INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS -- PHIL 1304

(Revised August 2009)

 

Instructor:  Frank Bellizzi

Class Meets:  Monday/Wednesday 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Location:  Amarillo Bible Chair, 2501 S. Jackson

Phone:  372-5747

Semester Credit Hours:  3                                                                                                               

Prerequisite:  None

E-mail:   biblechair@amaonline.com

Website:  www.amarillobiblechair.homestead.com

Office Hours:  By Appointment

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF COURSE

 

History, doctrine, literature, and practices of major world religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. (3 sem hrs; 3 hrs lecture)

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

 

Regular and prompt attendance is vital for satisfactory achievement.  It is the responsibility of the student to attend class, on time. Absences totaling more than four class sessions will result in the loss of points toward the final grade.  Arriving late or leaving early twice will count as one absence.

 

REQUIRED EXAMINATIONS

 

There will be four (4) exams, including the final, throughout the course of the semester.  The student is expected to take exams on the date scheduled in the course outline. The fourth and final exam will be comprehensive.  However, the largest number of questions on the final will cover Islam, the last major unit of study.

 

TEXTBOOK  World Religions, 6th Edition, ISBN: 0-495-60385-6, by Matthews, Warren. 

 

 

PURPOSE AND GOALS FOR COURSE

 

By the end of the semester, the student will demonstrate his/her knowledge and understanding of the course material by obtaining a minimum of 70% competency level for the stated  performance/learning outcomes.  This course will introduce and analyze several of the various major “living” religions of the world.

 

DISABILITY STATEMENT

 

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact Accessibility Services (SSC 125, Phone: 371-5436) as soon as possible.

 

PERFORMANCE / LEARNING OUTCOMES (minimum competencies)

 

After studying the material presented in this course of study, the student will be able to do the following as evaluated by the faculty in the department/program.

             

           1.          Describe the origins of each of the major world religions studied.

           2.          Describe the social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the founders and earliest adherents of each of those major religions.

           3.          Trace the doctrinal and literary evolution of each of those religions.

           4.          Describe the influence that each of the religions studied has had on the world at large.

           5.          Describe the influence that each of these religions is having on culture in the United States.

           6.          Explain and defend one’s own concept of “true religion.”

           7.          Demonstrate the ability to use basic research tools available in the field of   religion, and draw reasonable conclusions on the basis of investigation.

 

COURSE GRADE BREAKDOWN                             GRADING SCALE

 

Exam 1                                    15%                                         90-100             A

Exam 2                                    15%                                         80-89               B

Exam 3                                    15%                                         70-79               C        

Final Exam                              20%                                         60-69               D   

Supplemental Reading             10%                                         0-59                 F

Class participation                  15%                                                                

Notebook                                 10%

 

COURSE OUTLINE AND CALENDAR

Aug. 24            Introductions, Syllabus, Students fill out information sheets

Aug. 26            Getting Started, Working Definitions, etc.

Aug. 31            Exploring Native American Religion, 1

Sept. 2             Exploring Native American Religion, 2

Sept. 7             Labor Day Holiday – Amarillo College closed

Sept. 9             First Exam        

Sept. 14           Hinduism: Historical Origins

Sept. 16           Hinduism: Outlook and Practices

Sept. 21           Hinduism: Sacred Literature

Sept. 23           Hinduism in the United States

Sept. 28           The Life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha

Sept. 30           Buddhist Practices and History

Oct. 5              Buddhism in the United States

Oct. 7              Second Exam

Oct. 12            Judaism: Historical Origins (bring your Bible)

Oct. 14            From the Biblical Period to the Rise of Rabbinic Judaism (bring your Bible)           

Oct. 19            Modern Judaism, the Holocaust, and Establishment of the State of Israel

Oct. 21            Judaism in the United States

Oct. 26            The Life of Jesus of Nazareth (bring your Bible)

Oct. 28            Christianity in the First Century (bring your Bible)

Nov. 2             The Patristic and Medieval Periods

Nov. 4             The Protestant Reformation to the Modern Age

Nov. 9             Christianity in the United States: History and Current Trends

Nov. 11           Third Exam

Nov. 16           The Life of Muhammad

Nov. 18           The Five Pillars and the Rise of Islam  

Nov. 23           Aspects of Muslim History                          Reading Report Due

Nov. 25           Exploring the Qur’an

Nov. 30           Islam in the United States: History and Current Trends since Sept. 11, 2001

Dec 2               Course Wrap-Up and Review for Final Exam

Dec 7               Final Exam, 1:30—3:30 p.m.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1.   Regular attendance and participation (see “Attendance Policy” on p. 1 of this syllabus)

 

2.   The successful completion of four examinations.   The final exam will be comprehensive.  See the course outline for the schedule of exams.

 

3.   Supplemental reading:  Students must read at least 100 pages from a book in the course bibliography and submit a one-page, single-spaced, type-written interaction paper.  The paper should begin with publication facts, including the name of the author (where applicable), title, place and date of publication, and pages read.

 

4.  Students must prepare a 3-ring notebook which will account for 10% of their final grade.  (A notebook with a 2” spine should be large enough).  Notebooks will be turned in to the instructor and graded during the Final Exam.  The course syllabus, all class hand-outs, student notes, reading reports, etc. should be kept, in order, in the notebook.  Its purpose is to organize and preserve for future use the printed materials used during this course.

 

 

RESOURCES FOR SUPPLEMENTAL READING:

 

Introductions, Hinduism, Buddhism

 

Bhagavad Gita, The.    Hindu Scripture

Corless, R.                  The Vision of Buddhism.

Dalai Lama, The.         How To Practice: The Way To A Meaningful Life.

Eck, D.                        A New Religious America.

Gard, Richard A.         Buddhism.

Klostermaier, K.         A Survey of Hinduism.

Knipe, David M.         Hinduism.

Knott, K.                      Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction.

Latourette, K. S.          Introducing Buddhism.

Lester, Robert C.         Buddhism. (Religious Traditions of the World)

Politella, J.                  Hinduism

Prabhavanada & Manchester.  The Spiritual Heritage of India.

Renou, Louis.              Hinduism.

Rig Veda, The.            Hindu Scripture

Pitt, Malcolm.             Introducing Hinduism.

Upanishads                  Hindu Scripture.  (Oxford World’s Classics edition)

 

 

Judaism, Christianity

 

Mishnah, The.              Legal section of the Talmud

Anderson, J. N. D.       Christianity and Comparative Religion.

Fishbane, Michael A. Judaism

Hertzberg, Arthur.       Judaism.

Latourette, K. S.          A History of Christianity.

Lewis, C. S.                 Mere Christianity

Neusner, J.                  Fortress Introduction To American Judaism.

_________.                 The Talmud: A Close Encounter.

Sandmel, S.                 Judaism and Christian Beginnings.

Urban, Linwood.         A Short History of Christian Thought.

Wright, N. T.              Simply Christian

Wuthnow, Robert.       Christianity in the 21st Century.

 

 

Islam

 

Qur’an, The.                Muslim Scripture (also known as The Koran)

Ahmed, Akbar S.         Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization.

Armstrong, Karen.       Muhammad.

Barrett, Paul M.           American Islam.

Bergen, Peter L.          The Osama bin Laden I Know.

Grieve, Paul.               A Brief Guide to Islam.

Hassaballa, Hesham.   The Beliefnet Guide to Islam

Kepel, Gilles.              Allah in the West.

Margulies, Phillip.      The Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism.

Nomani, Asra.             Standing Alone: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam.

Schimmel, A.               Islam: An Introduction.

Tate, Sonsyrea.            Little X: Growing Up in the Nation of Islam.

Waines, D.                  An Introduction to Islam.

Williams, John A.       Islam.