This Is the Television Course Section Addendum

THIS IS THE TELEVISION COURSE SECTION ADDENDUM

CODE : PHIL225-TV TITLE : Comparative Religion

DIVISION : Social Sciences/Humanities DEPARTMENT : PHIL/POLI

COURSE DESCRIPTION : Students will explore the ideas, assumptions, and values of the religions of the world, viewing them comparatively in search for common truths and principles. Among the religions to e studied are the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, and the Western religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

PREREQUISITES : READ 092, READ 095 or passing score in reading on Basic Skills Test

COREQUISITES : N/A

CREDITS : 3 LECTURE CREDITS : 3 LAB CREDITS :

LAB HOURS : N/A

This telecourse has been designed to provide you with equivalent instruction for PHIL 225: COMPARATIVE RELIGION, which is a three-credit course.

In its traditional mode, PHIL 225 meets for three hours a week for 15 weeks. Because you have chosen to do it as a telecourse, you will have only one formal orientation with the instructor. The work of the course will be done via up-to-date technology and innovative methods of student- teacher contact designed to help you master the content of the course and expand your educational horizons.

The fact that you will be doing PHIL 225 as a telecourse will not make the course easier-or harder. Nor will it take less time and effort than would be needed to complete the course in a classroom setting. What it will provide you is greater flexibility to learn in unique ways and at hours that suit your personal schedule.

"Religions of the World" includes 13 one-hour television programs, a textbook, and this course syllabus. Together they are designed to provide you with a complete overview of the history, theory and practice of the major belief systems, both present and past. While learning about these religious traditions is the major objective of this course, there is also a further objective: to provide you with the tools necessary for considering your own religious beliefs and spiritual growth. As you pursue your formal studies in this course, therefore, stop from time to time to reflect on the practical applications for yourself.

REQUIRED MATERIALS : The Orientation session is scheduled by the Office of Distance Learning and is published in the Brookdale schedule of courses. ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY. Course information and grade requirements will be explained, and individual questions and concerns will be addressed at that time.

Several resources are available to help you master the basic concepts of this course in Comparative Religion. In addition to the components listed below, you will, of course, be able to count on the help and encouragement of your instructor and the Learning Assistant in the Philosophy Department.

7/2007 THIS IS THE TELEVISION COURSE SECTION ADDENDUM

1. Television: Thirteen one-hour programs developed for television by Schlessinger Media. They will begin with a preview week and continue weekly as listed in the brochure distributed by the Office of Distance Learning. 2. Textbook: The text for this section of PHIL 225-TV is Ways to the Center, 6th edition, Denise L. Carmody and T. L. Brink (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 2002) 3. Course Syllabus: This course syllabus has been designed to coordinate your study of the television programs and the textbook. In addition, it contains the basic objectives for each unit of the course. Mastery of these objectives will provide you with the basic knowledge you will need to pass the tests and succeed in the course.

There are many ways to organize your study for this course. I would suggest you begin by skimming through the chapter(s) in the text that you are assigned for the week. Second, watch the TV program. Third, return to the text and read it in detail. At this point, you can write your journal. Next, see if you can answer each of the individual unit objectives in the course syllabus. You may have to go back to re-watch the tape or re-read parts of the chapter(s). Finally, you are ready to take your test.

ADDITIONAL TIME REQUIREMENTS :

Attendance at the orientation session is mandatory. Tests must be taken on campus with either the Learning Assistant or in the testing center.

INTENDED COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES/COURSE GOALS (CORE COMPETENCIES): Comparative Religion, is, as its name suggests, a course in which we will explore and compare the major religions of the world. This presupposes both an understanding of the concept of religion itself, as well as a willingness to look beyond one's own religious beliefs and assumptions. In order to understand and appreciate the beliefs of others, it is often helpful to recognize one's own beliefs and then set them aside temporarily so that one can fully examine someone else's. Before making comparisons, therefore, we must begin by understanding each of the religions for what it is in itself. This is an essential part of the study of religion and cannot be over-emphasized.

Although most of our time will be spent examining the major religions of today, we will also explore the origins of religions and the beginnings of the various belief systems. To understand what is happening today, we will need to remember that each religion fits into a historical framework and that the past is the key to unlocking the meaning of present conditions.

Fifteen weeks is certainly not enough time to examine completely all the major religions of our world. During that time, all we can do is begin a search; perhaps we may also gain a fuller appreciation for those ways of thinking and patterns of belief that differ from our own. In this course students will explore the ideas, assumptions and values of the religions of the world, viewing them comparatively in search for the common truths and principles. Among the religions to be studied are the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, and the Western religions of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Bahai.

Through the writing of essay test questions, students who pass this course will have demonstrated competency of the following: 1) understanding concepts related to these religions; 2) comparing and contrasting their beliefs and practices; and 3) forming their own opinions in the development of their own belief system (Critical Thinking, Historical/Societal Analysis, and Community and Workplace Core Competencies).

INTENDED UNIT OUTCOME [UNIT OBJECTIVES ]: Unit I

What Is Religion? (textbook, Chapter 1) 1. What is religion, and how is the definition applied? 2. What are the key differences between religion and science? 3. Distinguish between ultimate, utilitarian and ulterior values. 4. Define and describe the following terms: symbol, myth, ritual, magic, ethics, doctrine, syncretism, morphology. 5. Define and describe theism, monotheism, deism, pantheism, animism, polytheism, henotheism, atheism, humanism, agnosticism, anthropomorphism. 6. Describe the different forms of relationship between religion and government: theocratic, secular, anticlerical, anti-religious, pro-religious. 7. Describe the meaning of the following terms as they relate to sacred writing: scripture, apocryphal writings, hermeneutics, exegesis, fundamentalism. 8. Describe the meaning of the following terms as they relate to religious roles: shaman, priest, rabbi, parson, pastor, pope, cardinal, bishop, psychic, prophet, mystic, theologian. 9. Discuss the various arguments for the existence of God: cosmological, teleological, ontological, moral, wager, mystical, theodicy. 10. Identify the following major theories and the persons who developed them: cognitive theory, psychological theory, anthropological theory, socioeconomic theory (reductionist and phenomenological).

Tribal Religions (textbook, Chapter 2, except pp 48-52) 1. What are some common features of the earliest religions? 2. Define and describe the basic characteristics found in tribal religions: sacred, profane, animism, taboo, rites of passage, sacrifice, magic, exorcism, healing, divination, creation myths, trickster figures, totems, the high god, afterlife, ancestors, megaliths. 3. What are the chief beliefs and practices of the Australian aborigines? 4. What are the chief beliefs and practices of the Inuits? 5. What are the chief beliefs and practices of the Native Americans? 6. What are the chief beliefs and practices of the Southeast Asians, Melanesians, Polynesians, Ainu and Celts?

Religions of Ancient Civilizations (textbook Chapter 3, pp 77-81) 1. Discuss the religious beliefs and practices of the Mayans. 2. Discuss the religious beliefs and practices of the Aztecs. 3. Discuss the religious beliefs and practices of the Incas.

Religions of Small Societies (Video 1) 1. What are the common characteristics of the religions of small societies? 2. How and why do modern industrialized societies differ in their basic religious perceptions from small societies? 3. Why is the environment an important factor among the religions of many small societies? 4. How does morality fit into the culture of many small societies; how is their morality different from morality in advanced societies? 5. Define and describe the following terms: animism, magic, divination, analogical causation, totemism, rite of passage, shaman, mythic time, aura, oracle, ancestor worship.

Native American Spirituality (Video 2) 1. What are circumpolar cultures? What are some of their common characteristics in the practice of religion? 2. Describe a vision quest. How is it significant in the Native American religious culture? 3. What is the idea of soul and afterlife in most Native American religions? 4. How are the Mayan and Aztec civilizations similar in their religious practices? How are they different? 5. Discuss the major religious practices of the Zuni, Hopi and Lakota Nations.

Unit II

Tribal Religions (textbook, Chapter 2, pp 48-52) 1. How do the African tribes conceptualize and relate to God? 2. How do the following pertain to African religion: sacrifice, rite of passage, tricksters, divination. 3. Recount some of the most important tribal myths.

Religions of Ancient Civilizations (textbook, Chapter 3, except pp 77-81) 1. How did the shift from hunting to agriculture affect early religious beliefs and practices? 2. Define the following terms as they apply to religions of ancient civilizations: syncretism, pantheon, henotheism, monolatry, monotheism, theocracy. 3. What are the major characteristics of the religious traditions in the Mesopotamian Valley? 4. Describe the history, deities and beliefs about afterlife in the ancient Egyptian civilization. 5. Describe the history, doctrines, ethics and rituals of Zoroastrianism.

Greek and Hellenistic Religions (textbook, Chapter 7) 1. What are the major characteristics of the earliest religions on the Greek peninsula? 2. List the major deities in Homer's pantheon, and give their Roman names. 3. List and briefly describe the older mystery cults of ancient Greece. 4. Why are the philosophers included in this text on comparative religions, and how did they make a difference in Greek thought? 5. Briefly discuss the major pre-Socratic schools of Greek philosophy. 6. Discuss the religious dimensions of the thought of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, and the Stoics. 7. List and briefly describe the Hellenistic mystery cults of ancient Greece. 8. How would the ancient Greeks describe the following: nature, society, women, the self.

African and African-American Religions (Video 3) 1. How has geography influenced the development of African religions? 2. Describe the religious practices of the Yoruba. 3. What are the major characteristics of traditional African religions? 4. What is voodoo, and where is it primarily practiced in the United States? Why? 5. What is Santeria, and where and how is it practiced in the Western Hemisphere? 6. What elements of traditional African religions have carried over into the modern African- American Protestant religious tradition?

Ancient Religions of the Mediterranean (Video 4) 1. Define the following: Code of Hammurabi, Tower of Babel, cuneiform writing, ziggurat, Neolithic. 2. What is the primary motivating force behind the spirituality of these early Mediterranean religions? 3. Identify the following peoples: Sumarians, Semites, Babylonians, Phoenicians. 4. What is the focus of early Egyptian religions? Why? 5. Who are the major gods of the classical period in ancient Greece?

Unit III

Hinduism (textbook, Chapter 4) 1. Describe pre-Vedic India and the migration of the Aryans. 2. What are the four Vedic books and major Vedic gods; how were the gods pleased? 3. Describe the caste system in India. How is it related to karma and transmigration? 4. What do the Upanishads teach, especially about Brahman, Atman, and Samsara? 5. How do the Upanishadic teachings mark a transition from Vedic teaching? 6. Discuss the teachings of Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, especially as they relate to ahimsa, asceticism, and belief in gods. 7. What vows are taken by Jain monks and lay persons? 8. What is the importance of the Bhagavad Gita, especially the story about Krishna and the warrior? 9. What are the four margas (paths) to holiness, and how do they ultimately lead to the same

7/2007 THIS IS THE TELEVISION COURSE SECTION ADDENDUM ideal? 10. What is the Smriti tradition, and how does it explain dharma and the four legitimate life goals? 11. What are the four stages of life (ashramas)? 12. Discuss the teachings of Shankara, the most important of the Vedanta thinkers. 13. Define Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Tantrism. 14. Discuss the goal and teachings of Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. 15. Briefly discuss the forms of bhakti practiced by Chaitanya and Ramakrishna. 16. What are the contributions of the 20th Century leaders Rabindranath Tagor and Mohandas Gandhi? 17. Discuss how Hinduism is practiced in the popular sense today. 18. Discuss the Hindu ideas of nature, society, women, self, ultimate reality, and the problem of evil.

Buddhism (textbook, Chapter 8) 1. Describe the life of Siddhartha Gautama. 2. Explain the meaning of the "middle way" and of enlightenment. 3. List the Four Noble Truths, and explain each of them. 4. List the Eight-fold Path, and explain each of them. 5. List the Three Jewels of Buddhism, and explain each of them. 6. Describe the Wheel of Dependent Co-arising. 7. What are the major teachings of the Buddha in his Deer Park Sermon? 8. List the three marks of reality, and explain how they illustrate Buddhist teaching. 9. What are the five elements of the skandhas? How do they support the idea of no-self? 10. What are the Buddhist sacred writings? 11. Describe the split within Buddhism between the Theravada and Mahayana schools. 12. Discuss the code of conduct for the monks and for the laity. 13. Discuss the role of meditation in Buddhism. 14. Define the following: arhat, bodhisattva, sangha, sutra, samsara. 15. What are the two major schools of Mahayana Buddhism. How are they different? 16. What is Tantric Buddhism, and what are its distinguishing characteristics? 17. Explain why Tibet is so important in the development of Buddhism. 18. What are the chief forms of Buddhism in China? 19. How was Buddhism influenced by China, and how did Buddhism influence China? 20. Describe the forms that Buddism took in Japan. 21. Discuss contemporary Buddhist rituals. 22. Discuss the Buddhist ideas of nature, society, self, and ultimate reality.

Hinduism (Video 5) 1. Define: puja, yoga, lotus position, Sanscrit, samsara, karma, ahimsa, atman. 2. Identify the following writings: Brahmanas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Dharmashastras, Ramayana. 3. Identify the following gods: Brahman, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Rama, Krishna. 4. Discuss the caste system and the religious role it plays in Hinduism. 5. How are Buddhism and Jainism protests against the Hinduism of their historical epoch? 6. What is the moral truth explained by the discussion between Krishna and Arjuna? 7. What are the stages of life, and what is their religious significance? 8. Discuss the importance of Ghandi in modern Hinduism.

Buddhism (Video 6) 1. Define: dharma, ascetic, nirvana, sangha, karma, mantra, zazen, koans. 2. Describe the Buddha's enlightenment experience. 3. What does it mean to follow the middle way? 4. List and explain the Four Noble Truths. 5. List and explain the Eight-fold Path. 6. How does Buddhism explain the nature of reality? 7. What is the primary goal of Buddhist meditation? 8. How does Theravada Buddhism differ from Mahayana Buddhism in belief?

9. Who is the Dalai Lama? How is he chosen, and whom does he represent? 10. What is Zen, and what is its primary goal?

Unit IV

China and Japan--China (textbook, Chapter 6, pp 159-187) 1. Describe the religious environment in China before the Axial Age. 2. How are language and political life different in China? Why are these important to the student of religion? 3. What are the six schools of Chinese thought to emerge from the unstable times? 4. Discuss the meaning of yin and yang in the divination school. 5. What are the major virtues taught by Confucius? 6. What are the five great relationships, and how do they function in Chinese society? 7. List the four works that constitute the core of Confucian sacred texts. 8. Distinguish between the hedonistic Taoists and the mystical Taoists. 9. Identify Yang Chu, Lao Tzu, and Chuang Tzu and their writings. 10. What is wu-wei? How does it illustrate the teaching in the Tao Te Ching? 11. Discuss the school of Legalism. 12. Discuss the school of Mohism. 13. Discuss the school of names. 14. What is the contribution of Mencius to later Confucianism? 15. Discuss neoconfucianism. 16. How has China synthesized its major religious influences? 17. What impact has Communism had on the Chinese religious tradition? 18. Discuss the Chinese ideas of nature, society, self, and ultimate reality. 19. What is Buddhism's role in the religions of China?

China and Japan-Japan (textbook, Chapter 6, pp 187-198) 1. Describe the role of kami in the Shinto tradition. 2. Recount the story of Izanami and Izanagi, and the birth of the sun goddess Amaterasu. 3. Recount the story of Amaterasu and the trick played upon her by her brother, Susanoo. 4. Discuss the arrival in Japan of the Buddhist and Christian religions. 5. Discuss the two generations of Shinto reformers during the modern-reformative period in Japan. 6. Discuss the teachings of Norinaga and Miki. 7. What is the Bushido Code, and what does it require? 8. What are the main religious trends in Japan today? 9. Discuss the Japanese ideas of nature, society, self, and ultimate reality. 10. Besides Shinto, what other religions have had an important influence on Japanese thought?

Confucianism and Taoism (Video 7) 1. Who are the following persons? Lao Tze, Chuang Tze, Kong Qiu (Kong Fuzi). 2. Define the following terms: Analects, yin and yang, jen, li, wu-wei, chi, feng shui, tao. 3. What was China's society and religion like before Confucius influenced its culture? 4. What are the five great relationships? 5. Discuss Confucius' ideal of rational morality. 6. How do Taoists relate to nature? 7. What are the three principles of life in Taoism? 8. Why are withdrawal from the world and meditation important in Taoism? 9. What are the basic elements of Taoist cosmology? How do they contribute to the Taoist understanding of the universe? 10. What is the central message of Taoism?

Shintoism (Video 8) 1. What are the two great texts of the Shinto tradition, and what is found in them? 2. Define the following terms: Shinto, kami, torii, jinja, norito, kamidana. 3. From what three sources did Shinto arise?

4. What is the most important Japanese annual festival? 5. What is meant by multiple affiliation, and what insight does this term provide us regarding the nature of Shinto? 6. How are Shinto kami different from the Western notion of God, with respect to creation, force for good, and divine intervention in the world? 7. What is the main purpose of the sanctuary and hall of worship in a Shinto shrine? 8. Explain why Shinto is not a state religion today.

Unit V

Judaism (textbook, Chapter 5) 1. Discuss the terminology used to define the meaning of "Jew." 2. Discuss the importance of the Biblical period in the development of Judaism. 3. Define the following terms: Torah, Pentateuch, covenant, prophet, apocalypse, eschatology. 4. What are the three sections of the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament)? 5. Describe the importance of Abraham and Moses in the Torah. 6. Who are the major kings and prophets in the Biblical tradition? What were their contributions? 7. Why are the books of Job and Daniel important? 8. Identify the following groups within Judaism: Essenes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Hellenists. 9. Define the following terms in Rabbinic Judaism: Diaspora, synagogue, Mishna, Talmud, kosher, exegesis. 10. What is the Talmudic view of Judaism? 11. What are the major festivals in Judaism? 12. Distinguish between the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim. 13. Why is Maimonides important in Medieval Judaism? 14. Discuss the teaching and practices of the Cabalists. 15. Describe the Hasidic movement and its practices. 16. How did Hasidism differ from the teaching of Spinoza and Mendelssohn? 17. Compare and contrast the three modern forms of Judaism: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. 18. Describe the Zionist movement and its results. 19. Discuss the Jewish ideas of nature, society, self, and ultimate reality.

Christianity (textbook, Chapter 9) 1. What are the component parts of the New Testament? 2. Discuss the roles of Jesus and Paul in the establishment of Christianity as a religion. 3. How did Christianity move from being a sect within Judaism to the conversion of Gentiles? 4. List and define the major early heresies in the Church: Gnosticism, Manicheanism, Marcionism, Docetism, Montanism, Donatism, Arianism, Nestorianism, Pelagianism. 5. Discuss the importance of Augustine and Monasticism in the early Middle Ages. 6. Describe the Christian theological teachings about the Trinity and the person of Christ (Christology). 7. What are the seven Catholic sacraments? 8. Why is Mary, the mother of Jesus, controversial in Christianity? 9. What caused the separation of Christianity at the time of the Great Schism? 10. What are the differences today between the Eastern Orthodox Christian churches and Western Christianity? 11. Discuss the rise of religious orders, ecclesiastical hierarchy, and Scholasticism during the Middle Ages. 12. What were the major issues that triggered the Protestant reformation? 13. Describe the major reforms undertaken by the following reformers: Martin Luther, John Calvin, Henry VIII. 14. Discuss the origins of the following Protestant denominations: Lutherans, Methodists, Puritans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Anglicans. 15. What was the Catholic response to the Protestant reformation? 16. Discuss the Christian ideas of nature, society, self, and ultimate reality.

Judaism (Video 9) 1. What is the importance of the covenant with Abraham? 2. What is the importance of Moses in Jewish history? 3. Who are Saul, David, and Solomon, and what are their contributions to the establishment of a Jewish homeland? 4. What are the three parts of the Hebrew Bible? 5. How did Judaism change as it became synagogue-centered rather than temple-centered after the final destruction of the temple in Jerusalem? 6. How is the Sabbath practiced in Judaism today? 7. What are the most sacred of the High Holy Days during the Jewish religious year? 8. What is the Zionist movement? What is its main goal? 9. Define the following terms: monotheism, Torah, Diaspora, Talmud, rabbi, minion, kosher.

Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christianity (Video 10) 1. What are the three main branches of Christianity today? 2. What are the main issues that separate the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches? 3. What was the relationship between Judaism and Christianity at the time of Christ? 4. Why is Constantine important in the establishment of Christianity as a major religion? 5. What was the controversy between Arius and Athanasius, and how was it resolved? 6. What are the Orthodox and Roman Catholic views on the concept of the Trinity? 7. List and define the major religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church. 8. What was the importance of the Council of Trent in reforming the Roman Catholic Church? 9. Define the following terms: pope, diocese, heresy, icon, Inquisition, infallibility.

Protestant Christianity (Video 11) 1. What two principles became the heart of Protestant Christianity? 2. How did the Protestant reformation originate, and who are its principal leaders? 3. How do Protestants and Roman Catholics differ with respect to the Bible, the priesthood, the sacraments? 4. What new doctrine did Luther teach regarding transubstantiation and the sacraments? 5. What are the basic principles of Ulrich Zwingli's and John Calvin's beliefs? 6. What are the four distinct institutional forms of Protestantism? 7. Who are the Puritans? the Quakers? 8. What is the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England? 9. How did Protestantism influence the early history of the United States? 10. Define the following terms: laity, predestination, transubstantiation, sacrament, heresy, tithe.

Unit VI

Islam (textbook, Chapter 10) 1. What kind of religions were practiced on the Arabian Peninsula before the time of Muhammad? 2. Recount the life of Muhammad and his revelations from the Angel Gabriel. 3. Discuss Muhammad's rise to power after his hejira from Mecca to Medina. 4. Discuss the contents of the Qur'an. 5. List and describe what is required by the Five Pillars. 6. Summarize the military conquests of Islam during the 650 years after Muhammad's death. 7. What were the causes and consequences of the split between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims? 8. Describe the contributions made by Averroes and Al-Ghazzali. 9. Define the following terms: Sharia, Sufi, hadith, sura, imam, Dhimmis, Mutazilites. 10. What characterizes the relationship between the Western world and modern Islam. How does this relationship support the rise of Islamic fundamentalism? 11. What does the Qur'an say about the role of women in Islam? 12. What is the "Nation of Islam," and how did it arise? 13. Discuss the Islamic ideas of nature, society, self, and ultimate reality.

Modern Times (textbook, Chapter 11) 1. What was the Western Enlightenment, and how did it impact the Western religious tradition? 2. Define the following: empiricism, demythologization, humanism, secularism. 3. How were heliocentrism and evolution seen as hostile to religion? 4. What were the challenges to religion posed by liberalism, Marxism, and existentialism? 5. How does humanism view the nature of society and the self? 6. Discuss the following responses to modern-day secularism: The Great Awakening, the Great Revival, Pentecostalism, Christian Science, Apocalypticism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, communistic societies, Mormonism, Evangelicalism, ecumenism, and the rise of cults.

Islam (Video 12) 1. Who is Muhammad, and what are his roles in Islam? 2. Why was Muhammad's revelations not well received by the Meccans? 3. Why was Muhammad's flight to Medina so important to the future of Islam? 4. What is Shari'ah, and how does it relate to the daily life of a Muslim? 5. What are the Five Pillars of Islam? 6. Describe some of the key rituals and festivals associated with the pilgrimage to Mecca? 7. Discuss the source and importance of the Qur'an for the Muslim. 8. What are the distinguishing features of each major Islamic group? 9. Discuss the recent history of Islam. 10. Define the following terms: Ka'bah, Khalifahs, muezzin, minaret, mosque, Sufism.

Skepticism and Religious Relativism (Video 13) 1. Define the following terms: cosmic order, transcendance, skepticism, religious relativism, teleology, freethinker, scientism, positivism, nihilism, existentialism, agnosticism. 2. What is Socrates' argument for skepticism? 3. How does Augustine answer the dilemma of the problem of evil? 4. What are Thomas Aquinas' five ways of knowing the existence of God? 5. How is the scientific worldview different from the religious worldview? 6. What is Immanuel Kant's belief about the way to understand God and religion? 7. What is scientism, and how do its followers understand the cosmos? 8. How do Comte and Nietzsche attack the idea of religion and God? 9. Why is the thought of Thomas Huxley used as the example of how the modern skeptical crisis impacts religious beliefs and practices? 10. How does the theory of relativity relate to morality and religious knowledge?

Calendar Week Topic Textbook Video Unit I 1 What is Religion? Chap. 1 Chap.2 Small Societies (X pp 48-52) 2 Tribal Religions Chap. 3 Native Americans (pp 77-81)

Unit II

Chap. 2 3 African Religions African Religions (pp 48-52)

4 Ancient Civilizations Chap.3 Mediterranean Religions Greek & Hellenistic

(X pp 77-81) Chap. 7

Unit III

5 Hinduism Chap. 4 Hinduism

6 Buddhism Chap.8 Buddhism

Unit IV

Chap. 6 7 Chinese Religions Confucianism/ Taoism (pp 159-187)

Chap. 6 8 Japanese Religions Shinto (pp 187-198)

Unit V

9 Judaism Chap. 5 Judaism

10 Orthodox, Catholicism Christianity Chap. 9 11 Protestantism

Unit VI

12 Islam Chap. 10 Islam

13 Modern Issues Chap. 11 Skepticism/Relativism

GRADING STANDARD :

For the grade of "C": 1) you must pass six unit tests with an average grade of 70%. There will be no retests in this course. 2) write a summary of your personal reflections for any of 12 religions during the semester. Two of these papers are due with each unit of the course. (Submit about one or two typewritten pages for each reflection paper.)

For the grade of "B": 1) you must complete the requirements for the grade of “C” with an average grade of 80% on the six tests. 2) you must analyze the case studies in each chapter by summarizing the contents and commenting on their assumptions and purposes. Submit about one typewritten page per case study. Here is a list of case studies: Unit I: none Unit II: pp 65 & 67 Unit III: pp 92, 100, 116, 233, 246, 254 Unit IV: p 170

Unit V: pp 129, 143, 150, 154, 267 Unit VI: pp 305, 312, 318, 326, 329

For the grade of "A": 1) you must complete the requirements for the grade of "B", plus 2) present an in-depth study of one aspect of one religion in the form of a formal paper. Topic to be researched must be accepted by the instructor early in the semester. In order to receive the grade of "A" at the end of the semester, the final draft (along with the annotated bibliography, outline, handwritten notes, and rough draft) should be submitted the week before the end of the semester.

A student will receive a D if their cumulative test average is between 60% and 69% and they have completed the journal assignment.

A student will receive an F if their cumulative test average is below 60% and/or they have not completed the journal assignment.

NOTA BENE: Students are urged to complete their work according to the following schedule: Unit I by the end of week 3 Unit II by the end of week 5 Unit III by the end of week 7 Unit IV by the end of week 9 Unit V by the end of week 11 Unit VI by the end of week 13 Final case studies and term paper due by the end of week 14 (The last week is for teacher evaluation and grading).

If for any reason a student cannot complete the course according to the above schedule, he/she must make this known to the instructor and arrange with him/her an appropriate schedule for completing the course.

INCOMPLETE status will apply to any student who has completed four of the six units of the course and wishes additional time to finish the work. There is a registration procedure and a charge for this status. Students who have completed fewer than four units will be withdrawn from the course and must re-register for the course in the subsequent semester if they wish to complete their work. Students who complete all the requirements for a "C" but who need additional time to complete the "B" or "A" requirements do not need to re-register. Their grade will be changed when the work has been accepted by the instructor.

DEPARTMENT POLICIES :

COLLEGE POLICIES : For information regarding:  Brookdale’s Academic Integrity Code  Student Conduct Code  Student Grade Appeal Process

Please refer to the STUDENT HANDBOOK AND BCC CATALOG .

NOTIFICATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES :

Brookdale Community College offers reasonable accommodations and/or services to persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who wish to self-identify, must contact the Disabilities Services Office at 732-224-2730 or 732-842-4211 (TTY), provide appropriate documentation of the disability, and request specific accommodations or services. If a student qualifies, reasonable accommodations and/or services, which are appropriate for the college level and are recommended in the documentation, can be approved.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT/LABS : Brookdale Community College is special in that it offers more student assistance programs than most colleges. Among these are access to a Learning Assistant who tutors students, a Library that supports research assignments, a Writing team that helps with written assignments, and a Testing Center to allow optimal flexibility for individual study schedules. These and other support services will be discussed at the Orientation session.

Students-especially new students-are encouraged to read the College catalogue and the schedule published by the Registration office. These contain College policies about fees, dates, reimbursements and credits. They constitute the contract between the student and the institution.

Your instructor for this course will be Dr. Robert B. Mellert, Professor of Philosophy at Brookdale. He can be reached in the following ways:

1. Mail. Address materials to: Dr. Robert B. Mellert Department of Philosophy Brookdale Community College Lincroft, New Jersey 07738

2. Mailbox. Materials may be left in the mailbox in the Social Sciences Division Office, MAN Building.

3. Appointment. Regular office hours will be announced at the Orientation session. Other times can be arranged if needed.

4. Telephone. During the business day, you may speak with KAREN SIEBEN, the Learning Assistant, by calling 732-224-2533. Or you may call my personal number, 732-224-2918, and leave me a message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

4. Email. My address is [email protected] A Learning Assistant is available 5 days each week (with varying hours each day) for individual and group tutoring and for testing. If you have any questions about the course material or concerns about the course, please call the Learning Assistant (224-2533) for an appointment. Drop-ins are also welcome. Brookdale provides this added resource free of charge to all students. Don't hesitate to take advantage of this help.

Rev. 6/2005

7/2007