WORLD RELIGION:
A SURVEY OF THE WORLD’S GREAT TRADITIONS
Religion 107a
Brandeis University
Kristen Remington Lucken, Ph.D.
Fall 2015
Office: Mandel 125
Office Hours: Tues. 12:30-2:30 or by appointment
Contact:
Tel: 617-470-0016
Class Meets: Tues. and Friday from 11am-12:20pm in Mandel G-12
Peer TAs: Alyssa & Cassidy
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Contrary to popular belief, religion has not declined with the rise of modernity, but remains a powerful force in the world. Religion makes meaning and answers critical questions about the nature of life, death, suffering, and salvation. It also guides ethical conduct, structures moral codes, and frames gender relations for many societies across the globe. Religion is not a static entity, but plays a profound role in the lives of individuals, societies, and the state. As religions span borders, they evolve and adapt to new geographical and cultural settings, allowing for a rich and ever-changing field of inquiry.
This introductory course on religion offers a sociological and historical view of the major religions of the world. It addresses the historical evolution of the world’s leading traditions and explores the rituals, myths, ethics, and scriptures that make each tradition distinct. Moreover, this class focuses on how religious traditions evolve and thrive as they respond to the two forces of globalization and modernity that exemplify the 21st century.
ORGANIZATION
Class meetings will mix lecture and discussion, including occasional group work, films and guest lectures. Student participation is an important part of the class.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students in the class are expected to complete all assigned readings, attend all class sessions and actively participate in class discussions. In addition, students will be required to complete two short papers, a fieldwork assignment, one in-class presentation, and a final exam. Additionally, a quiz addressing key terms and concepts will be given on October 6. Students requiring special accommodations must notify the instructor within the first two weeks of the class.
Attendance: Class attendance is mandatory. Three unexcused absences will result in the deduction of a half letter grade (An ‘A’ will be reduced to an ‘A-’). Four or more absences mean that you will fail the course. Very serious issues may merit exceptions based on my discretion. Please send me an email if you are unable to attend class due to sickness or emergencies, and try to get the notes from a classmate.
Quizzes on key terms and concepts: You will have two quizzes during the semester. They will cover the main concepts and terms addressed during that unit. Quizzes will take place on October 16 and November 6.
Papers
· Religious Storytelling: Bring a religious story to class--from a scripture, a published book, or one from your own life. This story should “make meaning” for you in the face of something that is otherwise challenging or hard to comprehend. This paper should be 2-3 pages, double-spaced. Please submit paper electronically, and turn in a hard copy in class. Due in class on September 11.
· Religious Tradition: The second paper (3-4 pages, double-spaced) requires you to research one religious tradition and to answer the following questions: When did this tradition evolve and what was the historical setting? Who was the main prophet(s) of this faith and what are the sacred texts and rituals? What are the central tenets, ethics or doctrines of this faith and how are they practiced in the everyday life of believers? What competing branches of this faith exist, and how do they differ? Finally, what implications does this faith have in the modern world? For instance, in what countries is it practiced? Does it have a social or political agenda? Is this religion expanding globally through migration, missionary work, media? What are the implications of its global expansion in new geographical settings? Please submit paper electronically, and turn in a hard copy on the due date. Due in class on October 30.
· Fieldwork Paper and Presentation (5-7 pages, double-spaced, and 15-minute presentation): You will have the opportunity to do your own fieldwork study over the course of the semester. Students have found this assignment to be one of the most rewarding components of class. This assignment requires you to attend a religious service outside of your own faith tradition (preferably the same religious tradition covered in your second paper) and to informally interview at least one individual who participates in that religious community. Findings will be presented in class, and a 5- page paper outlining this experience is due on November 17. Details about this subject will be discussed in class. Please submit paper electronically, and turn in a hard copy on the day of your presentation. Due in class on November 17.
PLEASE NOTE: Late papers will receive a half-grade deduction for each day beyond the due date. Special consideration will be given only in extreme cases and with advanced approval from the professor.
Final exam: The final exam for the course will consist of a combination of key terms and concepts, and short answer essays based on class readings, lectures and discussions.
In-class Final Exam will take place on December 4.
Final grades will be determined as follows:
10% Class attendance, participation, and other written assignments
10% Religious Storytelling paper
15% Religious Tradition paper
10% Quizzes
25% Final Exam
30% Fieldwork paper and class presentation
Course requirements are subject to change over the course of the semester. All such changes will be discussed in class, and students are responsible for meeting any new or modified requirements that are discussed.
University Policy on Academic Accommodations: If you are a student who has
academic accommodations because of a documented disability, please contact me
and give me a copy of your letter of accommodation in the first two weeks of the
semester. If you have questions about documenting a disability, please contact
Beth Rodgers-Kay in the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office (x63470,
). Accommodations cannot be granted retroactively.
University Policy on Academic Integrity: You are expected to be familiar with
and to follow the University’s policies on academic integrity (see
http://www.brandeis.edu/studentlife/sdc/ai ). We will refer any suspected
instances of alleged dishonesty to the Office of Student Development and Conduct.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Prothero, Stephen. God is Not One, (New York: HarperCollins, 2010)
Smith, Huston. The World's Religions. (New York: HarperCollins, 1991)
Novak, Philip. The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions. (New York: HarperCollins, 1995)
Mark Juergensmeyer. Global Religions: An Introduction (Brandeis Online Library).
Two main texts for this course address the content of major religious traditions: Stephen Prothero’s God is Not One, and Huston Smith's The World's Religions. These books offer two different approaches to the study of religion. While Prothero argues that salvation doctrines create irreconcilable differences among the world’s dominant traditions, Huston Smith contends that world religions share essential truths that address intrinsic human needs and lead all faiths to a common endpoint.
Scriptural readings from Philip Novak’s book, The World's Wisdom, will add to our in-class discussions. Scripture exemplifies different literary genre, including historical, allegorical, poetic, legal, and prophetic works. We will also look at non-scriptural religious texts, including interpretive works, commentaries, and wisdom texts. These bodies of literature illustrate the substance and ethics of religious life among the great religious traditions and illustrate how rituals and doctrinal beliefs are negotiated over time.
Finally, Mark Juergensmeyer’s book challenges us to think about religious traditions in a globalized context. Rather than thinking of a tradition as being rooted in a national or regional setting (‘Western’ or ‘Eastern’) we observe religions adapting to new cultures and geographies and they cross borders, build networks and span the globe.
Class Schedule:
Please check LATTE site regularly for updated course readings
I. INTRODUCTION
Week 1 (Aug. 28) Course Overview
Fri., 9/28
· Introduction and overview of the course.
Week 2 (Sept. 2-5) Is Religion Still Relevant In the 21st Century?
Tues., 9/1
· Peter Beyer, “Social Forms of Religion and Religions in Contemporary Global Society," inThe Handbook of the Sociology of Religion,Michelle Dillon ed.; 45-60 (LATTE).
· Peter Berger.1999. The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co; 1-17 (LATTE).
Fri., 9/5
· Mark Juergensmeyer, “Thinking Globally About Religion,” in Global Religions: An Introduction (Brandeis Online Library).
· Global Religious Diversity, Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project (LATTE).
· Recommended but not required: “In God’s Name: A Special Publication on Religion in Public Life,” The Economist, Nov. 3, 2007; 1-18 (LATTE).
Week 3 (Sept. 8-12) Judaism: The Way of Exile and Return
Tues., 9/8
· Prothero, God is Not One, Introduction and Chapter 7, pp. 243-278.
· The Jewish Study Bible, Genesis 9:1-9:17; Genesis 12-22;Exodus 12-13; Deuteronomy 5-11.
· Guest Speaker: Rabbi Elyse Winick
· Recommended but not required: The Axial Age (LATTE).
Fri., 9/11
· Novak, The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions, pp. 213-227.
· Smith, The World's Religions, Chapter 5.
· Religious Storytelling Paper Due
II. MOSAIC TRADITIONS
Week 4 (Sept. 15-19) Judaism: The Way of Exile and Return
Tues., 9/15
· Thomas Cahill, The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels. Excerpts (LATTE).
· Maimonides’ 13 Foundations of Judaism, Translated by Marc Mermelstein, (LATTE).
Fri., 9/18
· Irving Greenberg, The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays, Simon and Shuster, 1989. Excerpts (LATTE).
· Jonathan Sachs, "Judaism and Politics In the Modern World," In The Desecularization of the World, pps 51-63 (LATTE).
Week 5 (Sept. 22-24) Christianity: The Way of Salvation
Tues., 9/22
· Prothero, God is Not One, Chapter 2, pp. 65-100.
· The Oxford Study Bible, The Gospel of Matthew, Romans 4, Galatians 4.
Fri., 9/25
· Novak, The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions, pp. 228-281.
· Smith, The World's Religions, Chapter 8.
Week 6 (Sept. 29-Oct. 3) Varieties of Christianity
Tues., 9/29
NO CLASS-BRANDEIS MONDAY SCHEDULE
Fri., 10/2
· David Martin, 1999. “The Evangelical Upsurge and Its Political Implications,” in The Desecularization of the World, Peter Berger, ed., 37-49 (LATTE).
· The Lausanne Covenant on Evangelicalism (LATTE).
· The Pew Research Center, “’Nones’ on the Rise,” Oct. 9, 2012 (LATTE).
· Recommended: Peter Berger, “Secular Contempt: Religion as Magic,” The American Interest Blog (LATTE).
Week 7 (Oct. 6-10) Islam: The Way of Submission
Tues., 10/6
· Prothero, God is Not One, Chapter 1, pp. 25-64.
· Qur'an Sura 2:62-134; 3:65-139; excerpt from Ibn Ishaq, Sirah, in Gordon Newby, The Making of the Last Prophet: A Reconstruction of the Earliest Biography of Muhammad, 33-43; 65-82.
Fri., 10/9
· Novak, The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions, pp. 282-333.
· Said Amir Arjomand, “Islam,” in Global Religions: An Introduction, pp. 28-39 (Brandeis Library Online).
Week 8 (Oct. 13-17) Varieties of Islam
Tues., 10/13
· John Turner, “Untangling Islamism from Jihadism: Opportunities for Islam and the West After the Arab Spring,” Arab Studies Quarterly, Vol. 34, 2012, pp. 173-188.
· Abdullah A. An-Na’im. 1999. “Political Islam in National Politics and International Relations,” in The Desecularization of the World,” 103-121. (LATTE).
Fri., 10/16
· Quiz on key terms and concepts.
III. TRADITIONS ORIGINATING IN THE EAST
Week 9 (Oct. 20-24) Confucianism: The Way of Propriety
Tues., 10/20
· Prothero, God is Not One, Chapter 3, pp. 101-130.
Fri., 10/23
· Novak, The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions, pp. 113-138.
· Smith, The World's Religions, Chapter 4.
Week 10 (Oct. 27-31) Hinduism: The Way of Devotion
Tues., 10/27
· Prothero, God is Not One, Chapter 4, pp. 131-168.
· Freedman, “Building on U.S. Tradition, Camp for Hindu Children Strengthens Their Identity,” New York Times, Aug. 22, 2014.
· Novak, The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions, pp. 2-40.
Fri., 10/30
· T.N. Madan, “Hinduism,” in Global Religions: An Introduction. (Brandeis Library Online).
· Smith, The World's Religions, Chapter 1.
· Religious Tradition Paper Due Oct. 30.
Week 11 (Nov. 3-7) Buddhism: The Way of Awakening
Tues., 11/3
· Prothero, God is Not One, Chapter 5, pp. 169-202.
· Novak, The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions, pp. 50-103.
Fri., 11/6
· Gananath Obeyesekere, “Buddhism,” in Global Religions: An Introduction, pp. 63-77 (Brandeis Library Online).
· Smith, The World's Religions, Chapter 3.
· Quiz on key terms and concepts.
Week 12 (Nov. 10-14) Daoism: The Way of Flourishing
Tues., 11/10
· Prothero, God is Not One, Chapter 8, pp. 279-316.
Fri., 11/13
· Novak, The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions, pp. 145-174.
· Louis Komjathy, “Tracing the Contours of Daoism in North America,” Nova Religion: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, Vol. 8, No. 2 (November 2004), pp. 5-27 (LATTE).
Week 13 (Nov. 17-21) Fieldwork Paper Presentations
Tues., 11/17
· Fieldwork Paper Presentations
Fri., 11/20
· Fieldwork Paper Presentations
Week 14 (Nov. 24-25) Fieldwork Paper Presentations
Tues., 11/24
· Fieldwork Paper Presentations
Fri., 11/26-27 Thanksgiving Break
IV. CONCLUSIONS
Week 15 (Dec. 1-8) Final Thoughts
Tues., Dec. 1
· Prothero, God is Not One, “Conclusions,” pp. 331-340.
· Ninian Smart, “The Future of Global Religion,” in Global Religions.
· Wuthnow, “Transnational Religious Connections,” in Sociology of Religion, Vol. 69, No. 2 (Summer 2008), pp. 209-232 (LATTE).
Fri., Dec. 4
· In Class Final Exam
Week 16 (Dec 8) Wrapping it Up
Tues., Dec. 8
· Last Day of Class