BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Birmingham-Southern College's January term is full of unusual offerings, including a class called "Lost: My Religion," which plays off the cult-hit TV series "Lost," that went off the air in 2010.

During class, BSC Chaplain Jack Hinnen lectures on moral and religious lessons and parallels. "We cheapen religion when we try to boil meaning down to just what happened," he said.

It's more about finding meaning through stories, just as Jesus taught through parables, Hinnen said.

Hinnen examines how the characters in the show struggle with the same deep spiritual questions that religion does. "It's not a religious show; it's not meant to make a religious statement," Hinnen said. "But it is about redemption."

The 23 students watch episodes of the TV show "Lost" and discuss the religious, philosophical, moral and spiritual themes it addresses. "I really hope they find a way to find religious meaning," Hinnen said. "So many things are unexplained. That's a truth we face in life all the time."

Sam Prickett, a freshman who graduated from Oneonta High School last year, couldn't believe it when he saw the odd course offering.

"It's a class I was born to take," he said.

Prickett became a fan of the show in 2007 and began editing entries on

, an exhaustive online encyclopedia about the show. He became an administrator for the website in 2009 and then reviewed "Lost" season six for another website,

.

He's written an article about Egyptian mythological references in "Lost," for example.

Prickett said he is learning too from Hinnen's approach, in which he links biblical study and Christian theology to the lessons of "Lost," which aired from 2004 to 2010.

"I'm getting to go more in-depth on the religious angle," Prickett said. "The Christian allusions are pretty overt. But there are also references to Buddhism and the concept of dharma." Dharma in Buddhism refers to the law that orders the universe, such as karma and rebirth. In the TV show, it's a scientific research project on the mysterious island that is the setting for "Lost."

The writers of the show didn't have a religious message, but wove religion into the stories, Prickett said.

"Religion makes it more universal," he said. "People can find something in their own beliefs that relate to the big themes that are in the show."

'Exploration'

The January "Exploration" term at Birmingham-Southern College is a one-month window for specialized projects, independent study, travel projects, internships, special courses and service learning.

Sarah McCune, a senior, said she's done a variety of January interim classes the past four years, but "Lost" is her favorite. She did some cram-studying this past week, watching 10 episodes in 24 hours.

"I like lots of questions with unresolved answers," she said.

Last year, she took a January class called "Gender and Media," which involved watching TV shows including "Desperate Housewives" and "Sex and the City." She has also helped teach in Birmingham schools as a service project and took a class on Buddhism during a January term.

BSC's liberal arts emphasis encourages learning across a broad spectrum, including studying the role of TV in society, McCune said. "You can see why TV is a mirror for society," she said.

The "Lost" class, which meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for two hours, finishes up this week. Prickett said the great writing on the show makes it as valid a subject of study as a work by a great author.

"Similar to a work of literature, it's open to that analysis," he said.

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