Great teacher. One of the best at DePaul. It is not a blow off class.You are in college so there are going to be some classes you might have to work at. You make or break your grade. Ask if you do not understand, don't just sit because you will be lost.

Awesome class! Interesting lectures and films. He teaches you to think in a different way. He is just brilliant. I highly recommend taking Death and its Beyond.

Loved this class! Do the reading, know your critical dates, and you should be fine! If you're going for an A, be prepared to write in GREAT DETAIL.

one of my favorite professors at depaul. very nice person. i learned so much in his class. keep up with the reading and youll do fine.

JUST REMEMBER TO READ THE ASSIGNMENTS AND GET THE EXTRA HELP FROM HIM AND YOU WILL PASS THE CLASS WITH FLYING COLORS. oh yeah do the 10 page papers

Very interesting, very engaging, EXTEREMELY helpful if YOU approach him. Loved his class but it's very difficult. Read everything he gives you, participate and write ALL papers and you'll do fine.

Not easy. Extremely nice fellow, but not easy. Told me what to change on my paper to get an A, I did it, got a B. If you look for an A you need to write 3, yes, 3, ten page papers and pass his kind of tough 2 midterms and a final. Enter at your own risk.

One of the most astute, erudite minds at DePaul University. Will challenge you immensely, which, hopefully, should be THE PURPOSE OF TAKING AN HONORS COURSE!!!!!!

Great Professor. Not, to argue, he is difficult, but if you activily participate in class you'll do fine. I recieved all "C" work, participated everyday and got a "B" in the class. You will definatly learn something from his courses.

NICE GUY, CLASS IS VERY HARD. I WORKED VERY HARD RECIVED A C.

You will learn a lot from his class and from him. But you will also read a lot and write long, miserable papers. (two 5 page single-space papers and two 7-10 page single-space papers). He's a great guy who expects a lot from his students, so be prepared for class!

Probably the most educated man I've ever met. His reading/writing assignments are out of control, but you can come out of the class knowing you actually learned something. He's open to questions, and reiterates the complicated stuff until you get it. Looking back, it wasn't so bad...

As a frosh, this guy intimidated me. If you want to learn about the universe and think a little- do take him, he will challenge you. Helpful guy too. Maybe dont take philosophy at the same time. Papers ARE long, dont buy all his "additional" books until you have to, i ended up using 3 of 6 books.

I thought this class was very difficult! He was VERY smart and made me really think about what we were learning. A TON of reading HUGE paper assignments. Extra credit is offered but even that was too much. I worked really hard for my C.

Very involved and detailed with the course work and readings; knows his material extremely well, and makes YOU think. Great teacher if you are willing to put effort into what he asks of you.

Awesome professor, he is by far the smartest man I know. His lectures are insightful and the readings are very interesting.

At first I really didn't like the class all that much, but Halstead is actually a great teacher, he is really helpful when you need it, and really smart. He is honest and if you are too he is really understanding. Don't be afraid of the syllabus- it isn't that bad- he is great.

This man is brilliant, I think he might even be too brilliant to teach a 100-level course. I knew nothing about Christiantity before I took the class. He assumed everyone already knew the basics and history of Christianty. With that said, I received a "B"--I attended every class, and did ALL OF THE EXTRA WORK.

lots of readings. exams are mostly based from the notes from class. yes, there is optional papers due, but that is a little time consuming. you have to pay attention and think outside the box.exams are fill in the blanks along with 2 take home questions (essay).total of 3 exams and 1 paper. 2 optional papers for extra credit.

This guy is brilliant and takes religion seriously. Not a blow off class at all, but you will acutally learn something. If you acutally listen to his lectures and attend class you'll do fine. He's always available for help too. TAKE THIS CLASS.

Wow, what an amazing class by a thoughtful man. He is a deep thinker and you will have to try to match up to him in order to get the maximum out of his classes. If you can though, you will have a wonderful experience. Not easy at all, but incredibly fulfilling.

Most interesting class I have ever taken,also the most time/reading/paper intensive class:4 large papers,100+pages a night,One on one interview final,attendance counts. sees Cs as good and As as above and beyond. Very hard but amazing class Amazing man and teacher,just take this class prepared to work and perhaps with an otherwise light courseload

If you take him, you will be working your ass off for sure but you will learn so much that it will be worth it. Halstead is so smart, so it can be tough to always understand him, but things are usually comprehensible and what else would you expect from the department chair? Anyway this class is totally worth all the time and effort you will put in.

He is so cool! You would never guess he was a priest otherwise.

Wow, very intimidating at first by soo incredibly nice! He is very understanding (pushed back a paper when students asked) and so smart. You will think about everything differently after his class. Impossible not to learn. Final is a conversation w/him and everyone I talked to ended up with an A or B final grade. Take him for sure.

I loved this class. It was intimidating at first, but as we got into disucssions the material was interesting. It will definitely affect the way you look at and think about religion. If you don't mind putting in the effort, definitely try and take him. And try to make time to have him go over your papers with you. It's incredibly helpful.

This professor really helped me understand comparitive religions better, however the skill I REALLY gained from this class was paper writing. The class is challenging, however when I approached Fr. Halstead for help outside of class he was approachable and helpful.

I learned alot from this man. He is a quality professor, clear and a great thinker. I feel much smarter after taking this class, it will help your ability to think about morality & ethics. GREAT CLASS!!

this man is amazing! the material is obviously difficult--but you will learn, probably more than you ever have in any class! you must take this professor--it will totally be worth it.

Prof Halstead is incredible. His classes are one of those that you'll remember for the rest of your life. If you're awake and alert, you take away a helluva lot from his lectures and discussions. He really changed the way I think, and I can't say that for many people.

Incredibly challenging, occasionally hair-splitting, but thoroughly fascinating discussion and lecture.

Incredible professor!!! He is hard and will challenge you to question your beliefs about religion, life, yourself, etc. BUT the rewards you will reap are invaluable. He has changed the way I look at things, and because of him I am considering a minor in philosophy or religious studies. TAKE HIM!!! He is definitely worth it!

This class and professor were intensely challenging for me. The helter-skelter way my mind works and the logical thoughts that he explained to us just didn't coincide. Regardless, he is an exceptional professor and person, very approachable and incredibly knowledgeable. You can see the passion in his face. Quite challenging as far as grading goes.

Excellent teacher

He is amazing. He comes off as being way intimidating but he knows his stuff. He keeps you on your toes, and isn't a bad grader when it comes to papers. Plus I think he's adorable..if i were only a little old lady..

Prof Halstead is awesome. He really knows his stuff and keeps the class discussing. The readings and work are hard but I actually learned in this class. I would take him again, but he is very challenging.

I think Professor Halstead is great. He was intimidating at first because class is very discussion based, but everyone in the class gets used to it. Theres a lot of reading, but they are good, fast reads, and there are four papers for the quarter. Attendance is mandatory, but the class is interesting so it goes by quickly. I would take him again.

Amazing professor, amazing person, amazing theologian. Simply put, this professor and this class have the potential to change your life. Highly recommend.

Lots of reading, but that is to be expected in an Honors course, and he is very understanding if you don't get all of the reading done. Great professor, interesting material, great class discussions. Really knows his stuff and is a great teacher! Definitely recommend!

I've never had it so good! I wish this would be forever!

I had Halstead for Contemporary Moral Issues, and while it is a hard class, it is completely doable. If you pay attention in class and make an effort, you'll be good. Some say you don't have to read the books, but for both of his big papers two prompts use the entire book. Midterm was tough, but if you take notes in class you'll be totally fine.

He seems more intimidating than he is. Grades on accuracy and thoroughness which leads to long papers- it is doable with the info he provides you. Tests are basically memorizing lists and specific terms, which is also hard at times but definitely doable. Will have to work for an A in this class but he will be more than happy to give it to you. :)

He's an extremely nice guy, and you can tell he really knows/cares about his work. But he gives out very vague writing prompts for papers and then grades them very harshly. And his tests are aren't exactly normal either. They're not free response OR multiple choice. It's more like fill in the blank, with a random sentence about the subject matter

Halstead is a super nice guy, very knowledgable and helpful. Very tough grader, but you learn a lot. Super interesting class!

Halstead is a really cool professor, with the real potential to change the way you think.

It is unlike other courses, he allows you to question all the information given without the fear of being politically correct because the past is often discussed. He is not easy and tough grader, but that should not cause you to not take his course. Definitely recommend, you actually learn something. One of my favorite professors..

He makes the class interesting and really makes you think. Quite a bit of readings, but you can get by skipping a few of the smaller readings occasionally. A few essays but the assignments are fairly straightforward, he is a tough grader though so do exactly what he asks for. I didn't do well on many assignments but still got an A. He's a nice guy

Professor Halstead has been one of my favorite professors at DePaul. You would never guess he is also a priest! He is completely unbiased and you learn a lot in this class. You'll think you're doing horribly but if you stick it out and go to an office hour or two, everything will fall into place at the end. :)

This guy is one of the most interesting people I've ever met in my life. Genius. Also, adorable. Gives AMAZING lectures, but his class will kick your ass. Makes you really closely examine your life. Really, really cool class.

I was a student at DePaul University before writing a review of one's professor was even possible online. Decades later, I feel compelled to write how Father Halstead's teachings impacted my way of life. His approach to teaching was not simply about imparting knowledge, but was a masterclass in compassion and understanding.