Salem State University

Interdisciplinary Studies Department

IDS 255-01 (1010)     

Fall, 2021

Comparative Religious Traditions

Instructor: James P. Gubbins

Class Time: HYBRID Wednesday 10:50-12:05

Class Location: Sullivan 206

Office Hours via Zoom or Phone: Tuesdays 10-11:15, Wednesdays 1-2:15, Thursdays 10-11:15, and by appointment

E-mail: jgubbins@salemstate.edu

Catalog description:

This course is an interdisciplinary study of six major world religions—Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity—considering such issues as their moral teachings and practices; historical development; and cultural and geographical settings. The course covers how religions are responsible for significant human achievement in many areas and also a source of joining some persons together in meaning and purpose while excluding and demeaning others. Students will have continued opportunities to consider how their own cultural and religious identities are similar to, and different from, those of others we study, looking especially at how religions have played, and still play, a key role in U.S. history in defining and oppressing segments of society. The course closely and empathetically examines the experiences of those who have been oppressed by religions. Students will come to understand the value and role of interdisciplinary perspectives, synthesis and integration for issues related to power dynamics and social justice.

Prerequisites: None.

Fulfills General Education Categories:

            (PGR) Personal Growth and Responsibility

            (WC) World Cultures

            (DPDS) Diversity, Power Dynamics and Social Justice

Liberal Studies Majors: Counts toward major

Religious Studies Minor: Counts toward minor

Course Narrative:

This course is an interdisciplinary study of six major world religions and their cultures—Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Students consider how moral perspectives and actions play out in their own lives and in wider cultural environments. Through looking at primary texts—including religious scriptures—secondary works, and other media, students will come to understand how they are embedded in a particular culture or set of cultures and religions—even if they happen to be secular—and will get a chance to examine vastly different religions and cultures from around the world. Students will study their own and other religious and cultural traditions by looking at their historical development; cultural and geographical settings; dominant narratives, forms of worship, prayer, and meditation; use of scripture, and their institutional structures which privilege insiders while discriminating against both outsiders and practitioners in various ways (G1 & G2). Students will have continued opportunities to consider how their own cultural and religious or secular identities are similar to, and different from, those of others we study, looking especially at how religions have or have not played, and still serve as an influential role in U.S. history in defining and oppressing segments of society (G3). The course closely and empathetically examines the experiences of those who have been oppressed by religions (G4). Students will come to understand the value and role of interdisciplinary perspectives, synthesis and integration for issues related to power dynamics and social justice (G5). Student work will consist of discussions, papers, and a substantive research and fieldtrip project of their own choosing.

Course Goals:

G1. Students will gain knowledge about the world religions, the cultures in which they are currently practiced, their diverse worldviews, and their ideologies and structures that in some ways create and maintain discrimination and inequality and in other ways undermine and resist discrimination and inequality.

G2. Students will be exposed to, and analyze, the experience of those who due to their religious or secular identity are oppressed by the dominant power structures and ideologies within the U.S. and will assess how their moral behaviors and perspectives affect themselves and others

G3. Students will identify differences and similarities between their own religious or secular culture and identity and those of others, with special attention to the advantages and disadvantages of each, leading to an understanding of the students’ location in current power structures; and in that power structure students will reflect upon their spiritual, emotional and intellectual dimensions of personal growth

G4. Students will be intimately exposed to the diverse perspectives and lives of those within their own and within other religions so as to see how prevailing social structures deny both equality and the valorization of pluralism.

G5. Students will understand the value and role of interdisciplinary perspectives, synthesis and integration for issues related to power dynamics and social justice.

Outcomes (Objectives):

Upon successful completion of the course, students will demonstrate the ability to:

O1. Articulate knowledge of the world religions, their cultures, and their practices both in their source cultures and in the current U.S.

O2. Examine how religious ideologies and structures promote flourishing individuals and communities while also, in various ways, generating and maintaining discrimination and inequality within the community of practitioners and against outsiders.

O3. Articulate an understanding and analysis of individuals and/or communities who due to their religious or secular identity are oppressed in the U.S.

O4. Use varied methodologies from the humanities and human sciences, to explore how the dominant power structures and ideologies within the U.S., both religious and secular, oppress persons and communities. 

O5. Identify differences and similarities between their own religious or secular culture and identity and those of others.

O6. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of their religious or secular identity and come to see their own place in current U.S. power structures.

O7. Through narratives in various media and face-to-face encounters, describe their intimate awareness of and exposure to the diverse perspectives and lives of those within their own and within other religions.

O8. Empathetically characterize in narrative detail how prevailing secular and religious social structures deny equality and pluralism causing harm to individuals

O9. Conduct independent research on topics of interest and use integrative thinking and interdisciplinary research methodologies to engage with issues related to ethics, power dynamics and social justice.

Prelude and Word of Caution

Significant learning is personal transformation. More often than not, transformation is intellectually and emotionally demanding. Whether we come to study the world religions from a position of belief, unbelief, questioning, or near indifference, we are bound to confront some religious phenomena or ideas that are fascinating and others that are troubling, possibly even offensive. It is likely that more than any other social phenomenon, religion is able both to draw people together in harmonious community and to divide people into warring camps. Significant learning in religion requires (a) our most sophisticated critical reflection, (b) openness to the experience and voices of others, (c) honest recognition of our emotional responses, and (d) patience. This course uses public and anonymous forums for all of us to express our views on various aspects of the course. Please note that none of our readings should be considered objective, unbiased accounts of each religion. These authors have made countless choices in describing their particular religion of interest. I have also made choices regarding which books to read and which not to read. Each of our readings is academically sound while also being limited and biased towards some interpretations of their traditions vs. others.

Required Books:

Marcus Borg, Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most (New York: Harper Collins, 2014)

Reza Aslan, No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam (New York: Random House, 2006)

Stephen Wylen, Settings of Silver: An Introduction to Judaism (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1989)

Kim Knott, Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000)

Damien Keown, Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997)

(Website only for Taoism)

Student Experiences:

This course is founded on the pedagogical model of progression of assignments. It starts with near-weekly online discussions. Then there are six short papers, one for each of the world religions studied in the course, that have students choose one of the discussion questions and develop it further. There is also a self-designed project which the students develop in consultation with the professor. This project integrates the student’s prior writing with original, substantive research and a self-designed fieldtrip. IF THE PANDEMIC IS IN FULL SWING, THE FIELDTRIP WILL BE DIGITAL AND REMOTE. This fieldtrip is to a religious or cultural site or another kind of experience that is chosen in consultation with the professor. The readings include religious scriptures and other primary texts within the religious traditions as well as secondary works. Readings and other media also include narratives and descriptions of religious and cultural settings ranging from times and places of the religions’ founding to contemporary settings around the world. Across the traditions, there are discussions of issues including structures and ideologies that support inequality and recurring forms of oppression such as with anti-Semitism in the U.S. Other major topics are introduced within one religious tradition and students are then led to extrapolate how key factors play out in other religions. For example, in Hinduism, students learn of the caste system, and they are asked to find parallels within the U.S.’s system of class and racial-ethnic identity; in Christianity, students learn how patriarchy is thoroughly enacted and promoted in some denominations; in Judaism, students learn the complexity of religious identity which may include denigration of outsiders, insiders, and oneself in some form; in Islam, students are made aware of how narrowly the tradition defines norms for gender and sexual orientation; and in Buddhism, students are introduced to the kinds of psychological and sexual abuse perpetrated by some leaders regardless of mainstream Buddhist teachings. Since this course follows the HYBRID mode, we are meeting face-to-face only once a week, which then means you should expect around 7 hours of work each week outside of classroom time.

Weekly Online Discussions 35% of grade:

Students are to complete a short writing assignment and post it. Students are also required to respond to other students’ posting. Each of the writing assignments is in two parts. The first part asks students to answer a question that demands analysis of the week’s reading and that includes quotes and citations from the readings. The second part asks students to bring their own prior knowledge and experience to bear on the question and sometimes to speculate on how the reading might influence their future thought and action. For example, students are to discuss, based on the reading, how Muhammad creates a society in Medina that advances equality and undermines then dominant notions of gender roles and tribal affiliation. Students are then asked to write about how Muhammad’s social innovations do and don’t conform to their own notions of progress in fairness and equality.

Four Papers 45% of grade:

There are six religious traditions covered in the course and students write a paper on four of them. The papers ask the student to choose what interests them most from the discussions for that tradition and carry the analysis and reflection further. Like the discussion posts, the papers have two parts. The first part cites the relevant readings and analyzes the issue at hand while the second part is an opportunity for the student to delve into the issue, apply it to theirs or others’ lives, and argue regarding its further implications. For example, the student may analyze the use of liberation narratives in Christian and Jewish scriptures, and then discuss how these narratives are or are not part of their own lives and the lives of others they know, and how these narratives may or may not lead contemporary persons and communities toward lives of equality and fulfillment.

Research Project and Fieldtrip 20% of grade:

Students design a project in consultation with the professor. This project integrates the student’s prior writing with original, substantive research and a fieldtrip. The fieldtrip may be a visit to a religious or cultural site, an interview or set of interviews done in person, by phone, or by email with adherents to one or more religious tradition, or it may be experimenting with a religious practice such as meditation, contemplation, or Yoga as learned from an interview, video, book, or article. IF THE PANDEMIC IS STILL IN FULL SWING, FIELDTRIPS WILL BE DIGITAL AND REMOTE. The topic and fieldtrip are to focus on something outside the student’s own religious or cultural background.  It is often the case that students’ religious background is no religious experience or affiliation. In this project, students discuss how aspects of their fieldtrip experience are similar to or different from what they find in their own background. Students are encouraged to sympathetically explore this religious tradition or practice with an eye to how it promotes flourishing lives and/or diminishes lives both inside and outside that religion or practice. Students produce multiple drafts of this final project, giving them a chance for feedback and editing. Students are also encouraged to include multiple media and genres.

Important Standard Syllabus Information:

1. All students are expected to be familiar with the academic regulations, including those regarding Academic Integrity, for Salem State University as published in the college catalog.  In addition, each student is responsible for completing all course requirements and for keeping up with all that goes on in the course (whether or not the student is present).  
2. Salem State University is committed to providing equal access to the educational experience for all students in compliance with Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act and to providing all reasonable academic accommodations, aids and adjustments. Any student who has a documented disability requiring an accommodation, aid or adjustment should speak with the instructor immediately. Students with Disabilities who have not previously done so should provide documentation to and schedule an appointment with the Office for Students with Disabilities and obtain appropriate services.
3. We intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. The Interdisciplinary Studies Department embraces the notion of a community enriched and enhanced by diversity along a number of dimensions, including race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, age, disability, class and religion. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me, your professor, know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups.
4. Students must comply with the Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols for the 2020-2021 Academic Year. This includes wearing masks in class and on campus in public spaces, practicing physical distancing where possible, including in class, engaging in a daily symptom check, notifying Counseling and Health Services at 978-542-6413 if they have any symptoms associated with COVID-19, and not coming to campus or to an in-person class if they have any of the symptoms related to COVID-19, until cleared by the Student Life Wellness Area. Students who have documented disabilities that may prevent them from complying with these policies are required to contact the Disability Services office.
5. In the event of a university declared critical emergency, Salem State University reserves the right to alter this course plan. Students should refer to salemstate.edu for further information and updates. The course attendance policy stays in effect until there is a university declared critical emergency. In the event of an emergency, please refer to the alternative educational plans for this course located in course’s Canvas website. Students should review the plans and gather all required materials before an emergency is declared.

 

Course Goal by Course Outcome (Objective) matrix:

	O1	O2	O3	O4	O5	O6	O7	O8	O9
G1	√	√
G2			√	√
G3					√	√
G4							√	√
G5									√

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Experiences by Course Outcome (Objective) matrix:

	O1	O2	O3	O4	O5	O6	O7	O8	O9
Discussion posts	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Research/fieldtrip project and papers	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√

 

 

 

Course Schedule*

1. Introduction to the Study of Religion, This Course, and a Liberal Arts Education

            Week 1, 9/2

            Narrative, Prejudgment, and the Non-sectarian Study of Religion

                        The Syllabus, Studying Religion, and a Liberal Arts Education

                        Look over Canvas website for course

           

2. Christianity

            Week 2, 9/6

            Religion as Deeply Personal, Culturally Specific and More

                        Reading Due: Borg, Chs. 1-4

            Due Wednesday: Discussion—Religion, a plurality of dialogue partners, and our fears

                        Due Friday:     Discussion on Borg—Religion as Deeply Personal, Culturally Specific, and More

                        Note: 9/6 Labor Day—No Classes—Beginning of Rosh Hashanah

            Week 3, 9/13                          

            Scripture, Stories and Reason

                        Reading Due: Borg, Chs. 5-7

                        Introduce research and fieldtrip project

                        Due Wednesday:         Discussion on Final Project

                        Due Friday:     Discussion on Borg—The Bible as Sacred Scripture

                        Due Friday:     Questions and Clarifications about the First Writing Assignment

Week 4, 9/20

God, Jesus, Love and Transformation

                        Reading Due: Borg, Chs. 8-11

                        Due Wednesday:        First Writing Assignment: Christianity

3. Islam

            Week 5, 9/27

            Revelation and the Birth of a New Religion

                        Reading Due: Aslan, Chs. 1–4

                        Due Wednesday: Discussion on Field Trip Site for Final Project

                        Due Friday:     Discussion on Aslan—Revelation and the Birth of a New Religion

            Week 6, 10/4

            Laws, Morality, Division, and Mystical Union

                        Reading Due:  Aslan, Chs. 6–8

                        Due Wednesday: Second Writing Assignment: Islam

4. Judaism

            Week 7, 10/11

            God’s People: A National and Religious Identity

                        Reading Due: Wylen, Chs. 1–6

                        Due Wednesday: Discussion on Research for Final Project

                        Due Friday:     Discussion on Wylen—God’s People: A National and Religious Identity

                        Note: 10/11 Columbus/Indigenous People’s Day—No Classes

            Week 8, 10/18

            Sacredness of Home and Family, and Ethics as Laws

                        Reading Due: Wylen, Chs. 9-10 and 21-23

                        Due Friday:     Third Writing Assignment: Judaism

5. Hinduism

            Week 9, 10/25

            One and Many Gods, Immanent and Transcendent Gods

                        Reading Due: Knott, Chs. 1–5

                        Due Wednesday: Annotated Bibliography for Final Project

                        Due Friday: Discussion on Knott—One and Many Gods, Immanent and Transcendent Gods

            Week 10, 11/1

            Castes, Bondage, and Release: Hope for All

                        Reading Due: Knott, Chs. 6–9

                        Due Friday:     Fourth Writing Assignment: Hinduism

6. Buddhism

            Week 11, 11/8

            Beginning a New Tradition

                        Reading Due: Keown, Chs. 1–3

                        Due Wednesday: Discussion of Completed Field Trip and Questions Arising from Experience

                        Due Friday:     First Draft of Final Project

                        Note: 11/11 Veterans Day—No Classes

            Week 12, 11/15

            Morals, Virtues, and Liberating Action

                        Reading Due: Keown, Chs. 4–6

                        Due Friday:     Discussion on Keown—Morals, Virtues, and Liberating Action

            Week 13, 11/22          

            Meditation/Contemplation: Private and Group Behavior

                        Reading Due: Keown, Chs. 7–9

                        Note: 11/25-11/27 Thanksgiving—No Classes

            Week 14, 11/29

            Reflections on the Plurality of Religions and a Liberal Arts Education

                        Wednesday: First Draft of Final Project Returned with Comments

                        Due Friday: Discussion on plurality of dialogue partners and liberal arts education

7. Taoism

            Week 15, 12/6 and Exam Period

            Beauty, Meaning, and Morality in Paradox

                        Reading Due: Excerpts from Online Taoist Text

            Exam Period: 12/15–12/22

                        Due 12/15, Final Draft of Final Project

 

*Note that dates and readings may be changed as contingencies arise, and proper notice will be given.