The Religions of India
REL255
Introduction
This course will explore the major indigenous religions of South Asia with
particular
emphasis on shared concepts such as karma, the cycle of rebirth (samsara),
and the transcendence of rebirth (nirvana/moksha). We will trace
the evolution of Indian religion from its roots in the Vedas and the
Upanishads
through the development of Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, and Sikhism,
and
we will conclude with an examination of “inclusivistic” and
“exclusivistic”
approaches to religious pluralism in contemporary Indian thought.
.
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.
Attendance
is mandatory and will contribute to your mark for class
participation.
The distribution of grades for the course is as follows:
15% Class (10%) & Blackboard (5%) Participation
10% Temple Visit Assignment (date TBA)
25% Midterm Exam (Thursday, October 5)
25% Term Paper (10 pages; due Thursday, November 16)
25% Final Exam (Tuesday, November 21 ․ 10:00 AM-12:00 PM)
You 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 primary sources,
develop
genuine insights into the broader significance of these texts, 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
Given the complexity of many of the ideas that
we’ll be studying, I believe that discussion, both in class and on the web, will
be extremely helpful for your understanding of the material. Your Class Participation mark (worth 10% of
the final grade) will be based on your ability to demonstrate that you have made
a sincere attempt to read and understand the assigned material; although the
quality of your comments will obviously be taken into consideration, please
note that all attempts to seriously engage the readings—from sharing your
perspective on the material to simply asking a relevant question—will enhance
your grade. Your Blackboard
Participation mark (worth 5% of the final grade) will similarly be based on the
quantity and quality of your comments on the readings, though in this case you
will be expected to post a minimum of five reflections on the readings over the
course of the term. To count towards the
minimum of five Blackboard reflections you must post your comments before
the class for which the readings in question have been assigned; however, all
of your Blackboard postings—including responses to other students’ comments (whether
before or after the class in question)—will ultimately count towards your
Blackboard Participation grade. To post
a comment on Blackboard, simply click the “Blackboard” link on the course home page
and then log in with your North Central username and password (which is set to your
student ID# by default); then go to “The Religions of India” and click
“Communication” followed by “Discussion Board”; you can then choose the reading
that you want to comment on by clicking the appropriate topic, which will
correspond to a topic from the course syllabus.
Temple Visit
To help you gain a more concrete understanding of Indian religion in
practice,
we will be visiting a Hindu Temple at some point during the term (date
and
time to be arranged). After the temple visit, you will be
required
to write a 3-4 page (double-spaced) report on your experience at the
temple.
Your report should focus on a single theme, though you may draw on
various
sources of information, such as the readings, class discussions, and
personal
experience. For example, you might discuss one of the rituals
that
you observed at the temple and compare it to a ritual within your own
religious
tradition. The report will be due within one week of the temple
visit.
Midterm Test/Final Exam
The Midterm will be based on the course readings, though topics that
are
discussed in class may provide significant information as well; it will
focus
on four major areas: the early Vedic tradition, the Upanisads,
and
the development of Jainism and Buddhism. The test will include
multiple-choice
questions, a section in which you are asked to identify and state the
significance
of certain key terms, as well as short essay-style questions. The
Final
Exam will similarly focus on themes that were explored both in the
readings
and in class during the second half of the term, though it will also
test
your overall comprehension of the Indian religious tradition.
Term Paper
You may choose one of the following three topics for your
final 10-page term paper, though you are encouraged to explore a topic of your
own choosing. In either case, a brief statement that identifies your topic, explains
how you intend to pursue it, and lists at least five “print” sources that you
intend to use will be due at the beginning of week 7 (Tuesday, October 23); you may also use web-sources if
you so choose, though you are discouraged from relying on them too heavily, as
many web-sites provide superficial, biased and/or incorrect information. Please note that you are required to provide
appropriate citations for both direct and indirect quotations using “Chicago”
style footnotes and bibliography (for a summary of Chicago style, go to the
“Bibliography” link on the course home page).
Plagiarism is a very serious offense, so if you have any doubts
regarding what does or does not constitute plagiarism, please refer to the
plagiarism link on my home page. I
strongly recommend that you become familiar with the boundaries of academic
honesty…and don’t attempt to transgress them.
Essays that contain significant instances of plagiarism will receive a 0
and be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs in accordance with college
policy.
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1. The varnasrama-dharma
system has had a tremendous impact on the development of Indian
civilization. Describe the essential
features of the system and then explain its significance as the
conceptual
foundation of “traditional” Indian society.
Do you think that varnasrama-dharma has played a
positive,
negative, or mixed role in defining the social and religious framework
of
pre-modern India? Can this system
maintain a meaningful role in present-day India, or is it in
fundamental
conflict with the values of “modernity”?
2. Do a
comparative analysis of one Indian and one Judeo-Christian religious
tradition. Your examination should include
some
discussion of the similarities and differences both within and between
the “Eastern” and “Western” traditions and should work towards
developing a
statement that explains how the “comparative” approach has contributed
to your
overall understanding of religion.
3. Although
the term “Hinduism” is commonly used to refer to the primary religious
tradition of the Indian people, it should be noted that this use of the
term
arose during the modern era in response to a perceived need to
distinguish this
“dominant” tradition from others, such as Islam, Sikhism, Jainism,
Buddhism,
and Christianity. Given the broad range
of “Hindu” responses to fundamental issues—such as whether the Vedas
are
“revealed” texts, whether ritual is necessary for salvation, and
whether
ultimate reality should be understood in theistic or non-dualistic
terms—one could
argue that the term “Hinduism” is in fact meaningless.
On the other hand, one might also argue that
despite the diversity of the Hindu traditions, there is some underlying
“essence” that ties them all together.
Do you agree with either position, or would you propose a
third?
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.
Since this is intended to be a research paper,
you must provide at least five “print” sources in addition to the texts that
are required for the course; you may also use web-sources if you so choose,
though you are discouraged from relying on them too heavily, as many web-sites
provide superficial, biased and/or incorrect information. Please note that you are required to provide
appropriate citations for both direct and indirect quotations using “Chicago” style footnotes and bibliography (for a summary
of Chicago
style, go to the “Bibliography” link on the course home page). Plagiarism is a very serious offense, so
if you have any doubts regarding what does or does not constitute plagiarism,
please refer to the “Plagiarism” link on my home page. I strongly recommend that you become familiar
with the boundaries of academic honesty…and don’t attempt to transgress
them. Essays that contain significant
instances of plagiarism will receive a 0 and be reported to the Office of
Academic Affairs in accordance with college policy.
Required Texts (available in the bookstore)
-
Thomas J. Hopkins, The Hindu Religious Tradition (HRT)
- Nancy Auer Falk, Living Hinduism (LH)
- Peter Heehs, Indian Religions (IR)
- Online Readings (go to Blackboard: Assignments)
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