California State University, Chico
Department of Religious Studies
RELS 332-01, World Religions and Global Issues
Instructor:
Daniel Veidlinger
Office location:
Trinity 233
Telephone:
898-4637
Email:
dveidlinger@csuchico.edu
Office hours:
Wednesdays 2:00 – 5:00 and Thursdays 12:00 – 2:00
Class days/time:
Tuesday and Thursday 3:30 – 4:45 PM
Classroom:
Glenn 212
Prerequisites:
None
Course Usage of Blackboard Vista
Copies of the course syllabus and major assignments may be found on Vista. You are
responsible for regularly checking the online resources, which is accessed through the portal
at http://portal.csuchico.edu.
Course Description and Goals
This course is a foundation course in the Global Issues upper division theme of the General
Education program. As such, this course addresses important Global Issues from the
perspective of Religious Studies which includes Humanistic and Social Scientific
approaches to these problems.
We will be focusing on the roles played by many of the world’s religions in the global
political, economic, environmental and social problems that face us in the 21st century. We
will assess these issues from a variety of perspectives, looking at both the beneficial and
detrimental contributions of religion. In many cases, religion has contributed to the problems
that we will be examining, but religious traditions also offer powerful transformative
resources that can help ameliorate these conditions.
RELS Seminar, RELS 482-02
Fall 2009 page 1 of 8
What do the world’s religions say about poverty – both about the state of being poor and the
way out of this condition? Does providing solace for the poor help the underprivileged deal
with their condition or merely support the status quo? Do different religions have different
conceptions of Human Rights? Is religion more of a factor in causing war or stopping it?
What do religions say about the legitimate use of violence? How do religious conceptions
of the place of humanity in the cosmos affect our attitudes towards nature and the
environment? These are just some of the questions that we will be addressing in this course.
The world views, values and practices of the religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
Buddhism, Hinduism and others that we will look at can help us to understand how some of
these issues arose and also point to the way to solving them. Because they provide the basis
for many people’s deepest held values, the wisdom of the world’s religions can offer a
prescription for a better future as well.
Required Texts/Readings
The following texts are available at the AS Bookstore in the BMU:
1. J. Milburn Thompson, Justice and Peace: A Christian Primer . Orbis Books.
2. P. Knitter & C. Muzaffar, Subverting Greed: Religious Perspectives on the Global
Economy. Orbis Books.
3. Daniel Smith-Christopher, Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Non-Violence in
Religious Traditions. Orbis Books
4. S. Rockefeller and J. Elder, Spirit and Nature. Beacon Press.
5. A Course Packet of photocopied articles available at Mr. Kopy 119 Main St..
There will also be readings that I will post electronically on the course website or on
electronic reserve in the Library. A few readings will also be available publicly online.
Classroom Protocol
Active participation is crucial. You will be expected to have done all the readings for that
session before class begins. Please arrive on time with cellphones off and with the books
that we will be discussing that day. Please ask any questions that you have because the more
discussion we have in class, the better the experience will be.
RELS Seminar, RELS 482-02
Fall 2009 page 2 of 8
Dropping and Adding
You are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops,
academic renewal, etc. found http://www.csuchico.edu/catalog/. You should be aware of the
new deadlines and penalties for adding and dropping classes.
Assignments and Grading Policy
10%
30%
20%
5%
Class Participation
Two three-page (900 word) reports worth 15% each. Choose two out of the four
main topics [POVERTY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, VIOLENCE, ENVIRONMENT] and
hand in the report on the due date at the end of that topic. The report should focus on
one or two religions and show how these religions can BOTH improve and
exacerbate the problems associated with this issue.
Each student will be assigned to a group and the group will work together to prepare
a presentation on a subject and will hand in a 5 page written document. The
presentations will be towards the end of the year and the written report Due May 11
Four multiple choice Quizes worth 5% each (the dates are noted on the syllabus)
Four Cultural Events Due May 13
You will be required to attend four cultural events or lectures during the semester.
These can include a visit to a place of worship, a movie about the issues we have
looked at, a Yoga or meditation class, a play, music or other event that you think is
in some way related to the course. Please write a two-page (total) report about your
experiences explaining how they relate to this course. Was what you saw similar or
different from what you expected based on your readings and the lectures? Think
about the meaning behind what you witnessed and write this down. You may report
equally on all four events or devote the bulk of the two pages to one of the events,
but please at least include a brief summary of each of the events.
20%
Final Exam Thursday May 20 at 2:00 PM
15%
The final Grade calculations are as follows:
A >
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F <
92%
90 – 92 %
87 – 89 %
83 – 86 %
80 - 82 %
77 – 79 %
73 – 76 %
70 – 72 %
65 – 69 %
60 - 64 %
60 %
RELS Seminar, RELS 482-02
Fall 2009 page 3 of 8
University Policies and Campus Resources
Academic integrity
Students are expected to be familiar with the University’s Academic Integrity Policy. Your
own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at California State
University, Chico, and the University’s Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest
in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to
the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. The policy on academic integrity and other resources
related to student conduct can be found at: http://www.csuchico.edu/sjd/sja.shtml. The
policy for the Religious Studies Department is posted on the Vista site for this course.
NOTE: IF YOU CHEAT ON AN EXAM OR PLAGIARIZE ON A PAPER YOU
WILL FAIL THE COURSE.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to
make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an
appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Students with
disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the DSS Office (Disability
Support Services) to establish a record of their disability.
Special accommodations for exams require ample notice to the testing office and must be
submitted to the instructor well in advance of the exam date.
Student Computing
Computer labs for student use are available http://www.csuchico.edu/stcp located on the 1st
floor of the Merriam Library Rm 116 and 450, Tehama Hall Rm.131 and the BMU Rm 301.
Student Services
Student services are designed to assist students in the development of their full academic
potential and to motivate them to become self-directed learners. Students can find support
for services such as skills assessment, individual or group tutorials, subject advising,
learning assistance, summer academic preparation and basic skills development. Student
services information can be found at: http://www.csuchico.edu/5.-studentservices.html.
University Writing Center
The CSU, Chico writing center is staffed by professional instructors and upper-division or
graduate-level writing specialists. Our writing specialists have met a rigorous GPA
requirement, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all disciplines
to become better writers. The Writing Center information can be found online at
http://www.csuchico.edu/uwc.
RELS Seminar, RELS 482-02
Fall 2009 page 4 of 8
Student Learning Center
The mission of the Student Learning Center (SLC) is to provide services that will assist
CSU, Chico students to become independent learners. The SLC prepares and supports
students in their college course work by offering a variety of programs and resources to meet
student needs. The SLC facilitates the academic transition and retention of students from
high schools and community colleges by providing study strategy information, content
subject tutoring, and supplemental instruction. The SLC is online at
http://www.csuchico.edu/slc/.
Furloughs
Because of state budget constraints, a furlough program has been enacted throughout the
CSU system which results in a pay reduction and a corresponding reduction in workload.
Unfortunately, this will impact the quality of education offered this year through the
cancellation of some class meetings. These are noted in the course schedule. You are still
responsible for the assignments for that day, but we will not meet during the class time on
those days. If you are unhappy with this situation, please contact your state representative
and send a message to Sacramento that every attempt should be made to maintain adequate
funding for education.
RELS Seminar, RELS 482-02
Fall 2009 page 5 of 8
RELS 332 Course Schedule
Week
1
2
Date
Jan. 26
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
Introduction: What issues will we be talking about? What role has
religion had in the evolution of these problems?
Jan. 28
Introduction to Religions of the World: Judaism, Buddhism,
Hinduism, Christianity, Islam. Do some Internet research on each
of these religions starting at http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/
Feb. 2
Finding Justice in Religious Texts: Readings [Lerner “The
Struggle between Two Voices of God in the Torah” Course Packet,
Niebuhr “Moral Man and Immoral Society Course Packet, Rahula
“The Social Teachings of the Buddha” Course Packet]
Feb. 4
Setting the Stage: Readings [Justice and Peace Chapter 1 “The
Twenty-First Century”]
POVERTY and ECONOMIC INJUSTICE: Readings [Justice
and Peace Chapter 2 “Poverty and Development” ]
3
Feb. 9
4
Feb. 11
Feb. 16
Readings [Loy “The Religion of the Market” Course Packet]
Readings [Subverting Greed Chapter 1 “Igbo and African
Perspectives” and 2 “Religious Conscience and the Global
Economy”]
Feb. 18
Readings [ Subverting Greed Chapter 3 “Pave the Planet or Wear
Shoes”, Schumacher “Buddhist Economics” Course Packet]
Readings [Subverting Greed Chapter 5 “Judaism and Economic
Reform”, Chapter 6 “God’s Household”]
5
Feb. 23
Feb. 25
6
Mar. 2
Mar. 4
7
Mar. 9
Mar. 11
8
Quiz One
Readings [ Subverting Greed Chapter 7 “Globalization and Greed: A
Muslim Perspective”, Chapter 8 “Conclusion”]
NO CLASSES : FURLOUGH DAY (catch up on your work!)
Paper Due
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Readings [Justice and Peace Chapter 4 “Human Rights” ]
Readings [Engineer “Islam, Women, and Gender Justice” Course
Packet, Gutierrez “A Theology of Liberation” Course Packet, Martin
Luther King “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Online at
http://abacus.bates.edu/admin/offices/dos/mlk/letter.html]
Readings [ Justice and Peace Chapter 8 “Christian Faith, Jesus and
Catholic Social Teaching”]
NO CLASSES SPRING BREAK
Week
9
10
Date
Mar. 23
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
Readings [Sivaraksa “Buddhism in a World of Change” Course
Packet, Macy “In Indra’s Net” Course Packet, Eppsteiner “In the
Crucible” Course Packet]
Mar. 25
Quiz Two
VIOLENCE AND WAR
Readings [Justice and Peace Chapter 5 “Conflict and War”,
Subverting Hatred Chapter 10 “Political Atheism and Radical Faith”]
Paper Due
Readings [Subverting Hatred Chapter 7 “Nonviolence in Islam”,
Chapter 9 “Let Your Love for Me Vanquish Your Hatred”
Mar. 30
Apr. 1
11
Apr. 6
Apr. 8
12
13
14
Apr. 13
Sri Lankan Conflict Readings [Manogaran “Ethnic Conflict and
Reconciliation in Sri Lanka – Introduction, Chapter 1” Course
Packet and Tambiah “Chapter Six” and “Appendix Four” Course
Packet]
Apr. 20
Readings [Subverting Hatred Chapter 1 “Jainism and Non-Violence
and “Epilogue: Reflections on Non-Violence”]
Apr. 22
Paper Due
ENVIRONMENT [Justice and Peace Chapter 3 “Population
Explosion, Resource Depletion and Environmental Destruction”]
Readings [Spirit and Nature Chapter 1 “A Tradition of
Thanksgiving”, Chapter 2 “Learning to Live with Less”]
Apr. 27
May 4
May 6
16
Arab Israeli Conflict Readings [Gopin “Holy War Holy Peace”
Course Packet]
Quiz Three
Readings [Subverting Hatred Chapter 2 “The Peace Wheel” ,
Chapter 4 “Ahimsa and the Unity of All Things”]
Apr. 15
Apr. 29
15
NO CLASSES : FURLOUGH DAY But meet to discuss your
presentations
Arab-Israeli Conflict Readings [Juergensmeyer “Zion Betrayed” and
“Islam’s Neglected Duty” Course Packet]
May 11
Quiz Four
Readings [Spirit and Nature Chapter 3 “A Square in the Quilt”,
Chapter 5 “Islam and the Environmental Crisis” ]
Readings [Spirit and Nature Chapter 6 “A Tibetan Buddhist
Perspective” Chapter 8 “Faith and Community”]
Readings [Spirit and Nature Chapter 9 “Keeping Faith with Life”,
Epilogue] Group Presentations
Paper Due Group Presentations
Week
Date
May 13
May 20
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
Group Presentations
External Events Report Due
Exam at 2:00 PM in the Classroom