In November 2025, 100 undergraduate students enrolled in the "Introduction to Comparative Religions" course had the opportunity to visit four religious organizations throughout Central Ohio. The instructor, Dr. Isaac Weiner, assigned students to attend a religious service from a religious tradition they had little experience with and write a paper on the experience. Students had the choice to visit a Theravada Buddhist monastery (Wat Buddha Samakidham Temple), a Muslim mosque (Masjid Omar), a Jewish synagogue (Beth Jacob Synagogue), and a Hindu temple (Bharatiya Hindu Temple). These visits were organized as class field trips, and students also had the option to visit other religious services on their own.

Students were welcomed by monks, imams, rabbis and a variety of other community leaders who invited them to observe and sometimes participate in religious ceremonies. Students were able to ask members of the religious communities questions about their practices and learn about the many ways religion is practiced throughout Columbus. 

The "Introduction to Comparative Religions" course is offered through the Department of Comparative Studies during the spring and autumn semesters each year, with Dr. Weiner teaching in the autumn. His students have made this round of field trips a number of times. 

For more information on courses through the Center of the Study of Religion, go to our course listing page.