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Home , Abrahamic religions, Liturgy

189: Abrahamic Spring 2013

Dr. L. Porter E-mail: [email protected] Office: 210 Kirby Hall Office Phone: 245-3429 Office hours: M-F 10 -11 AM; MWF 1:15-2:30; and by appointment. Fax: 245-3480 Class web site: www2.ic.edu/aporter/189.html

Class time: Tu-Fr 11-11:50; Lincoln 122

Class Description: This class will introduce you to the three religious traditions that trace their heritage to : , , and . Adherents to the latter two religions comprise about 50% of the ’s population, so understanding them is especially important. Judaism is MUCH smaller, but is the ancestor, in some fashion, of the other two religions. Understanding and respecting other religions is especially true for us as Americans. We live in a poly-ethnic, multi-religious society, so knowing about other religions is the duty of an informed and intelligent citizen. Additionally, just as learning a foreign language helps you understand your native tongue better, so studying different religions helps you understand your own tradition. This class will offer students the opportunity to reflect on their own traditions by studying different ways of understanding the divine and how humans relate to it. For this , we will be studying Orthodox Christianity: most IC students who are Christian practice various forms of . This class will look at these three religions, employing a comparative . We will look similar topics in each religious tradition (“what is scripture?” “how do we interpret scripture?”) and notice similarities and differences between them. Finally, and the Middle East are a very important part of American foreign policy, in part because of the importance of the “” to all three of these religions. We will devote some time to learning about the region and how the groups relate in it.

BluePrint Requirements met with this course: Explorations: Social, Spiritual, and Philosophical Issues Embedded Experience: Writing Extensive, Global Awareness Connected Course: Sequentially Bonded to EN173, ED 203. (To qualify for a sequentially bonded class, you need to take the second course in the spring semester)

Learning Goals: The course has the following learning goals: of Basic Terms - every field of study has special vocabulary and to be able to discuss religion(s), you will need to learn some basic vocabulary. Knowledge of distinctive beliefs and practices - religions differ based on their beliefs and practices; we will see that these three religions have some similarities but also significant differences. Familiarity with historic and contemporary issues in religion - that understanding the way these religions interact in the contemporary world is important goes without saying; this class will focus on contemporary events to highlight this. Religion 189: Abrahamic , Page 2

Affirmation of Community Responsibility This course is rooted in IC’s affirmation of Community Responsibility (IC Catalogue 2011-12, p. 161), especially the following: 1 Pursue excellence in academic and co-curricular experiences, and in all activities with support the academic program; 2 Exhibit integrity in intellectual development; 3 Practice responsible and effective communication; and 4 Foster tolerance and respect in our community.

For this class, the most important values are those tolerance and respect. All the religions we study have many adherents who find their religion to be “right.” Since the debate about which religion (if any) is “right” cannot be answered objectively and definitely, this class will not engage in it. Rather, we will see how they address similar issues and concerns for their adherents.

Requirements: 1. Attendance: Most class sessions will be discussions of the assigned readings, so attendance is critical. You are expected to come to class having read the assigned material and be prepared to discuss it. You should be ready to contribute questions, observations, and ideas about the material to be covered each day. Every student is responsible for contributing to the education experience of the class as a whole. Hence, attendance at all class sessions is expected, unless you have an excused absence (as defined on the “Policies” pages below).

2. Learning Experiments This course tries to allow you to experience what it is like to do these religions. So for each religion, we will conduct a week-long learning experiment. You need to document your experiences in a diary for this week. At the end of the experiment, you will write up a “lab report” describing your learning experience (for more on this, see page 4).

3. Field Trips Religions can be studied purely by books, but to be experienced, one needs to observe worshipers doing their religions. So we will have field trips to a , an Orthodox church, and a at the end of the learning experiment week.

You are required to visit these sites. If you have an excused absence (see below) that precludes your coming with the class, you will need to visit the sites on your own, and bring evidence -- such as having your journal signed by the , , or imam -- of having been at the site.

The departure and return time for the three sites are as follows. The dates are listed on the syllabus' calendar. Temple Israel, , 8 am - 1 pm St. Antony's Hellenic Church, Sunday, 9 am - 1 pm Springfield Islamic Center, Friday, 12 noon - 3 pm

More on the field trips (including locations, contact information, and dress-code guidelines) is on the course website. Your observations about the field trip should be included in your learning experiment diary. Religion 189: Abrahamic Faiths, Page 3

4. Exams We will have exams at the end of the Judaism and Christianity modules. We will also have a final exam, which will be 1/2 on Islam and 1/2 on an overall comparison of all three religions.

5. Peace Conference (JPC) Simulation Since one goal for the class is to understand the contemporary situation in the Middle East and how these three religions relate to each other there, we will have a simulation of a peace conference in Jerusalem during the last two weeks of class. The Israel-Palestinian conflict has carried on for over 50 years and, although all sides want peace, the conditions for that peace are very different. We will explore this issue by role-play: each student will be assigned a role to research over the course of the semester and before the JPC, will write a “position paper” describing their group/country's position on the situation in the Holy Land. Students are also expected to follow closely current events in the Middle East and to educate themselves, as necessary, to understand the situation.

6. Reading quizzes We will have periodic reading quizzes on the materials assigned for the course, allowing students to demonstrate their mastery of the material.

7. Extra Credit! A) IC has a Seder meal every spring. You can earn extra credit for this class by attending it. It is about a 90-minute long meal, with much better-than-normal Chartwell’s food and wine. Additionally, you will get to experience (a version) of a Jewish household festival meal. B) You can earn extra credit for sending me links to news stories about Jerusalem, Israel, the Palestinians, and the peace process.

Evaluation: Your final grade will be earned as follows: Module Tests 20% (10% each) Learning Experiment Diary and Analysis: 30% (10% each) JPC position paper: 10% Reading Quizzes 10% Final Exam 20% Attendance & Participation: 5% Creative project: 5%

Reading Material: You are required to purchase the following materials for this class. Prothero, is Not One (ISBN 0061571288) Marks, Judaism for the non- (ISBN 0872432610) Ware, The Orthodox Church (ISBN 0140146563 Sadar and Davies, The No-nonsense guide to Islam (ISBN 1904456618) Potok, The Chosen (ISBN 0449213447) Kahf, The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf (ISBN 0786715197) Religion 189: Abrahamic Faiths, Page 4

Learning Experiments:

You will do three experiments, one for each of the three religions we study, that enact aspects of the religions as they are practiced by adherents. There are several goals for these experiments: 1) To heighten your aesthetic sense of the spiritual. 2) To give you a greater appreciation of what the believers in each tradition do in their religious practice. Most of what we do in college is read texts; these experiments will allow you an approximate experience of the religion. This isn’t “book learning” but “experiential learning.”

During the period of the experiments, you need to pay special attention to how you feel while doing the experiment and record your thoughts and feelings in an experiment notebook. Questions you can answer include: 1) Based on the way you feel during these experiments, why do you think the religions make demands similar to these on their adherents? 2) What do you think it would be like to do these sorts of practices on an on-going, regular basis? Would it heighten your spiritual awareness or not? 3) Compare these practices with those of your tradition. Does your tradition ask you to do anything similar to these observances? If not, why not?

Do not write that you hate the experiment, hate the course for requiring you to participate in the experiment, etc. Griping will evoke no sympathy from me, especially since I will be participating along with you.

At the culmination of the learning experiment, you need to write an analysis of what you learned from conducting the experiment: why do you think the religion makes these sorts of demands on its adherents? how do they affect them in a daily / weekly way? how is it different from your religious practices? does it seem overly burdensome or is there some aspect of the religion you find interesting, thought-provoking, or attractive?

Minimum expectation for the experiment notebook are: At least 150 words (1/2 typed page) per day describing your experience of observing the religion (see below). At least 600 words (2 typed page) describing the field trip experience (see next page) At least 300 words summarizing what you learned from the experiment.

Doing the minimum will result in a grade of B- for the learning experiment notebook. Exceeding the minimum will result in a higher grade; doing less will result in a grade of C or below, depending on how far below the minimum your notebook falls.

The Learning Experiments have been synchronized with the field trips. That is, the field trips scheduled for the class all fall during the week of the Learning Experiment and, in some sense, provide the cumulation of the learning experiment. I have scheduled the class this way so you can discuss your experiences of different religions with the people who do them commonly. This may, for example, provide areas you would like to ask questions of our hosts: where do you get kosher / meat in central ? If you can’t get it, what do you do? do you really get up before dawn for ? Even in the summer, when the sun rises at 5:30? since travels throughout the solar calendar, do you find it harder to fast during the summer or winter?

and so forth. . .

Your friends or may notice your non-typical behavior. Please explain what you are doing and why you are doing it -- you may be able to teach them something about these religions!

======Religion 189: Abrahamic Faiths, Page 5

Judaism: A) For one week, you will modify your diet. You need to decide how you will do this. It is recommended that you observe some or all of the Jewish dietary laws as described by our readings. Or you may define an alternative dietary regime, although if you “roll your own” dietary laws, they have to be substantially different from your typical diet. (But if you are already a vegetarian, you won’t have to make any changes!) B) For one day, you will observe . Our OLR readings will describe what this means for strictly observant . Again, it is recommended that you observe some / most of these customs. But you can define a different of “works” from which you will abstain.

Christianity: A) For one week, you will deprive yourself of something you dearly enjoy (as do for the weeks before , called ). What you give up is your choice, but it needs to be something substantial: no video games? no sex? no chocolate? Whatever it is, it has to be a serious deprivation: if you don’t play video games, are not currently in a sexual relationship or are allergic to chocolate, giving up these items does not deprive you of anything. B) Additionally, you will fast for two days. For the Orthodox, a “fast” means that “no meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, wine or oil are to be eaten” (see http://www.oca.org/OCFasting.asp?SID=2). You will need to discuss how you intend to “fast,” based on discussion from Orthodox web sites (see the course web page). Christians traditionally fast on Wed and Fri, but if you want to fast on different days, that is OK.

Islam: A) For one week, you will “pray” five times per day for 3-5 minutes. You get to choose what your “” will be but it must be something meaningful to you (such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Rosary, or the Pledge of Allegiance). You also get to choose the five times (I don’t expect you to get up at dawn), but one has to be before noon, one has to be between noon and 6 PM, and one has to be after 6 PM; the other two time can be fitted in anywhere in the day, but cannot be within a hour of any other “prayer” time. Your “prayer” times have to be consistent (that is, you cannot move them from day to day), although if you are in class for one of them, you can do them immediately afterwards. Your “prayer” also must involve physical activity: facing a certain direction, doing something unusual with your hands, etc. All of this needs to be described in your experiment notebook along with explanations. B) For one week, you will observe the Islamic dietary laws (see the OLR entry for Halal foods) and abstain from and other intoxicants (legal or illegal). C) You will observe a fast like do during Ramadan: no food or drink (including water) between sunrise and sunset for at least one day.

NOTE: Interestingly, all these learning experiments ask you to modify your diet in some fashion. Following the rules of and halal should pose little problem: you can always eat salads and vegetarian fare (veggies are always kosher/halal) and eating more veggies will almost certainly improve your health. But some individuals have health issues that may make ill-advised. If you have health concerns, please talk to me and/or the school nurse before participating in these experiments.

You are forbidden to participate in these learning experiments if such participation will negatively impact your health. All the traditions make such provisions (pregnant women and nursing mothers, for example, are forbidden to fast, as are the old, infirm, and young children) and we will do so as well. Religion 189: Abrahamic Faiths, Page 6

Field Observation

Studying the from text and videos is but a pale reflection of actually seeing them in practice. Hence, we will visit three religious sites in Springfield to observe services.

Important Caveat / Information: You need not worship with the people being observed, but you must show respect for them and their traditions. Dress appropriately (see below). When in the worship service, stand when they stand, sit when they sit, kneel when they kneel. If you have questions, ask someone in the congregation what is appropriate; if you are unsure, mimic what I and other people are doing. (The Muslims don’t expect us to participate in their prayers at all; we will just sit quietly in the back of the room.) Remember that you are a representative of Illinois College and conduct yourself with grace, politeness, and dignity.

Dress code for all visits: Dressy casual For all sites: both men and women should wear dressy shirts or blouses with long sleeves. Women should wear long skirts or long pants (slacks or khaki’s). Men should wear slacks or khaki’s; a tie and sport coat would be appropriate but not required. The dress code is especially important when visiting the mosque!

Notes for specific sites: Synagogue: Temple Israel, 1140 W Governor St, Springfield, IL, (217) 546-2841

Men will need to wear a kippah (little cap) in the sanctuary of the synagogue (there is a large box of them at the to the sanctuary).

Orthodox Church: St Anthony's Hellenic Orthodox Church, 1600 S Glenwood Ave, Springfield, IL (217) 522-7010

Mosque: Springfield Islamic Center, 3000 Stanton Street, Springfield, IL, (217) 529-8970

Men and women need to remove their shoes before going into the mosque, so wear clean socks without holes. Women will need a scarf to cover their heads in the mosque. Men and women sit in separate areas of the mosque, so don’t be surprised when you are separated from your friends of the opposite gender.

NOTE: DO NOT PHONE THE SITES ON THE DAY OF THE FIELD TRIP!

How / What to Observe?

This assignment asks you to be an anthropologist, studying the worship practices of a different group of people. You need to describe and analyze the following in your learning experiment notebook: Religion 189: Abrahamic Faiths, Page 7

1. How is the worship space organized? How does the architecture signal what is important?

2. How is the worship space decorated? What sorts of artwork are displayed? Does it include figural art? Stylized plants, animals, people, words, etc.? How is the decoration (or lack thereof) related to the religion’s ideas/teachings.

3. We have studied the group’s in class; now you can observe it in practice. How is the religious service organized? How does the service signal what is important? What happens first, second, third?

4. What role does scripture play in the service? All three religions are “religions of the book” -- how is this manifest in the service?

5. How do the people in the worship space relate to each other? to the space? to the leaders? (how do you know who is the leader?) What sort of clothing do they wear? How does their clothing relate to their functions in the religious space? What roles do different people (various leaders, congregrants, etc.) play in the worship service? Can you discern an attitude towards people of other faiths? What is the ethnic or national composition of the congregation? How many people are there? When do they arrive during the service?

You will find it helpful to jot down these observations ASAP. You may want to bring a small notebook to take notes in to the sites. If you do, write quietly and non-disruptively. Or you could plan to jot down your observations after leaving the service (perhaps on the bus ride home).

After visiting the site, you need to write your description and analysis of the worship practice. (Hint: you know you’re doing analysis when you explaining WHY they do whatever they do or WHY the architecture / decorations are designed in a certain manner. You may use phrases such as “this is important because . . .” or “their in ______prompts them to do ______.”)