Current Courses



2010 Fall Semester PCE Foundations 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 12 week semester. What are the tuition rates? As of August, 2010, tuition rates are as follows: Foundations classes: $90 per credit hour, plus a $25 registration fee per term for non-matriculated students. PCE classes: $80 per unit hour. Master’s classes: $145 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.	aster's
	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	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 PCELL: Erotic Ethics. Required Texts: 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 Order Texts Register Now
	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 Order Texts Register Now
	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	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) Order Texts Register Now
	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 Order Texts Register Now
	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 Order Texts Register Now
	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 Register Now
	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 Order Texts Register Now
	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. Title Theories of Personality (8th Edition).Publisher and year Wadsworth, 2004. ISBN: 534624026 Order Texts Register Now
	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 Order Texts Register Now
	Western Initiation: Theories and Issues Taught By: Jason Winslade Sunday, Monday or Thursday 8:00 PM ET Open to all. 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 Order Texts Register Now
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