Time Schedule:
Mari Kim
RELIG 201
Seattle Campus
History of religions, concentrating on religious traditions that have developed west of the Indus. Primary attention to the Semitic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) and to their ancient world background with emphasis on basic conceptual and symbolic structures.
Class description
Course Description This class is a ten-week introduction to the North American incarnations of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While each of these now-global religious traditions arose within the Middle East, we explore these diverse traditions from their origins, through significant historical developments, examining a variety of their theo-ethical worldviews, worship practices, socio-cultural experiences, and personal narratives, as they are manifest in our North American context.
Inviting students to cultivate their learning as scholars in the academic study of religion, this lecture course models for students an ethic of hospitality – that practice of respectful scholarly openness crucial to cultivating academically-responsible interpretations of the religious Other. This course intends to develop students’ understanding, critical thinking and respectful appreciation of the religious Other.
Students' intellectual vocabulary will be expanded as we engage the perspectives and practices of these religious communities around their views of the human condition and understandings of the virtuous life. Likewise, students' academic capacity for critical thinking will be honed through assignments that invite them to consciously identify the contributions of diverse perspectives and acknowledge the interpenetrating boundaries of practices, lived-experiences, and world-views discovered in a comparative engagement of these three religious traditions.
Student learning goals
To invite you, as scholars in the academic study of religion, to cultivate an ethic of hospitality that empowers appreciative learning about communities of the religious Other (those different from you). This ethic of hospitality is understood as a practice of respectful scholarly openness necessary to cultivate learning that is academically fruitful and responsible.
To expand students’ intellectual vocabulary through exposure to religious experiences, perspectives on the human condition, understandings of the virtuous life, and introduction to terms and concepts that offer insights into these religious traditions and how they have inspired centuries of ardent devotion.
To expose students to informed perspectives that help you better understand, appreciate, and develop responsible interpretations of particular Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in the U.S.
• To help students develop a critical/cross-perspectival awareness of about how specific global cultural contexts shaped various incarnations of each religious tradition in the U.S. context. In this course, critical thinking is defined (modifying a definition offered initially by James Wellman) as the process of consciously identifying and engaging the contributions of diverse perspectives on a subject matter. By acknowledging the interpenetrating boundaries of context, thought, lived experience and different worldviews, the practice of critical thinking is intended to help students develop academically-responsible interpretations that support a greater depth and breadth of appreciation religious communities.
To equip students to identify various theo-ethical beliefs, socio-cultural world views, rituals, practices, and major variations inherent within North American incarnations of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
General method of instruction
Assigned readings help students develop a basic knowledge of the origins and significant events in the history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam leading up to their particular manifestations in our contemporary U.S. context.
Readings supplement weekly lectures given by local religious practitioners and experts, representatives who engage diverse and distinctive themes and experiences unique to of the various faith traditions.
Section Participation Throughout the course, there are 8 Sections led by Teaching Assistants. These sections are intended to engage readings and to cover additional materials. 10 points will be given for students’ quality of contribution to discussions during these sections (8 sections X 10 points = 80 points). Attentive participation, reading-prepared contributions to discussion, and respective engagement of classmates and TA during a session will result in a full 10 points being earned by the student. In all fairness to students who attend and participate in Sections, even explained absences will result in an automatic 0 points for the missed Section as this portion of the grade is intended to reward student learning through active, prepared, and respectful participation.
Recommended preparation
None.
Class assignments and grading
Multiple-choice quizzes will be administered at the end of every class based on that day’s lecture. Answers are to be signed by the student, labeled clearly with name of TA and Section, before being handed in to your TA at the end of class. These quizzes represent a portion of the student’s participation grade (20 lectures X 3 questions/quiz = 60 points).
Two Book Reviews – Consult “choice” list below and select two books representing from two different religious traditions. Each review is worth 60 points each for a total of 2 Reports X 60 points = 120 points. There are two parts to each review: Part 1 is a 5-page, double-spaced, paper. 1 page summary 3 pages of cross-perspectival response about the author’s engagement of the relationship between religious identity and ethical practices, social justice, and how faith and religious convictions contribute both to the problematic and redemption of the issues raised. 1 page conclusion offering questions and identifying strengths of text for your understanding of the study of the religious tradition in its American context. Caution: 4.5 pages does NOT constitute a 5 page paper. Title page and bibliography must be on separate additional sheets.
Part 2: Separate online summary review posted to Amazon.com (length 150-200 words). A confirmation copy of the link to your online review must be sent to your TA, Prof. Kim marikim@uw.edu and the author of the text you have chosen to review, where available. Among confirmed email addresses are: andrewhimes1@gmail.com for Andrew Himes, jwellman@u.washington.edu for James Wellman, aslanmedia@me.com for Reza Aslan, sf@stephenfried.com for Stephen Fried Further guidelines for book reviews will be discussed in Sections by Teaching Assistants.
Finals Option 1 Final Exam – 120 multiple choice questions (taken from lectures and readings) = 120 points Administered on exam date.
Option 2 Research Paper – expanding and revising earlier book reviews into 12-15 pages, double-spaced research paper revising and developing student’s understanding one or more contemporary issues identified in earlier book reviews. Must be designed in consultation with TA. Fulfills Writing Requirement.
Option 3 Creative Project – video documentary addressing a religious question, iconography, musical presentation, etc. Written component 3-pages, double-spaced. Project may be discussed with TA, before being finalized in consultation with Prof. Kim.
