GUIDELINES FOR SITE VISITS

Louis Komjathy, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies University of San Diego

In many of my courses, students are given the opportunity to gain direct personal experience of lived religiosity through visits to local churches, temples, and sacred sites. This usually includes a recommendation and/or requirement to visit a community other than one’s birth-tradition and to complete an informal write-up. The latter is simply a description of when and where one went and what one observed. Such write-ups are usually used as the basis of class discussions at the end of the semester.

For students in my courses, the following guidelines are intended to provide guidance on scheduling such visits and on etiquette during the actual visit. The latter includes tradition-specific advice which may be unfamiliar to students. You may also benefit from reading the etiquette guidelines of Professor Lance Nelson (http://home.sandiego.edu/~lnelson/htrs/etiq.html).

With respect to scheduling a site visit, you should contact the head-teacher or a member of the community before the visit, even if there are open meeting times and public events. During your initial contact and conversion, introduce yourself and tell them why you want to attend their gathering (e.g., to fulfill a class assignment). Ask if they are open to this. If so, thank them and confirm your attendance plans. If not, thank them and find a different opportunity.

Contacting a given teacher and/or community should be done for a number of reasons. First, it is a respectful and considerate thing to do. Second, it allows you to clarify certain details. Either via phone or email correspondence, you will want to confirm the date, time and location and inquire about protocol. Should newcomers arrive early? Is there a dress code? Is payment or donation required? (If appropriate and if you can afford it, I recommend making a small donation regardless.) Is there anything else you should know?

In terms of making the actual site visit, remember that you are a representative of a THRS class and of USD. Most of the following guidelines fall under the category of basic decency, consideration, and respect.

Arrive slightly early or exactly on time. Do not arrive late. The community’s guidelines for this should be online and/or clarified during your correspondence.

Dress appropriately. In most cases, this means long and loose-fitting clothing, perhaps even long skirts for women. In certain communities, you may be asked to remove your shoes, so make sure your feet and/or socks are clean.

When interacting with members of the community, be circumspect and deferential. When asking questions, make sure that they are polite and appropriate. Be aware of your tone as well. If you feel that a controversial or challenging question is necessary, preface it with something like, “May I ask a more difficult question?”

Before leaving or after the visit, thank the teacher and community members for letting you visit.

In the extremely unlikely event that you feel uncomfortable or witness something disturbing, simply leave. Always trust your own intuitions and common-sense. Please discuss your experiences with me.