Contact Info: Office: MND Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 1-2:30PM or by appointment Office Telephone:

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1 Catalog Description: HRS 108 Approaches to Religious Studies Tuesdays - 5:30-8:20PM Spring 2016 Professor Harvey Stark Mendocino Hall 4004 Contact Info: Office: MND harvey.stark@csus.edu Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 1-2:30PM or by appointment Office Telephone: Approaches to Religious Studies Exploration of the history and methodology of Religious Studies, including the analysis of several significant theories of the origin and function of religion. Methods and theories drawn from the disciplines of psychology, sociology, history, anthropology, philosophy, and feminist theory. *HRS 108 is required for the B.A. in HRS with Religious Studies Concentration and for the Religious Studies Minor. The course employs a modified seminar format, featuring extensive class discussion and oral reports. Learning Objectives: 1 Students who successfully complete HRS 108 will be able to: Explain the historical development of the field of Religious Studies, identifying major thinkers in the field of Religious Studies and describing their primary contributions. Describe significant theoretical approaches to the study of religion, including their intentions and applications. Demonstrate familiarity with the ways religion is conceptualized and categorized in academic study. Apply appropriate academic approaches (e.g. empathy) to the study of religions, and demonstrate ability to distinguish academic study of religion from personal perspectives (e.g. faith perspective). Demonstrate analytical reading skills, the ability simultaneously to extract and construct meaning when reading diverse texts. Demonstrate critical thinking skills, comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion. Demonstrate written communication skills, through using appropriate structure, development, usage, and reference sources to write clear, purposeful, analytical prose. Demonstrate oral communication skills, by presenting information orally in a persuasive, logical, and organized manner that draws effectively on relevant evidence. 1 Taken from Dr. Jeffrey Brodd Sp15 1

2 Class Structure: This is primarily a discussion course and so I will keep lectures to a minimum. Class interaction through reading and presentations will create the substance of the course. Goals of Class Discussions: Class is an opportunity to discuss the week s themes and readings. It is a chance for us to think critically and question some of our own assumptions. When possible will aim at a thoughtful and thought- provoking discussion. You should develop a sense of responsibility for class discussion, making sure it is robust, on- topic and well thought out. We will cover a lot of material each week and you should approach the readings with the goal of allowing certain sources to speak to you, challenge you, and inspire further reflection. Our discussions will be shaped, by questions and ideas you bring to class. While we will generally stick to the course outline, I may change readings or subject matter to better address your concerns or interests. Readings: Reading is the most important element of class. Careful reading will help you to study for exams, participate in class, and enhance your overall understanding of the subject matter. On average you will have 180 pages of reading per week, combining primary and secondary text. As the relaying of stories is an important part of religion, I have done my best to provide you with texts that tell a story. When reading be strategic by identifying the themes and purpose of a given selection and discovering how authors achieve their goals. When you find something in the readings that seems vulnerable to criticism, try to formulate the criticism, but then try to imagine how the author might want to respond to your question or objection. This type of critical thinking will help you when formulating essays and research papers. * - Please be aware that the reading for any given week may change, and I will inform you of these changes in advance. 2

3 Class Requirements & Grading: Schedule & Summary Item Percentage of Grade Due Date Participation & weekly reflections 15% N/A Presentation and Class Led Discussion 15% N/A Paper #1 10% February 19 Paper #2 10% March 18 Discussion Outline for Paper #3 5% April 19 th Paper #3 15% April 28 Annotated Bibliography 30% May 17 Assignment Details Participation & weekly reflections 15%: Participating is a crucial part of a class this size. Your participation grade has two components: 1) Weekly reflections (posted to the wiki on SacCT the day before class). These are graded cumulatively based on substance and on time submission. These should include a question/reflection about the text for the week (no need to exceed 350 words). 2) Active participation, which includes actively and thoughtfully contributing to the conversation, as well as actively listening and respecting your classmates input. Articulating ideas through participation will help you to formulate ideas and reinforce reading material. Presentation and Class Led Discussion 15%: Each student will choose a week and present the readings and author bio (using PPT or handouts for one week s class) and spearhead and run class discussion. Paper #1-10%, Due on February 19 by 11:59 PM (Upload to SacCT): A 3-4 page response to Wilfred Cantwell Smith s, The Meaning & End of Religion. Paper #2-10%, Due on March 18 by 11:59PM (Upload to SacCT): A 3-4 page response to Peter L. Berger s, The Sacred Canopy. Discussion Outline for Paper #3-5%, Due in class on April 19 th : One week before paper #3 is due there will be an informal discussion session of your paper ideas accompanied by a one- page paragraph of explanation and a short bibliography. The main objective is to help you frame your ideas in preparation for writing the paper. Paper #3-15%, Due April 28 by 11:59PM (Upload to SacCT): A 6-7 page paper engaging with a particular subject/theme and how it is approached in religious studies; for example ritual, symbolism, gender, race, faith, experience, etc. Your bibliography should only contain academic sources (articles and books), no Internet sites, which should be used sparingly to help you find resources. You should use at least 4 sources; the more the better. 3

4 Annotated Bibliography - 30%, Due May 17 by 11:59PM (Upload to SacCT): A 15- page annotated bibliography, covering the major thinkers, themes, and approaches in religious studies. This will include an explanation of the methodology or structure you use in choosing resources. (Not more than 50% should come from the syllabus and for those authors chosen from the syllabus you should include two works by that author). Written Assignments: Prior to all written assignments, I will either discuss the assignment in class or provide a prompt page with instructions defining the parameters of the paper. I will be available to discuss drafts and paper ideas. However, drafts should be discussed no less than 1 week prior to the paper due date. I will not review drafts, but give you the opportunity to discuss questions you might have. The best topics are often generated out of the liveliest seminar discussions. If a particular session interests you greatly, and you find yourself wanting to argue for one side against another or wanting to resolve a debate by showing that both sides make incorrect assumptions, you probably have a good topic on your hands. Late Papers: Papers turned in after the deadline will lose 1/3 grade (A to A- ; A- to B+; B+ to B, etc.) for each 48- hour period it is late. All papers are due by May 17 th. Explanation of Grading: All assignments will be given letter grades. The following, partially taken from the CSUS website ( helps to define what each letter means: A - Excellent achievement of the course objectives. In addition to being clearly and significantly above the requirements, work exhibited is of an independent, creative, and contributory nature. B Very Good achievement of the course objectives. The performance is clearly and significantly above the satisfactory fulfillment of course requirements. C - Satisfactory achievement of the course objectives. A C shows evidence of effort, but only modest success in meeting the course expectations. D - Unsatisfactory achievement of course objectives, yet achievement of a sufficient proportion of the objectives so that it is not necessary to repeat the course unless required to do so by the academic department. A D is minimally acceptable in the sense that it barely counts as a completion F - Unsatisfactory achievement of course objectives to an extent that the student must repeat the course to receive credit. Plus - Shows effort and achievement that goes somewhat beyond the standards expressed above for each letter category. Minus - Shows effort and achievement that is somewhat below the standards expressed for each letter category. 4

5 Statement on Academic Integrity Plagiarism and academic dishonesty constitute serious offenses that undermine your education and violate Sacramento State s policy on academic integrity and may result in penalties ranging from a lowered grade to course failure. All work submitted in this class must be your own, and must be completed specifically for this class. You may not turn in work previously written for another class. Any use of another s work without proper attribution constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism ranges from copying someone else s work word for word, to rewriting someone else s work with only minor word changes (mosaic plagiarism), to summarizing work without acknowledging the source. For more information see the library s page on plagiarism: ( Expectations: Attendance: Consistent attendance is required and excessive lateness and/or absence can result in a failing grade. Preparation: Being prepared means you have read and taken notes on all of the week s required reading assignments, have arrived to class with all of the relevant texts, and have brought questions and ideas to class that are important to you, prepared to discuss a range of issues. On occasion I will give you a list of terms to define/identify before a week s readings. You should come to class aware of these definitions, having used your class texts and outside materials if necessary. Laptops & Cell Phones: Laptops and cell phones are not allowed during class. We should be listening and commenting, keeping a good focus on the direction of the conversation. As we all know, laptops and cell phones can be a serious means of distraction for you and those around you. Office Hours: Outside of our weekly class sessions, I will be available to address any questions, concerns or suggestions you have by e- mail and during office hours (it is best to make an appointment). I will do my best to respond to your e- mails within 24 hours on weekdays. I will typically respond to weekend s on Mondays. I encourage you to meet with me to discuss questions you might have about the course material or your broader interests. Accommodations for Recognized Disabilities: I will make every effort to accommodate your needs as they apply to the above policies. Please come see me in the event that you will need special accommodation so that we can figure out an acceptable solution. I am looking forward to a rich and rewarding semester! 5

6 Required Texts: Wilfred Cantwell Smith, The Meaning & End of Religion, Fortress Press, Wilfred Cantwell Smith (July 21, 1916 February 7, 2000) was a Canadian professor of comparative religion, who from was director of Harvard's Center for the Study of World Religions. The Meaning and End of Religion (1963) is regarded by many as Cantwell Smith s most important and influential work. In it he questions the validity of contemporary notions of the term religion as a system of doctrine. Peter L. Berger, The Sacred Canopy, Anchor Peter L. Berger (Boston, MA) is University Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, at Boston University and the founder and Senior Research Fellow of the Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs. The Sacred Canopy, explores the sociological underpinnings of religion and the rise of a modern secular society. Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Mircea Eliade March 9, 1907 April 22, 1986 was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. In The Sacred and Profane, Eliade argues that religious thought in general rests on a sharp distinction between the sacred and the profane. In part he maintains that while contemporary people believe their world is entirely profane, or secular, they still at times find themselves connected unconsciously to the memory of something sacred. 6

7 Daniel L. Pals, Introducing Religion: Readings from the Classic Theorists, Oxford University Press, Daniel L. Pals is a Professor of History at the University of Chicago. His areas of focus are modern European and American intellectual and religious history, the history of the encounter between science and religion, and the nature of explanation in religion, history, and the humanities more generally. Introducing Religion: Readings from the Classic Theorists presents eleven key texts from influential theorists who played a pivotal role in the modern enterprise of explaining the phenomenon of religion. These writings seek to account for the origin, function, and enduring human appeal of religion by drawing on methods of scientific scholarship unconstrained by theological creeds or confessional commitments. Tomoko Masuzawa, In Search of Dreamtime, University Of Chicago Press, Tomoko Masuzawa has been a Professor of Religion in the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Michigan since She is the author of In Search of Dreamtime: Quest for the Origin of Religion and The Invention of World Religions: or How European Universalism Was Preserved in the Language of Pluralism. In Search of Dreamtime observes that the modern study of religion is peculiarly ambivalent toward the question of origin and theories expounded by Durkheim, Müller, and Freud. Masuzawa maintains that the speculations of these three men on the origins of religion contain powerful instruments for dislodging the position of "Western man" as the keeper of knowledge. 7

8 Course Outline Week 1: Defining Religion January 26 - Sam Harris, The End of Faith, T.M. Luhrmann, When God Talks Back, xi- xxv - Jonathan Z. Smith, Religion, Religions, Religious, (recommended) Week 2: The Meaning of Religion & Origins February 2 - Wilfred Cantwell Smith, The Meaning & End of Religion, v- xii & Rita M. Gross, Feminism and Religion: An Introduction, 1-26 & Week 3: Cantwell Smith & The Meaning of Religion February 9 - Wilfred Cantwell Smith, The Meaning & End of Religion, Edward Said in Orientalism a Reader, Alexander Lyon Macfie ed., Week 4: Theoretical Approaches to Religion & the Origins of Religion February 16 - Daniel L. Pals, Introducing Religion, ix- xxvi & 1-70 (Tylor & Frazer) - Rita M. Gross, Feminism and Religion: An Introduction, Paper #1 - Due on February 19 by 11:59 PM (Upload to SacCT) Week 5: Explaining Religion Freud, Marx & Nietzsche February 23 - Daniel L. Pals, Introducing Religion, (Freud) & (Marx) - Friedrich Nietzsche, Excerpts from The Gay Science - Rodney Stark & Roger Fink, Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion,

9 Week 6: Society & the Sociology of Religion March 1 - Daniel L. Pals, Introducing Religion, (Durkheim) & (Weber) - Rodney Stark & Roger Fink, Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion, Week 7: The Sacred Canopy March 8 - Peter L. Berger, The Sacred Canopy, v- vii & Peter L. Berger, The National Interest, No. 46 (Winter 1996/97), pp Casanova, José. Public Religions in the Modern World. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994, Week 8: The Sacred Canopy (continued) March 15 - Peter L. Berger, The Sacred Canopy, Mary Douglas, The Effects of Modernization on Religious Change, Daedalus, Vol. 111, No. 1, Religion (Winter, 1982), pp Paper #2 Due on March 18 by 11:59PM (Upload to SacCT) Week 9: March 22 - Spring Break Week 10: Experiencing the Sacred March 29 - Daniel L. Pals, Introducing Religion, (Otto) & (Eliade) - Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane, 8-65 Week 11: Experiencing the Divine April 5 - Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane, Week 12: April 12 Visiting Scholar, Ryan Harper (Readings TBA) 9

10 Week 13: Religion and Anthropology April 19 - Daniel L. Pals, Introducing Religion, (Geertz) - Talal Asad, The Construction of Religion as an Anthropological Category, Karen McCarthy Brown, Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn, ix- x, xviii- xxlii, 1-33 Discussion Outline for Paper #3 Due in class on April 19 th Week 14: Returning to Explanatory Models April 26 - Tomoko Masuzawa, In Search of Dreamtime, Rita M. Gross, Feminism and Religion: An Introduction, Paper #3 Due April 28 by 11:59PM (Upload to SacCT) Week 15: Returning to Explanatory Models May 3 - Tomoko Masuzawa, In Search of Dreamtime, Salomon & Walton, Religious criticism, secular critique, and the critical study of religion : Lessons from the study of Islam in The Cambridge Companion to Religious Studies, Robert A. Orsi ed., Week 16: Race & Religion in the United States May 10 - Selections from The Cornell West Reader - Judith Weisenfeld, My Story Begins before I Was Born: Myth, History, and Power in Julie Dash s Daughters of the Dust, in Representing Religion in World Cinema: Filmmaking, Mythmaking, Culture Making, edited by S. Brent Plate, In class film: Daughters of the Dust Annotated Bibliography Due May 17 by 11:59PM (Upload to SacCT) 10