COURSE SYLLABUS
SOCI 3700.001: SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
TR 8:00 – 9:20
GAB 105
Fall, 2010
Instructor:David A. Williamson, Ph.D.940/565-2215 (direct voice)
Chilton 390C940/565-2296 (departmental voice)
940/369-7035 (fax)
Office Hours: TTh 1:00 – 3:00 or by appointment
Course Description:
This course is an upper-level survey of the sociology of religion. While that in itself should be fairly descriptive, most students will likely be a bit uncertain as to the actual content of the course and the things they will take from it. That uncertainty is understandable because 1) sociology is a very broad discipline with a variety of tools and approaches used to study society, and 2) religion is not just a social institution, but a powerful influence on our overall world view, a lightening rod for opinion (and, unfortunately, insult), and a phenomenon so linked to the immeasurable and unobservable dimensions of life that some argue it’s not even a legitimate subject of sociological study. Of course, I believe it is one of the richest subjects of sociological study and cite as evidence the work of virtually all of the early sociologists who shaped the discipline as well as the remarkable body of literature that has accumulated over the last few decades.
So, what can you expect from this class? First, you can expect a review of the common sociological dimensions of all religions such as moral definitions, group membership and dynamics, prescribed ritual practices, definitions of the sacred, deviance, etc. In this part of the course we also will look at some of the writings of early sociologists such as Durkheim and Weber who pioneered the sociology of religion and whose classical definitions still impact the field. Throughout the course we will use these tools and perspectives to review the major world religions, with particular emphasis on Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
Finally, what this course is not: It is not a place to decide, or even discuss, the truth of any religion or religious perspective. Sociology isn’t qualified for this task and we will not presume to take it on. No doubt at times the discussion will get rather lively, in part because we will discuss religious ideas that are important to many of us and, therefore, may easily make others uncomfortable. However, if we each commit ourselves to humility, mutual respect, and a genuine desire to understand ourselves and others more deeply, I think this class can be as rewarding as any you’ve ever taken.
Disability Accommodation:
If you have a disability for which you are entitled to accommodation under either the American’s With Disabilities Act or the Rehabilitation Act, please let me know early in the semester. I will be happy to work with you and ODA to ensure the appropriate accommodations are provided.
Academic Honesty:
In compliance with university policy, professional integrity, and common sense, absolute academic honesty is expected. Any breach of this ethic, including plagiarism, cheating on exams, submitting work that is not original with you, falsifying attendance records (e.g., by signing attendance sheets for other people), or in any way being dishonest with the instructor will be reported to the university.
Required Text:
Johnstone, Ronald L. 2007. Religion in Society: A Sociology of Religion. 8th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Recommended Text:
Smith, Huston. 1994. The Illustrated World’s Religions. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco. [This book will not be used until the second half of the course and is readily and inexpensively available.]
Course Objectives:
1.Become familiar with the classical sociological treatments of religion, including the early works of Durkheim, Marx, and Weber.
2.Develop a working knowledge of the principle terminology in the sociology of religion and the ability to use it effectively in original analyses of religion and religious groups and phenomena. This includes an ability to analyze religion from macro and micro perspectives using a variety of theoretical approaches.
3.Understand the sociological dimensions of changes in the American religious mosaic over the past century, with particular attention to the controversy of “secularization hypothesis”, the emergence of extreme pluralism, and the persistence of conservatism and fundamentalism.
4.To understand the sociological dimensions of most major world religions and, on that basis, to be able to compare and contrast religions according to sociological principles and not according to validity of truth claims or ethnocentric ideals.
5.To grow in appreciation for the power of religion in defining the human experience and directing the course of human history. This includes a greater understanding of religion’s capacity to both heal and hurt, inspire peace and war, bring alienation and community – in essence, to be one of the most powerful justifications for extreme forms of human behavior and organization.
Classroom Courtesy:
1. Turn off all cell phones and pagers.
2. No sleeping or reading newspapers, etc. while in class. If you do, you will be marked as absent for that day (which, in effect, you were).
3. Be punctual. This is difficult, I know, due to the early hour, the size of the campus, short time between classes, and commuter problems. But coming in late is distracting and discourteous.
4. Show respect for the views of others, even if you strongly disagree. If you do disagree, take your turn and offer your views as your views, not as absolute truth. I assure you I will extend that same courtesy to you.
Course Requirements and Grades:
Class participation (CP)10%
Exams (3 @ 20%)60%
Religious service report10%
Final Exam20%
Calculate your grade using this formula:
(CP*.1)+(E1*.2)+(E2*.2)+(E3*.2)+(RPT*.1)+(FIN*.2) = FIN AVE
Don’t ask me (especially late in the semester) what grade you are making. You can do that yourself using the above information and the following paragraph regarding attendance.
Participation: Class participation will primarily be determined by attendance plus your positive input into class discussion and demonstrated effort to complete course work in a timely way. Students with no unexcused absences and good participation receive a 100 for this part of their grade. Those with either one or two unexcused absences and good participation receive a 95 for this 10 percent of the overall grade. Each unexcused absence over two will reduce that by five points (i.e., 3 absences = 90;
4 absences = 85).This score may be modified by the instructor based on the contributions or distractions made by the student.
Religious Service Report: Each student must attend a religious service and write a five page sociological analysis. I recommend that you choose a group with which you are not familiar – believe it or not, it will make the assignment easier. In this report you should give a basic description of the service and attempt to analyze it from a sociological perspective. You may want to interview a leader in the religion (e.g., priest, elder, rabbi, imam) in order to get a more complete understanding of what you’ve observed. The religious service report will be due promptly when specified in the class schedule. It should be typed, double-spaced, with a title page with your name, the name of the class, and the date in the upper right hand corner. Papers will not be accepted late.
Exams: Exams will be primarily objective (e.g., multiple choice), though some may have short essay questions as well. Students who have had me before should expect no surprises. My objective with exams is to motivate you to read and process the material and to be attentive to class presentations. I try not to play cat-and-mouse with exams, but to ask a variety of fair questions that cover the basics of course content. If you believe exams or specific questions are unfair please let me know. I cannot guarantee that I will concede, but you will not be penalized for challenging me and I promise a fair hearing and review.
Final Exam: The final exam will be comprehensive and will be given only as scheduled on Thursday, December 16th at 8:00 a.m. No exceptions, and don’t be late. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late you will not be allowed to take the exam.
Class Schedule:
Week #1
August 26The Sociology of Religion: What it is, what it isn't.
Course review and distribution of syllabus
Reading: None
Week #2
August 31Sociology and Religion: Perspectives and Misconceptions
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 1
September 2Religion as a Group Phenomenon
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 3
Week #3
September 7The Church-Sect Continuum
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 4
September 9Religious Socialization
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 5
Week #4
September 14EXAM #1
September 16Religious Conflict
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 6
Week #5
September 21Religious conflict, cont.
September 23Religious Fundamentalism
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 8
Week #6
September 28Religion and the Class System
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 10
September 30Women and Religion
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 11
Week #7
October 5Women in Religion: Taliban video
October 7Historical Developments in American Religion
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 12
Week #8
October 12EXAM #2
October 14The Black Church in American History
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 13
Guest Lecture: Dr. George Yancey
Week #9
October 19America as a Denominational Society
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 14
October 21The Future of Religion
Reading: Johnstone, chapter 15
Week #10
October 26Hinduism
Reading: Smith, chapter 2
October 28Buddhism
Reading: Smith, chapter 3
Week #11
November 2Buddhism, cont.
Reading: None
November 4EXAM #3
Week #12
November 9Video: Jerusalem
November 11Judaism
Reading: Smith, chapter 7
Week #13
November 16Christianity
Reading: Smith, chapter 8
November 18Christianity in contemporary U.S. society
Week #14
November 23Islam
Reading: Smith, chapter 6
(Religious Service Report Due)
November 25THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week #15
November 30Video: Islam
December 2Religion and Conflict: Islam and Islamic radicalism
Week #16
December 7Finding the common sociological elements of world religions
December 9Review For Final Exam
DECEMBER 16FINAL EXAM @ 8:00 a.m.
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