RELG 110
Introduction to World
Religions
Professor:
Daniel Meckel
Office:
AA 110C. Tel: 4464
Email:
djmeckel@smcm.edu
Office
hours: Fridays 11-Noon
Course Summary
Arguably, it has never been more important for
us to develop a basic and comparative knowledge of world religious
traditions. In this course, you are
invited to acquaint yourself with the histories, beliefs and practices of four
major world religions: Hinduism,
Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. You
are also invited to explore the place of these traditions in the contemporary
world and in your own life (religious or otherwise). We will approach each of the four religions
by first examining its foundations -- its early history and central symbols,
tenets, and practices. Second, we will
consider the spectrum of religious perspectives within the tradition. As the class progresses, students will learn
to compare traditions along the lines of their notions of (a) ultimate reality,
(b) ultimate aims, (c) the means to attaining those aims, and (d) notions of
the human condition. The class entails
two mandatory field trips to religious sites in the DC area and/or in Southern
Maryland.
Course
Materials:
Fisher. Living Religions
Eastman, Roger The
Ways of Religion
COURSE SCHEDULE
|
IN CLASS: Lectures,
Discussions, Videos, |
ASSIGNMENTS:
|
HINDUISM
Week I
|
Aug. 30: Introduction to the Class
|
Eastman,
The Hindu View of Life, by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
|
Sept. 01: The One and the Many Film: 330 Million Gods |
Video Worksheet 1 |
Week II
|
Sept. 06: Early Veda:
Gods, Priests & the Fire Sacrifice |
·
Fisher, pp.
72-79 ·
Eastman,
Hymns From the Rig Veda, pp. 22-27 ·
Response Paper #1 due at the beginning of class. |
|
Sept. 08: Early Veda
(continued) |
|
Week III
|
Sept. 13: No Class (Meckel at Society for Cultural
Psychology Bi-annual Conference, Erlangen, Germany) |
I am but a
Seeker after Truth, by Mahatma Gandhi (Eastman, pp. 65-74) Due at the beginning of class on
Tuesday, Sept. 20. |
|
Sept. 15: Vedanta: The
Upanisads and the Way of Mystical Knowledge |
·
Fisher, pp.
79-85 ·
Eastman, Selections
from The Upanishads, pp. 27-39;
Yoga: The Discipline of Freedom, pp. 53-58 |
Week IV
|
Sept. 20: Bhagavad Gita
and the Way of Action (karma
yoga) |
·
Eastman, Selection from the Bhagavad Gita, pp. 40-52 ·
Response Paper #2 due at the beginning of class. |
|
Sept. 22: Devotionalism and the Gods QUIZ
1 |
·
Fisher, pp.
85-108 |
|
Monday, Sept. 26 at 8:15 PM in St.
Mary’s Hall "Mutants
and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal." Professor Jeffrey Kripal |
BUDDHISM
|
Sept. 29:
Introduction to Buddhism Film: Footprints of the Buddha |
·
Fisher, pp.
134-140 ·
Eastman, pp.
77-90, The Roar of Awakening; Buddhahood Video
Worksheet 2 Response Paper #3: |
Week VI
|
Oct. 4:
Three Marks of Reality QUIZ
2 |
·
Eastman,
pp. 91-98, |
|
Oct. 6: Four Noble Truths |
·
Fisher, pp.
140-147 ·
Response Paper #3 due at the beginning
of class. |
Week VII
|
Oct. 11: No Class – Reading Day |
Response
Paper #4: |
|
Oct. 13:
Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism QUIZ 3 |
·
Fisher, pp. 147-154 ·
Eastman, pp. 110-115, The Mahayana and the Ideal of Bodhisattva |
Week VIII
|
Oct. 18: Zen Film: Land of the Disappearing
Buddha |
·
Fisher, pp.
163-172 ·
Eastman, pp.
133-144,The Essence of Zen; Zen Dust: The Koan ·
Response Paper #4 due at the beginning
of class Video
Worksheet 3 |
|
Oct. 20: Mold
Remediation Day |
|
ISLAM
Week IX
|
Oct. 25: MIDTERM |
|
|
Oct. 27: Intro to Islam Film: Inside Islam
|
·
First field essay (on either a
Buddhist or Hindu place of worship) due in the tray outside of my office by
5:00 PM. Response Paper #5: |
Week X
|
Nov. 1: No Class – All
Day Advising |
|
|
Nov. 3: Muhammad in Historical Context |
·
Fisher, pp.
376-384 ·
Eastman, pp.
400-405, |
Week XI
|
Nov. 8: The Qur’an
and the Hadiths / QUIZ 4 |
·
Fisher, pp.
384-398 ·
Eastman, pp.
416-421, The Qur'anic Teaching ·
Response Paper #5 due at the beginning
of class Male and
Female in Islamic Perspective (Eastman,
pp. 435-444) Due at the beginning of class on
Tuesday, Nov. 29. |
|
Nov. 10: No Class,
in Compensation for Field Trip II. Meckel at Rice university delivering a
paper. |
·
Fisher, pp. 399-401 |
Week XII
|
Nov. 15: The Five
Pillars of Islam |
·
Fisher, pp.
401-406 |
|
Nov. 17: No Class, in compensation for Field Trip
II. |
|
Week XIII
|
|
Week XIV
|
Nov. 29: The Sufi Way Film: I am a Muslim, I am a Sufi |
·
Eastman,
pp. 422-428, selections from Al-Ghazali's Deliverance from Error
|
CHRISTIANITY
|
Dec. 1: Introduction to Christianity/Life and
Teachings of Jesus QUIZ 5 |
·
Fisher,
ch. 9, up to The Early Church Selections,
The New Testament (Eastman,
pp. 343-352 ) Due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, Dec.6. |
Week XV
|
Dec. 6: Paul and the
Jesus Movement / Early Church |
·
Fisher, “The
Early Church” up to “Roman Catholic Reformation” ·
Response Paper #7 due at the beginning
of class. "The
Anguish of Being a Christian" by Soren Kierkegaard (Eastman, pp.
373-379) |
|
Dec. 8: Protestant Reformation QUIZ 6 |
·
Fisher, “The Protestant Reformation” ·
Response Paper #8 due at the beginning of class. |
|
Dec. 13: Second
field essay (on the mosque trip) due by noon.
|
Week XVI
|
The Final Exam will be a
take home exam. I will post the exam on the
Assignments page of the course website on Tuesday, December 13th
at 12:00 PM. The exam is due to me by
8:00 AM on December the 16th. Send your exam to me by
email: djmeckel@smcm.edu |
Graded Assignments
Graded Assignments Points
Possible
Quizzes...................................................... 160 (high four at 40 pts each)
Video Worksheets..................................... 30 (6 pts each)Writing Exercises...................................... 30 (3 pts each)
Response papers....................................... 180 (six at 30 pts each)
Field Essays.............................................. 100 (50 pts each)
Midterm exam.......................................... 200
Final exam................................................ 200
Participation............................................. 100
Please note that your overall quiz
score will be worth a significant portion of your final grade.
Thus your final grade will in part be
a function of how faithful you are to the reading assignments and to the review
of your readings and notes from class.
FINAL GRADE VALUES
1000 Points Possible
|
900 to 919 = A- 880 to 899 = B+ 820 to 879 = B 800 to 819 = B- 780 to 799 = C+ |
700 to 719
= C- 680 to 699
= D+ 620 to 679
= D 600 to 619
= D- 599 and
below = F |
Go to
Blackboard to track your progress in the class
A note on grading: If ever you disagree with a grade,
you can always come to me and argue
your position. I may or may not be
convinced, but I will always take you seriously.
My Office Hours: My office number and hours are listed
above. Please make an appointment if you
can, but feel completely free to drop by with your concerns, ideas, questions,
etc. I will always make time if I
can. If need be, we can certainly
communicate by email, but in-person is always best.
Descriptions of Assignments:
Quizzes: There will be six 15-to-20 minute quizzes. At the end of the semester I will count only
the top 4 quiz grades at 40 points each.
Questions on a quiz can cover anything from the reading assignments,
video, discussion, and lectures that followed the previous quiz, and from the readings for the day of the
quiz. Quizzes will usually consist
of short answers and definitions. Some
quizzes will include image identification. My own lecture notes and lists of
terms will be posted on the “study aids” page of the web site to help you stay
prepared for class discussions, quizzes and exams. Also, see the link “How to do well on a quiz”
in the Assignments section of the course website. Missed
quizzes receive no points. A quiz will
not be counted if the student leaves the class early. Please note that a
quiz cannot be made up at any other time, regardless of the reasons for missing
it.
Video Worksheets are done in class during some of the
videos. The purpose of this assignment
is to help focus your attention on crucial points, and to keep you thinking and
writing during the video. You learn more
this way.
Writing Exercises: These are in-class writing assignments for the
purpose of anchoring your knowledge through active use of the information that
you get from lectures, films and readings.
They will always receive full points so long as they show that you are
taking advantage of the opportunity and using them to learn. I use these exercises and quizzes because
research shows convincingly that writing and frequent quizzes are very
effective in helping with recall. Also, they give me a chance to see how and
whether each student is grasping the material.
Each student begins the semester with full points for these in-class
exercises (30 points, 3 per exercise) and I deduct points if the assignment is
either not done or dramatically incomplete.
Response Papers: These writing assignments give you the
opportunity to explore your thoughts about a brief reading relevant to the
tradition that we are currently studying.
Eight assignments are posted. You
may choose six of them. If you write on
more than six, I will take your four top scores. Assignments will receive full points (20
each) if (1) the paper is turned in on time (2) it reflects and accurate
reading of the assignment, (3) it reflects a thoughtful reaction to the
reading, and (4) it meets the minimum page limit. In other words, you need not stress about
these assignments and can develop your thoughts freely. Papers must be turned in by the due date
indicated on the syllabus, no late papers will be accepted.
Field Essays: The field essays are a crucial part of your experience
in this class. Each student will choose
to do an essay on one Western tradition (Christianity or Islam) and one Eastern
tradition (Buddhism or Hinduism). For
each assignment, students must visit a place of worship and stay for at least
one hour. Afterward, students will write
a field essay based on the assignment posted on the Assignments page of the
website. Deadlines for completion of
these essays are listed on this syllabus.
Recommended field sites:
(1)
Hinduism: Shri Siva-Visnu Temple. 6905
Cipriano Road, Lanham MD-20706. Phone: (301) 552 3335
(2)
Buddhism: Wat
Thai Temple. 13440 Layhill Road, Silver
Spring MD 20906. 301-871-8660/8661
(3)
Christianity: Morning Star Pentecostal Church. 200
Lincoln Avenue, Lexington Park, MD 20653 (301)
863-7507
(4) Islam: Southern
Maryland Islamic Center. Route 4. Prince Frederick, MD
20678. (410) 535-0000.
In all cases it is important to call ahead to the site to
learn their schedule of events and let them know that you will be coming
Midterm and Final Exams: The content of these exams and my criteria in grading
them are described on pages linked to the Assignments page of the course
website.
Class Policies:
Participation: “Participation” means (1) wakeful presence, (2)
preparation of reading assignments, (3) active involvement in class
interactions, (4) punctual arrival at the beginning of class, and (5)
completion and collection of all
in-class writing assignments. Lack of
any of these will affect your grade, excessive lack is reason for dismissal
from the class.
Attendance: Attendance is required,
though I will allow three free days-off during the semester. Without regular attendance, students do not
tend to do well in the class. A note
from a doctor, dentist, coach, or funeral director will render any absence
excused. Without such a note, the absence will not be excused. Please note that a phone call or email
message from you, saying that you are ill, is not sufficient; nor is a note
from the health center confirming an appointment. The note must indicate that
you are unable to attend class and it must include contact information for the
individual who provided the note. Documentation of the absence must be
provided to me in the first class that follows the absence. Late
documentation will not be accepted.
Leaving class early will result in a marked absence. Each unexcused absence results in a 20 point
reduction.
Coming late to class creates an interruption. Three times late to class counts as an
undocumented absence. Continued lateness
is grounds for removal from the class.
Collecting completed assignments, quizzes and exams: These are essential study
materials. All students should be sure
to get their graded work back from the professor. I always take note of when a student does not
do so. This can have an effect on the
participation grade.
Website, Online Syllabus, Email Communications, and Computer Failure. This online syllabus [http://danbhai.com/wr/wrhome.htm] can be accessed through the
Blackboard course page but I recommend that you bookmark it so as to bypass BB
when it goes down. Students are
responsible for checking the online syllabus and their email every day. I will announce any and all changes via email
-- e.g., a changed deadline or altered reading
assignment. Computer failure is not a
valid excuse for a late assignment.
Broken or unreliable computer?
Use the computers at the college.
The syllabus is my best projection of how our time will be
organized. I might well alter the
assignment schedule as seems appropriate or necessary, but I will not change
the grading policies.
Academic dishonesty in any form -- including plagiarism of self or others,
falsified documentation of a doctor’s
note, etc. -- will not be tolerated.
Cheating of any kind results, without exception, in an “F” for the course. Really.
Use of Computers in Class not allowed without
documentation of special need.
Food in Class: Drinks and snacks of
the very quiet variety are allowed in class, nothing else.
No activated cell phones are allowed in the classroom (so please turn
them off).