You can sit at a desk and experience the head rush of answering a test question correctly. Or... you can experience another kind of rush that comes with seeing and touching thousands of years of history at ancient sites like Old Cairo, Mt Sinai, the Old City of Jerusalem, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Biblical Ephesus, or the ‘Straight' street of Damascus, to name only a few. Whether sharing stories with Israeli and Palestinian youth, bargaining in Cairo's Khan al Khalili or the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, or simply joining the locals in service projects that make the world a better place, you realize that experiences like this embed life lessons in ways that mere book learning never can. Are you ready to give it a try?
The Middle East Studies Program (MESP), currently located in Jerusalem, seeks to prepare students to live the Christian life in a world that is religiously and culturally pluralistic. The program allows CCCU students to explore the complex and strategic world of the modern Middle East. The interdisciplinary seminars give students the opportunity to explore the diverse religious, social, cultural and political traditions of Middle Eastern peoples. Students also study the Arabic language and work as volunteers with various organizations. Students experience intense encounters that manifest different worldviews while living in a supportive MESP community. Through travel, MESP students are exposed to the diversity and dynamism of the region. At a time of tension and change in the Middle East, MESP encourages and equips students to relate to the Muslim world in an informed, constructive and Christ centered manner. The program includes extensive speaker options, site visits, internal weekend travel, and cross-cultural events with the locals. Students earn 16 semester hours of credit.
Location:
Since spring 2011, MESP has been located in Jerusalem and is based at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute, a facility located at the crossroads of two Jerusalem suburbs, Israeli Gilo and Palestinian Bethlehem, with breathtaking views of the Judean hills, the distant Jordan valley, and the Arab Christian communities of Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour. The Institute, managed by the University of Notre Dame, offers a secure haven from any potential local turbulence in addition to a serenely quiet place in which to reflect, write, think, or worship. With laundry facilities, Wi-fi, spaces for private study, a theological library with 88,000 volumes, and a professionally staffed cafeteria, Tantur provides MESP students with the academic and spiritual space necessary for serious personal growth and cohort learning with colleagues. And yes, it is also a fun place for occasional campfires, hoopfests, and the cultivation of friendships.
