Not too much work - 3 exams and a writing project. His lectures aren't crystal clear, but if you take notes from what he says instead of just what he writes on the board, you'll be in better shape for exams. The Ludwig book is so dull and boring to read. I barely read it at all and got B's on all my exams. Overall, nice guy & interesting class.

I really liked his class and thought that the lectures were interesting. He is good at teaching and he tells you which parts of Ludwig are important so you can skip over the really dull unimportant parts. He is very helpful with any questions. You have to put a little bit of effort into the class but the best of them are that way.

Interesting class. Test are pretty straight forward from the notes and readings. Be sure to go to class it is easy to get behind. Overall though, one of the best teachers I had this semester.

Very well organized and helpful professor. Tests are 50-70 multiple choice questions, 2 five page papers, and participation points. Take it if you're interested in US religious history.

Very interesting class. 3 test including final which is not comprehensive, 1 writing project analyzing articles that have to do with religion, and one in class presentation on same topic, roughly 5 mins. Need to do readings but lectures are great and gives out reading guide. Moderately easy class if you read and go to class. I loved it!

This guy is really chill. He gives you the notes, you read the book, and take the test. His test aren't easy, but if you read everything and take notes, there wont be any surprises. Also, there's a speech and a 5 page paper. Do well on these to raise your grade! 3 tests. no cumulative final. participate a lot. participation is 20% of your grade!

He definitely knows his stuff. This class is not bad at all. As long as you read before class and actually participate in class you will do well on the tests. There is one big writing assignment and its honestly not that bad. take this class!

I don't understand how people can find his tests hard;his tests are a joke and straight from the notes he writes on the board. I only open my textbooks before a test to see the readings he says will be on the exam and even then I only read the summaries. Doing that and looking at my notes has gotten me a 95 average on the first two exams.

Professor Brown is very smart and makes the class interesting. And religion isn't exactly the most interesting thing in the world! One 5 minute presentation on current events, three exams including the final, and one writing project. Definitely go to class, and definitely learned a bit. Take him if you can!

His class is fairly easy if you just show up and take notes (uses really simple, easy-to-follow notes on the board). The tests ask questions about the scripture readings & movies, so take notes on those, especially when he's talking about them. Overall, he's pretty laid back- participate in class discussions,take notes,read the scriptures. easy.

He obviously loves what he does, very clear at explaining the different religions. There are only 3 tests including the final, a writing assignment, and a short presentation. Very laid back, attendance isn't mandatory but if don't go you miss the info that's on the tests. I never really used my books.

This class is so boring, especially at 8am. Dr. Brown definitely loves what he does and is like a religion expert, but if you're like 90% of the students at JMU, it's just not for you. Everyday we have "discussions" on the readings which consist of absolute silence. There are a few assignments, not too bad like the other posts say

He obviously loves what he teaches and I learned a lot from his class. Lectures sometimes feel a little long, but on the whole were very interesting. Not a tough class if you do the readings for the test.

Prof. Brown isn't the type of teacher to pass out A's to everyone... he's really gonna make you work for it but i found it to be a pretty decent gen ed. Brown typically lectured the entire semester which got old, but he is easy to follow and explains things super well. You will definitely need the two textbooks. Would recommend this class and prof!

You have one presentation, three tests, one project and a final -- that's it. That being said, if you put in the work, getting the grade you want won't be hard. He lectures a lot but it's pretty interesting. he connects the dots well. He's very accessible and has office hours tri-weekly. He cares about the class and his students.

Good guy and solid teacher. The lectures can be dry and boring especially if you have him at 8 am like I did. 3 tests, 1 presentation, and 1 project. No cumulative final which was nice. Reading the textbooks is very helpful on the tests. He gives you an outline of what readings will be on the tests prior to the tests which is helpful for studying.

Liked how organized the class was, but very difficult for a gen-ed class. Pretty boring 8am, especially 3 times a week. Definitely one of the better professors out there, but sometimes lectures are hard to follow and he really tests you on a lot of detail. Don't save the big writing project till the last minute!

Dr. Brown is an all-around great professor. He does a great job balancing course expectations and meeting his classes where they are. By no means an easy A, but his guidelines for doing well are extremely clear. In other words, he won't give you an A, but you will tell you how to get one and be there for you on the way- like a good prof. should.

Fantastic Teacher! Everyone that grades him poorly doesn't put in the work for this class. He assigns short readings every night but they take no more than 10 minutes to read them all. He lectures heavy but the class is truly interesting. The test arent easy but he grades the whole class on a massive curve. You shouldn't get lower than a B.

There's a lot of reading in this class, but it's very informative and interesting. (You will read a lot of different religious texts and some scholarly articles) A few tests, one presentation, and 5 essays. It's definitely a lot of work, but if you try you'll be fine. This was one of my very favorite Gen-Eds. Highly recommend Professor Brown.

Love Professor Brown, super nice and really does respect his students. 3 exams (final is hard, but non-cumulative),one writing project, and one short presentation. Homework consists of readings that are super short and very doable. Overall loved this class and highly recommend him.

This is in fact a harder Gen-Ed. If you are not interested in religion DO NOT take this class. There is a lot of reading, but the content is very interesting, and the lectures are also very interesting. He is a very good teacher if you pay attention, and the people saying the test is hard probably did not study because it didn't interest them

Don't pay attention to the negative reviews. Dr Brown is a solid professor. 3 non-cumulative exams (multiple choice) and 1 writing assignment. You have about half the sem to do the writing, make sure to start early as it's impossible to do last minute. Test comes directly from class notes, really easy as long as you show up.

His lectures are pretty straight forward and clear, but there is a reading for every class. Everything on the exams is from the lectures and readings, and he is clear about what will be on the exams.

Professor Brown was great. Even if you never did the assigned textbook readings but still went to class and took notes, there should be no reason why you don't get a good grade. Start the writing assignment early and pay attention in class-- it is very easy to succeed if you try. 3 tests (all MC and noncumulative) and 1 writing assignment.

Professor Brown knows his topic and is passionate for it. I loved learning from him because I could tell he was into the subject matter and cared for it. Class is lots of notes and mandatory. Tests could be somewhat challenging. My only complaint is he did not update grades at all. But take his class! You will learn a lot of valuable information!

It's clear that Dr. Brown cares for the subject matter, and his lectures are very interesting. The tests are very easy, assuming that you attend lectures and take thorough notes. There is also a writing project which is fairly easy to do well on. Overall I feel like I learned a lot from this course and this professor.

Great professor with engaging lectures. Some reading required, but not too much. Graded mainly on exams and one assignment, but plenty of time is given to study for/complete these.

Professor Brown was an interesting man. He is very monotone and I was intimidated at first, especially because I had him my first semester of freshman year. I quickly picked up on his teaching style in which he would lecture with a slideshow that was not available for later access. He assigned readings to be read outside class. Final not cummul

He was so good. Just a reading before class but if you don't want to you don't have to read. Attendance is mandatory and just show up and take notes. All his exams are multiple choice. Easy grade boost.

Professor Brown was one of the nicest and most knowledgeable professors I've had at JMU. He clearly has a passion for the subjects he teaches, and he was always able to answer any questions I had about content, even if it didn't always pertain to the days lesson. He leads very engaging discussions, this class was very enjoyable and relaxed. 10/10!

People complain that he only takes 4 grades for tests but he always curves and if you take good notes/pay attention, it's pretty easy. He knows his stuff which makes lectures interesting. Takes attendance and does not allow any electronics (including laptops) unless you're going over the readings. This was fine for a gen ed, I recommend.

Really amazing professor but I don't recommend buying the book since we never really used it, and he only tested us on canvas readings. The class was super interesting but just know you are only graded on attendance, exams, the writing project (which is super easy), and the final.

No computers outside of reading discussions. All notes have to be taken by hand. He is very clear about which readings will be on the three 50 question multi-choice exams. Textbook is good for extra knowledge, but is not needed for the exams. Overall, a very easy class as long as you participate in discussion.

After taking Prof. Brown's class, I have to say that I fairly enjoyed learning about religion. I was not the biggest fan of taking a religion class, but Prof. Brown was so nice and went above and beyond for his students. His lectures are definitely note heavy, but everything he puts on the slides is on the tests and he gives a curve on every test.

I personally really liked Professor Brown and the course content. I think his standards were reasonable, he expects you to be off of your phone and participate. He doesn't try to deceive you on the test prep and on the actual test. There's only one big project due a little over halfway through the course. I highly recommend!

Decent amount of reading and only grades are 3 exams and a paper. Paper is tedious but not difficult. Study a bit and you will be fine.

Class was super easy, barely had to study for anything. As long as you take notes, do the canvas readings (which are super short), and review before exams, you'll do fine.

this class is challenging due to the amount of material he covers in a single class. he is intimidating but if you participate in class and go to him with questions he will be way more approachable. take a ton of notes and go to class!!! he takes attendance every class and he does not post slides for notes so if you skip youre gonna be very lost!

This class is very easy if you do the assigned canvas readings. Professor Brown is very knowledgeable and interested in religion, but classes can be boring if you aren't interested (or if it's a film day). There are not many graded assignments; there are three exams and a writing project, and the final is not cumulative.

Very test and project heavy but tests are not too difficult. I think everyone can get an A in this class if they participate. Topics were interesting too. He curves very well and gives you all the info in class to succeed. It is a decent amount of reading but extremely manageable. Also you dont really need to read the book assigned.

A nice guy who is very passionate about the class and accessible with office hours. Definitely go to class, because attendance is crucial, along with taking good notes, doing the assigned readings on Canvas and study since he only grades 5 things, 3 exams, a writing project and attendance /participation. As well, final isn't cumulative.

He's a sweetie! Take him!

I love this class! Its hard because its all on paper, no computers, but the test criteria is simple and if you study its the easiest A ever. The lectures are actually interesting and you can tell he cares about his students. There is a short reading every class, but you only have to skim it or not do it at all tbh. There is 3 tests and 1 assignment

Take this class!! He is the sweetest professor and genuinely cares about his students. The exams are so easy if you attend class and take notes! There is three tests and a writing project, not difficult at all! Love him!

Brown is kind, wants participation, very knowledgeable about religion, prepared, and passionate about what he teaches. Lectures are generally interesting, classes where we watch movies can be boring, so use your skips wisely. Class is lectures / notes, with some dedicated time for discussion and questions. Take it if you're interested.