Kenyon College homepage Department of Religion

Mary Suydam 


Religion 101: Introduction to the Study of Religion

Prof. Mary Suydam Fall 2003

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary
  The Bible Unbound

Class: MWF 12:10 - 1 PM

LBIS Consort: Course Reserves and E-RES
  Roman Arch of Titus (81 C.E.)

Phone PBX 5067

America the Beautiful lyrics

 

Go Down Moses

Office: Ascension 309

Exodus clip

 

What is Puja? Smithsonian Guide

Office Hours: T- W - TH 10 - 12

Buddhist pilgrimage: the Bodhi Tree
  Mt. Kailasa, Tibet

Email: suydam@kenyon.edu

Dalai Lama's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, 10 December 1989
  Dalai Lama: Words of Truth Poem

Selected handouts:

General

Traditions

Scriptures Paper Topics: Guidelines Outline of Ancient Biblical and Jewish History
Ten Commandments for Essay Writing Judaism: Glossary of Terms
Twenty Rules Not to Follow Chronology of Hindu Literature
Film Viewing Guidelines The Mahabharata: Background
The Academic Study of Religion Hinduism: Glossary of Terms
Defining Religion Buddhism: Glossary of Terms
The Seven Dimensions of Religion Timeline: Christianity
Symbolism Christianity: Glossary of Terms
Signups to discuss paper topics Studying Ritual

Goals of the Course

The aim of this course is to enable you to think clearly and critically, from an academic rather than a devotional perspective, about the various human phenomena that we call "religious". The academic study of religion takes a global and pluralistic approach, looking at religion critically while attempting to understand religious phenomena from the perspectives of participants. Learning the ways in which scholars attempt this "double stance" - critical yet empathetic - is a major goal of this course.

A second major goal of this course is to introduce you to some of the basic concepts and categories that are used by scholars in the academic study of religion. The major categories that we will study this semester are: the SACRED, MYTH, MORALITY (or ethics), in terms of both INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY, and RITUAL.

These concepts do not exist in an abstract vacuum but were created as tools to understand specific religious phenomena. Therefore, a third major goal of the course is to introduce you to some of the major religious traditions and to see how these concepts help us to understand these traditions better. The traditions that we will survey this semester are Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. In our study, we will learn 1) some of the basic worldviews of each tradition, 2) how the traditions have developed historically, and 3) how religion shapes and is shaped by cultures.


Course Requirements

This course is structured as a collaborative exchange of information between students and professor. The format of the class is a combination of lecture and discussion. Active discussion of the topics is a critical component of this class. Missing more than two classes or two weekly assignments will lower your final grade by one full point (B becomes C, for example). Grades will be based upon:

There will be weekly writing assignments each week to aid in preparing for discussions of the texts. Because critical reading of the texts is so important, you will be assigned a study partner for this class. Reading and assignments will be done as a partnership. Some writing will be in-class; some will be done outside of class and brought to the class. Assignments will be posted below.

Refer to Guidelines for Short Papers

Texts

Required:

Lawrence Cunningham and John Kelsay, eds., The Sacred Quest: An Invitation to the Study of Religion, 3rd edition. Prentice Hall: 2002.

Damien Keown, Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. NY: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Juan Mascaro, ed., The Upanishads. Baltimore, Penguin Books.

Barbara Miller, trans., The Bhagavad Gita.

John S. Strong, The Experience of Buddhism. 2nd Edition. (Belmont, California, Wadsworth Publishing: 2001

The Bible: New Advent Library (Note: You may use your own copy of the Bible, or download sections you need from the Online Bible listed on the course website)

Course Outline

UNIT ONE: THE SACRED

Week 1: Aug. 29, Sept 1, 3, 5: Intro to class; the academic study of religion. The SACRED

Readings: Cunningham, et al, Sacred Quest, chapters 1, 2

The Bible: Genesis chapter 28: 10-22; Exodus chapter 3: 7-12

Rudolph Otto, The Idea of the Holy, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, 1970;1928,

1-40. (Course Reserve)

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 3: Read Otto on Course Reserve and outline 3 main points.

Week 2: Sept. 8, 10, 12: The SACRED : Judaism

Readings: The Bible: Exodus chapters 3 and 19-21; Lev. 16:29-35

Two Torahs Sample

Cunningham, et al., Sacred Quest, chapter 3

Mishnah Sample 1

Mishnah Avot

Talmud Sample

Assignment 1

Class insights about the Sacred

UNIT TWO: MYTH

Week 3: Sept. 15, 17, 19: MYTH in Judaism
Readings: Cunningham, et al, Sacred Quest, chapter 4
Genesis chapters 1-3; Exodus chapters 2-16, 19-20
Psalms 135-136
E-Res: Eliade, "The Structure of Myth"
Assignment 2
Class Insights about the Exodus myth

Week 4: Sept. 22, 24, 26: MYTH
Monday: Rabbinic Judaism
A Midrash Sampler
Wednesday:
A midrashic creation myth
Assignment 3
Class insights about the Midrashic myth

Friday:
Test 1: Judaism

Decorated Torah Mantles

 

Week 5: Sept. 29, Oct. 1, 3: Myth in Hinduism

Monday: Film: "330 Million Gods"

Readings: Wednesday: Upanishads, 85-87

Bhagavad Gita, 1-4

Friday: E-res: The Parade of Ants

Assignment 4


UNIT THREE: MORALITY: INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY

Week 6: Oct. 8: Hinduism

Monday: No Class: Yom Kippur

Wednesday: Cunningham, , Sacred Quest, chapter 8
Bhagavad Gita, chapters 5 -9

Class insights about myth and the Parade of Ants

Week 7: Oct. 13, 15, 17: Hinduism

Monday: Bhagavad Gita, 10-14

Wednesday: Upanishads 55-66, 67-82, 99-104
Assignment 5

Friday: Test 2: Hinduism

Select Paper Topics


Week 8: Oct. 20, 22, 24: Buddhism
Monday: Introduction to Buddhism
Readings: Keown, Chapters 1-4
Strong, , chapter 1, and pages 112-115

Wednesday: Film: In the Footprints of the Buddha

Friday: Impermanence and No-self
Readings: Strong, The Experience of Buddhism, 88-102

Bibliography due for Paper Topics

Week 9: Oct. 27, 29, 31: Buddhism continued
Monday: Mahayana Buddihism and the Boddhisattva
Readings: Strong, The Experience of Buddhism, 161-175

Keown, Chapters 5-6

Wednesday: Mindfulness
Readings: Strong, The Experience of Buddhism,114-124
Keown, chapters 7-8

Assignment 6

Friday: Test 3: Buddhism
Week 10: Nov. 3, 5, 7: Christianity

Readings:
Monday: Matthew 1:18 - 2:23; chapters 5 - 7; 24:29-35; 25: 31-46; 27:11 - 28: 20 John, chapter 1; Mark 14-16

Wednesday, Romans chapters 1 -7
Cunningham, Chapter 9

Friday: Film, "Protestant Spirit USA"
Short Paper Due Friday, Nov. 7: Sacred Scriptures

Week 11: Nov. 10, 12, 14: Christianity continued

Monday and Wednesday: Christian Ethics

Readings: Paul's Letters: Romans, chapters 12-13; I Corinthians chapters 5,6, 7, 13; Ephesians 4 and 6

James' Letter: chapters 1, 2, 5

Monday: Assignment 7


Wednesday:

Ignatius of Antioch, Letters to the Romans

Martin Luther on Faith

Augustine, Excerpts from The City of God

Liberation Theology

Friday: Cunningham, Sacred Quest, chapter 6

Assignment 8



Week 12: Nov. 17, 19, 21: Christianity and Authority


Readings:

Clement of Rome

Ignatius of Antioch, Excerpts of Letters to the Ephesians

Irenaeus of Lyons on the Apostolic Tradition

Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam

Martin Luther: The 3 walls of the Romanists

Assignment 9

Friday: Test 4: Christianity

-------------------------------------------Thanksgiving Break ----------------------------------------------------------

UNIT FOUR: RITUAL

Week 13: Dec. 1, 3, 5: Ritual in Christianity
Monday: Cunningham, Sacred Quest, chapter 5

Wednesday: E-Res: Tom Driver, "Transformation: The Magic of Ritual"

A Third-Century Baptismal Manual

A Protestant Adult Baptismal Manual

Methodist Baptismal Questions

Ruth's Baptism

The Last Supper: Christianity

Assignment 10

Friday: Ritual in Hinduism

Film: Puja, Altar of Fire

Week 14: Dec. 8, 10, 12: Ritual in Hinduism and Buddhism
Monday: Readings: Bhagavad Gita, 16-18
E-Res: Frits Staal, "The Meaninglessness of Ritual"
Upanishads, 67-78


Wednesday: Tibetan Sandpainting and the Rocket Festival
Reading: Strong, Experience of Buddhism, 219-223, 236-41
Assignment 11


Friday: Review

Puja in the home

from Smithsonian Institute Site on Puja