From 2007 through 2010, I offered a topics course that I created for Keene State College's Interdisciplinary Thinking and Writing Program. "Religion, Secularism, and the Pursuit of Justice" was a composition course that demonstrated to students how the writing process could enable them to think through a problem related to the topic, frame a research paper, and bring coherence and clarity to their ideas. To probe the question, class members carried out a critical analysis of readings, employed appropriate research techniques, and utilized peer review and instructor feedback to revise a semester-long paper. The course also instructed students on grammar and compositional standards.

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Four of the times I taught the course I focused on religious viewpoints regarding same-sex marriage and their implications for ethics and law. Students were directed to consider arguments and counterarguments. Through the reading and writing process, they gained the chance to challenge and ultimately refine their own stance on the issue.