CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY
Religious Studies 395
Spiritual Journeys and the Highlands of Scotland
Instructor: Dr. Kip Redick
Office: Admin 359
Phone: 594-7801
Email: kredick@cnu.edu
Fax: 594-7349
Secretary: Kathy Stovall
Phone: 594-8827
Introduction to the Course:
This class will be an experiential exploration, hiking several trails
in the highlands of Scotland, learning how mountain landscapes relate
to religious experience and at the same time encountering the highland
culture. Class members will learn, through reading, journal
writing, and interpersonal communication, how religious peoples have
experienced their environment as a form of religious rhetoric.
Prior to hiking the trail each class member will read Beldon C. Lanes's
study of landscape as a communication of religion, The Solace of Fierce
Landscapes and Landscapes of the Sacred. We will spend about
three weeks visiting the Isle of Iona, hiking on the “West
Highland Trail,” the “Great Glen Way,” and camping on
the Isle of Skye. There will be informal talks around the camp in
the evenings, talks along the way, and everyone will keep a trail
journal. After returning home everyone would write a paper and
submit it.
Goals:
The means and media for coming to an understanding of the highlands of
Scotland as a spiritual landscape will be reading, writing,
interpreting, analyzing, critically evaluating and/or experiencing the
trail itself, various texts, handouts, images, interviews with hikers,
trail registers, and engaging in informal discussions. The
following are general goals that individuals should incorporate into
the learning experience (note that each goal should be preceded by the
statement “the improvement of”): reading comprehension,
interpretation skills, analytical ability, critical thinking,
evaluation of problems, ability to synthesize, writing both formally
and informally, and participation in group discussion and problem
solving. Specific goals related to Scotland are (again, each goal
should be preceded by the statement “the improvement of”):
an understanding of ethnographic research, an understanding of symbolic
communication, an understanding of sacred place/space, an understanding
of sacred time, an understanding of spiritual journey and pilgrimage,
an understanding of the concept of wilderness.
Objectives:
The following objectives are closely related to the general goals
listed above; they are simply a distillation of those goals. Keep these
short statements outlining the course objectives in mind as a way of
reminding yourself of the goals listed above. I will list the
statements below and then offer a brief explanation of each.
1. Developing the skill of clearly expressing ideas orally and in writing.
2. Gaining a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual/cultural activity.
3. Acquiring an interest in learning more by asking questions and seeking answers.
4. Developing skills in working with group members.
One objective of this course is to help you develop the skill of
clearly expressing your ideas orally and in writing. This class
requires discussion, as well as informal and formal writing. Acquiring
an understanding of concepts related to this class requires an ability
to clearly communicate your ideas. A second objective of the course is
to gain a broad understanding and appreciation of intellectual/cultural
activity. In the case of interpreting the highlands of Scotland, we
will be attempting to understand the landscape within the context of
the intellectual and cultural activity associated with traditional
spiritual journeys and the relatively new phenomenon of extended hikes
in the wilderness. A third objective of this humanities course is that
the student begins to move away from a teacher centered learning
environment to the kind of learning that is driven by the student's
desire to gain knowledge through discovery. Learning by discovery
requires skills of asking good questions and seeking answers. This is
an upper level course and the student should work to sharpen skills
that have been developed up to this point. A final objective of the
course is that students gain skills in working with team members. Much
learning takes place as the student searches for knowledge while
sitting quietly with a book, or through quiet reflection, or in
producing a piece of writing. However, much learning also takes place
in a group environment where people share ideas, critique each other's
ideas, and offer constructive criticism concerning a piece of
writing.
Course Texts:
Lane, Belden C. The Solace of Fierce Landscapes.
Lane, Belden C. Landscapes of the Sacred.
Reading for discussion and class schedule:
Read the assigned text. There will be a body of supplemental
texts and articles placed on reserve in the library. Upon
returning from the hike, each participant will start writing a
paper. These supplemental texts will serve as a beginning in
researching for writing papers. Also, any papers that are
assigned should be read.
General Policies:
Grading:
Participation during the hike will involve discussions and
conversations amongst class participants, as well as interviews of
hikers who are not in the class. Participation will comprise 30%
of the course grade. Each student will keep a journal and it will
comprise 35% of the course grade. Finally, each student will
submit a paper that will make up 35% of the course grade.
Assignments:
Reading and Reflection Journal:
Each student will keep a reading and reflection journal. Journal
entries will be considered informal writing assignments and as such
will be graded more in relation to content than style. Journal entries
will contain questions, answers to questions, and reflections which
relate to daily discussions, conversations, assigned readings, and
interviews with hikers who are not in the class. Each
journal entry should be dated. This class journal will reflect
the quality of the students daily class participation and will be
graded with this in mind.
Paper:
Research papers will conform to the MLA Handbook and are to be ten
pages, typed with 12 point font, double-spaced, and have a
bibliography. They will be written on a topic of choice that has been
approved. The student must have at least five bibliographic
sources not including encyclopedic, dictionary, or required texts.
Students may use Internet sites as a source but they will only count as
one source. The student is responsible for choosing a topic and getting
it approved. The student is encouraged to write a personal reflection
of at least a page within the body of the paper.
Hiking, Discussions, and Interviewing
We will be on the trail, walking and talking with each other,
twenty-four hours a day for three weeks. We are not “in the
classroom” for that whole period. The discussions and
interviews that we have will be both in the class setting as well as
outside that setting. Walking on the trail with a good attitude
is important. Conversing with hikers who are not in our class is also
important.
Equipment
Each student will be required to supply their own equipment and
food. Below is a list of suggested items and an estimate of their
cost. The overall weight of your load is of primary importance.
It is possible to carry everything you need and have a pack that weighs
between 35 and 45 pounds. The less weight one carries, the more
pleasant the experience.
The most basic equipment needed will be:
1. Backpack with hip belt, either internal or external frame, and
places to strap things to the pack. This will cost between $150 and
$300.
2. Sleeping bag, light weight, rated down to between 25 and 15 degrees. This will cost between $80 and $200.
3. Hiking boots that give your ankles good support. If your boots
are new, start wearing them to class now and break them in. Some
thru-hikers walk in sandals and others wear running shoes, though I
would not recommend this as your only option. You may consider a
low top hiking shoe as long as your ankles are strong. This will
cost between $40 and $300.
4. Wool socks, at least 3 pair: get these as a backpacking store, and
get high-tech socks, you won’t regret it. Socks will cost about
$10 a pair.
5. A tent is optional. If a third of the class members have tents, it
will be possible to share. A tent will cost between $40 and $200.
6. Water bottles, carry at least two two-liter bottles, there are many types and sizes. They will cost about $10 each.
7. Cooking utensils, there are many options but weight is the most
important consideration. This will cost between $20 and $50.
8. Clothing, do not wear cotton. Most people have clothing made
out of synthetic material. There is probably no need to buy
anything.
9. Rain gear, poncho or rain suit, costs between $10 and $40.
10. A water filter is optional. If at least four people in the
class have a filter, we will share. The cost is about $40.
Food
Various kinds of noodles, dried fruit, nuts, oatmeal, and other kinds
of light weight food work well. Below is a menu for 14 days of
hiking, although I would only carry 5 days of it. I also bring
powdered soy milk, powdered milk works just as well and this is a great
source of protein. I also buy some things in bulk and then
package individual meals in zip lock bags; things such as brown rice,
the quick cooking kind. You can buy packaged dry sauces to go
with plain noodles or rice. Dried instant tea, hot chocolate and
coffee also works well. If you don’t like tea, try instant
sports drinks, etc.
Days:
1: Dried pears, oatmeal, ramen noodles, sardines.
2: Figs, oatmeal, ramen, beef jerky, Lipton teriyaki noodles.
3: Oatmeal, corn meal, sardines, rice, Knorr Pesto Pasta Sauce.
4: Dried apples, oatmeal, ramen for lunch, ramen for dinner.
5: Corn meal, ramen, jerky, Lipton Creamy Garlic noodles.
6: Figs, oatmeal, ramen, rice, Knorr Four Cheese Pasta Sauce.
7: Dried apples, oatmeal, Sardines, Rice, Knorr Vegie Soup.
8: Dried pears, oatmeal, ramen, LiptonTeriyaki Noodles.
9: Oatmeal, corn meal, Kippered Herring, ramen, jerky, rice, Knorr Pesto Pasta Sauce.
10: Dried apples, oatmeal, ramen for lunch, ramen for dinner.
11. Figs, oatmeal, sardines, humus (dried), rice, Knorr Four Cheese Pasta Sauce.
12. Corn meal, ramen, jerky, Lipton Butter Herb Noodles.
13. Oatmeal, ramen, rice, Knorr Garlic Herb Pasta Sauce.
14. Dried apples, oatmeal, ramen, ramen.
The following is a list of things that I have carried on past hikes.
This is probably more than each person would need. I carry some
extra stuff for emergencies. The general idea is that you
don’t carry what you won’t use. I did not use some of these
things and would normally not carry those things that I rarely use.
Light weight wind shell
Fleece vest
1 button-up shirt
1 long-sleeve-pullover windbreak jacket
1 pair of shorts (not cotton)
1 pair of long trousers, convertible to shorts (not cotton)
1 fleece vest
1 watch cap
1 t-shirts (not cotton)
2 pair of wool socks
2 pair of non cotton underwear
1 set of polyester long underwear
2 scarves (dew raggs)
All of this was kept in a waterproof compression stuff sack.
Item and item weight
Total weight
Water proof jacket/shell (14 oz).
6lbs 9oz
Pack cover (8oz)
7lbs 1oz
Hammock Tent (2lbs 5oz)
9lbs 6oz
8 Tent stakes (4oz)
Insulated sleeping pad (1lbs)
10lbs 10oz
Sleeping bag (2lbs 1oz)
12lbs 11oz
1 pair of sandals (2lbs)
14lbs 11oz
Trekking shoes (2lbs 6oz)
17lbs 1oz
Waldies (11oz)
17lbs 12oz
Water gear (water weighs 6 lbs per gallon)
1 2 liter platypus (5lbs 12oz)
1 one liter nalgeen (2lbs 10oz)
1 water filter (13oz)
26lbs 13oz
Stove (13oz)
Wind shield (2oz)
Fuel and bottle (1lbs 4oz)
1 one qt pot for cooking (7oz)
Drinking cup (5oz)
Spoon
29lbs 12oz
Food Stuff
Water proof sack (8oz)
39lbs 12oz
First Aid
1 first aid kit
extra packs of mole skin
vasaline (1oz)
sun screen (1oz)
Other miscellaneous stuff:
Camp chair (11oz)
flash light (3oz)
2 Caribeaners (2oz)
50 feet of nylon line (for hanging food from trees and other activities) (8oz)
Extra line (1oz)
4 straps (4oz)
Compass (2oz)
1 scrub pad
2 small rolls of toilet paper
1 packet of clean wipes
extra batteries
1 candle (2oz)
1 mosquito net for my head (1oz)
duck tape
extra boot laces (1oz)
Knife Plyers set (7oz)
tooth brush
Floss (1oz)
matches (1oz)
needle and thread (2oz)
insect repellent
harmonica
tie slips (1oz)
3 bungee cords (highly useful)