Undergraduate
James Byrne
Title:
Professor of Religious Studies
Education:
S.T.B., S.T.L. Gregorian University, Rome; Ph.D. Trinity College, University of Dublin
Areas of Expertise/Research Interests:
Religion and Modern Thought, The Enlightenment, Contemporary Christianity
Testimonial:
Lots of colleges are friendly and lots are academically excellent. At Saint Michael's we are both, and it all happens in beautiful surroundings.
What do you like most about teaching/working at Saint Michael's College?
I like the fact that the faculty can work closely with the students in a very supportive atmosphere and I greatly appreciate my excellent faculty colleagues who are really dedicated to student learning.
What do you like about Saint Michael's students?
Saint Michael's students are friendly, outgoing, and interested in the world. I have taught in other countries and I could not hope to find a better group of people than I have met here at Saint Michael's. As an immigrant to the U.S. I have a special interest in the foreign students in my classes and those American students who opt to study abroad - I am always interested in hearing about their experiences and I try to help them as much as I can.
What inspires students the most in your classes and/or your academic area? Religious Studies is a fascinating academic field, as it touches upon so many other areas of study - history, philosophy, literature, politics, art, etc. There is something of interest for everyone to study. Personally, students tell me they like my enthusiasm for teaching, the way I try to make the subjects interesting, and how I treat them with fairness and respect.
What inspires students the most in your classes and/or your academic area? Religious Studies is a fascinating academic field, as it touches upon so many other areas of study - history, philosophy, literature, politics, art, etc. There is something of interest for everyone to study. Personally, students tell me they like my enthusiasm for teaching, the way I try to make the subjects interesting, and how I treat them with fairness and respect.
What is your favorite class to teach, and why?
I really enjoyed the Science and Religion class I taught with Biology Professor Doug Green in Fall 2007 (we aim to offer it again soon). We had a great group of students and the class was truly interdisciplinary. Of my other classes my favorite is World Christianity - just keep in touch with the news and you'll see why religion is so important in world affairs today.
Favorite quotes:"There are no dangerous thoughts; thinking itself is dangerous." - Hannah Arendt. "Worth seeing but not worth going to see." - Dr. Samuel Johnson's comment on the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, and a warning to tourists everywhere. "Duirt me leat go raibh me breoite." ["I told you I was ill"] - Comedian Spike Milligan's epitaph (in Gaelic).
Personal Web site
Favorite quotes:"There are no dangerous thoughts; thinking itself is dangerous." - Hannah Arendt. "Worth seeing but not worth going to see." - Dr. Samuel Johnson's comment on the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, and a warning to tourists everywhere. "Duirt me leat go raibh me breoite." ["I told you I was ill"] - Comedian Spike Milligan's epitaph (in Gaelic).
Personal Web site
E-mail Address: jbyrne@smcvt.edu
