Whether you are Buddhist, Christian, Pagan, Agnostic, or all or neither of the above, Religious Emphasis Week was made for you.

Religious Emphasis Week, which began on Monday, Jan. 24, served as both a forum to spark discussions on religion, and a celebration of Guilford’s wide religious diversity.

The week-long tradition began in 1990 with the Friends Center’s creation of the college’s first organized Office of Campus Ministry. It has been held and sponsored by GCRO ever since, according to Director of the Friends Center and Campus Ministry Coordinator Max Carter.

“Spirituality and the religious organization of spiritual concerns have a place in a college that prides itself in a ‘transformative education,'” said Carter in an e-mail interview. “Especially at a Quaker college, where all of life is seen as a venue for spiritual expression, a week emphasizing the opportunities, importance, and even fun of religion and spirituality is important.”

The panel discussion “Faith After Four Years at Guilford,” held in the Gallery on Wednesday afternoon, highlighted the variety of personal beliefs on campus as well as the students’ perceptions of how religious issues are treated at Guilford.

“I feel that I have grown stronger in my faith since coming to Guilford, a decision that influenced me in choosing to apply to Wake Forest’s divinity school,” said senior and religious studies major Megan Snider.

Another theme discussed by panelists was the struggle to reconcile religious beliefs with academic knowledge.

“A personal issue for me is what seems to be the major discrepancy between biblical teaching and modern reality,” said senior and religious studies major Thomas Eaves.

“Although I have a strong sense of what the scriptures mean and what Christianity is, I feel like I have to describe myself as an agnostic non-Christian, which is inconvenient since I recently began seeking ordination as a minister in the Episcopal Church,” said Eaves.

These reflections show how the unique environment at Guilford has affected students in a variety of ways, ranging from strong challenges to one’s faith to strengthening of faith.

“There is a tendency to forget in the ‘academy’ that students are not just ‘brains on a stick,'” said Carter in an e-mail interview. “They also have spirit.”

As the week carried on, many other events highlighted Guilford’s religious diversity, including a Catholic evening prayer, a radical Bible study group, and a Buddhist meditation group.

“We may not all be saying the same thing, but I believe that ultimately we are all seeking some sort of truth or purpose in life,” said senior Sasha Lipton-Galbraith, head of Guilford’s Buddhist meditation circle.

On Wednesday evening, the Pagan Mysticism Group discussed Voodoo and Egypt’s religion and spiritual beliefs in the Hut.

Given the variety of personal forms of religion on campus, there was still a sense that the goals of these belief systems were largely similar.

An issue for both the secular and religious is the struggle to integrate science with religion.

This topic among others was touched upon in a lecture given by geneticist Lindon Eaves called “Spirituality, Cosmology, and Anthropology” held at Brian, Jr. Auditorium on Thursday evening.

“If you came here expecting answers, you’re not going to get them — in fact you’ll probably leave with more questions,” said Lindon to the audience.

In his speech, Lindon offered criticism of both ways the scientific and religious communities approach each other.

“The religious folks are notoriously shy when it comes to approaching data — whereas some of the atheists have the hubris to believe that science can console everything — what we need is an engaged conversation between religion and science that addresses who we are as human beings,” said Lindon.

The final note of the week’s mélange of events — a screening of the 1979 film “Monty Python’s Life of Brian,” — provided a humorous tinge in contrast to the serious theological questions raised at the other events. The movie, which features the people of Ancient Judea speaking in exaggerated British accents, sparked laughter in the Hut.

“A remarkable feature of Guilford is its incredible tolerance in terms of accepting different religious beliefs,” said Snider.

The nature of Religious Emphasis events highlighted the distinct way in which members of the Guilford community approach religion, largely in keeping with the college’s core values of equality and diversity.

According to Carter, more than 500 people participated in the more than 43 separate events that spanned the week.

“It (Religious Emphasis Week) was quite a success,” said Carter. “My two regrets are that attendees at most events were the ‘usual suspects’ — folks already active in religious groups — and that the ‘older adults’ in the community were mostly no-shows.”

“Just walking around and talking to different people you can hear at least 10 different religions mentioned — it’s definitely an opportunity to learn about something you may not have known and for others to learn from you,” said Snider.