Course Description Contemporary World Religions REL 2306, CRN 80449 Robert John Beeson, Ph.D. Fall 2017 Tuesday and Thursday: 12:00 p.m. 1:15 p.m. Edwards Hall 112 Office: Reed Hall 108-D E-mail: rbeeson@fgcu.edu Telephone: (239) 745-4412 Texting: (239) 887-0380 Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 1:30 2:30 p.m. This course, a General Education Humanities Elective, will explore the unity and diversity of religious traditions in a global context so that students will be lead to an understanding of the mutual interactions between religions and cultures. There will be an emphasis on the role of religion in human values systems. Religion is one of six large fields collectively referred to as the humanities, the others being philosophy, art, music, literature and history. Other subjects such as speech/rhetoric, theatre, dance, and foreign language are sometimes included in the list, but traditionally these have been subsumed by the big six. Humanities are disciplines that explore the various aspects of human culture. This course will address the meaning of religion in regard to its existential, aesthetic, historical and comparative dimensions. What does all religion have in common? How does religion differ from magic? How does it differ from science? What is the epistemological status of religious dogma and value judgments? Our study will be marked by three core values. First, we will approach the subject with respect, acknowledging that the unique claims of particular religions are often considered by their adherents to be deeply personal and highly sensitive, and to outsiders, strange and perplexing. Our discussion of the subject will be free of any intention toward the pejorative, defamatory, or insulting, and marked by open-mindedness and charity. On the other hand, our treatment of the subject will be frank and critical. Liberal education presupposes a commitment to questioning and analysis, and any course in comparative religion must, by its very meaning, approach its subject with honesty and with thoroughness. Critical analysis should never be mistaken for disparagement. Thirdly, reading is at the heart of the humanities, essential to understanding the subject, and this course will accordingly be marked by a rigorous reading schedule and an
expectation that students will be committed to staying current with it. As we will see, there are different ways of reading; the reading of sacred texts is very different from reading novels, news reports, or essays. We will explore the different ways people read, and how one should approach the task of reading scripture. Learning Outcomes 1. Students will develop a culturally diverse perspective by engaging the sacred texts of the world s main religious systems. 2. Students will develop a stronger sense of ethical responsibility through the study of value systems germane to the great religions of the world. 3. Students will develop a keener recognition of aesthetic frameworks and begin to recognize how these in terms of contemporary issues. Required Text: Experiencing the World s Religions: Tradition, Challenge and Change, Michael Molloy, Sixth Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-07-803827-3. Students are also required to join Top Hat course delivery system. Composition of the Course Grade: 1. 40% Quizzes: Four (4) short answer quizzes that cover material from both the lectures and the readings. Each quiz will count for 10% of the final course grade. 2. 30% Final Examination: Cumulative final exam will cover lectures and readings. 3. 10% Field Trip: Between the midterm period and the end of classes, students will undertake a field trip to an approved religious center for a worship experience and complete a form on the visit. 4. 20% Attendance and Participation: This is not a virtual or hybrid class; attendance and engagement are required. No student can obtain an A without satisfactory attendance (see next section). Participation metrics will be recorded by Top Hat; knowledge of reading assignments will be assessed through interactive classroom exercises. Attendance Policy: 1. Attendance will be taken at each class meeting, usually at the beginning, sometimes at the end, and occasionally at both the beginning and the end.
Late Work: 2. More than four (4) absences will result in a one letter grade deduction for the course. More than six (6) absences will result in a two letter grade deduction for the course. More than eight (8) absences will result in a failing grade for the course. 3. There will be no considered difference between excused and unexcused absences. Documented medical emergencies will be treated on a case by case basis. 1. Late work will be accepted for a period of up to one-week after the due date with a late penalty of one letter grade being assessed. 2. Quizzes can be made up for a period of up to one week after the due date. Makeup quizzes are designed to be significantly more difficult to account for the extra study time apportioned to the student between the original due date and the due date for late submission. 3. After one week, no prior work can be made up. A zero for that assignment will be entered in the grade book. Grade Weights 90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D Below 60 = F Academic Behavior Standards and Academic Dishonesty All students are expected to demonstrate honesty in their academic pursuits. The university policies regarding issues of honesty and academic integrity can be found in the FGCU Student Guidebook under the Student Code of Conduct and Policies and Procedures sections. All students are expected to student this document which outlines their responsibilities and the consequences for violations of the policy. The FGCU Student Guidebook is available online at: http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/judicialaffairs/new.html Disability Accommodations Services Florida Gulf Coast University, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the university s guiding principles, will provide classroom and academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities. If you need to request an accommodation in this class due to a disability, or you suspect that your academic performance is affected by a disability, please contact the Office of Adaptive Services. The Office of Adaptive Services is located in Howard Hall 137. The phone number is 239-590- 7956 or TTY 239-590-7930.
Student Observance of Religious Holidays All students at Florida Gulf Coast University have a right to expect that the University will reasonably accommodate their religious observances, practices, and beliefs. Students, upon prior notification to their instructors, shall be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holy day of their faith. Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence. Students shall not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances. Where practicable, major examinations, major assignments, and University ceremonies will not be scheduled on a major religious holy day. A student who is to be excused from class for a religious observance is not required to provide a second party certification of the reason for the absence. Withdrawals and Incompletes The deadline to withdraw without academic penalty is Friday, Nov. 3rd. If a student withdraws from class by this date a W will appear on the transcript, but no grade will be factored into the GPA. Incompletes will be granted only in circumstances of the most extreme and documented personal or family emergency. Course Outline: (Readings are to be completed before the scheduled class meeting) DATE TOPIC READING/ASSIGNMENT 08/22 Course Introduction, syllabus, Expectations, Requirements, Schedule, Etc. How to Read Religious Texts Log on to Canvas to complete preliminary assignment. Subscribe to Top Hat per 08/24 Understanding Religion, What Religion Is and Is Not, Linguistic Clues, The Idea of the Sacred, Symbolism, What Religions Have in Common 08/29 Religion and the Humanities, Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Religion, Recent Theories, Why Study Religion? 08/31 Indigenous Religions, Patterns in Indigenous Religions, Sacred Time and Sacred Space, Respect for Origins, Gods, Ancestors, Taboos, Life-Cycle Ceremonies instructions. Preface, Chapter 1 (32-38) Chapter 1 (39-71) Chapter 2 (32-71) 09/05 Hinduism, Origins, The Vedas, The Upanishads Chapter 3 (73-86) 09/07 Hinduism, The Bhagavad Gita, The Caste System, The Yogas, Karma, Rituals and Celebrations, Hindu Gods, Devi, Rituals and Celebrations, Hinduism and the Arts, Gandhi, Beyond India Chapter 3 (87-120)
09/12 Buddhism, Early Development, The Soul, Karma, Nirvana, Ahimsa, Four Noble Truths, Three Marks of Reality 09/14 Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Vajrayana Buddhism 09/19 Jainism and Sikhism, Shared Origins, Background of Jainism, Mahavira and the Origins of Jainism, Worldview, Ethics, Branches of Jainism, Practices, Scriptures 09/21 Jainism and Sikhism, Background of Sikhism, Nanak and the Origins of Sikhism, Worldview and Teachings, Scriptures 09/26 Daoism and Confucianism, Basic Elements, Origins of Daoism, Basic Early Teachings, Development, Daoism and the Arts, Daoism and the Modern World 09/28 Daoism and Confucianism, The Dao in Confucianism, Life of Confucius, Confucian values, Confucian Literature, Development, Confucianism and the Arts, Confucianism and the Modern World Chapter 4 (122-139) Chapter 4 (140-179) QUIZ #1 Chapter 5 (181-192) Chapter 5 (182-203) Chapter 6 (204-226) Chapter 6 (227-253) 10/03 Shinto, Origins of Shinto, Development, Essential Beliefs Chapter 7 (254-263) 10/05 Shinto, Religious Practice, Shinto and the Arts, Shinto Chapter 7 (264-279) Offshoots, Shinto and the Modern World 10/10 Judaism, Jewish History, Hebrew Bible, Biblical History, Cultural Conflict during Second Temple Era, Development of Rabbinical Judaism, Questioning and Reform Chapter 8 (280-309) 10/12 Judaism, Judaism and the Modern World, Jewish Belief, Religious Practices, Divisions within Contemporary Judaism, Jewish Identity and the Future of Judaism 10/17 Christianity, Life and Teachings of Jesus, Early Christian Beliefs and History, Early Spread of Christianity, Influences on Christianity at the End of the Roman Empire 10/19 Christianity, The Eastern Orthodox Church, Mount Athos, Christianity and the Middle Ages, Crusades, Inquisition, Late Middle Ages 10/24 Christianity, The Protestant Reformation, Development of Christianity following the Reformation, The Counter Reformation, Christian Practice, Sacraments, The Christian Year, Devotion to Mary, Christianity and the Arts 10/31 Islam, Essentials of Islam, The Five Pillars, Additional Practices, The Qu ran, Historical Development, Shiite and Sunni Division 11/02 Islam, Sufism, Islamic Law and Legal Institutions, Philosophy and Theology, Islam and the Arts, Islam and the Modern World Chapter 8 (310-331), Kaufmann essay The Future of Jewish Identity (12 pp) QUIZ #2 Chapter 9 (332-359) Chapter 9 (360-369) Chapter 9 (370-396) Chapter 10, (407-435) Chapter 10 (436-469)
11/07 Alternative Paths, Origins of New Religions, Contemporary Paganism, Yoruba Tradition, Theosophy, Scientology, Falun Gong, Cao Dai, 11/09 Alternative Paths, Rastafarianism, Baha i, Latter Day Saints, Supreme Master Ching Hai, Eckankar, and Others, Differences between Cults and Religions 11/14 The Modern Search, Modern Influences on the Future of Religion, Recurring Challenges, Secularism, The Case for Atheism 11/16 The Modern Search, Environmentalism, Eclectic Spirituality, Altered States of Consciousness, Paranormal Psychology and Religion, 11/21 Religion and the Meaning of Life: The Challenges of Divine Command Ethical Systems Chapter 11 (470-490) QUIZ #3 Chapter 11 (491-505) and Chapter 12 (506-524) Chapter 12 (525-536) and 11/23 No Class: Thanksgiving Recess 11/28 Religion and the Meaning of Life: The Image of Death in Religion 11/30 Religion and the Meaning of Life: The Challenges to Ancient Faiths from a Modern World, the Future of Religion, Renewal or Regression? 12/05 Conclusions of our Study of Contemporary World Religions QUIZ #4 Field Reports Due 12/07 No Class: Study Day 12/14 FINAL EXAM, 10:00 A.M. 12:15 P.M. Edwards 112