REL 2300H
Honors World
Religions
Fall 2009
|
Instructor: |
Harry S. Coverston,
Ph.D., J.D. |
Contact: |
Webcourses Coursemail checked 10 p.m. Su-R |
|
Office: |
227 Psychology Bldg. |
Hours: |
MWF 1:30- 2:20 p.m. T 3:30-5:30 p.m. |
|
Phone: |
(407) 823-2904 |
Class Meeting: |
MWF, 12:30 – 1:20 p.m. BHC 0126 |
Description: This
is a survey course designed to explore the basic features and historical
background of Confucianism, Taoism as well as the various traditions of
Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This is NOT
a Gordon Rule but students will be
required to express their thought in writing regularly.
Texts: Mary
Pat Fisher, Living Religions, 7th ed., (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2009)
Philip
Novak, The World's Wisdom, Sacred Texts
of the World's Religions, (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994)
Course Objectives:
1. To
gain knowledge of basic functional and structural elements of religions and to
use the same to analyze world religious traditions.
2. To
develop analytical and critical perspectives and skills regarding world
religions and possible responses to the same.
3. To
gain observational knowledge of religious traditions other than those the
student brings to the class.
4. To
gain familiarity with non-institutional religious practices among non-western
peoples
5. To discern basic differences between Eastern
and Western religious worldviews
6. To
become knowledgeable regarding Eastern religious traditions
7. To become
knowledgeable regarding Western religious traditions
8. To
gain a sense of how religious practice may be developing in the 21st
Century.
9. To
critically reflect upon one's own thoughts, feelings and beliefs regarding
religion.
|
REQUIRED
READING…. The preliminary quiz is based in part on the following:
·
Frequently Asked Questions -
Friday, October
16, 5 p.m. |
Course Grading
1. ENGAGEMENT
This class requires
active engagement of all students.
Class Activities - Students
will earn participation points in a number of ways including
·
group presentations
·
discussion starter questions
·
film reviews
·
guest speaker reviews
Total Class
Activities = 175 points
Attendance – Students always
have the right to decide whether or not to attend class. However, this course
awards attendance at the rate of 2 points per class attended beginning the day
after drop deadline, exams excluded. Up to two absences may be recorded without
loss of points.
Total
Attendance = 75 points
TOTAL = 250/750 total points (1/3 of
grade)
2. WRITING
Unit Paper:
One unit paper will require two
observations and analysis of some form of religious worship activity. A
format will be provided.
Proposals
2 @ 10 =
20 points
Observation/Analysis
Content 2 @ 50 = 100 points total
Writing 2 @ 20 =
40 points
Discussion 2 @ 20 = 40 points
TOTAL =
200 points (27% final grade)
3. EXAMINATIONS
EXAMINATIONS - 3 @ 100 points = 300 points
total
Three announced
Unit Exams will be given covering about 1/3 of the material each.
The exams will
consist of two parts:
·
In-class
exams will be closed book and note objective
questions (Matching, T/F, Identification).
50 pts.
·
Take
home exams will be open book and note featuring short
essay questions applying class ideas. 50
pts.
Each
exam TOTAL @ 100 points
TOTAL = Three exams @100 pts. = 300 total (40% grade)
EXTRA
CREDIT
Extra Credit - Students are
encouraged to suggest extra credit possibilities available to all students. Extra credit may only be earned by submitting
a written report of the event observed. If Extra Credit is offered, a format
will be provided.
GRADING
SCALE
|
93
- 100 = A |
88-89
= B+ |
78-79
= C+ |
68-69
= D+ |
Below
60 = F |
|
90-92
= A- |
83-87
= B |
73-77
= C |
63-67
= D |
|
|
|
80-82
= B- |
70-72
= C- |
60-62
= D- |
|
for an explanation of what these grades mean, see So,
what does my grade mean?
FINAL
GRADES (Out of 700
possible points total)
|
698
- 750 = A |
660
- 674 = B+ |
585
- 599 = C+ |
510
- 524 = D+ |
Below 450 = F |
|
675
- 697 = A- |
623
- 659 = B |
548
- 584 = C |
473
- 509 = D |
|
|
|
600
- 622 = B- |
525
- 547 = C- |
450
- 472 = D- |
|
All borderline cases
will be decided upon participation and attendance grades at discretion of
instructor.
Final Comments: If something arises
unexpectedly that will affect your attendance and/or performance in this class,
please contact the instructor. While your instructor is a fairly understanding
man, he's a lousy mind reader. To be human means to face unexpected problems,
illness and the death of loved ones. That includes all of us and we can
generally work through such problems together. The worst thing you can do in
such situations is simply disappear.
·
Any departure from this syllabus is in
the discretion of the instructor.
·
Any class-wide changes in syllabus
requirements or scheduling will occur with notice to students.