About This Site:  I originally conceived this Web page as a tool for students in my Religious Studies classes at Ball State University, as well as students in classes taught by my colleagues.  I wanted them to have the experience of using the Web as an important tool for obtaining information. As the page grew, so did my vision of what it might be.  The Web is about communication--about people sharing information and gathering information. When information about religion, religious groups, and religious issues is presented on the Web, people of faith have the chance to speak for themselves, rather than an "outsider" speaking about them.  When we visit Web sites, we have access to this information in a nonconfrontive way, without feeling pressured  to alter our own commitments.  We can read, reflect, come back and read again if we wish.   The nature of the Web is such that we can always explore further along the same path, down a variety of side trails, or in another direction.  I hope that people other than students will find this site useful in their own searches for information.

These are not the only religion-related pages on the Web; they're not necessarily even the best ones.  Most, if not all, have links to additional sites.  These are sites that I have found have good information, presented well.  If you have a favorite religion-related site about which you would like me to know, send me mail.  I update this site regularly.

Who I Am:  I'm Julia Corbett Hemeyer, Professor of Religious Studies, Emerita, in the Department of Philosophy at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.  I received my Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1982. Prior to that, I had received a B.S. with a major in sociology from the Ohio State University and an M.Div. from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.  

Being a teacher/scholar in the area of comparative religion provided me with an excellent opportunity to come to know which of the religions might best enable me personally to experience and respond to the dimension of sacredness in daily life.  For me, at this point in my life's journey, Buddhism does that.

Since retiring from Ball State, I'm  a part-time hospital chaplain doing mainly emergency response chaplaincy.  I continue to write in the area of religion in the United States; the Sixth Edition of my book, Religion in America, is forthcoming. I am also writing a book and developing workshops on healing spiritually for adults who were sexually abused as children. My husband, Tom, teaches audiology at Ball State. I have daughter and son-in-law, and granddaughter and grandson, as well as two cats and two dogs.  I enjoy reading, walking, cooking, growing flowers, photography, and travel.

My late husband, Mike, was a Political Science professor at Ball State until his death from cancer in 2001. I could not have developed this site without his assistance.

Anywhere in the Perspectives on Faith web site that you see "go to contents," you may click on it to return to this table of contents.
 

Notice: The information presented on this page represents the personal views, ideas, and opinions of the author. This is not an official Ball State University web page. Links contained at this web site to other organizations are presented as a service and neither constitute nor imply university endorsement or warranty.