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State of mindfulness

December 12, 2019 - The Torch

For three years, Faculty of Humanities Dean Chris Goto-Jones has been teaching a free, online course through Leiden University called Demystifying Mindfulness. More than 112,000 people have so far enrolled in the massive open online course (MOOC). Here, Goto-Jones explains the origins, contemporary interest and the continuing evolution of mindfulness in the health sector.

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Seeing the “God gap” in US politics through literature

October 1, 2018 - The Ring

As lawmakers and social media companies scramble to find ways to stop the spread of fake news ahead of the US midterms, a UVic English professor is taking a close read of America’s political “God gap.” Chris Douglas’s research examines the rise of the Christian right in American politics and society since the 1970s through an often-overlooked medium—literature.

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Peru field school experience teaches ecology, economy and spirituality

September 5, 2018 - The Ring

Walking along the foothills of the northern Peruvian Amazon, 14 UVic environmental studies students—along with instructors Ana Maria Peredo and Kate Turner and mentors Murdith McLean and Frederique Apffel-Marglin—embarked on a unique learning experience this spring that wove together ecology, economy and spirituality in an Indigenous setting.

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Renewed agreement celebrates relationship with faith communities

February 1, 2018 - The Ring

On Jan. 18, representatives of 11 faith communities came together to sign a renewed memorandum of understanding honouring the enduring value of their evolving and diverse relationships with UVic. The ceremony, attended by Multifaith Services chaplains, students, faculty, staff and community members, embraced song, story, poetry and incantations from diverse spiritual traditions.

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