PHIL 322 - RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS IN OUR GLOBAL SOCIETY - Spring 2018
Prof. Konrad A. Czynski - Philosophy Dept. - Maclean 279P - 218-477-4666 web.mnstate.edu/czynski
Class-meetings: Tuesdays & Thursdays at 10:30-11:45 and 1:30-2:45 in Bridges 357
Office Hours: M&W 12:00-2:00 T&Th 3:00-5:00 Fri 12:00-2:00 & by appointment
Course Description: PHIL 322 is an examination of how religious traditions, among which are such World Religions as Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, 1) interact with each other in our contemporary pluricultural world, and 2) diversely guide and inspire their practitioners/followers in our 21st-century Global Society, which is mirrored in the USA.
PHIL 322 is a LASC 8 course - Global Perspective. The Goals, or Student Learning Outcomes, are 1) to encourage students' understanding and appreciation of the world's nations and peoples;
2) to broaden their understanding of the interconnectedness of the economic, social, political, cultural, artistic, and environmental systems at the global, regional, and local levels;
3) to preclude/overcome fear/misapprehension/misunderstanding ("fear of the unfamiliar") due to lack of knowledge; and
4) to enhance/improve students' ability to live meaningfully and work fruitfully in our globalized world. Thus, students will be guided to acquire/develop these competencies so as to fulfill LASC Goals.
GOAL 8 - GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: To increase students' understanding, from a comparative viewpoint, of the interdependence of nations/societies and their cross/inter-cultural exchanges via religious, social, political, economic experiences so as to be able 1) to appreciate political/cultural/religious influences on nations/societies in their historical & current aspects; 2) to acquire knowledge of cultural/religious/social differences; 3) to understand global/international problems, illustrating cultural/economic/political differences that impact solutions; 4) to acknowledge being a "world citizen" and the responsibility shared for a common global/international future.
DISABILITY ACCESS STATEMENT: Students with disabilities should contact Mr. Greg Toutges, coordinator of Disability Services (Flora Frick 154C - x4318), to make timely arrangements for exam-taking suitable to their needs. I shall happily implement any accommodation necessary, so just speak to me about your needs. MSUM is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students. The Disability Resource Center DRC in Flora Frick154 is the campus office collaborating with students with disabilities to provide/arrange for reasonable accommodations. If you have, or think you have, a disability (mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory or physical), please contact the DRC at 218-477-4318 (V) or 800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY) to schedule an appointment for an intake. If you are registered with the DRC and have a current Accommodation Letter, please schedule an appointment with me, your Prof, to arrange implementation of your accommodation/s. Additional information is available on the DRC website http://www.mnstate.edu/disability/
Required pbk: WORLD RELIGIONS IN AMERICA (4th edition/2009), edited by Prof. Jacob Neusner - WRA
REQUIREMENTS: 1) Diligent reading of our book according to the weekly schedule of specified pages on Tuesdays & on Thursdays.
2) 3 EXAMS @ 100 points-potential, including a non-cumulative Final Exam - the 2 preceding Exams are given on the same dates for both class-sections - see SCHEDULE below. The Final Exam will be 1) on Tuesday, May 8th, @ 11:30-1:30 for the 1:30-class, and 2) on Wednesday, May 9th @ 11:30-1:30 for the 10:30 class. For ALL 3 exams I will prepare selected Review-Pages from WRA and possibly also from any guest-presentations + any documentaries that we will go over in class during our Retrospective/Review-Sessions before each exam. The RevPp will be on my WebPage (as above) & also handed out as photocopies.
3) 1 Typed ESSAY: a 3-page (minimum - a solid 2 1/2 pp.) Reader's - or Viewer's - Reflection-Response Essay R/VRRE @ 100 pts. to be handed in on specific dates. See the Essay Guidelines below. The RRRE will be based upon YOUR CHOICE of ANY chapter in our book WRA. The VRRE will be based upon viewing (on your own in addition to what we view in class) one episode/segment of Bruce Feiler's docu-film SACRED JOURNEYS (2014) - a copy will be available ON RESERVE in the library. See also www.pbs.org/wgbh/sacredjourneys/content/home/
4) 2 typed half-page Reader's Reflection-Response Essays RRREs - letter-graded - DUE IN CLASS on specified dates - Feb. 27 & April 10 - to serve as "starters" for class-discussion. You will have the choice of selecting a theme/idea from the assigned pages in WRA to write about both Objectively (= WHAT grabbed your interest) and Subjectively (= WHY it grabbed you).
Total points-potential = 400. Points attained will be proportioned on the basis of 100: A+ = 100-98 A = 97-94 A- = 93-90 B+ = 89-87 B = 86-83 B- = 82-80 ...
SCHEDULE of Assigned Pages in WRA to be read BEFORE class + R/VRREs + 1/2pg RRREs + 3 EXAMS
WEEK I - Tuesday 1/9: Intro to Course: our Names, our Book, Syllabus - with comments on Bruce Feiler's 2014 documentary SACRED JOURNEYS
- Thursday 1/11: READ in WRA: pages ix-x: Acknowledgements + pp. 1-7: Introduction by Jacob Neusner, including Questions + on Bruce Feiler's SACRED JOURNEYS *** Handout on Judaism+Christianity+Islam
WEEK II - T 1/16: Bruce Feiler - JERUSALEM (Israel) I [30 minutes] - viewing & class-discussion
- Th 1/18: BF's JERUSALEM II [30 mins.] - viewing & class-discussion
WEEK III - T 1/23: WRA: Ch. 7: Judaism in the World & in America: pages123-mid131a up to "... Torah."
- Th 1/25: WRA: Ch. 7: pp. mid131a-140b
WEEK IV - T 1/30: WRA: Ch. 2 - Protestant Christianity in the World & in America: 29-lower41b up to "... their lives."
- Th 2/1: WRA: Ch. 2: bottom41b-51b *** 1st group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY - 3 students from each class
WEEK V - T 2/6: WRA: Ch. 3 - The Religious World of African Americans: pp. 55-top64 up to "... 5.5 million." + excerpts from BF's OSUN-OSOGBO (African roots in Nigeria)
- Th 2/8: WRA: Ch. 3: top64b-70b *** 2nd group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY *** photocopies of Review Pages - also on my WebPage - for EXAM #1
WEEK VI: T 2/13: RETROSPECTIVE using the RevPp + comments on the exam-format
- Th 2/15: EXAM #1 @ 100 points
WEEK VII: T 2/20: BF's LOURDES (France) I - viewing & discussing
- Th 2/22: LOURDES II - viewing & discussing *** 3rd group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY *** Reminder of 1/2pg R/VRRE #1
WEEK VIII: T 2/27: WRA: Ch. 4: The Catholics in the World & in America: 73-top78a up to "... consciences." *** First typed 1/2page R/VRREs DUE for EVERYONE: focus on LOURDES in relation to assigned WRA pages
- Th 3/1: WRA: Ch. 4: 78a-84b *** 4th group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY
WEEK IX: SPRING BREAK - 3/5-3/9
WEEK X - T 3/13: WRA: Ch. 5: The Religious World of Latino/a Hispanic Americans: 87-lower95a up to "...powers."
- Th 3/15: WRA: Ch. 5: bottom95a-101 *** 5th group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY
WEEK XI: T 3/20: WRA: Ch. 6: Orthodox Christianity in the World & in America: 105-118 *** photocopies of Review Pages - also on my Webpage - for EXAM #2
- Th 3/22: RETROSPECTIVE using the RevPp + comments on the exam-format *** 6th group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY
WEEK XII: T 3/27: EXAM #2 @ 100 points
- Th 3/29: NO CLASS
WEEK XIII: T 4/3: WRA: Ch. 8: Islam in the World & in America: 143-bottom150a + excerpts from BF's THE HAJJ (= pilgrimage to & in Mecca, Saudi Arabia)
- Th 4/5: WRA: Ch. 8: 150b-156b *** 7th group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY
WEEK XIV: T 4/10: WRA: Ch. 10: Hinduism in India and in America: 179-187b up to "... Gita."
- Th 4/12: WRA: Ch. 10: bottom187b-196 [SKIP 194] + excerpts from BF's KUMBH MELA (= pilgrims' huge gathering in India) *** 8th group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY
WEEK XV: T 4/17: STUDENT ACADEMIC CONFERENCE - NO CLASS
- Th 4/19: excerpts from BF's SHIKOKU (Japan): viewing & discussing *** 9th group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY
WEEK XVI: T 4/24: WRA: Ch. 11: Buddhism in the World & in America: 199-top207a up to "... they seek."
- Th 4/26: WRA: Ch. 11: upper207a-210 + from Ch. 12: East Asian Religions in Today's America: bottom226a (from "Zen Buddhism")-top228b (end) *** 10th group of 6 typed R/VRREs DUE TODAY` *** photocopies of Review Pages - also on my WebPage - for Exam #3
WEEK XVII: T 5/1: RETROSPECTIVE using RevPp & comments on exam-format
- TUESDAY 5/8: EXAM #3 for the 1:30 class-section @ 11:30-1:30 & Course Evaluations
- WEDNESDAY 5/9: EXAM #3 for the 10:30 class-section @ 11:30-1:30 & Course Evaluations
ESSAY GUIDELINES: As indicated above, the typed R/VRREs are due on Thursdays as of WEEK IV. The list of students' names - arranged alphabetically by last name - and assigned dates are given with the Essay Guidelines. These will begin as of Thursday 2/1 in WEEK IV. So, every student will hand in a typed 3-page (more if you wish, of course - in standard format: 12pt font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins) R/VRRE that will include both OBJECTIVE and SUBJECTIVE features. That is, 1) every student will OBJECTIVELY present his/her choice of topic/theme/idea (= WHAT grabbed your interest) from the assigned pages in WRA or from an excerpt of SACRED JOURNEYS. You present WHAT caught your intellectual attention = this is the OBJECTIVE component, and in the second SUBJECTIVE dimension of your R/VRRE you will explain WHY you were drawn to WHAT grabbed your interest. In sum, half of your essay will have OBJECTIVE content = present/examine WHAT was of particular interest TO YOU in what you read and/or viewed, and half will be SUBJECTIVE = you explain WHY you chose what you wrote about = your own thoughts/reflections on what you read/viewed. And you may certainly write using the 1st-person pronoun "I" - which will let your writing-style flow more naturally. To reiterate: the topic-choice is YOURS! You may write about ANY subject/theme/person/ritual practice/belief/festival celebration/... of particular interest to you derived EITHER from WRA OR from SACRED JOURNEYS. The OBJECTIVE aspect would be WHAT you learned/WHAT enlightened you; the SUBJECTIVE aspect would be explaining WHY you chose WHAT you chose, telling me, your Reader, what you found intriguing, compelling, challenging, fascinating, noteworthy, personally meaningful, perhaps even puzzling, ... . Thus, there is really no correct or incorrect CONTENT to your term-paper. Indeed, what you decide to write about will surely be interesting for me to read precisely because it was meaningful for you to compose.
Thus, be both OBJECTIVE = present/examine WHAT you learned, and be SUBJECTIVE = explain WHY you chose WHAT you chose to write about = your reader/viewer's thoughts/reflections. Therefore, every student will have the opportunity to explore what it's like to be living in a pluricultural, religiously diverse global society.
And I add that ALL your R/VRREs are "created equal" in the sense that your style is your style - you don't have to "sound academic." BUT be LOGICAL in structuring your essay's sequence of paragraphs, be GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT in formulating your sentences, and be A GOOD PROOFREADER of your spelling (Use the spellchecker!) and punctuation. Points will be deducted for casually-avoidable, reader-burdensome corrections. And to repeat regarding FORMAT: use standard 12pt font, double-spacing with 1-inch margins. And have a separate title-page with your name + a thematic/descriptive title indicating the topic-focus of your Essay. Feel free to come chat with me for guidance. My expectation is that you will benefit by advancing as thinkers, readers, and writers breathing intellectual Dragon Fire!
SCHEDULE OF NAMES AND DATES FOR THE R/VRR ESSAYS divided by the 2 class-sections:
10:30 class-section 1:30 class-section:
WEEK IV - Th 2/1: Jessica A, Joseph A, Teagan B Madeline A, Ryan A, Sepal A
WEEK V - Th 2/8: Jacob B, Justin B, Drew C Kaitlynne B, Brooke B, Katelyn D
WEEK VII - Th 2/22: Tracy E, Michael F, Anna H Ruth H, Sylina H, Solomon H
WEEK VIII - Th 3/1: Mackenzie H, Emily H, Madison K Marley H, Ellie H, Victoria J
WEEK IX - Th 3/15: Zoe K, Trevor L, Carly L Kristin L, Logan M, Michael N
WEEK XI - Th 3/22: Joseph L, Landon L, Jonathan M Tomomi N, Hannah P, Eric R
WEEK XIII - Th 4/5: Jessica McN, Christianna N, Aaron P Devany R, Madison R, Jerad S-V
WEEK XIV - Th 4/12: Taylor P, Taylor P, Casey Q Grace S, Thomas S, Emily T
WEEK XV - Th 4/19: Ricquel R, Emily S, Luke S Ajay T, Jocelyn T, Aya T
WEEK XVI - Th 4/26: Emma S, Gao Y John U, Nasra W, Alison Z
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