Associate Academic Professional Lecturer Seth Ward from the department of religious studies and philosophy funnels his passion for the global practices of Judaism and Islam into his personal study, knowledge of language and enthusiasm for teaching.
Ward is originally from the state of New York, and he completed his undergrad through Ph.D.s in near eastern languages and literature at Yale University. While in college, Ward found all his free time devoted to literature surrounding the Middle East and theology and then decided to follow those interests.
By traveling to various sites of religious importance in both Islamic and Jewish heritage as well as staying on top of his language fluencies in Hebrew and Arabic, Ward channels his personal experience in education with the academic side of religious studies.
“Dr. Seth Ward is the smartest man I have ever met,” said religious studies major Jacob Holden. “His academic credibility is transparent in his classes, and he has the efficient ability to tie different ranges of topics together into one cohesive unit.”
Holden is one of the students that will have the opportunity to participate in Ward’s study abroad program that will allow students to travel to both Israel and Jordan for several weeks at the conclusion of spring semester.
“In our society, Islam is growing all over the world,” Ward said. “We need to know more about Islam because there is a lot of misinformation about not only Islam, but Judaism and Christianity.”
Bringing students into Middle Eastern countries that almost never match the expectations of biblical living allows Ward to show them that Israel and Jordan do in fact live in a modern society. This experience often shines light on the fact that there really are not many differences in our ways of life, making Middle Eastern society easier to relate to.
Religious studies major Korah Lombardi has been one of Ward’s supplemental instructors for three of his courses in the past few years, and she said she feels as though Ward’s approach to the study of religion and culture has shown her a new side of the field.
“He challenges students to think about religion in new and unique ways,” Lombardi said. “I’m always excited to be challenged, [and as] he is religious himself, he knows how to make students study their own religions academically.”
In light of the political commotion of the Middle East and current events with Islamic extremism and social movements, Ward uses his deep respect as he approaches the harder topics within Islam. His classes require an open mind and willingness to learn.
“Much of what we do as a culture is based on what we think is ultimately most important,” said Ward. “Many of us make decisions based on that, but a religious studies program is not meant to beat you into a theological viewpoint. We don’t really tell you what you must believe, but we do ask you to think about what works and why it’s important.”
Being able to tactfully approach the contemporary and historical topics of his religious classes allows Ward to help students see the relevance of both Judaism and Islam even in the cowboy state.
“Many students in Wyoming have Christian backgrounds, and Jewish tradition is the foundation of that,” Ward said. “Not only that, but it’s interesting material, it’s fascinating, worth studying and provides very crucial analysis into how various cultures and societies resolve important issues and we relate to one another.”
Having a basis of knowledge of these fundamental and historically relevant religions in Ward’s career allowed him to find a greater appreciation for the ways in which individuals and groups find significance within their lives.
“In many cases, people’s deepest beliefs about what’s religiously true ends up being far more important than the rational discourse that is only based on external and experiential data,” Ward said. “Many people don’t take these classes for themselves to find a religion, but to understand the greater workings of society.”
Ward’s passion for Judaism and Islam continues as he finds greater meaning sharing his knowledge with students and those wishing to increase their knowledge of different perspectives of the world.
