The World’s Great Religions
History 7: Section 3094
CC 212
Prof. Kerze
Office: Campus Center 233
Hours: T- 5:30-6:30 pm,immediately after class and TBA
(I do not use an office phone. Email is the only way to contact me during the week!)
The class will focus on the major religions of the world: Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will make some reference to other religions, e.g., Native American religions. We will look at how religions have changed over time and what about them has stayed the same and give special attention to their myths, rituals, and symbols. We will attempt to understand what we can actually see and study about people’s fundamental religious orientations. As we study these different religions we will try to understand the nature of religion.
Course Objectives:
After finishing the course, a student should be able to
A. Compare and contrast the beliefs and sacred texts of the world's major religions.
B. Describe the origins and historical development of the world's major religiousinstitutions.
C. Evaluate the impact of religious belief on human behavior throughout history.
D. Analyze the impact of the spread of the major religions throughout the various parts ofthe world.
E. Describe how the political, social and cultural institutions of the various peoples have been
influenced by their religious concepts.
History 7 SLO:
Analyze the impact of the development and transmission of world religions on historical and current events.
Grading
There will be a quiz after each chapter worth a total of 20% of the grade, a midterm worth 20%, a final worth 30%, and a final paper worth 30%. Class participation can raise or lower a borderline grade ½ step. Class participation means coming to class with the reading done and being prepared to ask questions or join in discussions. Missing class, coming late, or creating distractions will lower your grade. A short paper assignment will be given out at the first class.
The exams will consist in two parts: 1. Short identification questions. These will be taken from the words I put on the board at the beginning of class or during lectures or on the LAVC Portal. 2. Short answers consisting of a paragraph. These questions concern a brief discussion of important aspects of a religion. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. This includes any form of cheating or plagiarism. These will result in an automatic fail of the assignment and may include further disciplinary actions by the college.
You must have primary source readings done before class on the scheduled day of discussion. If you do not you will be asked to leave the room and you will be marked absent for the class.
Make up exams
If you are absent for one of the tests, you can only make it up by coming to my office at least 15 minutes before the next class begins. You will begin the exam before class and can continue it in the classroom as class begins. If you do not come to the office before class you cannot take the exam at any other time or day.
Computers and smart phones
No computer or smart phone use is allowed in the classroom unless permission is given directly by the instructor.
All students are responsible for the LAVC honor code regarding classroom and campus behavior. Respect is shown to all class members at all times. Proselytizing for any one religion is inappropriate as well as attacks on any religion. Any form of dishonesty taking tests or writing papers will result in a fail of the assignment and a report to the campus ombudsperson.
Required TextsPaul Repps, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
Mary Pat Fisher, Living ReligionsThe Bible
Tao Te Ching. (any) Kerze: Documents (Course Packet)
Readings and Assignments
Aug. 30: Introduction. Documents: Introduction, Religious Experience; Living Religions, chp. 1
Sept. 6: Living Religions, chp. 2. Documents: Myths.
Myth assignment due.
Sept. 13: Indigenous Religions. (Black Elk world map done.) Judaism: Introduction
Sept. 20: Judaism: Living Religions, chp 8. Bible: Readings and will be found below.
Sept. 27: Hinduism: Living Religions: chp. 3. Documents: Hinduism.
Oct. 4: Hinduism. Christianity: Introduction.Documents:Christianity.
Oct 11: Christianity: Living Religions: chp. 9; New Testament: Gospel of Mark; Luke: 24;
Romans: 5-6.
Oct. 18: Midterm. Buddhism. Documents: Buddhism
Oct. 25: Buddhism. Living Religions: chp. 5.
Nov. 1: Chinese Religions. Living Religions: chp. 6. Documents: Chinese Religions
Nov. 8: Tao Te Ching (Discussion). Japanese Religion: Living Religions: chp. 7. Documents: Japanese Religion
Nov. 15: Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (discussion) Islam: Introduction. Documents: Islam
Nov. 22: Islam: .Living Religions: chp10.
Nov. 29:Jainism and Sikhism: Living Religions, chps. 4 & 10.Documents: Jainism & Sikhism.
Dec 6: Religion in the Modern World. Paper/Projects due.
Dec. 13: Final exam: 7-9 pm.
Myth Assignment:
Take one of the myths on pgs. 7-9 of the Course Packet and in one paragraph summarize the myth and in the next paragraph, say what is important in the eyes of the narrator. Most students do this in one page. It is meant to be brief. If you do not yet have the Course Packet, do Genesis 1, the creation story that opens the Bible. It is available at BibleGateway.com.
Class Primary Sources Questions
Bible Readings
The Bible is available online at BibleGateway.com in many translations and many languages. I highly recommend a modern translation in contemporary English.
Genesis: 1-4, 6-9, 12, 15-18, 21-22
As you read these selections from the Bible, think about what you read as a story with certain characters. Ask yourself, what kind of character is God? What is he/she/it like? What about humankind as typified in Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel? What is going on with God’s original “good” creation? What is the purpose of the covenants he makes? What is the covenant of circumcision about? What do you think about the sacrifice of Isaac?
Exodus: 1-6, 19-20, 24, 32-34. Deuteronomy: 34.
Who is Moses and how does he end up leading the Israelites out of Egypt? What about Moses and Pharaoh? Does God give either of them a choice except to do what they do? Is God being fair? What is Passover all about? When do the Israelites finally believe? How is the covenant ratified? How does the story of Moses end?
1 Kings 8.
What is the message that comes through in Solomon’s dedication of the Temple? Why is the Temple so important? Why does he mention something about people being in exile?
Hosea: 1-5. Isaiah: 6.
Can you figure out the symbolism between Hosea’s marriage and God’s relation with Israel? What is God’s problem with Israel? What is his promise? How does the story of Exodus fit in anywhere in these writings? Why is that important? What does Isaiah tell us about prophets and also about the temple?
New Testament Reading & Discussion Questions
Read the Gospel of Mark, Luke chp. 24; Romans chp. 5&6.
1. Who recognizes who Jesus really is in the Gospel of Mark?
2. What does Jesus say to them? Why?
3. What does he tell people who he heals? Why?
4. When do the disciples recognize who Jesus is? Or do they?
Jesus calls himself the “son of man.” For background on this term, read Daniel 7:13-14.
5. Are women prominent in the gospel? Who are they?
6. What is your favorite parable or story?
7. The Gospel of Luke: What is the message about who Jesus is?
8. In Romans, what is the relation of Adam and Jesus? How does baptism fit in?
9. In general, what is the relation of the “Old” Testament to the question: who Jesus is? To explore this further, compare the accounts of Jesus’ arrest and death with Isaiah 50:4-6, 52:13-12, and Psalm 22.
To compare the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, as well as John, line by line, with each other and/or the Gospel of Thomas, go to:
Dao De Jing (Tao te Ching)
What is the Dao and what isn’t it? What does it say about government and ruling? What are some of your favorite passages and why? What does it suggest about how to live your life?
Zen Flesh Zen Bones
What does the title mean? What are Zen masters like? What are some of your favorite stories and why? Do you see any connections to the Dao De Jing?
Instructions for the Paper
There are two options.
1. Investigation of some aspect of one of the religions we have studied which you found particularly interesting and want to know more about, or examining an issue in the study of religion. You cannot do a religion of your own religious heritage. I want to read about something you find interesting because then I will find your paper interesting.
The paper is an opportunity to learn further about something which interested you in the religions we have studied, or about religion in general, or a religious topic you want to know more about. It is centrally important for you to identify your interest. There is a reason why you are interested that reason is unique to yourself. I want you to share what you find out with me. In the first paragraph of the paper explain briefly why you were so interested and what you hoped to find out.
The topics for papers are potentially unlimited but think about what we have studied and discussed. You can explore in depth a specific religious tradition or a particular element in it, and not necessarily one we have studied. You can also examine a religious phenomenon such as sacrifice or myth as an issue in the study of religion. Perhaps you want to know about a topic we have not covered – for example what archeology says about the Exodus or King David compared to the Bible, or the mythological origins of surfing. You may want to visit a religious ritual not from your own religion and describe what you see and what it means. It may be very useful to explore a topic related to your major. If you are a business major, for example, you might look at how Muslims get around the Qur’anic prohibition against charging interest on loans. A communications major could review a movie about the gods or goddesses made in India and show how they incorporate or change traditional iconography or mythology, or how a religious issue is portrayed in the national and world press. There are only two restrictions on the choice of topics: you are not to do something in your own religious heritage unless you get it approved beforehand by coming to see me and explaining why it is important for you to do it. And you may not do a paper on Wicca – I have read too many papers on it and can no longer handle reading another.
Please come and talk to me about the topics you are interested in so that I can help you narrow it and focus your research. If you are stuck for ideas, please come and see me. I’ll be more than happy to suggest topics along lines of your interests. Above all, do something you are interested in – that way what you write will be interesting to me. A good place to begin research is to check out what the Encyclopedia of Religions, ed. Mircea Eliade, 1987, has to say about the topic. There is a bibliography at the end of each article that may be helpful. The library has a copy of it in the reference section. The papers can be up to 5 pages with references to information noted where it appears in the essay. You may use either footnotes or MLA parenthetical references, with a complete bibliography. The bibliography page will not count towards the 5 page limit. You may not use Wikipedia or any Wikipedia derived information. Plagiarism will result in an automatic fail of the assignment.
2. The second option is a report on a visit to a religious site not of your own religious background. You must provide a visual record of your report, either a video or photographs. You must do the following: identify the place and time visited, describe what you saw and its meaning to members of that religion, provide a brief history of the religious tradition and the particular branch of it that is represented by the place, how the religion came to the US and to Southern California and to the place you are now reporting about, and any challenges or issues coming to Los Angeles. Interview a teacher, minister, monk, nun, priest, rabbi, etc. there who will help you understand what you are seeing and hearing, and who may also be the source about the history of the place. You must make arrangements before hand to record the interview (with that person’s permission) so that when you write up the report, you will be able to accurately quote from it, if appropriate. The assignment may be done with another member of the class.
You must find out what you are allowed to photograph or video. You must follow the rules the religious site requires. Please be aware that many religions do not allow pictures of the interior of their structures or of images within. Pay attention to how these rules might impact what you are able to do. A report on a site that allows no images to be taken at all, or prohibits the recording or videoing of an interview, will most likely be a very poor report. There are ways around this. You might include published images of the religion or site that would allow you to provide a visual reference.
The report on the visit to the site will be evaluated according to its information value, the qualities of its production, and how well it follows the questions suggested above. Just because you get something recorded does not mean it is informative or interesting. I recall one video in which it was challenging to hear what the interviewee was saying because of sound problems and that person’s heavily accented English. The lighting was poor. I had to ask myself, why am I and the class watching this?
Along with the visual material, a short paper will be provided with information about where and when you visited, who you interviewed, and some background on the site. The work of each individual involved in the project will be summarized. In one project, five people claimed credit, each for one of the following roles: producer/director, sound technician, interviewer/narrator, camera person, and editor. With a crew like that, I expected a PBS or History Channel production but got poor quality Youtube.
You must do research before you go, and try to set up the interview beforehand. Religious professionals are very busy people. Increasingly, they have to manage students from high schools, colleges, and universities, who visit their places. Be polite and be flexible.
As with the first option, the report is meant to increase your knowledge of a religion not your own, but also to expose you to the rich multi-religious, multi-ethnic realities of Los Angeles, arguably the most religiously diverse place on the planet. It will be due/shown the last day of class (the class before the final exam).. You will turn in the CD/DVD and a short report about when, who you interviewed, and sources used to prepare for the visit.
If you are need of any accommodations due to a disability, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at (818) 947-2628