Twelve CIC faculty members from a wide range of fields have been selected to attend a seminar on Teaching About Islam and Middle Eastern Culture to be held in Amman, Jordan. It is the third seminar cosponsored by CIC and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), made possible through financial support from the U.S. Department of State. The seminar will take place at the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Amman and will run from December 28, 2006 through January 19, 2007. ACOR director Barbara A. Porter will coordinate the program and lead the seminar.

Like the January 2004 and January 2005 seminars, the program is designed specifically for professors who are not experts in Islam or Middle Eastern culture. The participants will learn more about this part of the world and its principal religion, and think about how to develop new courses or adapt existing courses to include knowledge and insights gained from the seminar. Seminar topics will include the ancient and modern history of Jordan, women in Islam and women’s groups in Jordan, environmental and water issues, and the three monotheistic faiths in the Middle East. Planned field trips include the Citadel, Roman Theater, and King Hussein Mosque and Gardens in Amman, as well as visits to Jerash, Madaba, the Dead Sea, and an overnight stay in Petra.

ACOR is a key institution for advancing research and publication in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, history, languages, Biblical studies, Arabic, Islamic studies, and other aspects of Middle Eastern culture. Founded in 1968, ACOR provides advice, coordination, research facilities, and living and meeting space for scholars, and serves as a liaison between Jordanian institutions and international scholars interested in working in the Arab world.

Faculty members attending the seminar will include Daniel Byrne, assistant professor of history, University of Evansville (IN); Daniel Ebert, professor of Biblical studies, Clearwater Christian College (FL); Eileen Eppig, SSND, associate professor of religious studies, College of Notre Dame of Maryland; Heather Hogan, professor of history, Oberlin College (OH); Kimberly Jarvis, assistant professor of history, Doane College (NE); David Jervis, associate professor of political science, Rockford College (IL); Jeffrey Kisner, professor of religion, Waynesburg College (PA); Susan Loughran, professor and director of the Capstone Program, St. Edward’s University (TX); Paul Parker, professor of theology and religion, Elmhurst College (IL); Joy Raser, associate professor of language and literature, University of Saint Mary (KS); E. Allen Richardson, professor of social sciences, Cedar Crest College (PA); and Alison Sainsbury, associate professor of English, Illinois Wesleyan University.