REL100.Introduction

This course will explore the historical development, principal beliefs, and basic practices of 8 of the world’s major religious traditions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Some of the fundamental issues that will frame our investigation are: how different traditions understand and respond to “ultimate reality”; the relationship between “faith” in a source of power beyond oneself and “discipline/self-cultivation” as a means of tapping into a source of power that lies within; the relationship between “other-worldly” goals (such as the soul’s fate after death) and “this-worldly” goals (such as the attainment of advanced spiritual states in this life); and finally the significance of “modernity” and “pluralism”— two of the most powerful forces that are likely to affect the evolution of religion in the 21st century.

The distribution of grades for the course is as follows:

Your final grade will ultimately depend on my assessment of your performance in each of the above areas, though the following descriptions should provide you with a rough idea of the defining characteristics of students within particular grade ranges:

A-/A Possesses a deep understanding of the major concepts and themes of the course. The “A” student is able to consistently identify and explain key ideas in the readings, develop genuine insights into the broader significance of these concepts, and demonstrate a high level of intellectual engagement in class discussions.

B-/B/B+ Demonstrates a serious commitment to the course (i.e. attendance and participation) and a strong grasp of the major concepts and themes but with less depth and/or consistency than the “A” student.

C-/C/C+ Demonstrates a reasonable effort to attend class and participate in discussions as well as a basic grasp of the course material.

D Demonstrates a minimal commitment to the course and a weak grasp of basic concepts and themes.

F Fails to demonstrate an acceptable degree of effort in the course through low attendance, inability to discuss basic concepts and themes, missed assignments and/or plagiarized work.

Class/Blackboard Participation
The readings for each class are listed in the syllabus; please be sure to complete the readings before class, as this will enhance your understanding of the lectures and help facilitate meaningful class discussions. Your Class Participation mark will be based on attendance as well as your participation in both class and “Blackboard” discussions. Although your mark will ultimately depend on my subjective evaluation of the quantity and quality of your comments, you may reasonably expect to receive a “B” if you attend class regularly and participate in both class and “Blackboard” discussions; superior performance in both areas will result in an “A,” whereas inferior performance will result in a “C” or less. You can log on to Blackboard from the course website: after logging in, go to “REL100 Introduction to World Religions” and then click “Communication” followed by “Discussion Board.”

Essay Questions
Given the limited amount of time that can be devoted to any given religion, I have prepared a list of essay questions that will give you an opportunity to think through at least one significant issue for each of the traditions presented in the course. Towards this end, you will be required to write at least six 2-3 page (500 word minimum) responses to one question on each of the major sections of the course. The complete list of questions can be accessed by clicking the “Essay Questions” link above or through the link on the course home page. Your responses are due in the class that follows the one in which the section in question was covered (see syllabus for dates); your grade will go down one degree (e.g. from B+ to B) for each day that the essay is late, though you need not turn in all 9 essays, since only the best 6 marks will count towards your final grade; however, I do expect all students to write Essay 1 (Beliefnet) and Essay 4 (Attending a Religious Service), which I feel will help you to reflect on the relationship between different religious traditions.

Quizzes
The companion website for our course textbook provides various quizzes on the content of each chapter. To access these quizzes, you must first log on to “MyReligionKit” (use the link on the REL100 home page and enter the access code that I will send to your North Central e-mail address) and then choose the appropriate chapter from the drag-down box at the top of the page and click “Go.” A sidebar will open on the left with various options which you are encouraged to explore, though you are only required to complete the “Multiple Choice,” “Matching,” and “Pattern Matching” (when available) quizzes; please note that you are not required to complete the “Student Assessment Quizzes” at the bottom of the sidebar. After you complete the quizzes, be sure to click on “Submit Answers for Grading” at the bottom of the page, so that you can review your results and retake the quiz until you’re satisfied with your score. There will be an in-class quiz with a selection of these same questions (though not necessarily in the same order) at the beginning of the last class in which the chapter in question is being covered. Altogether, these quizzes will comprise 15% of your final grade, which will be calculated by dividing your cumulative quiz total (out of a possible 150 points) by 10.

Required Texts (Available in the Bookstore)
● Fisher, Living Religions, 7th edition [LR]
● Fisher/Bailey, An Anthology of Living Religions, 2nd Ed. [ALR]
● An additional “Course Pack” of readings; to purchase, follow the instructions at www.universityreaders.com/students/instructions.php.