COMPARATIVE RELIGION 110: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD

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1 COMPARATIVE RELIGION 110: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD FALL 2016: MW H-128 Section 08/#21057 DR. BRAD STARR: OFFICE HOURS: MW 9-10:30 am Instructor Office: UH 310; CPRL Department Office: UH ; PHONE: (714) CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Introduction to at least five religious world views from an historical and comparative perspective, with descriptive analyses of their belief systems, moral codes and symbolic rituals: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. NOTE: This course satisfies University GE requirement III.B.2.** COURSE OBJECTIVES Understanding the forms of analysis consistent with the scholarly study of world religions in Religious Studies. Greater knowledge of the basic beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Greater knowledge of the basic practices of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Greater knowledge of the basic history of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Familiarity with basic texts of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Understanding of contemporary developments and interactions between members of these groups. COURSE APPROACH: This course is rigorous and exploratory in nature, combining reading, lecture, and discussion. Lecture material is substantive and thorough. The reading assignments for this course are relatively modest in length (averaging about 20 pages per week), but students are expected to do them carefully and well. Please note that this course is not a religious course. It is a course about religion. The course is not about the belief or unbelief of the instructor or the students, nor about the truth or falsity of the beliefs we ll be studying, but about our understanding of these beliefs and of those who hold them. The instructor will take a scholarly and fair-minded approach to the topics in the course, and students will be expected to do the same. REQUIRED TEXTS Brodd, Little, Nystrom, et.al. Invitation to World Religions [2 nd edition. Oxford University Press, 2016] Book is available at The Little Professor Book Center, 725 Placentia Ave (cross street, Nutwood Ave.). Ph And Titan Bookstore. Occasional handouts and readings are posted on TITANium. PLEASE NOTE: NOT HAVING THE BOOK WILL NOT BE AN ACCEPTED REASON FOR LATE WORK. COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. QUIZZES a. Your semester grade will be determined in part by your work on five QUIZZES. These quizzes will consist of "objective" and short essay questions. The final exam will consist of the 5th quiz (on Islam and Sikhism). Since all quizzes will require Scantron #886, you will need five #886 forms. Test material will be drawn from class materials and reading assignments. Keep in mind that you are responsible for material

2 from class sessions that is not in the reading, as well as material in the reading that is not dealt with in class. b. The quizzes are designed for each student to provide evidence of his or her ability to recognize and express key concepts and their interconnections. Objective questions are useful for assessing this recognition. Essay questions are useful for assessing one's ability to express key concepts in one's own words. c. After leaving the room, no further work on the quiz will be allowed. 2. PAPER a. You are to write one 2-page essay. This essay is not a research paper, but an opportunity for written critical reflection on first field trip required in this class. Note that this paper is due at the beginning of class on the due date, in hard copy. No late or ed papers will be accepted. b. Returned and graded papers can be revised and re-submitted for a revised grade. For a revised grade, the following items must be submitted: (1) The revised paper (2) The original graded paper (3) A brief but specific description of the revisions that were made. Absolutely no paper will be re-evaluated without these three items. Final essay grades will be calculated by averaging the original and the revised grades. Resubmissions are not required. c. For your essay topic, you are to select a theme from the class or reading and relate it to your observations during the first field trip. d. Your papers must include the following components. Failure to use this format will result in a grade reduction. 1. An introductory paragraph stating the central points of your paper. 2. Several paragraphs that clearly present those points. 3. A concluding paragraph recapping those key points. e. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Each paper must be composed on a computer, using 11 or 12 Times New Roman fonts, 1.5 spaced, with normal default margins. Pages must be stapled in the upper left hand corner. Do not use plastic or other kinds of binders. f. CRITERIA FOR ESSAYS: Your paper will be graded on the basis of (1) clarity, (2) accuracy, (3) critical and comprehensive understanding of the material, (4) observance of principles of good writing (see e below), and (5) overall coherence and organization. g. GRAMMAR: Regarding 1.d (4) above--in addition to overall considerations of style and content, a distinction will be observed between errors and serious errors. E: Errors include such problems as misspellings, comma placement mistakes, subject-verb disagreement, singular-plural confusions, errors with contractions, and apostrophe placement mistakes. 1 point will be deducted for each error.

3 SE: Serious errors are defined as comma splices, sentence fragments, and run-on sentences. 2 points will be deducted from the paper grade for each SE. h. PLEASE NOTE: (A) This essay assignment is not an occasion for students to present or defend their own personal religious beliefs or practices, or critique those of other people. Papers of this kind will be returned and a grade of "0" entered for that assignment. The assignment requires students to function as scholars of religion. The point is to indicate to me that you understand and can work reflectively, and perceptively with the concepts you have learned and the texts you have studied. (B) You may discuss your paper with me prior to the due date. (C) The essays are to be in your own words. You may quote brief passages from the book or material from the site if the passages are necessary for you to make your specific point. If you quote a passage from the book, it must be placed in quotation marks and cited by page number. Example: "Sources of all quotations must be properly cited." (Starr, 2) (D) Do not go outside of class materials for the content of your essays. (E) PLEASE NOTE: Papers will be screened for plagiarism. If you plagiarize all or any part of this essay, you will receive an irrevocable "0" on the assignment and your conduct will be immediately reported in writing to the Office of Judicial Affairs in the Dean of Student's Office. A copy of your plagiarized work will also be sent to the Dean's Office. 3. ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION a. Students are expected to attend class and to arrive on time. Faithfulness in this regard is essential to passing this course. You are responsible for all material covered in class. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of most class sessions. Two unexcused absences are allowed. 3-7 unexcused absences will result in a 20 - point reduction from your semester total points for each absence. Eight unexcused absences, including the original two, will result in an automatic "U" or "F" in the class. Excused absences are defined below. If a student arrives in class after the roster has been called, it the student s responsibility to inform the instructor. Please note--this attendance policy will be followed without exception. b. Participation: There is no participation grade per se, but what I hope to see is that each student comes to class prepared and involved, and that every student finds some way to participate. Ways of participation include noting materials from other courses or the media, etc., related to class materials, asking valuable questions (in class, by , etc.), bringing up points in class discussion, answering questions raised by the instructor or students in class, and making reference to specific passages or issues from the readings related to the above (I consider reading-based participation most valuable). There are, of course, many forms of participation besides these. 4. FIELD TRIP: You must complete one field trip. The date is being determined and will be announced shortly. Alternate dates, times, or assignments are permitted only in documented situations that prohibit you from attending at the scheduled time. Documentation of attendance at the field trip, in the form of a Field Trip Questionnaire, will be required for credit on this assignment. Field Trips = 50 pts each. 5. GRADING, MAKE-UP POLICY, ACADEMIC DISHONESTY, ETC. A. GRADING

4 GRADED WORK: 5 Quizzes + 1 essay + 1 field trip SEMESTER: Average of the 7 items above - absence penalty = semester grade. Please Note: There may be extra credit opportunities offered in this course. Numerical Scale: pts = A; = B; = C; = D; = F. NOTE: + / - designations will not be used in this course NOTE ON USE OF TITANIUM FOR GRADES: Grades, absences, or other grade-related records will be entered on Titanium in order for students to verify that their grades match those in the instructor's grade book. Discrepancies should be brought to the attention of the instructor as soon as possible, but no later than the Final Exam session. B. MAKE-UP POLICY, EXCUSED ABSENCES, AND INCOMPLETES: Due to considerations of fairness, no quiz make-ups will be given or late assignments accepted except in cases of documented emergency (such as illness or work-related conflicts) or when prearranged with the instructor for appropriate reasons. Incompletes are almost never given by this instructor except in rare cases where documented emergencies or other situations have, in the judgment of the instructor, prevented timely completion of course requirements. Excused absences are determined according to the same criteria as make-ups and late assignments. C. CSUF POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY of any kind including all forms of plagiarism and all forms of cheating on tests will be rigorously followed. If you are caught cheating, the Dean of Students' office of Judicial Affairs will be immediately notified in writing of your conduct, the work in question will be counted as a "0," and you will not receive a grade higher than a C in the course, regardless of your semester grade average. Among other possible disciplinary actions, the Dean of Students' office will place a notice of the incident in your university record. D. COMPUTER access is required for this course. TITANium will be used for recording grades, posting Power Point slides and announcements, etc. E. EXPECTATIONS RELATED TO CLASS COURTESY AND DECORUM. Violations of these expectations will not be tolerated. Each student's right to learn, question, and communicate must be respected by all students. Distracting conversations or other inappropriate activities during class time will not be tolerated. Use of laptops in class is prohibited except with specific and individual permission of the instructor. Phones must be muted during class. Use of such devices during class is absolutely prohibited. Except in emergencies, students are not permitted to move in and out of the classroom. Work for any other class or purpose is prohibited during class time. NOTE: Students may audio tape class proceedings for their personal use. F. SPECIAL NEEDS: If you have a disability or special needs for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, please inform me and contact the Office of Disability Support Services, located in

5 University Hall 101, as early as possible in the term. For more information, the Office of Disability Support Services can be reached by calling (657) or visit their website at Confidentiality will be protected. G. EMERGENCY INFORMATION: Students should familiarize themselves with the actions they should take in an emergency at the following web site: COURSE SCHEDULE Adjustments in the schedule may be necessary, and, if so, will be announced well in advance via , TITANium, and class time. Please note that the best pace for reading in this class is to average about 20 pages per week. WEEK MONDAY WEDNESDAY 8/22 Introduction: Syllabus Introduction to Religious Studies 8/29 Hinduism [Brodd ] Hinduism 9/5 LABOR DAY [CAMPUS CLOSED] Hinduism 9/12 Hinduism Jainism [TITANium] 9/19 QUIZ 1: Intro, Hinduism, Jainism Buddhism [Brodd ] 9/26 Buddhism Buddhism 10/3 Buddhism QUIZ 2: Buddhism 10/10 Judaism [Brodd ] Judaism 10/17 Judaism Judaism 10/24 QUIZ 3: Judaism Christianity [Brodd ] 10/31 Christianity Christianity 11/7 Christianity QUIZ 4: Christianity 11/14 Islam [Brodd ] Islam 11/21 FALL BREAK: 11/ /28 Islam Islam 12/5 Sikhism Sikhism [TITANium] 12/12 QUIZ 5: Islam & Sikhism [FINALS WEEK] NOTE TIME CHANGE MONDAY 2:30-4:20 [A] Learning Goals of GE III.B.2: To understand the distinctive characteristics of the humanistic perspective; to understand the historical and cultural factors, in a global context, that led to the development of the humanistic perspective;to understand the differences between the humanistic and other perspectives, as well as the differences among the humanistic disciplines; To understand and appreciate the contributions of the humanities of the development of the political and cultural institutions of contemporary society; to be familiar with and understand major texts (both written and oral), key figures, significant traditions, and important themes in humanities;to analyze the meaning of texts (both written and oral) from

6 both Western and non-western cultures, either in English or, if appropriate, in the language of the texts being analyzed; to apply the humanistic perspective to values, experiences, and meanings to one s own life, and demonstrate how understanding the humanities can shed light on what it means to be human today; to have an increased ability to comprehend, synthesize and explain complex written material. [B] This course meets these goals by: Studying comparatively a key humanistic pursuit, namely, the understanding of the religious features and activities of human life and their meanings; clarifying the differences between humanistic study and other intellectual pursuits by using various humanistic methods and approaches to pursue the understanding of the religious lives of people from around the globe; examining how the religious aspirations and experiences of a diversity of human groups has contributed to the overall cultural development of those groups and their interactions with each other; reading and analyzing central written texts and oral traditions of the world s great religions; applying the humanistic perspective to values, experiences, and meaningful interactions with others in one s own life through class interaction.