Philosophy 251 Office
– BR 25-A
World Religions Office
Phone – 215-751-8644
Prof. David
Prejsnar Office
Hours – By Appt.
Email – dprejsnar@ccp.edu
The
meaning of the term "religion" has varied among different peoples and
cultures, within different traditions and as interpreted by different
scholars. This course is an introduction
to some of the major world religions, and how these religions view the religious
life of man and the nature of human existence.
This course will explore the basic convictions, problems and texts found
in these religious traditions. It will
also study some of the key concepts and methodologies that are involved in the
study of religion.
In
class we will critically examine writings and practices from the Hindu,
Buddhist, Chinese, Judaic, Christian, and Islamic religious traditions. During the semester we will study each
tradition, and also consider how they have interacted with each other. We will consider how each tradition responds
to such questions as: What is the nature of the Ultimate? How can man know or respond to the
Ultimate? What is the nature of man? Is there a Self? What is the nature of Self? What is the cause of suffering? Is there existence after death?
Secondly,
in addition to the study of "religions", we will also consider
"Religion" - those common elements, if any, that exist in all
religious traditions. It is those common
elements that allow us to speak of the religious function of human existence. We will examine several general definitions
of religion, some basic methodologies for the study of religion, and different
theoretical constructs used to interpret religious data.
Of
course, no religious persuasion is expected or presumed on anyone's part. What is expected is a critical examination of
the problems raised, a willingness to raise questions and understand each
tradition on its own terms, and a continual openness to the re-evaluation of
ones own beliefs.
TEXTS: The following are
the required texts. You are expected to
buy each of these texts:
The
Portable World Bible; Robert O. Ballou (WB)
World
Religions 5th Edition, Warren Matthews (WR)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1) Forum Participation.
Participation each week in the on-line forum will be a major component of
the class. You
will be assigned primary and secondary sources to read each week. The readings
for each week are given below in the syllabus. Each week I will
post discussion questions based on the readings to the on-line forum. You should post at
least one response to the discussion topic each week. You should also read all the other comments
posted during the week and post at least one reply to another students posting
each week. Your postings should discuss the texts and raise questions and make
comments about the texts. Therefore,
doing the reading, participating in the on-line forum, and contributing to the
class discussion are crucial to the success of the class. The week is
considered to end at
2) Response
papers. Each student will be required to write a weekly short
(1-2 page) response essays. The schedule
of responses is given at the end of this syllabus. The response will be your critical analysis
of a short selection from the assigned primary texts. (You must read all the assigned texts for
that unit and you will be responsible for all the reading, even though your
written response will usually be on a selection from among the assigned
readings.) Your response should consist of two parts. First, you should objectively summarize the
main ideas of the text. What was the
historical and cultural background in which the text was written? What issues
does the text address? How does the text
try to resolve or understand these issues?
Second, you should give your own analysis of the selection. What questions and issues do the readings
raise in your mind? How do the views
reflected in the text relate to other readings from that tradition or to
readings from other traditions? What
does the text tell us about how this tradition sees such areas as the gods, the
afterlife, how one should live ones life, etc?
The responses should push you to develop ideas and insights you can work
into your exam essays (see below). These
responses are to be turned in each week, will be marked down a grade if turned
in the following week, and will not be accepted more than one week late. 15%.
3) Weekly
Quiz – There will be a weekly quiz to be taken on-line. 15%.
3) Examinations. There will be three
examinations, one each for the Introduction/Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern
sections. Each examination will consist
of three sections: definition of terms and short answer questions, a section
requiring an analysis of written texts, and an essay question(s). Missing an examination without an appropriate
verifiable excuse may result in your receiving a zero for that examination, and
will result at least in being dropped a grade.
Medical absences require a verifiable doctors note on official
stationary. Incompletes will only be
given in extraordinary circumstances and at the sole discretion of the
instructor. Cheating, including
plagiarism, will result in a grade of “zero” for the assignment and, at the
discretion of the instructor, an immediate grade of “F” for the entire
class. 20% each exam.
GRADING SCALE: 90
– 100% A
80
– 89% B
70
– 79% C
60
– 69% D
59
& below F
Some Additional Suggestions
For Achieving Success in This Class:
Time Commitment: Success in college
should be your first priority. You should expect to spend at least three
hours on course work outside of class for each hour of class time. Since Philosophy 251 is a three credit hour
course, you will need to spend at least nine hours a week on homework, or at
least twelve hours a week total for the class.
If you are a full-time student taking 12 credit hours, you should spend at
least 48 hours a week in-class and studying to be successful (this should
be the minimum.) If you do not have this
time available when you are alert you may need to cut back on other commitments
(work, family, etc) or take less classes to insure you are successful.
Learning Lab - Free tutoring and workshops
are available to all students in B1-28.
Counseling - For long-term academic and
career planning, transfer information and curriculum change, as well as
personal counseling, make an appointment or drop in at the
International Studies &
Liberal Arts Curriculum - I am the College Coordinator for International Education as well as
one of the Coordinators for the Liberal Arts Curriculum. (Philosophy 251 is an International Emphasis
course.) If you are interested in
finding out more about the College’s International Studies Curriculum Option,
about our range of international studies courses, or about our Study Abroad
Programs please stop by my office or talk to me after class. If you are in the Liberal Arts Curriculum and
have any questions I would be happy to help you. Advising and registration for fall is
currently on-going and I would be happy to talk to any students in the Liberal
Arts Curriculum about your course selection or academic plans. We are also beginning to design a new
curriculum option in Religious Studies.
Anyone interested in such an option is welcome to see me for more
information.
COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS:
Week One Introduction:
Interpreting Religious Expressions, Methodologies
WR 1-11
Week Two Hinduism:
Historical Background,
WB
17-37, WR 63-71
Week Three Hinduism:
The Upanishadic Reformation
WB
39-58, WR 71-87
Week Four Theravada
Buddhism: Background, Life of Buddha
“Questions
of King Milinda”, WB 95-114, WR 100-115
Week Five Theravada
Buddhism: Pali Buddhist Texts
Mahayana
Buddhism: The Transition to
WB
115-121, 142-143, WR 115-130
End Week 5 Examination
I: Introduction and Religions of
Week Six Introduction
to Chinese History and Religion
Overview
of Religion in Contemporary
WB
492-498, WR 166-183
Week Seven The
Confucianist Tradition: Confucius's Analects (cont.)
The
Legalist Tradition: Han Fei
WB
498-514, WR 183-189,
Week Eight The
Taoist Tradition: Dao De Ching (cont.)
WB 533-552, WR
170-179
End of Week 8 Examination II: The Religions
of
Week Nine Judaism:
Historical Background, The Bible, Early Jewish History, Covenants
WB
234-241, 246-250, 265-276, WR 231-241
Week Ten Judaism: The Prophetic Movement and Palestinian Judaism
WB
276-278, 283-287, 333-345, WR 241-250
Week Eleven Christianity:
Historical Background, Jesus in the Gospels
WB
346-358, 377-393, 419-428, WR 274-284
Week Twelve Christianity
and the Early Jesus Movement, Paul
WR
284-297, WB 419-434
Week Thirteen Islam: Muhammad, Background and Early History
WB 437-469, WR
321-332
Week Fourteen Islam: Quran, The Expansion of Islam, The
Modern World
WB 470-479, WR 332-346
Week Fifteen Examination
III – Judaism, Christianity and
Islam
SCHEDULE OF WEEKLY WRITTEN RESPONSES
Date Topic
Week 1 "Religion" WB 1-11
Formulate
a general definition of "Religion" as discussed on the course website.
2 Vedas WB
32-37
Choose two Vedic hymns
from these pages to interpret. What do
these hymns tell us about Vedic Religion?.
3 Upanishads WB 39-42
Write on what you see
as the central topic or question in these passages. How is Upanishadic religion different from
Vedic religion?
4 King Milinda Questions of King Milinda
What is the subject of
the debate and what position does each debater to take? How does each debater justify his position?
5 Mahayana Buddhism, WR 115-122
How do you see
Buddhism changing from the Theravada scriptures to its Mahayana form? How does it change in
6 Li Ki WB
492-495, SM
How do these passages
seem to interpret man's relation with nature, and with his fellow men? According to these passages, who is the good
ruler?
7 Analects WB 498-509, Han Fei Reading (SM)
Overall in these
selections, what would you say is Confucius's central goal, and how can men try
to achieve this goal? Does his path differ
from that of Han Fei?
8 Daoism WB
Dao De Ching & SM
What is the view of
the “Dao” in the Dao De Ching?
How does “Daoism” seem to develop in the other texts? What is the view of Laozi in the texts?
9 Formation of Hebrew Bible WB 234-241
How
many different creation stories do you see in these passages?
9 Covenants WB 234-241, 246-250
What is meant by a
"covenant"? What is the nature
of a covenant? Where do you see examples
of covenants here?
10 Pre-exile Prophets WB 333-345
What does a “prophet”
mean? What seems to be the message of
these prophets based on these readings??
11 Formation Gospels SM Beginnings of the Four Gospels
Compare the openings
of the Gospels and state what differences and similarities you see? How does one account for these differences
and similarities?
12 Sermon on the Mount WB 385-393, 419-422
What is Jesus' central
message in this 'sermon'? Who was his
audience? What do you think he means
when he says: "I have not come to destroy the Torah and the Prophets but to
fulfill them?" In this “sermon”
what is his approach to the Torah? How
might his audience and others in his society have interpreted these remarks? In what sense might he be destroying Torah
and in what sense fulfilling it?
13 Quran WB 437-469
Compare the readings
from the Quran to those from the Hebrew Bible.
What differences and what similarities do you see?
14 Islam & The State WB 437-469, 476-479, WR
332-346
How do the readings
from the Quran see the relationship between the state and religion? How does the selections of the Forty-Two
Traditions of An-Nawawi expand on this relation?