Current Courses

2010 Fall Semester

FAQ:

How long do Cherry Hill courses last?
Foundations courses run for 4 weeks. Three sessions for foundations courses occur during a semester. All other courses run for a 14 week semester.
Fall 1 = September 13 – October 9
Fall 2 = October 11 – November 6
Fall 3 = November 7 – December 4

What are the tuition rates?
As of August, 2010, tuition rates are as follows:
Foundations classes: $95 per unit hour (no more registration fee)
PCE classes: $65 per unit hour.
Master’s classes: $125 per credit hour.

What is Cherry Hill’s add/drop policy?
Students may drop courses with no academic penalty if a request is made in writing (by email) by midnight of the Drop/Add date listed in the online calendar. Tuition for courses dropped by the Drop/Add date will be refunded at 85%, less the merchant's fee charged by any processing agent. Refunds may be applied to the next term's tuition, if requested. Courses dropped after the Drop/Add date will not be refunded.

Do I have to have a Bachelors Degree to take classes with Cherry Hill?
No, foundations classes are always open to the public and anyone may take a master’s level class. However, you will only earn credit hours towards a degree if you have been admitted to a degree program. Our master’s degree programs and the Certificate of Professional Development program all require a bachelor’s degree to apply for the degree program.

Does Cherry Hill Seminary offer any certificate programs?
Yes, we have three certificate programs available: the Certificate of Professional Development, the Certificate of Continuing Education, and the Certificate of Lifelong Learning. Only the Certificate of Professional Development requires a Bachelor’s degree for admission to the certificate program.

What happens if a class I want to take is full?
On occasion, classes may fill up. If that happens, our master’s students are given priority.

Research and Writing in Pagan Studies
FT491

Taught By: Grant Potts
Fall 1, Independent study format: no class meeting

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated

Earns 1 unit hour for certificates
Earns 0 credit hours for degrees
Non-matriculated students earn no units/credits

This course provides an introduction to academic research within the emerging interdisciplinary field of Pagan Studies. Approaching research as a way of finding resources to answer questions, students will learn tools for conducting that research and how to present that research in writing. Students will also gain an introduction to Pagan Studies and to questions confronting that field. Individually and in groups, students will work on a research project ending with a final paper.

Required Texts:

Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. Third Edition. Oxford University Of Chicago Press. 2008.

Jenny Blain, Douglas Ezzy, Graham Harvey, editors. Researching Paganisms.Alta Mira. 2004.

Sabina Magliocco. Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America. University of Pennsylvania Press. 2004.

Recommended Texts:

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th edition. 2001.
Chas S. Clifton. Her Hidden Children. Alta Mira. 2006.
Hutton, Ronald. Triumph of the Moon. Oxford. 2001.

Additional resources needed: This course will require access to a research library, either a university library or good public library system. Students should be able to download and play .mp3 files. Students will need Skype.

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Effective Web Site Development for Pagan Organizations
FT481

Taught By: Scott Mohnkern
Fall 2, Mondays at 8:00 PM

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated

Earns 1 unit hour for certificates
Earns 0 credit hours for degrees
Non-matriculated students earn no units/credits

This course is designed to help the student develop a strategic plan for the development of a web site for a pagan organization. This includes deciding key decisions regarding site navigation, software applications that will be used for the development of the site, and implementation of the strategic plan with the assistance of individuals with the necessary technical knowledge. The expectation is that at the completion of this course, the student will have the necessary professional skills to help any pagan organization develop a web presence.

No required texts; everything is online.

Erotic Ethics (meets with Paganism and the Body)
N565

Taught By:Christine Hoff Kraemer
Monday 9:00 PM ET

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated

Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 0 credit hours for degrees

Declaring that all acts of love and pleasure are the rituals of the Goddess, contemporary Pagans widely affirm the sacredness of the body and of sexuality. Students will engage with theological and ethical writings around gender, sexuality, and the body from Pagan and allied perspectives, such as Christian and post-Christian feminist and queer theologies. Special attention will be given to Pagan understandings of same-sex relationships, BDSM, polyamory, transgender, and other expressions of gender and sexuality that are marginalized by mainstream society. The role of gender polarity and sex magic in the Western esoteric tradition and its influences on religious witchcraft will also be considered. Students will examine their conceptions of gender and sexuality and develop their own the-logies of the body in a context that takes both personal liberation and social justice into account. Students will also consider the challenges and joys of ministering to a sexually diverse Pagan community and emerge better equipped to counsel their communities in ethical responsibilities around eroticism and touch. Class meets with Paganism and the Body.

Ellison, Marvin M. Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality. Westminster John Knox Press, 2004 ISBN: 0664256465

Hunter, Jennifer. Rites of Pleasure: Sexuality in Wicca and NeoPaganism .Citadel Press, 2004 ISBN:0806525843

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A Saunter with John Muir and Walt Whitman: The Poetry and Politics of Nature
N510 / T540

Taught by: Chris Highland
Chats will be arranged at the convenience of the students and instructor.

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 0 credit hours for degrees

Using selected passages, from both the "reverent activist" prose of Muir and the "earthy universalist" poetry of Whitman, this course will trek the wilderness of radical ideas from Muir's preservation of National Parks to Whitman's celebration of humanity even in the midst of the Civil War. We will unfold new maps for thinking about the environment as the class explores the gritty edges of human society (from the 19th Century to the present) through a delightful sauntering into The Wilds of which humans are only a part. We will uncover pragmatic options for a contemporary, creative interface with both the poetic and political dimensions of the natural cosmos.

Required Texts:
Muir, John. My First Summer in the Sierra (read online at books.google.com)

Walt Whitman. The Portable Walt Whitman

Chris Highland. Meditations of John Muir; Meditations of Walt Whitman (either)

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Rites of Passage
M520

Taught By: Susan G. Curewitz Arthen
Wednesdays 8:00-10:30 PM

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated

Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 0 credit hours for degrees

This course is designed to be practical, thought-provoking, and a chance to develop several skills. One of the biggest challenges to a Pagan Minister is following legal guidelines when necessary, bridging any gap between the Pagans involved and their non-Pagan friends and family and still help create ritual that is deep and abiding. Ritual design, counseling specific to each type of Rite and field work will also be included.

Required Texts:
Grimes, Ronald L.Deeply into the Bone: Re-Inventing Rites of Passage. Univ of California Press, 2000. ISBN: 100520215338

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The Warrior in Shadow: Violence From a Pagan Perspective
A580

Taught By: Selina Rifkin
Wednesdays 7:00 PM

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated

Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 0 credit hours for degrees

All major religions have a concept of the warrior from the crusaders in Christianity, the warrior monks of Buddhism, and the ancient Jews. These concepts have been both elevated and criticized, both from within a particular religion and without at various times in history. Paganism as a religion is both ancient and modern, and embraces dichotomies of all kinds. To be a warrior is to embrace dichotomy, for there is no greater dichotomy than life and death.

Required Texts:
Grossman, David. On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society Back Bay Books, 2009. ISBN: 0316040932

French, Shannon. The Code of the Warrior: Exploring Warrior Values Past and Present. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Ince. 2004. ISBN: 0847697576

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Call of the Dark Mother
P500

Taught By: Jennifer Bennett
Meeting time: TBA

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated

Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 0 credit hours for degrees

A survey course in death, dying and grieving to better prepare Pagans who hear the call to this sacred work, and also those who encounter it as part of their overall priest/esshood.

Required Texts:

DiZerega, Gus. Pagans & Christians: The Personal Spiritual Experience. 2001. ISBN: 9781567182286

Nuland, Sherwin B. How We Die – Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter. 1995. ISBN: 9780679742449

Mitford, Jessica. The American Way of Death Revisited. 2000. ISBN: 9780679771869

Sapienza, Jerral.Urgent Whispers: Care of the Dying.

Harris, Mark. Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial. 2008. ISBN: 9781416564041

Carlson, Lisa. Caring for Your Own Dead. 1987

Starhawk & Nightmare, M. Macha. The Pagan Book of Living and Dying: Practical Rituals, Prayers, Blessings and Meditations on Crossing Over. 1997. ISBN: 9780062515162

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Nature, Deity, and Inspiration

Paganism and the Body
N5650 / PAL

Taught by: Christine Hoff Kraemer, Ph.D.
Mondays 9:00 PM ET

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees

Ellison, Marvin M., Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality, Westminster John Knox Press, 2004. ISBN: 664256465

Hunter, Jennifer., Rites of Pleasure: Sexuality in Wicca and NeoPaganism, Citadel Press, 2004. 806525843

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American Spiritualities
N5120 / T5280

Sarah Whedon, Ph.D.
Tuesdays 8:00 PM ET
Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees

At the end of the twentieth century, were dedicated to several deities, most prominently observers of American culture noted increasing numbers of people who identified as “spiritual, but not religious.” This growing population (one recent survey estimates that 72% of young adults now identify this way) values mysticism, solitude, and individual experience. This is not actually a new trend — its roots can be spotted as far back as the works of nineteenth century visionaries like Henry David Thoreau and Swami Vivekananda. This course will trace these roots forward through time, and will examine the connections between selected American spiritual traditions and the role of Pagan spirituality in our personal lives and larger communities.

Required text:
Albanese, Catherine L., American Spiritualities: A Reader, Indiana University Press, 2001. ISBN: 253214327.

Bender, Courtney. The New Metaphysicals: Spirituality and the American Religious Imagination. University of Chicago Press, 2010. ISBN: 226042804

Schmidt, Leigh Eric. Restless Souls: The Making of American Spirituality. HarperOne, 2006. ISBN: 60858346

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A Saunter with John Muir and Walt Whitman: The Poetry and Politics of Nature
N5110 / T5240

Taught by: Chris Highland
Chats will be arranged at the convenience of the students and instructor.

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees

Required Texts:
Muir, John. My First Summer in the Sierra (read online at books.google.com)

Walt Whitman. The Portable Walt Whitman

Chris Highland. Meditations of John Muir; Meditations of Walt Whitman (either)

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Pagan Advocacy and Leadership

Religion & the Law

Taught by: James L. Bianchi
Tuesdays 9:00 PM ET
Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees

In 'Religion and the Law' you will receive an overview of our legal structure and learn how find the law you need online. You will learn how the First Amended protects us from government assault and interference. You will understand what freedom of speech and assembly means. You will know how to confront discrimination in housing, employment and in child custody conflicts. Students will be trained to counsel Conscientious Objectors. Our free 'public access' right to television will be explored. With this knowledge, you can become a sword and a shield for our community.

Required Texts:
Eilers, Dana D. Pagans and the Law: Understanding Your Rights. New Page Books, 2003. ISBN: 1564146715

Elias, Stephen R. & Levinking, Susan. How to Find & Understand the Law.ISBN: 9781413303957

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Spirit of Economics

Taught by: Catherine Levitt
Mondays 9:00 PM ET

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees

This graduate level economics course provides an understanding of basic economic principles and forces, which govern the production, and distribution of goods and services in the context of spiritual reality. Topics include: philosophical and historical approaches to economic choices, forms of business organizations, the role of government and policy-making in the economic system, value and price in a free enterprise system, labor/management relations and contemporary economic developments.

The objective of economics is to provide the foundations for understanding of how an economy operates. All economic choices are ultimately made by individuals such as consumers, workers, investors, and managers. This course examines the decision making process of these economic agents and their interactions in individual markets. The functions of private property, entrepreneurship, and government regulation are also discussed. Production and pricing under various market structures, labor markets, and international trade as well as market failure are covered.

Required Texts:
McEachern, William A. Econ Micro. 2008-2009 Edition, South-Western Cengage Learning. ISBN: 0-324-58816-X.

Optional Text:
Bernstein, Peter L. Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk
Bernstein, Peter L. The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession
Bernstein, William J. The Birth of Plenty : How the Prosperity of the Modern World was Created
Ferguson, Niall. The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World
Ferguson, Niall. The Cash Nexus

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Starting a Spiritually Centered Business or Organization

Taught by: Catherine Levitt
Independent Study format: no class meeting
Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees

This is a graduate level course geared toward practical applications of business, management and finance. Starting and operating a spiritually based business is a minefield of rules and regulations. The regulations set in the moment one decides to start a organization or business. Licenses and permits required. There are restrictions on the type of business that can operated in a neighborhood. Tax and employee regulations are perhaps the most strictly enforced regulations. Non-compliance can even lead to cancellation of the business license and at times, imprisonment. Any goal-oriented organization needs to be self sufficient financially to be able to achieve its objectives. This course will guide you on the main requirements of the regulations so that a business can develop a strategy for compliance. This course will also provide guides on how to protect the intellectual property of the business , the types of insurance a business must generally have in place, and sources and uses of funding.

No Required Texts

Pagan Pastoral Counseling

Human Development in a Pagan Context

Taught by: Marion Mason, Ph.D.
Independent Study Format: No class meeting
Open to master's and certificate students; others may audit with permission of instructor
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees
Non-matriculated students earn no units/credits

This course explores psychological development throughout the lifespan. Students will consider the ways in which a Pagan lifestyle and a Pagan world view may affect each stage in an individual’s physical, cognitive, social, and personality development. This course provides clergy with developmental information that can be applied to age-related ritual design, curriculum development, and counseling both within and outside of the Pagan community.

Required Texts:

Feldman, Robert, Discovering the Life Span. Prentice Hall, 2008. ISBN: 136061672

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Personality Theories

Taught by: David Oringderff
Thursdays 8:00-9:30 ET
Earns 3 Unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees

This course is an in-depth exploration of human personality, presenting the psychoanalytical, neopsychoanalytical, life-span, trait, humanistic, cognitive, behavioral and social-learning approaches, as well as clinical and experimental work. The course will explore how race, gender, culture and religious/spiritual issues figure in the study of personality assessment. Finally, the class will briefly examine some of the issues of genetics, environment, learning, parental influences, developmental aspects, consciousness and unconscious influences on personality.

Required Texts:

Schulz, Duane & Schulz, Sydney Ellen. Theories of Personality (8th Edition).Publisher and year Wadsworth, 2004. ISBN: 534624026

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Text,Tradition, and Interpretation

Contemporary Global Paganisms
CT591.Z

Taught by: Christine Hoff Kraemer, Ph.D.
Mondays 8:00 PM ET
Open to master's and certificate students; others may audit with permission of instructor
Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees
Non-matriculated students earn no units/credits

This survey coursewill introduce students to the wide variety of Paganisms being practiced around the world. We will challenge scholarly definitions of Paganism and our own personal ones by attempting to trace common threads between many disparate traditions. Students will familiarize themselves with both popular and scholarly descriptions of contemporary Paganisms, then explore the Internet and their local communities to gain first-hand experience with traditions not their own. In these encounters, we will deal with issues of cultural appropriation versus appropriate cultural borrowing and consider Paganism's position as a consciously (re)constructed, combinative religious path. A final project will allow students to synthesize their knowledge in an intercontinental comparison of Paganisms that supports the unique thrust of their ministerial paths.

Required Texts:

Strmiska, Michael, ed. Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives (Religion in Contemporary Cultures). ABC-CLIO, 2005 ISBN: 1851096086

Please note that the required Modern Paganism book can take several weeks to arrive! If unavailable from Fields Books or Amazon, it can be ordered from the publisher at http://www.abc-clio.com/ in print or in a less expensive e-book edition.

Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today. Penguin, 2006 revised & updated edition ISBN: 143038192

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Western Initiation: Theories and Issues

Taught By: Jason Winslade
Thursday 8:00 PM ET

Open to all; must register here if not currently matriculated

Earns 3 unit hours for certificates
Earns 3 credit hours for degrees
Non-matriculated students earn no units/credits

Students will explore the history and background of Western occult initiation, from the early days of Renaissance Hermeticism to Masonic rites, through to Gardnerian Witchcraft and contemporary manifestations of the initiation paradigm. We will discuss important issues inherent to initiation rites, including notions of power, performance, mystery, and symbolism, and we will investigate the role initiation rites play in the life of the community and the individual.

Bado-Fralick, Nikki. Coming to the Edge of the Circle: A Wiccan Initiation Ritual. Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN: 195166450

Bogdan, Henrik. Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation. State University of New York Press, 2007. ISBN: 791470709

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Cherry Hill Seminary prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, or sexual orientation and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment. Futhermore, Seminary policy includes prohibitions of harassment of students and employees, i.e., racial harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation for filing complaints of discrimination.