RELS 100: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

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1 RELS 100: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Spring 2012, PAC 210 Instructor: Patricia (Micki) Lennon Use Vista Mail Phone: Office: Trinity 234 Course Description Section 1: 12:00-12:50 pm Section 2: 9:00-9:50 a.m. Office hours: Tuesday 1-3 p.m., Wed 3-5 p.m. and by appointment This course is designed to introduce students to the religious beliefs, practices, history and value systems of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will examine the origins, development, and spread of each tradition, beginning with important figures of each tradition (Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad). We will analyze selections from the sacred scriptures of each tradition and explore the function of these scriptures in religious life. We will also look at the way each tradition is practiced in everyday life, examining religious rituals, ethical systems, and diversity within the religious tradition. Students will also do a research project on a Jewish, Christian or Muslim community in Northern California that will require them to visit the congregation, interview community members and produce some sort of electronic resource related to their project (film, website, blog, etc.) This class meets the GE Area C-3 requirement. Course Texts Theodore Ludwig, Sacred Paths of the West, 3 rd edition. A number of other readings (most of the readings for the class, including the majority of readings for homework assignments) are available as.pdf files on Vista. Some days you will be required to print these readings out and bring them to class to get attendance credit for that day these days are noted in the calendar at the end of the syllabus. Course Requirements and Grades Participation: Homework: Exams: Research Project: 10% (100 points) 15% (150 points) 40% (400 points) 35% (350 points) Internet access is required for this class, as all homework assignments will be turned in online. 1

2 Grading will be on a 1000 point scale. 935 or more points, A; points, A-; points, B+; points, B; points, B-; points, C+; points, C; points, C-; points, D+; points, D; below 595, F. Explanation of Course Requirements 1. Participation (10%, 100 possible points) Regular attendance is essential for your success in this class. I will take attendance during the semester, and students who miss more than 3 classes will begin to lose points from their participation grade. Your participation grade will also be based on your actual participation in class discussion. Good discussions require that participants be prepared, ask questions, make contributions to the conversation, and listen attentively to others in the class. I will also take into account your participation in small-group discussion exercises as part of this grade. If you are texting, reading Facebook or playing games on your computer, or otherwise impolite in class, this will negatively affect your participation grade. If you regularly come in late or leave early, this will negatively impact your participation grade. If you have a serious and compelling reason to leave class early, please let me know in advance. It is your responsibility to make sure I know you were in class if you arrive after attendance has been taken. 2. Homework (15%, 150 possible points) Approximately one day a week, we will have an interactive discussion of the readings. In order for these discussions to be successful, it is essential that everyone has read the assigned material and reflected on it. Throughout the calendar of required readings you will find HOMEWORK QUESTIONS. These questions are due by the start of class on the date they are listed in the syllabus, and should be turned in via Vista/Blackboard. Responses to questions should be 2-3 paragraphs in length ( words, or approximately one page). Homework questions will be worth 10 points each. If you submit an assignment late, you will receive half-credit for it this will be true even if you are sick or have to miss class for a university-sponsored event. In both cases you should still submit the assignment by the due date online. If Vista goes down, me at plennon@csuchico.edu and let me know that, and I will give the whole class an extension. The last day to submit late homework for half-credit will be May Exams 40% (400 possible exam points) There will be three exams in this course, one for each religious tradition. The exams will have an objective component and an essay component. Part of the final exam will be comparative. Exams cannot be made up except in cases of severe illness or other 2

3 significant emergencies (e.g. death in the family), and you must notify me in advance if you must miss an exam for these reasons. Exam I, Judaism: 10% (100 points) February 24 Exam II, Christianity: 10% (100 points) March 26 Exam III, Islam and cumulative questions: 20% (200 points) Date TBA, during finals week 4. Research project 35% (350 possible points) All students are required to research a Northern California Jewish, Christian or Muslim community for this class. Students must join a group (4-6 members) and select a religious community to research. You will do preliminary research on the group in question; visit at least one of this community s religious services; interview at least one member of the religious community; produce at least one electronic document (this can be a google map site with photo+ commentary, a collection of photographs, a podcast, a short documentary film, or some other web resource) on your religious community, and give a group presentation on your community. There will also be several short writing assignments connected to this assignment. Calendar: 1. Group selection (February 6) 2. Research ethics paper, 2-3 pages, 50 points. Everyone must write this paper separately. (February 15) 3. Group responsibilities outline: By this date your group must turn in a paper listing the specific religious community your group is studying and how the group is dividing responsibilities. (February 24, though we may do this in class on Feb 6) 4. Religious beliefs and practices paper, 2-3 pages, 50 points. This paper should give an overview of your religious community s beliefs - one per group (March 7) 5. Site visit notes, 2-4 pages, 50 points. This paper should summarize the notes you took on your site visit one per group, but if your group is large you can have 2 or 3 group members collaborate on this. Please don t take notes during an actual religious service! (April 9) 6. Interview notes, 2-4 pages, 50 points. This should summarize your interview with the religious community member. One per group, but if your group is large you can have 2 or 3 group members do this, or interview more than one person. (April 9) 7. Electronic project upload, 50 points. By this date your group needs to have uploaded your google map entry, website or documentary. One per group, but if your group is large or doing a complicated project you can have two or three group members do this. (April 25, unless you re making a documentary, in which case it s due on your presentation date). 8. Presentation (100 points). This should be a minute presentation synthesizing the research you ve done on your religious community and presenting it in a creative way. Possible dates: 4/27, 4/30, 5/2, 5/4, 5/7, 5/9, 5/11 9. Group Evaluation. Twice during the semester (halfway through the group assignments and when you present) you will be asked to evaluate yourself and your group members. Participation in these evaluations will be factored into your presentation 3

4 grade. Also, if group members aren t completing assignments or attending meetings/communicating with other group members, please let me know. Explanation of different elements of the project: Group selection: I will give you time in class to find group members. You may find group members by pre-selecting a specific religious community, or you can form a group and then look for a religious community, but two groups can t research the same community. (They can research the same tradition one group could study St. John s and another the Newman Center, for example but only one group can study a specific community). Groups must exchange contact information and stay in contact with group members over the semester. Any group member who vanishes from class or misses group meetings without contacting other group members can be expelled from a group with the permission of the instructor. Also, if a group member fails to turn in their assigned project/paper on time, they can be expelled from the group. Research ethics paper: Everyone must do this. We will spend time in the first two weeks of class talking about ethical considerations in studying religion and religious communities, and read several essays related to this topic. Before visiting the religious community your group is studying, you must write a 2-3 page paper on the ethics of studying a religious community. This paper should address: (1) General ethical guidelines everyone studying a religious community should adopt; (2) specific ethical dilemmas you think you might encounter as you research your particular community; and (3) how you intend to deal with those dilemmas. Other project papers: The other three papers (the beliefs overview paper, the site visit notes paper and the interview notes) should each be 2-3 pages long, and your group can divide responsibilities on this if they want to in other words, turn in only one of each paper per group. The beliefs overview should situate the particular community within its overall religious tradition (e.g. Temple Beth-El is a Reform Jewish synagogue; Reform Judaism is a branch of Judaism that began in 19 th century Germany and America, etc.) and give a little of the history of the community, either the denomination it belongs to or the specific community itself. Sources can be encyclopedias of religion, interviews with the leaders of that religious community, or the community s own website. See the guidelines on Vista for more detail. The site visit paper should address specific questions such as the location of the house of worship; a description of its interior and exterior spaces; and specific descriptions of the ritual you observed (what specific events took place) and the congregation that attended (age, gender, ethnicity, etc.) See the guidelines on Vista for more detail. The interview paper should summarize the answers given by the person you interview. Guidelines for the interview and sample interview questions are available on Vista. Electronic project: Everyone must agree on the format of the electronic project, but you can include this in the divided responsibilities, if your group prefers. Some suggestions: A collection of photographs of the worship space, the exterior of the building, congregants, etc. Be sure to ask permission before taking photographs. A podcast describing what you ve learned about the tradition from your research 4

5 A short documentary describing what you ve learned from your research If you have other ideas for this project, talk to the instructor. The minimum for this requirement is a an exterior picture of the house of worship and 2-3 paragraphs of text uploaded to a google maps page. The instructions for how to do this are available on Vista. Presentation: Everyone must present. Your presentation should integrate the material from the three papers and the electronic project into a coherent overview of the religious community you ve studied. Depending on group size, presentations will be minutes in length, and will take place during the last two weeks of class. The presentations will be graded on research (25 points); clarity and organization of your actual presentation (25 points); creativity in the use of visual aids such as slideshows or film, or else creativity in getting the class engaged in your presentation (25 points); and self/group assessment (25 points this last part will be an individual grade). On the day of the presentation, in addition to presenting, the group must turn in: A basic fact sheet about the congregation you are studying (factored into your research grade, 1 per group) A bibliography of all the sources you have used for your projects (factored into your research grade, 1 per group) An outline of your presentation this can be a printout of your powerpoint (factored into your clarity and organization grade, 1 per group). A self-assessment/group assessment (the form is available on Vista); each group member must turn in a separate form, though this is graded individually. Some sources for research: The reference section of the library contains many excellent sources on religion; I especially recommend starting with the Encyclopedia of American Religions (Reference BL 2530 U6 M ); the Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience (Reference BL 2525 E ) or the Encyclopedia of Religion (reference section BL 31 E ). For online sources, you may use the community s own website or the official denominational website, but any other websites require permission from the instructor. Many sites are very unreliable or written from the perspective of people hostile to the religious traditions they describe, so it is important that you check with the instructor before using websites as major sources. You can access many scholarly journals online through the library website here: Academic Search, the ATLA Religion Database, and JSTOR are both generally good sources for material on religion. Please be sure that you look at journal articles rather than book reviews! General Guidelines for writing assignments Students are required to keep a copy of all written assignments submitted to me, and to resubmit written work if I request them to. 5

6 Please submit homework assignments through the appropriate Vista assignments tool, not through campus or Vista . I prefer that you cut-and-paste assignments into the submission box rather than submit attachments. All written assignments that you turn in hard copies of (e.g. the group papers) should be typed, double-spaced, on standard 8 1/2 by 11 paper. Margins should be one inch on all sides. Please use a 12 point font. All assignments should include your name, class and section number, the day the assignment is due, and the title of your paper. A title page is not necessary. All assignments must be stapled! If you turn in an assignment in which the pages are not stapled together, I accept no responsibility for lost pages. Please do NOT turn in assignments in binders or plastic covers. All assignments should be accompanied by a bibliography or works cited page, in addition to citations you use in the text. Also, I may require you to submit some papers to Turnitin.com. There will be a link to Turnitin on the Blackboard Vista class page. Any instance of plagiarism or other academic dishonesty (e.g. copying someone else s test) will result in an F for the course and a report of academic misconduct submitted to Student Judicial Affairs. If you borrow the ideas of others in composing your written work, they must be cited; if you borrow the words of others, they must be enclosed in quotation marks and cited. If you have any doubts as to whether or not something needs to be cited, play it safe and cite it or ask me about it. Any standard citation format (MLA, APA, etc.) is fine. Please note that material from the internet is still someone else s work, and must be cited appropriately! If you are unsure of how to do this properly, consult the following website: If you are having health or work problems or personal crises which might tempt you to plagiarize, please talk to me. In some cases, I may be able to make accommodations for your situation; in other cases, I may advise you to take the late penalty (see below). Students who plagiarize on more than one occasion will be expelled from the university. In the long run, it is far better to receive a lower grade (or even a failing grade) than to jeopardize your entire academic career. Students with certified disabilities Please notify me of any special need relating to your disability within the first two weeks of the semester. I will make every reasonable effort to facilitate your success in this course. Please note that you may be required to show documentation of your disability. If you have a documented disability that may require reasonable accommodations, please contact Disability Support Services (DSS) for coordination of your academic accommodations. The DSS phone number is V/TTY or FAX Visit the DSS website at < 6

7 Course Calendar and Required Readings Please note that this schedule is subject to change if necessary. Ludwig refers to Theodore Ludwig, Sacred Paths of the West Vista refers to essays available on Blackboard Vista. PLEASE NOTE: ALL READINGS AND HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE DAY THEY ARE LISTED ON THE SYLLABUS. INTRODUCTION 1/23: Introduction to the Class Syllabus Quiz. (Available on Vista) 1/25: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Similarities and Differences Assignment: Bring a passport size photo of yourself (e.g. a color copy of your driver s license/student ID). You won t get this back. Alternately you can upload a digital photo of yourself to Vista. Worth one homework grade (10 points). 1/27: Studying Religion: A Religious Studies Approach Reading: Ludwig /30: Methods and ethical considerations in studying religion Readings: Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer, What Is Ethics? ; Dana Lynn Driscoll and Allen Brizee, Ethical Considerations in Primary Research; American Anthropological Association, Statement on Ethics; (all on Vista under Readings not in Ludwig >1/30); also please read Interviewing Religious Community Members, Religious site visit guidelines and Informed Consent form on Vista under Ethnographic Project Guidelines on Vista. Homework question: According to the readings, what are some important ethical issues to keep in mind when you re studying people as part of a research project? (Write about a paragraph on this) REMEMBER that homework assignments are always due the date they are listed, so this question is due 1/30, not the class afterward. Turn it in via the Vista assignments tool. 2/1: Abraham in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Readings: Biblical and Quranic passages on Abraham (Vista) Homework question: Write 2-3 sentences on each of these questions: (1) What are some important events in the life of Abraham? (2) Did you notice any significant differences in the Biblical and Quranic accounts of the life of Abraham? (3) Did these stories from the Bible and the Quran have anything to say about sacred (or unsacred) spaces or places? Turn in via the Vista assignments tool. NOTE: Be sure to bring the readings with you to class today (a printout or a laptop). 7

8 UNIT ONE: JUDAISM 2/3: Origins of Judaism. Syllabus quiz must be completed by 11:59 p.m. today. Reading: Ludwig, ; , /6: Origins and Sacred Stories: Moses and the Exodus. Group selection today Reading: Exodus 1:15-3:22, 6:1-14; 11:1-14:30, 20:16-23:33. (Vista) 2/8: Torah and Talmud: Foundations for Jewish law and ethics Reading: Ludwig, ; Jacob Neusner, The essentials of rabbinic literature, (Vista) Homework question: Why, according to the Mishnah and Talmud, does an eye for an eye not literally mean an eye for an eye? How does the Jewish tradition suggest the issue of property damages should be settled? 2/10: Jewish Ritual Reading: Ludwig, FILM. 2/13: Living a Halakhic Life. Reading: Rabbi Irving Greenberg, The Dream and How to Live it: Shabbat ; Michael Fishbane, Judaism as a Ritual System (Vista). Homework question: How, according to Greenberg, does the Sabbath embody fundamental Jewish values? What does it teach Jews about how to live? (Note that Shabbat is Hebrew for Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest). Turn this in via the Vista assignments tool. 2/15: Varieties of Judaism I. Research ethics paper due. Reading: Ludwig, , Lis Harris, Selections from Holy Days: The World of A Hasidic Family (Vista). 2/17: Varieties of Judaism II Reading: Frida Furman, Synagogue Life Among American Reform Jews, Morton Applebaum, Do All Jews Believe Alike, Declaration of Principles adopted by a group of Reform Rabbis at Pittsburgh, (Vista) Be sure to bring the Furman reading and the Pittsburgh Platform to class with you. Homework question: Why did yarmulkes become a controversial issue in the Reform synagogue? How does this debate connect to basic values in the Reform Jewish tradition? 2/20: Varieties of Judaism III Reading: Samuel Heilman, Orthodoxy in an American Synagogue, (Vista) 2/22: Issues in modern Judaism: Gender Equality. Group Presentation Readings: Letty and Abigail Pogrebin, You are a Woman meant You do the dishes Homework question: What experiences drove Letty Pogrebin from the practice of Judaism? Why did she return? What does her story tell us about changing status of women in Conservative Judaism in the 1950s and today? 2/24: Judaism Exam. Also, turn in one page listing your group s religious community and how you are dividing responsibilities (if we haven t already done this in class). 8

9 UNIT TWO: CHRISTIANITY 2/27: Origins and Sacred Story: Jesus. Reading: Ludwig, Optional: The Gospel of Mark (Recommended if you don t know much about the life of Jesus). (Vista) Film: Frontline: From Jesus to Christ, part 1 2/29: Stories about Jesus, Paul, and the early Christian Community Reading: Selections from the Gospel of Luke Infancy Narratives; Selections from the Gospel of Matthew Infancy Narratives ; The Infancy Gospel of Thomas; Genealogies in the New Testament; also Two Versions of the Sermon on the Mount. Homework questions: 1. What do we learn about Jesus from these readings? (About one paragraph) 2. How do the characterizations of Jesus differ in the non-canonical and canonical accounts of his life? (All the readings are canonical except the Infancy Gospel of Thomas). 3/2: Christianity East and West Reading: Ludwig, /5: Sacraments and worship in Christian life. Reading: Ludwig ; Jean Comby, The Development of Worship and the progress of evangelization, (Vista) 3/7: Christians and conflict. Religious community beliefs paper due. Film: The crusades Reading: Ludwig /9: The origin of the Protestant Reformation: Luther s revolt Reading: Reading: Ludwig, ; ; Luther s Protest Against Indulgences; Jesus v. the Pope; Stout Martin Luther and I Will Not Recant (Vista). 3/12: Varieties of Protestantism II: The Ritual Revolution. Reading: Worship and Ritual in Christianity; Innovations in theology and worship: Protestant Reformation (Vista). Homework question: How and why has Christian worship changed throughout Christian history? You can talk about any period of Christian history in the reading as long as you include the Protestant Reformation. 3/14: New forms of Christianity in America. Reading: New Forms of Christianity in America; Charles Finney, Conversion to Christ; Mary Jo Weaver, Modern American Christianity. Homework question: Pick one of the new branches of Christianity in America Weaver discusses and write a paragraph about what was distinctive about it. 3/16: Contemporary controversies in Christianity: Gender issues. Reading: Angela Bonavoglia, The Revolt of the Benedictines (Vista); Ludwig, , Optional reading: Selections from The Inclusive Language Lectionary (Vista); Christians and the Political Order (Vista) 3/26: Christianity Exam 9

10 UNIT THREE: ISLAM 3/28: Origin and Sacred Story: Muhammad. Readings: Ludwig, ; Diana Eck, American Muslims: Cousins and Strangers. (Vista). 4/2: Early Muslim history Readings: Ludwig, /4: The Quran Readings: Ludwig, ; Selections from Approaching the Quran; Robert E. Van Voorst, Islam (Vista) Homework question: The readings from "Approaching the Quran" are all passages from some of the earliest revelations to Muhammad. What are 2 or 3 themes/ issues discussed in these passages? Do they tell us anything about Islam or the Muslim community? (Also: be sure to print out these readings and bring them to class, though you can omit the introductory material in Islam ) 4/6: The Quran in Muslim belief and practice Readings: Hesham Hassaballa, What the Quran Really Says about violence (Vista) 4/9: Muslim Rituals: The Five Pillars. Site visit papers and interview papers due. Readings: Ludwig, ; N.I. Matar; Islam Rests on Five Precepts; Anecdote of a charitable woman ; Hesham Hassaballa, Some Muslim Rules for Prayer, (Vista) 4/11: Pilgrimage in Muslim Life: The Hajj. Readings: Reshma Memon Yaqub, Hajj: The journey of a lifetime; Malcolm X, excerpts on the hajj from his autobiography, (Vista) Homework question: For both Yaqub and Malcolm X, the hajj was a peak experience in their lives. What does each author have to say about how the hajj embodies core ethical principles in Islam? How did it change their lives? 4/13: Shariah: the foundation for Muslim law and values. Readings: Ludwig, ; ; Case Study for the Discussion of Shariah (Vista) Homework question: There will be a group in-class homework assignment, open-book and open-notes, for the Shariah exercise. Be sure to read it over before coming to class, and be sure to print it out and bring it to class. 4/16: Varieties of Islam: Sufism. Readings: Irving Karchmar, excerpts from Master of the Jinn; Coleman Barks, Just Being Sentient is Cause for Rapture ; Sufism: Biographies of Sufi Women; (all on Vista); Ludwig Homework question: The first reading is from a novel about Sufi mystical experience; it tells the story of an initiation of a woman into a Sufi order, during which many stories are told that illustrate the ideals of Sufi life. The Coleman Barks piece talks about lessons he learns from translating Rumi learn from translating Rumi? Based on these two selections, what seem to be some of the values of Sufism 10

11 4/18: Islam and the modern world: Shi ism Readings: Religion and the Political Order in Islam (Vista). 4/20: Gender and Islam. Film: Under One Sky. 4/23: Gender and Islam, II Reading: Asma Gull Hasan, American Muslim Women: Between Two Worlds; My Body is My Own Business (Vista). Homework question: (Note that the Hasan reading has two parts; the part that deals with hijab is mainly in the section called Hijab in America: Why Westerners won t understand. Also note that the second essay is actually by Naheed Mustafa, though it is excerpted in a book by Ann Braude.) What stereotypes do most Americans have about women wearing hijab? What are some of the defenses and criticisms of hijab, according to the readings? Can wearing hijab be a feminist act? 4/25: Islam, colonialism, and modernity. Electronic project upload due, though if it is actually a documentary rather than just a google map, you can have until your presentation date to upload it. 4/27: Group Presentations 4/30: Group Presentations 5/2: Group Presentations 5/4: Group Presentations 5/7: Group Presentations 5/9: Group Presentations 5/11: Group Presentations FINAL EXAM will take place during finals week, date TBA because I am still waiting to hear back from the person who schedules common finals. The date will be announced in class and on Vista. This syllabus is subject to revision if necessary. 11