Take this teacher! He is a nice, genuine guy who is enthusiastic about this class. He's fair and truly wants to see you succeed. You'll have a graded assignment for each chapter just to make sure you read, but it's not hard. I've really enjoyed this class.

He is a very, very sweet professor, very genuine guy and is happy to be there. Just got his Ph.D before this year started. His lectures are long, and the content of the lectures is barely covered in the tests, it's all the in the textbook. You learn by yourself. Study the chapter's and you will do fine. The class is boring however.

He is the sweetest man. He's lived all over the world so he really knows his stuff. Material can be a little dry but he loves participation and that will get things going. He makes the class easy as possible and will always be there to help you! Although, someone said attendance isn't mandatory but I found out the hard way that IT IS.

Dr. Brislen was great! He is so helpful and genuinely wants his students to succeed. The class can get a little boring at times, but if you participate and ask questions and make things more interesting. If you want to take world religions, this is your guy!

He is a really cool and sweet guy! Just go to class and participate a little bit and you should be fine. Tests aren't bad just review notes. Has 2 essays but you have the whole semester to write both of them. He is very helpful. I like this guy he was cool and has lived everywhere. He does talk a little controversially but overall its the truth.

Brislens class can be boring at times since religion is a boring subject in itself, but the class is super easy and as long as you do the work, you'll get an A without stressing at all. All tests are multiple choice. Hes a really interesting guy to talk to one on one if you get the chance, he's lived all around the world. I would take him again

Professor Brislen was one of my favorite at JMU! GREL 101 isn't the most interesting subjects but this class was very clear cut. He gives a study guide before every test. And he also gives an optional 50 extra credit points! Definitely take if you can, a very easy gen-ed!

Professor Brislen is very interesting, but his lectures can get very boring. There are only 5 tests on the major religions and 1 paper that isn't hard.

I'm literally in love with this man. He's such a cute old man, I wish he was my grandpa. He's traveled all over so he incorporates that into his lectures. His lectures can get a bit boring, but he gives you a study guide and that really helps with test. He's a great guy!

I adore Dr. Brislen. He is very passionate about what he teaches and his lectures are the best of any professor I've had. His notes are great and easy to follow, and he offers a lot of extra credit. It's an easy and interesting class.

Brislen is super sweet and truly cares about his students. You will have a 10 question quiz then a test on each religions. Offers a TON of easy extra credit and easy homework assignments that you read a short paragraph answer a few questions and will automatically get a 100% Recommend him completely!

Brislen is my favorite prof this semester. He gives quite a few homeworks, but as long as you answer the questions you get 100% on them. The tests are 50 multiple choice, and he gives you a study guide before hand that is just like the test. I would definitely recommend this class if you are looking for an easy gen ed. He also offers extra credit.

I really enjoyed his class. He is such a sweet man and makes really quirky jokes. He talks a lot about his experiences and that really helps you learn. His tests are just all multiple choice and gives a lot of extra credit. Definitely take him!!

Brislen is a great professor. Took his class as a GenEd and it was not difficult. He goes over a religion and then there is a multiple choice test which he provides a study guide for. Some homework and discussion posts but not a ton. Nice guy and takes an objective rather than subjective perspective. There to help you pass. Take for cluster two.

I could have easily gotten an A if I tried harder and went to class more. His tests are based off the lectures and textbook reading. He gives articles and questions for Homework which as easy grade boosters. He cares so much which makes the class interesting and he is a very nice and understanding guy! I would recommend him!

I love this man. He is so passionate about religion. He has been all over the world and loves sharing his experiences. Tests can be a bit hard but my lowest grade has only been an 86%. STUDY THE NOTES HE PUTS ONLINE and you will get at least an A- !!!!!! Such an awesome and cool class. plus extra credit !

This was a great class. He's not always clear on things, but he will always put up all the notes along with a study guide so that you always know what will be on the test. Show up to class and you'll pass easily. Plenty of extra credit that actually helps you understand the material. I would definitely take this class again.

I honestly loved this class more than I thought I would! I never got anything below a B on his tests, just make sure you study the section outlines that he puts online before each test and look over your notes and you'll be set! Extra credit can boost you a full letter grade, so make sure you do it. TAKE BRISLEN, best rel 101 professor in the game.

Walked in not expecting to love this class as much as I did. Brislen is super nice and really helpful. Not difficult to do well, but you still learn a lot! He graded the Midterm a little more harshly than I think most of us expected, though. He tries to learn everyone's name and really cares about your thoughts about the material.

Such a sweet man, for real. Easy class and interesting, just show up. TONS of extra credit offered. Easy A. Take the time to get to know him, he has a lot of really cool stories!!

Loved him so much. He is so adorable and genuinely shows interest in the subject. Quizzes were a little hard but they are online and open note and if you put in more effort into taking notes from the book and class you should be fine. Midterm was short answer but not too difficult and final was multiple choice and pretty easy. will miss him!!!

pretty easy class, consists of homework which is usually 10 questions on an article, tests on each religion are 20 questions on canvas but mid term is in class essay questions and final is 80 multiple choice cumulative; very interesting and offers you extra credit if you visit churches, mosques, etc and write a reflection on them

A really nice guy who teaches an interesting class. If you're interested by the topic of religion i'd recommend the class it's fascinating and not hard at all.

Brislen was overall a better than average professor. There were reading quizzes for pretty much every class, but those were more tedious than difficult. He gives the occasional pop quiz. Only a midterm and a final, which he gives you study guides for on canvas. His lectures are helpful as long as you take good notes to study later.

Brislen is a really sweet guy with a ton of cool stories to tell. His midterm and final were a bit more than I expected but the other assignments help balance everything out. He offers a ton of extra credit, it can just be time consuming! However, I'd definitely take him again.

Brislen is a really nice and clearly cares a lot about he is teaching. He is very passionate and tells funny stories, although he does get side tracked during most lectures. There is homework almost every night but it doesn't take long and isn't very hard. His tests aren't bad and he provides a study guide.

This guy reminds me of Robin Williams with a softer voice and more hair. Very enjoyable class to sit through because he makes the information interesting. The course overall isn't difficult but there are small homework assignments for each class.

Prof. Brislen's class is one I don't hate waking up for. He really cares about the topic and tries his best to tell stories in relation. You teach yourself with the homework quizzes due every class but it boosts your grade since there's only a midterm and final. Also try to do the extra credit!

Loved Dr. Brislen for REL 101. Learned so much more than I expected. Homework is assigned every night but it takes maybe 30 min and textbook is basically a chapter book. Tests are weighted heavily and offers good extra credit. Tests are much harder than homework so be prepared to study.

This was my favorite class because of this prof! His lectures are clear and concise and he was passionate about what he was teaching. The homework was easy and helps you understand the material (usually some reading and a 5-7 question quiz). If you pay attention and do the homework you'll do well. Easy and fun class, 10/10 recommend!

This man is so nice. The tests are easy as long as you study and there is only two of them. He is caring and really straight forward.

I LOVE Brislen! He is the sweetest and most caring teacher you will ever meet! Not gonna lie I was super nervous reading the reviews at first but he is such an amazing professor. You do have quizzes due before every class but they are super easy, everyone who says the midterm and final are hard just didn't study, they both weren't easy if you study

Brislen really cared about students and would do anything to help and was always open to ways the make the class better. He has a lot of easy assignments to get a good grade. A TON of extra credit opportunities. The class was very interesting and his lectures was very helpful!

He is a great guy and lectures are informative however since he puts all of his slides on canvas you could honestly show up like once a week and still pass. Exams are harder but you get study guides and quizlets help!! Online quizzes are not bad at all, takes like 20 minutes max to finish a quiz. Homeworks can be finished in a hour max.

Mike is so caring. Coming from having no background in religion (non religious family) I thought this class was going to be boring and I was going to hate it. Mike interacts with the students and is always willing to help if you shoot him an email. He also gives lots of opportunities to get a few extra points!

He's a bit confusing and tests are hard but he's also helpful if you go and ask for help.

Dr. Brislen is a very caring and kind teacher who is passionate about what he teaches and who wants to learn from his students. I dont disagree that he struggles to stay politically correct, but to be honest religion is a sensitive subject with a lot of controversial topics surrounding it. Controversy is impossible to avoid in a class like this.

Really loved this teacher! The first test was difficult, just make sure you pay attention to the articles assigned and you should do well. The class overall has been very interesting and has taught me a lot about the way religions around the world work. I would recommend it.

I enjoyed having a class with Dr. Brislen. The material was simple and the tests were straight forward. I recommend this class!

Great choice for a professor! He is super kind and makes lectures interesting. There's a lot of busy work and most assignments are easy A's. There are 3 tests and a group project worth 60% of your grade so they're very important if you want a good grade in the class.

He's a really sweet professor, and he really likes when you participate in class. Majority of the questions he asks in class are opinion based. There is regular homework but its relatively easy if you just do the work. He gives essays for tests and they're open note.

Hes a super sweet dude. the religion 102 material can be hard to grasp sometimes but discussions from the readings are very opinion based. I feel sad for him because a lot of people don't show up and you can tell he tries his best to put together power points. he takes attendance down but I don't think it impacts your grade as much. lots of reading

He's not the most interesting person, and the work is repetitive, but it's an easy class to pass and I enjoyed learning what he taught. He's super lenient with the homework, tests and essays so if there's any complication, don't be afraid to talk with him about it.

He is super sweet, but his lectures can be very boring. One reading assignment per class, but they're really straightforward and easy. Only 2 papers and 1 final exam. Randomly takes attendance. Overall would take again just because he was such a nice guy and knew a lot about what he was talking about.

Dr. Brislen is a great choice for rel 101. You'll only have 3 tests and an essay with the homeworks. His tests aren't hard as all the information comes from his slides. He does require attendance. Great choice if you're looking for an easy elective.

The only hard part about this class is the 5 tests of the semester. The questions are confusing but after some students talked to him about them he took the time to make the tests easier. There are short quizzes and readings every week that are not hard at all. Overall, this is a very chill, easy-going class and Mike is a very kind professor!

There was a reading and a quiz due before every class. There are a total of six tests, but they weren't difficult if you payed attention to the lectures and readings. Brislen has graded clicker questions with all of his lectures, so go to class! He's a sweet guy who is passionate about what he teaches. Overall I really enjoyed his class.

He's a great professor, this course is just very lecture and reading heavy. A lot of the things we read are open to interpretation, which made tests difficult when a good majority of the questions are "which sentence is most correct?" and it's a lot of similar sentences for the answer. Only take this course if you're ready to be reading constantly

Dr. Brislen is a great professor. He cares! This class is very read-heavy, but the readings themselves are not that bad. Almost every single grade in the class are his exams (the rest being attendance and participation points). The tests are a little tricky because much of it is up to personal interpretation, yet there is still right answer.

Great guy, but lectures are long and repetitive. Homework every night, but online quizzes and tests.

I loved Mike Brislen as a professor, but the course was a little difficult. It was really up to interpretation and your interpretation could be wrong on the test. The test were really confusing (worded weirdly) and most questions would ask what is "most correct". Overall I would give the class a 3/5 and the professor a 4.5/5.

Tests are online, open note. Very sweet guy, and has some very interesting stories to tell. Homework is easy, but deep and critical thinking are needed for both homework and lectures. Test answers may be a bit vague, but are relatively straightforward. Attendance is required, but there are some freebies. Overall, just participate in his class!

Nice guy, decent amount of work for Gen Ed. Very knowledgeable, and just wants you to talk with him, but lectures can be boring at times. Open note, online tests, some group work. Readings due every class, GO TO CLASS, uses TopHat so attendance matters. Awesome choice for this cluster, highly recommend.

Overall Dr. Brislen is a good professor. There are readings due before every class. The lectures are based off those readings. The readings are not home, but sometimes time consuming. Its a very easy class. Attendance is mandatory and you get daily points for coming. Very understanding and really cares about his students!

Mike is such a passionate professor. I definitely recommend taking his religion classes especially for gen eds. He gives homework every night, but it is super easy readings, and you only have to annotate them. He gives grandpa vibes and is so sweet. Tests are also easy!

Good professor. Persuall readings are due before every class. They're easy, but can be time consuming. Do them, they add up! Lectures are sometimes fun or boring. Tests were alright. A lot of people got C's and B's. He really cares about his students and might ask how you're doing. Go to class and do the assignments, and you'll be ok!

He is the sweetest man ever, he cares so much about his students and their success, although if you don't do the work, like the before class readings your grade will fall significantly. We don't have many tests and when we do, they are easy. I loved this class and would take it again.

I wasn't super thrilled taking a religion class, but Dr. Brislen is literally amazing. He made me think so much about everything, he changed my perspective on so many things. You do have readings due every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and a small 40 word reflection on Sunday. He is a tough grader but he's an amazing teacher.

Tests are at home and are essay questions. There are readings every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but they're always rather short and all you need to do is annotate them. The reading relates to the next lecture so it's important to get them done. Attendance is mandatory and gets taken before every class. He's a really nice guy.

KING. This class is pretty easy and Dr. Brislen is a nice guy. A lot of readings on Perusall which I was not a fan of but once you understand how the algorithm grades you, it is easy to get a 5/5 on all of them. My one complaint is that he moved the final up by a week.

Nice guy. Perusall readings before every class are easy but can be time-consuming. Once you know the algorithm of how they're graded then it's easy points. Around 4 tests that are easy essays but he grades very hard with no clear guidelines or rubric/ not great feedback. Attendance matters.

I honestly didn't think I would like this class as much as I did, but it was very insightful and the teacher was genuinely interested and knowledgeable about the topic. The class is heavily weighed by exams, the best way to pass this class is to show up to lectures. Overall, I think he was a great teacher with a unique perspective.

Professor Brislen has the best lectures. They're interesting and easy to follow. They follow up on the readings, which generally aren't super long, so they're not that bad. The class can be a lot sometimes, but overall it was worth my time and I learned a lot. Wish he was a bit more of a lenient grader, but nobody's perfect.

Professor Brislen is a nice guy, but the class can be tough. Lots of reading and attendance is mandatory. Tests are tricky - make sure to use Unstuck AI for study prep. Overall, the class is manageable if you stay on top of the work.

Loved Professor Brislen! He was so great for Religion 102! He was real with us about his experiences. There were definitely some controversial topics in lectures, but he handled them very well and quite respectfully. He admits that he doesn't know everything about a topic/a religion and is willing to listen to his students. Take him if you can!!

I feel like people are being dramatic. This class was easy, and I liked him as a professor. Yes, there were readings due every class, but it is easy, and you can easily just skim over them and write a response. The only thing I didn't like was that the exams were hard and made up a lot of your grade. But if you just pay attention, you'll be fine.