RELG 300-001: World Religions (Rev. 1/6/10)

Spring 2010. 3 credit hours

M/W 12:30 pm, Kinard 018

Dr. Kristin Beise Kiblinger

Office: Kinard 324

Contact Info: (803) 323-4650, (e-mail preferred)

Office Hours: M/W 9-11 am and by appointment. Occasionally an obligation conflicts with office hours, so it’s best to call or confirm by e-mail in advance.

This course is intended to provide a beginning overview of selected world religions, with an emphasis on non-Christian traditions. It is currently on the approved list for the Global Perspectives and Humanities and Arts categories for the Touchstone program.

Goals and Outcomes:

1)Students will gain an introductory familiarity with the history, beliefs, and practices of the religious people studied.

2)Through exposure to diversity, comparison, and historical contextualization, students will gain a new perspective on previously familiar cultures.

3)Touchstone Goals for Global Perspectives Courses. Students will

3.2 Analyze and use a variety of information gathering techniques.

4.1 Analyze diverse world cultures, societies, languages, historical periods, and artistic expressions.

4.2 Understand cultures in their own terms and in terms of the diversity of ideas, institutions, philosophies, moral codes, and ethical principles.

4.3 Understand the nature of social and cultural conflict and methods of resolution.

6.1 Participate in and/or observe a variety of artistic expressions.

7.1 Examine problems, issues, and choices that confront citizens of the world.

4)Touchstone Objectives for Global Perspectives Courses. Students will

1. Be exposed to multiple perspectives such as the influences of economic, historical, political, social, and cultural forces in the development and functioning of the modern world.

2. Study the effects of such forces on particular countries, cultures, and geographic regions.

3. Apply critical thinking and analytical skills.

4. Recognize human diversity (both past and present).

5)Touchstone Goals for Humanities and Arts Courses. Students will

7.0 Examine values, attitudes, beliefs, and habits which define the nature and quality of life.

6)Touchstone Objectives for Humanities and Arts Courses. Students will

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of and appreciation for diverse intellectual and/or cultural viewpoints.
  2. Critically evaluate diverse intellectual and/or cultural viewpoints.
  1. Demonstrate knowledge of and appreciation for diverse values and beliefs
  2. Critically evaluate those values and beliefs.
  3. Examine their own values and beliefs.

Required Texts:

1) Living Religions by Mary Pat Fisher, seventh edition (sixth edition would also be acceptable)

2) Bruce Lincoln’s Holy Terrors: Thinking About Religion after September 11, pp. 1-50

3) Anthology of Living Religions by Lee Bailey and Mary Pat Fisher, second edition. Readings from this are required, but we are reading only selected portions.

Required Technology Use:

1)WebCT (Web Course Tools).

2)Winthrop e-mail. It is important that you use your Winthrop e-mail, and check it regularly.

3)Turnitin. Information on Turnitin will be provided with the field visit assignment.

WebCT instructions:

1. The Web CT administrator loads you into the Web CT course automatically just prior to the first day of class, so all you should need to do is log in. (Do NOT try to create an account or add yourself to a course.) In order to log in, go to

2. When it asks for your Web CT id, type wu_ followed by your Winthrop e-mail address before the @ symbol. (For ex., wu_smithj2.)

3. When it asks for a password, if you have not used Web CT previously or if you have not used it since passwords were reset, again type wu_ followed by your Winthrop e-mail address before the @ symbol (for ex., wu_smithj2).

4. Click “Log in.” You should now be able to see any courses for which you have registered that are using Web CT. WebCT allows you to choose your own password once you have logged in this way.

5. Troubleshooting (don’t worry; the vast majority have no problem):

  • Any student without a working Winthrop e-mail account must go to 15 Tillman and fill out an e-mail account creation request form.
  • Check for required browser settings and more information.
  • Check with a peer who has used Web CT before or ask a tech at the computer lab. Check with K. Kiblinger.
  • As a last resort, contact the Web CT administrator, Suzanne Sprouse, at for help.

Students with Disabilities:

WinthropUniversity is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290. Once you have your official notice of accommodations from Services for Students with Disabilities, please inform me as early as possible in the semester.If your accommodations affect every test/assignment, please remind me prior to each test/assignment.

Safe Zones statement and student conduct code: The instructor intends for this classroom to be a Safe Zone. Regardless of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, age, or ability you will be treated and respected as a human being. Other information about student conduct is available at (

Requirements and Evaluation:

Participation (See criteria below.) 100 points

Announced quiz on Lincoln reading 25

Tests (2@225) 450

Individual field trip and report(1 cultural events credit) 175

Final Exam 250

1000 total

Students are also encouraged to attend global-relevant cultural events. For a list, see

Scale: / 867-899 B+ / 767-799 C+ / 667-699 D+
934-1000 A / 834-866 B / 734-766 C / 634-666 D / 0-599 F
900-933 A- / 800-833 B- / 700-733 C- / 600-633 D-
  • All grades will be posted to Web CT.
  • No late work will be accepted after the last day of class. Late work will not be accepted on study day or during the exam period, because I would be unable to get grading done in order to meet my own deadlines for submitting grades.
  • Grades are based on performance on the relevant items listed above and will not be adjusted for other reasons, such as the need to maintain a specific GPA for scholarships, financial aid, athletic eligibility, or parental approval. In the interest of fairness, there will be no exceptions.
  • No extra credit opportunities will be provided. Students need to demonstrate mastery of the material through performance on the items listed above.
  • No rewrites on papers. I have found that when students count on the chance to do a rewrite, they often do not put their full effort into the original paper. Also, allowing rewrites is not fair to other students who did well originally. The proper time for revising is with drafts prior to the due date.

Attendance and other policies to be read very carefully:

1.) I expect you to contact mepromptly, if not in advance (e-mail correspondence preferred), every time you miss a class if you have a decent reason for missing, just as you would contact a boss or co-worker if you had to miss work. If you rarely miss class and have been keeping up well, you can be assured that I will excuse absences for good reasons that are communicated to me promptly. I make a judgment about absences at the end of the term in light of your overall behavior and performance.

2.) Attendance will be taken regularly and will affect your participation grade, which counts 10% of your overall grade.Only unexcused absences hurt your participation grade. Although also adjusted for variations in the quality of participation (i.e., factors such as the quality of your contributions in class, preparedness, using the writing lab, attentiveness, frequent tardiness, cell phone disruptions, etc.), the following gives you an approximate idea of the correspondence between attendance and your participation grade:

# of unexcused absences participation grade of

0-1 A

2B

3C

4C-

5-6D

7 F

Note: 8 or more absences (no matter whether excused or not) will result in a final grade of F or U for the whole course, in accord with the university’s attendance policy about missing more than 25% of classes. If you add the class after classes have begun, any missed classes do count towards the 25%.

3.) Unless there has been a prior arrangement, in cases of a missed test or quiz you are entitled to a make up only with documentation.

4.) If a due date in my class falls at a bad time for you, talk to me about it well in advance (at least 2-3 weeks before the due date), and I may grant you an extension if you have a good reason for one. Unless there has been a documented emergency or a prior arrangement made, an assignment is considered late when turned in any time after the class in which it is due, even if it is turned in later that same day.

The penalties for a late paper:

in on the due date but after the class in which it is due-.33 letter grade

1 day late-1 letter grade

within 1 week of due date-1.5 letter grades

within 2 weeks of due date-2 letter grades

more than 2 weeks late but by the last day of regular classdepends on quality,

but in the F range

Late (but by the last day of class) is better than never; some credit can be awarded even if you are in the F range. 40% or 50% can make a big difference compared to a 0.

5.) Turnitin, a plagiarism detection service, will be used for this class for the field visit report paper. Students who do not submit their papers to Turnitin will not receive credit for the paper. It is the students’ responsibility to understand what counts as plagiarism and methods for properly crediting sources of information. When in doubt, ask an English teacher, your instructor in this class, or staff at the writing center. See the English department’s webpage on the correct use of borrowed information: Significant plagiarism (whether intentional or not) will result in an F on the paper and a report filed with the Dean of Students. If the case is a second offense (even if an earlier offense was from another class), it may result in an F in the course or other sanctions. Duplicate submissions (turning in the same or a very similar paper for two assignments in two different classes) is permissible only with the approval of both instructors in advance. Otherwise, a duplicate submission will be treated as a case of academic dishonesty. See the student conduct code academic misconduct policy in the online Student Handbook:

Tentative Schedule. Any necessary revisions (at the instructor’s discretion) will be announced and posted to Web CT.

Unit readings should be done at your own pace during the unit. I do not assign pages to be completed for particular classes, except that the Bruce Lincoln reading in the Islam unit should be completed prior to the reading quiz.

Mon., 1/11 / introduction to the course and policies, important information
JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY UNIT
unit readings:
1)Living Religions: Judaism and Christianity chapters
2)Anthology of Living Religions: Abraham’s Covenant (pp. 192-3), Mosaic Covenant (pp. 193-4), Davidic Covenant (p. 195), Prophecies of Isaiah (pp. 195-7), Passover Story (pp. 201-2), Branches of Judaism section (pp. 207-212), Surviving Auschwitz (p. 212). (Also, the glossary, holy days, and historical outline (pp. 220-221) should be used as a reference but you will not be responsible for all of this information if it is not on the study guide.)
Wed., 1/13 / first Judaism presentation
Fri., 1/15 / Add/drop period ends
Mon, 1/18 / No class—Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday
Wed., 1/20 / second Judaism presentation
Mon., 1/25 / Promises documentary about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
Wed., 1/27 / complete film and discuss (Reminder: you are responsible for the Christianity chapter reading, although class time will concentrate on Judaism.)
Mon., 2/1 / third Judaism presentation; study guide posted to Web CT
Wed., 2/3 / make up day or review day
Mon., 2/8 / ****test on Judaism and Christianity****
ISLAM UNIT
unit readings:
1)Living Religions: Islam chapter
2)Anthology of Living Religions: The Prophet Muhammad—two Hadith from Sahih Muslim (pp. 269-273), Islamic Scripture: the Qu’ran (pp. 273-9), Hadith (pp. 280-2), How to Perform Salaat (pp. 284-5), Rights of Women (pp. 294-7). (Also, the glossary, holy days, and historical outline should be used as a reference (pp. 306-7).)
3)Holy Terrors: Thinking about Religion after 9/11 by Bruce Lincoln, pp. 1-50
Wed., 2/10 / first Islam presentation
Mon., 2/15 / second Islam presentation
Wed., 2/17 / third Islam presentation; discussion groups for next time posted to Web CT
Mon., 2/22 / reading quiz on and discussion of Lincoln’s Holy Terrors, pp. 1-50
(Be on time; if you are late you might miss the quick quiz at the start of class.)
HINDUISM UNIT
unit readings:
1)Living Religions, Hinduism chapter
2)Anthology of Living Religions: Sruti texts (pp. 63-5); Smrti texts: I am the Beginning and the End (pp. 66-8), Duties of the Four Castes (pp. 70-1), In Praise of Durga (pp. 75-6), and The Way of Devotion (pp. 76-7); Untouchability (pp. 83-4), Hindu-ness (pp. 85-6). (Also, the glossary, holy days, and historical outline should be used as a reference (pp. 91-2).)
Wed., 2/24 / first Hinduism presentation
Mon., 3/1 / second Hinduism presentation
Wed., 3/3 / only for students with last names starting with letters A-Li,
yoga activity day—meet in Wofford basement community center room, dress appropriately, bring a yoga mat if you have one. Other students, no class.
Mon., 3/8 / Only for students with last names starting with letters Lu-Z,
yoga activity day—meet in Wofford basement community center room, dress appropriately, bring a yoga mat if you have one. Other students, no class.
Wed., 3/10 / third Hinduism presentation; course withdrawal deadline
Fri., 3/12 / study guide posted to Web CT
******************************spring break****************************
Mon., 3/22 / John Bird on critical thinking in Religious Studies, review
Wed., 3/24 / *******test on Islam and Hinduism******
BUDDHISM UNIT
unit readings:
1)Living Religions: Buddhism chapter
2)Anthology of Living Religions: Defeat of Mara and Enlightenment (pp. 114-7), Theravada section (pp. 119-20), Emptiness by Nagarjuna (p. 121), Heart Sutra (p. 122), Zen and Koans (pp. 124-6), Vajrayana section (pp. 127-30), Living Engaged Buddhism (pp. 131-3), Precepts for an Engaged Buddhism (p. 137-8). (Also, the glossary, holy days, and historical outline should be used as a reference (pp. 138-40).)
Mon., 3/29 / first Buddhism presentation
Wed., 3/31 / second Buddhism presentation
Mon., 4/5 / Only for students with last names starting with the letters A-Li,meditation activity day—meet in Wofford basement community center room, dress in something that allows you to sit cross-legged on the floor, bring a yoga mat if you have one. Other students, no class.
Wed., 4/7 / ***all students: field visit reports due by 12:30 pm*** Hard copies to class in Wofford or under my office door (Kinard 324) and identical electronic copies to Turnitin.com.
Only for students with last names starting with the letters Lu-Z, meditation activity day-- meet in Wofford basement community center room, dress in something that allows you to sit cross-legged on the floor, bring a yoga mat if you have one. Other students, no class.
Mon., 4/12 / Compassion in Exile film
Wed., 4/14 / third Buddhism presentation
DAOISM AND CONFUCIANISM UNIT
unit readings:
1) Living Religions, Daoism and Confucianism chapter
2) Anthology of Living Religions, The traditional canon section (under Daoism) (165), Communication of the Force of Life with Heaven (173), Awakening to Perfection (175), The Story of He Xiangu (179), Essence of Tai Ji (181), glossary and holy days (185), historical outline (186), The Confucian Classics section (143), The Great Commentary on the Book of Changes (151), Confucianism and the Twenty-first Century (157), Staying Power of Religion in China (161), glossary & holy days & historical outline (163)
Mon., 4/19 / Daoism presentation
Wed., 4/21 / I Ching activity day—meet in regular classroom; evaluations.
Fri., 4/23 / Exam study guide posted to Web CT
Mon., 4/26 / make up day or review day; last day late work accepted.
3 pm, Monday, 5/3 / Final Exam

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