Chabot College
Fall 2007
Course Outline for Religious Studies 70
SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS & CONTEMPORARY VOICES
Catalog Description:
70 – Spiritual Traditions & Contemporary Voices
3 units
Selected themes in spirituality. Contemporary and global spirituality will be read in view of how they
expand on and/or reinterpret traditional themes. What does it mean to live a spiritual life in the 21 st
century? How would contemporary people and major issues of our day benefit from a spiritual
approach? Themes and practice will be explored. 3 hours
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
describe several traditional spiritual themes and discuss contemporary perspectives;
differentiate between spiritual and religious;
recognize several major voices in contemporary spirituality;
identify how major issues of our day would be affected by a spiritual approach;
relate contemporary spirituality to at least one of the following areas: psychology, cosmology,
physics, economics, politics, business, health and/or the arts;
6. evaluate the importance of a variety of spiritual practices for one’s own life.
Course Content:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Several traditional spiritual themes and contemporary perspectives
Spiritual versus religious
Several major voices in contemporary spirituality
Major issues of our day and how they would be affected by a spiritual approach
Contemporary spirituality in relation to at least one of the following areas: psychology, cosmology,
physics, economics, politics, business, health and/or the arts
6. The value of a variety of spiritual practices for one’s own life
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Lecture
Discussion
Demonstration of Audiovisual materials
Demonstration of Spiritual practices
Journal or reflection papers (In-class writing)
Chabot College
Course Outline for Religious Studies 70, Page 2
Fall 2007
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
a. Write an essay, identifying how contemporary spiritual voices continue, expand or differ from
one tradition’s spiritual wisdom and practice
b. Make a group presentation, presenting a contemporary social or political issue and state
possible spiritual perspectives to approach it based on the readings and course material
c. Write a research paper, presenting the perspective of one contemporary major voice in
spirituality
d. Discuss spiritual perspectives and how they can inform what you feel are the challenges of
contemporary living in a series of reflection papers
e. Maintain a Journal chronicling your personal experience of the various spiritual practices
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a. Quizzes and Exams
b. Papers
c. Researched paper
d. Group Presentation
e. Journals or Reflection Papers
f. Final exam
Textbook(s) (Typical):
de Graaf, et. al. Affluenza/The All-Consuming Epidemic. San Francisco: BerrettKoehler Publishers, Inc., 2002.
Horgan, John. Rational Mysticism: Dispatches from the Border Between Science and
Spirituality. Wilmington, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.
Horn, Martha J. Sexual orientation and embodied spirituality as predictors of personal
well being and health practices. ProQuest/UMI, 2006.
Vardey, Lucinda. God In All Worlds: An Anthology of Contemporary Spiritual Writing.
New York: Vintage, 1996.
Walker, Barbara G. The Essential Handbook of Women’s Spirituality. MA: Fair Winds
Press, 2001.
Special Student Materials:
JP:F/CurriculumF2007/RELS 70
New: 12/3/06
None