What things function as a religion in your life? Explain 3-4 ways you think about “religion” differently now that you’ve taken this course.

/in /by

RELS 102B (Spring 2023) — Instructions for Final Paper

Due Monday, May 1, no later than 10pm (uploaded to Canvas)

 

Part 1: Simplified Version of Religion Profile #3

  • Choose an implicit religion from our list (on Canvas), except you may not choose the gym (or anything similar) or Greek life. Instead of doing the full analysis, you’ll look for articles that provide evidence of what makes that thing a religion.
  • Find at least 6 articles from credible websites — but you may need more than 6! You need to find enough articles that provide clear evidence/examples for each of the items below.
  • You may use an article as your support for no more than 2 of the items below.
  • If you know someone who is/was a participant in the implicit religion, you may use their stories for no more than 2 of the items below.

From your articles, find an example/illustration for each of the following items:

1) The community’s leadership structure / authoritative people (2 example of leadership structure or authoritative people)

2A) A major authorized activity/ritual of the community (2 example for both)

2B) A different major authorized activity/ritual of the community (1 example)

3) A major authorized idea in the community (1 example)

4A) Something that participants commonly do to communicate to people outside the community that they are an insider in this community.

4B) Another thing that participants commonly do to communicate to people outside the community is that they are an insider in this community.

5) An example of how this community guides participants about

  • how to act towards people in situations that are un-related to this community or about
  • how to change society according to the community’s values (example outside the community)

6) Choice: An example of a common emotionally intense experience in the community OR

  • a text (or set of texts) that has authority OR
  • a place that has special importance or authority for the community OR
  • 3-4 terms of the community’s special vocabulary/way of talking.

For each of the items above, complete the following:

  • Provide the link to one of the articles that contains a good illustration/example.
  • *new from Tuesday’s class* Write a sentence explaining how you know that the website is a credible source for information.
  • Paste (within quotation marks) 2-3 sentences from the article that describe the illustration/ example you are using to support this item.
  • Write 1 sentence explaining what the sentences you pasted in are telling us or why they are a good illustration/ example of this item. (In other words, you can start with “What this article shows us that …” or “This is a good example for this item because…”

So by the end, you’ll have a list of 6 articles, and then you’ll have 8 items — and for each item, you’ll have (1) a link, (2) an explanation about the source, (3) a quotation, and (4) a 1-sentence analysis.

 

 

 

Part 2: Reflection on Your Learning

Q2.1: What things function as a religion in your life? They can be official or implicit religions. For this question, assume that there are at least 2 things that function as a religion in your life — even if you personally don’t think of them as a religion. What would a scholar trained in our class who was studying your life think were your 2 religions? Write at least 200 words on each one, explaining what the religion is and what signs/evidence the scholar would use to define it as one of your religions. (Note: This question is not asking you to affirm anything as a religion for you. It is only asking you to identify what someone who is trained in this class could argue functions as a religion in your life.)

 

Q2.2: Explain 3-4 ways you think about “religion” differently now that you’ve taken this course. (It could be religion as it applies to your own life or other people’s lives or both.) State what each of these 4 ways of thinking differently is, and then for each one, discuss a concrete example of something that you view differently compared to before you took the class. Finally, for each one, identify something from the course that encouraged your thinking to shift: a reading, an activity, a prep assignment, a class discussion — really anything from the course. Write at least 100 words on each of the 4 ways you think differently.

 

Q2.3: Imagine you have funding to do an in-depth study of 2 religions on our list (you’ll study them separately). Which 2 religions would you study and why? Also discuss 2-3 activities you would want to observe in each of these religions and/or tools you would want to analyze further (see below). For each of the two religions, write at least 100 words about why and what you would study about that religion.

 

Reminder — some of the main tools we’ve analyzed:

  • Authoritative people
  • Authoritative ideas
  • Authorized activities (which have various purposes)
  • Ways of distinguishing outsiders and insiders
  • Rules for becoming an insider
  • Rules for how to act when participants are outside the community
  • Organizational structure of the community, for example, how the community is organized, councils or associations or recognized sub-groups within the community, levels of leadership (again, this can only be things you didn’t already discuss in part 1)
  • The community’s mission, purpose, or goals
  • Emotionally intense experiences within the community
  • Special vocabulary/ways of talking
  • Superhuman beings or supernatural forces that are considered authoritative by the community
  • Texts or stories that have authority for the community
  • Places that have special importance or authority for the community
  • Objects that have special importance or use within the community
  • Art or music that expresses participants’ devotion

Buddhism has adapted with many cultural and societal changes as it spread around the globe throughout history. How have modernity and globalization influenced the message and expansion of Buddhism within recent history?

/in /by

Religion Question

This final essay should be approximately 2000 words, double spaced. You should provide at least six peer reviewed sources to help substantiate points made throughout you essays. Just as with the Mini Essays, you must use Chicago Style for references with footnotes and a bibliography. At the beginning of your essay, please write out fully which prompt you will be writing about, as sometimes it is not always clear for me as a reader.

You are required to choose one of the following prompts for your final essay.

  • How has art influenced the development and understanding of Buddhism throughout history?
  • Buddhism has adapted with many cultural and societal changes as it spread around the globe throughout history. How have modernity and globalization influenced the message and expansion of Buddhism within recent history?
  • How are women perceived within the different schools of Buddhism? Have those perceptions changed over time? Why or why not?
  • Buddhism has often found itself involved in violent actions, and have even been known to develop skills in martial arts. How is violence perceived in Buddhism? Do warrior monks or even Buddhist forms of terrorism fit within the spectrum of Buddhist teachings? Why or why not?
  • What role does karma play in Buddhism? Who does it affect, and how does it affect them in this life, the afterlife, and the next life?
  • According to the second noble truth, greed/craving give rise to suffering. What did the Buddha mean by greed/craving and how do they cause suffering? How do these apply to love and compassion for others?
  • What is the Lotus Sutra and why is it so important to Japanese Buddhism?

Explain the origin of Monotheism using these texts, especially the text by Jan Assmann. What is the African contribution to the Bible, to Judaism and to Christianity and to world religions in general?
 Explain “the Egyptian problem.”

/in /by

Week 14 (April 26) Assignment 4

due: “African religions and their contribution to Humanity”

Readings (see Canvas)

Critical texts for this assignment:

  • Africa, Cradle of Humanity
  • ATR in Key Theses
  • God in ATR
  • Bumuntu Memory

Questions


Part 1.

Summarize the theory of Mitochondrial DNA and the African origin of humanity, and articulate your reflection on the implication of this theory for our understanding of Religion

Part 2. African Traditional Religion

  • How do these readings dispel negative myths about African spirituality or African traditional religions?
  • What is the African conception of God (the nature of God and his characteristics, see text on the Concept of God in African religions)
  • Summarize the fundamental moral values of African traditional religions and in so doing explain how Africans define a “good human being,” or a genuine religious person or someone regarded as holy or “a good guy.” ( “Bumuntu” is critical here).

Part 3. African contribution to world civilization and world spirituality

  • Explain the origin of Monotheism using these texts, especially the text by Jan Assmann.
  • What is the African contribution to the Bible, to Judaism and to Christianity and to world religions in general?
  • Explain “the Egyptian problem.”

Other questions

  • How did you feel while doing this assignment? What did surprise you? whad did you like or dislike and why?
  • How did this assignment help you achieve the educational goals of our university
  • Identify 5 citations that you found significant for our learning process

Write a 1,000-1,250-word executive summary (not including references and appendices) of the data which analyzes the challenges and opportunities that may exist to engage the people of this community effectively.

/in /by

Religion Question

Write a 1,000-1,250-word executive summary (not including references and appendices) of the data which analyzes the challenges and opportunities that may exist to engage the people of this community effectively. In the executive summary, you will analyze your findings as they relate to ministry incorporating the following sections:

  • Introduction, which includes identification and description of the area you are profiling
  • Analysis of data, including (a) needs assessments, (b) competing worldviews or the varieties of worldviews that exist, (c) potential challenges to evangelism, and (d) potential challenges to follow-up discipleship
  • Recommendations based on your analysis, inclusive of (a) strategies for overcoming challenges, and (b) strategies for discipleship
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Appendices (data tables)

Prepare this assignment according to the Turabian guidelines found in the Turabian Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

Are the terms and titles that refer to Jesus’s divine nature and relate him to God the Creator/Father in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 CE), in fact based on the New Testament, as the bishops claimed?

/in /by

Week 5 Critical Analysis. Controversies, Councils, Creeds (Christology of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed [381 CE])

When the bishops at both the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and the Council of Constantinople (381 CE) composed and revised (respectively) a creed that articulates the essence of Christian belief, they claimed to have used biblical language exclusively. (There is one exception, “consubstantial”–it is explained in your reading assignments. Check the Notes in Unit 2 >R for more discussion.) Your task is to see whether this claim holds up, by examining the revised creed (the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) for its terminology describing the Son of God and comparing those terms to what is said about or by Jesus in Luke, using the research format Question – Evidence – Conclusion. Write up and post your results in a formal essay of at least 3 paragraphs (your Initial Critical Analysis mini-essay), and follow up with two Critical Analysis Responses (also mini-essays, at least 3 paragraphs each) that analyze the findings and conclusions of two of your classmates. All postings must fully present your evidence with documentation.

Research:

  • Question: Are the terms and titles that refer to Jesus’s divine nature and relate him to God the Creator/Father in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 CE), in fact based on the New Testament, as the bishops claimed?  To test the question, use the Creed of 381 and evidence from the Lukan Gospel (you are only responsible for passages assigned in Unit 1).
  • Evidence: To test the claim, your task is twofold:
    • (1) Identify the titles and terms used to define Jesus’s divinity & relationship to God the Father/Creator in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 CE), ONLY from articles 2, 6 & 7 (those numbers in square brackets in the Pelikan & Hotchkiss translation). Take account of all titles (except the name “Jesus”) and descriptive terms, not just philosophical-sounding ones; there are about 10 of them.
    • (2) Then compare these terms & descriptions to those used in the Lukan Gospel and Acts of the Apostles (you need consult only passages assigned in Unit 1). Evidence-gathering is the most important part of your research.
  • Conclusion: What Conclusion (answer to the Question) does your Evidence point to? Present your Evidence as it speaks to your Conclusion(s).

Explain 3-4 ways you think about “religion” differently now that you’ve taken this course. State what each of these 4 ways of thinking differently is, and then for each one, discuss a concrete example of something that you view differently compared to before you took the class.

/in /by

RELS 102B (Spring 2023) — Instructions for Final Paper

Due Monday, May 1, no later than 10pm (uploaded to Canvas)

 

Part 1: Simplified Version of Religion Profile #3

  • Choose an implicit religion from our list (on Canvas), except you may not choose the gym (or anything similar) or Greek life. Instead of doing the full analysis, you’ll look for articles that provide evidence of what makes that thing a religion.
  • Find at least 6 articles from credible websites — but you may need more than 6! You need to find enough articles that provide clear evidence/examples for each of the items below.
  • You may use an article as your support for no more than 2 of the items below.
  • If you know someone who is/was a participant in the implicit religion, you may use their stories for no more than 2 of the items below.

From your articles, find an example/illustration for each of the following items:

1) The community’s leadership structure / authoritative people (2 example of leadership structure or authoritative people)

2A) A major authorized activity/ritual of the community (2 example for both)

2B) A different major authorized activity/ritual of the community (1 example)

3) A major authorized idea in the community (1 example)

4A) Something that participants commonly do to communicate to people outside the community that they are an insider in this community.

4B) Another thing that participants commonly do to communicate to people outside the community is that they are an insider in this community.

5) An example of how this community guides participants about

  • how to act towards people in situations that are un-related to this community or about
  • how to change society according to the community’s values (example outside the community)

6) Choice: An example of a common emotionally intense experience in the community OR

  • a text (or set of texts) that has authority OR
  • a place that has special importance or authority for the community OR
  • 3-4 terms of the community’s special vocabulary/way of talking.

For each of the items above, complete the following:

  • Provide the link to one of the articles that contains a good illustration/example.
  • *new from Tuesday’s class* Write a sentence explaining how you know that the website is a credible source for information.
  • Paste (within quotation marks) 2-3 sentences from the article that describe the illustration/ example you are using to support this item.
  • Write 1 sentence explaining what the sentences you pasted in are telling us or why they are a good illustration/ example of this item. (In other words, you can start with “What this article shows us that …” or “This is a good example for this item because…”

So by the end, you’ll have a list of 6 articles, and then you’ll have 8 items — and for each item, you’ll have (1) a link, (2) an explanation about the source, (3) a quotation, and (4) a 1-sentence analysis.

 

 

 

Part 2: Reflection on Your Learning

Q2.1: What things function as a religion in your life? They can be official or implicit religions. For this question, assume that there are at least 2 things that function as a religion in your life — even if you personally don’t think of them as a religion. What would a scholar trained in our class who was studying your life think were your 2 religions? Write at least 200 words on each one, explaining what the religion is and what signs/evidence the scholar would use to define it as one of your religions. (Note: This question is not asking you to affirm anything as a religion for you. It is only asking you to identify what someone who is trained in this class could argue functions as a religion in your life.)

 

Q2.2: Explain 3-4 ways you think about “religion” differently now that you’ve taken this course. (It could be religion as it applies to your own life or other people’s lives or both.) State what each of these 4 ways of thinking differently is, and then for each one, discuss a concrete example of something that you view differently compared to before you took the class. Finally, for each one, identify something from the course that encouraged your thinking to shift: a reading, an activity, a prep assignment, a class discussion — really anything from the course. Write at least 100 words on each of the 4 ways you think differently.

 

Q2.3: Imagine you have funding to do an in-depth study of 2 religions on our list (you’ll study them separately). Which 2 religions would you study and why? Also discuss 2-3 activities you would want to observe in each of these religions and/or tools you would want to analyze further (see below). For each of the two religions, write at least 100 words about why and what you would study about that religion.

 

Reminder — some of the main tools we’ve analyzed:

  • Authoritative people
  • Authoritative ideas
  • Authorized activities (which have various purposes)
  • Ways of distinguishing outsiders and insiders
  • Rules for becoming an insider
  • Rules for how to act when participants are outside the community
  • Organizational structure of the community, for example, how the community is organized, councils or associations or recognized sub-groups within the community, levels of leadership (again, this can only be things you didn’t already discuss in part 1)
  • The community’s mission, purpose, or goals
  • Emotionally intense experiences within the community
  • Special vocabulary/ways of talking
  • Superhuman beings or supernatural forces that are considered authoritative by the community
  • Texts or stories that have authority for the community
  • Places that have special importance or authority for the community
  • Objects that have special importance or use within the community
  • Art or music that expresses participants’ devotion

How is their life different than yours? What about their experience is unimaginable in your life? What issues, struggles, or goals from the book feel familiar to you? Are any strategies the subject uses to cope with these issues similar to those you use in your life? How are their strategies different from yours?

/in /by

American Buddhists

Choose one biography or memoir of an American Buddhist (or a Buddhist who has had a significant impact on American Buddhists) to read. Book is attached below

  • https://www.studypool.com/questions/download?id=2821772&path=uploads/questions/3214854/20230424223425crooked_cucumber__the_life_and_teaching_of_shunryu_suzuki___pdfdrive__.pdf&fileDownloadName=attachment_1

You will eventually write a response explaining what you learned from your book (at least two total pages, double-spaced). Please practice being as specific as possible in your written response. Better to offer lots of detail about one or two questions, episodes, or passages than to summarize lots of material. This is intended to be low-pressure work.

Questions to Consider as You Read:

  • How is the subject’s life similar to yours?
  • How is their life different than yours? What about their experience is unimaginable in your life?
  • What issues, struggles, or goals from the book feel familiar to you?
  • Are any strategies the subject uses to cope with these issues similar to those you use in your life? How are their strategies different from yours?

Develop an appreciation for the major events and personalities who have made significant contributions to the Evangelical Movement from its early beginnings to the present day.

/in /by

Religion Question

OVERVIEW

The Evangelical Timeline Assignment will help you to develop an appreciation for the major events and personalities who have made significant contributions to the Evangelical Movement from its early beginnings to the present day.

INSTRUCTIONS
Your timeline should include at least 50 individuals who have played key roles in the development of Evangelicalism as a historical movement. 10 of those 50 entries should represent the Fundamentalist element of the overall Evangelical history. All individuals on the timeline should be from the first Reformation right up to the present day. You may choose your own style of timeline for this assignment (e.g., horizontal, vertical, or outline).

Although Buddhism is able to change, adapt, and be adopted by other cultures and lifestyles, with all these changes, do you think that the original meaning of Buddhism taught by the Buddha himself can be lost or even die? Does the original meaning even matter if it loses its relevancy?

/in /by

BUDDHISM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Discuss the following prompt:

Although Buddhism is able to change, adapt, and be adopted by other cultures and lifestyles, with all these changes, do you think that the original meaning of Buddhism taught by the Buddha himself can be lost or even die? Does the original meaning even matter if it loses its relevancy?

Why is the issue presented in the article important to discuss? Do you agree or disagree with the views presented? Why or why not? What other views do you believe should be considered for discussion surrounding this topic?

/in /by

Religion Question

Read the following contemporary religious topics article. Write a 1 PAGE double soaced reflection paper answering the following:

  1. Why is the issue presented in the article important to discuss?
  2. Do you agree or disagree with the views presented? Why or why not?
  3. What other views do you believe should be considered for discussion surrounding this topic?

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/25/us/abortion-christi…