Course Assignments
Academic Journal (30%)
Every time you come to class when there is an assignment due, you are required to actively take notes while reading. These notes will be collected in an academic journal. It should be well organized with a section for every assigned reading. You could take brief notes, ask questions to use in class, but it should be evident that you actually read or watched the assignment.
Religious Audits (20%)
After studying each religion, students will submit brief responses to one of the following five questions:
a. According to this tradition, what does it mean for life:
i. to go well? what is important in terms of life’s circumstances?
ii. to be led well? what do we need to do in order to lead a life worth living?
iii. to feel good? (and does it matter? Might the life worth living be miserable?)
b. What reasons and/or motivations does the tradition offer for its vision of a life
worth living?
c. What resources does the tradition offer for human beings to be able to have a life
worth living?
d. According to the tradition, to whom are we responsible for living our lives a certain
way?
e. What does the tradition suggest that people do when they fail to live such a life?
Religion Presentations (20%)
You will be assigned one of the major religions to present for about an hour during a class period. You should cover these topics:
- History and formation of religion.
- Main tenets and ideas?
- Vocabulary and terms?
- Important practices?
- Main text(s)
- In what ways is this religion similar to Christianity and its concepts? How does Christianity differ from this religion and its concepts?
- What are compelling ideas or practices wherein they find a life worth living?
- Architecture or Aesthetic?
New Religion Presentation (10%)
On the last day of class, you will present on one new, emerging, or obscure religion in a thirty-minute intro.
Final Exam (20%)
The final exam will consist of these questions in take home format:
- With all of these traditions discussed, where do you identify most and why?
- Outside of the tradition you believe, what other religion(s) have the most to offer? What ideas are true and good that you may not agree with but you see why it’s livable?
- Evaluate one religious tradition from a biblical perspective.
