Class #12, 12/1/10

**Roster, etc.

**Due tonight:  Packet Islam, Chapter 9.  Since the calendar is so mixed up--my calendar error--I'll let you turn it in on the 8th.

----->The link to the packet is here.

**Which raises the next question--we're already up against the exam period.  We can't meet next week, the 8th as a regular meeting.  We CAN take our exam.  We'll talk about this.  

**Which raises a third reality.  We really need to talk about Islam this week.  Here are  the two short, basic presentations:





**Conclusion:  reminders about next week.

Class #11, 11/17/10

**Roster, etc.

**Due this week:  Reading of Chapter 8, "Word, God, World," on Christianity.

**Scripture exhibits handed around.

**Presentation:



**For Next Week, 11/24:  Be prepared to decide/report whether you will be in class. 

Books for next semester's courses

You can pass the word on this for anyone who seems interested, also.

**Monday nights:

PHIL 3323 Philosophy of Religion

Peterson, et al., editors, Philosophy of Religion:  Selected Readings, 4th edition, 2009.
ISBN# 978-0-19-539359-0

**Wednesday nights:

PHIL 3301 Moral Issues: Personal and Professional

2 texts:

Pojman, Louis P., How Should We Live?  An Introduction to Ethics, 2004, Wadsworth Pub.
ISBN# 978-0534556570

Glover, Jonathan, Humanity:  A Moral History of the Twentieth Century, 2001, Yale U. Press.
ISBN# 978-0300087154

End of Hajj

An album of pictures posted here.

Class #10, 11/3/10

**Roster, etc.

**Reminder:  No class next week.  Next meeting will be on 11/17, and the topic will be Chapter 8, "Word, God, World"--about Christianity.  The packet will be due the following week, 11/24.  Here is the link to the packet.

**For tonight: Judaism (Chapter 7).  Packet due.

Some links:
----->  The Mourner's Kaddish.
----->The Shema, "Hear O Israel"--text
----->----->The Shema--a contemporary musical setting; the images are interesting!

----->And, a brief introduction to the Torah and Judaism.

----->Presentation--



**See you in 2 weeks!

The imperiled Christians of the Middle East suffer another blow

See this BBC report.

Class #9, 10/27/10

**Rosters, etc.

**Continue/complete discussions of East Asian religions--Shinto (see presentation below).

**Transition to the monotheistic tradition:



**The contributions of Zoroastrianism to western religion:



**Due next week, 11/3/10:  Read Chapter 7, Judaism, and complete the Chapter 7 packet.

Class #8: 10/20/10

**Rosters, etc.

**Due today:  Read Chapter 5; complete Chapter 5 packet.

**Presentation:  Confucian, Daoist and Shinto ways of living.

Confucianism:


Daoism:


Shinto:


**For 10/27/10:

Read Chapter 6; complete Chapter 6 Packet.

An early Buddhist university reborn

A renowned economist, Amartya Sen, is working on a proposal to rebuild one of the world' earliest centers of learning.

Class #7, 10/13/10

**Rosters, etc.

**Chapter 4 packets due tonight. You should also have surveyed the handout with the Buddhist readings.

**Continue/conclude "Buddhism" presentation. See link in last week's entry.

**Survey text chapter and packet--Q & A over these.

**For 10/20: East Asian Religions--Read Chapter 5, "Dragon and Sun," and complete packet. Here's the link.

Class #6, 10/6/10

**Rosters, etc.

**Due tonight:  You should have read Chapter 4, "The Farther Shore" (--hmm, that sounds familiar).  The packet is due on the 13th, next week.  I'll give you a handout this evening to supplement the chapter reading with some Buddhist writings.

**Presentation on Buddhism.



**For 10/13:
----->----->Completed Buddhism packet.
----->----->Handout of readings from Buddhism.

Class #5, 9/29/10

**Roster, etc.

**Due today:  Read the handout from Hindu wisdom.
----->----->Hand in completed Hinduism packet (Chapter 3).

**Brief discussion:  What is the significance of the chapter's title:  "Life against Time?"

**Presentation and discussion:  Hindu Dharma--



**For next week, 10/6/10, read Chapter 4, "The Farther Shore," on Buddhism.
----->----->The packet will be due the following week (10/20), but here is the link.

Some things ARE universal...

... like music, which transcends time as well as cultures.  See "Playing Beethoven in Kinshasa."

Class #4, 9/22/10

**Rosters, etc.

**Due tonight:  You should have read Chapter 3, "Life Against Time."  The packet is due on the 29th, next week.  I'll give you a handout this evening to supplement the chapter reading with some Hindu writings.

**Presentation and discussion:  An overview of Indian culture and history.

**For next week:  Read the handout of Hindu writings.  Complete the packet (link posted last week).

Class #3, 9/15/10

**Roster, etc.

**Due tonight:  Read Chapter 2 & complete packet.

**Some music.

**Presentation and discussion:  Primal religions--



**For 9/22:  Read Chapter 3--"Life Against Time".
----->The Chapter 3 Packet is due on 9/29, but here is the link if you want to get started.
----->Next week I'll supplement the chapter readings with a handout of some interesting Hindu writings.

Ancient temple ruins dot Cambodia’s countryside,

Ancient temple ruins dot Cambodia’s countryside, 

It's sort of a travel article, but remains as more empirical evidence that religion is everywhere, in ancient sites and modern communities as well. We fool ourselves to consider otherwise.

Class #2, 9/8/10

**Roster, questions.
----->Due tonight:  Chapter 1 Packet.

**Brief discussion of Chronicle article (See earlier entry, 8/31).

**Chapter 1 Presentation and discussion:



**For 9/8:
----->Read Chapter 2--be prepared to question and discuss!
----->Chapter 2 Packet will be due:  it's here--http://docs.google.com/View?id=df8n9qbt_319f5cx4tht

Reminder: no class this week.

Be sure your assignment is well-prepared for 9/8.  In addition, take a look at the entry just below, and visit the link to the "Science Guy" article in the Chronicle.  I made a comment--can you find it?

Humans have always sought "the farther shore"

See the evidence here:  When we eat meals after funerals we're carrying on 12,000 years of tradition.

Welcome! Class #1, 8/25/10

**Agenda for Tonight:

1. Welcome/General Orientation/Roster Check.
2. Textbook and materials.
3. Course overview, syllabus and calendar.
4. Finding Things.
5. Philosophy applied to the study of religions.
1. What is religion?
1. Kaufmann quotes.
2. What is religion FOR?
1. Tolkein handout.
6. Survey the world's religions by size, region and age.
7. Handouts and assignment for 8/30.
8. Complete info sheet and survey.

**Basic Resources:

------->The text for this class:

• Many Peoples, Many Faiths:  Women and Men in the World Religions
• Robert S. Ellwood and Barbara A McGraw
• Ninth Edition, 2009
• Pearson/Prentice Hall.
• ISBN-13:  978-0-136-01761-5

------->Syllabus/Course Description.

------->Semester Calendar.

**Next Week:  September 1, No Class.  (Instructor has a contractual conflict.)

**For September 8: 
------->Read:  Text, Chapter 1--"Understanding the World's Religious Heritage"
------->Do:  Chapter 1 Packet--Handout.  If you lose it, it's here.