HUMA3481 WORLD RELIGIONS
2016-17 SYLLABUS
COURSE DIRECTOR: Tony S. L. Michael ([email protected])
SEMINAR CLASS: Tuesdays 8:30 – 11:30 A.M. (HNE B10)
OFFICE: Room 126 Founders College
OFFICE HOUR: Mondays: 11:30-12:30 or via email appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is an academic study of what has come to be termed World Religions. We will look at the three major Western
traditions, known also as the Abrahamic traditions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We need to realize right up
front that these are broad classifications for what are truly complex and multivalent movements that have as much
disagreement and contrasting beliefs and practices within each of them as they have between them. There is no
single definition that constitutes exactly who every Jew, Christian and Muslim is or what he or she believes. Be
aware of how much academic studies of these traditions work within artificial and imposed constructions when
discussing them and making conclusions about them. With that having been said, we will still attempt to speak about
them and make scholarly observations concerning them in as an objective and non-judgmental way as possible. We
will also look at the major Eastern traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism and East Asian religions) with the same
awareness and the same objective. Our search is not for truth per se but for clarity of thought about the phenomenon
known as “religion”.
GRADING:
1.
2.
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4.
5.
20% Seminar Participation (see details below)
10% Seminar Presentation (see details below)
40% Best 8 of 10 in-class tests (see details below)
15% Nov 29TH — 1ST Term Test (covers all First Term material)
15% Apr 4TH — 2ND Term Test (covers only Second Term material)
100%
BEST 8 OF 10 IN-CLASS TESTS (40% — 5% EACH)
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90% of tests based on material found in the course texts readings
10% of tests based on discussion generated in seminar
Each test is worth 5% of your final grade. The worst two grades are thrown out
Each test begins at 8:30 A.M. and ends exactly at 9:00 A.M. If you arrive late your time to write is reduced
accordingly — so be on time.
Tests are objective (i.e., 25 multiple choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank and matching questions).
Each covers only new material up to but not including the day of the test.
THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP TESTS. If you are late or absent under any circumstances, you will receive a
zero. There is no need to contact me with your reason. Just do not miss three tests.
REQUIRED COURSE TEXTS:
1.
2.
Religion and Globalization [RG], by John L. Esposito, Darrell J. Fasching and Todd Lewis, OUP, 2008
(ISBN: 978-0-19-517695-7, Paperback, 609 pages)
Religion and Global Politics [RGP], by Paul S. Rowe, 2012 (ISBN 978-0-19-543812-3, Paperback, 284
pages)
TURNITIN.COM:
Class ID: 13491230
Enrollment Password: tolerance
2nd TERM SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS (10%)
Choose a date from the 2nd term and give a formal presentation for 15 minutes of your own response to one of the
questions asked in the assignments and lead a discussion for a 20-30 minutes. I expect you to add research to your
presentation to enhance and strengthen it and to be sufficiently prepared to answer questions from your peers,
including your instructor. Maximum will be 3 students per week and since it is “first come, first served” — email
me your choice as soon as you can. Submission to Turnitin.com (Moodle) of your presentation is also expected.
1
DATE
READINGS — FIRST TERM
SUBJECT
1
Sep 13
Introduction to course syllabus, grading
and work expectations for students
2
Sep 20
Christianity
RG: Ch. 2 “Christianity and the Road to Globalization”, pp. 37-70 [33]
Christianity
RG: Ch. 2 “Christianity and the Road to Globalization”, pp. 70-105 [35] TEST #1
3
Sep 27
4
Oct 4
Judaism
RG: Ch. 3 “The Many Faces of Judaism”, pp. 109-156 [47]
5
Oct 11
Judaism
RG: Ch. 3 “The Many Faces of Judaism”, pp. 156-182 [26] TEST #2
Islam
RG: Ch. 4 “The Globalization of Islam and Muslims”, pp. 187-237 [50]
RG: Ch. 1 “Introduction”, pp. 1-33 [33]
Last day to enroll without instructor’s permission is Sep 21
Last day to enroll with instructor’s permission is Oct 19
6
Oct 18
7
Oct 25
8
Nov 1
Hinduism
RG: Ch. 5 “Hinduism: Myriad Paths to Salvation”, pp. 287-363 [77]
9
Nov 8
Buddhism
RG: Ch. 6 “Buddhism: Ways to Nirvana”, pp. 367-435 [68] TEST #4
10
Nov 15
East Asian Religions
RG: Ch. 7 “East Asian Religions: Traditions of Human Cultivation and Natural
Harmony” pp. 439-518 [79]
11
Nov 22
New and New Age Religions
RG: Ch. 8 “Globalization from New to New Age Religions”, pp. 523-552 [29] TEST #5
12
Nov 29
Last date to sign on with your student ID, write, print and submit to the course instructor the Academic Integrity Test
(http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/testyourself.html) is Oct 18
— No test grades will be posted until student completes it — loss of 3% from final grade for failing to complete on time —
RG: Ch. 4 “The Globalization of Islam and Muslims”, pp. 237-281 [44] TEST #3
Islam
Co-curricular Days — Thurs. Oct 27 – Sun. Oct 30
IN-CLASS FIRST TERM TEST (180 MINUTES) 15%
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DATE
1
Jan 10
2
Jan 17
3
Jan 24
4
Jan 31
5
Feb 7
READINGS – SECOND TERM
SUBJECT
Religion and Global Politics —
Introduction
RGP: Ch. 1 ‘Introduction and Theoretical Overview”, pp. 1-23 [23]
RGP: Ch. 2 “The Roman Catholic Church”, pp. 28-48 [20]
Part I Religion and the Domestic Bases
of State and Foreign Policy
RGP: Ch. 3 “Christianity and US Politics”, pp. 52-73 [21] TEST #6
RGP: Ch. 4 “Judaism, Zionism and Israeli Politics”, pp. 77-99 [22]
RGP: Ch. 5 “Political Islam and the State”, pp. 102-127 [25] TEST #7
LAST DAY TO DROP COURSE IS FRI. FEB 10
6
Feb 14
7
Feb 21
8
Feb 28
9
Mar 7
10
Mar 14
11
Mar 21
12
Mar 28
13
Apr 4
Part I Religion and the Domestic Bases
of State and Foreign Policy
RGP: Ch. 6 “Religion and Politics in India”, pp. 130-152 [22]
READING WEEK — NO CLASS
Part I Religion and the Domestic Bases
of State and Foreign Policy
RGP: Ch. 7 “Buddhism and Politics”, pp. 154-171 [17] TEST #8
RGP: Ch. 8 “Religion, Democracy, and Human Rights”, pp. 176-195 [19]
RGP: Ch. 9 “Religion and War”, pp. 199-218 [19] TEST #9
Part II Religion and Global Order
RGP: Ch. 10 “Religion and Conflict Resolution”, pp. 221-239 [18]
RGP: Ch. 11 “Transnational Religion, Globalization and Development”
RGP: Ch. 12 “Conclusion: Religion in a ‘Secular’ Age?” pp. 243-269 [26] TEST #10
IN-CLASS SECOND TERM TEST (180 MINUTES) 15%
2
SEMINAR PARTICIPATION ASSIGNMENTS (20%) Submitted by MONDAY at 6:00 P.M.
RULES: Seminar participation grade is a construction of the following factors. There is no specific
mathematical formula applied. Everybody starts with a B (14/20). This assumes completing every
assignment according to the following requirements. Doing anything less lowers the grade. Participating
in discussion and providing more scholarly, thoughtful responses along the way raises the grade.
To complete an assignment, you must fulfill all of the following requirements:
1. You must submit your tutorial assignment to the correct Turnitin.com assignment upload page on
time. If it is not submitted by 6:00 P.M. the day before (Monday) of each class that an assignment is
required, it is too late.
2. You must bring a printed copy of the assignment to each class. Laptop and electronic device copies
are not acceptable. Material brought to class and then handed in must be exactly what was submitted
to Turnitin.com.
3. I expect you to answer all the questions in your own words, but if you do quote or paraphrase then use
proper documentation (MLA). There is no research expected other than the assigned readings. Simply
cutting-and-pasting material from websites and/or the course text will render it an incomplete
assignment. Submissions with more than 15% plagiarism showing will lower the participation grade.
Do not copy the questions. Just give your answers but number them properly.
4. Any one using previously submitted material obtained from a former student or submitting work
collaborated on with a current or former student is committing plagiarism and MAY be given one
warning before said materials are given to the dean’s office for discipline.
5. You must attend the full class — partial attendance does not count at all. Submitted Turnitin.com
assignments do not count if you, yourself, do not attend the full class and if they are not signed where
directed to at the end of class. If you must leave early then take your printed version of assignment
with you and go. You receive no credit for incomplete work. Your Turnitin submission is ignored –
unless it is plagiarized.
6. Participating in the weekly discussions is also an important factor. Merely attending or poorly
preparing for each class may help improve your knowledge and skill sets but it will not earn anything
towards your participation grade as such. Playing on laptops, tablets and other devices during
tutorial will also earn you a lower grade.
7. All submissions must follow MLA formatting structure as indicated below. ALWAYS DOUBLESPACE everything. One inch border on all sides. Use Times New Roman Font. Size 12.
Last Name 1
Your Name
My Name
Course Title
1 September 2017
A, B or C
Work(s) Cited
3
CLASS
DATE
CLASS DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENTS
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS (1 & 2) AND UPLOAD TO TURNITIN ONE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEGINS
MUST BRING A HARD COPY TO CLASS AND STAY FOR THE ENTIRE CLASS
SUBMIT BY MONDAY SEP 19TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 2 “CHRISTIANITY AND THE ROAD TO GLOBALIZATION” (PP. 37-70) [33]
#1
Sep 20
1. ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What were the issues that were resolved by the development of the doctrine of “two natures in one person”
(Council of Chalcedon) and of the trinitarian nature of God (Council of Constantinople)? Do these doctrines
put Christianity into fundamental disagreement with the prophetic monotheism of Judaism and Islam? Explain.
b. Who was Jesus of Nazareth and why is he important to the history of Christianity?
c. What is “Original Sin” and why does it lead to the need to expect a savior? Is this belief universal among all
Christians? Explain.
2. Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY SEP 26TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 2 “CHRISTIANITY AND THE ROAD TO GLOBALIZATION” (PP. 70-105) [35]
#2
Sep 27
1. ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. It can be argued that Eastern Christianity (Orthodoxy), Western Christianity (Roman Catholicism and
Protestantism) and postcolonial Christianity offer three different models for understanding the relationship
between church and state and the relation of Christianity to the non-Christian world: a Constaninian model, an
Augustinian model and a diaspora model. Explain these models and identify their strengths and weaknesses.
b. Pretend that you are an existentialist. Be sure you know what that means. Choose either Kierkegaard’s Leap of
Faith or Nietzsche’s Death of God position and proclaim your three best arguments in support of it. Note that
two may be from the text but at least one must be from your own personal observation of the “real world”.
c. Take a position on the role of women as discussed in the text. Assuming there is something called “divine
will”, which side holds a better argument and why? Feminists, who claim that Fundamentalists are wrong
because they confuse the cultural practice of premodern societies with divine will or Fundamentalists, who
claim that Feminists confuse the cultural practice of modern society with divine will?
2. Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
Note: You are responsible for understanding all the key terms on pp. 106-107
SUBMIT BY MONDAY OCT 3RD AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 3 “THE MANY FACES OF JUDAISM”, (PP. 109-156) [47]
1.
#3
Oct 4
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. At what point in history did the fundamental pattern of Jewish experience emerge [“exile & return”] and what
shape did it take? Give two examples from the history of Judaism, one secular and one religious.
b. What does it mean to say that Judaism is a form of the myth of history? Give examples from both the biblical
and postbiblical periods.
c. What is the Talmud and what is its significance for the religion of Judaism?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY OCT 11TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 3 “THE MANY FACES OF JUDAISM”, (PP. 156-182) [26]
1.
#4
Oct 11
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. Whom would you nominate as the three most important postbiblical figures in the history of Judaism, and why?
b. Is Zionism a secular form of Judaism or a religious form, or both? Explain, with historical examples.
c. How should Jews respond to the Holocaust? Consider the four options in the text (Rubenstein “God died at
Auschwitz”; Fachenheim “Hitler must not win”; Wiesel “God broke the covenant — not the Jews”; Greenberg
“Must accept Jewish pluralism”) and argue which one you favour the most and why.
2. Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
Note: You are responsible for understanding all the key terms on p. 184
SUBMIT BY MONDAY OCT 17TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 4 “THE GLOBALIZATION OF ISLAM AND MUSLIMS”, (PP. 187-237) [50]
1.
#5
Oct 18
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What are the differences between Sunnis, Shiah, and Sufis?
b. Describe the diverse meaning of jihad. How has it been used by different Islamic movements to justify their
activities?
c. What are the origins of the Crusades? Explain their long-term effects on Muslim-Christian/Western relations.
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
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SUBMIT BY MONDAY OCT 24TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 4 “THE GLOBALIZATION OF ISLAM AND MUSLIMS”, (PP. 237-281) [44]
1.
#6
Oct 25
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. How has Islam affected or changed the status of women? How are women influenced by and influencing
Islamic movements today?
b. How is Islam used both to support and to oppose the state? Give examples.
c. What are some of the issues facing Muslims living in non-Muslim majority countries today, particularly in
Europe and America?
2. Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
Note: You are responsible for understanding all the key terms on p. 282
SUBMIT BY MONDAY OCT 31ST AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 5 “HINDUISM: MYRIAD PATHS TO SALVATION”, (PP. 287-321) [34]
1.
#7
Nov 1
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What reasons might be ascertained for the transformation of the polytheism of the early Vedic peoples into the
monism and theism of later Hinduism?
b. What reasons would a woman have for abiding by her dharma?
c. How does ritualism relate to the ideals of bhakti Hinduism?
2. Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
Note: You are responsible for understanding all the key terms on p. 363
SUBMIT BY MONDAY NOV 7TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 6 “BUDDHISM: WAYS TO NIRVANA”, (PP. 367-435) [68]
1.
#8
Nov 8
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. Explain how Buddhist doctrine can argue for reincarnation but against the existence of an "immortal soul."
b. How does Mahayana Buddhism resemble and differ from devotional Hinduism?
c. In your opinion, how would a modern Buddhist revivalist present the Dharma and argue that it remains a
religion relevant to life in the twenty-first century.
2. Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
Note: You are responsible for understanding all the key terms on p. 436
SUBMIT BY MONDAY NOV 14TH AT 6:00 P.M.
— CH. 7 “EAST ASIAN RELIGIONS: TRADITIONS OF HUMAN CULTIVATION AND NATURAL HARMONY”, (PP. 439-518) [79]
1.
#9
Nov 15
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What beliefs from each of the three traditions of the region might explain the East Asian peoples' unique
capacity for sustaining the three without choosing just one?
b. Why do purity and brightness sum up the ethos of Shintoism?
c. How could Neo-Confucianism be seen as an attempt to harmonize Buddhism, Daoism, and early
Confucianism?
2. Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
Note: You are responsible for understanding all the key terms on p. 519
SUBMIT BY MONDAY NOV 21ST AT 6:00 P.M.
— CH. 8 “GLOBALIZATION FROM NEW TO NEW AGE RELIGIONS”, (PP. 523-552) [29]
1.
#10
Nov 22
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. In what sense is “civil religion” a new way of being religious, and in what sense is it a very old way of being
religious?
b. How does new age religion relate to the split between faith and reason (the via moderna and the devotio
moderna) that shaped the emergence of the modern world through the Enlightenment and the Romantic
reaction it provoked?
c. How do modernist new age religious belief and practice differ from postmodernist new age religious belief and
practice? Give an example of each.
2. Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
Note: You are responsible for understanding all the key terms on p. 552
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SUBMIT BY MONDAY JAN 9TH AT 6:00 P.M.
— CH. 1 “INTRODUCTION AND THEORETICAL OVERVIEW”, (PP. 1-23) [23]
1.
#11
Jan 10
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What is the ‘secularization thesis’?
b. How does religion constitute a form of cultural resistance to globalization in the modern age?
c. How might religion be used in politics according to the instrumentalist interpretation? How do primordialists
and constructivists believe that religion affects political behavior?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY JAN 16TH AT 6:00 P.M.
— CH. 2 “THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH”, (PP. 28-48) [20]
#12
Jan 17
1.
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What changes did the Second Vatican Council introduce to the Roman Catholic Church?
b. What are the origins of liberation theology? In what respects does it resemble Marxist analysis?
c. What significant events characterized the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY JAN 23RD AT 6:00 P.M.
— CH. 3 “CHRISTIANITY AND US POLITICS”, (PP. 52-73) [21]
#13
Jan 24
1.
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What three themes cited in this chapter help to explain the role that religion plays in US politics?
b. What were the roots of the liberal and conservative political traditions among Christians in the United States?
c. What minority religious groups have had an impact on American politics and what have they accomplished?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY JAN 30TH AT 6:00 P.M.
— CH. 4 “JUDAISM, ZIONISM AND ISRAELI POLITICS”, (PP. 77-99) [22]
#14
Jan 31
1.
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What types of secular and religious groups brought about the restoration of the Jewish state in Israel in 1948?
b. How does religion influence the internal politics of Israel?
c. What factors led to the establishment of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories following the 1967 war?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY FEB 6TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 5 “POLITICAL ISLAM AND THE STATE”, (PP. 102-127) [25]
1.
#15
Feb 7
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. Why is Islam widely considered a more political religion than others?
b. What was the influence of Ibn Taymiyya on the development of militant political Islam?
c. How does the division of the Muslim community between Shi’i and Sunni play out in global politics?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY FEB 13TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 6 “RELIGION AND POLITICS IN INDIA”, (PP. 130-152) [22]
1.
#16
Feb 14
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. Who was Mahatma Gandhi, and how did he influence the relationship between religion and politics in India?
b. How is India’s religious diversity reflected in Indian politics?
c. How does religion affect the relationship between India and Pakistan, especially with regard to the disputed
territory of Kashmir?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY FEB 27TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 7 “BUDDHISM AND POLITICS”, (PP. 154-171) [17]
1.
#17
Feb 28
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. How has Buddhist philosophy, which teaches detachment from the things of the world, been applied as a
political religion?
b. In what ways has Buddhism been used to promote political nationalism in Sri Lanka?
c. What are the unique features of Tibetan Buddhism and how do they apply in the political realm?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
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SUBMIT BY MONDAY MAR 6TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 8 “RELIGION, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS”, (PP. 176-195) [19]
1.
#18
Mar 7
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. In what ways did religion contribute to the expansion of liberal democratic principles during the three ‘waves’
of democratization?
b. What principles can be said to support democracy and human rights in the major world religions? What
principles seem to argue that democracy and human rights should be limited?
c. How and where is religious freedom limited in contemporary global politics?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY MAR 13TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 9 “RELIGION AND WAR”, (PP. 199-218) [19]
1.
#19
Mar 14
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. On what grounds do critics argue that religion promotes violence and war?
b. How does religion contribute to conflicts rooted in ethnicity? What are some prominent recent examples of
conflict based on differences in religion and ethnicity?
c. Why has religion come to be associated with terrorism?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY MAR 20TH AT 6:00 P.M. — CH. 10 “RELIGION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION”, (PP. 221-239) [18]
1.
#20
Mar 21
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. What are some of the ways in which religious traditions teach the importance of peace?
b. In what ways do religious actors become involved as third-party negotiators in the midst of armed conflict?
c. How does religion serve as a form of conflict resolution in and of itself?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
SUBMIT BY MONDAY MAR 27ND AT 6:00 P.M.
— CH. 11 “TRANSNATIONAL RELIGION, GLOBALIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT”;
— CH. 12 “CONCLUSION: RELIGION IN A ‘SECULAR’ AGE?”, (PP. 243-269) [26]
1.
#21
Mar 28
2.
ANSWER 1 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
a. In what ways might religion serve to deepen the divisions between the world’s peoples, according to scholars
such as Samuel Huntington? Are these divisions inevitable, or could religion help to bring people together?
b. What are some of the challenges faced by states with immigrant populations from different religious
backgrounds? What are the most common concerns raised about this phenomenon?
c. How has secularism affected global politics in some of the countries we have studied in this book?
Create your own question based on the readings that you would like to ask in class.
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