| Title: | Friendship |
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| Course Section Number: | FRT-101-02 |
| Department: | Freshman Tutorial |
| Description: | The medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas once claimed, "There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship." Centuries before him the Greek historian Herodotus said, "Of all possessions a friend is the most precious." And more recently, in the mid-twentieth century, C. S. Lewis wrote, "Friendship is unnecessary.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that gives value to survival." In this freshman tutorial, we will ask: What is friendship? What makes someone a friend? What qualities or characteristics are part of friendship? Through the insights of significant writers, as well as through stories, in both literature and film, we will investigate these questions and try to deepen our understanding of friendship. Various recent studies suggest that American men are not doing well in the realm of friendship. Why is this? How do men in particular cultivate and engage in friendships, and what meaning and purpose do they find in them? Friendships are a gift and blessing, a source of happiness and camaraderie, care and comfort in a harsh world, but they also present difficult challenges and can produce disappointments and heartache. Most of us would say that friendships are a vitally important part of life, but are we somehow less well equipped today to take the time and make the commitments involved in developing strong and enduring friendships? Finally, how can we facilitate and form meaningful friendships at Wabash? If, as the old proverb has it, "Shared joy is multiplied and shared grief is divided," we all need friends with whom we care share the things that matter. Prof. Jon Baer has taught in the Religion Department for more than twenty years. His main areas of interest are American religion, church history, and sociology and anthropology of religion. He has taught several freshman tutorials, though this is his first time with the topic of friendship. He and his wife Carolyn live in Crawfordsville, where they raised their three now-adult children. |
| Credits: | 1.00 |
| Start Date: | August 26, 2026 |
| End Date: | December 19, 2026 |
| Meeting Information: |
08/27/2026-12/17/2026 Lecture Tuesday, Thursday 09:45AM - 11:00AM, Center Hall, Room 304
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| Faculty: | Baer, Jonathan |
Course Status
| Section Name/Title | Status | Dept. | Capacity |
Enrolled/ Available/ Waitlist |
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