Search or Life?

<p>Just looking for comments about each side, including opinions on professors. DS is quite interested in Rhodes. He is a fairly strong Christian, and a friend with a child there in Search felt some professors were negative toward Christianity. nothing my son can't handle, but wonder of another persons opinion on that. Seems he is leaning toward Search, to widen his views, but may get frustrated in that environment.</p>

<p>Also opinion on the differences in either's living and learning community.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Good afternoon!</p>

<p>My name is Peter Ketch and I am a current senior at Rhodes College. I chose to take Search and had two professors, both of which I would recommend very highly (Prof. Jansen and Prof. McNary-Zak). In my experience with the curriculum neither professor had a negative opinion of Christianity. In fact, I could not tell you their specific religious beliefs as they kept them out of the classroom. This sort of teaching platform enabled them to engage me and my classmates from a neutral standpoint and to talk about our readings (the Bible included) from a scholarly, historical perspective that did not discriminate against the religion in question or any others. So in short, neither of the professors I had acted or said anything negative against Christianity. They instead encouraged us to refine and to express our own views of religion in class. Ultimately, this expanded my horizons without necessarily changing my own personal beliefs. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, I do not have any knowledge of what the learning communities are like and their differences.</p>

<p>Best,
Peter Ketch
Neuroscience Major
Class of 2014</p>

<p>As a parent of a Rhodes senior, I can say that my daughter took Search and thoroughly enjoyed all of her three professors. I can’t comment specifically on whether any professors might or might not have expressed negativity about Christianity - my daughter never said anything that suggested anything close to that, though. Also, as a professor myself, I would say that sometimes professors play devil’s advocate in an attempt to encourage critical thinking. Just because I challenge a student does not mean that I don’t agree with the student - it just means that I want the student to look at things from several points of view.</p>