REL 134

World Religious Traditions II

Your Facilitator,

Christopher Lash

BA UCLA 91

MA CSUN 94

REL134r1

REL/134 World Religious Traditions IISyllabus

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REL134r1

REL/134 World Religious Traditions IISyllabus

The Course Syllabus

Course Title: / REL 134 World Religious Traditions II
Course Schedule: / January 11 to February 8, 2007
Course Location/Times/group: / WoodlandHillsLearningCenter 6-10pm
Required Text: / Fisher, M. P. (2003). Living religions (5th ed.). [University of Phoenix Special Edition Series]. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Note: All materials can be found on the REL/134 rEsource course page. The rEsource page can be accessedthrough the University of Phoenix Student and Faculty Web site at
Electronic Resources: / Electronic Reserve Readings can be found each week on rEsource.
Instructor’s Name: / Christopher C. Lash
Telephone: / 661- 722-6300
E-mail Address: /
Availability: / 1 hour before class or by appointment

Course Description

This course provides a survey of the major historical developments, structural cosmology, symbolic interpretation, and values of the Judaic, Christian, and Islamic religious traditions.

Topics and Objectives

Western Religion as a Humanities Subject

  • Explain current issues in Western religions.
  • Identify the characteristics of sacred traditions within Western religions.

History, Basic Teachings, Writings, Symbols, and Practices of Judaism

  • Determine the historical development of Judaism.
  • Describe the major tenets of Judaism.

History, Basic Teachings, Writings, Symbols, and Practices of Christianity

  • Describe the historical development of Christianity.
  • Summarize the meaning of significant rituals, symbols, myths, and sacred texts in Christianity.

History, Basic Teachings, Writings, Symbols, and Practices of Islam

  • Trace the historical development of Islam.
  • Describe the significance and meaning of ritual, symbols, myths, and sacred texts in Islam.
  • Summarize the similarities between the religions studied in this course.

Contemporary Forms of Religion

  • Compare Islam’s similarities and differences with Judaism and Christianity.
  • Analyze the impact one of these religions is making on the contemporary world.
  • Explain the importance of being knowledgeable about other people’s beliefs and attitudes.

Point Values for the Course Assignments

ASSIGNMENTS / Due / Points
Individual (70%)
Class Participation (discussion questions each week) / All / 300
Issues and Traditions in Western Religions / W1 / 25
Christianity Paper (150pts) and In Class Discussion (50pts) / W2 / 200
Monotheistic Religion Elements Matrix – Judaism Section / W2 / 50
Monotheistic Religion Elements Matrix – Christianity Section / W3 / 50
Monotheistic Religion Elements Matrix – Islam Section and Summary / W4 / 50
Learning Team (30%)
Islam Visual Representation Project* / W4 / 150
Judaism Paper and Presentation* / W5 / 175
*For on-ground students, these are oral presentations with PowerPoint
Total / 1000

Course Changes

Please note that the instructor’s assignments may vary. Assignments in this document take priority. While the reading assignments and learning objectives remain the same, some of the assignments in this syllabus have been customized for this particular section

Welcome!

To all my students: You are to be commended for your bravery. It is not easy to balance all the complicated elements of today's world and be a student. I hope to make this class worthy of your sacrifice by fostering honest and stimulating academic discussion This syllabus is our contract. Please be aware that in university study we often handle sensitive, and controversial themes.This is necessary in order to have an academically honest discussion, and is not intended in a manner to force you to alter your viewpoints. The views and opinions expressed by the authors in the required texts or any of the affiliated web sites are for instructional purposes only, and are not always shared by myself. It is my goal to give you aclass that will help you succeed in college andin life. In order to accomplish this, I believe we must examine a broad field of information in our search for the truth.

Reasonable Accommodation: If you have a legally protected disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or California discrimination law, and you believe you need reasonable accommodation to participate fully in this class, please make an appointment to see me during my office hours to discuss your need.

Instructor’s Academic Mini- Bio

Mr. Lash holds a BA in History from UCLA. The focus of this degree was the Protestant Reformation. He also holds an MA in History from CSUN. The focus of this degree was the misapplication of Christology to the person of the “Fuhrer” . Following this trend of what society views as absolute values, Mr. Lash is currently developing his PhD thesis on "moral relativism" in American society.

He was an Area Department Chair for UOP in the History/Humanities Department. He enjoys attending the lectures of his colleagues.

Attendance:Attendance policy is set by the University. The University of Phoenix’s teaching/learning model includes mandatory class attendance. The instructor intends to strictly enforce the University’s policy. Remember that individual participation is required of each student for the successful completion of this course to demonstrate familiarity with the assignments and the ability to transfer theory into practice. ABSENCE FROM CLASS WILL HAVE A PROFOUND NEGATIVE EFFECT ON YOUR GRADE. No second absences will be allowed. If you miss a second class, please contact your academic counselor. In the event that you have missed more than one class, you will receive a grade of “W”.

LEARNING

TEAMS:: Learning Teams are an essential part of the academic experience for students and Learning Team members need to make the necessary commitment to working together to meet the criteria for Learning Team Assignments. In addition to providing supplemental learning environment for mastery of course content, learning teams provide students with an opportunity to develop and refine teamwork skills. Learning Teams are comprised of three to five students and will meet weekly outside of class times in person, via teleconference, real-time electronic conferencing, or asynchronous conferencing. Team grades will be awarded for Learning Team assignments.

Each week, starting in Workshop One, each Learning Team must complete a Learning Team Log to be turned in to the faculty member. Teams are still expected to spend between 4.5 – 5.5 hours per week outside of class.

Students are still required to complete a Learning Team Log for each week to document the Learning Team meetings, whether held face-to-face or electronically. Students must turn in the logs to the faculty member.

COURSE

STANDARDS:The Teaching/Learning Model used at the University of Phoenix is based on the assumption that in preparation for every course, students will satisfy all prerequisites. During the course itself, students will achieve certain learning outcomes. All performance assessment will depend upon the accomplishment of these outcomes. Students are graded on achievement rather than effort. It is the responsibility of the student to be prepared for each workshop.

The University trusts each student to maintain high standards of honesty, ethical behavior, and academic integrity. It is assumed that students will perform professionally in preparing work required for this class. All assignments submitted in fulfillment of course requirements must be the student’s own work. All assignments, except those designated as “group,” are meant to represent the effort of each individual student. Group projects and assignments shouldrepresent equal efforts by all groupmembers. While the University’s Teaching/Learning Model emphasizes the sharing of professional experiences in the context of analyzing relevant course materials, it is against the policy of the University of Phoenix for students or faculty members to share information in class about present or past employers that would be considered proprietary, confidential, company sensitive, or a trade secret.

CELL PHONESOut of consideration for others, please turn your cell phone and pagers to the silent mode. If they do not have a silent or vibratory mode, please turn them off. These items tend to distract the other students when they ring during class discussions or learning team activities.

LATE ARRIVAL

EARLY

DEPARTURE:Late arrival and early departure will constitute the loss of all participation points for that evening, at the discretion of the instructor.

PLAGIARISM: It is plagiarism to go to the Internet, find an article, copy it to the clipboard and then drop it into your word processor. Listing the article as a reference on the last page will not cover you. This is plagiarism.

There are a few things that you can do that will help you to avoid charged with academic dishonesty. Carefully refer to the APA MANUAL. It has an excellent explanation of plagiarism. Secondly, note the following:

1.Anytime that you use the words or ideas of another person without giving credit, it is considered plagiarism, WHETHER YOUR ACTIONS ARE INTENTIONAL OR NOT!

  1. Differences between direct and indirect quotes:
  1. Direct Quotes: Includes the exact wording from the source.
  2. Indirect Quotes: Summarizes or paraphrases the content from the source.
  1. APA in-text requirements:

A. Direct Quote: Author’s last name, publication date, and page number.

B. Indirect Quote: Author’s last name, publication date.

  1. Punctuation requirements: ALL word-for-word quotations MUST be placed in quotation marks.
  2. Exception to the rule: Common Knowledge – if the same information can be found in three or more sources and those sources do not cite an earlier source, the information is considered common knowledge. Also, commonly known facts (e.g., Washington, D.C. is the capital of the U.S.) do not need a citation, even if you had to look them up.
  3. When in doubt, CITE.:)

The instructor may routinely use a plagiarism scanning process for work submitted for grading. If plagiarism exists in any written work, that paper or activity will receive ZERO points and further academic penalties will be pursued.

WRITTEN WORK:All papers are to be typed, spellchecked and grammar checked, well written with a logical flow of thought. Submit doublespaced with 1" margins, and prepared in the APA format found in theAPA Publication Manual. Papers should be in 12-pitch font, using Courier or Times Roman. Indent paragraphs five spaces to indicate a new paragraph. Please include a title page in APA format on all papers so that the instructor can identify the student, assignment, course number, and workshop number. Although numbered, the title page does not count toward the required number of content pages.

Please staple your papers together in the upper left hand corner. Do not put them into a folder, binder, or plastic cover.

To accommodate faculty and students in making APA more user friendly, a highly useful 21 page complementary document has been prepared for ease in learning and applying the APA style. This document is titled, APA Style Quick Reference Guide (undated but released on March 1, 2000). Accompanying the APA Style Quick Reference Guide are two other useful tools: APA Grading Tool and APA Sample Paper. Students may download each of these three invaluable resources from the ecampus student web site.

The choice of an abstract or executive summary requirement for business reports, major projects, or research papers is at the discretion of the faculty. However, a short paper, one or two-page assignment should not normally require an abstract or executive summary. It is up to the instructor to define the format in the syllabus following the APA guidelines.

PARTICIPATION:Participation in all workshops is required. An absence for whatever reason will result in the complete loss of the participation points for participation that night. If a student is absent, he/she does not gain the benefit of class involvement and is not contributing to the learning of other students in the class. Tardiness(after 6:45pm) will result in the total loss of participation points for that evening.

PARTICIPATION GRADING

CRITERIA:

Participation is graded on individual and Learning Team contributions

to class discussions and participation in the Learning Team itself. The vast majority of managers' interactions with others are oral. They generally spend very little time reading and even less time writing reports. For this reason, the development of oral skills is given a high priority in this course. The classroom should be considered a laboratory in which a student can test their ability to convince their peers of the correctness of their approach.

Some of the characteristics of effective class participation are:

  1. Are the points that are made relevant to the discussion in terms of increasing everyone's understanding, or are they merely regurgitation of case facts?
  2. Do your comments take into consideration the ideas offered by others earlier in the class, or are the points isolated and disjointed? The best contributions following the lead off tend to be those, which reflect, not only excellent preparation, but good listening, and interpretative and integrative skills as well.

3.Do your comments show evidence of a thorough reading and analysis of the case?

4.Does the participant distinguish among different kinds of data; that is, facts, opinions, assumptions, and inferences?

5.Is there a willingness to test new ideas or are all comments cautions/"safe"?

6.Is the participant willing to interact with other class members by asking questions or challenging conclusions?

7. Is there a commitment to be a truth seeker?

Outstanding Contributor: Contributions in class reflect thorough preparation. Ideas offered are usually substantive, provide one or more major insights, as well as, direction for the class. Arguments, when offered, are well substantiated and persuasively presented. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would be diminished significantly.

Good Contributor: Contributions in class reflect thorough preparation. Ideas offered are usually substantive, provide good insights and sometimes direction for the class discussion. Arguments, when presented, are, generally, well substantiated and are often persuasive. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussion would be diminished considerably.

Adequate Contributor: Contributions in class reflect satisfactory preparation. Ideas offered are sometimes substantive, provide generally useful insights, but seldom offer a major new direction for the discussion. Arguments are sometimes presented, and are fairly well substantiated and sometimes persuasive. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would be diminished somewhat.

Non-participant: This person has said little or nothing in this workshop or class. Hence, there is no adequate basis for evaluation. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would not be changed.

Unsatisfactory Contributor: Contribution in class reflects inadequate or non-existent preparation. Ideas offered are seldom substantive; provide few, if any, insights; and rarely provide a constructive direction for the class discussion. Integrative comments and effective arguments are completely absent. Class contributions are, at best, “time fillers” efforts to make isolated, obvious, or confusing points. If this person were not a member of the class, valuable class time would be saved.

Example of things that cause one not to earn the full amount of participation points:

Doing homework in class

Not reading assigned material

Being disruptive

Arriving late, leaving early

Cell phone/pagers going off during class

Late assignments

NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. The instructor reserves the right to amend this rule at his discretion. Build in time for the unexpected events of life to avoid those embarrassing "Please may I turn it late because my……" conversations. Thank you.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is highly valued at the University of Phoenix. You must always submit work that represents your original words or ideas. If any words or ideas used in a class posting or assignment submission do not represent your original words or ideas, you must cite all relevant sources and make clear the extent to which such sources were used. Words or ideas that require citation include, but are not limited to, all hard copy or electronic publications, whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communication when the content of such communication clearly originates from an identifiable source. Please see the UOP Catalog for more information about academic honesty, including consequences of academic dishonesty

Privacy and Confidentiality in the Classroom

One of the highlights of the University of Phoenix academic experience is that students can draw on the wealth of examples from their organizations in class discussions and in their written work. However, it is imperative that students not share information that is confidential, privileged, or proprietary in nature. You must be mindful of any contracts they have agreed to with their companies.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Item / Description / Percentage
1 / Content and Conceptualization / 60%
2 / Logical organization of thoughts, ideas and structure / 20%
3 / Spelling, Grammar, APA format, etc. / 20%
Total / 100%
INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Item / Description / Percentage
1 / Relevancy to class objectives / 30%
2 / Clarity and conciseness of principles stated / 30%
3 / Evidence of preparation, including the ability to field questions / 20%
4 / Presentation skills, including compliance with time limits / 20%
Total / 100%
LEARNING TEAM ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Item / Description / Percentage
1 / Relevancy to stated objectives / 20%
2 / Appropriateness of examples as an illustrative vehicle / 10%
3 / Evidence of contribution of each team member / 10%
4 / Creativity / 10%
5 / Presentation skills including compliance with time limits / 10%
6 / Evidence of substantive research / 10%
7 / Identification of principles / 10%
8 / Practical applications / 10%
9 / Mechanics of presentation / 10%
Total / 100%

How Percentages Equate to Grades