the classroom, writes for the Wabash Center blog “Teaching Islam,” and hosts podcasts for New Books in Islamic Studies. His publications on Ibn Taymiyya, Qur’anic studies, and approaches to the study of religion can be found in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, including The Journal for the American Academy of Religion, Religion Compass, Teaching Theology and Religion, and The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies. For a more detailed profile, see his faculty web page here.
Kurt Hohmann
Kurt Hohmann has been telling and writing stories for most of his life! His endeavors in the Syracuse area includes service as an officer in the Pagan Church of the Greenwood, coordination of the Pagan Pride Festival, assistant Pagan Chaplain at Syracuse University, and Goði (priest) for his Asatru spiritual group. The latter provides ample opportunity for spiritual storytelling, as most of the values and lessons in that path are taught through a rich trove of often epic prose and poetry. Kurt is also pursuing a course of study in Germanic/Scandinavian lore, as well as a graduate level seminary degree. His current professional career is also steeped in story: he often takes the raw facts provided by engineers and converts them to stories for customers to understand. Read more of his scribblings at http://www.kurthohmann.com/
Jenifer Moss
Jenifer Moss graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Child Development and Family Science, but her greatest education and deepest joy has come from learning to raise her eight children. Married for 20 years, Jenifer currently lives with her family on a little farm in Upstate New York. She spends her days as a full-time mother and spends her free-time working with her local Tully School PTO, the Red Cross, InterFaith Works of Syracuse, El-Hindi Center for Dialogue, Hope for Accreta Foundation, and as a Sunday School teacher for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jenifer was awarded the 2016 New York Mother of the Year from American Mothers. She currently serves on the American Mothers National Board. She is grateful to find joy in small moments and to live her happily ever after.
Rinah Rachel Galper
Rinah Rachel Galper is an ordained Kohenet (Hebrew Priestess) and Maggidah (Jewish Spiritual Guide and Storyteller) as well as a licensed special education teacher living and working in Durham, NC. She is the co-founder of Sacred Monsters, a creative, progressive Jewish worship community, and Our Sacred Circles (OSC). OSC houses Rinah’s life cycle celebrations, healing rituals, spiritual support, and visioning work, in addition to women’s gatherings and trainings and the Women’s Wisdom Project. She has spent over a decade leading multi-faith sharing circles, peace vigils, alternative Jewish holiday celebrations, art-based workshops and magic and nature camps for children. For more information and to contact Rinah Rachel, please visit oursacredcircles.com or email her at oursacredcircles@gmail.com