Current and Developing Projects
Star Party Winery
Located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, Star Party is a family owned winery that prides itself in producing low-intervention, natural wines. Star Party celebrates bringing people together, whether at simple gatherings in the backyard under the stars or those special life events we photograph and look back on for years to come. With an inaugural vintage in 2021, Star Party sources grapes primarily from the Shenandoah Valley AVA to feature the best flavors of Virginia. We are committed to reducing environmental impacts throughout the winemaking process so that generations to come can enjoy quality wine under starry skies. Whether you are a wine connoisseur or simply enjoy a good glass of wine with friends, Star Party is perfect for any occasion.
Lutheran Faith Network
Pastors, Deacons, Musicians, Lay Leaders and Others are All Working Together to be a More Connected Church.
Courses Offered at George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College
RELI 240: Death and the Afterlife in Religion. 3 credits.
Explores how selected world religions address the universal experience of death and express their beliefs in an afterlife. Focuses on the scriptures, beliefs, rituals and customs of selected world religions as they reflect each tradition's response to the most basic question about human destiny - how human beings face death and attempt to transcend it.
RELI 322: Religions of Africa. 3 credits.
Explores traditional religious practices and world views in Africa south of the Sahara, the spread of African religions to the Caribbean and the Americas, the forms that religions imported or imposed from the north have taken in Africa south of the Sahara, and the interaction among the religious cultures of Africa, European Christianity and Islam.
RELI 339: The Bible as Literature. 3 credits.
Analyzes the Bible as a collection of literary texts. Course readings will include selections from the Jewish Tanakh and from the Christian New Testament. Students will become familiar with contemporary scholarship on the Bible and sample the Bible's impact on the art and literature of the last millennia. Students will become conversant with concepts such as scripture, canon, source criticism, historical criticism, genre, and reception history.
REL 100 - Introduction to the Study of Religion (3 CR.)
Explores the idea of religion (as a general category), how to study religion in an academic context, and common elements across most religions such as beliefs, practices, values, community, spiritual experience, symbolism, and narrative.
REL 233 - Introduction to Islam (3 CR.)
Studies Islam in its historical, religious, and political dimensions and assists in the understanding of its contemporary vitality and attraction as a faith, a culture, and a way of life.
REL 237 - Religions of the East (3 CR.)
Studies major religious traditions originating in India and East Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Daoism and Shinto. Examines origins, values, ethics, teachings, and practices.
REL 238 - Religions of the West (3 CR.)
Studies major religious traditions originating in the Near East, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Examines origins, values, ethics, teachings, and practices.