WORLD RELIGIONS

Religion 301 = W: WORLD RELIGIONS: Traditions in the Modern World

Samford University, Department of Religion, Fall 2005

Mon., Wed., Fri. 10:30-11:35am, 322 Chapman Hall=

David R. Bains, Associate Professor
Office: 325 Chapman Hall, phone: 726-2879, email: drbains@samford.edu
Office Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri., 8:30-10:30am. Please make appointments for other times.

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp;

Course Description:

Investigates the beli= efs and practices of major world religions. Special attention is given to formative periods in their history and= to their place in the modern world.

Learning Objectives:

The student will be a= ble to:

1) explain core beliefs and practices of major world religions.

2) demonstrate how these beliefs and practices have= been shaped by the cultural context in which the religion has developed.

3) show how the religious tradition has continued to develop and change in the modern and post-modern world.

Required Texts:<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;text-unde= rline: none'> (In roughly the order = they will be read.)

Esposito, John L.,= Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd Lewis. World Religions Today. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

The Koran. Translated by N.J. Dawood and Thomas Wyatt. New York: Penguin, 1999.

Malcolm X and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm= X. New York: Ballentine Books, 1965.

The Bhagavad-Gita. Translated by Barbara Stoler Miller. New York: Bantam Books, 1986.

Nhat Hanh, Thich. Being Peace. Berkeley, Calif.: Parallax Press, 198= 8.

reading packet

Course Requirements: (see sched= ule for due dates)

Two mid-term examinations 20% each.

Final examination 25%

Sample study guides f= rom previous semesters are available on WebCT.= Updated study guides will be provided at least a week prior to each exam.

Religious current events essay 5%

Research paper 20%

Short assignments, class discussion, class atten= dance, visit to a worship service or other event 10% Several short assignments related = to the readings will be given during the semester. I may also give a few unannounced quizzes.

News Discussions: At= the beginning of term, each student is responsible for posting a news story to a discussion list on WebCT. This should done by 5pm the day before the class meets. A sample posting will be available= on the WebCT site. Detailed instructions will be provided.

Event visit: With the class or on your own you will need to = visit an event sponsored by religious group being studied in this course. These visits should occur while we= are studying the tradition you visit.

A two-page written report is due within one week of your visit. The report should include the spec= ific name of the community or worship center you visited, the service or event, = and the date and time of your visit. You should also briefly describe what you observed and your reaction= to it.

Participation: Class time will be devoted to lecture, discuss= ion, and some group activities. In= order to participate in discussion, you must do the assigned reading. If you are not prepared for discus= sion, your grade will suffer. You s= hould come to every class with questions about what you didn't understand and abo= ut the implications of what you did understand.

You may be called on for these questions, or asked to write them down and submit them.

General guidelines for grading class participati= on:

A =3D Strong attendence, active participation in class discussions (showing inter= est in topic or issues and familiarity with assigned materials), and demonstrab= le leadership (somehow making a positive difference in the class dynamic).

B =3D Strong attendance and active participation in class discussions (showing interest in topic or issues and familiarity with assigned materials).<= /o:p>

C =3D Good attendance and attentiveness.

0 =3D Unattentiveness in class.

Academic Integrity:<= /span>

"Students upon enrollment, enter into voluntary association with Samford University<= /st1:PlaceType>. They must be willing to observe hi= gh standards of intellectual integrity; they must respect knowledge and practi= ce academic honesty. Those who c= heat on an examination or class assignment are not only academically dishonest, = but also completely deficient in the scholarly maturity necessary to college study. Those detected in dish= onesty are subject to severe punishment. The more dependence on cheating, the more inevitable becomes ultimate failure, often accompanied by public disgrace. Any act to obtain an unfair academ= ic advantage is considered dishonest." Samford Universit= y Catalog 2004-2005, p. 36.

Attendance and Grading / Department of Religion:

Roll will be taken ea= ch day. In a MWF class a student= may miss six classes without penalty. After the seventh absence, your final grade will be reduced one letter grade. After the n= inth absence, the student will receive an FA for the course. Three tardies count as one absence= . If you come in after your name is called, you will need to notify your professor at the end of the class peri= od, or else the tardy will become an absence.&= nbsp; The Department of Religion grading scale is:

A=3D 100%-95%, A- =3D 94%-92%

B+ =3D 91%-88%, B =3D 87% - 85%, B- =3D 84%-82%

C+ =3D 81% - 78%, C =3D 77%-74%, C- =3D 73% - 70%

D+ =3D 69% - 66%, D =3D 65% - 63%, D- =3D 62% -60%

F =3D below 59%

Papers may not be tur= ned in after the day they are due without prior arrangement.

Samford University<= /span> complies with Section 304 of the Rehabilitation Act and= the Americans with Disablities Act. Students with disabilities who seek accommodations must make their requests by contacting Disability Support Services on the lower level of Pittman Hall or call 726-4078= or 726-2105. A faculty member will grant reason= able accommodations only upon written notification from Disability Support Services.=

Inclusive Language

"Language—= how it is used and what it implies—plays a crucial role in Samford University<= /st1:PlaceType>’s mission to "nurture persons." Because verbal constructions create realities, inclusive language can uphold or affirm those whom we seek to nurture, while exclusive language can damage or defeat them. We therefore actively seek a discourse in our university community that supports the equ= al dignity and participation of men and women; we seek to avoid verbal constru= ctions that diminish the equal dignity of all persons. It is an affirmative—= and affirming—part of our mission to educate students, staff and faculty = in the creation of a community of equality and respect through language."= Samford Universit= y Catalog 2004-2005, p. 2.

For information on the format of papers and citations see my handout "Guidelines for Essays in Religion."

Class Schedule:

Dates are given for e= ach unit. We will cover the topic= s in the order listed. Some topics= will take less than a day, some more. &nbs= p; It is your responsibility to keep up with where we are and to stay ahead. I'll try to announce what you shou= ld read for the next class. Key = terms are provided in some units. O= ther key terms will be provided in class or online.

Introduction: What are religions? = August 29-August 31

Definitions of religions—WRT, pp. 3-1= 3

Religions as Questions vs. Religions as Answers—WRT, pp. 13-24

Modernity and Postmodernity—WRT, pp. 24-35

Key Terms: premodern, modern, postm= odern, religare / religion, via analogia<= /i>, via negativa, myths of nature, myt= hs of harmony, myths of liberation, myths of history, socialism, fundamentalism, heretical imperative.

Unit I: Christian Encounters with Modernity and with Other Religions = Sept. 2-Sept. 9

Periods of Christian Hi= story: Formative, Classical, Medieval, Modern, Postmodern

Christianity and the Em= ergence of Modernity—WRT, Ch. 2, = esp. pp. 37-45, 50-53, 55-60, 66-75, 80-83, 84-87, 89-100.

Key Terms: supersessionism, Constantinianism, Augustine's two cities, via moderna, devotio mo= derna, modernity, syncretism, colonialism, postcolonialism

Christian Theologies of Religions—all read= ings in packet

McDermott, Gerald R. Can Evangelicals Learn from World Religions: Jesus, Revelation & Religious Traditions. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Pp. 72-78, 110-119.

Barth, Karl. "= ;Karl Barth on Christianity and Religion" in Christian Theology Reader. Edited Alister E. McGrath. (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2001). Pp. 577,578.

Rahner, Karl. &quo= t;Karl Rahner on Christianity and the Non-Christian Religions" in Christian Theology Reader. Edited Alister E. McGrath. (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2001). Pp. 579-583.

Hick, John. "John Hick on Complementary Pluralism" in Christian Theolo= gy Reader. Edited Alister E. McGrath. (= Oxford: Blackwell = Publishers, 2001). Pp. 591-595.

Heim, Mark S. " Dreams Fulfilled: The Plura= lism of Religious Ends: " Christian Century. (17 January, 20= 01). Pp. 14-19.

Heim, Mark S. " God's Diversity: A Trinitar= ian view of religious pluralism: " Christian Century. (24 January, 2001). Pp. 14-18.

Ratzinger, Joseph Cardinal. "Tr= uth and Tolerance" Christian Belie= f in World Religions. Translated Henry Taylor. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004). Pp 95-99, 106-109.

Key Terms: classical pluralist, rad= ical pluralist, inclusivist, restrictivist, natural (general) revelation, special revelation, Melchizedek, revealed type

"Christian America?" Models of cult= ural responses to religious diversity—WRT, pp. 100-105.

Key Terms: Immigration and Naturali= zation Act of 1965, establishment, tolerance, exclusivism, assimilation, melting p= ot, pluralism, Johnson-Read Act, relativism

Unit II: Judaism Sept. 12-23

Class Visit to Shabbat service TBA

Introduction to Judaism—WRT, pp. 109-1= 10, 120-129

Genesis 17:1-27, Genesis 32:22-32, Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25, Malachi 4:13-16, II Chroni= cles 36:15-23 Bring a Bible to Class

Rabbinic Judaism—WRT, pp. 129-155<= o:p>

Selection from Talmud (handout)

September 16--Religious Current Ev= ents Essay Due

September 16—Class will meet= in Hodges Chapel at 10:45am for
Religion Department Lecture by = David W. Bebbington, professor of history, University of Stirli= ng (Scotland), "The Struggle for the Soul of Texas: Revival at Washington-on-the-Braz= os, 1841."=

Judaism and Modernity—WRT, pp. 15= 5-163

in packet Pittsburg Platform (1885) http://ccarnet.org/pl= atforms/pittsburgh.html

in packet S= eymour Siegel, "The Meaning of Je= wish Law in Conservative Judaism" in Siegel with Elliot Gertel, eds. Conservative Judaism and Jewish Law (New York: The Rabbinical Assembly, 1977), pp. xiii-xxvi. Reprinted in Neusn= er, Judaism in Modern Times. Pp. 115-122

Zionism and the Holocaust—WRT, pp.164-175, 111-119, 175-178

in packet Columbus Platform (1937) http://www.ccarnet.o= rg/plaforms/columbus.html

in packet &= quot;A Statement of Principles for Reformed Judaism" (1999) http://ccarnet.org/pl= atforms/principles.html

Jacob Neusner, "American Judaism of Holocaust and Redemption," chapter = 8 of Judaism in Modern Times. Pp. 206-220.

in packet Ismar Schorsch, "The Sacred Cluster: The C= ore Values of Conservative Judaism" http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/luminaries= /monograph/core.shtml

[Christian and Jewish Dialogue: National Council of Synagogues and Delegates of the Bishops' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Reflections on Covenant and Mission, http://www.n= ccbuscc.org/comm/archives/2002/02-154.htm]

First Mid-Term—September 26

Unit III: Islam—Sept. 28-Oct. 19

Introduction to Islam—WRT pp. 181-188<= o:p>

Muhammad and the Origins of Islam—WRT<= /i> pp. 188-197

Koran, Suras 1, 19, 67-114 (for first day's reading)
Koran, Suras 2-5, 24, 33 (for second day's reading)

Spread and Division of Islam—WRT pp. 197-205

Law and Practice—= WRT pp. 205-224<= /p>
Islam in America—WRT pp. 252-260

African American Islam = and the Post-Colonial Experience—WRT<= /i> pp. 251-260—Autobiography of Malcolm X, [the entire book] pp. 129-389

October 13, 7:30pm Reid Chapel, Davis Lecture by Fawaz Gerges, auth= or of The Far Enemy Why Jihad Went Glo= bal (Cambridge University Press, 2005)—ATTE= NDENCE REQUIRED

Responses to Colonial Encounters with the West—WRT<= /i> pp. 224-252

Additional articles to = be provided

Unit IV: Hinduism and South Asia Oct. 21-Nov. 14

Introduction to Hinduism—WRT, pp. 273-279

Vedic Hinduism—WR= T, 279-282
in packet Gods of the Rig Veda

= in packet Creation accounts, Rig Veda =

Axial Age in India: Buddhism, Jainism, and Upanishadic Hinduism—WRT, pp. 282-289, 358-365

in packet "Sixth Prapathaka," Chandogya Upanish= ad

Second Mid-Term—Nov. 2

=

Devotional HinduismR= 12;WRT, pp. 290-300=

Bhagavad Gita ** see my note on this translation=

Philosophical Hinduism&= #8212;WRT, pp. 301-305=

South Asian Religion in= the Islamic Era: The emergence of Sikhism—WRT, pp. 305-311

in packet Guru Nanak, Japji =

Hinduism in the Colonial Age—WRT, pp. 311-319=

in packet Sri Ramakrishna= and Swami Vivekandanda in Beckerledgee, ed. World Religions Reader, pp. 292-296

in packet V. D.Savakar from Beckerledgee

Growth of Hinduism in <= st1:country-region w:st=3D"on">America=

Contemporary Hindu practice—WRT, pp. 319-323—[WRT, pp. 323-335= ]

Neo-traditionalism and = Hindu nationalism—WRT, pp. 335-348—(review WRT= , pp. 275-279)

Unit V: Buddhism and East Asian Religions Nov. 16-Dec. 7

Introduction to Buddhis= m—WRT, pp. 353-357=

The Spread of Buddhism = and its Core Teachings—WRT, pp. 3= 58-376

Introduction to Taoism = and Confucianism—WRT, pp. 431= -438

Confucian Foundations&#= 8212;WRT, pp.439-444<= /p>
in packet Selections from the Analects ht= tp://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/analects.html

Taoist Foundations—WRT, pp. 444-447=

in packet Selections from the Tao Te Ching ht= tp://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsal= l/texts/taote-ex.html

Varieties of Mahayana Buddhism—WRT, pp. 376-394—Oxherding Pictures

= in packet Selections from Mahayana scriptures from Beckerledgee

Buddhist Practice—= ;WRT, pp. 394-403=

Buddhism in the Colonial Era—WRT, pp. 403-410=

Contemporary Buddhism—Eck, pp. 191-218—[WRT, pp. 410-421]—WRT, pp. 421= -427

Nhat Hanh, Creating True Peace<= /o:p>

in pa= cket Nhat Hanh, "What I would say to Osama Bin Laden" h= ttp://www.beliefnet.com/story/88/story_8872.html [other articles at http://www.plumvillage.org/]

Development of East Asi= an Religions, WRT, pp. 447-467

East Asian Religious Pr= actices, WRT, pp. 478-485

Conclusion: Dec. 9

Final Exam--Monday, Dec. 12, 10:30am<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>