Religious Studies 2300
East Asian Religions
Tues., Thur. 10:50-12:05
C-610
Professor: John Harding
john.harding@uleth.ca
Office: C-880
317-2834
Office Hours: Tues., Thur. 3:00-4:30 and by appt.
Fall 2003
The best way to contact me is by email. Please send me a message if you would like to meet outside of
office hours, have a chronic health or disability issue about which you would like to inform me, or have
questions or concerns about the course.
Course Description
In this course we will survey the history, religious thought and practices of China and Japan including
the traditions of Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto and East Asian Buddhism. Primary written sources in
translation, audio/visual materials, and two short textbooks about Chinese and Japanese religious
traditions will supplement course lectures in providing an introduction to seminal figures, significant
ideas, and selected writings from these traditions. As an enterprise in the academic study of religion, our
assignment is not to authenticate or dismiss any of these traditions or religion in general. Instead, this
course should provide an opportunity to better understand cultures and historical processes by critically
analyzing and actively engaging ideas and perspectives that are diverse, often challenging, and for many
of you significantly foreign.
Prerequisite: Rels 1000 or four courses (12.0 credit hours) in Arts and Science.
Texts (Required)
Joseph A. Adler, Chinese Religious Traditions (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002).
Deborah Sommer, editor, Chinese Religion: An Anthology of Sources (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1995).
Michiko Yusa, Japanese Religious Traditions (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002).
Additional required readings will be announced in class.
Grading
F 0-50
D 50-53.9
D+ 54-57.9
C- 58-61.9
C 62-65.9
C+ 66-69.9
B- 70-74.9
B 75-79.9
B+ 80-84.9
A- 85-89.9
A 90-94.9
A+ 95-100
You will be responsible for all information covered in class as well as in your textbooks. Class
attendance is, therefore, vital. Pay attention to vocabulary as you will discover that mastering new terms
is necessary for understanding readings and lectures, participating in discussions, answering exam
questions, and articulating your ideas in written work. All work will be evaluated primarily for
relevancy, quality of research, academic analysis and accuracy. Academic writing skills, including
clarity, conciseness, spelling and grammar, as well as documentation of sources for assignments done
outside of class time, will also be factors in grading. Work is due in class. Penalties for late
submissions are severe. Ten percentage points will be deducted for papers submitted on the due date
after class. Ten more points will be deducted for every calendar day late. Early submissions are
welcome!
Evaluation
Short response paper
Due in class on Tues. Sept. 23
We will discuss the objectives of this 250-350 word paper in class.
Midterm Exam 1
Thur. Oct. 9
Value: 5%
Value: 20%
Debate on Chinese Religious Traditions: Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism
You will be assigned to one of six positions in class on Thur. Oct. 9. Two groups
will represent each tradition—one defending the tradition and one challenging the other
traditions. The total value of 10% will be divided into two parts as follows.
Individual position paper
Due in class on Tues. Oct. 14
Value: 5%
Each student will be evaluated individually for this 250-350 short paper.
These papers should help the groups prepare for their joint oral presentations.
Group Presentation
Thur. Oct. 16
Value: 5%
Midterm Exam 2
Thur. Nov. 13th
Essay
Due in class Thur. Dec. 4
We will discuss the objectives of this 800-1000 word paper in class.
Final Exam (closed book)
Value: 20%
Value: 15%
The first 2 Hours out of the 3 tentatively
Value: 30%
scheduled by the U of L for Wed., 12/10, 2-5pm.
Exams may include multiple choice, true or false, short and long answer questions based on lectures,
class discussion, films and assigned readings. Papers should be typed and double-spaced. Submit the
hard copy in class and email a digital version of written work (essay, response and position papers).
Perspective
This course is about religion as part of human culture and history. All discussion, questions and
assignments in this class will be based on the approaches, theories, and methods of secular critical
scholarship typically used in the humanities and social sciences. Only responses from within these fields
of study will be considered “on topic.” Students should strive to maintain an open and objective
perspective and to base conclusions on logical deductions from the available evidence.
Plagiarism Warning
All assignments must be original work done specifically for this course by the student submitting it. You
may not submit work done in whole or in part by another person or by yourself for another class.
All written work must include proper documentation of any and all material taken (ideas, information,
direct quotes) from other people (books, journal articles, etc). It is your responsibility to learn to do this.
Failure to completely document your sources of information can result in a severe reduction in grade or
even failure. Consult the calendar for details: pp. 63-66. The U of L subscribes to Turnitin.com, a
plagiarism detection service. Please be advised that student work submitted for credit may be submitted
to this system to verify its originality. The university has online aids to avoid plagiarism:
http://staffweb.uleth.ca/lib/guides/plagiarism.asp
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/QuotingSources.html
Tentative Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 4: Introduction
Tuesday, Sept. 9: Intro to Chinese Religion, Shang and Western Zhou (Chou) Periods
Adler, pp. 5-29; Sommer, 3-19
Thursday, Sept. 11: Confucius and his context
Adler, pp. 30-37; Sommer, 21-48
Tuesday, Sept. 16: Classical Confucianism
Adler, pp. 37-42; Sommer, 49-70
Thursday, Sept. 18: Classical Taoism
Adler, pp. 42-57; Sommer, 71-83
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Han-Tang except Buddhism
Response paper due; Adler, pp. 58-73; Sommer, 101-116
Thursday, Sept. 25: Chinese Buddhism (Han-Tang), Film
Adler, p. 74-89; Sommer, 119-132
Tuesday, Sept. 30: Buddhism cont. –T’ang Religion
Sommer, pp. 133-143, 155-180
Thursday, Oct. 2: Early Modern China (Song-Early Qing)
Adler, pp. 90-109; Sommer, 183-196
Tuesday, Oct. 7: Early Modern China II
Sommer, 197-210, 227-246
Thursday, Oct. 9: Midterm Exam 1
Tuesday, Oct. 14: Submit position paper, prepare for group debate
Thursday, Oct. 16: Group Presentations
Tuesday, Oct. 21: Introduction to Japanese Religion
Yusa, pp. 8-18; readings TBA
Thursday, Oct. 23: Shinto, Film
Yusa, pp. 19-30; readings TBA
Tuesday, Oct. 28: Arrival of Buddhism through Heian Era
Yusa, pp. 31-43; readings TBA
Thursday, Oct. 30: Transition from Heian to Kamakura
Yusa, pp. 43-46, 60-64; readings TBA
Tuesday, Nov. 4: Pure Land and Nichiren Buddhism
Yusa, pp. 47-52, 57-59; readings TBA
Thursday, Nov. 6: Zen Buddhism
Yusa, pp. 52-57, 64-70, 76-77; readings TBA
Tuesday, Nov. 11: NO CLASS
Thursday, Nov. 13: Midterm Exam 2
Tuesday, Nov. 18: Principles and Practices of Zen
Thursday, Nov. 20: 16thC through Meiji Era
Yusa, pp. 70-75, 78-103
Tuesday, Nov. 25: Film: “Annual Festivities and Ceremonies: Beliefs in Daily Life”
from the series Nippon: the Land and its People.
Thursday, Nov. 27: East Asian Religion and the State
Yusa, pp. 103-108; Adler, pp. 110-125
Tuesday, Dec. 2: China to the present
Sommer, 303-348
Thursday, Dec. 4: Japanese “New-New Religions” to the present ; Conclusion
Yusa, pp. 109-113
Essay due
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2-4pm*: Final Exam
*The first 2 Hours out of the 3 tentatively scheduled by the U of L for Wed., 12/10, 2-5pm.