You should have greater clarity about your own Christian theological convictions.

Transcription

1 Fall Term 2018 Preliminary Course Syllabus Department: Systematic Theology Course Title: World Religions Course Number: ME/ST735 Credit Hours: 3 Thursdays: 8:30-12:00 Chapel//Class William G. Witt, Ph.D. Tel: Office , ext 204 Home: wwitt@tsm.edu Course Description An introduction to some of the major (non-christian) living religions of the world. The course will also discuss some methodological questions concerning the study of religion, for example: What is religion? What, if any, characteristics do all religions share? What are some of the approaches and concerns in the contemporary study of religion? Finally, the course will address some of the specifically Christian theological concerns and different theological approaches raised by the existence of other religions besides Christianity. Course Ojectives By the end of the course, you should have an understanding of what makes religion distinctive. You should be able to answer questions like: What is religion? Do religions have family resemblances? Are religions so different that it is meaningless to talk about religion in general, but only religions? You should have a basic knowledge of and understanding of some of the major living religions besides Christianity: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions, African Religions, New Age Religions. You should be able to think theologically about the relation between Christianity and other religions. You should be able to analyze arguments and respond creatively to arguments used by Christian theologians to address such questions as: How should Christians think about other religions? What might God be doing in other religions? Can Christians learn from other religions? You should know the differences between theological positions such as pluralism, exclusivism, inclusivism, etc. You should have greater clarity about your own Christian theological convictions. 1

2 Textbooks The following textbooks are required for the course. 1 Mircea Eliade.The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN $ John R. Hinnells. ed. The Penguin Handbook of the World s Living Religions. New York: Penguin Books, Revised Edition, ISBN $26. Philip Novak. The World s Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World s Religions. NY: HarperCollins, 1994, ISBN , $16.99 In addition, selected supplementary readings will be made available in Google Classroom. The following is a list of supplementary texts that are not required, but which may prove helpful: J. A. Dinoia, O.P. The Diversity of Religions: A Christian Perspective. Washington, D. C.: Catholic University Press, Ida Glaser. The Bible and Other Faiths: Christian Responsibility in a World of Religions. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, Paul J. Griffiths. Christianity Through Non-Christian Eyes. Orbis Books, Paul J. Griffiths. Problems of Religious Diversity. Wiley-Blackwell, Veli-Matti Kärkkäïnen. An Introduction to the Theology of Religions: Biblical, Historical, Theological and Contemporary Perspectives. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, Gerald McDermott. Can Evangelicals Learn From World Religion? Jesus, Revelation & Religious Traditions. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, Gerald McDermott. God s Rivals: Why Has God Allowed Different Religions? Insights From the Bible and the Early Church. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, All required textbooks are available through the TSM bookstore (unless otherwise indicated). Recommended texts have a limited stock, but are always available on demand (give 5-6 business days for special orders). Order in-store, online at or call at

3 Terry C. Muck, Harold A. Netland, Gerald McDermott, eds. Handbook of Religion: A Christian Engagement with Traditions, Teachings, and Practices. Grand Rapids: BakerAcademic, (Highly Recommended) Stephen Neill. Christian Faith and Other Faiths. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, Harold Netland. Dissonant Voices: Religious Plualism and the Question of Truth. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., Harold Netland. Encountering Religious Pluralism: The Challenge to Faith and Mission. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2001 Leslie Newbigin. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., Vinoth Ramachandra. Faiths in Conflict? Christian Integrity in a Multicultural World. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, George R. Sumner. The First and the Last: The Claim of Jeus Christ and the Claims of Other Religious Traditions. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., Timothy C. Tennent. Christianity at the Religious Roundtable: Evangelicalism in Conversation with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, Course Requirements In addition to the assigned readings, students will be responsible for four seminar papers/presentations for the reading of the week (4-6 pages, double spaced). The student giving the presentation for the day should focus on some aspect of the material discussed for the day, for example, something about specific beliefs or practices of a particular religion the role of reincarnation in Hinduism, the four noble truths and the eight-fold path of Buddhism, worship or ritual (for example, marriage or burial practices). Presentations should incorporate not only secondary materials, but (where relevant) also discuss the primary sacred texts from the World s Wisdom reader (or other religious texts). The presentation should include not just a summary of the topic, but also an analysis and critical evaluation. Please use at least two or three secondary sources, and raise two or three questions for discussion at the end. Please submit papers to Google Classroom at least one day before class. 3

4 Finally, each student will prepare a research paper on some major idea, theme, problem, individual, movement, etc., having to do with a world religion or world religions. Such papers could be historical, thematic, theological, or missional in focus. The papers should be at least ten, and not more than twenty pages in length. The final paper will be due on December 14 (the last day to submit work or file an Incomplete ). Course Evaluation The seminar presentations will constitute 50% of the grade. The final paper will constitute 40% of the grade. Class Participation will constitute 10% of the grade. Grades The Academic Bulletin assigns the following values to grades: A B C D F Excellent Good Average Failure Failure In the liberal arts, there is always a subjective element in grading insofar as grades reflect qualitative work rather than quantitative measures. For theological work, a number of factors enter into grading: competence in understanding and summarizing material; insightful comments; thoughtful argumentation in addition to summarizing and commenting. Generally, the more of these factors that are present, the higher the grade, but other factors will also be taken into account, for example, organizational coherence, narrative flow of argument, lucidity. (Longer is not necessarily better.) Plagiarism: Please note the rules against copying material in the Academic Bulletin (in the section on Cheating and Plagiarism in Academic Policies): Students at Trinity are expected to display the highest standards of personal and academic integrity in the development of research papers and other academic projects. Perhaps the most critical issue in exhibiting integrity in academic 4

5 assignments is student compliance with accepted practices of notation of resources and references used to develop their paper or project. It is recognized there can be some confusion regarding proper procedures and practices regarding integration of bibliographical references into assignments. The [ ] policy is intended to address both intentional and unintentional plagiarism. The policy also recognizes that there are levels of plagiarism and that consequences must be aligned with the seriousness of the offense. All students are responsible to be familiar with this policy. Ignorance of plagiarism guidelines will not be accepted as a defence or excuse for violating these standards. If you are uncertain as to whether you may be committing plagiarism in a paper, or have other concerns about your writing, I strongly recommend that you schedule an appointment with Leslie Thyberg, our Learning Skills Coordinator. Course Schedule Week 1: August 30 Introduction: Please read in advance: Eugene Nida. Religion Across Cultures: A Study in the Communication of Christian Faith. NY: Harper & Row, 1968, (In Google Classroom). Week 2: September 6 What is Religion? Eliade, ch. 1-2, pp Week 3: September 13 What is Religion? (Continued) Eliade, ch. 3-4, pp Week 4: September 20 5

6 Judaism Penguin Handbook, ch. 1, pp World s Wisdom, ch. 5, Week 5: September 27 Islam Penguin Handbook, ch. 3, pp World s Wisdom, ch. 7, Week 6: October 4 Hinduism Penguin Handbook, ch. 5, World s Wisdom, ch. 1, Week 7: October 11 Buddhism Penguin Handbook, ch. 8, World s Wisdom, ch. 2, October Reading Week (no class) Week 8: October 26 Chinese Religions 6

7 Penguin Handbook, ch. 9, World s Wisdom, ch. 3-4, Week 9: November 1 Japanese Religions Penguin Handbook, ch. 10, Week 10: November 8 African Religions Penguin Handbook, ch. 13, 20, , World s Wisdom, ch. 8, Week 11: November 15 New Religious Movements and Alternative Religions ( New Age ) Penguin Handbook, ch. 14, 15 November Thanksgiving Holiday (No Classes) Week 12: November 29 Christianity and World Religions John Hick, The Conflicting Truth Claims of Different Religions, Philosophy of Religion. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1963, 1973, (Google Classroom) Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra Aetate). (Roman Catholic) 7

8 Week 13: December 6 Christianity and World Religions (continued) Leslie Newbigin, The Christian Faith and the World Religions, Keeping the Faith: Essays to Mark the Centenary of Lux Mundi. Philadelphia: Fortress Press; Allison Park: Pickwick Publications, 1988, (Google Classroom) George Sumner, The First and the Last: The Claim of Jesus Christ and the Claim of Other Religions, 1-29 (Google Classroom). December 14: Final Paper Due 8

9 General Objectives and Course Outcomes The general set of outcomes Trinity desires for each of our graduates includes the following: 1. The student will recognize and identify the biblical theology evident in the course work. 2. The student will be able to articulate an Anglican understanding of biblical, historical, systematic, and pastoral theology. 3. The student will be able to effectively communicate the Christian message to a diversity of people in order to advance the mission of God MDiv: The student will be prepared to effectively lead in a variety of Christian communities. 2. MAR: The student will be equipped to apply scholarship to the life of the church in his or her chosen theological discipline. 3. STM: The student will be equipped to successfully pursue further independent research and post-graduate study in his or her chosen theological discipline. ME/ST 735 can be taken as either a Missions and Evangelism or a Systematic Theology course. As an introduction to some of the major (non-christian) living religions of the world, a course in World Religions does not easily fit into TSM s usual curriculum. It is not a course in Systematic Theology, nor Anglican theology, nor biblical theology, nor pastoral theology, or even missions. Nonetheless, as a course that examines methodological questions concerning the study of religion, the course does address concerns of systematic theology. Knowing other religions is directly relevant to understanding one s own. The conclusion of the course examines some of the specifically Christian theological concerns and different theological approaches raised by the existence of other religions besides Christianity (Outcome 2). As a course that examines other religions besides Christianity, the course is directly relevant to communicat[ing] the Christian message to a diversity of people in order to advance the mission of God (Outcome 3). Insofar as biblical theology is unique to the Christian religion, the course has less relevance to Outcome 1, although theological questions concerning the relation between Christianity and other religions necessarily look to how Scripture addresses these issues. There is no distinctively Anglican understanding of other religions; however, some of the authors examined in the theological section of the course are Anglican. Insofar as Western Christians live in a world in a pluralistic world in which neighbors are members of non-christian religion, the course is indirectly relevant to pastoral theology (Outcome 2). Short presentation papers and the final research paper especially help to equip the student to to apply scholarship to the life of the church in his or her chosen theological discipline (MAR) and equip to successfully pursue further independent research and post-graduate study in his or her chosen theological discipline (STM). 9

10 Relation Between Course Objectives and Outcomes 1) You should have an understanding of what makes religion distinctive. This will be the focus of the beginning readings of the course. Lectures, assigned readings and class discussion target this objective, and short written papers assesses competence. 2) You should have a basic knowledge of and understanding of some of the major living religions besides Christianity This will be the focus of the middle (and lengthiest) section of the course. Lectures, assigned readings and class discussion target this objective, and short written papers assesses competence. 3) You should be able to think theologically about the relation between Christianity and other religions. This will be the focus of the last few weeks of the course. Lectures, assigned readings and class discussion target this objective, and short written papers assesses competence. 4) You should have greater clarity about your own Christian theological convictions. This outcome depends largely on the student s own contribution. However, if the student applies what is learned in the class, the material covered in the course should be of assistance. The final research paper, in particular, should provide an opportunity for the student to engage the course s subject matter in a creative and thoughtful way that should include theological reflection. 10