St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo
Department of Religious Studies
Fall 2013
RS 286
Spirit in Motion
Tuesday 6:30–9:20 p.m.
Course Outline
Instructor: Professor David Perrin
Office: SJU 1016
Office Phone: 519-884-8111 x28307
Email: dperrin@uwaterloo.ca
Office Hours: Monday 9:30 – 11 a.m.; Tuesday 3 – 6 p.m.; Wednesday 9:30 – 11 a.m.
Phone and email messages will be responded to within 48 hours.
Course Description:
This course studies the phenomenon of spirituality from a number of perspectives, within both its
religious expression as well as its non-religious expression. Topics include the meaning of
spirituality; spirituality and religion; spirituality in a global world; spirituality and interfaith
dialogue; gender issues; spirituality and the Christian God; spirituality and ecology; spirituality
and psychology; new age spirituality; and spiritual practices.
Learning Objectives:
A. Articulate an understanding of spirituality in its religious and non-religious meanings
B. Describe what role spirituality plays in a number of major global issues
C. Understand the role spirituality plays in developing our sense of self-in-community
D. Have an in-depth knowledge of a recognized spiritual author
Required Text:
 REQUIRED: Ursula King, The Search for Spirituality: Our Global Quest for a
Spiritual Life, Bluebridge: New York, 2008. On Reserve at the St. Jerome’s
University library.

Optional but highly recommended: David B. Perrin, Studying Christian Spirituality,
Routledge: New York, 2007. On Reserve at the St. Jerome’s University library.
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Class Schedule
Readings from King, The Search for Spirituality, are compulsory. Readings from Perrin,
Studying Christian Spirituality, are highly recommended but optional. Both King and Perrin have
numerous additional readings associated with each chapter at the back of the book. These
additional readings are optional but are useful to deepen your understanding of the material in
the course and may assist in your research essay.
Week Date
1
Sept. 10
2
Sept. 17
3
Sept. 24
4
Oct. 1
5
Oct. 8
6
Oct. 15
7
Oct. 22
8
Oct. 29
9
10
Nov. 5
Nov. 12
11
Nov. 19
12
Nov. 26
Topic
1. Course orientation; 2. What is
spirituality?; 3. A cultural
interpretation of the phenomenon of
spirituality
1. Spirituality and religion; 2. The
nature of experience; 3. How place
influences spirituality; 4. Modernism
and post-modernism
1. Spirituality in a global world;
2. Evolving models of God and
cosmology; 3. Ecology and
spirituality
1. Continuation of previous topics;
2. Spirituality and inter-faith
dialogue; 3. In-class presentations
1. Continuation of previous topics;
2. Spirituality and gender
1. Spirituality and psychology;
2. In-class test
1. Continuation of previous topics;
2. New Age spirituality; 3. In-class
presentations
1. Spiritual practices
1. Mysticism and asceticism
1. Continuation of previous topics;
2. In-class presentations
1. Continuation of previous topics;
2. In-class presentations
1. Review
Readings Due
King, 1–14; 19–23
Perrin, 15–31
King, 14–18
Perrin, 44–51; 76–88;
128–133
King, 41–56; 142–175
Perrin, 95–111; 114–117
King, 57–77; 176–195
King, 122–141
Perrin, 319–329
King, 78–102; 103–121
Perrin, 219–238
Perrin, 314–319
King, 24–40
Perrin, 265–290
Perrin, 238–257
No required readings this
week
No required readings this
week
No required readings this
week
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Marking Scheme:
Participation: 20%
In-class presentation: 10%
Essay: 30%
Mid-term test: 15%
Final exam: 25%
Bonus: post 6 times on LEARN (6 different dates) on the readings from King: 5%
Instructions for Assignments/Essays/Tests etc.:
Participation: This course is designed to promote engaged critical thinking with the course
readings, your personal experience, and the material presented in the classroom. In order to
foster the skill of engaged critical thinking, I expect you to have done the readings prior to each
class, come to the class with prepared questions and/or commentary on the readings, and interact
with your colleagues during class discussion times.
Brief summaries of the text, relevant principal points, your questions, or other reflections that
engage your own experience based on the required readings or other material you have come
across which you post on the LEARN site, will be factored into your participation mark. Please
note that the LEARN site closes at midnight the day before class; your material needs to be
posted prior to that time. It opens again for the following week after each class. You must post
your own contribution before LEARN will allow you to read what other students have
contributed.
On each day when readings are due, some students will be randomly chosen to provide brief
summaries of 3 to 5 minutes, with questions for discussion, that cover the readings for that day.
Both regular attendance and preparation are necessary for successful class meetings. Attendance
will be taken and factored into your participation mark. Missing 3 or more class meetings will
result in the loss of half of your participation mark.
You are encouraged to ask questions during lectures being given by the Professor. Raising your
hand will signal you have a question. I’ll stop to respond to the question at an opportune time
shortly thereafter. However, depending on your question (which may be part of a latter part of
the lecture), the question will be entertained immediately or held for a response a bit later in the
lecture.
In-class presentation: Choose one of the individuals cited in King, The Search for Spirituality.
Work up a 10- to 12-minute presentation on the individual. Include the following elements: first,
some brief biographical notes and his/her important writings (if any); second, his/her
contribution to some significant topic in spirituality; third, why did you choose this person?; how
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does she/he speak to you? You can present this via any medium you like. For example, you
could do a poster presentation; a skit; a poem; a PowerPoint presentation; an oral presentation; or
a combination of some of these. Be as creative as possible! The 10- to 12-minute time frame will
be strictly adhered to. The presentation will be followed by a 5-minute opportunity for questions
for discussion from other students. Marking will be based on: organization (clear and concise
ideas); understanding of the individual’s contribution to the topic in spirituality; creativity and
originality; staying within the 10- to 12-minute time frame; and the ability to respond
meaningfully to questions from other students.
A schedule will be circulated so you can sign up for your preferred time for the in-class
presentation. The schedule will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you have signed
up for your time slot, you will not be permitted to change unless another student agrees to
exchange his/her time slot with you. The “Agreement to Change Time Slots” sheet (available
from the Professor) must be signed by both individuals and submitted to the Professor at least
one week in advance of the anticipated change.
Essay: Choose one of the individuals cited in King, The Search for Spirituality. Write an 8- to
10-page paper (which includes the bibliography and notes). Include the following elements: first,
some brief biographical notes, including his/her major writings (if any); second, main elements
of his/her spirituality; third, his/her contribution to some significant topic in spirituality; fourth,
why you think his/her contribution is important for our “global quest for a spiritual life” today.
You may choose the same individual you chose for the in-class presentation, or you may choose
another individual. Exceptionally, you may choose someone not cited in King. In this case, a
written request, with the reasons why, must be given to the Professor by October 29. You will
receive a written response from the Professor in response to your request. Due date for essay:
November 29, to be submitted at the beginning of the class.
Mid-term test: The mid-term test is written. It will contain two questions based on the
compulsory readings and the lecture material presented by the Professor to date. A list of
questions will be distributed at the end of the class on October 8. From this list, the two questions
will be chosen. The mid-term test will take place in the second half of the course on Tuesday,
October 15.
Final exam: The final exam is written. It will contain two questions based on the compulsory
readings and the lecture material presented in class by the Professor. A list of questions will be
distributed at the end of the class on November 19. From this list, the two questions will be
chosen for the final exam.
Bonus: Postings on LEARN. Brief summaries of the text, relevant principal points, your
questions, or other reflections that engage your own experience based on the required readings or
other material you have come across. Minimum length: ½ page. These are not marked, but you
may get feedback from the Professor. Posting minimium of 6 times gives you the additional 5%.
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Important Dates to Remember:
October 15
In-class test
November 26 Due date for essay
In-class 10- to 12-minute presentations: Oct. 1; Oct. 22; Nov. 12; Nov. 19
My in-class presentation is scheduled for: ______________
Correspondence and Appointments:
Students using email to contact me must include their first and last names, student number, and
course in which they are enrolled in the email subject line. Your “@uwaterloo.ca” email account
is the preferred account for email communications with the Professor in this course. Commercial
email accounts (such as “Hotmail”) are sometimes blocked by spam filters. Email is not
conducive to discussion and not an alternative way to receive class material.
Discussion of assignments, class material, or other issues that may arise is welcome at class or
during office hours. In order to be sure I am available during office hours it is necessary to make
an appointment at least 24 hours ahead of the desired appointment time. However, if you want
to take a chance, please feel free to drop by any time during office hours to see if I am available
(for example, I may be with another student). If I am not available please send me an email to
make an appointment.
Late Work
Part of a university education is learning to organize your time given the multiple demands on
your time and talent. Planning and organizing ahead to ensure readings and assignments are
completed within the deadlines is necessary. Unless an extension in writing is requested – and
granted in writing – a penalty of 5% is applied if assignments are not turned in at the time they
are due. Thereafter, for each day the assignment is late – calculated as of 4 p.m. – a further 5%
penalty is applied.
Absences:
As a courtesy, please inform me if you are going to be absent from class. If you miss the midterm in-class test because of an absence, I will require a physician’s note in order to entertain the
possibility of a make-up test. Please see further information below.
Electronic Device Policy – All Gadgets
Please turn off your cellphone, iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry, and any other electronic devices before
entering the classroom. Laptops and iPads may be used, but only to take class notes. Those who
use cellphones, laptops, or other devices to communicate with the “outside world” will be asked
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to leave the room immediately and file the necessary drop-class forms. Should offenders choose
to remain enrolled in the class, the penalty will be a zero for participation.
UW Policy Regarding Illness and Missed Tests; Other Information
The University of Waterloo Examination Regulations state that:
 A medical certificate presented in support of an official petition for relief from normal
academic requirements must provide all of the information requested on the “University of
Waterloo Verification of Illness” form or it will not be accepted. This form can be
obtained from Health Services or on the link provided above. If a student has a
test/examination deferred due to acceptable medical evidence, he/she normally will write
the test/examination at a mutually convenient time, to be determined by the course
instructor.
 The University acknowledges that, due to the pluralistic nature of the University
community, some students may on religious grounds require alternative times to write
tests and examinations.
 Elective arrangements (such as travel plans) are not considered acceptable grounds for
granting an alternative examination time.
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the
University of Waterloo and its Federated University and Affiliated Colleges are expected to
promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid
committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is
unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid
offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek
guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Associate Dean. When misconduct
has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under St. Jerome’s
University Academic Discipline Policy and UW Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information
on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student
Discipline.
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university
life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. For students
who decide to file a grievance, students should refer to Policy 70 – Student Petitions and
Grievances. In such a case, contact Dr. Scott Kline (scott.kline@uwaterloo.ca), Associate Dean
of St. Jerome’s University.
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 71 –
Student Discipline or Policy 70 – Student Petitions and Grievances if a ground for an appeal can
be established. In such a case, contact Dr. John Rempel (jrempel@uwaterloo.ca), Appeals
Officer of St. Jerome’s University.
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Academic Integrity website (Arts):
http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity website (Math): https://math.uwaterloo.ca/math/currentundergraduates/regulations-and-procedures/cheating-and-student-academic-discipline
Academic Integrity Office (UW): http://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services (AS) Office, located in Needles
Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate
accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of
the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability,
please register with the AS Office at the beginning of each academic term.
Information on Plagiarism Detection
Turnitin.com: Plagiarism detection software (Turnitin) will be used to screen assignments in this
course. This is being done to verify that use of all material and sources in assignments is
documented. In the first week of the term, details will be provided about the arrangements for the
use of Turnitin in this course.
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