Comments:World Religions - His identity lies in the approval of the adherents of the world religions he teaches.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3345 - Everything that has been said about how this class works is true. You have a response assignments due every class that require a good amount of reading, combined with videos that are graded alongside your peers. There were guest speakers for every religion we covered, and you can learn a lot from them. The issues concerning Dr. Van Gorder's character are overblown. The only reason there are so many negative things being said is that most Baylor students can't handle the fact that not everyone thinks as they do. 1 Peter 3:15, y'all.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:world rel - just a weirdo. do yourself a favor and take anyone but him. i dropped it after like 3 weeks cause i couldnt stand hearing the sound of his voice trying to argue with every student who would talk about their faith.  - Grade In Class:DROP

Comments:World Religions - Doctor Van Gorder is no doubt a controversial figure, but I would encourage everyone when taking the class to remember the aim of the class. The goal is not to prove Christianity right, it is to survey and try to understand other world religions from THEIR PERSPECTIVE. Don't get me wrong, I want to be a missionary and am a devout follower of Christ, but before taking this class be aware it is not a class in apologetics or how to defend Christianity against other religions. Many of the speakers will not go easy on Christianity and Doctor Van Gorder will play devil's advocate. But the class is taken from a phenomenological perspective, hinging less on the actual spiritual truth and more on what people believe. Can Doctor Van Gorder be a touch antagonistic, yes, but frankly as students we make it very hard on him because no one seems to understand the point of the class and everyone gets upset when he says anything that doesn't line up with exactly how they were raised. He is not a universalist (as he has made clear from his own mouth) and he is a Christian, he just isn't going to let you sit there and tell you a bunch of stuff you've been told your whole life, he is going to challenge you. Please, please, please just be aware before going in of this. You can still use apologetics with the guest speakers and even Doctor Van Gorder himself, but he may tire of your constant attempts.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:World Religions - READ THIS COMMENT - especially if you are a professing evangelical Christian. Be careful with this class! Dr. Van Gorder is a super confusing man. He identifies as "Mennonite Pentecostal," who gives sermons at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Waco, and he has told me he thinks Eastern Orthodoxy is the most Biblical Christianity. He is super universalist, and he will try to make normal, evangelical Christians feel like stupid bigots. He has responded to my papers and actually called me insults rather than engaging with the content I wrote. He told me I am living in an "intellectual echo chamber" and that I have been "told what to think and how to think" and that I am a "know-it-all pharisee." Yes. These are things he actually wrote in a reply, along with many others. At the end of the semester, after he left a final comment telling me that I have "no desire to learn," he went back and deleted all his crazy comments and gave me some random points on past assignments. He wants you to come out of this class loving other religions (although he won't admit it). One plus is that he never grades down for opinions, or I definitely would have failed. He's really chill in person, he just gets carried away when responding to people I guess. He constantly rants on Christianity, and especially HATES Calvinism. The guest speakers are cool - you can learn a lot from them. Don't take this class unless you are willing to understand everything in it. If you don't, you will have a lot of unanswered questions that could cause you to doubt your faith. He knows the Bible really well and quotes it all the time, but he doesn't always properly defend the claims that he makes about it. There is merit in this class, but it's not worth it if you aren't willing to put in the effort to understand everything fully. I know not everyone has had this experience, but you all should be aware. None of the previous comments on here prepared me for my semester with Dr. Van Gorder.  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:REL 3345 - At first, Dr. Van Gorder rubs people the wrong way. I was concerned when I first took his class because of the ratings and his blunt way of being. However, he grows on you. His class was enjoyable, I loved the guest speakers, and I feel like he is an easy grader. I just did all of the assignments, followed the "rules," and it was an easy and very enjoyable class. I would recommend Dr. Van Gorder!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3345 - Not an enjoyable class or professor. Sure, he\'s tolerant of other religions and it\'s fascinating to study them under him, but his teaching ability and tech ability is lacking so hard. His canvas page alone will make you want to throw a computer at him - assignments are impossible to find and the syllabus barely communicates what to bring to class/how to prepare. However, **for this class only, apparently** he was a decently okay grader for reading summaries and essays. Exams were straightforward and easy to study for, and a good grade is possible but you might be thoroughly mad throughout the semester. I\'ve heard that he is the OPPOSITE of an easy grader for 4000 level classes, and my friends say he put them through h*ll.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:REL 4343 - Topics in Islam- Class was very ad-lib in a way. Structure was not very well done and the classes were just him going through each book reading them word for word. Not often would you actually have to read the books because there were only like 2-3 tests, 1 12-pg term paper, and 2-3 3pg reading responses. He himself is a unique character. He also just moved to Canada and was teaching class in a hybrid fashion? Overall, you'll be fine with him as your professor, but be prepared to get flustered at times with the structure of the class and such.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Modern Judaism 4348 - Professor van Gorder is a fairly good professor though a great majority of his class is taught by guest speakers. You are required to read seven books throughout the semester and write 200-word reflections on five of them, and 100-word responses to your classmates. You are also required to write two 3-page essays on two of the books you read. Not only this, but you also must interview a minimum of 3 Jewish adherents and write a 3-page paper on what you learned. There is also a minimum 13-page research paper on a country/subject of your choosing related to Judaism. Overall, it is not a bad class considering that I knew nothing of Judaism prior to taking this class and still managed to make an A. Professor van Gorder is a nice guy who cares a lot about his students, and is very helpful if you have any questions regarding the material. Though this class isn't exactly an easy A, it is not too difficult either. Take this class if you need to or are interested! If you are just wanting to fulfill a requirement, though, there might be an easier class elsewhere.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:REL 4343 - I took Dr. van Gorder for a few classes. He is one of the best professors that I have ever had. Dr. van Gorder is a gifted life-long learner and makes class a time for pushing the boundaries, and expanding your frames of reference. I went into my first Topics in Islam class terrified of the long reading list, and unfortunately some aspects of the Middle East. I had a change in heart during the course to say the least. You can expect conversation based classes with a heavy amount of reading. I am immensely thankful for the space Dr. van Gorder provided in his class to wrestle with hard questions and dialogue with other students. The readings, class conversations, and research for papers were some of my most impactful times in college. You should take his class.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:4349 - World's Religions and Violence. This course was graphic. It explored different genocides of the world. Before every class, he had a different student present 5 minutes on the genocide that the lecture focused on. There were no tests in this course, but there was a paper due at the end. He reminds the class every meeting about the paper and his availability for assistance on it. I liked that he is multicultural and puts his personal experiences in lectures. He doesn't focus on one particular race on lectures. He uses books, video clips, news articles and images to make you understand the genocide.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3345 - Dr. Van Gorder is a great professor. He gives you an average amount of reading but it is to open your mind to a different way of thinking. He likes to engage in dialogue and your point of view of different religions. He is multicultural and intertwines his personal life experiences with lectures. His tests are short essay based and are not hard to locate within the readings.He is a great professor who allows you to look at World Religions through a different lens, and not just the textbook.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:World Religion - He's a nice man, Always helpful if you go to his office to ask question. the Final exam is just definition of terms; and those terms will be given to you from the beginning of the class. you also have to write reflection papers on trips and readings.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:3345 - Dr. Van Gorder is an interesting character. He shows random movie clips, music videos, and youtube videos at the beginning of every class. They're pretty interesting and set the stage for the topic or sometimes it didn't have anything to do with religion. There are four papers: letter to author, letter to guest speakers, field trip reflection. There is also a spiritual autobiography. There is one exam at the beginning of the semester. He provided the word, you provide the definitions, and there was an open book section. He even gave the page numbers so basically find the answer. It was extremely easy. The final was just 50 vocabulary terms. He provided the word and you write the definition. There were a lot of guest speakers throughout the semester, and they were interesting. I thought this was a good class. Very easy A. There was also extra credit opportunity, but I didn't bother since I held a high A the whole semester.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:World Religions - One of the worst classes I've taken at Baylor. His "style," for lack of a better term, is to let guest lecturers teach the course, only some of whom are knowledgeable and even fewer are interesting. He doesn't bother to show up when they come (which is about once a week), so most people skip a ton of class. His syllabus is incomprehensible and scattered. Don't bother buying the books or doing the reading because they're rarely discussed or utilized. That being said, there are four easy papers, a midterm and a final (consisting of vocab words he gives you in the syllabus), and a TON of cancelled class days. If you want an easy A, Van Gorder is your man. If you want to learn much about World Religions, take someone else and drop in with a friend on the interesting guest lecture days.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:FAS 1308 - This is my favorite professor of all time. He spurs your thinking beyond imagination and I can honestly say I have a completely different approach to life after taking this professor. You have to go in with an open mind and heart otherwise you'll just be offended at his challenges and rants. I'm excited to take his world religions course. He gave four essays that counted as tests and one final that was basically knowing facts. I stressed about the papers but he was more interested that you got something out of the course as opposed to what you know. There were speakers present every other class period and it's like he WANTED us to challenge the speaker. He loves opinions so don't be afraid to talk and I'm sure you'll make an A.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:4343 - TOPICS IN ISLAM - this course appeared to have a large workload considering the amount of reading assigned; however, I don't think we were EVER quizzed on reading or required to regurgitate anything learned beyond one vocab quiz. His grading on the papers wasn't very consistent, and while I probably got mostly B's and a C on the papers, I somehow pulled out an A in the end. He really cares more about you and what's going on in your brain than what you can prove on paper, so if you like that, you'll like him. Plus, he brings in lots of speakers from nearby Islamic communities, which is interesting. You'll get out of this course what you put into it.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:4343 - The courseload consisted of several 4-6 page essays, one terms test and a 15 page research essay. You will read a fair amount for a 4000 level course and most of the class time will be spent discussing the assigned readings. The books are a good mix of information and provocation. I could say the same for Dr. Van Gorder. Enjoyed the class and would take it again. The class size was small, around 12 students.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3345 - He enjoys telling students about the evils of being white, Christian, American, and a Baylor student. He does have some good guest speakers, which is a great way to learn about other religions. He was never in his office when I tried to go by and talk to him during his office hours, and I felt completely irritated after almost all his lectures. Getting an A is really easy though, just write the essays for his assistant and not van Gorder, and memorize all the definitions for the mid term and final.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:REL 4343 - Decent class, but highly unorganized. Also isn't very clear on what he wants in papers and other assignments. Your final grade seems to depend a lot on luck of the draw and how much he likes you.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:REL 3345 - He is very passionate about religions, but he has a very odd way of teaching. Lets say the class is learning about Hinduism one week, all that week he would praise Hinduism and rant on Christianity. With each new religion presented, he continue his rants on Christianity in order to push you over the edge. He thinks its helpful, but its rude. Is it not possible for a class to have an intelligent discussion with the instructor without him having to resort to altering and distorting the Bible. He does not grade ANYTHING, his old assistant does. And believe me, they are never on the same page. This class was frustrating. I learned a lot in the spring semester, but I pretty much forgot everything now. If you like to be yelled at and given numerous essay assignments, this is the class for you. And for the small percentage of you who genuinely want to know more about World Religions, the class will get annoying at times but you will be sure to get something out of it.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Islam and Asian Religions - Great professor! He's so interested in what he's teaching you that you just can't help being interested too. There's a lot of reading and class discussion, but only a few papers and he doesn't grade too hard. I fell behind with some of the readings, but it wasn't that big of a deal. It's a very thought provoking class and everyone at Baylor should have to take 1 class from him. Also his daughter is ADORABLE and he lets her come to class some times :)  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:REL 4345 - CONTEMPORARY ISSUES FACING ISLAM Make no mistake about it, van Gorder is going to make you work, but I promise it's worth it! I'm not the kinda guy to usually go through the trouble of rating profs, so this rep should tell you enough. Take him. You'll work hard all semester but you'll be glad you did after finals are over! PS: This guy drinks like 3 pots of coffee everyday and listens to rap music! This one time he just randomly stopped lecturing and started doing a weird funk dance!!!  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:World Religions - Van Gorder is the shit. He might very well be crazy but I LOVE IT! He will yell at you, he will cry, he will tell stories in weird voices, speak in other languages, and PREACH! You listen to weird music, watch tons of video clips, have lots of guest speakers, etc. The work load is really conducive to learning, you write response papers that are like "what did you learn from this?" and "how can you apply Hinduism to your life?" so you get to do a lot of personal reflection and guide your learning yourself. Tests are just memorization so no biggie there. This class is NEVER boring. Dr. vanGorder loves his students and from what I hear, is a great mentor. He will hang out with you whenever you want. If you want to learn, take van Gorder!  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:World Religions - I learned a lot from this course and it is probably one of my favorite courses I have taken at Baylor and I am a Senior. Dr. Van Gorder REALLY cares about his students and I could not say enough good things about him as a person. The course, however, has quite a bit of work--all writing assignments and three tests. The tests are easy, you just have to write out 50 definitions (he gives you the terms). There are also 10 papers due that are about 3 pages each. He is very passionate about his teaching and challenges you. It sometimes comes across as offensive, but honestly you can never tell what the man really believes. I would take the course again.   - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:World Religions - Van Gorder wishes to teach World Religions in a different perspective than the norm. The course is full of neverending video clips and impromptu sermons, none of which is necessary in the plethora of papers he assigns. Most people value his "passion" which is there mostly due to copious amounts of caffeine - it is probably the most interesting thing to see in the entire class. The two tests are easy enough but be wary, grades are never on time, so keep track of them yourself - as well as being ostentatious in your attendance and 'participation' otherwise he'll dock you points on that alone. Some might find the content enlightening, but that's if you know absolutely nothing about the major religions of the world.   - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:World Religions - Very interesting and thought-provoking course... Dr. Van Gorder was an great lecturer and used supplemental films that encouraged class discussions and thoughts on the topic. Be prepared because at the beginning of the semester, there are tons of papers due, so be sure to stay on top of those. Overall, this class helped me learn about different religions in a non-biased way that really encouraged me to think for myself about what other religions offer.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3345 - Even though I only got a C+ in World Relgions, van Gorder has made me want to become a prof. No doubt he is the BEST religion prof. I've had here at Baylor. He has so much passion for his work, it's too bad so many other prof.'s just want you to do huge amounts of work without really learning anything.  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:3345 - i had van gorder for world religions and i think that i may have learned more in that class than in the majority of my classes at baylor combined...workload is not hard but he is interesting and really gets after it in class when he is really fired up about something -- take him if you can!!!   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:4345 - van gorder is great. i had him for islamic fundamentalism and social justice. he showed a lot of video clips and facilitated discussion. there was one extensive paper, a final and a reflection on a field trip to a Mosque. that was all our grades. great class, great guy, take him if you can.  - Grade In Class:B+