Syllabus (as of August 23, 2013)
Religion in the World Online 1
Religion 0863
Fall 2013
Start Date: August 26, 2013
Last Day to Drop: September 9, 2013
Last Day to Withdraw: October 22, 2013
End Date: December 7, 2013
Pamela Detrixhe, Ph.D.
Email: [email protected]
Skype phone number 610-616-3607. Leave a message.
Office: Virtual Office Hours Discussion Board on Blackboard (Bb):
• You can leave a message any time and I will get back to you
within 24 hours. You are also encouraged to reply if you have
the information a classmate requests.
Virtual Class Meetings using WebEx (1 per week required):
• Tuesdays: 6:00-7:00, Wednesdays 7:30-8:30
• No required classes Weeks 14 & 15
Greetings and Welcome to Religion in the World Students: As you look at our course schedule you
might be thinking, “WTF? Are we crazy? Even with this much reading how can this course be anything other than
superficial?” And indeed we will read much, work hard, and nonetheless end up with a somewhat superficial notion of
“religion in the world.” So, why bother then? Well, aside from the grade thing, the course is nonetheless designed to
give you layers of complexity and details about these religious systems in a short amount of time as well as ways of
thinking about this topic that you can apply to complex issues beyond the topics of this class. To what end, you might
ask? One might argue that the point of studying religion from an academic perspective is not to Know The Right
Answers, but to consider useful questions. For this course, we have assembled a bit of both: information as well as
essays that include useful ponderings about our topic, “religion in the world.”
Course Description from Course Catalog: Learn about the major religious traditions found worldwide
today: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and several indigenous traditions. Examine the beliefs,
practices, and values of these groups in order to understand the worldviews and ways of life of the people who practice
them. Our interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation of specific examples of religious experience will help shed light on
the overall meaning of religion and human existence. We will carefully consider examples while also focusing on
particular thematic issues, like cosmology and ritual. Develop appreciation for the religious vibrancy and diversity that
exist in human cultures while you actively engage in the learning process through class presentation, class participation,
paper-writing, and a self-selected field trip 2. NOTE: This course fulfills the World Society (GG) requirement for students
under GenEd and International Studies (IS) for students under Core. Duplicate Credit Warning: Students may take only
one of the following courses for credit; all other instances will be deducted from their credit totals: Religion 0863, 0963,
1101, C053, Asian Studies 0863, Critical Languages 0863, or Philosophy 0863. Credit Hours: 3.000
Prerequisites: None
Academic Study of Religion:
This is a course in the academic study of religion not a course in religious education--a distinction we will discuss in the
course right away. Grades are based on your exams, discussion, and assignments. While you are welcome to bring up
your personal background experience where relevant , your religious beliefs and practices (or the absence thereof) are
not themselves subject to evaluation in this course. It is neither to your advantage or disadvantage to be “religious.”
However, it IS to your advantage to be curious, studious, and magnanimous as you encounter different beliefs and
practices. Please contact the professor if you have questions or concerns about course expectations.
1
This course was developed with Jacob Kim, Ph.D. of Temple University with a grant through the General Education Program at
Temple University.
2
Please note that we will not be doing required field trips. However, your professors are happy to make recommendations.
GenEd/World Societies Qualifications: This is a Temple University Gen Ed/World Societies Course™. According
to the TU Gen Ed website, World Societies courses are designed to help students
1.
Understand the influences (e.g. political, social, historical, cultural, artistic, literary, geographic, economic) on world
societies or processes (e.g. globalization) linking world societies;
2.
Develop observations and conclusions about selected themes in world societies and cultures;
3.
Construct interpretations using evidence and critical analysis;
4.
Communicate and defend interpretations.
Gen Ed Learning Goals
1) Develop thinking, learning and communication
5) Collaborative learning and teamwork skills
skills
6) Understanding of and appreciating Temple's
2) Develop skills in identifying, accessing and
urban and regional setting
evaluating sources of information
7) Understanding issues related to globalization
3) Promote curiosity and life-long learning
8) Understanding issues related to sustainability
Additionally, some General Education courses
9) Community-based learning
encourage one or more of the following:
4) Ethical reflection, civic engagement, and
awareness of current issues
“Class time”: You are not required to meet in a classroom. However, 2 synchronous Virtual Class Meetings of 1 hour
each will be available each week via WebEx. You are required to check in for 1 of those hours weeks 1-5 and are
welcome to make use of all 3. See Virtual Class Meeting Assignment Description on Bb.
Objectives: Successful completion of this course will yield 3 useful results:
1. Orderly knowledge of basic information, contexts and issues for selected major living religious traditions,
2. "A panoramic sense of the meaning of religion and the complexities of different religious worlds,"
3. The ability to apply knowledge and scholarly resources to understanding your own and others' socio-religious
contexts.
These objectives are reflected in our course requirements:
Objective 1 involves learning, retaining, and reproducing some basic information relevant to our subject matter, such as
definitions, characteristics, beliefs, practices, and theories about them. Measurement of this information will
take place most obviously through exams, however you are also expected to be factually accurate in your major
assignment and discussion board posts. Assessment is based on whether right or wrong, thorough or minimal.
In order to demonstrate your accomplishment of aims #2 & 3 -- that is "to reveal that you have stretched your mind
around some complex ideas" to the point that you can apply them, you will participate in on-line discussion, a
major assignment, and write long answers in your exams. In grading these assignments, I look for thoughtful
reading, for insightful and non-trivial comparisons, and serious reflection. I may judge your performance as
"demonstrating careful reading and thought, as insightful and richly supported; or as hasty, careless and
'clueless' -- but not as correct or mistaken." (Gold and Pilgrim).
Required Materials:
•
Prothero, Stephen. God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World New York: Harper Collins, 2010.
•
Blackboard Links. See weekly course materials for links.
•
Recorded Course Lectures
Assignments: (3 types) See description under Assignments on Bb for requirements.
1. Participation: 20%
• Weekly Discussion Posts and Replies: 10%
i.
Discussion Leader: Each student will be assigned a reading (or viewing or listening) on which to initiate
discussion once during the semester. Word requirement = at least 500 words.
ii.
Respondents: Each week (including the week you initiate discussion of a reading) you are required to
post a substantial paragraph (at least 250 words) to 2 reading threads.
iii.
Final Project Reports: You also have 3 short posts to make in a discussion board dedicated to your final
projects: a topic description, a progress report including course concepts and preliminary Works Cited,
and an abstract (approximately 250 words).
i. Before end of Week 8: Identify which assignment option you are doing. Sooner is even better.
ii. Before end of Week 12: Identify relevant course concepts and preliminary Works Cited. Sooner
is even better.
iii. By end of Course: Post a brief abstract of your paper
• Attendance at a Virtual Class Meeting each week from Week 1-14: 10%
i.
2 options per week, 3 make-ups allowed
ii.
See Virtual Class Meeting description posted on Bb
2. 3 Exams: 60%, ½ short answer; ½ essay
• Due Dates
i.
End of Week 5
ii.
End of Week 9
iii.
End of Week 13 (comprehensive)
3. 1 Final Paper: 20%, 5 page application of course materials. Detailed descriptions are posted under
Assignments on Bb. Note requirement to post a description and abstract to the discussion board by Weeks 8,
12, and 15.
3
i.
Option 1: Socio-Religious Autobiographical Analysis
ii.
Option 2: World Religion in the News Explication
iii.
Option 3: World Religion Commentary Analysis
Participation
Exam 1
Exam2
Exam 3
Final Paper
Total
Assignment
Course Percentage
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
100%
Grading Scale as Blackboard
calculates it:
3
“Socio-religious autobiography” is a term from an exercise designed by Dr. Katie G. Cannon.
Course Schedule
•
•
•
Discussion Leader Schedule is located under the Assignment Descriptions area on Blackboard.
“Prothero” is from textbook. All other readings and lectures are located in the Weekly Course Materials
area of our Bb website. TBA = “To be announced.”
You are strongly encouraged to download your readings in some way so that you are not shut out by
network outages or high demand.
Week
Starts on
Topic
Assignments
Readings (due Friday
each week)
Page
Count
1
August 26,
2013
Introductions
Knowledge Production by Dr.
Kim
Discussion
Board Posts
Prothero Introduction
Lunsford on Citation
38
2
September
2, 2013
Studying Religion in the World
Orsi “Snakes Alive”
Rosaldo
35
3
September 9
“Abrahamic” Religions 1: Intro &
Islams
Prothero Chapter 1
39
4
September
16
“Abrahamic” Religions 2:
Christianities
Prothero Chapter 2
35
September
23
September
30
“Abrahamic” Religions 3:
Judaisms
Prothero Chapter 7 &
additional reading TBA
26+
Prothero Chapter 4
37
Prothero Chapter 3
30
Prothero Chapter 5
33
Prothero Chapter 8
36
5
7
“Asian” Religions 1: Hinduisms
6
October 7
“Asian” Religions 2:
Confucianisms
8
October 14
“Asian” Religions 3: Buddhisms
9
October 21
“Asian” Religions 4: Daoisms
10
October 28
Indigenous Religions
11
November 4
African Religions
November
11
November
18
November
25
Implicit Religions: Atheism,
Sports, Music, etc.
Consuming Religion & Religion &
the Internet
Application of Course through
Final Projects
15
December 2
Application of Course through
Final Projects
Satur
day
December 7,
2013
Course Ends
12
13
14
Discussion
Board Posts
Exam
Discussion
Board Posts
Discussion
Board Posts
Exam
Discussion
Board Posts
Discussion
Board Posts
Discussion
Board Posts
Discussion
Board Posts
Discussion
Board Posts
Exam 2
Discussion
Board Posts
Discussion
Board Posts
Discussion
Board Posts
Discussion
Board Posts
Exam 3
Discussion
Board Post
Final Project
Everything
must be
turned in.
McNally
Friesen
Brewer
Kendall
55
Prothero chapter 6
40
Prothero chapter 9
Sanford
31
Possamai chapters
43
No assigned readings
Work on Final Paper
No assigned readings
Work on Final Paper
All work is due by 11:59
PM, EST