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The Missouri School of Religion, located in Jefferson City, is offering the following courses during the summer and fall (all course descriptions are from the Missouri School of Religion: History and Polity of the Disciples of Christ: This course will explore and analyze the history, polity and characteristic beliefs of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). [...]
From the Missouri School of Religion: The goals of our time together will be to explore common definition of racism, examine individual, institutional and cultural manifestations of racism, and be introduced to a strategic methodology for dismantling racism. The leaders of the event are Dwight Bailey and Martha Herrin, National Trainers for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism [...]
Tina Bloom, a partner with Teen Relationship Education, has helped to create a free app for mobile devices that assesses the risks posed in an abusive domestic relationship for potential victims to anonymously access.
Surveys were used in an interdisciplinary report examining the role of spirituality in improving mental health for members of five major faiths. Four current MU professors were involved in the study.
University of Missouri
30 Neff Annex
Columbia, MO 65211-2600
Tel: 573-882-9257
Fax: 573-884-0977
The Center on Religion & the Professions regularly teams with other organizations in Missouri. Be sure to visit their websites to learn more about their work and goals.
Teen Relationship Education trains religious groups and provides tools to help them communicate effectively about relationship violence among youth. TREE, based in Columbia, is run mostly by volunteers and serves communities of all faiths in Boone Co.
The World Religions in Missouri project works to improve the understanding of Missouri public school teachers about issues in religious diversity and teaching religion in schools. WRIM held a successful conference for teachers in June 2010 and will hold additional sessions around Missouri.
Photos: Dominic's pics (tree), sidewalk flying (desks) / CC

Architecture and engineering: About the discipline
Humans have long sought to manifest their religious beliefs through physical structure, the veritable “scripture in stone.” From ziggarats rising to the heavens to Baroque cathedrals expressing Christian beliefs and stories in visual form, physical structures communicate religious ideals in shape and orientation.
• Architecture
• Civil Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Industrial And Manufacturing
• Systems Engineering
Respect for religious buildings and beliefs can impact the designs of cities, roads and waterways. Building of religious structures has also driven advances in architecture and engineering, such as the soaring Gothic cathedrals’ need for support in the form of flying buttresses. Many religious stress harmony between structure and environment.Modern architects, civil and industrial engineers strive to respond to human and environmental conditions in designing homes, workspaces and commercial buildings. This includes considering quality of life for people, promoting the meaning and value of physical settings; designing waste disposal, infrastructure and transportation; and designing spaces that combine technology and people, keeping in mind both their physiological and psychological capabilities.In a global marketplaces and diverse society, successful professionals consider the religious and personal needs of those who will use the structures they build. An understanding of religious beliefs regarding buildings and environment is instructive. A few examples include:
Shinto, or “the way of the kami,” is a prehistoric Japanese religious tradition that is still practiced today, sometimes in combination with other faith traditions. “Kami” refers to Japanese mythological deities, as well as divinity manifested in natural objects, places, animals and people.
Shinto beliefs stress harmony between deities, man, and nature, with the holiest structures traditionally near natural features such as waterfalls, caves, mountains or forests.Hindu Ayurvedic principles focus on healing, prevention and rejuvenation through a system of balance achieved by living in accordance with nature’s laws. Earth’s magnetic fields, and influences of the planets and other heavenly bodies are necessary factors when designing commercial or residential buildings, temples and cities. It is believed that architectural structures are alive, influenced by natural law just as is human health. Living or working in a building in accordance with nature law ensures prosperity.
Designers might also consider specific religious beliefs, such as Muslims who prefer bathrooms to be designed so commodes face away from Mecca, the holiest city of Islam; or belief systems such as Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space – now a trend in American decorating – claimed to achieve harmony with the environment. Architects and engineers also can benefit in the growth industry of religious building construction as America’s religious communities continue to thrive.