RELG 1330, Spring 2006 Dr. Clayton Crockett
Section 2619 MWF 9:00am, HAR 130 Office Hours: 10-11am, and
Section 2620 MWF 11:00am, HAR 130 12-1pm MWF;
Office: Harrin 128 9-11am Tues., and
Office Phone: 450-5506 11am-1pm Thurs.
Exploring
Religion
Course Description: This course explores religions in their various forms as expressions of human culture centered around that which is of ultimate concern to its practitioners. We will gain a deeper appreciation of the human condition by learning to interpret, evaluate and appreciate religion as an expression of human culture through which humans create, communicate and sustain meaning. We will ask central questions, such as: How do different peoples or cultures conceive of the divine? What is the nature of suffering and how can it be overcome? What is ultimately real? What does it mean to be human? What is death, and how is it related to life?
This semester, we will focus on these questions as they apply to the theme: Exploring Nature. We will think about the relationships among religion, nature and civilization.
Exploring Religions fulfills three hours of the General Education Humanities requirement.
A. Knowledge-based Objectives: By the end of
this course, students should 1) be familiar with various expressions of
religion as classic works of human culture; 2) understand and appreciate
religions as expressions of human culture; 3) understand that religions exist
within social, historical and linguistic settings that affect their meaning;
and 4) understand that religious meaning is mediated by interpretation and that
religions have multiple meanings.
B. Skills-based Objectives: This course meets the skills-based objective of critical thinking of the General Education Program through class discussions and analytical writing assignments in the form of critical essay papers and reflective essay exams. By the end of this course, students should be able to: 1) identify and state religious arguments or arguments about religion; 2) identify the main point in a text that deals with religion and state reasons that support a given choice; 3) identify assumptions and state the implications of a religious argument, or a theory about religion; 4) critically evaluate arguments concerning religion in terms of strength of evidence and reasoning; and 5) write an essay or essays about the nature of religion that comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, supported by relevant evidence, and tested against relevant criteria and standards.
C. Values-based
Objectives: This course meets the values-based objectives of the General
Education Program by exposing students to diverse interpretations of religion,
and explicitly reflecting upon basic human values and specific values of
individuals, cultures, texts and institutions. These values would naturally include
examination of students’ own values as well as others’ values.
Required Textbooks (available for purchase):
Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild
Sigmund Freud, Civilization and its Discontents
Mark I. Wallace, Finding
God in the
Lao Tsu, Tao te Ching
Margaret Atwood, Surfacing
*Please note: The Bookstore generally returns un-purchased textbooks midway during the semester, and sometimes students who wait to purchase books find that they are no longer available.
Course Requirements: Class attendance is required. Attendance will be taken, and 10% of the final grade will consist of attendance in class. As a general rule, students start off with 100 points, and I will reduce your attendance grade by 5 points for each missed class. In the case of excessive absences, after twelve absences a student will automatically fail the course.
Class participation in discussions is required, and 10% of the final grade will be determined by the quality and quantity of participation in class discussion.
Students will write and turn in two 3-4 page critical essays, typewritten and double-spaced in a 12 point font. Each essay will focus on analyzing and developing a specific theme in relation to one of the books we will read, and drawing a well-supported conclusion. A list of possible questions will be distributed in a handout prior to the due date. Each essay will count 20% of the final grade.
A midterm essay examination will be given, as well as a final essay examination. Each exam will count 20% of the final grade.
Attendance: 100 points
Participation: 100 points
2 critical essays: 400 points
Midterm exam: 200 points
Final exam: 200 points
Total points: 1000
Grade scale:
900-1000 = A
800-899 = B
700-799 = C
600-699 = D
below 600 = F
An A grade represents excellent work, and is given for work that goes beyond the expected in terms of critical thinking and creative insights. Students should not expect to earn an A for simply completing assignments.
A B grade represents good, above-average work that demonstrates solid understanding of the material. A B is a good grade.
A C grade represents average or adequate work that fulfills the assignment and shows basic understanding of the material but does not go beyond a basic understanding or demonstrate a creative, insightful application of it.
A D grade represents unsatisfactory but passing work. It shows some understanding, but does not reflect a thorough or complete understanding of the material.
An F grade represents failing work, and is not of sufficient quality to pass the class.
Each student is expected to do his or her own work. Any form of academic dishonesty or plagiarism may result in anything from an "F" for the particular assignment, to an "F" for the course, to expulsion from the university (see Student Handbook).
Note to students: if you copy material from the internet, you must cite it as a source in your papers. If you do not, you will receive a zero on that assignment in the best-case scenario. Keep in mind that it is much easier for professors to recognize plagiarized work than you might think; they have access to most of the same resources, search engines and paper databases that you do.
The
Students are responsible to familiarize themselves with the policies listed in the Student Handbook. Special attention should be given to the Sexual Harassment and Academic Policies.
F 1/13 Introduction to the course. Syllabus.
M 1/16 No Class: Martin Luther King, Jr.
W 1/18 What is Religion?
F 1/20 Into the Wild
Read Krakauer, chs.1-4, pp.1-37.
M 1/23 Into the Wild, cont.
Read Krakauer, chs.5-8, pp.38-86.
W 1/25 Into the Wild, cont.
Read Krakauer, chs.9-12, pp.87-126.
F 1/27 Into the Wild, cont.
Read Krakauer, chs.13-15, pp.127-156.
M 1/30 Into the Wild, conclusion.
Read Krakauer, chs.16-18, epilogue, pp.157-203
W 2/1 Is Religion an Illusion?
Introduction to Freudian psychoanalysis.
Read Civilization and its Discontents, pp.ix-xxiii.
F 2/3 Civilization and its Discontents.
Read Freud, ch.1, pp.10-21.
M 2/6 Civ and Dis cont.
Read Freud, ch.2, pp.22-36
W 2/8 Civ and Dis cont.
Read Freud, ch.3, pp.37-52.
F 2/10 Civ and Dis cont.
Read Freud, ch.4, pp.53-63.
M 2/13 Civ and Dis cont.
Read Freud, chs.5-6, pp.64-82.
W 2/15 Civ and Dis cont.
Read Freud, chs.7-8, pp.83-112.
F 2/17 Christianity and Nature.
*Critical Essay on Civilization and its Discontents due Feb. 17.
M 2/20 Finding God in
the
Read Wallace, Introduction, pp.1-25.
W 2/22 God is Green
Read Wallace, ch.1, pp.26-39.
F 2/24 Mother Bird God
Read Wallace, ch.2, pp.40-56.
M 2/27 Green Spirituality/Review for Exam.
Read Wallace, ch.3, pp.57-80.
W 3/1 Mid-term exam.
F 3/3 No Class.
M 3/6 Green Spirituality, cont.
Read Wallace, chs.4-5, pp.81-120.
W 3/8 Spirit Wounded but Alive
Read Wallace, chs.6-7, pp.121-158.
F 3/10 Introduction to Taoism.
M 3/13 Lao Tsu.
Read Tao te Ching, ch.1.
W 3/15 Lao Tsu, cont.
Read Tao te Ching, chs.2-10.
F 3/17 Lao Tsu, cont.
Read Tao te Ching, chs.11-20.
M 3/20 – F 3/24 No Class: Spring Break
M 3/27 Lao Tsu, cont.
Read Tao te Ching, chs.21-30.
W 3/29 Lao Tsu, cont.
Read Tao te Ching, chs.31-45.
F 3/31 Lao Tsu, cont.
Read Tao te Ching, chs.46-60.
M 4/3 Lao Tsu, cont.
Read Tao te Ching, chs.61-81.
W 4/5 Women and Religion.
F 4/7 Introduction to Atwood
Read Surfacing, ch.1, pp.1-11.
Critical Essay on Tao te Ching due April 10.
M 4/10 Surfacing, cont.
Read Atwood, chs.2-4, pp.12-37.
W 4/12 Surfacing, cont.
Read Atwood, chs.5-8, pp.38-72.
F 4/14 Surfacing, cont.
Read Atwood, chs.9-12, pp.73-109.
M 4/17 Surfacing, cont.
Read Atwood, chs.13-16, pp.110-140.
W 4/19 Surfacing, cont.
Read Atwood, chs.17-19, pp.141-160.
F 4/21 Surfacing, cont.
Read Atwood, chs.20-23, pp.163-184.
M 4/24 Surfacing, cont.
Read Atwood, chs.24-27, pp.185-199.
W 4/26 Conclusions.
F 4/28 No Class: Study Day.
Final Examination, as scheduled by Registrar:
2619: Wednesday, May 3, 2-4pm.
2620: Monday, May 1, 2-4pm.