Beam them up, Scottie.
That's what Muhlenberg professor Susan Schwartz hopes will happen when students
see the title of her course, ''The Religions of Star Trek.''
She wants the pop culture television show to spark students' interest in the
entry-level religion class and ''beam'' them into her classroom.
Her lure — a widely-used tactic among religious professors — seems to be
working.
Students flock to the class in droves every fall, filling it to capacity and
creating long waiting lists to get in. Now in its third year, the course is so
popular, Schwartz is offering it in the summer as well.
Bryan Timer, a student in Schwartz's summer class, said he was a skeptic when
he enrolled.
''I really didn't see what 'Star Trek' had to do with religion. But now I see
that it really does have overtones … and it's helped me understand my own
religion,'' said Timer, who describes himself as a nonpracticing Lutheran. He
said he likes the class because it's easier to discuss how religious theories
relate to ''a television show you've just watched than theories you listen to
an instructor talk about.''
Tying religion courses to cultural icons to entice students into the classroom
has become a common practice on campuses across the country. Professors say
that incorporating the lighthearted subject matter makes it simpler for some
students to debate sensitive topics related to religion.
Indiana University, California University of Pennsylvania and Siena College in
New York offer religion classes that include course work on ''Star Trek.''
Several schools, including Siena Heights University in Michigan, Boston University
and the University of New Hampshire, have offered courses and special lectures
on ''The Simpsons'' and religion.
Moravian College offers two religion courses that include an assortment of pop
culture including comic strips, fairytales and movies such as ''One Flew Over
the Cuckoo's Nest'' and ''Mystic Pizza.'' And at Lehigh University students can
take ''Jesus, Buddha, Mao and Elvis,'' a class that examines the origins and
development of religions and cult movements.
Like Schwartz's class, the Lehigh course has become a student magnet,
attracting 100 students or more every semester it's offered.
''It's become a staple here,'' Lehigh spokesman Andrew Stanten said.
Once in class, students do more than watch television reruns and listen to old
records of the King. Professors use topics raised by movies and TV shows as a
springboard to launch discussions on religious theories.
''People are not getting college credit for 'Star Trek,''' Schwartz said.
''We're studying religion here and we're using 'Star Trek' as a lens through
which religion can be studied.''
For example, Schwartz's class recently watched ''Who Watches the Watchers?'' a
''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode in which the character Captain
Picard is mistaken as a god by a group of people after they experience a
tragedy. Afterward, the class discussed what it means to be a deity and
instances in which people turn to religion.
In an upcoming class, they'll watch the episode, ''The Measure of A Man,'' in
which questions are raised about whether an android character has a soul.
Schwartz said the class will then discuss what different cultures believe about
souls, ''how you know if something has a soul and what does it mean to have a
soul.''
Lois Daly, who teaches a similar course at California University of
Pennsylvania, said ''Star Trek'' is an obvious choice for professors trying to
pique student interest.
''It has a lot to do with religion … and it's one of the most watched
franchises around,'' she said. ''Even students who have never watched 'Star
Trek' know the characters. And that makes it easier to use for our purposes
than a television show that was only around for one or two seasons. This has
been going on for 40 years.''
Religious professors aren't the only teachers to use pop culture to seduce
student interest. Movies and television shows are frequently incorporated into
communications, English and history classes.
But Schwartz said religious professors often have a more difficult time
recruiting than other instructors.
''We're always looking for ways to get students into the academic study of
religion … Students are often nervous about studying religion. Frequently,
they're afraid someone is going to preach at them,'' said Schwartz, who began
offering the class after leading a professional seminar on the topic. The
response — several hundred people attended the standing-room-only lecture —
encouraged her to start the course and co-author the book, ''Religions of Star
Trek.''
Tying the course to popular culture enables professors to ''introduce students
to ideas without rooting them in a particular belief'' and ''injects a little
humor into the study of religion,'' she said.
Daly agreed.
''When students see the theories played out on television, it makes the
theories come alive and much easier to discuss.''
The classes do have critics, however.
Schwartz said students frequently tell her their parents have forbidden them
from taking her course for fear it won't have redeeming academic value. And on
campus, some faculty members have questioned whether the class ''has academic
integrity attached to it,'' she said.
Nevertheless, Schwartz believes using ''Star Trek'' to attract students has
been a success.
In fact, she says many students from the introductory class have ended up
staying in her religious galaxy.
''We've gotten quite a few religion majors out of it,'' Schwartz said.