Rel 1103-02 Introduction to Religion
Mississippi State University
Department of Philosophy and Religion
MWF 9:00 – 9:50
Allen Classroom 31
Instructor: Florian Pohl
Office telephone: 325-2382
Email: [email protected]
Office location: 29-30 President’s Circle (blue house). Mailboxes are on the first floor.
Office hours: Wednesdays 100:00 – 11:30am or by appointment
Course Description and Objectives
This course serves as an introduction to the general subject and study of religion. You will be introduced to the variety of religious beliefs, expressions and practices in world religions with a special focus upon the comparative study of religion, its methods and frameworks. We will examine the forms of religious experience, symbolism, myth, ritual, sacred scripture and perceptions of the sacred and ultimate reality, as well as the social aspects of religion. It is through these categories that the field of religion is largely defined. In addition, you will reflect upon and critically analyze the categories and methodologies of the field for validity and value. Religion is a discipline of varied, diverse, changing data, and as a scholar of religion you must continually evaluate the tools you use in its study. The use of qualitative/ethnographic methods for the study of religion will thus occupy a central role over the course of the semester.
Required Readings
(1) Course textbook: James C. Livingston. Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion, Fifth Edition. Available in the bookstore.
(2) Supplemental text: John L. Esposito. Unholy War: Terrorism in the Name of Islam, Paperback Edition. Available in the bookstore.
(3) Additional readings will be made for photocopying or downloading from WebCT.
Grading
You do not need to major in religion to take this class. However, I do expect you to work hard, and to contribute to class discussions. If you are not comfortable with the expectations for reading and writing in this class, you should consider dropping the course. While I will lecture for part of the class almost every day, it will be conducted much more on a seminar model of examining your reactions to the reading material. The readings are engaging and heavy. If you have not done the readings, it will simply be impossible for you to participate in the discussion. While we will suffer from that, the main damage will be done to your own learning and your participation grade. This equally applies to the amount of writing expected of you.
90 < A < 100
80 < B < 89
70 < C < 79
60 < D < 69
0 < F < 59
The Final Grade will be calculated as follows:
(1) Attendance and Participation 100 points
(2) journal entries (8 out of 12) and evaluation 100 points
(3) Pop Quizzes (best 4) 100 points
(4) Book Review 150 points
(5) Group Project and Final Report 250 points
(6) Exams (2 out of 3) 300 points
Total 1000 points
(1) Attendance and Class Participation (100 points)
Attendance is required as it forms a PREREQUISITE for all of your work in class. If you have a valid excuse for missing a class session, please bring the excuse to me for evaluation. With a valid excuse you are allowed to be absent from a total of three (3) class sessions. With every additional absence your FINAL GRADE for this class will go down 5%. Class participation is part of the learning process. As it is also part of the final grade there will be ample opportunity for it over the course of the semester. Apart from my lectures you will be involved in activities such as class discussion, group work with subsequent presentations, and in-class writing. Reading assignments for each week are due at the beginning of each week unless noted otherwise. I expect you to keep up with all readings and assignments and to get the notes for missed class sessions from your peers. I encourage you to ask questions and suggest topics for discussion in class. I will call on you often and ask about the content of assigned readings.
Part of your participation grade consists of a brief oral presentation in class. Most meetings will start with one of you presenting on the previous class session. Your presentation must include a brief summary of the main points discussed in the previous class as well as an outlook on unresolved issues and open questions which need further address. I am particularly interested in your ability to connect the topic of your presentation with previous class discussions and/or with future issues for discussion in or outside the classroom. Be concise as you only have five minutes of talking time. A list with available dates for presentations will be made available during the first meetings. It is possible to pair up for this assignment. If you decide to do so I expect you to make available a hand out in addition to your presentation.
Almost every week I will also ask you to compose additional pieces of writing. These will include homework assignments on the material covered during the week (usually 250-300 words long), in-class writings and written reviews of your classmates’ assignments (peer reviews). In all of your writings you will be asked to synthesize your own reflections, the readings, and class discussions. In these as much as in your other writings I will increasingly look for (a) use of academic language/concepts relevant to the discussion of the respective subject; (b) degree of engagement with the text/ideas/concepts; (c) style/coherence of your argument.
NOTE: I accept assignments only when handed in as hard copy on the day they are due; no late papers will be accepted.
(2) Weekly Journal Entries [WJE] (8 out of 12) and Evaluation (100 points total)
For this class you will write weekly journal entries [WJE] in which you respond to the readings for the respective week. You must turn in eight (8) different journal entries over the course of the semester. There are twelve (12) opportunities for you to turn in an entry. Each entry is worth a maximum of one (1) point. Your journal entries are due in class along with the reading assignments from the textbook for the respective day. I will NOT accept any late papers. The entries have to be 300 words longs (+/- 10%) and typed (roughly 1 page, 12pt TNR, double space). They should contain a reflection on one or two ideas, issues, questions, or problems that came up for you in the readings assigned for that week. The journal entries are informal in the sense that they are exploratory. You do not have to arrive at some finished view or conclusion. However, they must be thoughtful. I especially look for the ability to connect your response to the readings with what is going on in class discussion and/or to what you read or encounter through other sources outside the classroom.
The journal entries are designed to keep you engaged with the material, to help you practice writing, to develop some ideas informally, and to have a log of your thoughts at this state in your academic development. This assignment thus gives you a chance to monitor your own thoughts and attitudes towards the issues encountered in class. The contents of the journal entries will be private, and there will be no penalty for “controversial” opinions. You are free to explore a variety of writing styles and voices. I am interested in your reactions to the subject matter and not in your ability to adopt another’s view.
FINAL NOTE: Every time you decide to turn in one of your journal entries you have to turn it in along with your previously written entries. It is therefore advisable that you keep your journal entries together in a separate folder. At the end of the semester I will ask you to write a brief final evaluation (300 words +/- 10%, typed, 12pt TNR, double space) in which you assess the development of your ideas as you go through your collected journal entries. The evaluation is worth a maximum of two (2) points. DUE DATE: You must turn in the folder along with your final evaluation in person. Do not leave it in my mailbox! The latest date for you to hand in your journal is Monday, December 6, 2004.
(3) Pop Quizzes, best 4 (100 points)
Pop quizzes will occur frequently to encourage diligence in reading. The pop quizzes will cover the material in the reading assignments. They will primarily consist of multiple-choice, matching, and short answer questions but may also include short essay questions. In preparation you may find it helpful to make use of our textbook’s study questions at the end of each chapter. There will be NO make-up quizzes if you missed class. I will count your best four pop-quizzes towards your grade in this section. Consequently, each individual pop-quiz is worth a maximum of 25 points.
(4) Book Review (150 points)
The assignment is to read and critically review the supplementary text for our course, John L. Esposito. Unholy War: Terrorism in the Name of Islam, Paperback Edition (available in the bookstore).
You are required to read and review the book in its entirety.
Length: 1,000 words +/- 10% (roughly 3 typed double-spaced pages, 12pt TNR)
Due Date: Monday, November 8.
You must submit the book review during class. Late papers will NOT be accepted.
I will make available a separate handout with guidelines for the book review later in the semester.
(5) Group Project: Religious Belief and Practice in Society (250 points)
This group project will accompany you throughout the semester and will help you to develop your research skills. It requires you to form groups and conduct qualitative/ethnographic research over the entire semester. The project addresses the questions underlying this course: What is religion? What does it mean to be religious? What do people believe and practice who say that they are religious? Taking seriously that religion is a living reality we have to accept the limitations of textbooks. A textbook will tell us much about religion. What it may not be able to fully convey, however, are the varieties of meaning given to this concept called “religion” by those who practice and experience religion from within. This insider perspective is crucial to a fuller understanding of religion as it balances the equally important perspective of our more conceptually oriented textbook.
The research activities will include: developing a research design together with an interview outline, conducting actual interviews, recording your data, sharing and comparing the data among the group members, presenting your preliminary findings to the class and writing up individual research reports in which you analyze your findings. We will have a chance throughout the semester to talk about this assignment at the various stages within your research process. I will also make a handout with additional guidelines available later in the semester as well as further readings which can guide you in your work.
Timeline
Form Research Teams: four students per group
- Inform me about group membership.
- Deadline: Monday, August 30
Develop Research Design: What exactly do you want to find out and how?
- Formulate a one-page paper about your research design.
- Deadline: Monday, September 13
Develop Interview Guide: What are your fields of questions for the interviews?
- Design the actual interview guide (read additional text on Depth Interviewing).
- Meet with me as a group to discuss research design and interview outline (appointments available throughout Wk 6: Sep 20-24 and Wk 7: Sep 27-Oct 1).
Conduct Field Research: Go out into the field!
- Conduct your interviews.
- Write up field notes to make the important information available (e.g., interview transcript).
Share and Analyze Data
- Share your data in the group and evaluate the information.
- Prepare your class presentation of preliminary findings (sing up for November 12/15/17).
- Turn in the field notes/transcripts of all group members together with one-page summary (300 words) of your preliminary findings as a group.
Write Individual Research Report
- Length: 1,000 words +/- 10% (roughly three typed pages, double space, 12pt TNR).
- Deadline: Monday, November 29
Grading: Your work for this research project is worth twenty-five percent (250 points) of your course grade. Ten percent (100 points) will be based on the group work including research design, interview guide, gathered data and class presentation. The remaining fifteen percent (150 points) are constituted by the individual research report. The division reflects the nature of the group project. Each member’s final product depends significantly on the work and support of the group as a whole. Without a well-developed research question, a consistent interview outline and easily accessible and comparable data it will be impossible to write a solid research report as you have to draw on all of the aforementioned for this.
(6) Two Exams (300 points)
Over the course of the semester I offer three examinations. I will count your best two exams towards your grade in this section. Each exam is worth a maximum of 150 points. Thus, you are required to take a minimum of two (2) examinations. I will leave it to you to decide if you want to take all of the exams or whether you will only participate in two of them. As a consequence of the number of examinations, however, there will be no make-up exams! The first two exams will only treat the topics covered between examinations. The third exam, however, will be cumulative.
Extra Credit Option:
Throughout the semester I will announce events that stand in relation to our class (such as TV programs, lecture series on campus, community events); write up a report in which you evaluate those elements that relate to our class. – You may also find similar events yourself. If you want to do an extra credit on them, however, you must clear the topic with me first.
General Remarks
• Classes must be attended on time.
• Assignments must be finished on time. I will NOT accept any late assignments. I also do NOT accept papers sent to me by email. You must bring a hard copy of each assignment to class.
• The class will be conducted with an open attitude in regard to questions and comments. No personal remarks toward another person with the intent to degrade or judge will be tolerated.
• Pagers and cell phones must be turned off prior to entering the class.
• Students with disabilities should see me prior to the first exam in order to develop appropriate protocols that will facilitate a stronger learning experience.
• Finally: All students deserve an atmosphere of fairness, honesty and maturity. Violations of academic honesty standards will be met with severe penalties in accordance with Mississippi State University’s Faculty Responsibilities and Academic Operating Policies, section AA: Academic Honesty (AOP 12.07) and the Academic Honor Code. For any violation of academic honesty standards you will fail the class at first offense in addition to the disciplinary measures applied by the university.
Aug 18, 20 (F) Textbook: Livingston Ch.1
Week 2 How Is It Studied? AND The Sacred and the Holy
Aug 23, 25, 27 (M) Textbook: Livingston Ch.1 (cont.)
(W) Additional Reading: An Introduction to Qualitative Methods [hard copy available]
(F) Textbook: Livingston Ch.2 [WJE#1]
Aug 30, Sep 1, 3 Textbook: Livingston Ch.3 [WJE#2]
Groups for research project must have formed by Aug 30.
Sep 6, 8, 10 Textbook: Livingston Ch.4 [WJE#3]
Sep 13, 15, 17 Textbook: Livingston Ch. 5 [WJE#4]
Group Project: Turn in one-page paper about research design (Sep 13)
- No class Friday 17: Study day for Exam 1 (Monday, September 20) -
Sep 20, 22, 24 (M) EXAM 1 (Mon Sep 20)
(W) Textbook: Livingston Ch.7 [WJE#5]
Group Project: Discuss research design and interview outline with me (appointments throughout this and next week possible).
Sep 27, 28, Oct 1 Textbook: Livingston Ch.8 [WJE#6]
Group Project: Discuss research design and interview outline with me (appointments throughout this week possible).
Oct 4, 6, 8 (M) Textbook: Livingston Ch.10 [WJE#7]
(W) Media: Survivors of the Holocaust. We will meet in the Library Auditorium on Wed Oct 6.
(M) Textbook: Livingston Ch.11 [WJE#8]
(F) Textbook: Livingston Ch.12 (301-325) [WJE#9]
-- October 18, 2004 and October 19, 2004: MSU Holidays --
Oct 25, 27, 29 (M) Textbook: Livingston Ch.13 [WJE#11]
(F) Supplementary Text: First readings in Esposito
Nov, 1, 3, 5 Supplementary Text: Esposito [WJE#12]
Nov 8, 10, 12 BOOK REVIEW (due Mon Nov 8)
Interview Project: Group Presentations I (Fri Nov 12)
Nov 15, 17, 19 Interview Project: Group Presentations II and III (M/W Nov 15/17)
EXAM 3 (Fri Nov19)
-- November 23 to November 28: MSU Thanksgiving Recess --
-- NO CLASS Monday, November 22 --
Nov 29, Dec 1, 3 Review, Feedback, Final Evaluations
Research Report (due Monday, November 29)
Turn in your Journal Evaluation (due Monday, December 6)