College of Arts & Sciences Program in Religious Studies Oakland University

REL150, World Religious Traditions, 4 Credits--Winter, 2014

Instructor: Charles Mabee, Ph.D. Course Section #: 10984.201410 Cell Phone: 1.517.9 .555! "#est$% Descri tionCourse Office: 531 Varner Hall Office &ours: b' a((oint)ent

*his course intro+uces the stu+ent to the )a,or i+eas, e-ents, conce(ts an+ (ractices of the (ri)ar' reli.ious tra+itions of the /orl+, es(eciall' as these ta0e (lace /ithin the conte1t of the natural an+ social en-iron)ents in /hich the' o(erate. S(ecial attention is .i-en to the issue of rele-ant (olitical s'ste)s an+ econo)ic life that sha(e an+ con+ition these reli.ious e1(ressions. *his class satisfies the 2eneral 3+ucation re4uire)ent in the 5no/le+.e area of 2lobal Pers(ecti-e. Course Prere!uisites"core!uisites# none 6e4uire+ te1ts: *he (ri)ar' te1t for the class is 7ohn 3s(osito "et.al.%, World Religions Today,
th

e+., "O1for+, 8!!8%

*he secon+ te1t for the class is 5aren 9r)stron., Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life "5no(f, 8!11%. *his boo0 is to be rea+ in its entiret'.

O$%ectives&Outcomes

&eneral 'ducation (earning Outcomes# On co)(letion of this course the stu+ent /ill +e)onstrate 1. 5no/le+.e of the core -alues, 0e' ter)s an+ conce(ts of the for)ati-e reli.ious tra+itions i)(actin. :estern ci-ili;ation, es(eciall' as those li-in. tra+itions continue to e-ol-e /ithin the broa+er conte1t of this o-er<archin. ci-ili;ation. 8. *he abilit' to anal';e an+ criti4ue the a((lication of these core -alues, ter)s an+ conce(ts to conte)(orar' social, cultural an+ (olitical issues that continue to challen.e :estern ci-ili;ation. Cross<Cuttin. Ca(acities: 1. Social 9/areness *his course e1a)ines the ori.inatin. foun+ational i+eas an+ (ractices that for) the s')bolic core of )uch of conte)(orar' .lobal ci-ili;ation. It e1(lores the) /ith an e'e to/ar+ unco-erin. fun+a)ental conce(ts an+ -alues that e1ert continuin. influence u(on social beha-ior. 8. Critical *hin0in. *his course e1a)ines reli.ious i+eas an+ co))it)ents fro) the stan+(oint of neutral anal'sis, encoura.in. the for)ation of critical ,u+.)ent. It e1(lores the +ee(er )eanin. of reli.ious lan.ua.e, (robin. the +ee(er 4uestions of hu)an e1istence un+erl'in. .lobal e1(ressions of reli.ious s')bolis) an+ )eta(hor. Course Ob,ecti-es: 1. Characteri;e the nature of reli.ious stu+ies as an aca+e)ic +isci(line. 8. De)onstrate +etaile+ 0no/le+.e an+ un+erstan+in. in selecte+ content areas of reli.ious stu+ies= inclu+in. the a((lication of se)inal i+eas foun+ at the core of )a,or reli.ious tra+itions of the :est to conte)(orar' issues, broa+ 0no/le+.e of the histor' of those i+eas e1(resse+ /ithin the -arious reli.ious co))unities associate+ /ith core reli.ious tra+itions, an+ a critical a/areness of the search for co))on i+eas an+ (ractices /ithin these -arious tra+itions, /ith s(ecial attention .i-en to share+ ethical beliefs an+ (ractices.

s') ectation onDeterminati&rade

Add"Dro s & *ncom letes# *he >ni-ersit' a++?+ro( an+ inco)(lete .ra+e (olicies /ill be e1(licitl' follo/e+. It is the stu+ent@s res(onsibilit' to be a/are of the >ni-ersit' +ea+line +ates for +ro((in. the course. S ecial Considerations# Stu+ents /ith +isabilities /ho )a' re4uire s(ecial consi+erations shoul+ )a0e an a((oint)ent /ith ca)(us Disabilit' Su((ort Ser-ices. Stu+ents shoul+ also brin. their nee+s to the attention of the instructor as soon as (ossible. &rades in t+is course ,ill $e $ased on e!ual evaluations of eac+ learning module and t+e final a er- Remem$er# Late submission of work is not acce table!! &rade Calculation# All quiz grades will be calculated on a !" scale! #ere is t$e specific grading scale for t$is quiz, based on %" ob&ective questions' ()*%" (+*(, (/ (. ( (("*(% ) and 0elow !" -!. -!" %!. %!" (!. (!" "!"

IMPO6*9A*: 6e)e)ber: In Mo+ule Bi-e, 'our .ra+e is solel' +eter)ine+ b' a 4ui; on the assi.ne+ )aterial. Aotes

Academic Dis+onesty

Students are e) ected to conduct t+emselves in a manner conducive to an environment of academic integrity and res ect for t+e educational rocess and t+e safety and ,ell $eing of all mem$ers of t+e community- Ad+erence to t+e Student Code of Conduct ,ill $e e) ected. violations of t+is code ,ill $e re orted to t+e Dean of Students- /+e Code of Academic and Student Conduct can $e found at htt(:??///8.oa0lan+.e+u?+eanofstu+ents?han+boo0?con+uct.cf). #elo/ are e1a)(les of aca+e)ic +ishonest' in our class. Stu+ents, facult' or staff /ho 0no/ of (ossible aca+e)ic -iolations are e1(ecte+ to re(ort the alle.e+ -iolation to the Dean of Stu+ents Office. *he re(ort /ill inclu+e a brief /ritten state)ent an+ rele-ant e-i+ence "ori.inal )aterial /hen a-ailable%. 9 co(' of this re(ort /ith su((ortin. e-i+ence is .i-en to the accuse+ stu+ent as the state)ent of the char.e. :hen a((ro(riate, the facult' )e)ber /ill issue a .ra+e of Inco)(lete until the aca+e)ic con+uct )atter has been resol-e+. 1. Cheatin. on assi.n)ents an+ e1a)inations. *his inclu+es, but is not li)ite+ to, the follo/in. /hen not authori;e+ b' the instructor: the use of an' assistance or )aterials such as boo0s an+?or notes, ac4uirin. e1a)s or an' other aca+e)ic )aterials, the use of an' other sources in /ritin. +rafts, (a(ers, (re(arin. re(orts, sol-in. (roble)s, /or0s co)(lete+ for a (ast or concurrent course, co)(letin. ho)e/or0 or carr'in. out other assi.n)ents. Ao stu+ent shall co(' fro) so)eone else@s /or0 or hel( so)eone else co(' /or0 or substitute anotherCs /or0 as oneCs o/n. Ao stu+ent shall en.a.e in an' beha-ior s(ecificall' (rohibite+ b' an instructor in the course s'llabus or class +iscussion. 8. Pla.iari;in. the /or0 of others. Pla.iaris) is usin. so)eone else@s /or0 or i+eas /ithout .i-in. that (erson cre+it. #' +oin. this, a stu+ent is, in effect, clai)in. cre+it for so)eone else@s thin0in.. *his can occur in +rafts, (a(ers an+ oral (resentations. :hether the stu+ent has rea+ or hear+ the infor)ation use+, the stu+ent )ust +ocu)ent the source of infor)ation. :hen +ealin. /ith /ritten sources, a clear +istinction shoul+ be )a+e bet/een 4uotations, /hich re(ro+uce infor)ation fro) the source /or+<for< /or+ /ithin 4uotation )ar0s, an+ (ara(hrases, /hich +i.est the source of infor)ation an+ (ro+uce it in the stu+ent@s o/n /or+s. #oth +irect 4uotations an+ (ara(hrases )ust be +ocu)ente+. 3-en if a stu+ent re(hrases, con+enses or selects fro) another (erson@s /or0, the i+eas are still the other (erson@s an+ failure to .i-e cre+it constitutes )isre(resentation of the stu+ent@s actual /or0 an+ (la.iaris) of another@s i+eas. #u'in. a (a(er or usin. infor)ation fro) the Internet /ithout attribution an+ han+in. it in as one@s o/n /or0 is (la.iaris). Aote the follo/in. state)ent fro) the Stu+ent &an+boo0 of the >ni-ersit' of 3+inbur.h that )a' hel( 'ou better un+erstan+ the seriousness of (la.iaris) in the aca+e)ic en-iron)ent: DIn or+er to assess 'our /or0 an+ to .i-e 'ou useful fee+bac0 the (rofessor nee+s to ha-e a clear sense of /hat i+eas 'ou ha-e +e-elo(e+ for 'ourself an+ /hat co)es fro) else/here. *o be fair to all of the stu+ents in the course it is i)(ortant that each stu+ent is .i-en .ra+es that accuratel' reflect their o/n efforts. Stu+ents so)eti)es /on+er /here to +ra/ the line bet/een +iscussin. their i+eas /ith their (eers "/hich can be an e1cellent learnin. e1(erience% an+ unacce(table collusion. *he ti)e to be (articularl' careful is /hen 'ou are (re(arin. /or0 for assess)ent. Eou nee+ to be certain that the /or0 'ou sub)it re(resents 'our o/n (rocess of en.a.e)ent /ith the tas0 set. Eou )a' .et into +ifficult' if, for e1a)(le, rea+in. another stu+ents@ (lan for their /or0 influences 'ou, or if 'ou sho/ the) 'our (lan. 9ssistin. another stu+ent to (la.iari;e is a cheatin. offence. In a++ition to .i-in. references for all of the )aterials that 'ou ha-e actuall' inclu+e+ /ithin 'our assi.n)ents, it is i)(ortant to a((ro(riatel' ac0no/le+.e other sources of .ui+ance 'ou ha-e use+ /hen (re(arin. 'our /or0.F 3. >nauthori;e+ collaboration on assi.n)ents. *his is unauthori;e+ interaction /ith an'one in the fulfill)ent of aca+e)ic re4uire)ents an+ a((lies to in<class or ta0e<ho)e course/or0. In+i-i+ual "unai+e+% /or0 on e1a)s, ho)e/or0, co)(uter assi.n)ents an+ +ocu)entation of sources is e1(ecte+ unless the instructor s(ecificall' states in the s'llabus or -erball' that it is not necessar'. Collaboration can also inclu+e calculatin. ho)e/or0 (roble)s /ith another (erson, ha-in. another hel( to re/rite a (a(er, sharin. infor)ation?sources /ith others an+ chec0in. course/or0 /ith others. . Co)(letion of ori.inal /or0. :hen an instructor assi.ns course/or0, the instructor inten+s that /or0 to be co)(lete+ for his?her course onl'. :or0 stu+ents )a' ha-e co)(lete+ for a course ta0en in the (ast, or )a' be co)(letin. for a concurrent course, )ust not be sub)itte+ in both courses unless the' recei-e (er)ission to +o so fro) both facult' )e)bers.

Online Re!uirements

*here are G )a,or )o+ules in the class that last t/o /ee0s each. *hree of the )o+ules inclu+e 4ui;;es that 'ou )ust ta0e online, in a++ition to a short essa'. 9 fiel+ tri( to a s'na.o.ue of 'our choice is re4uire+ in )o+ule t/o. Eour .ra+es for MOD>H3 SII "J Binal Pa(er J Binal Class 2ra+e% /ill be sent to 'ou b' Mon+a', 9(ril 8K. Ma0e notes here<<

#asic Class Sche+ule an+ *o(ical Outline

Ungraded *ntroductory Postings1 7an. G<1! 2ntroduction to your fellow students, online learning, class syllabus and writing practice1e3pectations! "ote# t$is assignment is re%uired, but ungraded! ('AR0*0& 12*RS/ &RAD'D 3ODU('4 3ODU(' O0'" 7an. 13<87. &rimar' To ic: Interreli.ious Dialo.ue (ssigned Reading: DPrinci(les an+ 2ui+elines for Interfaith Dialo.ueF ('AR0*0& 3ODU(' /5O" Post 'our re(ort b' Mon+a', Bebruar' 1! &rimar' To ic: 7u+ais). (ssigned Reading: 3s(osito, et.al., :orl+ 6eli.ions *o+a', Ch. 3. 4our primary assignment for t$is module is to ma5e a field trip to a synagogue of your c$oice and s$are a few notes about it "cf. the 7u+ais) BO6>M for )ore +etails. "I+eall', (ro-e that 'ou /ere there b' ta0in. a (icture an+ (ostin. it on the BO6>M% ('AR0*0& 3ODU(' /HR''" Beb. 11<81 &rimar' To ic: Isla)L (ssigned Reading: 3s(osito, et.al., :orl+ 6eli.ions *o+a', Ch. 5. "cf. the Isla) BO6>M for )ore +etails% ('AR0*0& 3ODU(' 2OUR" March 3<17 &rimar' To ic: &in+uis)L (ssigned Reading: 3s(osito, et.al., :orl+ 6eli.ions *o+a', Ch. G. "cf. the &in+uis) BO6>M for )ore +etails% ('AR0*0& 3ODU(' 2*V'" March 1K<31 &rimar' To ic: #u++his)L (ssigned Reading: 3s(osito, et.al., :orl+ 6eli.ions *o+a', Ch. 7. "cf. the #u++his) BO6>M for )ore +etails% ('AR0*0& 1&RAD'D64 3ODU(' S*7" 9(ril 1<11 &rimar' To ic: Christianit'. (ssigned Reading: 3s(osito, et.al., :orl+ 6eli.ions *o+a', Ch. . "cf. the Christianit' BO6>M for )ore +etails% )inal *+raded, &a er due to be osted b' Tuesda', ( ril 22 *mid-nig$t, 2o to final (a(er BO6>M for the e1act to(ic of this (a(er.