World Religions | Course Overview | Mr. Eason |
The World Religions course offers students the chance to study the world's major religious traditions and to come to a deeper understanding of the significance of these traditions for people throughout history and in the modern world. The course first examines the nature and importance of religion and religious experience as a phenomenon in our world. Students will discuss the significance of religion as an area of academic study and master key religious terms for use throughout the course. The course will then focus on the eastern religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism for the remainder of the third quarter, moving to the study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam-- the western traditions-- for the fourth quarter. As juniors and seniors in an elective course (a course they have chosen to take), students will be expected to do homework conscientiously and participate regularly and thoughtfully in class discussions. Several guest speakers representing various religious traditions will address the class.
Readings in the class will be from Huston Smith's The World's Religions, a classic text for introduction to the world's religions, and T. Patrick Burke's The Major Religions, an anthology which conveniently brings together significant texts from each of the traditions we will study. Other texts and multi-media documents from online and other media will be incorporated at the instructor's discretion.
The course has seven basic units:
1- Introduction to religion as an academic subject (First two weeks)
2- Hinduism (Second half of January)
3- Buddhism (Early February)
4- Chinese Religions (Late February)
5-Judaism (Early March)
6- Christianity (Early April)
7-Islam (Mid/Late April)
Course Objectives
1. Understand the role of religion in the lives of individuals and cultures.
2. Gain a basic understanding of the Theology, Liturgy, and Ethics of the major religious traditions in some of their diverse manifestations.
3. To learn to study religion academically and respectfully, while enhancing one's own religious beliefs.
Course Requirements
1. Daily preparation of the assigned homework for class discussion.
2. Participation in class discussion and activities.
Grading
First Quarter | Second Quarter |
Three unit tests worth 25% each | Four unit tests worth 20% each |
Homework and class participation - 25% | Homework and class participation - 20% |
