Class dates: Oct 31, Nov 7, 14, 21, Dec 5 (5 weeks)

Class time: 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Location: Online (via Zoom)

For thirty years, Northern Ireland endured the “Troubles” – a bloody war between Protestants and Catholics over deep-seated religious, ethnic, political, and economic grievances. In religious matters, Protestants opposed the Church’s “interference” with civic life and viewed Catholics as morally elitist and superstitious. Catholics disdained Protestants’ rejection of the Pope’s moral authority and thought them bigoted and uncultured. With a long history of mutual discrimination, both sides feared becoming a minority community, living under the harsh rule of the other. In this course we’ll focus on the religious issues within the Troubles and look at how Ireland’s religious landscape has changed since the hostilities officially ended in 1998.

Instructor: Kathleen Fisher has taught in WISE since 2019, offering courses in religion and spirituality through a variety of poets, philosophers, religious figures, and historical texts. She holds a Ph.D. in Medieval History and Religion from Boston University where she focused on Irish history and medieval monasticism. During a long teaching career in Theology at Assumption University, she taught courses in World Religions and Christian Spirituality, among others. Kathleen now lives in Chapel Hill, NC.