During this class you will need to be informed about current events. We will continually refer to current events in class discussions, and familiarity with current events will help you understand the course material better. Moreover, knowledge of current events helps you become well-rounded and educated individuals.
REQUIREMENTS
1. Read articles from reputable and valid news sources. A list of sources is provided below.
2. Choose an article related to the World Religions, preferably something major or related to what we are studying in class. These articles should be long enough (at least a few paragraphs) so that you can complete the rest of the assignment.
3. Cut the article out and as you read it, underline or highlight the important facts.
4. Using these facts, write or type a summary of the article. In your summary, convey only the main facts.
5. In addition, write or type a response to the article. This response should not be a summary of the article. Instead, you need to write about your personal reaction to what you read. This should include: The significance of the event or write up, how it relates to the history and/or world view of the religion, and what makes this important or noteworthy
6. There should only be 2 paragraphs a 1summary, 1 response
7. Entries should be at least a minimum of 1 hand written page. You need to make them long enough to explore a topic thoroughly since you will be graded on quality as well as quantity.
8. Staple the article, summary and response and submit it with your work.
9. Students are required to submit 8 of these during the semester. There will be weekly presentations – You will present only once during this course. You will choose your week on a master sign-up sheet
10. Check the board on Mondays to see when the current events are due
Possible Sources for Current Events
This is a list of possible internet sites that will contain current events in world religions. You can also use local events for this report. Remember to cite the article and give your comments as to why this article caught your attention.
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Good source on recent news and information.
Belief Net
This is a commercial web site that provides general information. It is a good quick reference or for getting basic background at the beginning of a project.
Faith-Based Social Services
This is from the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy of the Rockefeller Institute at the State University of New York.
Counter Balance
Groovy site for Science and Religion: "Counterbalance is a non-profit educational organization working to promote counterbalanced perspectives on complex issues. It is our hope that individuals, the academic community, and society as a whole will benefit from a struggle toward integrated and counterbalanced views. Our services are used by PBS Online, The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, the AAAS, Science and Religion Forum (UK), and others."
Religion News Service
As they say: "For nearly 70 years, Religion News Service® has been an authoritative source of news about religion, ethics, spirituality and moral issues.RNS' first priority is to provide intelligent, objective coverage of all religions -- Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Asian religions and private spirituality. RNS also provides commentary from a diverse array of all points of the political and theological spectrum."
The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences
Maintained by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California – where the streets are paved with gold (-en candy wrappers).
The Association of Religion Data Archives
Supported by the Lilly Endowment at Penn State, this is a must-visit pilgrimage site for all students of American Religious History. The American Denominations page was enough to make my Catholic bones (brittle as they are) shudder – but the “Buddhism, Shintoism, and New Japanese Family” of denominations had but one lonely listing…. Can anybody guess?
Adherents
Statistics anyone? On "over 43,870 adherent statistics and religious geography citations: references to published membership/adherent statistics and congregation statistics for over 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, ultimate concerns, etc." We all need numbers every now and then….
World Religion News, Religious Views, Spirituality - The Huffington Post
Religion Topic Page from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC)
This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but should be enough to provide adequate resources to find some current events in world religions. Contact your instructor or a librarian if you should have questions.