World Religions Thur. Eve Spring 2015 Feb Revised Syllabus

LSSC REL 2300 #20349 Syllabus Spring 2015 Thurs. Eve. Leesburg campus Lake-Sumter State College Course Syllabus

Course Title: Course / Prefix World Religions REL 2300 Day/Hours: Leesburg campus Number Location: Thursday Jan. 8—Apr. 23 6:30—9:15 pm LA Rm. 8

CRN: 20349 Credit: 3 Term: Spring 2015 This course is a survey of the origins, beliefs, and contemporary practices of the world’s religions: Indigenous Sacred Ways, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Course Description: Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, the Baha’i Faith and other New Religious Movements in modern times. Attention is given to the interactions between specific religions and the cultures in which they are practiced. Contact Email: [email protected] Paul Wheelhouse, M.Div. Information: Instructor: Office Faculty Office Hours: Before class by appointment Location: Lounge Prerequisites: None

Fisher, Mary. Living Religions. Ninth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Textbook and Other 2014 Course Materials: Fisher, Mary Pat and Lee W. Bailey. An Anthology of Living Religions. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2012 Email is the main method of communication between the instructor and students outside the classroom, and students are responsible for checking their email on a Communication Policy regular basis. All students are required to use LakeHawkMail for official college e- mail communications. Excellent computer skills are highly suggested. Technology and Students will need high-speed internet access and a computer that meets the college Online Computer basic minimum requirements for online courses for checking e-mail and for using Access Requirements: online resources for study and research. Also, students will need a dedicated flash drive with at least 2 gigabytes of memory for storing assignments Each student is expected to do his or her own work, fully, and academically properly, which means citing all sources for writing assignments (see Assignments doc). This course uses MLA Style for writing and citing sources. See a college librarian for the MLA Style Guidelines if you are not already acquainted with it. Academic Policy and The successful functioning of the academic community demands honesty, which is the Integrity: basis of respect for both ideas and persons. Honesty is an appropriate consideration in other ways as well, including but not limited to the responsible use of library resources, responsible conduct in examinations, and the responsible use of the Internet. (See college catalog for complete statement.)

1 LSSC REL 2300 #20349 Syllabus Spring 2015 Thurs. Eve. Leesburg campus This course seeks to develop the students in a number of different areas: Knowledge, Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Creative Competency, and Social Responsibility.

KNOWLEDGE: of all the concepts/terms, main beliefs and practices, founders/leaders, historical development, and the named Scriptures COMPREHENSION: of all the concepts/terms, the belief systems with their premises, the influence the founders/leaders had in each religion’s development, and how the factors in the historical development and their sacred scriptures had on each religion KNOWLEDGE and COMPREHENSION also includes the political, geographic, historical, cultural, linguistic, and social contexts and facts which shaped each religion and to place the study of religion fits in its wider context of the humanities as religion is expressed in art, literature, music, and other human endeavors.

Course Objectives: CRITICAL THINKING: Distinguishing oral traditions from written traditions, (what the course will Comparing and Contrasting elements in religion with various religions, Synthesizing do) elements/characteristics (beliefs and practices) in religion, Analyzing thought patterns, beliefs, and related sacred texts, Assessing the cohesiveness of belief systems and the perceived effectiveness of religious systems in light of their goals, Questioning and Scrutinizing historical truths from belief-claims and historical truths from legends, tales, and “made-up” myths, and Applying the knowledge and comprehension of religious beliefs and practices in today’s world.

CREATIVE COMPETENCY: each student honestly creates his or her own work for all assignments and tests.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: to become sensitive to the various religious and cultural systems which exist in the world, to comprehend the social responsibility that each person has as religion undergirds, and personally apply the social and moral groundings gleaned in many of the religions for life.

Students will be able to: 1. Be able to identifying characteristics in religion through objective questions. 2. Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the religious traditions’ Student Learning concepts/terms, beliefs and practices through objective testing. Outcomes (SLOs) 3. Demonstrate the ability to explain the beliefs, practices, historical Assessed in this development, systems of thought, morality, humanistic contributions and Course: critical thinking including comparing and contrasting religions and synthesizing common elements, through essay writing. 4. Contextualize the study of religion in its wider context of culture and the (what the students take humanities as religion relates to art, literature, music, etc. with them beyond this 5. Demonstrate social responsibility inculcated through the social and moral course) religious principles and sensitivity to the various religions through writing and conduct.

2 LSSC REL 2300 #20349 Syllabus Spring 2015 Thurs. Eve. Leesburg campus Any student with a documented disability who requires assistance or academic accommodations should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities immediately to discuss eligibility. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is located on the Important Information Leesburg Campus, but arrangements can be made to meet with a student on any for Students with campus. An appointment can be made by calling 352-365-3589 and specific Disabilities: information about the OSD and potential services can be found at www.lssc.edu, then go to “Quick Links” and click on Disability Services.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of a student’s education records. Privacy Policy In order for your information to be released, a form must be signed. Your records (FERPA): located in the Admissions/Registrar’s Office.

Withdrawal Deadline March 25, 2015 If for any reason a student wishes to withdraw from the course, it is the student’s responsibility to withdraw through the college’s system, doing so by the deadline in Withdrawal Policy: the catalog and stated below. Discontinuing with the course but failing to withdraw results in the instructor most probably assigning an F grade based on the lack of course points earned. Missing a class is the equivalent of missing a whole week since the course meets weekly. Regular attendance of classes is required, attendance is taken, and students are expected to be in class on time, by the start of the class and stay through to the end of the class period. Leaving class early constitutes a tardy, and three tardies count as one absence. Students are allowed one unexcused absence during the semester. Any more than that may result in the student’s final grade being reduced by one letter Attendance, Absence grade. and Tardy Policy: All absences are considered unexcused unless and until the student provides a valid written excuse to the instructor, such as a doctor’s note, a funeral program of a relative, military note, and the such. It is the students’ responsibility to email the instructor to inform him of your excused absence, preferably before the class on the day of your absence if possible. Printed documentation of an excused absence handed to the instructor is the proper method. Some documentation may be accepted by email.

Lake-Sumter State College has a policy of zero tolerance for violence as stated in Violence Statement: College Board Rule 2.17. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with Board Rule 2.17.

3 LSSC REL 2300 #20349 Syllabus Spring 2015 Thurs. Eve. Leesburg campus There are a total of 1000 possible points for this course broken down as follows: EVALUATIVE EVENTS POINTS PERCENTAGE CONTENT Religious House Visit Report 50 5 see Assignments document Book Report 50 5 see Assignments document Religion in C.E. Summary 50 5 see Assignments document Term Paper 100 10 see Assignments document Unit 1 Test 100 10 Religious Resp & Indig. Ways Unit 2 Test 100 10 Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism Unit 3 Test 100 10 Daoism, Confuc, and Shinto Unit 4 Test 100 10 Zoro, Judaism, & Christianity Unit 5 Test 100 10 Islam and Sikhism Unit 6 Test 100 10 Baha’i Faith, New Rel. & 21st Cn. Final Exam 150 15 Comprehensive TOTAL: 1000 100 Category Percentages of Course Grade: Assignments 1-3 total: 15%, Term Paper (Assignment 4): 10% Unit Tests: 60%, Final Exam: 15% Evaluation in more Detail: Students will demonstrate their level of knowledge, understanding, comprehension, and other learning outcomes of this course through four (4) writing assignments, six Methods of (6) Unit Tests, and one (1) comprehensive Final Exam. Evaluation: The Tests The course evaluative emphasis is on the six (6) unit tests and the Final Exam, totaling 75% of your grade. Students will be assessed on the terms, beliefs, and practices of each of the religions, and historical and cultural factors, and the ability to compare and contrast religions and analyze beliefs and their systems of thought through objective questions and essay questions. Material comes from the lectures and textbook.

The Writing Assignments Writing Assignment 1: Religious House Visit Report 2 pages Writing Assignment 2: Book Report 2 pages Writing Assignment 3: Religion in Current Events Summary 2 pages Writing Assignment 4: Term Paper 5 pages including Works Cited The writing assignments will be graded based on following instructions (e.g. formatting), on grammar, on clarity, content, comprehension, organization, and cohesiveness, proper length, and properly citing sources. The Term paper, in addition to the above rubrics, must demonstrate its research component with ample citing of sources and finishing with the Works Cited on the last page.

The Grading Scale (see below) is used to grade each test and assignment, the final exam, and for calculating the students course grade based on the total number of points each student earns put into a percentage. 90 to 100 equals A 80 to 89 equals B Grading Scale: 70 to 79 equals C 60 to 69 equals D 0 to 59 equals F

4 LSSC REL 2300 #20349 Syllabus Spring 2015 Thurs. Eve. Leesburg campus CLASS STRUCTURE and MATERIALS This course structure is lecture reinforced with discussions and occasional small group activities. Students’ participation in class is expected. Students are to bring their copy of the main textbook with them to each class session. Students are responsible for taking notes. Students are responsible for class content on any class from which he/she is absent. ASSIGNMENTS POLICY The course Assignments doc contains both the Reading and Writing assignments for this course, the 2nd most important document for the students’ success of this course. Students will continually refer to this document for all assignment instructions. Assignments are due by the due date. They can be turned in BEFORE the due date. Late assignments past the due date are penalized 10% for each week late. If a student is absent on the day a writing assignment is due, the student is to turn in the assignment on the next class session with a late penalty. The final assignment, the Class Structure, Term paper, can be turned in any week up to the “last due day” (see Course Schedule Assignments Policy, below). No assignments will be received after the last class session July 28. Make-up Tests, and Respect and Academic MAKE-UP TESTS Freedom: If a student is absent on the day of a test, it must be made up as soon as possible if the student has and presents a valid written excuse. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor for instructions for making up the test. Normally there is no make-up for a missed Final Exam. Email the instructor ASAP if missed with a valid excuse and request to make it up.

MUTUAL RESPECT and ACADEMIC FREEDOM The College’s Board of Trustee’s statement on Academic Freedom applied to this course: Mutual respect and tolerance of fellow students and each others’ views are to be nurtured, exercised, and developed in this course. Each student has the freedom to explore knowledge and research and also the freedom to express one’s views within this educational academic structured environment, such as in discussions and in small group activities, without fear of consequence of effect on their grade.

Information contained in this syllabus is, to the best knowledge of this instructor, considered correct and complete when distributed to the student. The instructor Syllabus Disclaimer: reserves the right, acting within policies and procedures of Lake-Sumter State College, to make necessary changes in course content or instructional techniques without prior notice or obligation to the student.

5 LSSC REL 2300 #20349 Syllabus Spring 2015 Thurs. Eve. Leesburg campus

REL 2300 Thursday evening COURSE SCHEDULE Feb. revision

Week 1 Jan. 8: Review of Syllabus, Course Intro. and Foundations Part I

Week 2 Jan. 15: Foundations Part II and Ch. 1 Religious Responses

Week 3 Jan. 22: Ch. 2 Indigenous Sacred Ways Religious House Visit Report Due

Week 4 Jan. 29: Unit 1 Test and Ch. 3 Hinduism

Week 5 Feb. 5: Ch. 4 Jainism and Ch. 5 Buddhism Part I

Week 6 Feb. 12: Ch. 5 Buddhism Part II Book Report Due

Week 7 Feb. 19: Unit 2 Test and Ch. 6 Daoism and Confucianism

Week 8 Feb. 26: Ch. 7 Shinto/ Japanese Religion

Week 9 Mar. 5: Unit 3 Test and Zoroastrianism and Ch. 8 Judaism Course Schedule: Week 10 Mar. 12: SPRING BREAK – No Class

Week 11 Mar. 19: Finish Judaism and Ch. 9 Christianity Religion in Current Events Summary Due

Week 12 Mar. 26: Unit 4 Test and Ch. 10 Islam

Week 13 Apr.2: Ch. 11 Sikhism

Week 14 Apr. 9: Unit 5 Test and Ch. 12 New Religious Movements Term Papers Due

Week 15 Apr. 16: – Ch. 13 Religion in the 21st Century Unit 6 Test and Review for Final Exam

Week 16 Thur. Apr.23: FINAL EXAM 6:30—8:25 PM LA RM. 8