GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY BACHELOR OF ARTS IN LIBERAL STUDIES PROGRAM ZOROASTRIANISM: AN INTRODUCTION BLHV 452-01 Three Credits Summer Semester, 2015 Thursdays: May 21 – August 6 6:00-9:20 pm 640 Mass Ave Campus. Room C230 Joseph E. Jensen, Ph.D. Email: [email protected] Office hours: By appointment on Thursdays after class at the Chinatown campus. Other times by appointment. Use e-mail to make appointment or to contact me. I will respond to all e-mails within thirty- six hours. Ashem Vohu © The British Library Board Righteousness is the best good. It is radiant happiness. Radiant happiness comes to the person to whom righteousness is for the sake of the best righteousness alone. (“Ashen Vohu, The Main Motto”; tr. Jafarey) Truth is best (of all that is good). As desired, what is being desired is truth for Him/him who (represents) best truth. (Ashem Vohu prayer, Y:27:14, Clark, p. 124) Order is the best good reward/possession there is. There are wished-for things in the wish for this one when one’s Order is for the best Order. (Harvard coursebook) Catalog Description: “Zoroastroism: An Introduction” offers an overview of what is generally acknowledged as one of if not the oldest of the world’s living and practiced religions. The content will include the origins of Zoroastrianism, its long history, doctrines and teachings, scriptures, rituals, and the varieties and structures of the religion as it is practiced today. Attention is given to careful reading the Avesta (The Book of the Law), especially the Gathas, and other scriptures, comparing different English translations. Consideration is also given to the historical relationships between Zoroastrianism and the Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and Zoroastrianism’s influences on and contributions to those faiths. 2 Course Objectives: At the completion of this course: 1.) Students will have explored the characteristics that typically constitute a religion, and be able to illustrate how these characteristics apply or do not apply to ancient and modern Zoroastrianism. 2.) Students will have acquired and be able to articulate a basic understanding of the nature of Zoroastrianism as a religion, and its significant doctrines, ethical values, rituals, and practices. 3.) Students will have explored the historical ambiguities and uncertainty surrounding the dates and times of Zarathustra’s life, ministry, and teachings. 4.) Students will have read from multiple English translations the Zoroastrian sacred Scriptures, especially the Avesta, and from experience, be able to discuss the difficulties that arise when anyone seeks to understand and interpret any other’s ancient sacred texts. 5.) Students will be able to outline and trace the history of Zoroastriansim from the Persian empire down to modern times, and show how this history relates to the two branches of Zoroastrianism that we find today. 6.) Students will have explored the similarities and possible relationships between Zoroastrianism and the three “Abrahamic faiths [Judaism, Christianity, and Islam]”, and demonstrate a familiarity with the on-going debates regarding Zoroastrianism’s possible doctrinal contributions to these three faiths. 7.) Students will have become familiar with contemporary Zoroastrianism including doctrinal and cultural issues between its two branches, and the difficulties modern Zoroastrians face in striving to maintain religious and cultural identity in the midst of Western cultural settings. 8.) In keeping with the major goals of the Liberal Studies program, students will be able to address the relevance of Zoroastrian values in discussions of relationships between the human and the divine, the individual and society, and identity and difference, especially as this relates to gender roles, to authority [how it is construed, exercised, and challenged] and to ethics and justice. Required Textbooks: Peter Clark. Zoroastrianism: An Introduction to an Ancient Faith. Sussex. 1998. ISBN 978-1- 898723-78-3 Jenny Rose. Zoroastrianism: An Introduction. I.B. Tauris, 2011. ISBN 978-1-84885-088-0. Mary Boyce. Textual Sources for the Study of Zoroastrianism. University of Chicago Press, 1990. ISBN 978-0-226-06930-2. Paul Kriwaczek. In Search of Zarathustra: Across Iran and Central Asia to Find The First Prophet. Vintage, 2004. ISBN 978-1-4000-3142-9. M. C. West. Hymns of Zoroaster: A New Translation of the Most Sacred Ancient Texts of Iran. I.B. Tauris. 2010. ISBN 978-1-84885-505-2 All are available from the University bookstore, and from dealers on the internet. All other readings for this class are available online or will be available on Blackboard. For each class, we will read a selection from the Avesta, the Zoroastrian scriptures. Your experience in reading the Avesta could vary wildly depending on the translation you choose. For each 3 assigned reading from the Avesta, in addition to West’s text, please refer to at least two other translations. You can find these easily on-line. Make copies and bring them copies to class. Useful websites: http://avesta.org/ http://fezana.org/ http://www.zarathushtra.com/ http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~iranian/Zoroastrianism/ Attendance: Students are expected to be on time and present for each meeting of this class. In accord with BALS policy, students with two or more absences, excused or unexcused, may receive a failing grade for the course. Class Requirements: Attendance and participation (5% of grade). One 5 - 6 page paper on the topic “What Constitutes a Religion” (15 % of grade) due Thursday, June 4. One 7 – 9 page paper on the topic “Monotheism and the Problem of Evil in Zoroastrianism” (25 % of grade) due Thursday, July 9. One 7 – 9 page paper on the topic “Zoroastrianism’s relationships with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Similarities and / or Influences” (25 % of grade) due Monday, August 10. Weekly Reflections: (together 30% of grade). The reflection is to devote at least one page [c. 360 words] to a question or concept posted on Blackboard regarding the week’s readings, and the remainder to the student’s questions and insights from the readings as a whole. Reflection is an essential counterpart to reading. For this class, you will be asked to do this actively, reflecting on the assigned readings by writing 2-3 pages to be completed and submitted to Turnitin prior to the beginning of class. The Reflections will be graded on Turnitin within two weeks. Reflections will be graded with: A “meets and exceeds expectations” B “meets expectations” C “adequate” but some spelling, grammar, or content problems D “not adequate” because of significant spelling or grammar issues, or content not related to the assigned readings. After you have responded to the weekly question or posted topic, You should prepare a paragraph or two of concise summary of the readings or passages that motivated your insights and questions. You are not expected to expound expert theories, or detail vast amounts of independent research. You are, however, expected to offer a genuine response to the reading, which includes raising questions, drawing connections to earlier readings, exploring similarities between Zoroastrian and non-Zoroastrian texts, teasing out murky passages, chasing elusive concepts, etc. For example, at the beginning of class during Week 2, your reflection will be a collection of your insights about what makes something a religion. At the beginning of class in Week 3, you would might focus your questions and insights to Yasna 29 or on Chapter 1 from Kriwaczek’s book, In Search of Zarathustra, or both. Final Reflection: Your final reflection paper should “reflect on the entire course and its pertinence to the major themes of the core curriculum” discussed in the “Course Objectives” section above. “Student insights into these topics will” also “be the discussion material for the last class”. Late papers will be accepted up to one week after the due date and will be penalized by one grade reduction, i.e. a late “B” paper will receive a “B-“. All papers will be graded on Turnitin within two weeks of receipt. [See scoring for essays above]. 4 Grading: The final grade for the course will be calculated as follows: 93-100 % = A 77 - 79 % = C+ 90 - 92 % = A- 73 - 76 % = C 87 - 89 % = B+ 70 - 72 % = C- 83 - 86 % = B 67 - 69 % = D+ 80 - 82 % = B- 60 - 66 % = D Below 60 % = F Effort: This is a content intensive course. Students should expect to spend on average 350 minutes [about 6 hours] each week in reading, preparing assignments, and writing essays and papers for this course. Keeping up with the readings and written assignments is essential. There are no tests and no final exam for this course. Evaluation of student performance is based on attendance, preparation reflected in active class participation and weekly essay submissions, and timely submission of three assigned papers. Incomplete grades: Should a student require an extension of time to complete the required coursework, the student must discuss this with the professor, fill out the Request for incomplete form, and submit it to the Associate Dean prior to the last regular class session (Thursday, August 6). Disabilities: If you are a student with a documented disability who requires accommodations or if you think you may have a disability and want to inquire about accommodations, please contact the Academic Resource Center at 202-687-8354 or [email protected]. Georgetown Honor System: All students are expected to follow Georgetown's honor code unconditionally. We assume you have read the honor code material located at www.georgetown.edu/honor, and in particular have read the following documents: Honor Council Pamphlet, What is Plagiarism, Sanctioning Guidelines, and Expedited Sanctioning Process. Papers in this course will all be submitted to turnitin.com for checking. Submitting material in fulfillment of the requirements of this course means that you have abided by the Georgetown honor pledge: In the pursuit of the high ideals and rigorous standards of academic life, I commit myself to respect and uphold the Georgetown Honor System: To be honest in any academic endeavor, and to conduct myself honorably, as a responsible member of the Georgetown community, as we live and work together.