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THEORIES OF RELIGION W. David Hall, Ph.D. (upper level undergraduate/seminar)
COURSE OBJECTIVES What is religion? Is there such a thing as religion, or is
there simply a collection of social-cultural assumptions and practices
that we lump together under the term religious? Is there one
true religion, or is any religious perspective as good as the next? Can
we get along without religion, or is it intrinsic to our nature? Indeed,
might we be better off without religion?
REQUIRED TEXTS
EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS Attendance and Participation: My basic assumption is that we are mutually dedicated to the common cause of education conceived as the advancement of critical thinking. Because of this basic assumption, I also assume that you will be in attendance and on time to all class sessions, barring unforeseen circumstances. Attendance will be taken at every class, not as a disciplinary measure, but as a show of good faith to our common commitment. More than two unexcused absences during the semester will lower your final grade one letter; each additional absence will lower your grade another half step. Class Presentations: Each of you will be responsible for presenting course material at least once during the class. (Students may be required to present more than once, depending upon enrollment. I reserve the right to expand this requirement; points will be reassigned as demanded.) This is not a graded requirement, though it is expected that the student will take the requirement seriously and will present the material thoroughly. So long as you do the presentation(s) you will get the credit. Class presentations will be worth 40 points. Response Papers: You will write a 1-2 page response paper for each of the texts for the class. These papers will critically engage the particular author and his/her ideas. Response papers will be worth a possible 5 points each and will be turned in at the beginning of the class indicated on the syllabus. Examinations: You will be given two in class exams, one at mid-term and one during finals week. Examinations will be worth 100 points each. Research Project: Because part of the purpose of higher education is learning how to do independent research, the primary requirement for the course is a research project on a topic of the students choosing. This requirement is broadly defined; however, the project must somehow focus on the theorizing and study of religion, and it must be approved by me. You are free to be as creative (or uncreative) as you choose. The typical format for this project is a 10-12 page research paper, though students may (and are incouraged to) make the case for some alternative form of project. The research project will be worth 150 points total, broken down in the following manner: 10 assigned automatically for a thesis statement turned in at or before mid-term; 15 points assigned for an outline and bibliography submitted during eleventh week; 125 points for the finished project. GRADING A total of 500 points is possible for the class. The point breakdown is as follows: class participation = 50 points; class presentation = 40 points; response papers = 60 points (5 points each); examinations = 200 points (100 points each); research project = 150. The grading scale is as follows:
**A NOTE ABOUT GRADING: A grade is an assessment of your effort and your abilities; therefore, simply fulfilling the course requirements does not constitute A level work! Exceptional work will warrant an A; good work will win you a B; adequate work will get you a C; below adequate work gets you a D; a final grade of U means that your work has been unsatisfactory. (A word of warning: I am a difficult, but fair grader, and I am always willing to discuss a grade with a student.)
ACADEMIC HONESTY With regard to academic honesty, the Centre College Student Handbook states:
The Academic Honesty policy will be strictly upheld.
Studying religion.
I. THE HISTORY OF RELIGION Myth and History: The Sacred and the Profane.
Mythmakers and Mapmakers: Typology and Topology.
Historians and Mythmakers: Religion and/or Ideology.
II. SOCIOLOGY Charisma and Society: Religion and Social Power.
The Social Organism: Religion and Social Order.
Society and Reality: Religion and Community.
III. PSYCHOLOGY Killing Our Fathers: Religion and Illusion.
Finding Ourselves: Religion and Enlightenment.
Finding Our Others: Religion and Difference.
IV. PHILOSOPHY The Sacrifice of Logic: Religion, Slavery, and Consumption.
The Logic of Sacrifice: Religion and Violence.
The Logic of Belief: Religion and Language.
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