Pat Mulcahy
Fenwick High School
Syllabus for Course 401 Comparative Religions (.5 Credits)
St. Mary’s University TH 114 Religions of the Book(3 Semester Hours)
Course Description:
The Christian Bible inspires faith for billions of persons worldwide and is a best-seller
every year. In this course the Bible is studied as an example of the world’s scriptures.
Comparisons and contrasts are drawn between both the content and the use of Scripture
in Jewish, Christian and Muslim denominations. Attention can be given to some of the
uses of Scripture in eastern worldviews, for example, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Departmental Goals:
1)
Gain an understanding of Christianity as a major world religion and be able to
define its central beliefs and themes.
2)
Gain knowledge of the Bible and understand its’ role as a source of God’s
revelation.
3)
Recognize the distinctive elements of the Roman Catholic Tradition and
demonstrate an understanding of the relationships among beliefs, moral principles and
ethical behavior, sacramentally, and prayer as taught from a Catholic perspective.
4)
Gain skills, attitudes, and intellectual capacities necessary for engaging the life,
vision, mission and practices of a faith community.
OVERALL COURSE GOALS:
1)
The students will understand the basic terminology necessary to engage the
Jewish and Christian Scriptures and relevant theological literature of the Jewish and
Christian worldview.
2)
The students will recognize and understand central animating themes of the
Jewish and Chritian covenants, such as God, creation, sin, salvation, justice, and the
community created of God and human beings.
3)
Students will acquire introductory skills of historical-critical interpretation of
Scripture.
4)
The students will learn about some of the foundational events and significant
figures in Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
5)
The student will be exposed to important contemporary issues of the 21st century
including how the Catholic Church engages in dialogue with other religion traditions
recognizing both the necessity of dialogue and the challenges presented by it.
6)
The student will be encouraged to continue exploration of the subject matter by
reading recommended books and attending outside lectures on relevant topics to deepen
their understanding of concepts introduced in this class.
OVERALL COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1)
Students will be able to articulate a definition of Scripture in a generic
(considering basic content, form/s and functions) and denominationally sensitive
manner(e.g. Hebrew Scripture/Old Testament). Students will be able to define and use
terms or concepts related to this description as well as terms and concepts specifically
related to interpretation.
2)
Students will demonstrate how the use of Scripture by various mainstream
religions compares/contrasts with respect to a particular religious theme, ritual, teaching,
ethical or cultural norm. Students will be able to express how a topic like “creation” or a
character like “Mary” are received differently in the respective contexts of Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
3)
Students will be able to demonstrate the varieties of Scripture used among the
various mainstream religions who receive Scripture. Related, students will be able to
explain how the texts are received with respect to authority, interpretation techniques, etc.
Also, students will be able to describe how the varieties of Scripture are utilized in the
wider context of denominations that receive it. For example, students will be able to
articulate how Roman Catholics and other mainstream Christians and non-Christian
denominations utilize Scripture for prayer, liturgy, and other specific contexts. Students
may also be asked to describe how Scripture has been enhanced over time through the
interpreter’s consideration of anthropology, cultural studies, history, math and science.
ASSESSMENT: Will occur through assignments, quizzes, class discussions, tests, and a
final exam. Students will also be offered the opportunity to further explore topics
introduced in class by attending lectures at local colleges (Dominican University,
Elmhurst College, and Common Ground based out of Lake Forest College) and then
writing brief reflections on the lectures.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How should a faithful, practicing Catholic Christian relate to
people of other religious traditions in the 21st Century?
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTORY ISSUES FOR THE STUDY OF THE WORLD’S
RELIGIONS(3 weeks)
A)Course Outline/Syllabus/Course Goals
B) What is Religion and why does it matter?
C) Models for Understanding similarities/differences in religions
D) Catholicism in Dialogue with other Religions
E) Religious Fundamentalism
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
A)
Excerpt from Stephen Prothero’s God is not One
B)
Excerpt from Many Peoples, Many Faiths
C)
“Will Catholics Be Lonely in Heaven?” (US Catholic Sept. 2001)
D)
Nostra Aetate, (Documents of Vatican II-Paul VI)
E)
F)
“Who is the Church?” (letter issued by Cardinal George July 2007)
Excerpt from Karen Armstrong The Battle for God
UNIT 1 OBJECTIVES: At the end of this unit, the student should be able to
1)
Identify the role religion plays in human life
2)
Be able to identify different views about the nature of religion in modern life
3)
Be able to explain two different models for understanding the differences between
the religions that will be studied in this course
4)
Be able to articulate the uniqueness of Catholicism in comparison to both
Christian and non-Christian religions citing Nostra Aetate as a reference point.
5)
Be able to identify the origins of religious fundamentalism
UNIT 1 TERMS: At the end of this unit, the student should be familiar with the
following terms:
Nostra Aetate, Deicide, conditioned/unconditioned reality, myth, doctrine, sect, cult,
atheist, agnostic, syncretism, perennial philosophy, sin, grace, fundamentalism,
orthodoxy, orthopraxy, Axial Age, mythos, logos, exclusivist, inclusivist, pluralist,
secularism, sacrament
UNIT 2:HINDUISM TOPICS(3 WEEKS)
A) Basic concepts in Hinduism
B) The individual in Hindu thought
C) Paths to Moksha
D) Hindu Scripture
E) Hindu gods
F) India(Hinduism) in the Modern World
G)Hinduism according to Prothero’s models
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
A)
Video:Gandhi
B)
Excerpts from The Katha Upanishad and the Bhagavad Gita
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT:
A)
A Senior Striving for Balance
B)
Stages of Life of a High Schooler
UNIT 2 OBJECTIVES: At the end of this unit, the student should be able to
1)
Explain the difference between the Hindu notion of time and a Christian one.
2)
Articulate the meaning of basic Hindu concepts such as samsara, karma, dharma,
and moksha.
3)
Identify the stages of life and an individual’s role in society according to Hindu
thought
4)
Distinguish between three different types of yoga.
5)
Identify several of the main Hindu gods.
6)
Be able to identify some Sacred texts in Hinduism
7)
Identify some other religions which originate in India and their founders
8)
Be able to explain the origins of Hindu/Muslim tensions
9)
Summarize Hinduism according to Prothero Model
UNIT 2 TERMS: At the end of this unit, the student should be familiar with the
following terms:
Samsara, karma, dharma, moksha, svadharma, rita, Laws of Manu,Patanjai, Yoga Sutras,
varnas, brahmins, kshatriyas, vaisyas, shudras, harijans, jati, ashramas, sannyasin,
asceticism, kama, artha, guru, shruti, smirit, Sanskrit, mantra, murti, puja, maya,
samskaras, gurdwara, Transcendental Meditation, yoga(marga), karma yoga, jnana yoga,
bhakti yoga, Advaita Vedanta, Shankara, Vedas, Rig Veda, soma, Brahman, Upanishads,
Atman,Mahabarata, Bhagavad-Gita, Arjuna, Krishna, Ramayana,Lakshmi, Ganesh,kalpa,
lokas, avatar, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Gandhi,Ramakrishna, ahimsa, satyagraha, Sikhism,
Jainism, Guru Nanak, Mahavira, Ramakrishna
UNIT 3:BUDDHISM TOPICS(3 WEEKS)
A) The Story of the Buddha
B) Similarities/differences between Hinduism and Buddhism
C) The Four Noble Truths/Basic Buddhist Concepts
D) Branches of Buddhism
E) Buddhism according to Prothero’s model
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
A) Little Buddha (video)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT:
A)
Game Changing Event
B)
My Noble Truths
C)
My Precepts
UNIT 3 OBJECTIVES: At the end of this unit, the student should be able to
1)
Give a brief summary of the life of Siddhartha Gautama and significant
figures/events/people from his life.
2)
Explain some of the similarities and differences between Buddhism and Hinduism
3)
Be able to identify and give a brief explanation of:
a)
The Three Marks of Existence
b)
The Three Jewels
c)
The Four Sights
d)
The Four Noble Truth
4)
Explain some of the similarities/differences between Siddhartha and Jesus
5)
Explain some of the differences about how the Buddhist Precepts differ from the
Decalogue
6)
Explain some of the differences between the two main branches of Buddhism
7)
Summarize Buddhism according to Prothero’s model
UNIT 3 TERMS: At the end of this unit, the student should be familiar with the
following terms:
Buddhism, Maya, Sudhodhanna, Asita, Buddha,Maya, Yasodhara, Rahula, Mara, The
Four Sights, asceticism,The Middle Way, jatakas, Deer Park, Sarnath, The Three Jewels,
Five Ascetics, Shakyamuni, dharma, sangha,Cundra, nirvana,The Three Marks of
Existence, anicca, anatta, dukkha, skandhas, The Five Precepts, The Four Noble Truths,
tanha, nirodha, magga, arhat, bodhisattva, Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, mandalas,
mudras, mantras, Tripitaka
UNIT 4:JUDAISM TOPICS(3 WEEKS)
A)Review Biblical History of the Jewish People
B)Brief History of Jewish people from destruction of Second Temple
C) Hebrew Scripture/Sacred Stories
D) Jewish Holy Days
E) Basic Jewish practices
F) Judaism according to Prothero’s models
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
B)
Kingdom of David(video-parts 3/4)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT:
A)
Student Spiritual Autobiography(MAJOR PAPER)
UNIT 4 OBJECTIVES: At the end of this unit, the student should be able to:
1) Identify some of the major events and significant figures in Jewish history
from Biblical times until the present.
2)
Identify the concept of Torah in its’ narrow and broad sense and have a basic
grasp of how the Hebrew Scripture came to be according to the historical-critical method
of scholarship
3)
Be able to identify some basic Jewish beliefs and practices
4)
Be able to identify significant Jewish Holy Days
5)
Summarize Judaism according to Prothero’s models
UNIT 4 TERMS: At the end of this unit, the student should be familiar with the
following terms:
Creation, Patriarchs, Covenant, Shema, Promised Land, Dead Sea Scrolls, Chosen
People, idolatry, Temple, Ark, Holy of Holies, Exodus, Exile, Hellenization, Diaspora,
Tanak, Torah, Zohar, mysticism, neviim, ketuvim, Documentary Hypothesis, Messiah,
Mishna, Talmud, Midrash, rabbi, synagogue, mitzvot, halakah, aggadah, tikkun olam,
tishuvah, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles, Passover, Pentecost, Hanukkah,
menorah, Purim, Sabbath, circumcision, bar/bat mitzvah, huppah, kosher, mezuzah,
Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Zionism, Hasidism, Kabbalah, Holocaust, Nostra
Aetate, shofar, Reconquista , conversos,
Prominent Figures in Jewish History: Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Ishmael, Hagar,
Rebekah, Jacob(Israel), Rachel, Leah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Saul Samuel, David,
Solomon, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Hillel, Johannon ben Zakkai, Simon bar Kochba,
Moses de Leon, Moses Maimonides, Ba’al Shem Tov
Be able to give an approximate timeline of the following events: Abraham’s call,
Exodus, Monarchy, kingdom split, Assyrian conquest, Babylonian Exile and its’ end,
Alexander’s conquest, Maccabean revolt, destruction of 2nd Temple, bar Kochba revolt,
modern State of Israel established
UNIT 5:CHRISTIANITY TOPICS(3 WEEKS)
A) The Life and Times of Jesus
B) The Christian Scriptures-its’ divisions and origins
C) The Four Gospels
D) Early Christian History
E) Branches of Christianity
F) The Role of the Saints in Christian History
G) Christianity according to Prothero’s model
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
A) The Passion of the Saints Parts I and II(Video The Learning Channel)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT:
A)
Student Spiritual Autobiography
UNIT 5 OBJECTIVES: At the end of this unit, the student should be able to
1) Identify some basic demographic information about Christianity in the world and
especially Catholicism
2) Have a basic understanding of the life and times of Jesus and the competing religious
groups of his day within Judaism.
3) Be able to distinguish some basic differences in both the composition and
interpretation of Scripture from a Catholic Christian/non-Catholic Christian perspective.
4)Have a basic understanding of some of the similarities/differences in the four Gospels
and some of the different types of Biblical criticism modern scholars utilize
5) Explain basic differences between the branches of Christianity
6) Be able to place some key events in Christian history using the timeline below
7) Be able to identify some of the early martyrs and other significant figures from the two
videos on the Passion of the Saints.
8) Summarize Christianity according to Prothero’s model
UNIT 5 TERMS: At the end of this unit, the student should be familiar with the
following terms:
Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots, doctrines, denominations, blasphemy, Apostles,
Gentile, council, Constantine, Edict of Milan, Council of Jerusalem, Counsel of Nicea,
Council of Trent, Luther, Henry VIII, John Calvin, Second Vatican Council, martyr,
kerygma, didache, pope, patriarchates, pope, Crusades, monk, transubstantiation,
apocalyptic, Magisterium, Tradition, canon, deuterocanonical, apocrypha, apologetics,
Creed, heresy, orthodoxy, Incarnation, Original Sin, concupiscence, Christ, Trinity, sin,
grace, salvation, resurrection, icon, Church Fathers, Gnosticism, Arianism, Great Schism,
Advent, Lent, Triduum, Sacraments, synoptic gospels, Septuagint, Orthodox, Protestant,
Catholic, Filioque
Be able to give an approximate timeline for the following events: birth of Jesus,
Council of Jerusalem, Paul’s letters written, Edict of Milan, Council of Nicaea, Great
Schism, Luther’s 95 Thesis, Henry VIII Act of Supremacy, Council of Trent, Vatican II
Be able to identify the following saints/holy people/important figures in Christian
history:
Paul, Stephen, Polycarp, Perpetua and Felicity, Sebastian, Nero, Maximilian Kolbe,
Thomas Beckett, Joan of Arc, Anthony of Egypt, Augustine, Simeon Stylites, Catherine
of Siena, Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assisi, St. John Brebeuf, Teresa of Avila, John of
the Cross
UNIT 6:ISLAM TOPICS(3 WEEKS)
A) The Life and Times of Muhammed
B) The Qur’an
C) Basic Theological Concepts in Islam
D) The Five Pillars
E) Branches of Islam
F) Islam according to Prothero model
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
A)
Secrets of the Qur’an (History Channel)
B)
The Hajj (Prentice Hall)
C)
Excerpts from the Qur’an
UNIT 6 OBJECTIVES: At the end of this unit students should be able to:
1) Be able to give some basic information about the demography of Islam in the 21st
century
2) Have a basic understanding of the life and times of Muhammed
3) Be able to explain a Muslim worldview as it relates to God, Creation, Human
Beings, and Final Judgment
4) Explain some of the similarities/differences between Muhammed and Jesus and
how they are viewed in their respective religions
5) Explain some of the similarities/differences between how Muslims view the
Qur’an and Catholics view the Bible
6) Explain some of the differences between the branches of Islam and their historical
origins.
7) Explain some of the origins of the resurgence in Islam over the past half century.
8) Summarize Islam according to Prothero’s model
UNIT 6 TERMS: At the end of this unit, the student should be familiar with the
following terms:
Islam, Muslim, Kab’ah, al-Lah, Quraysh, el-Amin, Abu Talib, Khadija, Waraqah, Ali,
Abu Bakr, Husayn, Saladin, Mecca, Muhammed, Ishmael, Medina, Jerusalem, Dome of
the Rock, Mt. Hira, Gabriel, ilm, Yathrib(Medina),Plain of Arafat, Hijra, ummah, jihad,
ghaflah, Qur’an, surah, People of the Book, Hadith, sunnah, Night Journey, The Five
Pillars, mosque, fatwah, shahadah, salah, zakah, sawm, Ramadan, hajj, Dhu-al –Hijah,
Sunni, Shia, caliph, Sufism,shaykh, imam, Imam, Wahhbism, shar’ia, jahiliyyah, Sayid
Qutb
TEXTBOOK: Exploring The Religions of Our World by Nancy Clemmons, SNJM. Ave
Maria Press