Nice guy - he teaches in an organized manner, uses overheads, very straightfwd!

Hint: Essays are graded straight up for writing, not for what you're saying

so boring, you have to be into religion, hard tests and hard grading on papers

Great teacher. He's easy to understand and he knows his stuff.

not the most exciting at 8 am, but knows his stuff

Nice guy. Helpful. Hard tests with few questions. Hard grader on papers

well educated. he knows his stuff

excellent teacher, learned a lot, but grades hard

Dr. Kirk is the best teacher . . . ever

harder, but very interesting, knows his stuff. very sweet guy.

Extremely smart proffesor. He was interesting enought to keep me awake @ 8am... It's a shame he's going back to Canada- if he teaches May sesion I'd definetly recomend him. He's difficult, but you will really learn a lot.

Repeats a lot of stuff and accents weird syllables, but his class isn't hard and it's well taught. Notes are easy to take and the test wasn't hard. You can read or not, ie's easier if you do, but you don't have to to do well.

I took his class a long time ago but just wanted to give him another glowing review before he leaves this semester. He was a fantastic teacher as well as an intelligent, humorous, and charming man. JMU is really losing a great professor.

Awesome teacher who really knows his stuff. Lectures were a little disorganized, but learned a lot. JMU is losing a great religion professor.

Welcome back, Dr. Kirk! What an awesome professor. Lectures are very clear and interesting. 2 tests and 1 big paper. I learned so much in this class! Don't graduate from JMU without taking one of his courses!

One big paper. Midterm and Final (multiple choice for both). I didn't read any of the book and came out with a low B. By the way....no attendance policy.

He made every religion seem interesting. He has a way to show the good side of each one. Wonderful prof, but hard grader. Go to class because he doesn't use powerpoint. You will enjoy the class though.

Prof. Kirk knows he stuff, thats for sure. Really nice guy inside and outside class. I enjoyed finishing up college in this class. Can be a difficult grader but has high expectations. Hopefully we will always have him at JMU.

dr. kirk is the best professor ever. objective and interesting

Not very interested in getting to know you or if you understand the material. Very by-the-syllabus and does not make any exceptions. Beyond what a 100 level class should be avoid if possible.

The people who say his classes are boring are the ones who think it will be easy. If you can do the work and listen then you'll do well. He is very fair and willing to meet you half way. You can tell he loves his subject and the fact that he doesn't force his opinions on you makes him a great professor.

Interesting class. Enjoys teaching the subject. One paper, a midterm, and a final. No attendance policy.

Dr. Kirk is a very informative instructor; his lectures offered so very many socio-historic-cultural-religious treatments of the early Jesus movement and the context within which it emerged. I've emerged with an understanding of the big picture surrounding Christianity and now have a much greater appreciation of the religion.

Basically, he's the man. He knows his stuff, and teaches the Bible with authority, in a very academic sense of course. Kirk is one of my favorite teachers so far in my school career. I'd take him every semester if I could.

Professor Kirk is not only a great Professor who teaches with enthusiasm and comprehensive knowledge, but he is also a great person. Its been a privilege coming to his class every week and I hope he's enjoyed having me as a student as much as I've enjoyed having him as a professor. Take the class! You won't regret it!

I probably took this class based on prior reviews. First off, this class is VERY challenging. 2 exams and 1 big paper. Lectures are kind of dry but Dr. Kirk will help you if you go to his office. Take good notes, and read the book. Avg grade is probably a C+/B-.

This class was really great and Professor Kirk is awesome! He is incredibly interested in the course material and it shows. The class is set up by worksheets and a choice between a final or a huge paper, which aren't bad at all. He is very helpful and interested in his students. Highly recommend!

4 books, 5 essays and 1 final. You only have 2 absences before he docks you one whole letter grade. VERY strict on grading the essays. I read all of the books, wrote very good (so I thought) essays, and thought I did fairly well on the cumulative final. Still ended up with a C in the class. Avoid GREL101 in general..

He's a really interesting and kind person, class can be a little dull but he really knows what he's talking about. Worksheets and a final so not terrible. Reading assigned but I didn't do it and did fine. Worth taking if you're interested!

Dr. Kirk is probably one of the most fair professors you will ever have. Lectures are frequent but very interesting. Tests are hard but he gives partial credit where it is due. I have so much respect for this man. Go to class and work hard and you will do fine.

Alan Kirk was my favorite professor! I took his Gen-ed religion course and I loved it. He is a super nice guy and he allows two unexcused absences and there are no tests except for the final. The class is mostly book reports but they have to be 500 words or less and they're super easy! I got 100s on all my papers. Definitely would take him again!

Easy class to fulfill the GenEd cluster. He makes it as easy as possible and tries to make the lectures as interesting as they can be. I really enjoyed his class. He assigns very little assignments and the final is online. Would definitely recommend.

One of my favorite classes so far at JMU. Professor Kirk is extremely passionate, which makes the class more fun. There is 3 essays and a final. He grades the essays pretty hard but you can pretty easily get a B. Would definitely take again.

Kirk is awesome and his 202 class is super clear cut. The only grades were two papers, a midterm, and the final. The papers didn't even require research; you just went off of the readings given to you. If you're not a decent writer be wary, but he's willing to work with you and let you know what is and isn't working. Such a great guy.

Kirk is a great professor and really into his lectures. Really appreciated online tests and quizzes considering this was an elective for me. Grades essays really hard though. Other than that, super great guy.

This is definitely one of my favorite classes that I have taken at JMU. If you are a religion major, or if you are interested on the historical Jesus, I would highly suggest taking this course. Dr. Kirk has teaches those course in a clear and chronological way that makes it easy to follow and it provides you with a lot of important information.

Lots of lecturing, multiple essays, lots of reading (you really do need the books), and a lot of information to grasp but overall worth it. Sometimes can feel monotonous, but he tries to engage with students and clearly cares for his topic and his classes. Don't skip his class and don't even try to pull out your phone (counts as an absence if seen)

Kirk is a cool guy who's really into what he teaches. However, he'll fail you for attendance, or dock your grade for having your phone out. Tough on grading, but there isn't the much work. Just show up and you'll be fine.

Kirk is a great professor who is very passionate about each religion he goes into detail on. The class is 2 papers based on 2 of the 3 books you are required to read, 3 worksheets based on videos you view outside of class, and 1 final exam which is online. He is pretty tough grader on the papers but is do-able for a B. Docks points for phones.

Kirk really cares about what he teaches and wants to share what he knows with you. he gets super into his lectures, but at times can be a little boring, to the point of some people nodding off. He does want you to succeed. Also attendance is required and you get an absence deducted if you have your phone out in class. FINAL IS OPEN NOTE AND ONLINE!

He is a great guy! He took the time to learn everybody name in the class. He is super passionate about what he is teaching and he makes Religion an interesting subject!! No homework just 2 three page essays. Must show up for class and strict no phone rule. If you want to learn 10/10 would recommend taking him.

Professor Kirk is awesome! He sometimes goes off on a tangent during his lectures, but he will answer any questions to clarify. He requires you to read 3 novels, but you only have to write essays on 2 of them. If you have him review your essay before you turn it in, he will help you get an A on it. Super easy class overall.

Dr. Kirk is a great professor! His lectures can be boring and attendance policy of missing more than 2 classes could result in a lower grade. Go to class and do all of the few assignments in gradebook you could easily pass with an A or B. GO TO his office hours for help on papers!! Gives extra credit at end of semester and final exam is online!!

This professor is boring at times, but he knows what he is talking about. He's one of the few professors that actually cares about the subject. You have to watch videos that are VERY boring and do assignments, but it's not too terrible. There's only one test and 2 essays.

Professor Kirk was one of the most interesting teachers I have ever had. The class is based on the lectures he gives and you can tell how passionate he is about what he is teaching. The class consists of a few written assignments and he grades harder than I would have expected. Definitely, go to him for help on essays because he will take the time.

Very passionate about what he teaches and knows A LOT. Told us that he realizes we have other classes to worry about and he wasn't going to be super hard on us. Two essays which he gave us the research for and a cumulative final. One of my favorite professors I have had, wish I had more time to get to know him better personally.

Funny man. Lecture heavy and can get off topic or a little boring at times but still a good teacher. There are 10 question reading quizzes on pages ranging from 20-150, 2 parable essays (1,500 words), and 1 final exam. Not a hard class just make sure you read and pay attention in class.

Easy class you just have to show up. 2 essays throughout on easy to read/interesting novels. Only test was the final and it was take home/open note!

I've had Dr. Kirk for a couple of years and I absolutely love his lectures. I've learned so much in his class. Tests are difficult, and tough grader on papers. I didn't receive the best grade in the class, but for any religion major or minors, you definitely should take his class at some point! Extremely insightful, but you have to work hard.

Dr. Kirk is a really nice guy, who definitely cares about his students. The lectures and the readings, when I had time to do them, were also genuinely interesting and helped with the understanding of the material. The assignments weren't too bad: 7 T/F quizzes based on readings, 2 papers, and then the final at the end.

Such a cool teacher and I really enjoyed his lectures. He is tough on grading essays but will revise them with you if you see him prior to its due date. Had him on M/W from 8-9:15. Would totally take again.

Alan is a great guy with a passion for religion. He has very minimal assignments but they are all based on readings. If you think he's a hard grader your just a horrible writer because I got A's and B's for all my papers. Mandatory attendance is the only thing that blows but other than that good gen ed to take.

Kirk is a great professor. His lectures are kind of dry but somehow interesting at the same time. He cares about students and is accessible if you need to talk to him about something. There's reading quizzes that are based on a lot of reading but it's manageable. Other grades are essays which I never quite figured out, but my grade is fine still.

Great professor, if you think he grades hard, you are a bad writer. No tests, easy short essays on interesting books. However, if you do not like religion do not take his class because you will not be interested.

I am currently taking Professor Kirk's Religion 101 class and I love it! Despite what a lot of people have to say, he is very fun, caring and kind and I wish the class met more than two times a week. He barely gives any homework, just papers from books he assigns or watching a video and answering questions . No tests, only the final exam.

I don't know where you all are saying he is such a hard grader cause he really isn't. As long as you stick to the prompt given and properly use the books you're fine. Lectures can be a bit boring at times but I think he's pretty interesting. Graded on a few things but you get proper warnings on when they're due.

I loved being in his class. He is a relatively tough grader but encourages students to come to his office hours for help. He jokes a lot and he's really passionate. He's pretty strict and will call you out if you have your phone out, but he isn't mean. Its crucial to take notes but it was never a lot. We watched a few things but he mostly lectures.

I really enjoyed Professor Kirk's class, he obviously cares about the subject, and his students. The only exam is the final, which is open-notes, then just a few worksheets/papers. As long as you put effort in to the papers you're fine, and he'll give you feedback before the due date.

Prof Kirk was great! His lectures were easy to understand, final was open-note. But, I do not think I ever made 100% on papers/ assignments. He was open to meeting during or even outside of office hours which helped boost my grades on essays. Not open to students using phone/ computers during lectures, but had the back row for digital notetakers.

(REL 341) Professor Kirk is fun, personable, intelligent, and passionate about what he teaches. There are some challenging assignments, but he is not unfair, and he always offers help/clarification. I learned so much in this class, and he made sure that it was interactive and interesting. He just asks for basic respect and participation.

He's really nice and speaks very passionately about what he teaches. Lectures can be boring if you're not interested in the topics. 3 papers (800-900 words) that are based off of novels (about 200-300 pages) and a cumulative final. He's a bit tough on grading and it nit-picky about tiny details, but an overall good professor.

great professor, tough grader with papers and worksheets. you will have to read 3 novels and write 800-900 word papers on them. he's a really nice guy and the class isn't awful, i'd take it again! as long as you attend most lectures and take notes you will be fine. he wont let you go to the bathroom though which is questionable.