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Fall 2009, Sections 200-06,
07 Grewen 113 MWF 1:30-2:20; 2:30-3:20pm
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Date/Topic |
Questions and Assignments |
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8/31 Introductions |
Questions:
Why am I in this class? What do I hope to learn from taking this
class? Who else is in this class and why? Who is this
professor? What qualifies him to teach this class? Can he help me
meet my learning objectives? Will
taking this class turn me into an atheist? ·
Susan
Henking, “This Just In: College Will
Make You an Atheist,” Religion
Dispatches |
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9/2 The Learning Covenant |
Questions:
What is a "learning covenant"? What contribution, if any, can
it make to my learning in this class and beyond?
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9/4 The Class Covenant |
Questions: What continued questions do I have about
the learning covenant? How ought we to
treat one another in this class?
Assessment #1, Learning Self-Assessment, Due (see
Blackboard, Assessment Activities for guidelines on this activity and to
submit it) |
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9/7 |
Labor
Day (No class) Sri Krishna Jayanti (or Janmashtami) celebrates the birthday of Krishna. According to the Hindu epics, Krishna was the eighth incarnation of the God Vishnu. His purpose was to destroy the demon Kansa who was responsible for the increase of evil in the world. |
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9/9 Culture and Religion |
Questions:
What is culture? How does culture
influence people? What is the
relationship between culture and religion?
Mass of the Holy Spirit (10:45 in Panasci Family Chapel) |
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9/11 Culture and Religion Quiz |
Blackboard
quiz on Culture and Religion (under Assessment Activities) in lieu of
class. It will be made available after
class on 9/9 and remain available until class starts on 9/14. |
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9/14 Studying and Defining Religion |
Questions:
How do scholars study and define religion? What are the differences
between essentialist and functional definitions of religion? How do
these definitions shape one's approach to religious phenomena?
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9/16 Definitions and Dimensions of Religion |
Questions:
Are there similarities between religious traditions? If so, what are
they? How extensive are they? How do I define religion?
What are the dimensions of religion that scholars have identified?
*Bring the Ring text, Introduction to the Study of Religion |
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9/18 Religion, Order, and Meaning |
Questions: What does it mean to say religion brings order and meaning to the lives of individuals and communities? What is the nature of the order and meaning that religion provides? Does religion play any role in providing order and meaning in my life?
Assessment #2, Constructing a definition of religion, due (see Blackboard, Assessment Activities for guidelines on this activity, and to post your definition) |
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9/21 Introductions to Religions Traditions (Western) |
Questions:
What are the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? Who are the
founders? Where did they develop? How widespread are they
practiced? How many different sects of these traditions currently
exist?
Learning Covenants Due |
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9/23 Introductions to the Religious Traditions (Eastern) |
Questions: What are the origins of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Chinese Religions? Who are the founders? Where did they develop? How widespread are they practiced? How many different sects of these traditions currently exist?
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9/25 Ritual Action: Types of Religious Ritual |
Questions: What is ritual? Why do people practice rituals? Do I have rituals that I regularly practice? How do religious rituals differ from secular rituals? What is the difference between a calendar, life cycle, and life crises ritual?
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9/28 Sacred Space |
Questions: What makes some space sacred and other space ordinary? Is there any space I would consider sacred? What moods, feelings, aesthetic sensibilities does sacred space seek to instill in people? What is the difference between a shrine and a traditional ritual space? Why do those roadside memorials I see develop?
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9/30 Sacred Time |
Questions:
Why do religious traditions identify particular days and times as
sacred? Are there days and times I would consider sacred? Is sacred
time fluid (changing at different times and places) or fixed (the same for
everyone regardless of year or place)?
Yom Kippur (Jewish Day of Atonement. This holiest day of the Jewish year is observed with strict fasting and ceremonial repentance.) Begins at Sundown |
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10/2 |
Catch-up
day |
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10/5 Ethical Action: Moral Conduct |
Questions: What is ethical action? How does it differ from morality? Are religious ethics different from secular ethics? If so, in what ways? Can a person engage in ethical or moral action without being religious? Do religions require certain moral conduct on the part of their practitioners? What ethical actions have I done that have been influenced by my religious tradition?
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10/7 Ethical Action: Moral Conduct (cont.) |
Questions:
What are norms for moral conduct? What norms for moral conduct do
different traditions require? How are laws, ends, and responsibilities
different? Are there any norms that all religious traditions agree
upon? Are there any that I would agree upon?
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10/9 Ethical Action: Moral Character |
Questions: How do norms for moral conduct differ from norms for moral character? What is moral character? Would I consider myself a moral character? How does religion shape moral character? What is the difference between a moral conscience and moral consciousness?
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10/12 |
Fall
Break (no class) |
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10/14 Ethical Action: Moral Exemplars |
Questions:
What is a moral exemplar? Who do know that I would call a moral
exemplar? Who are the moral exemplars in the religious traditions we
are studying them? What characteristics make them examples that others
should follow? Are there commonalities among them?
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10/16 Relationship Between Ritual and Ethics |
Questions: What do the terms, moral pedagogy, moral redemption, and moral transformation mean? Have I engaged in any rituals that have sought to help me to become a better person? Do all religious rituals encourage a certain moral way of life? Or do broader ethical issues sometimes call certain rituals into question?
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Rituals and Moral Objections |
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10/19 Talking About the Sacred |
Question: How do people talk about the sacred? What metaphors, symbols, names do they use? Why is metaphorical language so important in this regard? What metaphors do I use for the sacred? Are there some names that I have difficulty with? Why is this the case?
Assessment #3 due (Online Mid-term evaluation of the
course found on Blackboard under Assessment Activities) |
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10/21 Aspects of the Divine |
Questions:
What metaphors, symbols, or names do the traditions we are studying use for
the Sacred? Are there similarities among them or are they really
different? How do my ideas relate to them? What is theism?
Why are western religious traditions monotheistic while many eastern
traditions are polytheistic or even atheistic or monistic? What do
these terms even mean?
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10/23 Myths of Origin |
Questions: What is the peculiar way that religious traditions use the term myth? What are the myths or stories of religious traditions attempting to say about the origins of the universe and the place of humanity in it? Are there any myths that I find meaningful for understanding the universe?
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10/26 Stories of Challenge and Suffering: Job |
Questions: What is a theodicy? Why do religious traditions provide stories to help people deal with suffering in the world? How do I understand the nature of innocent suffering in the world?
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10/28 Sacred Texts and Interpretation |
Questions:
Why do religious traditions identify some writings and texts as sacred?
Do all people in those traditions interpret the texts in the same way?
If not, why not? Are there any texts that I would consider
sacred? What are they and why?
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10/30 Doctrines and Creeds |
Questions: What is a doctrine or a creed? Are there any doctrines or creeds that I have? How do the traditions view death, redemption, and the afterlife? What are the similarities? What are the differences? How do I view them?
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11/2 Society and Religion |
Questions:
In what ways do religion and society effect one another? How do changes
in a society create changes in religion? What about the reverse?
What effects do you notice in the U.S.?
All Souls' Day - Catholic Christian Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday - Sikh |
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11/4 Personal Religious Change as Development and Conversion |
Questions: Has your religious experience changed over time? In what ways? Has the change been slow and gradual or sudden? What does conversion mean? What does it mean to be "born again"?
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11/6 |
Catch-up Day. Use the time to get caught up on individual learning covenant activities. |
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11/9 Conversion Accounts |
Questions: What triggers someone to have a conversion
experience? Are conversions only from
one religion to another? Or can people
have a conversion experience within the same tradition? Do you know of people who have had
conversion experiences?
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11/11 Discussion of Augustine |
Questions: (see questions for Augustine’s Confessions) What do you think of Augustine’s experience? How does it relate to your own? Finish reading Augustine, Confessions and be prepared with answers to questions. |
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11/13 Social Change as Catalyst for Religious Change |
Questions: In
what ways do changes in society generate changes in religious ideas,
practices, and traditions? What effect has the development of modern
western society, with its emphasis on personal, political, and economic
freedom, had on religion? How has this freedom affected your own
religious practice? · Introduction to the Study of Religion, 233-249 |
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11/16 Religious Fundamentalisms |
Questions: What is fundamentalism? Is it unique to Christianity or does it affect many religious traditions? To what social changes in modern society do fundamentalist movements respond? What is the connection between fundamentalism and violence in various parts of the world? What responses would you make to the rise of fundamentalist movements? · Robert Wuthnow, "Fundamentalism in the World" (all read) · Notes on Fundamentalism (all read) |
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11/18 Religious Change as Catalyst for Social Change |
Questions:
see questions for King's letter below
Diwali (Deepavali) (Hindu celebration - a five day festival of lights marking the end of the Hindu year and symbolizing the human urge to move toward the light. Gift exchanges, fireworks and festive meals. Jain celebration of Lord Mahavira's day of final liberation. First day is observed as a holiday by many Hindu people.) |
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11/20 Religion as Alienating |
Questions:
What does it mean to say that religion can be alienating? In what ways
can and has religion been alienating to people? Have you experienced
religion in alienating ways? ·
Introduction
to the Study of Religion,
293-311 |
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11/23 Alienation: Philosophical Responses |
Questions: In what ways does Feuerbach say religion alienates humanity? How does Marx push his ideas? What do these philosophers suggest will ultimately happen to religion? Do you agree? Supplementary Readings |
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11/25-29 |
Thanksgiving
Break (No classes) Hajj - Islam |
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11/30 Alienation: Personal Responses |
Questions:
see questions for Wiesel, Night below and on Blackboard.
Day
of the Covenant (Baha'i celebration of the covenant given in the last will
and testament of Baha'u'llah |
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12/2 Reconciling Religion |
Questions: How does religion act as a reconciling force for the individual and for society? In what ways has it been reconciling for you or for people you know? ·
Introduction
to the Study of Religion,
264-291 Ascension
of Abdu'l-Baha (Baha'i celebration of the rising of the spirit of Abdu'l-Baha
to the heavenly dwelling.) |
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12/4 Reconciling Religion |
Questions: see questions for Patel, Acts of Faith on Blackboard · Eboo Patel, Acts of Faith, chapters 1-3. |
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12/7 Religious Activism |
Questions: see questions for Patel, Acts of Faith on Blackboard ·
Eboo
Patel, Acts of Faith, chapters 4-6. |
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12/9 Religious Pluralism |
Questions:
What is religious pluralism? What is the impact on the perception of
the U.S. as a "Christian" nation? In what ways have you
experienced religious pluralism? ·
Eboo
Patel, Acts of Faith, chapters 7-8,
conclusion. ·
Ivan
Petrella, “Beyond Progressive Religion,” Religion
Dispatches Supplementary
Reading:
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12/11 Summary and Review |
Questions:
How has your definition of religion changed? What have you learned this
semester about the nature of religion? What do you think you still want
to learn? Assessment #4, Revised definitions
of religion, due (see Blackboard, Assessment Activities for guidelines for
this activity) Hanukkah (12/12-19) (Jewish Festival of Lights. It commemorates the Maccabean recapture and rededication of the Jerusalem Temple in 165-164 b.c.e. Special readings and praise songs focus on liberty and freedom. The eight candle Menorah is lighted.) |
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12/14 |
200-07
Final Exam (9:00-11:30am) (Completed finals are due by 5pm, 12/17) Assessment #5, Reflection on
Learning in REL 200, due (see Blackboard, Assessment Activities for
guidelines for this activity) |
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12/17 |
200-06
Final Exam (3:00-5:30pm) (Completed finals are due by 5pm, 12/18) Assessment #5, Reflection on
Learning in REL 200, due (see Blackboard, Assessment Activities for
guidelines for this activity) |