He does know everything

As long as you willing to work, you will get more out of this class than any.

Wonderful man. He knows his material and helps where he can.

An excellent prof. Lectures are smart and clear. Very helpful

He has some **** tendencies. I think he teaches well if you can find interest in the subject, and he wants you to do well, even if his tests are really hard.

Only take his upper level classes. His RS 10 class Sux

these people dont know what they're talking about. he is hard, if you don't do the work and don't pay attention in class. however, lectures are interesting, and he is a very knowledgeable man. great class for those SERIOUS scholars.

if you pay attention and study, it's not bad. He explains things really well. If you dont study for his tests though, they're difficult.

You have to pay attention in class and just say what he says in class on tests. He is really smart!

Really easy. All you have to do is repeat EVERYTHING he says in class on the tests and you'll walk away with an A

Very hard tests, very hard grader. Don't have to do the readings but take GREAT notes, or you're screwed. Really makes material interesting. I enjoy the class.

Probably one of my favorite classes, ever. He is so interesting. The only reason people think he's hard is because they aren't willing to work.

Sometimes I think his sole purpose is to make SURE you know that he is smart than you. Regardless, he makes the material interesting and actually is a really smart guy. Take awesome notes, and you'll be fine- make sure to understand everything he says.

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dont need to do any work just take real good notes and you'll be fine, tests are pretty hard but if you have good notes and repeat what he said in class you'll get the grade.....he's full of himself and likes to hear himself speak

Brilliant lecturer - Facinating classes - though needs meticulous note-taking.

Regurgitate the class notes on your tests & you'll get an A, but only use his exact words and not your own. Take copious notes b/c the tests are the notes & not the readings. Don't miss class.

Seems to be a difficult class, for all the complainers, just do the reading and take notes..i brought my grade from first exam c-, to a b+ final grade...not bad i think for someone like me who isn;t all too bright

He explains things very good but he is very HARD grader...overall you have to do a lot of work to get a good grade in that class

you don't even have to do the reading because he explains EVERYTHING in class. take really good notes and you'll be fine. he likes regurgitated information, so write everything word for word.

Quit your crying. He's a little arrogant, but he's smart as hell and a great teacher; his hand motions alone are enough to keep you interested. Not the hardest class, but he likes you to be precise. Take him if you feel like learning something.

very interesting, write down exactly what he says and memorize it for the tests

quick story- i had to miss class one day for an approved field trip. thiel told me to get a tape recorder and ask someone to record the lecture for me. talk about wanting it his way or no way! other than the whole regurgitation fetish he's fine tho.

Great teacher. Really interesting and really knows his stuff. Gives lectures, doesn't force you to participate, gives reading assignments, but he goes over the books in depth during classes so you don't really have to do it. Very helpful and flexible.

go to every class and write down what he said and you will do fine on the test

Had him a few yrs ago for an intro course. Very easy A as long as u go to class and u memorize the material.

Very interesting class and concepts, but he wont take an sort of excuse for anything. Also he is extremely unhelpful and is intimidating to ask questions to.

This is an excellent class to take for the religion core. Not only is he unbiased but the information is well-presented and interesting to learn about. The tests are usually just a few essays where you just give him back exactly what he said in class but it isn't difficult to remember what he taught

I took intro to Christianity and Buddhism. I learned a whole heck of a lot. Very interesting to see the two sides presented in an unbiased manner. Very informative. Class is purely regurgatory but that's to be expected from religion. He will say "No" to you in front of the class at least once.

Excellent teacher. Very clear and straight foward with all the material you need to know for an exam. If you don't understand something he will always go over it. He has a very strong presence so that might be why some people find him intimidating, but he's a very consistant professional intructor.

Great teacher; as long as you take notes in class and review them before the test you will do fine on the tests. Tests are 2 essays and as long as you give him back what he gave you in class you got an A.

Good guy, incredibly intelligent, the class is good for any catholic person who wants to know more about their own religion. Very little out of class work, just take notes in class and study the night before tests and you'll do fine.

Dr. Thiel is a wonderful professor. Expects you to do well, but is there to offer help. Extremely intelligent and engaging. I do not find him arrogant at all. I think he is one of the most intelligent professors at Fairfield. I hope to take him again.

Can be very arrogant, boring lecturer, decent grader. Wouldn't recommend under any circumstances. You can get an A, if you're willing to swallow your pride and just nod your head and agree with whatever he says.

I loved prof. thiel he was one of the greatest teachers that i have ever had. He really knows his stuff, and makes you know it too. nearly impossible to get an A but its an incredible class, and worth getting a b on ur report card to take it.

Thiel is the most intellectual person at fairfield.No homework and doesnt question you in class, you just attend class to do well. If you have a problem he is the one professor on campus who cares about students futures.Talk to him after class,get on his good side,find out what a genius he is,and also how friendly and lenient he is.notes=tests=ez

he was a great teacher, very clear and concise. He knew a lot about what he was talking about as well.

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best teacher at Fairfield, definitely take him, knows his stuff and teaches it well, fair tests fair grades.. great guy!

if you miss the class, you better find someone with good notes. it is not hard to keep up though because he repeats everything so many times and makes sure people understand it. i was not interested in religion, but his class was never annoying to go to. there are only 3 tests and no hw, dont need to do the reading

not an ideal choice but not too bad. stay away if you can though. readings are plentiful and difficult but he explains them well. dont miss class-the notes are priceless for the tests. goes over stuff a million times to make sure everyone understands. too cumulative--the last day of class he was still relating to stuff from the first week

Fails to teach the material. A lot of notes required to get a semi good grade. He likes to see you crash and burn even though he claims to be rooting for you. Doesn't really like your responses or questions. Likes to make you feel like you should be getting an A in his class because its "so simple" but really its so difficult. STAY AWAY FROM THIEL!

a very good professor, a pompous ass otherwise. go to class, takes notes, memorize and spit it right back for the tests. was scared to take him but he is really not as bad as everyone makes him out to be. makes you feel a little dumb sometimes but he just likes to hear himself talk. if you can memorize notes, you will do well.

He is a really great teacher, who is definitely passionate about teaching. I really enjoy his class, and i would recommend it to anyone who isn't afraid of a little challenge. It's really not that tough, just listen and take good notes.

he lectures the whole time is extremely passionate. go to class, listen, take notes and youll do well. on the test, memerize your notes, spit them back, and you'll get a good grade. good teacher, pretty interesting class.

Had him for an intro religion class. He thinks he is always right. U need to spit out his lecture notes to do well on the 4 Essay exams. Not mandatory attendance but strongly suggested, need good notes. Not an easy A but a do-able B with a solid amount of effort.

great prof and very passionate. this guy really knows his stuff you will learn a lot. take him!

Although he isn't the easiest teacher, he really knows the subject matter and I learned alot in his class. Kids get bad grades in this class when they sit in the back on their computers. If you take good notes you will definitely get an A.

Outstanding professor and perhaps the greatest influence on my spirituality and acceptance and understanding of my own religion and others.

He makes the material easy to understand, and the tests are basically just rewriting everything he said in class. It's not difficult to do well, but Thiel is definitely full of himself. I would not consider taking him again. Terrible personality

Didn't open the book once and got a solid A. Didn't even listen in class. He gives you a packet of stuff to learn right before the test. Easy to remember.

Couldn't be easier. Open note tests. It's a gimmie.

Easy A. Take him!!!

I'm one of the only people to like Thiel, but too many people don't take his class seriously. All you have to do is ask questions, comment, and act like you care about the material and he will love you. The tests require some effort but are just regurgitating his lectures. If you do this, you will see he is a great prof who is very engaging.

Thiel is a very intelligent man. Although on the first day the syllabus may sound overwhelming it really is not. You can easily get by without doing the readings... the only thing you need to know for tests is what he says in class-- easy A if you regurgitate everything he says in class straight into your essays.

great professor! do the readings and take notes and you'll be fine.. really learned a lot

Thiel is a very fair professor. If you pay attention in class and take notes you will do fine on the tests but if you tend to doze off, he will be able to tell because you need to know a lot of small details to get an A. Great guy tho and the class is definetely interesting and manageable.

Good Professor! His first exam is tough but the rest are easy to follow. I went to talk to him in office hours about how I could improve for next test and he was very helpful. Just because he is challenging doesn't mean you should deter. You really will learn a lot about religion. He is engaging in lectures though they are dry.

Prof Thiel's is long and sometimes it can feel like it's dragging on forever. However if you try to pay attention and actually learn what he is teaching, the class can be quite interesting. Tests are very manageable if you study for them, if not, or you don't take notes in class you don't have a chance on the tests. HAVE TO TAKE NOTES ALL CLASS!

Gives no HW all semester. That seems good but it isn't because you don't know what will be on the tests. 3 tests all semester, 20% of grade on each. Final is 30%. 10% participation which everyone gets. In all honestly, he's a super smart guy and knows SO much about Buddhism and Christianity but you NEED to take notes, pay attention, and not skip.

Professor Thiel was one of my favorite professors at FairfieldU. He teaches religion from a purely historical perspective and opens up your mind about other religions. Attendance is not taken, many people don't go to class which is why so many negative reviews. They don't go to class then get mad when they fail. Go to class and you will succeed!

He's really a great professor when it comes to lectures. He's very interesting, and I loved every class. I looked forward to going to his classes and if you want to learn, take his course. I didn't read at all during this class and I did perfectly fine for someone who didn't read. Take Thiel!!

If you take notes and pay attention in class, you will be fine! His syllabus shows so much reading, but I literally never read and still did fine! His tests and the final are essay questions.. He does not give them to you in class, but if you just study your notes and know them you're good. I enjoyed his lectures, and learned a lot.

He doesn't grade us barely at all- only tests are graded. He is an excellent, energetic lecturer and a nice guy, always saying have a good day when we leave, but he does give you a hard time if you miss a test. If you're absent you can get notes from someone in the class you know and you'll be caught up. Do the extra essays he assigns.

Tests are based off of prompts he gives, but you have to ask for them. Very fair grader and makes topics interesting. Great professor for religious studies. Lectures can be boring but you genuinely learn from the class and leave everyday knowing something you hadn't before. Notes are easy to follow and tests are open ended questions.

Don't let the bad comments scare you. John Thiel is the best religion professor I've encountered. Yes, he is a tough grader, and yes you have to study but the best advice that I can possibly give you is to take very good notes. Try and write down as much of what he says as you can. Writing down nearly everything he says really helps you write essay

Professor Thiel is a great professor. He's accessible outside of class and will help you if needed. Three tests and final, do the optional essays and you will do well. You will leave class knowing something new each time.

Great guy. Great professor. A lot of reading, but if you don't do it, it's okay because he explains each reading in great detail. Tests are essay only. Available for extra help on any material you don't understand. If you understand the concepts the tests are easy. Make sure essays reflect what he says in class and taking good notes is essential.

Lectures are long, boring at times, important to take good notes. Essay based tests-heavily impact grade, very much based on taking good lecture notes. Really nice guy and great professor. Lots of reading but he explains them in class so you don't really have to do them. One presentation but really easy and straight forward.

Many students would advise you not to take Thiel, but he is not as bad as people make him out to be. Like yea you have to show up to class and take down his notes but his tests (3 small in class written essays) are super easy as long as you literally memorize your notes and write exactly what he said. If you're lazy dont take this class.

Thiel is one of my favorite professors at Fairfield. He is very passionate about the subject and wants students to do well. If you miss a class, make sure you have someone record the lecture because on the exams you have to write what he says. There are 3 tests and he rounds up and participation matters. I highly recommend Thiel!!

Thiel is good but a political grader. go to his office hours and participate in class! he will like you and help you out if you put the effort in and act like you care. if you show up late and dont try, expect a bad grade.

Professor Thiel is very passionate and knowledgable in religion. His lectures are non-stop but very interesting and you learn something new every class. His exams are very easy if you take very, very good notes. And if you ask for essay prompts once every other class, he is practically giving you potential essay prompts that can be on the exam.

Not as bad as he is made out to be. He gives readings for every class but they are not necessary at all, he only focuses on the important sections in class. The whole class he lectures but if you take good notes and ask him for sample essay questions you barely need to study for the tests. You need to put in effort but it isn't a complete grind.

lectures through every class, but material is interesting and he has a lot of passion for the subject. your grade is based on 3 tests and a final, all in essay format. They're easy and straightforward, he will give you the prompts if you ask him. memorize the notes, follow directions, and most of all put the effort in; he's a great professor!!

3 exams and a final, all essay-based and are tough to complete if you write slow or are unprepared. Essays are based solely on lectures so no need to do readings. He provides essay prompts upon request that are essentially going to be on the exam so if you study and take very good notes the class doesn't require much. Overall he's a kind person!!

Professor Thiel can come off very intimidating and as someone who was not looking forward to the class, really wasn't bad at all. If you want to do well, sit in the front of the room, take notes, and participate enough so he knows you are working hard. He also makes it pretty clear what the exam topics are so pay attention and you'll do just fine

Don't understand why he has so many bad reviews. All you have to do is go to class and listen and you will get an A. He is the smartest teacher i have ever met and his lectures awesome. best religion teacher by far.

The content of the class is complicated but Dr. Thiel is an amazing professor. Lectures every day but makes it interesting & the exams (2 essay questions) are just based on the lectures! You don't need to read the assigned readings - as long as you take notes & study for the exams you'll do great. Super nice guy who doesn't deserve the hate!!!

The class is lecture heavy and it is important to take detailed notes in class. The first test, I did not take his advice and did not "study along the way". However, I met with him after my test (I got a C-) and took his advice. After that, I got A's on all of my exams. You need to focus in class and take his advice and you will do well.