PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT. IT INFORMS YOU OF MOST OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS CLASS. IF YOU DO NOT READ IT AND REFER TO IT, YOU MAY MISS SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT RIVERSIDE

RELIGIOUS STUDIES 7
SPRING 1998

INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN RELIGIONS
STATS B650 – Tu/Th 12:40-2:00

Professor Betsy J. Bauman-Martin Office Hours: Tu/Th 8:00-9:30; 11:00-11:30

Humanities 1612; (909) 787-4511 email: bjbmartin@earthlink.net

This course provides an overview of the three formative religions of the West: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will cover the history, literature, thought and experience of believers in each tradition. We will approach them in chronological order, with Judaism first and Islam last. Their sacred texts -- the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Qu’ran -- will all be presented as human productions, grounded in history and culture.

I. REQUIRED TEXTS:

Fieser and Powers, Scriptures of the West (McGraw Hill)

Michael Fishbane, Judaism: Revelation and Traditions (HarperCollins)

Sandra Frankiel, Christianity: A Way of Salvation (HarperCollins)

Frederick Denny, Islam and the Muslim Community (HarperCollins)


II. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:

Midterm Exam -- 20%

Book Review -- 20%

Visitation Projects -- 30%

Final Exam -- 30%

1. The midterm and final exams will be a combination of short answer, identification, multiple choice and essay.

2. For the book review, you must review one book of 200 or more pages that deals with Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. I will provide a list of appropriate books early in the quarter, and a list of requirements for your review. If you would like to review a book that is not on my list, please see me about it first. Please choose a book dealing with the religion with which you are least familiar. Books that cover more than one religion are also appropriate. Due Tues. of week 7.

3. For the religious service project, you must attend the services of two religions which are not your own, or with which you are least familiar. I will provide a more detailed handout early in the quarter. Due Tues. of weeks 3 and 10.

I use a traditional grading scale for all papers, exams, and the final grade: 93-100=A; 90-92=A-; 88-89=B+; 83-87=B; 80-82=B-, etc.

All papers are due on the due date; any papers turned in late will be penalized except in extraordinary circumstances which must be documented.

All grades can be discussed with me, but only up until one week after the grade has been given.

 

  1. SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND READING ASSIGNMENTS:

(Please note that all readings are due that week. We will spend time discussing them in class. If you haven’t read them, class time will not be as productive.)

Wk 1

Tu: Overview of Course Requirements; What is Religion?; Important Concepts for this Course; Ancient Mesopotamian Religion.
Readings: Fishbane - Preface, Chronology and Introduction (pp. 1-24)
"Scriptures" - pp. 27-36

Th: The Children of Abraham; Film – "Jerusalem: the Heavenly City."

Wk 2

Tu: The Hebrew Bible -- Patriarchs and Judges
Readings: Fishbane - Judaism as an Ideological System (pp. 25-82)
"Scriptures" - pp 36-69

Th: The Hebrew Bible -- Kings to Exile

Wk 3

Tu: Greeks and Romans, Varieties of Judaism, and the Rise of Rabbinic Judaism
Readings: Fishbane - Judaism as a Ritual System (pp. 83-113)
"Scriptures" - pp. 69-86
Visitation Project One Due

Th: Judaism and Christianity; Medieval Judaism

Wk 4

Tu: Early Modern Judaism, the Holocaust, Modern Judaism and Current Challenges Readings: Fishbane - Jews and Judaism in Modern Times (pp. 114-140); Frankiel - Introduction (pp. 1-5); "Scriptures" - pp. 87-95

Th: The Roots of Christianity

Wk 5

Tu: Jesus in the Gospels
Readings: Frankiel - Historical Development of Christianity (pp. 6-56)
"Scriptures" - pp. 95-118

Th: Midterm

Wk 6

Tu: The Self-Definition of Christianity -- Paul and alternative Christianities
Readings: Frankiel - Structures of the Christian Life (pp. 57-89)
"Scriptures" - pp. 118-146

Th: Medieval Christianity

Wk 7

Tu: The Reformation
Readings: Frankiel - Dynamics of Christian Life and Conclusions (pp. 90-126)
Book Review Due

Th: Modern Christianity and Current Challenges

Wk 8

Tu: Mohammed and Early Islam
Readings: Denny - Chronolgy, Introduction and Historical Development of Islam (pp. 3-39)
"Scriptures" - pp. 147-173

Th: The Qu’ran and the Hadiths

Wk 9

Tu: Pillars of Islam
Readings: Denny - The Structures of Muslim Life (pp. 40-76)
"Scriptures" - pp. 173-197

Th: Sufism and Shi’ism

Wk 10

Tu: Modern Islam and Current Challenges
Readings: Denny - Muslim Institutions and Islam in Today’s World (pp. 77-129)

Visitation Project Two Due

Th: Exam Review

Final Exam – Tuesday, June 16, 8:00-11:00 a.m.