REL 580 Requirements

Attendance

This class is organized as a seminar, so attendance and participation are crucial. Attendance will be recorded based on note cards you fill out and turn in at the beginning of class.  On them you will have jotted down 1) a few notes from the day’s reading assignment (author’s main points, significant vocabulary), 2) at least one reflective question and 3) at least one reflective critical comment.  The goal of the reflective question(s) and the reflective critical comments(s) will be to come up with thought provoking ideas that will contribute to the class discussion. 

You will need to provide documentation for excused absences.  To paraphrase the Undergraduate Catalog, you may be excused from class without penalty:

1) for University sanctioned activities,
2) for severe illness as evidenced by a written doctor’s excuse, and
3) for a death in your immediate family.

You are allowed two unexcused absences without penalty.  Each additional unexcused absence will result in a 2 pt. deduction from your grade.

Reading and Participation

The reading assignments are the life blood of a seminar course since they stimulate discussion. To be prepared for class you must read the assignment for the day carefully and make notes.  Some of your notes should be made with an eye toward what you can contribute to the discussion.  There are no tests in this class, but there is a substantial discussion participation grade.  Your ability to earn a high mark for discussion participation depends heavily on your reading habits and thoughtful note taking.

Textbooks

Required:

Strenski, Ivan. Thinking about Religion: An Historical Introduction to Theories of Religion. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006.

_____, ed. Thinking about Religion: A Reader. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006

Online and Blackboard readings.

Recommended: Pals, Daniel. Eight Theories of Religion, 2d ed.

Reading Presentation and Discussion Leading

You will present the reading and lead its discussion once during the semester.   This will include creating a two page formal outline of the reading for the day and distributing it to the class.  Being able to identify the major points and sub-points of a well-written composition is a valuable skill.  It can improve your reading speed and comprehension, as well as your own writing.  Click here for an excellent discussion of how to do a proper formal outline.  This discussion includes a sample of the "full sentence outline style." You should mostly follow it except that I will allow you to use "full phrases" as well as "full sentences."  Include enough page numbers with headings and subheadings so that someone could locate these points in the reading.  I will distribute sample outlines for the first few sessions I will be leading.

Follow these directions when it is your turn to present the readings and lead the discussion.  First, distribute your formal outline to the class.  Print it double-sided so you will only need one sheet per student.  The outline will serve as a reference tool for you and the class during your presentation and the discussion.  As you go over the outline, explain and critique the key points in the theory or theories and theorist or theorists covered by the reading with an eye toward what will initiate meaningful discussion.  You can either spend about twenty minutes presenting the reading all at once and follow with discussion, or spend most of the period presenting the reading but pausing along the way to focus on key arguments and raise issues for periods of discussion.  Just be sure to watch the clock and move on if necessary to cover everything important.  You should be prepared to raise at least two serious points for discussion.  These points may relate to making sense of the theoretical position itself, they may raise methodological concerns, or they may have to do with connecting the reading to issues raised by other theories.  You have the freedom to come up with other angles for discussion provided they do not take us too far afield from the topics of the reading.   It is your responsibility to take an active role in leading class discussion.  

Critical Essays

You will write three 4-5 page essays that critically engage the readings done since the previous essay.  These papers are not meant to be simply summaries, though summarizing in your own words can help you to sort out the most important issues raised by the readings.  Instead, these reviews are meant to show evidence of your attempt to think through aspects of the theories covered and to compare, contrast, and synthesize their ideas.  More specific instructions will be provided for each essay.

Seminar Paper

Your single most involved assignment will be a 14-16 page research paper.  M.A. students will write a 17-20 page paper.  You will choose a religious phenomenon you’re interested in and research it from a theoretical perspective.  The goal of the project is for you to develop a good deal of familiarity with at least one theory and its use in analyzing, interpreting, and understanding your chosen religious phenomenon.  Further instructions concerning the seminar paper will be provided on Blackboard. 

Each student will make a formal twelve minute presentation of his or her research. The presentation will include distributing a double-sided one page handout to the class that begins with an abstract/précis of the paper.  An abstract is a 200 to 250 word summary of the paper.  It usually includes a brief description of the subject matter investigated in the paper and a brief statement and explanation of the paper's thesis.  Next, include a tentative formal outline of the paper.  Finally, provide an initial bibliography of at least six sources. 

Grading

Your Course Grade will utilize plus/minus grading.  As someone has said, "Earnestly desire the higher gifts."