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Reli 223: Introduction to Christianity
Final Take-Home Assignment
DUE April 17th at 11:59
(Please see the syllabus for the extensions policy)
Worth 20%
For your final assignment, imagine that you are an expert in the study of Christianity who
has been asked to explain a particular topic to a general audience. You will position yourself
as a scholar. You are not trying to convince your audience of a faith claim, but you are
trying to explain this subject to someone who is unfamiliar yet interested in it (this audience
could be Christian or secular, as you wish).
You will make a creative video, audio essay, or a creative written piece for a newspaper,
online journal, or popular publication of your choosing or invention. Your work may
include other materials such as images, video clips, songs, sound effects, and the like. Be
creative! You can build up a persona for yourself. You might even make the publication
look like an actual journal or newspaper complete with inserts and graphics.
Pick your topic from the list below, and then, specify it: for instance, if you pick saints, you
will consider a certain saint or two. If you choose Christianity and gender, perhaps you
consider women and authority in a certain Orthodox community, or gender in some
theological concept, or women celebrities in evangelical churches. If you pick Christianity in
Latin America, maybe you look at a specific festival or figure, or even a set of artistic pieces.
If you look at the Virgin Mary, perhaps you write about Our Lady of Guadalupe, feminist
critiques of Catholic views of Mary, or devotions to Mary (such as the rosary or other
prayers). Perhaps you look at how Catholic practices change in relation to Vatican 2?
Class readings and discussions should help you narrow down your choice. Is there something we
touched on that you want to study in more detail? Is there something that we did not consider? Visit
office hours if you would like help narrowing down your topic.
Sources: Use at least three assigned class readings (from any point in class, including options
in the reading response assignments) and any lectures (or parts of lectures) that are relevant to
your topic. You will also need two academic sources that you will find. In total: you need
five solid written sources, and you may wish to have more if you include a primary source,
such as the Bible. For assistance in looking for sources, go back to our library videos and
guides. If you are unsure whether a source is suitable, please visit office hours or write to
one of us.
General Topics:
*Remember within this topic, you need to focus on something specific! Class lectures and
readings are intended to help you focus. Your reading responses may have also stimulated
some ideas.
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Your topic will likely encompass multiple categories. Say that you are looking at conflicting
views of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. This topic concerns Latin America, Mary and
Gender.
Images or views of Jesus (any period)
The Saints (Catholic or Orthodox)
Images or views of the Virgin Mary (any period)
Christian Holy Sites (Spectacular or Important Churches or Pilgrimage Sites)
Christianity and Politics (20th century-present)
Christianity and Sexuality or Gender (20th century-present)
Christianity and Indigenous Communities (Turtle Island)
African American or Afro-Caribbean Christianities
Catholicism in Latin America
Global Christianities (i.e. Christianity outside of the Americas)
Formatting (written):
Projects should be between 1750-2250 words (with notes, but without bibliography,
approximately 7-9 pages of text).
They should be a doc, docx, or pdf file. As Concordia students, you have access to
Microsoft Office 365: https://www.concordia.ca/it/services/productivity-suitestudents.html. If you are creating a project that would be hard to share in this format, please
contact me.
They must have a title (this should be based on the topic of your project, i.e. “Five
Things You Ought to Know about Evangelicals says historian….” or “The Saint that
Changed the World: Examining St. Francis,” etc.)
Provide your student information (Name, class, date, assignment type, and
assignment title) in the top left of the document on the first page.
Include footnotes or endnotes and all bibliography with all the academic sources you
have consulted in your papers, including lectures, which can be cited by date, i.e.
Lecture Jan. 28th, etc.
AI cannot be used for any submitted portions of your essay.
Formatting (audio/video):
Videos or audio recordings should be at least 12 minutes long and no longer than 20
minutes. You may work with one other student, and if so, the video should be at least 18
minutes in length, and no more than 25 minutes. If you are working together one of you can be
the host, the other be the expert, or you can come up with an alternative structure.
Have a concept for your project. Is this a video or audio essay? Is it a youtube
lecture? Is it a podcast? What sort of audio production is this? Who is the audience?
(It can be a simple lecture but imagine that you are explaining the topic to us as if we
were only mildly familiar with it).
Edit your video or audio as you would an essay (see tips below). Do not just read your
written essay aloud in Voice Memo or to Yuja if you hope for a superlative mark.
Upload the file directly into assignment dropbox on Moodle. When exporting your file,
please ensure that the audio file is in .mp3 or .wav format (.mp3 is
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recommended/preferred, as this type of file will be easier to upload directly onto
Moodle).
Include a bibliography as a separate document and upload it to Moodle (put your name
and id on the top of the page).
AI cannot be used for any submitted portions of your essay.
Other tips for video/audio:
Adding music and/or sound effects: please ensure that they are copyright/royalty free. You can
find many different playlists on YouTube, simply by typing in “Copyright free music.” Should
you wish you use copyrighted sound/music, you may only use a MAXIMUM of 30 seconds
throughout the entire podcast.
Editing software: Some easy and free editing software includes REAPER and Audacity. They
can be downloaded on both PC and Mac very quickly and easily, links provided at the bottom of
this document. If you have ever used iMovie, these programs are very similar but are tailored
specifically to audio files rather than video.
When recording: do not hold your phone/mic too close to your mouth, as this might
compromise the quality of the sound. A good rule of thumb: hold the mic two fists away from
your face, a little to the side rather than right in front of your face. This will help prevent your
P’s from “popping” and your S’s from “screeching.”
Grading Criteria:
Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria: 1) Clarity of the argument and project
presentation. Is the project well-constructed and focussed? If you employ a creative vision,
did you execute it consistently? Is it edited and polished?, 2) Does the assignment explain
why this selected topic is important for understanding some aspect of Christianity? What is
gained by the consideration of this subject and is this made apparent in the project?, 3) Were
all relevant course materials utilized, and effectively? Stated differently: Does the project
consider the right readings and lectures, and demonstrate a clear and understanding of
them?, & 4) Are the additional sources used sufficient to cover the topic in detail?
GRADING SYSTEM FOR ASSIGNMENTS
A Range: Superior grasp of material, well constructed, excellent analysis, original insights
and thought-provoking and careful presentation. A+ is reserved for the work of the highest
quality.
B Range: Good understanding of course material, clear and orderly presentation, and
appropriate application of concepts.
C Range: Adequate grasp of material, reasonably clear, but uneven application of concepts.
D : Some evidence of reading, inadequate comprehension and presentation.
F : Indicates that the student did not do the assignment or that the material handed in lacks
evidence that the work was done.
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