Prof. Joseph Molleur
Prall House 101
Jmolleur@cornellcollege.edu
Office Phone: 895-4237
REL. 222: Religions of the World
Aim of the Course
This course explores the religious dimension of human existence, by introducing students to eight of the world’s major religious traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The aim of the course (through readings, lectures, and discussions centered mainly on selections from each religion’s sacred scriptures) is to gain an appreciative understanding of the basic teachings and practices of the religions, as well as an insight into how they motivate and inspire their adherents. In a “survey” course such as this one, it is inevitable that breadth will be emphasized at the expense of depth. In an attempt to achieve at least some degree of depth, we will read one relatively short sacred text, Hinduism’s Bhagavad-Gita, in its entirety—a little bit each day, all throughout the course.
Course Requirements
1. Class Participation (20% of final grade). There are two components to this requirement, each constituting approximately 10% of your final grade.
(a) Your oral contributions to our class discussions. Formal study questions will be provided for each class session. Work on these questions carefully and thoroughly, as you prepare for class each day—this will facilitate informed participation in class discussion.
(b) Additionally, regular attendance at class meetings is required. More than one absence from class will progressively lower this portion of your grade.
2. Midterm Exam (25%), which will take place on the second Wednesday of the term. The exam will contain short answer and short essay questions.
3. A 4-5 Page Essay (25%), due on the third Thursday of the term. Late essays will not be accepted without prior consent of the professor.
4. A Take-Home Final Exam (30%), which will be due by 1:00 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the term. An assignment handout will be distributed that Monday.
Class Meeting Times
Class meetings will be held on Monday through Friday, from 12:45 to 3:00 p.m.
Required Texts
Huston Smith, The World’s Religions.
Robert Ballou, ed., The Portable World Bible.
Barbara Miller, trans., The Bhagavad-Gita.
Academic Honesty
Consult the COMPASS for the College’s policy on academic honesty and dishonesty. More will be said about plagiarism when your essay assignment is distributed.
Students with Special Needs
Cornell College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all students. If you have a documented learning disability and will need any accommodation in this course, you must request the accommodation(s) from the instructor no later than the third day of the term. Additional information about the policies and procedures for accommodation of learning disabilities is available at http://cornellcollege.edu/academic_affairs/disabilities/.
Course Calendar
Note: The reading assignments listed in this course calendar are to be completed PRIOR to that day’s meeting of the class.
WEEK 1
Monday: Getting oriented
I. Major Eastern Religions
Tuesday: HINDUISM 1
Wednesday: HINDUISM 2
Thursday: BUDDHISM 1
Friday: BUDDHISM 2
Monday: CONFUCIANISM
Tuesday: TAOISM
Wednesday: MIDTERM EXAM
II. Zoroastrianism
Thursday: ZOROASTRIANISM
III. Major Western Religions
Friday: JUDAISM 1
WEEK 3
Monday: JUDAISM 2
Tuesday: CHRISTIANITY 1
Wednesday: CHRISTIANITY 2
Thursday: ESSAY DUE
In-class viewing of the film, Women Serving Religion.
Friday: ISLAM 1
WEEK 4
Monday: ISLAM 2
Tuesday: No class—work on take-home final.
Wednesday: TAKE-HOME FINAL DUE BY 1:00 PM.
A List of Reference Resources Available in the Library
World Religions (Ref 200 B679wo)
Encyclopedia of Religion, 16 vols. (Ref 200.3 En19)
Harper Collins Dictionary of Religion (Ref 200.3 H234)
A New Dictionary of Religions (Ref 200.3 N42)
Encyclopedia of Women and World Religion, 2 vols. (Ref 200.82 En19)
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Ref 203 Ox2)
The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, 12 vols. (Ref 203 Sch1)
Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 2 vols. (Ref 270.103 En19
Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions (Ref 291 Ab58)
Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Hinduism (Ref 291.095 En19)
Religions of the World, 4 vols. (Ref 291.291 R279)
Buddhism A to Z (Ref 294.3 B8595)
Dictionary of Buddhism (Ref 294.303 D56)
Concise Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Ref 294.303 P871c)
Dictionary of Zen (294.3927 W85d)
Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism (Ref 294.503 K697c)
Popular Dictionary of Hinduism (Ref 294.503 W495p)
The Jewish Encyclopedia, 12 vols. (Ref 296 J55)
Encyclopedia of Judaism (Ref 296.03 En19)
The Jewish Religion: A Companion (Ref 296.03 J153j)
Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion (Ref 296.03 Ox2)
The Muslim Almanac (Ref 297 M974)
Oxford Dictionary of Islam (Ref 297.03 Es65)
The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam (Ref 297.03 G464c)
A Popular Dictionary of Islam (Ref 297.03 N389p)
The Encyclopedia of Islam, 11 vols. (Ref 956 En19)