Pilgrimage: South Korea

Pilgrimage: South Korea explored issues of peace, reconciliation, and religious pluralism in a country where Christianity and Buddhism share an almost equal share of the population. The Korean Peninsula provided a backdrop where the residual effects of the Cold War are still evident and many Koreans continue to work for peace and reconciliation.

The Program

Pilgrimage: South Korea was an intensive travel seminar led by Emily Cobb, director of multifaith initiatives, Craig Kocher, university chaplain, Kevin Heffernan, Zen Buddhist campus minister, and Monti Datta, assistant professor of political science.

The experience in South Korea took place throughout the peninsula with stops in Ganghwa Island, Sudeoksa, Gwangju, and Seoul. We worked with numerous organizations and individuals to help illuminate religious practice, political movements, and social activism in the region. We visited major religious sites and had time to explore the culture and beauty of the region.

Student Reflections

Alex McDilda, '14

Tim Gruber, '16

Photo: Arne Hückelheim / CC-BY-SA-3.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 / via Wikimedia Commons