Department of Religion
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Prof. Mary Suydam Fall 2003 |
Merriam Webster Online Dictionary |
| The Bible Unbound | |
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Class: MWF 12:10 - 1 PM |
LBIS Consort: Course Reserves and E-RES |
| Roman Arch of Titus (81 C.E.) | |
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Phone PBX 5067 |
America the Beautiful lyrics |
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Go Down Moses |
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Office: Ascension 309 |
Exodus clip |
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What is Puja? Smithsonian Guide |
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Office Hours: T- W - TH 10 - 12 |
Buddhist pilgrimage: the Bodhi Tree |
| Mt. Kailasa, Tibet | |
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Email: suydam@kenyon.edu |
Dalai Lama's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, 10 December 1989 |
| Dalai Lama: Words of Truth Poem |
Selected handouts:
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.
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Week 2: Sept. 8, 10, 12: The SACRED : Judaism
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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 |
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Decorated Torah Mantles |
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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 |
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UNIT THREE: MORALITY: INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY
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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 |
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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
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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 |
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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 |
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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
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 |
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| A Protestant Adult Baptismal Manual Methodist Baptismal Questions Ruth's Baptism |
The Last Supper: Christianity |
Friday: Ritual in Hinduism
Film: Puja, Altar of Fire
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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 |
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Puja in the home from Smithsonian Institute Site on Puja |
