REL 125 Syllabus

REL 125 Religions of the East
TR 3:30PM - 4:45 PM CC 338
Dr. Timothy Hoare, CC 342, ext. 4526
Homepage: http://staff.jccc.edu/thoare
E-mail: thoare@jccc.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Religions of the East is a detailed examination of the rich and diverse religious traditions of India, Tibet, China and Japan. Students will explore the histories, mutual influences, beliefs, and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto, stressing the characteristics they share, as well as those that differentiate them from each other and from Western religions. Primary and secondary texts, as well as the iconographic and artistic traditions of these religions, will be examined as appropriate. 3 hrs. lecture/wk.

REQUIRED TEXT

The Hindu Tradition; Embree, Ainslee T., ed., New York: Vintage Books, 1966.
ISBN: 9780394717029, Adoption date: Spring 2009.

The Buddhist Tradition; de Bary, William T., ed., New York: Vintage Books, 1972.
ISBN: 9780394716961, Adoption date: Spring 2009.

(additional readings in Chinese and Japanese religions will be distributed as supplements to primary required texts)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

1. Define the basic terminology, concepts, methodologies, and issues of religious studies.
4. Describe the historical context, important individuals, and cultural development of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto.
5. Identify and compare the major textual sources and literary traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto.
6. Describe and analyze the doctrines and ritual practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto.
7. Identify and compare the artistic and iconographic expressions of these religious traditions in their diverse regional variations.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

1. The basic format of Religions of the East will be lecture/presentation sessions and discussion. Lectures/presentations will be concerned primarily with historical development, beliefs, ritual practices, and visual materials (videos, slides). Discussions will focus on the assigned readings from the text (i.e., the course text and/or distributed texts). Students are expected to participate actively in discussion, and will be graded accordingly.

2. Four exams (quarterly), both objective and subjective in content.

3. Twelve weekly quizzes.

4. A paper that provides an analysis of a specific aspect of any one of the religious traditions that are presented in class. This paper must be typed, double-spaced, either 10 or 12 point font, and three-to-five pages in length. This paper must also utilize at least two textual sources, other than a) our textbooks or b) Wikipedia. As for paper topics, consider the following:

Site visits-- for guidelines, click here (also available from homepage)

The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (Lenexa, KS)

The Laotian Buddhist Temple (Olathe, KS)

The Zen Center (Lawrence, KS)

The Rime Buddhist Center (Kansas City, MO)

Other suggested topics

fine arts traditions (visual, literary, performative)

historical figure or event

moral/ethical/gender issues

rituals, festivals, traditions

5. Grading will be based on the following point distributions:

Attendance: 25 points. I will allow a maximum of 3 "no questions asked" absences; I will deduct 2 points for each absence beyond this.

Twelve weekly quizzes @ 10 points each = 120 points.

Analysis paper: 50 points.

Four exams @ 65 points each = 260 points.

Total: 455 points.

If the student deems it necessary, he/she can earn extra credit points. Opportunities for doing so will be explained on the first day of the class.

No assignments, extra credit submissions, etc. whatsoever will be accepted following the last day of scheduled classes (i.e., prior to Finals Week).

TENTATIVE WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Dates in parentheses refer to Monday of the given week, except Week 1 (Wednesday).

WEEK 1 (1/14): Introduction to class and ways of approaching religious studies

PART I: THE VEDIC AND HINDU TRADITION: INDIA (text: The Hindu Tradition)

WEEK 2 (1/19): Hinduism I: The roots of the tradition; p. 9-12, 17-23, 23-26, 48-65, 208-212, 218-223

WEEK 3 (1/26): Hinduism II: The development of the tradition; p. 69-73, 74-100, 117-135, 136-150, 180-181, 189-205

WEEK 4 (2/2): Hinduism III: The practice of the tradition; p. 227-260, 313-322

WEEK 5 (2/9): REVIEW, EXAM ON THURSDAY

PART II: THE BUDDHIST TRADITION: INDIA, CHINA, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (text: The Buddhist Tradition)

WEEK 6 (2/16): Buddhism I: Indian origins; 3-15, 20-25, 32-36, 73-81, 95-101, 110-122

WEEK 7 (2/23): Buddhism II: China; 125-138, 139-143, 199-201, 204-207, 207-211, 225-231

WEEK 8 (3/2): Buddhism III: Southeast Asia

WEEK 9 (3/9): REVIEW, EXAM ON THURSDAY

WEEK 10 (3/16): SPRING BREAK

PART III: THE INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS OF CHINA

WEEK 11 (3/23): The Chinese worldview; Daoism (textual excerpts to be presented)

WEEK 12 (3/30): Confucianism (textual excerpts to be presented); PAPER DUE BY FRIDAY 4/3

WEEK 14 (4/6): REVIEW, EXAM ON THURSDAY

PART IV: BUDDHISM AND THE INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS OF JAPAN

WEEK 14 (4/13): The Japanese worldview; Shinto (textual excerpts to be presented)

WEEK 15 (4/20): Shinto, cont.

WEEK 16 (4/27): Buddhism IV: Japan- Pure Land and Zazen (text: The Buddhist Tradition); 255-265, 314-327, 355-363, 372-373, 393-398

WEEK 17 (5/4): REVIEW

WEEK 18 (5/11): FINAL EXAM WEEK
THE EXAM TIME FOR THIS CLASS IS: Thursday May 14 @ 3PM

SOME ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

1. All JCCC students are issued a college e-mail account that is accessed through MyJCCC. This account is used by the college to communicate course, grade, financial aid, enrollment and other important college information. It is your responsibility to check your JCCC e-mail account regularly for important information.

2. I am a strong proponent of the liberal arts. I approach material in a holistic and interdisciplinary manner. In this Humanities course, religion, philosophy, ethics, art, literature, theatre, psychology, the media, history, political science, et al. will inevitably come into conversation with one another. Education is about gaining proficiency with the tools to discern and explore these interrelationships, to interpret and evaluate them critically, and to continue to do so throughout your lives. In short, there's a world of people, places, ideas and books out there; after you graduate, you have to be able to go to a dinner party and talk competently about something besides your job!

3. I am not simply a lecturer who loves the sound of his own voice. Expect me to ask questions of you and to generate discussion with you. While I most certainly want you to understand my ideas and opinions on the material, I value your efforts, your opinions, your input and your reflections as well.

4. I am a gracious host who likes gracious guests. It's not enough simply to arrive, sign the register and then sit in an out-of-the-way corner. Be prepared to take part in the class.

5. We all have doctor appointments, childcare concerns, or "just one of those things" that come up now and again. If you have to leave a session early, please inform me before the class begins. It is simply the courteous thing to do.

6. I care about the ambience in which I teach and in which students learn. I expect you to be attentive, to turn off your cell phones, and to treat one another with respect while you are here, and to pick up after yourselves when you depart (papers, soft drink cans, etc.).

7. Last but not least, academic dishonesty, i.e., cheating on exams, intentional plagiarism on written assignments, will not be tolerated. A first offense will result in an "F" on the exam, paper, etc. concerned. A second offense will result in an "F" for the course.

LINKS TO STUDY AIDS AND GUIDES