Fall

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RELIGION AND SOCIETY

Fall 2009

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Religion and Society, Fall/Winter 2009-2010
8/12 Credit Program, Evening and Weekend Studies
Faculty: Char Simons, simonsc@evergreen.edu, X6710 and Stephen Beck, becks@evergreen.edu, X5488

CRN: 10211/10212
Program wiki page: www2.evergreen.edu/wikis/religionandsociety/
Meets: SEM II E1105, Wednesdays, 5:30-9:30 and every other Saturday, 10-5:30 (Oct. 10, 24, Nov. 7, 21, Dec. 5)
12-credit section also meets: Tuesdays, 5:30-9:30, Sem II E2109.

Link to the Program Covenant.
Link to the Context Setting Guidelines.


Fields of Study: Religious Studies, History, Philosophy, Writing

Note: This website is for both the 8-credit and the 12-credit options. Those parts of the syllabus that are for the 12-credit option are marked "(CR)".

This two-quarter, writing-intensive program focuses on the development and evolution of religion and intersections with history, philosophy, politics and culture. Fall quarter will begin with study of origins of major Eurasian religions during the Axial Age (roughly 1000-200 BCE), and continue with the development of the three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) from their beginnings, through the Crusades and the Inquisition, to the 16th century Protestant Reformation.

Winter quarter will focus on contemporary U.S. perspectives on religion. By studying media representations of religion and the social, political and world issues often connected with it, we will further understand the place of religion in contemporary society. Students will undertake major project work through service learning with local faith communities to deepen their understanding of those communities and to create an enduring public record through writing and photography.

(CR) Students enrolling in the 12-credit option will learn techniques of critical reasoning, including how to recognize and evaluate arguments and attempts at persuasion, and how to construct their own sound, rationally persuasive arguments in written work.

Students who successfully complete both quarters of the program will understand the development and the major tenets of several major religions, understand the roles of religions within historical and contemporary cultures, and be able to critically evaluate texts on religion as well as claims about the place of religion in public life. Major areas of study will include philosophy, religious studies, history and writing.

Fall/Winter Program Objectives

  • Understand the development of several major religions
  • Understand the major tenets of several major religions
  • Understand the roles of religions in historical context
  • Understand the roles of religions in contemporary cultures
  • Be able to critically evaluate texts on religion
  • Be able to critically evaluate claims about the place of religion in contemporary issues
  • Be able to write college-level papers
  • (CR) Be able to identify arguments within texts
  • (CR) Be able to reconstruct arguments formally
  • (CR) Be able to assess the strength of arguments with respect to logic and plausibility

Required Readings

Religions of the Silk Road, Richard Folz
A History of God, Karen Armstrong
The Origin of Satan, Elaine Pagels
No god but God, Reza Aslan
The Book of Saladin, Tariq Ali
(CR) Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric, 11th Edition, Cavender and Kahane
(CR) "Euthyphro." Plato (in Five Dialogues, 2nd edition)
(CR) Selections of arguments on the existence and nature of God
Various sacred texts

Assignments

Here are the detailed writing assignment guidelines.

  • Religion memoir and map
  • Response papers to assigned readings
  • Expository paper, first and final drafts
  • Argumentative paper, first and final drafts
  • Writing in fictional character
  • Position paper, first and final drafts
  • Written and oral peer critiques of classmates’ drafts
  • (CR) Critical reasoning problem sets
  • (CR) Critical analysis paper

College-Level Work

You are expected to do college-level work in all program activities. Specifically, this means:

  • The ability to read, understand, and then summarize texts
  • The ability to learn from texts through discussion with others
  • The ability to analyze and pursue writing assignments
  • The ability to write coherent, focused, correctly punctuated prose
  • The ability to develop and defend a thesis
  • The commitment to do all of the above reliably

Program Schedule

Note: Schedule subject to revision. Please check here for the latest version.

Week 1, 9/27-10/3

(CR) Tuesday, 9/29

Readings:
Begin Kahane, ch. 1 (1.1-1.3, in class)
Topics: Introduction to critical reasoning section: Identifying arguments.

Wednesday, 9/30

Theme: Axial Age
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Introductions and program overview
Abraham (Ibrahim), Isaac and Ishmael: A multi-disciplinary workshop
Student survey – do in class

Week 2, 10/4-10/10

(CR) Tuesday, 10/6

Readings:
Kahane, ch. 1 (to end)
Topics:Premises and conclusions; formalizing arguments.
Work Due: Problem sets

Wednesday, 10/7

Theme: Axial Age
Readings:
Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road, Preface and ch. 1-4
Armstrong, A History of God, ch. 1
Program covenant
Activities:
Cultural Interlude/Context Setting for Foltz (see Context Setting Guidelines)
Lecture: Archaic and Axial Age Religion (Stephen)
Seminar: Assigned readings and religion memoir
Work Due: Religion memoir and map (3-4 pages + map); Response to assigned reading

Saturday,10/10

Theme: Axial Age
Readings:
Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road, ch. 5 to the end (including Notes and Bibliography)
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Lecture: Silk Roads as Religious and Cultural Highways (part 1) (part 2)(Char)
Map Workshop
Writing Workshop on argumentative writing -- see Argumentative Essay Worksheet
Seminar: Assigned reading
Work Due: Expository paper, first draft (bring six copies);Response to assigned reading (1 page)

Week 3, 10/11-10/17

(CR) Tuesday, 10/13

Readings:
Kahane, ch. 2 (2.1-2.4)
Plato, "Euthyphro"
Topic:Formal validity.
Work Due: Problem sets

Wednesday,10/14

Theme: Axial Age
Readings:
Armstrong, ch. 2
Selections from the Jewish Bible
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Brief Lecture: The Israelites and the Bible (Stephen)
Workshop: Sacred text
Seminar: Assigned reading
Work Due: Response to assigned reading

Week 4, 10/18-10/24

(CR) Tuesday, 10/20

Readings:
Kahane, ch. 2 (2.5-end)
"Euthyphro"
Topic: Formal validity, continued; definition.
Work Due: Problem sets; argument reconstruction.

Wednesday,10/21

Theme: Early Christianity
Readings:
Armstrong, A History of God, ch. 3 & 4
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Lecture: From Jesus to Christianity, Part I (Stephen)
Writing critique groups: Expository paper
Seminar: Assigned reading
Work Due:
Response to assigned reading
written critiques of peers' expository papers -- see the Expository Critique Guidelines

Saturday,10/24

Theme: Early Christianity
Readings:
Pagels, chapters 1 and 2
Gospel of Mark -- link is to the NIV translation at biblegateway.com.
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Lecture: From Jesus to Christianity, Part II (Stephen)
Seminar: Assigned reading
Writing Workshop: critique groups
Program reflection/Quiz
Work Due:
Response to assigned reading
Argumentative paper, first draft (bring six copies)

Week 5, 10/25-10/31

(CR) Tuesday, 10/27

Readings:
Kahane, ch. 3
Topic: Fallacies of premises.
Work Due: Problem sets

Wednesday,10/28

Theme: Early Christianity
Readings:
Pagels, chapters 3-6
Gospel of Matthew, 26-28, Gospel of Luke, 22-24, and Gospel of John, 13-21 -- links are to the New International Version
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Seminar: Assigned reading
Mid-quarter conferences
Work Due:
Expository paper, final draft
Response to assigned reading
written critiques of peers' argumentative papers

Week 6, 11/1-11/7

(CR) Tuesday, 11/3

Readings:
Kahane, ch. 4
Topic: Fallacies of deductive reasoning.
Work Due: Problem sets

Wednesday, 11/4

Theme: Islam
Readings:
Aslan, No god but God, to p. 139.
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Lecture: Historical and Cultural Roots of Islam (Char)
Seminar: Assigned reading
Work Due: Response to assigned reading

Saturday,11/7

Theme: Islam
Readings:
Aslan, No god but God, p. 140-end
Selections from the Quran
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Workshop: Sacred texts
Seminar: Assigned reading
Winter quarter group planning
Work Due:
Response to assigned reading

Week 7, 11/8-11/14

(CR) Tuesday, 11/10

Readings:
Kahane, ch. 8.
Topic: Evaluating arguments
Work Due: Problem sets

Wednesday,11/11

Theme: Islam
Readings:
Armstrong, A History of God, ch. 5
Book of Saladin, to p. 159.
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Lecture: An Overview of the Crusades (Stephen)
Writing Workshop on literary characters: Writing in Character handout
Seminar: Assigned readings
Work Due:
Argumentative paper, final draft
Response to assigned reading

Week 8, 11/15-11/21

(CR) Tuesday, 11/17

Readings:
Kahane, ch. 9
Topic: Writing argumentative essays
Work Due: Problem sets

Wednesday,11/18

Theme: Islam
Readings:
Book of Saladin, p.163-end
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Lecture: Islam and Science (Char)
Seminar: Assigned reading
Work Due: Writing in character paper; Two seminar questions

Saturday,11/21

Theme: Mysticism and Rationalism
Readings:
Armstrong, A History of God, ch. 6
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Program reflection/Quiz
Workshop: Timeline groups
Lecture on Reason and Religion (Stephen)
Seminar: Assigned readings
Work Due:
First draft, position paper on the relationship between religion and society (bring six copies)
Response to assigned reading

THANKSGIVING BREAK, 11/22-28: NO CLASSES

Week 9, 11/29-12/5

(CR) Tuesday, 12/1

Readings:
One of several selections, containing an argument concerning God
Activity:
Argument analysis workshop
Work Due:
Problem sets

Wednesday, 12/2

Theme: Mysticism and the Abrahamic Faiths
Readings:
Armstrong, A History of God, ch. 7
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Writing critique groups: first draft, position papers, presentation preparation -- Handout on Final Presentations
Evaluation Writing Workshop
Seminar: Assigned readings
Work Due:
Response to assigned reading
Written peer edit critiques of position paper

Saturday, 12/5

Theme: Evolution of Religion
Readings:
Armstrong, A History of God, ch. 8
Activities:
Cultural Interlude
Seminar: Assigned reading
Program Reflection
Student presentations
Work Due:
Response to assigned reading

Week 10, 12/6-12

(CR) Tuesday, 12/8

Activities:
Presentation of argument analyses, in groups
Quiz
Work Due:
Argument analyses

Wednesday, 12/9

Activities:
Student presentations
Program de-brief
Work Due:
Final draft, position paper on the relationship between religion and society
program portfolio with self-evaluation

Evaluation Week, 12/14-12/18

Activities

Self-evaluation critique groups
Evaluation conferences

Full credit for the program requires attendance at your evaluation conference. Your seminar faculty’s evaluation of you will be based on your depth of understanding and progress as evident in papers, class portfolio and seminar participation.
Faculty evaluation (at time of final conference. May be given to faculty, or to EWS program secretary Sharon Wendt, Sem II B 2124)

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