RT 201(C): Religion and the Human Quest
Dr. Kelli O’Brien
Office: Loyola 32
Phone: 303-964-3682
E-mail: kobrien@regis.edu
Spring 2010
Office Hours: MW 1:30-2:30;
F 10-12, & by appt.
Approach and Goals of the Course
Religion has always been a hot button topic, even though the burning questions differ in different
times and places. Not long ago, many people expected religion to die out. Instead, religious
identity and fervor seem to be increasing. There are many different religions, with very different
beliefs and practices. Since there are too many to get to know in a single semester, this course
will study three: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. We will ask questions about them and
religion in general, such as:
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What do people seek in religion? What questions do they ask?
What are people looking for in religious life?
What do Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims believe and do? How similar and different are
these religions?
How can people discuss religion thoughtfully, especially when there are differences?
The questions are straightforward, but the answers are not. These are major religions with long
histories with many twists and turns. In the process, each of us will continue to think about what
we ourselves believe and how we live out those beliefs. At the end of the course, you should be
able to:
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Identify some of the substantive questions religions seek to answer
Learn more about constructive dialog and engage in basic religious dialog
Describe how Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam understand the human connection with
ultimate reality (e.g., their worldviews, narratives, spiritual practices, etc.)
Critically evaluate different approaches to religious questions, such as what constitutes a
meaningful and good life, the nature of suffering and redemption, and the connection between
faith and justice
Gain a more considered understanding of your own beliefs and values and relate them
critically to those of different traditions
Texts
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Huston Smith, The World’s Religions, 1991
Donald Lopez, Buddhist Scriptures
A study Bible, such as the HarperCollins Study Bible
Thomas Lippman, Understanding Islam, Third Revised and Updated Edition, 2002
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an, Amana
Books will be placed on reserve. You must have access to the materials in class, but you may
arrange to share with another student. There will also be various selected readings in handouts
and online.
Assignments and Weighting
20%
15%
10%
25%
10%
20%
Pass/fail reading analyses
Graded reading analyses
War essay
Community based learning project
Mid-term exam
Final exam
Reading analyses are very short written assignments on the day’s reading. They help you to
focus and ask questions as you do the reading. Often these will be done individually, sometimes
in groups in class. Most of these will be pass/fail. Some assignments (relatively randomly picked)
will be assessed more carefully and graded. So that you are able to join in the class discussion,
you will need to do the readings and written work before class each day.
The war essay will be an examination of the role of religion in war, followed by a class debate.
This is due the third week of class. A separate handout is provided.
The community based learning project (CBL) is an opportunity to get acquainted with a
particular faith community. You will visit a religious service, attend a community event, and
interview a committed member of that religious community. This will be done in teams with
various deadlines for each project. Details of the project will be discussed in the second week.
The mid-term exam will give you and me a chance to assess your basic knowledge of the
material up to that point and your ability to think critically about them. (Here “critically” does not
mean being “critical” or “judgmental,” but being able to ask important questions, not taking
things at face value or being content with the slogans we often hear, but probing more deeply.)
The final exam will give us a chance to assess your basic knowledge of all the class units and
your ability to integrate your knowledge of the course (that is, to put together what you learned in
various units) and think critically about the material.
Grading scale:
93-100 A
87-89 B+
90-92 A83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D-
0-59
F
Planning your time: The standard of homework for college classes is about two hours of outside
work per week for every credit hour, in this case about six hours of homework per week. Reading
assignments and written work seem to take students, on average, 1-1.5 hours per class, with some
students taking less time, some more. Additional time will be necessary for other assignments,
including the papers and studying for exams.
Regis Writing Center: I highly recommend the Writing Center for improving writing skills. It is
free, and their peer writing consultants will help you at any point in your writing process, from
brainstorming ideas and organizing a draft to polishing the final version. (You may want to attach
a draft or two of this process to your final paper to demonstrate your improvement.) You may
drop in, or since it is a popular service, you may make an appointment. Drop by the Writing
Center in Loyola 1 or call (303) 458-4039 for more information.
Students with Disabilities: If you have a documented disability and need accommodation, please
let me know immediately. If you think you may have a disability that is not documented, please
contact Learning Support Services (Life Directions Center 118, disability@regis.edu, 303-4584941).
Attendance and Deadlines
Attendance and deadlines are crucial for success in the class. There are significant penalties for
excessive absences (three or more) or failing to meet deadlines. Please see “Ground Rules” for
more information.
Office Hours
For many good reasons, the particular office hours a professor keeps may not to be convenient for
you. Do not let that stop you! Office hours are just a start. I (along with most professors) am very
happy to make an appointment with you at a time that is convenient for both of us. I would love
to see all of you outside of class, just to have a chat or help solve a problem or discuss a particular
question you may have. Please do seek me out before or after class and by e-mail.
Ground Rules
One of the major reasons people go to college is to prepare for a career. There are a number of
expectations for professional conduct in a work environment. To help you develop those skills,
those codes of conduct are ground rules for participation in the course.
The first rule is that of respect. Professionals treat others with respect, including both supervisors
(in this case your professor) and colleagues (in this case, other students). Our course meetings are
analogous to wok meetings, and respectful communication plays a major role here. This includes
active listening, openness to new ideas and differences, and speaking appropriately. Since this is
also a major component of religious dialog, part of the content of the class, we will spend some
time on the nature and process of respectful dialog.
Respect for others also means keeping distractions to a minimum. This means avoiding things
like loud food and obtrusive or excessive side conversations. Turn off your cell phones, including
for text messages.
Getting up and walking out of a meeting is a sign of disrespect, and going to the bathroom is no
exception. This is simply not done in a professional environment. (Obviously, if you suddenly
become sick or have some other emergency, leaving the meeting is appropriate. Discuss the
problem with me briefly as soon as possible.) Avoid scheduling appointments during meeting
times. If for some reason you must schedule something that requires you to leave during class
time, discuss it first with me. Excessive lateness is also distracting and disrespectful. Make every
effort to be on time. (Note: if you come in late, you may be marked absent, and I will not stop the
class to change the roll. If you want to make sure you are marked late instead of absent, come
speak to me after class.)
Do beware of computers as distractions for you and your neighbors. There is a strong, but not
absolute, correspondence between computer use in class and low performance. Therefore, use of
a computer in class requires my permission. Some students do find computers very helpful, even
necessary. If you would like to use a computer in class, please speak to me about it.
There are many other possible distractions, and not all can be listed here. Be considerate and
think about your conduct.
In a work environment, respectful treatment of others also includes timeliness in your work. You
will work as part of a team, and others — your coworkers, your clients — depend on you. Being
unreliable can cause serious problems for your company and clients. To be reliable, you must be
organized. Even when organized, however, people sometimes run into unusual difficulties. In
such cases, supervisors are often flexible, when flexibility is possible. Likewise in the course,
deadlines count. Class meetings are like work meetings. To understand fully and contribute to the
discussion, you will need to do the readings and analysis before class. Paper preparation is
similar. Therefore, all course work must be turned in on time for credit. Late papers are not
accepted. However, if you have a special difficulty, do discuss it with me as soon as possible, and
we will try to find a solution appropriate to your situation, if we can.
Of course, in a career, you must actually be where you are supposed to be, day in and day out.
Employees often have only a few sick days a year. In the course, you may have two absences for
any reason. After that though, as at a job, absences will begin to cost you. In this case, the thrid
and each subsequent absence will cost you two points off your final grade. In certain limited
circumstances, you may be able to make up missed classes with additional work. Please see me as
soon as possible with attendance difficulties.
If you are permitted to make up an absence, here is what to do: Get notes from three people who
were in class that day. Read their notes, ask them questions, etc. Using what you learn from these
other students, write up a fairly detailed description of what was discussed in class. Write the
names of the students from whom you got the notes. Your write-up is due one week after you
return to class.
Note: I suggest that you find three study partners in the class. You and your partners can provide
each other notes, handouts, etc., whenever one of you is absent. Any time you are absent, read the
notes, discuss them with your study partners, and come speak with me if something is not clear.
Integrity is of particular concern. In a work environment, using someone else’s work and
claiming it as your own could result in significant penalties, including being fired. Academic
dishonesty is no different. Plagiarizing and other forms of cheating will result in a zero grade on
the project and possibly failing the course. Consistent with Regis College policy, all violations of
academic integrity in this course will be reported to the Dean's office. A student who has
committed multiple instances of academic dishonesty may face probation, suspension, or
expulsion from the College. The Academic Integrity policy is described in the Bulletin; detailed
information about the policy and the appeals process can be found in the Dean's office.
Schedule
The schedule is subject to change. Changes will be announced in class and electronically. Our
initial schedule is as follows.
Smith=Huston Smith, The World’s Religions; Lopez=Donald Lopez, Buddhist Scriptures;
Lippman=Thomas Lippman, Understanding Islam
Topic
Introduction
Buddhism
Christianity
Islam
Special Topics
Final exams
Date
W 1/20
M 1/25
W 1/27
M 2/1
W 2/3
M 2/8
W 2/10
M 2/15
W 2/17
M 2/22
W 2/24
M 3/1
W 3/3
3/6-14
M 3/15
W 3/17
M 3/22
W 3/24
M 3/29
W 3/31
M 4/5
W 4/7
4/12-28
Reading
—
Sacred Quest and Anatomy of the Sacred handouts
Religious dialog handout
— Essay due (debate, no reading)
Smith, pp. 82-99; Lopez, ch. 17
Smith, pp. 99-112; Dhammapanda selections
Smith, pp. 112-119; Lopez, chs. 1, 8
Smith, pp. 119-127; Lopez, chs. 26, 29, 43
Smith, pp. 128-144; Lopez, ch. 59; Shantideva selections
Smith, pp. 144-149
Midterm
Smith, pp. 317-30; The Gospel of Luke 1-6, 12-16, 19, 2224
Smith, pp. 330-39; Acts 1-4; Philippians 1-2, 4
— (Spring Break)
Smith, pp. 339-64; John 1; handouts
Ignatius and Sobrino handouts
Lippman, chs. 1-2; Qur’an selections
Smith, pp. 235-42; Lippman ch. 3; Sells handout and
Qur’an selections
Lippman, ch. 5; Hewer handout; Qur’an selections
Lippman, ch. 6
Lippman, pp. 69-84; Qur’an selections
Lippman, pp. 84-103; Mortenson handout
TBD
9:00 class: Friday, 5/7 at 8:00 a.m.
2:30 class: Monday, 5/3 at 1:15