Focus On Faith: Professor and Student Travel To Israel To Study Religion
By: Marlisa Goldsmith
Updated: February 1, 2012
"I grew up in the church reading the bible and learning all the biblical stories," says Matt Bell, a student at McMurry University.
Which is part sparked Bell's interest in traveling to Israel this winter.
Bill Libby says, "I sent out a message to students asking if anyone was interested and Matt said yes, so i went with him to attend the program myself but also to support him while he was there."
Dr. Bill Libby is an Assistant Professor of Religion at McMurry University who has traveled to the Middle East often and each time he walks away with a new appreciation.
"A deepening of my understanding both of the Christian bible and the Old Testament which I teach,the Jewish bible, because we walked to many of those places and saw them for ourselves. And that's always important," says Libby.
Bell says he gained an understanding of how to speak about his faith.
"If I'm going to be a Christian and operate in the world and all its government and politics, how do I communicate my Christian identity through a national identity?"
Bell and Libby's experience has ultimately inspired others to travel and learn more about religion.
"I was extremely interested in learning more about that heading out there and just kind of emerging myself in culture that my faith background emerged from," says Libby.
Which is part sparked Bell's interest in traveling to Israel this winter.
Bill Libby says, "I sent out a message to students asking if anyone was interested and Matt said yes, so i went with him to attend the program myself but also to support him while he was there."
Dr. Bill Libby is an Assistant Professor of Religion at McMurry University who has traveled to the Middle East often and each time he walks away with a new appreciation.
"A deepening of my understanding both of the Christian bible and the Old Testament which I teach,the Jewish bible, because we walked to many of those places and saw them for ourselves. And that's always important," says Libby.
Bell says he gained an understanding of how to speak about his faith.
"If I'm going to be a Christian and operate in the world and all its government and politics, how do I communicate my Christian identity through a national identity?"
Bell and Libby's experience has ultimately inspired others to travel and learn more about religion.
"I was extremely interested in learning more about that heading out there and just kind of emerging myself in culture that my faith background emerged from," says Libby.
