Dr.
jford@rsu.edu
HUM-3633
Office: Baird Hall
101A
Spring 2012
Office Phone: (918)
343-7749
TR 9:30-10:45am
1-2 TR; 9-noon F;
and by appointment.
No prerequisites.
“A comparative study
of traditions, scriptures, theologies, major figures, and practices of world
religions through an investigation of cross themes and contrasts” (RSU Bulletin
2011-12, p. 176).
The course begins
with an introduction to the academic study of religion, an overview of what
religion involves and how to approach religious traditions in a classroom
context. After that introduction to studying religion, most of the first half of
the course is a comparative study of several of the world's major religious
traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The
second half of the course is devoted to analyzing how individual believers in
three of those traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the “People of the
Book”) deal with a single problem- belief in a single, all-good, all-powerful,
and all-knowing God given the existence and prevalence of human suffering. Given
the kinds of suffering we see every day in the world, from the ravages of AIDS
and cancer to the horrors of 9/11, how can believers make sense of this problem?
Are those approaches rational?
Lewis, C.S.
A Grief Observed. Bantam Doubleday
Dell, 1976.
Molloy, Michael.
Experiencing the World’s Religions. Mayfield/McGraw-Hill, 2011.
Van Voorst, Robert. Anthology of World Scriptures.
Cengage, 2008.
7th Edition.
Wiesel, Elie.
Night. MPS, 2006.
Wolterstorff,
Nicholas. Lament for a Son. Eerdmans,
1987.
Available at the RSU
Bookstore in Claremore. Please have all the books before the class begins.
GRADING SCALE
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
This course will
emphasize discussion and writing. I will regularly suggest questions pertaining
to the material we will be discussing in the following class. Students should
come to class prepared to address these questions.
Always bring the books we are discussing
to class.
There will be two
critical essays (four pages longs), a comprehensive project, a midterm, and a
final exam. Each paper is worth 10% of your final grade. All papers must be
typed and double-spaced. Unexcused late work will be penalized 20% per day. All
essays are due at the beginning of the class period. Due dates for the essays
are listed in the course schedule, below. Further details on the nature of these
essays, as well as of the midterm and final exams, will be given in class.
Every student will
be complete a project during the semester and present that project to the class
the last week of the semester. This project is 20% of your grade, and the
presentation another 5% of your grade. For this project, you have three basic
options. Option one is to create a new religion, complete with its own
scriptures, rituals, beliefs, and practices. Option two is to attend a religious
service different from the tradition in which you were raised (if any) and
compare that service to the one with which you are familiar (students with no
religious background may attend two different services and compare them). Option
three is to interview a number of people of varying religious faiths on a
particular topic and then analyze their responses. You may also devise another
project of your own choosing, but all choices must be approved by the
professor. Your project will include a 5-6 page essay describing your
project, why you chose it, and what you learned. Your presentation should be a
5-7 minute summary of the project. Feel free to include any photographs,
artwork, or music with your project- be creative.
Further information on these projects
will be given in class.
Every student’s
final grade will be earned via the
following:
Papers
20% (each paper=10%)
Exams
30% (each exam=15%)
Participation
25%
Presentation
5%
All
student work will be judged according to the following academic criteria:
ATTENDANCE
As discussion is a major portion
of your grade (25%) as well as the heart of this class, your attendance is
required. More than two unexcused absences will adversely affect your grade;
five or more unexcused absences are grounds for failure of the course as a
whole. Only serious illness, family crises, or official functions will count as
excusable absences or extensions.
Students are
expected to follow university policies as put forth in the institution’s
Student Code of Responsibilities and Conduct. In accordance with Title 12 of
The Student Code (page 11), instances of alleged academic misconduct will
follow the policies and procedures as described in Title 12. As a general rule,
Faculty at
Note especially RSU’s official plagiarism statement:
“Plagiarism is the representation of the words or ideas of another as one’s
own, including: direct quotation without both attribution and indication that
the material is being directly quoted, e.g. quotation marks; paraphrase without
attribution; paraphrase with or without attribution where the wording of the
original remains substantially intact and is represented as the author’s own;
expression in one’s own words, but without attribution, of ideas, arguments,
lines of reasoning, facts, processes, or other products of the intellect where
such material is learned from the work of another and is not part of the general
fund of common knowledge.” Deliberate plagiarism and/or other forms of cheating
are grounds for failure in the course as a whole.
NON-ACADEMIC
MISCONDUCT
In order to maintain
an effective learning environment, students are expected to fully comply with
The Student Code. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. It is the
responsibility of each student to read and become familiar with the policies of
The Student Code.
Rogers State University is committed to providing students with disabilities
equal access to educational programs and services.
Any student who has a disability that he or she believes will require
some form of academic accommodation must inform the professor of such need
during or immediately following the first class attended.
Before any educational accommodation can be provided, it is the
responsibility of each student to prove eligibility for assistance by
registering for services through Student Affairs.
My office hours are listed above. Please feel free
to come by, call, etc., during those hours. If that doesn’t work, I would be
happy to schedule an appointment at another time. Communication by email is
especially welcome (moderation in this, as in all things...).
Finally, realize
that it is not unusual for a course like this one to raise challenges to and
doubts about some of our most cherished beliefs. It is important that each of us
is sensitive to the views of those around us. At the same time, each of us
should also be aware that controversial issues, arguments, and positions will be
discussed in this course. If something bothers or offends you, let me know and I
will do what I can. We are not trying to convert each other to any particular
religious tradition, but to study each of these traditions so that we may learn
together about the faiths that continue to have such significance in the modern
world.
Jan 10
T
Introduction
Jan 12
Th
Studying Religion: Molloy,
Experiencing the World’s Religions, Chapter 1
Jan 17
T
Indigenous Religions: Molloy, Chapter 2
Jan 19
Th
Studying scripture: Van Voorst,
Chapter 1
Jan 24
T
Hinduism: Molloy, Chapter 3
Jan 26
Th
Hindu scriptures: Van Voorst,
Chapter 2
Feb 7
T
Jainism & Sikhism: Molloy,
Chapter 5
First Paper Due: Spiritual Autobiography
Feb 9
Th
Taoism & Confucianism:
Molloy, Chapter 6
Feb 14 T
Confucian and Taoist scriptures:
Van Voorst, Chapters 6 & 7
Feb 16 Th
Shinto: Molloy, Chapter 7
Feb 21 T
Judaism: Molloy, Chapter 8
Feb 28
T
Christianity: Molloy, Chapter 9
Mar 6
T
Islam: Molloy, Chapter 10
Mar 8
Th
Muslim scriptures: Van Voorst,
Chapter 12
Mar 13
T
Midterm Review
Second Paper Due
Mar 15
Th
MIDTERM EXAM
Mar 20, 22
NO CLASS—SPRING BREAK
UNIT II
FAITH AND SUFFERING
Mar 27
T
Wiesel, Night
Apr
3
T
Lewis, A Grief Observed
Apr 5
Th
Wolterstorff,
Lament for a Son
Apr 17 T
Religion in the Modern World:
Molloy, Chapter 12
Apr 19
Th
Project Presentations
Apr 24
T
Project Presentations
Apr 26
Th
Project Presentations
May 3
Th
FINAL EXAM
(9:30-11:30 a.m.)
This schedule may be
revised as necessary during the course of the semester.
“If you read the
Qur’an, you must read it with the eye of the Muslim; if you read the Bible, you
must read it with the eye of the Christian; if you read the Gita you must read
it with the eye of a Hindu.” -Mahatma Gandhi