[Note: this schedule is subject to revision and should be checked by students at least once a week.]

Office Hours: Lyon 321

MWF: 8:00-8:50 and 10:00-10:50 a.m.

TTh:  8:00-8:20 a.m.

Fri.:   1:30-2:30

or by appointment

Phone: 698-4351

E-mail: Click on Mailbox to e-mail professor

Glossaries, quizzes, and exams can be found on Educator. Additional materials will be found on the Revealing© World Religions CD.

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Required Texts:

Daniel Maguire – Sacred Choices: The Right to Contraception and Abortion in Ten World Religions

Cynthia Eller – Revealing© World Religions 2.1 (can only be purchased through the Thinking Strings website: http://www.thinkingstrings.com/Product/RevWorldReligions.html -- go to the bottom of the Thinking Strings page for the "click here" link.) Instructions for installing and registering Revealing© World Religions are posted in the announcement section of Educator for this class.

[If you have problems with the DVD, the fastest way to get help is to go to http://www.thinkingstrings.com/Support/support.html ]

Nature and Purpose of the Course:

What is religion?  Why learn about others' religions? Are all religions just different ways of expressing the same basic insights? How do different religions guide their followers on important ethical issues? Are some religions superior to others?

These questions and others underlie our attempts this semester to understand the history, practices, and beliefs of several of the word's most influential religions. Ironically, we will be looking at examples of religion in order to understand what they are examples of; we will learn about various religions in order to understand why we should learn about them; we will treat each religion has being valid and valuable in itself in order to ponder whether it is more or less valid than others.  In other words, our study places us in an continuous loop of exploration. But exploring where the loop goes – its turns and twists – will prove to be rewarding and informative in itself.

For the time being, let's start with a broad assumption: Religion – however we ultimately define it – seems to be an important part of our lives, whether we are personally religious or not. It is impossible to understand any culture in depth without understanding something about its religious heritage. Religion has been playing an increasingly noticeable role in our public life, both in the United States and abroad. Whether we are trying to understand the agenda of the political right in America, or recent events in the Middle East, or even the hidden meanings of television shows like “Lost,” it is by appreciating the religious sensibilities that underlie them that we better understand them

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Requirements:

Students will be expected to complete all reading assignments on time, attend classes, take all exams, respond to the questions in the "Try It" sections of Revealing© World Religions, and write an 8-12 page term paper on a non-Christian religious tradition not covered in class.  There are several due dates for the paper - one for the topic, one for an topic and preliminary bibliography, one for a rough draft, and the final paper. Late assignments will be graded down five points for each calendar day late. Note: you should treat your rough draft as if it were a final draft -- rough drafts that are superior will automatically be given an A and a final paper will not be required. The topic & bibliography, rough draft, and final paper should be e-mailed to me as a Word attachment -- a paper copy is not required. Guidelines and due dates for the paper are available at http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/groups/rph/rph150/guidelines.htm. It is important for students to keep in mind that the college requires all students to turn in their own work in accordance with the Lyon College Honor Code. If students have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, they should read the MLA Handbook’s discussion of plagiarism and consult with someone in the writing lab or with me prior to turning in the paper. Students may find it helpful to make an appointment with the someone in the Writing Lab for advice on writing their papers.

Grades will be weighted as follows:

 All graded work in this class is to be pledged in accordance with the Lyon College Honor Code.

Attendance & Presentations:

Every student is expected to attend all classes and to complete all assignments, progress reports, and exams on time. Attendance and participation in presentations are graded. All students will be assigned to a team to do a class presentation on a religion covered in class. Students will research  details of a major ritual or festival of the religion in order to demonstrate to the class what that ritual or festival is like. Presentations will be graded on their accuracy (25%), their creativity (25%), their ability to involve the class in the demonstration (25%), and how well the group explains the significance of the ritual or festival for what the religion means (25%). PowerPoint presentations and professionally produced video are not allowed. Student-created video, live performances, use of music (live or pre-recorded), are all permitted. The presentation should be accompanied by a one page handout summarizing the ritual or festival.

Communication:

In keeping with Lyon College policy, students are expected to check their First Class e-mail accounts daily. This is the primary way professors and college officials have to communicate with you. Students are accountable for information regarding due dates, assignments, exams, etc., that are sent through First Class.

Extra Credit:

Students may earn up to 3 semester points of extra credit. Various opportunities for extra credit will be discussed in class.

Exams:

Twenty percent of your grade is made up of objective exams over the readings from Revealing World Religions, Sacred Choices, and material covered in class. Each exam has a due date -- prior to that due date, you may take the exam as often as you like in order to achieve a grade on the exam with which you are satisfied . Please note that the exams must be taken in a manner consistent with the Lyon College Honor Code, without the help of any aids, including notes, on-line resources, the textbooks, friends, etc.  In addition to the objective exams, you will also take several essay exams (worth a total of 15% of your grade) that will raise comparative and analytical questions over the course material. Unlike the objective exams, these exams cannot be retaken. The final exam will primarily consist of essay questions.

Please note: Students seeking reasonable accommodations based on documented learning disabilities should contact the Office of Academic Services at 307-7332.

Course Outline: