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He's most of all helpful if you find his office. Pretty strange guy, he repeats stories about traveling...umm yeah. this class is money well spent, you might actually learn something. And yes, it is strict memorization, ...Take this class if you have time to study.

Don't buy the book. Just copy all the notes. pretty easy tests if you memorize w/ flashcards or s/t. Can randomly get stressed out though and tell random stories.

Professor Farina is a pretty funny guy who definitely takes care in the way he dresses! The class was difficult at times. It requires a lot of memorization. I did use the book to get a general understanding of the notes and go over everything again. Don't skip this class and expect to get the notes from someone else. Laptop is essential!

Go to class. I cannot stress that enough. You won't have to do anything if you just go to class everyday. He loathes those who just show up for midterm and final exam; you will fail if you do that.

Absolutely loved him. Doesn't treat you like you're stupid. He definitely does not like impertinent questions. He knows what he's talking about. I would take the class again. textbook was dry as hell, and he criticized it almost every class, but he's a good professor

He was very insightful and interesting to listen to. He never returned grades on assignments only on midterm, so you were in the dark about how you were doing. However he assures everyone if you attend class and try your best you'll pass. DO NOT MISS CLASS!

As long as you attend class you will be able to pass and perform well. If you skim through the assigned readings you will be able to participate in class and pass his tests. He allowed open book for both the midterm and final. I learned a lot in this coarse.

Great professor. Bestt I've ever had at Mason

I really learned what being a lawyer would be like in this class. If you're interested in law school, this is a must.

very interesting course on Catholicism. Inspirational lectures. Opened up whole new ways of thinking for me

Dante rocks! This course in religion and literature is awesome. Really interesting class discussions. Easy grader

really interesting course on politics and religion. Great for conflict analysis majors or anybody interested in international affairs or communications or of course careers in law or politics.

Learned a lot about world religions that I didn't know before. Really interesting.

Learned a ton. Great prof. Really interesting

Dante was a revelation and prof Farina is a master

Catholicism is made fascinating by this great prof

This class is a must for anyone thinking about law school. Really amazing how much I learned from Prof Farina

Politics and religion. Relevant for global studies, conflict res, history, pre law, com, etc

Great class! Farina likes to get everyone involved which makes it fun. Dante is not easy to understand but he makes it make sense. Loved it.

Farina is fun but also makes sure you're listening to what he's saying, which you should because he is a great speaker. Highly reccomended

Professor Farina is great, this was a surprisingly fun course. TAKE IT!

TAKE THIS CLASS!!! Dr. Farina is great and he makes something that might seem boring into a lot of fun. Love his style.

I'm an atheist but I found this course interesting.

We read Dante's Divine Comedy and it changed my life!

Really learned an amazing amount of stuff. He made it interesting and was very far. Deep experience and knowledge of subject.

Great class on politics and religion. Really super interesting.

Course on Catholicism which was much better than I expected. Learned a ton and it was interesting too.

I'm thinking of law school. This course was like a real law school class. We learned to read cases and think like lawyers. Awesome. The professor was amazing. One of my best classes ever at Mason.

Really essential course for anyone interested in how law and religion really interact in U.S. especially. The prof is a lawyer and knows what he's talking about.

Terrific class. Great professor. Only the really stupid don't like him because they cannot understand him. But if you have half a brain, he is great

great course and great prof. not hard, if you show up. Got a great grade without killing myself and learned a lot.

Really learned a great deal on religion and politics. Fair tests. Interesting lectures.

Great course on Catholicism. Thought I knew a lot but this guy is a real expert. Great in-class discussions. Fair grader.

If you have ever thought of law school, take this class. You'll learn real law from a real lawyer and an amazing teacher.

Great grad course on religion and law. Learn how lawyers think not just how pious people think they should think. This guy is a lawyer and a theologian, so he covers it all.

His lectures are very interesting & engaging - he brings the material to life, & he has a good sense of humor. He allowed total creative freedom with assignments which led to even greater interest in the subject matter by students & some amazing class presentations. Help always there for anyone who needed it. Run, don't walk, to his nearest class!

Easy grading, only two "essays" due all semester and two exams, one of which was take home and the other open book. The essays do require a presentation but its really easy. He is kind of a weird guy... His lectures are very impassioned and he's really into the subject he teaches. Overall, a very easy A for me. He's not a tough grader AT ALL.

Professor Farina was by far the best professor I had this semester. He is a great guy who is genuinely passionate about the subject, and he is incredibly knowledgable. He is great. Essentially 2 essays were the only thing you had to do, and 1 was a take home; they weren't easy, but definitely manageable. Take his cass!

Farina is quite an amazing professor. He knows so much about DanteReligion and literature in general. He often talks about what you "will" do but it's mainly a joke, though he does hope you will travel and broaden your ideas of the world. Go to class and speak up, he will learn your name that way which is always a good thing.

Prof. Farina is so knowledgeable and into the subject. He is always giving life advice and making you think. The class itself isn't too difficult. The lectures can be pretty boring at times but stay knowledgeable on the book and you're fine. Not very good at giving back grades however.

I really enjoyed Prof Farina's lectures, I enjoyed the book that we had to read and the discussions that we had in class. Overall, he is great. He is however kind of a tough grader. I did everything in his class, participated, read the book, did my papers and presentations, and still ended with A-, which kinda sucks, compared to having a full A!

You can really tell that he loves to teach this course and Dante. The whole class revolves around one book and basically you go to class, read the book as a class, discuss it and write 2-3 essays on the book and there are 3 projects that you have to present to the class but it could be something as easy as a picture you drew inspired by the book.

I loved Professor Farina! One of the best decisions of my semester was taking his religion course (that fulfills the lit requirement). If you're going to take Reli 235, TAKE IT WITH HIM! We only read Dante the entire semester and it's very interesting. Not difficult if you keep up with the book and few assignments. Participation & attendance matter

Professor Farina is one of the best,most intelligent,and most knowledgeable professors I have ever had.I've had him for two classes now and while his classes are challenging, if you read the texts and work hard you will do well. The final exam consists of short answers and requires effort, but if you read the texts and his notes, then you'll do gre

Very interesting course and taught fairly well. He's very knowledgeable and can sometimes come off as condescending. Doesn't leave room for class discussion and mostly lectures with little break for response; sometimes he'll drone on and repeat himself just to fill up the class time. Reading isn't necessary for every class but EXTREMELY helpful.

John is a great professor, very knowledgeable about the topic. There was one group presentation and the final. He randomly takes attendance. There is a lot of reading. The final was take home and given the last day of class and was due the last day of finals.

He is very good teacher. He taught GOVT319. It Is a great class, but we have more Textbooks, each textbook cost is $2-$15. The class covered one easy final exam and weekly students class discussions. No paper. No Quiz. Clear reading. Great grading B or A. Get This Class!

We read the Divine Comedy- he's passionate and very informed which makes it fun to learn about. Interesting read but difficult without him to help explain. Not a stressful course. Essay midterm and final. Come to class and take notes on what he says- it helps for the essays. Good Prof. choice.

This was my third class with Professor Farina, and while it was the most challenging, it was also the most rewarding. Professor Farina is by far the best professor I ever had at Mason. You have to go to class, and you have to do all the readings. If you do those two things, he will help you along the way. Take any class you can with him!

I took all 3 of his classes (dante, law, religion and politics) he is a great professor. Very smart. a lot of reading but its definitely worth it you understand the concepts of the books he has you read. For all his classes he has a project halfway through the semester and a final exam. his law and religion and politics have take home finals.

Prof. Farina is a great professor, gives lots of good information in lectures and appreciates students who volunteer to read in class. His tests are not overly complicated and as long as you keep up with the reading, you will succeed in this class. Homework is just reading and doing 3 different short projects during the semester.

Professor Farina can be intimidating at first, but once you get to know him, he is a really good guy and know a lot about the material. A midterm, take home final, participation, attendance and three reflections where you can do anything you want (make a quiz, dance..) whatever interests you as long as it deals with the text. He is a solid choice.

A real law course for undergrads. Farina teaches you how lawyers think. Great for anyone seriously considering career in law, public policy, or gov.

Great

Really learned a lot. Now I understand things I read about courts and religion so much better

This is a challenging but really interesting class. Learned a ton.

it was my first law course. Thought I knew something about the topic before hand ( I am religion major), but really had my eyes opened.

Crazy how much I wound up loving this class. Was a bit skeptical at first, but in the end, wow!

Great class, great prof

This was the hardest class I have taken during my college year. All you need to do is write a journal every week base on the chosen film. You also need to read required texts in order to answer the question. For a person who doesn't know anything about religion like me, this class is a true nightmare. I still don't understand anything from it.

Professor Farina is very knowledgeable in religion and film. As long as you do the weekly journals and the 1 group project you'll do just fine. He is lenient with his grading and deadlines. If the class needs more time, he is very understanding. He cares a lot about his students. Take him and you'll learn a lot at a relaxed pace.

Professor Farina is very brilliant in religion and film. Do the weekly journals and the 1 group project you'll do just fine. He is lenient with his grading and deadlines. If the class needs more time for assignments he is very understanding. Take him and you'll learn a lot at a relaxed pace.

Professor Farina is very kind and funny. He gives good lectures and takes attendance every class but you do not really need to go to class otherwise to pass because he posts all his lectures. There is no final exam, only a paper that is really easy.

One of the best professors I have every had at Mason. Inspiring and insightful. He worked with us and was approachable. Challenging.

I enjoyed this class for my literature requirement. Always make sure you come to class with the material already read and comprehended. Be sure to take notes online since he does these lectures in class that prove very use for helping out with your papers and every. Very amazing professor who is available for help and cares about his students.

I took Prof. Farina for Religion and Film and it was definitely the most engaging class I had this semester. The work load is manageable, just short essay responses every week to prompts about the movies you watch. The discussions are what really make this class shine thought. Participate in them and this class becomes pretty fun.

Dr. Farina is the best professor Ive had at Mason. Brilliantly insightful and has a real love for what he teaches. Take his class seriously and you will not only be better at the subject but a better and richer person. He is the real deal, and has intimate, deep knowledge of religious studies.

ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD AT MASON

BRILLANT. I LEARNED SO MUCH

Great class, very in depth and insightful.

Great perspective into Law, as someone with no law experience it was a very good class learning the basics and thinking like a lawyer. Took this class during Spring 2022, very good. Highly recommend.

Took Prof. Farina's class spring 2022. 10/10 would recommend. Really fun class and helps you learn the material by making mention of cases with heuristics to remember them. Gives great perspective into the history of the law regarding religion. You will learn legal reasoning and get insight into practice. Will get good grades if you do the work.

The way this professor teaches the class was so interesting to me. All that is used is the trilogy of Dante's Inferno, but the content is so interesting and when reading, the professor often pauses to help understand the message that is being portrayed. He is very caring. He is also strict, but in a good way. Loved this class.

Great literature prof! We read the entire Divine Comedy (Dante & Mark Musa) in class, and he provides lots of insight and context. Keep up with the readings and occasional discussion boards and your exam grades should be great! He's an older gentleman so he can take some time getting things done, but he puts his heart into his work! Def recommend!

Good Course, very knowledgeable of the Dante's Divine Comedy. Read the one book in class, so no need for outside reading or other texts. Lectures can be dry as very few people volunteer to read the book, but Professor commentary was amazing.

Professor Farina is a solid professor. He is very knowledgeable in his areas of study. Come to class, take notes, do the readings, ask questions, and you should be okay.

Very insightful and knowledgeable. Has very rich discussion and has a passion for his craft.

I have taken multiple classes with Professor Farina and he is very passionate about the topics he teaches. Do the readings, pay attention in class, and take notes, you will do golden. Asking questions and participation are the top things that will help in any of Farina's classes.

Participate and read the cases before class as he will call out on students to ask questions. Make sure to do group presentations and DB posts. Midterm/final are hypothetical case papers. Make sure to have a firm grasp of cases and its application. He discussed throwing lemons at baby Jesus to make fun of the case. RIP Lemon v. Kurtzman🍋.

Solid teacher who is passionate about what he is talking about. The discussion boards are very easy, and the presentation was very simple. Only difficult part is the final exam, which won't be tough if you read the book and stay with it.

Professor Farina is great, but quite soft spoken. I took his Religion and Lit class last year, and enjoyed it a lot. There was a lot of reading in one book, but the only main assignments were a project and the final exam. When it comes to Farina, take notes! If you sit and do nothing, you wont do well on the exam.

Engaging lectures from a knowledgeable professor. While the material can be dense, using resources like unstuckstudy alongside the textbook helps make it manageable. Recommended for students interested in Dante's works.

I don't understand the negative reviews people give about Professor Farina. The class was pretty easy not that hard, it's mostly reading and doing discussion posts each week. There's one presentation and 2 exams throughout the year. Professor Farina was the nicest and most outstanding professor I had. He is very underrated, he is very caring.

You can only miss two classes, one presentation. Communication in the class was through the TA, not Farina. The TA was helpful and even made study sessions for the two exams. Overall, we read the divine comedy by Dante, whom Farina is very knowledgable of. Let's just say if you're looking to build mental toughness, this class will do that for you.