REL 130A: Living Religions of the World
Roanoke College, Fall 2014
Block 2, 9:40-10:40 a.m., MWF, 111 West
Professor: Holly Jordan
Office: 303 West
Email: hjordan@roanoke.edu
Office Hours: Block 6 (2:20-3:20 MWF)
and by appointment
Course Description
This course is an introductory survey of the five major religious traditions around the world:
Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Throughout this course, students will
learn the history, basic beliefs, practices, and worldviews of these religions. As no religion is a
monolith, we will examine a plurality of voices and sources within each tradition by reading
primary and secondary texts to gain a more robust understanding of the internal diversity
within each religious tradition. Further, because religion is a lived experience, students will have
the opportunity to experience two different religious services or events outside their own faith
tradition. Finally, this course will look at the relationship between religion and politics, both
historically and currently. Over the course of the semester, we will gain a religious literacy
about the world’s largest religious traditions and an appreciation of the complexities of
studying world religions.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, the student will be able to:
 Describe significant beliefs and practices of major world religions, including key
terminology;
 Discuss internal diversity within each religious tradition;
 Be familiar with two worship experiences outside of the student’s own religious
tradition; and
 Demonstrate critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.
Required Readings
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Textbook: A Concise Introduction to World Religions by Willard G. Oxtoby. ISBN-13: 9780199002870, Oxford University Press, 2014.
Additional readings posted on Inquire
Note: Students must bring that day’s reading to class in either print or digital format.
Failure to do so will result in a half-absence (students get one “freebie” on this
requirement).
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Attendance
Come to class. Come to class prepared. If for some reason, you are not prepared that day, still
come to class. You are paying for this degree. Come to class.
Obviously, only a select few of you will have perfect attendance in this course. If you are
absent, you still must complete any work due that day. This includes any work to be submitted
online. You will be allowed three unexcused absences this semester (I don’t feel like it/It’s too
pretty outside/I just want to eat sleep/etc. days). Use them wisely. More than three will affect
your participation grade.
Legitimate situations may arise during the semester that keep you from class (illness, family
death, religious holiday, etc.). If you plan to be absent for a session, please notify me via email
before that session. If you are unable to attend class unexpectedly, please notify me before the
next class session with the reason for your absence. Absences ultimately will only be
considered “excused” if proper documentation (doctor’s note, etc.) is provided within a week of
the absence. Please note that every three times you are late to class will count as one absence.
Absences are factored into the Participation grade.
Course Policies and Resources
Academic Integrity
The integrity of the classes offered by any academic institution solidifies the foundation of its
mission and cannot be sacrificed to expediency, ignorance, or blatant fraud. Therefore, I will
enforce rigorous standards of academic integrity in all aspects and assignments of this course.
For the detailed policy of Roanoke College, regarding the definitions of acts considered to fall
under academic dishonesty and possible ensuing sanctions, see Academic Integrity at Roanoke
College (www.roanoke.edu/academicintegrity). Should you have any questions about possibly
improper research citations or references, or any other activity that may be interpreted as an
attempt at academic dishonest, please see me before the assignment is due to discussion the
matter.
During class and at observation visits, collaboration is highly encouraged. Please note, though,
that all work must be completed individually. For group projects, students will be required to
submit a document explaining their involvement in the project.
Communication with Professor:
Students should contact me at hjordan@roanoke.edu with any questions or concerns they
have. It is the instructor’s goal to have all written work graded within 10 days of submission. If
you are concerned that I have not graded something of yours after this 10-day period, please
feel free to email me. My goal is to respond to your emails within 48 hours of them being sent.
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Disability Support Services
 The Office of Disability Support Services, located in the Goode-Pasfield Center for
Learning and Teaching in Fintel Library, provides reasonable accommodations to
students with identified disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are provided based on
the diagnosed disability and the recommendations of the professional evaluator. In
order to be considered for disability services, students must identify themselves to the
Office of Disability Support Services. Students requesting accommodations are required
to provide specific current documentation of their disabilities. Please contact Rick
Robers, M.A., Coordinator of Disability Support Services, at 540-375-2247 or e-mail
robers@roanoke.edu.
 If you are on record with the College’s Office of Disability Support Services as having
academic or physical needs requiring accommodations, please schedule an appointment
with Mr. Robers as soon as possible. You need to discuss your accommodations with
him before they can be implemented. Also, please note that arrangements for
extended time on exams, testing, and quizzes in a distraction-reduced environment
must be made at least one week before every exam.
 For more information, visit http://roanoke.edu/AZ_Index/Center_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Disability_Support_Services.htm.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center at Roanoke College, located on the Lower Level of Fintel Library, offers
writing tutorials focused on written and oral communication for students working on writing
assignments/projects in any field. Writers at all levels of competence may visit the Writing
Center at any point in their process, from brainstorming to drafting to editing, to talk with
trained peer tutors in informal, one-on-one sessions. The Writing Center is open Sunday
through Thursday from 4 to 9 pm. Simply stop in, or schedule an appointment by going to
www.roanoke.edu/writingcenter, where our schedule of writing workshops and creative
writing playshops is also posted. Be sure to bring a copy of the assignment and the syllabus
with you. Questions? Email writingcenter@roanoke.edu or call 375-4949.
Course Structure and Rules of Conduct
The structure of our classes will change from session to session. Some days will rely more on
lecture; others will be student-led. As this is a class happening in real time, a day’s scheduled
events may change if there is an item in the news worth bringing to the table.
As unstructured as this sounds, I do have a few rules. First, just be the adults you are. I expect
everyone to treat both the material and each other with respect. Religious tolerance is
expected from each student. At no time will you be required to discuss your personal religious
beliefs in class, but if you do, assume that you will be treated with courtesy.
Second, use whatever technology you need to do well in this class (computers, tablets, etc.),
even if that means quickly looking up a word in your phone’s dictionary. That being said, use
your technology wisely. If something your doing with your tech is distracting to me or someone
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else, we may need to have a talk. At minimum, I reserve the right to tell you to close it/turn it
off immediately.
Third, bring whatever else you need to do well in this class. Yes, that includes coffee and
snacks. Just don’t bring anything terribly disruptive to other students (food requiring
silverware, loud wrappers, anything that smells like a chicken biscuit). Feel free to bring
enough to share with everyone.
Finally, check your email often. Set Inquire up to forward messages to your email if you are not
good at checking Inquire often. Check your email before class daily to make sure there have
not been last-minute handouts or articles sent out (or cancellations due to weather—I live in
Blacksburg).
Assignment Requirements:
Students must complete the readings for the course in the order they appear and on time. Due
dates for readings assignments will be posted at the end of this document and in the calendar
tool of the website. Students shall at all times turn in their own work.
All assignments must be turned in Microsoft Word or .rtf (Rich Text) format. No other file
formats will be accepted. All assignments must be written following proper spelling and
grammar and must be free of Internet-speak. Students who do not own an office suite are
encouraged to download LibreOffice, a free open-source alternative to MS Office or iWork:
http://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/.
Students should strive to complete all work on time. Work that is not handed in on time will
lose 10% of their grade on the assignment for every day it is late. Exceptions can be made to
this policy if requests are made prior to the scheduled date and time of an assignment, quiz, or
test.
At all times, I will endeavor to have assignments graded within one week of submission. If this
changes, I will inform students of delays as soon as is possible.
Grades:
Grades for this course are on a percentage system. At the end of the semester, the student’s
grade will be given as a percentage, based on the points earned out of all possible points. The
types of graded work in this course include:
Attendance/Participation
Tests
Autoethnography
Observation Papers
Group Project (including Paper)
Final Conversation/Report
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20%
30%
5%
20%
15%
10%
Attendance/Participation – See Attendance Policy beginning on page 1. First, students should
email me by midnight each day before class with a question to be answered in class each day
(based on that night’s readings). Second, students are expected to participate in class daily.
This involves bringing that day’s assigned reading to class (in print or digital format) as well as
being actively engaged in learning (being engaged and thoughtful listeners, contributing to class
conversation, etc.). Exceptional students will bring material to the conversation not necessarily
assigned. Attendance and participation will be graded on the following 1-3 scale:
 1 – Student emailed the professor a question/topic of discussion from the reading.
 2 – Student emailed the professor a question/topic of discussion from the reading and
came to class (rear in chair only).
 3 – Student emailed the professor a question/topic of discussion from the reading, came
to class, and participated in class discussion.
Tests – There will be one test covering each religion, totaling five tests. Tests will consist of
multiple choice, true/false, matching, and short answer (on some) questions and one essay.
Each test will open the day a religion begins and must be completed one week after each
religion has been completed. Students will complete tests on Inquire on their own time and will
have 60 minutes to complete each test. Study guides will be provided for each test on Inquire.
Publisher study guides and practice quizzes can be found here:
http://www.oupcanada.com/higher_education/companion/religion/9780195437744/student_r
esources.html
Autoethnography – Students will complete an autoethnography (at minimum, 4 pages, double
spaced, 12-point Calibri, 1’ margins) by Friday, September 5. An autoethnography is “a form of
self-reflection and writing that explores the researcher's personal experiences and connects
this autobiographical story to a wider cultural-political-and social meanings and
understandings” (Collins English Dictionary). For this assignment, students will complete a selfreflection on their religious lives (or lack thereof), placing it in the context of both their nonreligious personal beliefs and day-to-day lives. The autoethnography project will be submitted
on Inquire. See Inquire for more details about the nuts and bolts of this assignment.
Observation Papers – Students will attend two religious services outside of their own religious
tradition and write an observation paper (3-4-pages, double spaced, 12-point Calibri, 1’
margins) on each experience. In addition to describing their experience, students will be
required to relate their observations to course texts. I will provide instructions on how to
structure the observation paper as well as a sample observation paper. Observation papers will
be submitted on Inquire.
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Group Project – Each student will complete one group project, culminating in a presentation to
the class. Sign-ups for presentations will happen in class on Wednesday, September 3.
Requirements for the presentations are posted under “Resources” on Inquire. Students’ grades
for presentations will be graded along the following criteria:
 Report of individual and group contributions
 Written portion of group project (15 page paper)
 Presentation in class
Final Conversation/Report – In lieu of a traditional final exam, students will complete a second
autoethnography reflecting what they have learned this semester. These autoethnographies
will be discussed during the final examination period, Wednesday, December 10, 8:30 am12:30 pm.
Students in this course will be graded on a plus/minus system (i.e. A, A-, B+):
A: 100-93, A-: 92-90, B+: 89-87, B: 86-83, B-: 82-80, C+: 79-77, C: 76-73, C-: 72-70, D+: 69-67, D:
66-63, D-: 62-60, F: 59-0
NOTICE: There may be minor changes to the syllabus at the discretion of the
professor, and notification of these changes will be made to students in a timely
manner.
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Course Outline
Week One (August 27-29) – Introduction to Course
 Wednesday: Introduction to the Course
 Friday: Introduction continued; Tech for the course (bring laptop/tablet).
Week Two (September 1-5) – Introduction to Studying Religion/Introduction to Judaism
 Monday: Oxtoby, Introduction; Oxtoby, Chapter 11 – The Nature of Religion (See
Inquire)
 Wednesday: Oxtoby, Chapter 3 (Jewish Traditions) due. Ancient Near East overview.
Sign up for Group Projects.
 Friday: Early Judaism (Oxtoby 81-93). Autoethnography Due at midnight on Inquire.
Readings: Creation and Fall – Genesis 1-3 (Compare with Jubilees 3 – on Inquire);
Covenants – Genesis 9:1-19, 17; Exodus 19-20:21; 2 Samuel 5:1-10; 7.
Week Three (September 8-12) – Judaism continued
 Monday: Jewish History (Oxtoby 93-114)
 Wednesday: Jewish Customs and Holidays (115-123)
 Friday: Modern Judaism (Oxtoby 123-135)
Week Four (September 15-19) – Judaism Concluded/Christianity Introduction
 Monday: Arab-Israeli Conflict: Jewish/Israeli Perspectives. Reading: Herzl – On the
Jewish State (see Inquire)
 Wednesday: Oxtoby, Chapter 4 (Christian Traditions) due. Introduction to Christianity
(Oxtoby 141-153)
 Friday – Early Christianity. Readings: Luke 1-2, Mark 1:1-20; John 2:13-22; Matthew
5:1-7:28, Mark 12:28-34; Mark 6:30-44, Matthew 21:1-17; one of the following:
Matthew 26-end, Mark 14-end, Luke 22-end, John 12-end
Week Five (September 22-26) – Christianity Continued
 Monday: Christian History (Oxtoby 153-167). Readings: Romans (entirety. JUDAISM
QUIZ DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON INQUIRE.
 Wednesday: Library Day (meet in the 3rd floor computer lab of Fintel Library)
 Friday. Class Cancelled (Rosh Hashanah)
Week Six (September 29-October 3) – Christianity Continued
 Monday: Meet with Groups for Group Projects
 Wednesday: Protestant Reformation (Oxtoby 167-182)
 Friday: Christian Customs and Holidays (Oxtoby 182-188)
Week Seven (October 6-10) – Christianity Concluded
 Monday: Modern Christianity/American Christianity (188-200)
 Wednesday: Film; Friday: Film
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Week Eight (October 13-17) – FALL BREAK (No Class)
Week Nine (October 20-24) – Islam Introduction
 Monday: Oxtoby, Chapter 5 (Muslim Traditions) due. Introduction to Islam/Early Islam
(Oxtoby 209-227). Readings: Suras 1, 2, 37:19-end, 19. JUDAISM QUIZ DUE BY
MIDNIGHT ON INQUIRE
 Wednesday: Muslim History (Oxtoby 227-242)
 Friday: Muslim Customs and Holidays (Oxtoby 242-250)
Week Ten (October 27-31) – Islam Concluded
 Monday: Modern Islam (Oxtoby 250-269). OBSERVATION PAPER ONE DUE.
 Wednesday: Arab-Israeli Conflict: Muslim perspectives. Reading: Social Justice in Islam
(see Inquire).
 Friday: Oxtoby, Chapter 6 (Hindu Traditions) due. Introduction to Ancient
India/Introduction to Hinduism (Oxtoby 273-284)
Week Eleven (November 3-7) – Hinduism Introduction
 Monday: Early Hinduism (284-292)
 Wednesday: Hindu History (Oxtoby 293-305). Reading: Bhagavad Gita, Book 2 (See
Inquire). ISLAM QUIZ DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON INQUIRE
 Friday: Hindu Customs and Holidays (Oxtoby 305-323)
Week Twelve (November 10-14) – Hinduism Concluded; Group Projects Part 1
 Monday: Modern Hinduism (Oxtoby 323-326)
 Wednesday: Jainism Group Project (Oxtoby Chapter 7)
 Friday: Sikhism Group Project (Oxtoby Chapter 9)
Week Thirteen (November 17-21) – Group Project; Introduction to Buddhism
 Monday: Introduction to Buddhism. Oxtoby Chapter 8 (Buddhist Traditions) due.
 Wednesday: Early Buddhism (Oxtoby 373-392). HINDUISM QUIZ DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON
INQUIRE
 Friday: Buddhist History and Sects (Oxtoby 392-410)
Week Fourteen (November 24-28) – Buddhism Continued
 Monday: Buddhist History and Sects continued (Oxtoby 392-410). Reading: The Heart
Sutra (see Inquire).
 Wednesday: THANKSGIVING BREAK; Friday: THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week Fifteen (December 1-5) – Buddhism Concluded; Group Projects Part 2
 Monday: Buddhist Customs and Holidays; Modern Buddhism (Oxtoby 410-431)
 Wednesday: Chinese and Korean Traditions Group Project (Oxtoby Chapter 10).
 Friday: Japanese Traditions Group Projects (Oxtoby Chapter 11) (Buddhism Test Due on
Inquire)
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Week Sixteen (December 8-12) – Final Examination Week
 Wednesday, December 10, 8:30 am-12:30 pm: Final Examination Discussion (PJs and
Cookies encouraged)
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