Oxford is a diverse community in which people actively care for one another; encourage openness of thought, experience, and culture; and pursue excellence in liberal arts education. The study of religion at Oxford demands a personal journey as well as an academic one, respect for differences, and fearless examination of tightly held beliefs. Discussions of spirituality can be heard across the disciplines, and Oxford offers surprising opportunities for human connection.
While on sabbatical in 1998, Oxford sociology professor Mike McQuaide traveled to the Amazon jungle in Ecuador, where he lived with a tribe of indigenous people, had his “spirit cleansed” by a local healer, and conceived of a two-week course that would teach Oxford students more about humanity and spirituality than they could have imagined.
Today McQuaide and two other Oxford faculty members take students to a remote Ecuadorian village every year and live among the people there. Students study with a shaman and learn about the medicinal use of plants. They sleep at the foot of an active volcano. They participate in healing ceremonies. Most of all, they discover that their Western beliefs and values are far from universal.
The course, Social Change in Developing Societies, combines the study of biology, religion, cultural anthropology, and globalization with breathtaking personal experience. The effect is transformational, shattering stereotypes and opening minds.
Your gifts will help prepare Oxford students to make meaningful connections with communities at home and around the world.
