Description

Objectives

Course Materials

Assignments

Projects

Class Discussions

Field Work

Commitment

Description

This course introduces to religious dimensions and worldviews by comparing concepts, texts and experiences in diverse religious traditions. It is an attempt to describe, interpret and explore the nature of religion and students are invited to investigate differing expressions of human beliefs and religious experiences. A first step in this investigation is to heighten awareness concerning the human quest for "the Absolute/the Holy/Ultimate Reality," a quest that appears in varied expressions throughout the world. This exploration can hardly be comprehensive, yet should introduce to a great variety of human beliefs embedded in myth or narratives, ritual, ethical imperatives and practices, art and architecture. A second goal will be to come into "dialogue" with some of these diverse cross-cultural sacred expressions. This includes sensitivity, the possible challenge to our preconceptions and the willingness to be open to "listen" to concepts that might be unusual and unfamiliar. It eventually requires the ability to question and to rethink notions of sacred dimensions in human life.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:

1. Demonstrate a beginning facility with the tools and methodologies of Religious Studies
2. Critically evaluate definitions of "religion," theories regarding the "nature of religion," and concepts of secular/profane and the Sacred/Absolute/Ultimate
3. Describe and compare modes of religious experience, aspects of sacred texts, rituals, morality, community, and philosophical concepts using a cross-cultural perspective
4. Review the role of language, cognition, and experience in the context of religion as a phenomenon of human existence
5. Recognize and critically evaluate social, cultural, and historical influences relevant to understanding religious systems
6. Assess one's own worldview in the critical dialog with religious traditions in a global world, the history of ideas, and religion's relationship to culture

Course Materials

Interesting is the immense variety of different religious phenomena we are exploring. The textbook provides an excellent guide for the diverse topics studied and discussed in this course.

Moojan Momen, The Phenomenon of Religion: A Thematic Approach (Oxford: Oneworld, 1999) [2]

Assignments

Once a week we will meet in a computer-lab for research on the Internet. A series of assignments will provide you with ideas and instructions to explore specific topics. Your work on these assignments is a very important preparation for our weekly quiz as well as class discussions. The goal of these assignments is twofold:

a) to acquire knowledge about unfamiliar religious ideas, concepts, expressions, and experiences

b) to apply this knowledge according to the questions in the assignment.

Projects

For your mid-term and final exam you need to complete a project over a period of two weeks. This will include your own research, critical assessment, and reflections on specific religious phenomena. For this project you should plan to have some time to perform research on the Internet as well as in the library. You will have a choice between two different topics. In these projects you will need to do your own research, critical assessment, and reflections on specific religious topics. Please plan ahead to have some time to perform research in the library since you are required to read at least two books and one article about your chosen topic and write short abstracts (half a page each) about these works. These readings cannot be Internet sources. Specific reference books are available for this course at the circulation desk. [3] The library also offers a variety of valuable resources for this class under the title World Religions . 

Keep in mind that this class follows the “Academic Honesty Philosophy Statement” of the College of DuPage. Proven plagiarism will earn you an F for the class, possibly a meeting with the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, including a formal report and/or an appearance before a Judicial Board. Overall the grading criteria for the exams will particularly focus on clarity, creativity, and depth of presentation in your interpretation of religious phenomena. A possibility to gain extra credit is also part of these two assignments, which includes a presentation of a chosen topic before class.

Class Discussions

Lively discussions make a course much more interesting! Therefore, please keep up with all the readings and mark as many questions as come to your mind while you are researching the material. Since your thoughtful and critical contribution in these discussions accounts for 20% of your grade, please participate regularly! I also check attendance. Missing more than four classes during the quarter will negatively influence your participation grade.

Field Work

You are required to visit a worship service (different from your own affiliation), or an exhibition of religious art (e.g. Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum or Oriental Institute Museum). Please write a short description (1-2 pages double spaced) or give a brief presentation in class. The most important aspect during this visit should be that you explore the following question: what is the religious significance of the specific worship setting, artifact, or ritual? Therefore, it might be advisable to investigate the religious context in various literary sources also. Find suggestions for this specific assignment here. You may also choose other places as long as the religious context has previously been unfamiliar to you and you inform me about your planned visit before you undertake it.

Commitments

I promise to give every effort and knowledge to stimulate your interest in and curiosity about the topic. I will give guidance for your work and will respond to your work as promptly and honestly as possible. If you participate in this course, I expect you to complete your assignments regularly, be prepared with your readings and contribute to the discussions in class. I also expect you to hand in your assignments (written essays) on time. If there are exceptional problems, please tell me early, and we will discuss options.

Grading

Please contact me with any questions, worries, suggestions or concerns you have.