CULTS AND RELIGIONS RELS H295-033 TR 2:00-3:15 p.m. Bobet 216

Instructor: Dr. Catherine Wessinger Office hours: Office phone: 504-865-3182 TR 9:30-10:45, Cell: 504-228-3164 and in the window (12:30-1:45) and Office location: 406 Bobet after 5:00 p.m. by appointment [email protected] http://www.loyno.edu/~wessing

Course Description: This research seminar will utilize the cultural debate about whether “” are religions to explore methodologies and issues in the academic study of religions. The seminar will acquaint students with the primary scholarly categories of religious phenomena, which are relevant to analyzing mainstream religious traditions as well as new and unconventional religions. Students will critically evaluate information on cults or new religious movements through reading about and discussion of case studies and doing their own research.

Objective: The student will learn how to employ history of religions and sociology of religions methodologies in the study of religions. The student will gain enhanced ability to evaluate sources of information. Students will learn how to evaluate truth claims on the part of religious believers, their opponents, the media, and scholars. They will gain experience in articulating their own analyses in writing and orally. Students will benefit from mentoring through the process of researching and writing a Term Paper.

Learning Outcomes: Students will master history of religions and sociological terminology and theories relevant to the study of religions. They will gain a sense of how religions are popularly judged as being either mainstream or marginal, and discern the outcomes of these popular evaluations. They will learn about: whether the “” theory is scientifically valid; the significance of millennial beliefs in many new religious movements; the role of charisma and types of leadership in new religions; how charismatic religious leadership becomes routinized in institutionalized structures; gender roles and roles of women in alternative religions; factors involved in cases of violence involving religious believers; conceptions of the Divine in new movements that differ from mainstream beliefs about God and their social implications; the processes involved in the maturation of new religious movements; and the ways members of alternative religions may address tensions between their group and mainstream society. Students gain an appreciation of the humanity of persons who belong to and practice the variety of religions in society, and how some religious beliefs and practices are benign and some religious beliefs and practices contribute to harm.

1 Required Texts:

Douglas E. Cowan and David G. Bromley, Cults and New Religions: A Brief History, 2nd ed. (Wiley Blackwell, 2015). ISBN: 978-1-118-72210-7. $32.75. COWAN & BROMLEY.

Laura Vance, Women in New Religions (New York University Press, 2015). ISBN: 978- 1-4798-1602-6. $17.00. VANCE.

Selected PDF articles available on Blackboard. PDF.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DR. WESSINGER WILL BE OUT OF THE COUNTRY DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE COURSE. SHE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH THE CLASS VIA BLACKBOARD. STUDENTS NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ENROLLED IN THE BLACKBOARD. IF YOU HAVE ANY DIFFICULTIES LOGGING INTO BLACKBOARD FOR “CULTS & RELIGIONS” CONTACT PEYTON BURGESS, 106 MONROE LIBRARY, [email protected], IN THE MONROE LIBRARY TO RECEIVE HELP. OTHER LIBRARY STAFF CAN ALSO HELP YOU WITH BLACKBOARD PROBLEMS.

DURING THE FIRST WEEK WHEN DR. WESSINGER IS AWAY, STUDENTS SHOULD DO THE ASSIGNED READINGS, WRITE THE ASSIGNED REFLECTION PAPER, AND MAKE THE ASSIGNED POSTS TO THE DISCUSSION BOARDS. DR. WESSINGER WILL MEET WITH THE CLASS BEGINNING ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1.

T Aug 25 Introduction: What is a ? What is a religion? Assignment 1: Write a reflection paper (no more than 1 page)—without doing any research—describing your views on the following questions: What is a cult? What is a religion? What characteristics, if any, distinguish the two? What are your reasons for your answers to these questions? This essay is worth 5 points. It will not be graded. To get the 5 points you must upload the typed essay (saved as Word .doc or .docx) to the SafeAssign link under Course Material on Blackboard on August 25-26. The SafeAssign link will close on August 26 at 11:59 p.m. If an essay is not uploaded, it receives a 0. You will write another essay at the end of the course answering these questions again. Assignment 2: On the Introductions Blackboard, introduce yourself to the class. Give your name, year, major, minor (if any), state where you are from; what religion (if any) you were raised in; what religion (if any) you are now; and what unconventional religions you have direct experience with (as opposed to exposure through the media). Assignment 3: Start looking for a popular book—an autobiography (memoir) or a work written for proselytizing purposes by a member or former member of an unconventional religion or an exposé written by a journalist—and also a scholarly book about the same unconventional religion (stay away from anticult literature)

2 for the Mini-Review Essay. During the following week I will schedule a meeting with each student to discuss the selection of 2 books for the Mini-Review Essay, which is due before Mid-Term. Also give thought to the religious group and topic you want to explore in your Term Paper. It will be helpful if you are able to research the same group for the Term Paper that you read about to write the Mini-Review Essay, but this is not required.

R Aug 27 Cults and Religions: Introduction Assignment: Read the following assignments and make thoughtful posts to the Further Discussions Board (on Blackboard) about your reactions to the readings and what you learned from them. COWAN & BROMLEY: “Cults and New Religions: A Primer,” 1-17. PDF: Catherine Wessinger, “New Religious Movements: An Overview,” 6513-20. Assignment: Meet with Brian Sullivan in Monroe Library for a class on library resources for research on new religious movements. Location in the Library to be announced.

[F Aug 28 Last day to add.]

T Sept 1 Who Joins New Religions and the Brainwashing Debate PDF: Lorne L. Dawson, “Who Joins New Religious Movements and Why: Twenty Years of Research and What Have We Learned? 116-30. PDF: James T. Richardson, “A Critique of ‘Brainwashing’ Claims about New Religious Movements,” 160-66.

R Sept 3 The Social Construction of Cults PDF: Douglas E. Cowan, “Constructing the New Religious Threat: Anticult and Countercult Movements,” 317-30. PDF: Anson Shupe, “ Violence: The Logic, Perpetration, and Outcomes of Coercive Intervention,” 397-412.

[F Sept 4 Last day to drop.]

T Sept 8 This is the first class for which students will post 3 discussion questions to the Discussion Question Board on Blackboard. The 3 discussion questions must be posted the night before each class with assigned readings or viewings. Read: COWAN & BROMLEY: “The Unification Church/The Federation: The Brainwashing/Deprogramming Controversy,” 78-98. Instructor meets with students this week to discuss selection of 2 books for Mini-Review Essay and selection of a research topic for the Term Paper.

3 R Sept 10 Charismatic Religious Leadership PDF: Catherine Wessinger, “Charismatic Leaders in New Religions,” 80-96. PDF: Ji Zhe, “Expectation, Affection and Responsibility: The Charismatic Journey of a New Buddhist Group in Taiwan,” 48-68.

T Sept 15 Millennialism PDF: Catherine Wessinger, “Millennialism in Cross-Cultural Perspective,” 3-23. PDF: David G. Bromley and Catherine Wessinger, “Millennial Visions and Conflict with Society,” 191-212. Instructor’s meetings with students on their Mini-Review Essay books and their research topic and sources for the Term Paper continue this week.

R Sept 17 Catholic New Religious Movements & Charisma PDF: Deborah Halter, “Charisma in Conyers: A Journey from Visionary to Apparition Site to Church,” 108-14. PDF: Anna-Karina Hermkens, “Marian Movements and Secessionist Warfare in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea,” 35-54.

T Sept 22 Social Construction of the Charisma of the Founder of Mormonism PDF: Christopher James Blythe, “‘Would to God, Brethren, I Could Tell You Who I Am!’ Nineteenth-century Mormonism and the Apotheosis of ,” 5-27.

R Sept 24 Women in the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church or Mormon Church VANCE: “Mormonism: Gendering the Heavens,” 19-48. PDF: Interview with Kate Kelly: “Seeking Equality in the LDS Church: Activism for Women’s Ordination”

T Sept 29 , , and Movements PDF: Catherine Wessinger, Dell deChant, and William Michael Ashcraft, (Women in) “Theosophy, New Thought, and New Age Movements,” 753-68. COWAN & BROMLEY: “Ramtha and the New Age: The Question of ‘Dangerous Cult,’” 59-77.

R Oct 1 ’s : A UFO Religion (or ET-inspired Religion) Edward Curtis, “Science and Technology in Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam: Astrophysical Disaster, Genetic Engineering, UFOs, White Apocalypse, and Black Resurrection,” 35 double-spaced pages in manuscript format.

4 T Oct 6 The Church of (Another ET-inspired Religion): The Question of Religion COWAN & BROMLEY: “The : The Question of Religion,” 18-37.

R Oct 8 Mini-Review Essay is due. The Church of Scientology PDF: Benjamin E. Zeller, “The “Going Clear” Documentary: A Matter of Framing,” 17 double-spaced pages in manuscript format. MOVIE IN CLASS: We will watch in class the first half of the HBO movie, Going Clear: The Prison of Belief (2 hours)

T Oct 13 Off – Fall Break

R Oct 15 and PDF: Catherine Wessinger, “1978-Jonestown,” 72 double-spaced pages in manuscript format. EXPLORE THE WEBSITE: Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple, http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/ WEB: Catherine Wessinger, “The Problem Is Totalism, Not ‘Cults’: Reflections on the Thirtieth Anniversary of Jonestown” (2008), http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=31459 Follow-up Meetings with students about the topics for their Term Papers this week.

[F Oct 16 Mid-Term Grades due]

T Oct 20 Draft Bibliography and Outline for the Term Paper are due via SafeAssign link. Peoples Temple and Jonestown WATCH MOVIE BEFORE COMING TO CLASS, STREAMING VIDEO ON BLACKBOARD: PBS American Experience, Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (90 mins.) (DVD 003025) PDF: Rebecca Moore, “Narratives of Persecution, Suffering, and Martyrdom: Violence in Peoples Temple and Jonestown,” 95-111. WEB: Catherine Wessinger, “Last Questions for Jonestown” (2013), http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=40133

R Oct 22 The Children of God/ COWAN & BROMLEY: “The Children of God/The Family International: The Issue of Sexuality,” 99-119. VANCE: “The Family International: Sexualizing Gender,” 77-100.

[F Oct. 23 Last Day to Withdraw]

5

T Oct 27 Heaven’s Gate (Another ET-inspired Religion) COWAN & BROMLEY: “Heaven’s Gate: The Question of Cults and Violence—Part II,” 141-60.

R Oct 29 Assaulted New Religious Movements PDF: Michaelene E. Pesantubbee, “From Vision to Violence: The Wounded Knee Massacre,” 62-81. PDF: Christine Steyn, “Millenarian Tragedies in South Africa: The Xhosa Cattle- Killing Movement and the Bulhoek Massacre,” 185-202. PDF: James T. Richardson and Bryan Edelman, “State-Sponsored Violence against the in China,” 379-96.

T Nov 3 The WEB: Catherine Wessinger, “Branch Davidians (1981-2006),” http://www.wrs.vcu.edu/profiles/BranchDavidians.htm COWAN & BROMLEY: “The Siege at Waco and the Problem of Mass Media,” and “Researching the Branch Davidians,” 131-40. PDF: Catherine Wessinger, “FBI Memos on the Branch Davidians’ Apocalyptic Theology,” 13 double-spaced pages in manuscript format

R Nov 5 The Branch Davidians WATCH MOVIE BEFORE COMING TO CLASS, STREAMING VIDEO ON BLACKBOARD: Waco: The Rules of Engagement (136 mins.) (DVD 000553)

T Nov 10 Draft Term Paper is due for comments from instructor. Submit the Draft Term Paper via the SafeAssign link on Blackboard. The Branch Davidians PDF: Stuart A. Wright, “Anatomy of a Government Massacre: Abuses of Hostage-Barricade Protocols during the Waco Standoff,” 39-68. PDF: Catherine Wessinger, “Deaths in the Fire at the Branch Davidians Mount Carmel: Who Bears Responsibility?” 25-60.

R Nov 12 COWAN & BROMLEY: “Wicca and Witchcraft: Confronting Age-old Cultural Fears,” 161-80. VANCE: “Wicca: Valuing the Feminine,” 101-20.

T Nov 17 Muslim New Religious Movements:

6 WEB: Adil Hussain Khan, “Ahmadiyya,” http://www.wrs.vcu.edu/profiles/Ahmadiyya.htm Radical Islamist/Jihadist Movements PDF: Jeffrey T. Kenney, “Millennialism and Radical Islamist Movements,” 688- 713. WEB: Jeffrey T. Kenney,” “Islamic State,” http://www.wrs.vcu.edu/profiles/IslamicState.htm GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Adil Hussain Khan

R Nov 19 No class meeting today. Read the assigned chapter and post your thoughts on it on the Further Discussions Board. Transcendental Meditation COWAN & BROMLEY: “Transcendental Meditation: The Questions of Science and Therapy,” 38-58.

T Nov 24 No class.

R Nov. 26 Thanksgiving

T Dec 1 COWAN & BROMLEY: “Rethinking Cults: The Significance of New Religious Movements,” 181-203. VANCE: “Conclusion,” 121-29.

R Dec 3 ALL TERM PAPERS ARE DUE Student Presentations

T Dec 8 Student Presentations

R Dec 10 Student Presentations Ungraded reflection paper is due on this date via the SafeAssign link addressing the following questions: What is a cult? What is a religion? What characteristics, if any, distinguish the two? What are your reasons for your answers to these questions? How does the academic study of new and alternative religions shed light on religions in general? Last day a Religious Visit Report for 10 points extra credit may be turned in via the SafeAssign link.

Text Resources for the Study of New Religions:

A number of the significant scholarly texts on new religious movements have been put on reserve for this course in the Monroe Library. They include:

7 George D. Chryssides and Benjamin E. Zeller, eds., The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements Dereck Daschke and W. Michael Ashcraft, New Religious Movements: A Documentary Reader Lorne L. Dawson, Comprehending Cults: The Sociology of New Religious Movements Eugene V. Gallagher and W. Michael Ashcraft, eds., Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, 5 vols. Olav Hammer and Mikael Rothstein, eds., The Cambridge Companion to New Religious Movements (ebook) ––––––, eds., Handbook of the Theosophical Current J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America Timothy Miller, ed., America’s Alternative Religions (ebook) ––––––, ed., When Prophets Die: The Postcharismatic Fate of New Religious Movements Susan J. Palmer, Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers, Lovers: Women’s Roles in New Religions Catherine Wessinger, ed., The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism ––––––, ed., Women’s Leadership in Marginal Religions: Explorations outside the Mainstream

Also of great use in researching new and alternative religions is the journal : The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions available in the Periodicals section on the second floor of Monroe Library and online through the Monroe Library. See the Nova Religio website at www.novareligio.org. If you need assistance in accessing a Nova Religio article, ask Dr. Wessinger.

Websites on New Religions:

World Religions and Spirituality Project/VCU [The professor places priority on this website] http://www.has.vcu.edu/wrs/index.html

CESNUR: Center for Studies on New Religions http://www.cesnur.org

Religious Tolerance: Cults and NRMs http://www.religioustolerance.org/cultmenu.htm

Skepsis: Online Texts about Cults and New Religions http://www.skepsis.nl/onlinetexts.html

Course Requirements

The Final Grade for the course is based on Class Participation (95 pts., 31.6% of the Final Grade), Further Discussions Board Participation (20 pts., 6.6% of the grade), a Mini-Review Essay (80 pts., 26.6% of the grade), a Term Paper (95 pts., 31.6% of grade), an ungraded short reflection essay at the beginning of the course (5 pts., 1.6% of grade) and another

8 ungraded reflection essay at the end of the course (5 pts., 1.6% of grade). A total of 300 pts. may be earned by doing this work.

The Mid-Term Grade will be based on: the first ungraded short reflection essay (5 pts.); Class Participation (45 pts); Further Discussions Board Participation (10 pts.); and the Mini-Review Essay (80 pts) = 140 pts.

A student may earn up to 10 points extra credit by doing a Field Visit involving participant- observation with an alternative or unconventional religion and writing a Religious Visit Report following the guidelines on the Religious Visit Report Handout. Before going, consult with the professor about the unconventional religious group that you plan to visit. (The Religious Visit Report will not be calculated into the Mid-Term Grade. It will be calculated into the Final Grade.)

GRADING SCALE: A - 92%; B - 83%; C - 71%; D - 65%.

Class Participation

This is an Honors Seminar, so it is expected that students do the assigned readings before coming to class. Occasionally a movie is assigned for viewing before class. These movies will be available on Blackboard as streaming video. Students should come to class prepared to discuss the information in the assigned readings and viewings.

Get a notebook for this course. Take notes on terms and definitions that you find in the readings. Greater memory retention will occur if you write your notes of definitions of key terms and the main points in the readings, and perhaps type them later (as you choose). You may well use these terms and their definitions and other points made in the readings in your Mini-Review Essay and your Term Paper.

The Class Participation grade includes a post of 3 discussion questions to the Discussion Question Board the night before each class. On the morning of the day of the class, the professor will read over these discussion questions, and select questions to initiate discussion in the classroom on those topics.

The professor has posted a prompt on the Discussion Question Board for each class. Scroll to the bottom of the list of prompts to find the prompts for the classes at beginning of the course.

Each student should post her or his 3 discussion questions to the prompt the night before the class. If more than one reading or viewing assignment is given for that class, the student’s 3 discussion questions may be divided among the different assignments as the student chooses. There should be a discussion question for each of the assignments for that class.

Do not compose discussion questions that are answered yes or no or by simple facts. The discussion questions should provoke thought and analysis based on that reading (or viewing) and

9 how it relates to understanding unconventional religions in particular and religions in general.

A discussion question must be relevant to the readings and viewings assigned for that class. A discussion question must address a significant issue presented in the reading or viewing. A discussion question should provoke consideration of the significance of the information and analysis in the assigned reading or viewing for understanding of religions and society.

Class Participation, which includes posting 3 discussion questions the night before each class, consistent attendance, and active participation in classroom discussions, counts 95 points or 31.6% of the Final Grade.

Further Discussions Board Participation

A “Further Discussions Board” is set up on Blackboard. This Discussion Board is different from the Discussion Question Board.

A student should aim to make at least one thoughtful post per week on the Further Discussions Board relating the assigned readings and viewings for that week to additional information that the student has located on the Internet or in books and articles.

The deadline for the weekly post is Saturday night before 11:59 p.m. Missed weekly posts may not be made up in subsequent weeks.

The Further Discussions Board will be a freewheeling Discussion Board for additional discussion of topics we are studying. Students may relate the subject matter to topics and issues in the news; they may respond to questions or articles posted there by the instructor; they may ask questions, make observations, and post interesting news articles that relate to the religions; students may respond to posts made by other students. This is a Discussion Board, so be sure to read other students’ posts and the professor’s clarifying comments. Credit is given for thoughtful responses to any of these. Students are encouraged to initiate their own threads.

When a student posts a URL for a news article, video, or website to the Further Discussions Board, the student should summarize what she or he found of interest in it and indicate how it relates to the topics being studied.

To participate fully on the Further Discussions Board, the student should make at least one thoughtful post for each week of the course. Posts that do not reflect much thought will not be given the same credit as thoughtful posts.

It goes without saying that in an Honors Seminar posts to the Further Discussions Board should be written using correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. Do not use abbreviated text such as used in text messages.

Mini-Review Essay

The Mini-Review Essay is due on October 8 via the SafeAssign link on Blackboard. It counts 80

10 points, 26.6% of the grade.

SafeAssign checks for plagiarism. Know what plagiarism is and do not do it. See the university’s policy on plagiarism below on this syllabus.

Each student will meet with the professor during the week of September 7 to discuss options for the 2 books to be treated in the Mini-Review Essay, and also research topics for the Term Paper.

Follow-up meetings with the professor will be scheduled during the week of September 14.

Below is the process that should be followed in selecting the 2 books and writing the Mini- Review Essay.

Step 1 Select a you are interested in reading about. You may already have something in mind. If not, browse any of the recommended resources mentioned above that are on reserve.

Step 2 Find two books to read about the same new religious movement: one that is “academic” and one that is “popular.” • Academic book: Features of an academic book might include the following: it contains footnotes or endnotes; it was published by a university press or other reputable scholarly publisher; it was written by a professor. Do not select an edited book of collected essays. Do not select a book that is obviously anticult in orientation. • Popular book: Popular works include autobiographies by members or former members, exposés by journalists, books by insiders that explain the faith or proselytize, or any other books about the group that are written for a general audience. The writings of anticultists and countercultists (evangelical Christians concerned with combating ) fall into the popular book category. However, the professor will give priority to books written by members or former members of a new religion, because these are more likely to provide insider information about the group.

For this step you will almost certainly need to look further than the Monroe Library, though you should certainly start there. Consider using interlibrary loan or buying something from Amazon, either of which will take a little time and pre-planning. If you are having trouble with this step, please ask me for suggestions!

Step 3 Get clearance for your reading plan from the professor. No two students will be permitted to read the exact same texts (though you may work on the same groups), so you must get the professor’s approval of the books before you begin your project. To get clearance, submit something in writing (email is fine) about exactly what you plan to read; I may need you to bring in the items so I can take a look at them. I will let you know whether your project is approved as quickly as possible.

Step 4 Consult with the professor in a face-to-face meeting about the 2 books for your Mini- Review Essay and possible topics for your Term Paper.

11

Step 5 Read both books that have been approved for the Mini-Review Essay, taking careful notes. Keep a record of questions that arise as you go along (they may come in handy for your Term Paper).

Step 6 Write a paper that evaluates the two books as sources for learning about the religious group in question. Provide an overview of each book, such as its basic content, organization, and source material. Then, evaluate the quality of the two books, including information such as the following: • What are the strengths and weaknesses of each book? • What kind of understanding does a reader gain from each one? • What kind of readers would each one appeal to? • In what way(s) might the popular book be useful for an academic audience? • In your Mini-Review Essay, be sure to write an Introduction introducing the 2 books and their topics and stating your review essay’s thesis, and a Conclusion that summarizes your thesis using different wording. • In the Mini-Review Essay subheadings are optional. If you choose not to use subheadings, make sure that the essay moves smoothly from one topic to the next.

As much as possible, put the two books in conversation with each other. Explain what a person will learn about the group when reading this particular combination of texts.

Although you may spend a small amount of space in the Mini-Review Essay explaining the group itself, the bulk of your Mini-Review Essay should be an evaluation and comparison of the texts, not the group.

As you write the Mini-Review Essay, make sure that your review essay contains all the components listed on the Mini-Review Essay Checklist (available on Blackboard).

The Mini-Review Essay should be 7-10 pages in length, typed, double-spaced. It should have margins of 1” on each side and be in 12 pt. type, Times New Roman font.

Term Paper

The Term Paper, which is due on December 3, via a SafeAssign link on Blackboard, counts 95 pts., 31.6% of grade. Beginning on December 3, there will be three days of student presentations in class on their Term Papers. The presentations will count as part of the Class Participation grade.

Beginning on Wednesday, October 14 there will be follow-up meetings with students about their topics and sources for the Term Papers. Perhaps by this time the student has decided to research a topic different from the one discussed with the professor at the beginning of the course. Perhaps the student has a better idea of how she or he wants to focus the topic.

12 On October 20 the student’s draft bibliography and outline for the Term Paper are due via a SafeAssign link. These will not be graded. The professor will read over them and provide feedback.

On November 10 the student’s draft Term Paper is due via a SafeAssign link. It will not be graded. The professor will read the draft paper and write comments about how to improve the paper.

The Term Papers are due on December 3 via a SafeAssign link on Blackboard.

The topic of the Term Paper may or may not relate to the topic of the student’s Mini-Review Essay, depending on the student’s preference. The Term Paper should focus on either: (a) an argument you wish to make; or (b) a question (or small set of questions) you seek to answer for yourself.

If you have absolutely no idea what you would like to research, consider this: What new questions did the Mini-Review Essay cause you to have? What topic(s) did it make you have an interest in learning more about? Are you interested in a particular group, or a kind of social dynamic manifested in an unconventional religion?

Your Term Paper should utilize at least 7 academic sources that are outside of our assigned course materials. You may also make use of relevant course readings, as you choose.

The Term Paper should be 15-20 pages in length.

The Term Paper should have footnotes in the Chicago Manual of Style format. The Nova Religio articles assigned in this course have endnotes in Chicago Manual of Style format. You can follow the Nova Religio model of citations for the footnotes in your Term Paper.

The Term Paper should have margins of 1” on each side of the page and be in 12 pt. type, Times New Roman font, double-spaced.

Ungraded Short Reflection Essays

Students are asked to write a short reflection essay at the beginning of the course, and another short reflection essay for the last day of the course. Each one will count 5 pts., each being 1.6% of the final grade.

The questions for the two reflection papers are given on the syllabus.

The short reflection papers will not be graded. The student will submit the reflection essay via a SafeAssign link on Blackboard.

13 Extra Credit Religious Visit Report

The student has the option of doing Field Research (participant-observation) to write a Religious Visit Report, which counts as 10 pts. extra credit. The Religious Visit Report will be graded.

The assignment is to attend a worship service or a lecture or some other religious activity by members of an unconventional religion. The student should consult with the professor about which religious groups fulfill the stipulation of being new or alternative religions, and how the student should dress to make the visit. It should be a religion with which the student has not had previous direct contact.

Before going on the Religious Visit, the student should read the Religious Visit Report Handout instructions (available on Blackboard) to know what he or she should be looking for during the visit.

When writing the Religious Visit Report the student should follow the outline on the Religious Visit Report handout.

Immediately after making the Religious Visit, the student should write down notes and information observed. The Religious Visit Report should be written as soon as possible after the visit so the student’s memory of the visit will be fresh.

The Religious Visit Report may be turned in any time during the semester via the designated SafeAssign link. December 10 is the last day a Religious Visit Report may be turned in via the SafeAssign link. The link becomes inactive at 11:59 p.m.

Policy on Laptops and Tablets in the Classroom

It has become evident that with wireless access to the Internet, laptops and tablets have been used for other purposes besides taking notes. Therefore, laptops and tablets are distractions in the classroom.

There is no need to have a laptop or tablet in an Honors Seminar. The students should be focused on the discussion.

Students are forbidden to use laptops and tablets to take notes in the classroom. Each student should bring a notebook and pen to take notes as needed.

Policy on Cell Phones, Text-Messaging, Smart Watches

The student should make every effort to turn off his or her cell phone before entering the classroom.

Any student observed text-messaging or reading their phone or smart watch in class will be counted absent for that class period and asked to leave.

14

Learning Abilities

If a student demonstrates difficulty with grammar skills or demonstrates repeated problems with some aspect of grammar, he or she may be required to seek a grammar tutor or the services of Loyola’s WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum). The WAC lab is located at the west end of the ground floor of Bobet Hall.

Emergency Cancellations Due to Evacuations

In the event that there is an interruption to our course due to the cancellation of classes by the university as a result of an emergency, we will continue our course on Blackboard within 48 hours after cancellation. All students are required to sign on to Blackboard and to keep up with course assignments within 48 hours of evacuation and routinely check for announcements and course materials associated with each class. Class handouts will be posted under “Course Materials.”

Students should be familiar with their responsibilities during emergencies, including pre- evacuation and post-evacuation for hurricanes. This information is available on the Academic Affairs website: http:// http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/students-emergency-responsibilities. Additional emergency-planning information is also available at: http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/emergency-planning.

University Policy on Cheating & Plagiarism

The university’s policy on cheating and plagiarism is found at http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/records/integrity-scholarships-and-grades. It states:

The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and scholars. The university expects that both faculty and students will follow these principles and, in so doing, protect the validity of the university grades. Instructors will exercise care in the planning and supervision of academic work so that honest effort will be positively encouraged.

Academic Work

All academic work will be done by the student to whom it is assigned without unauthorized data or help of any kind. A student who supplies another with such data or help is considered deserving of the same sanctions as the recipient. Specifically, cheating, plagiarism, and misrepresentation are prohibited. Plagiarism is defined by Alexander Lindley as “the false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person’s mind, and presenting it as one’s own” (Plagiarism and Originality). “Plagiarism may take the form of repeating another’s sentences as your

15 own, adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, paraphrasing someone else’s argument as your own, or even presenting someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it were your own.” (MLA Handbook, 1985). A student who is found to have cheated on any examination may be given a failing grade in the course. In case of a second violation, the student may be excluded for one or two terms or dismissed from the university.

A student who engages in cheating, plagiarism, or misrepresentation on term papers, seminar papers, quizzes, laboratory reports, and such, may receive a failing grade in the course. In such case, the student will not be permitted to withdraw from the course (even if the withdrawal request is prior to the final date to withdraw). A second offense may be cause for exclusion or dismissal from the university. Faculty members are required to report immediately to the dean of the student’s college any case of cheating, plagiarism, or misrepresentation which he or she has encountered and, later, the manner in which it was resolved.

16