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Religion 111-67 : Varieties of Religious Tradition ... |
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Religion 111-67
Varieties of Religious Tradition
Fall 2003
[This course satisfies the Humanities distribution requirements]
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Course Description and Objectives ... |
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Course Description
This course is an introduction to six of the world’s religious traditions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We will focus on the central ideas, tenets, major figures, doctrines, institutions and practices as well as the broad outlines of their history.
Course Objectives
- To explore various ways of defining religion and various methods of studying religion.
- To become more familiar with a multiplicity of world’s religious cultures and ideologies.
- To examine each tradition in its contemporary North American context.
- To develop skills of critical analysis and interpretation.
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Required Books ... |
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Norris book store.
- Huston Smith, The World’s Religions.
- Jacob Neusner, (Ed.,) World Religions in America.
- Diana L. Eck, A New Religious America.
- ADD – In-class handouts.
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Schedule of Classes and Required Reading ... |
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Week 01 |
09/08 |
What is religion? Definitions and concepts
World’s religious cultures
Film: Great Religions of the World, 30 minutes |
Week 02 |
09/15 |
How should we study religion?
The field of religious studies and methods
Introduction to Eastern Religions: Hinduism
Huston Smith, The World’s Religions, Chapter II
Film: Hinduism (The Wisdom of Faith series) |
Week 03 |
09/22 |
Hinduism in America
Diana L. Eck, A New Religious America
Introduction & Chapter III, American Hindus
Film: Pilgrimage to Pittsburgh Venkatesvara Temple |
Week 04 |
09/29 |
Buddhism
Smith, The World’s Religions, Chapter III
Film: Buddhism (Tibetan and Zen) |
Week 05 |
10/06 |
Buddhism in America
Eck, A New Religious America
Chapter IV, American Buddhists |
Week 06 |
10/13 |
Confucianism
Smith, The World’s Religions, Chapter IV
Film: Confucianism |
Week 07 |
10/20 |
Midterm Exam (6:30-7:30)
Class (7:45-9:00)
American Religious Diversity (2nd half period of the class)
Eck, A New Religious America, Chapter II, From Many, One. |
Week 08 |
10/27 |
Judaism
Smith, The World’s Religions, Chapter VII
Film Judaism |
Week 09 |
11/03 |
Judaism in America
Jacob Neusner, (Ed.,) World Religions in America, Chapter 7, Judaism in the World and in America |
Week 10 |
11/10 |
Christian Catholicism and Orthodoxy
Neusner, World Religions in America, Chapters 4 & 6
Film: Christianity 30 minutes |
Week 11 |
11/17 |
Christian Protestantism
Smith, The World’s Religions, Chapter VIII
Neusner, World Religions in America, Chapter 2 |
Week 12 |
11/24 |
Islam
Smith, The World’s Religions, Chapter VI
Eck, A New Religious America, Chapter V, American Muslims, Film: Islam 30 minutes |
Week 13 |
12/01 |
Final exam |
Week 14 |
12/08 |
Group presentations and Paper |
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Course Requirements ... |
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- Class attendance is mandatory. (more than 2 absences may affect your grade).
- Midterm and Final exams – a combination of a short essay and multiple-choice questions based on the course syllabus.
- Group project – A thoughtful essay and in-class presentation. The topics for paper assignment will be announced in the third week, but typically your group project should focus on one of the following three categories:
- A paper based on the fieldwork of a local religious organization such as church/temple/mosque/synagogue
- A comparative study of two religious traditions
- A paper based on the art images of any tradition from the collections of Art Institute Chicago
- Completion of the exams and paper assignments on scheduled dates
- Avoiding plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty
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Course Evaluation ... |
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| Class attendance and participation |
10% of Final Grade |
| Midterm exam |
30% of Final Grade |
| Final exam |
30% of Final Grade |
| Group project paper with a presentation |
30% of Final Grade |
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