STMA: World Religions - School of Theology and Ministry
Dr. Stephen Chan

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Class Room & Time:	Every Thurs, 9:00am-11:50pm. HAUT 110.
Office & Hour:	Tue & Thur 1pm-3pm, or ANY TIME just talk to me. Casey Bldg, Rm 224
Office Phone & Email:	206-296-5321. schan@seattleu.edu

Teaching Schedule & Requirements: [For full syllabus and bibliography, see http://classes.seattleu.edu/religious_studies/trst3937/Chan/]

1. Attendance and Class Participation (10%): Regular class attendance and participation are expected and essential to the success of our learning experience in the class. If an absence is unavoidable due to medical and family circumstances, notification and explanation should be given prior to, or in special situations, after the absence. More than 4 unnotified or unwarranted absences will automatically result in dropping 1 half letter in the total course grade.

2. Quizzes (10%): Four to Five short quizzes, each of 15 mins. and close books. The quizzes will consist of multiple choices and short questions that focus on important historical facts of the religious traditions.

3. Short Assignments (10%): Including 1-pagers to short essays (2-3 pages) on various topics of the course. Special writing instruction will be handed out later in the course.
4. Short Paper (20%): One Short paper on a topic covered in the first half of the course. Related to Weber and 1 world religious tradition.

5. Group Presentation (10%): Small group of 4-5 students will give verbal presentation (45 mins.) on one major historical religion. The outline of the presentation will cover the HISTORY, TEACHINGS, MAJOR FIGURES, CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT. The presentation will be prepared in PowerPoint format, and the group will be evaluated by the whole class. In each group, one member will be assigned to research and address the mutual relationship between the particular religion and the Catholic church. Special assistance and guidelines will be provided by the instructor.

6. Mid-Term Exam (20%): Essay type questions that cover the first half of the course.

7. Term Paper (20%): Essay type questions that cover whole course. Class participants will choose their paper topic in consultation with instructor. There will be in-class review and other assistance provided.

Textbooks:

1. Mircea Eliade, The Myth of The Eternal Return. Princeton.
2. Max Weber, Sociology of Religion. Beacon.
3. Karl Jaspers, Buddha, Confucius and Jesus.
4. Huston Smith, Why Religion Matters. Harper & Row.

 

Teaching Schedule:

Week	Date	Weekday	Topics
			Introduction: What and Why of Studying Religions
WK1	3/29	Thur	Course Introduction: Religion and Religious Studies
		Intro	Sharing of Personal Views Introduction to Max Weber Method and Idea of Comparative Religions Read: Huston Smith, Why Religion Matters.
WK2	4/5	Thur	Instructor in conference. No class.
WK3	4/12	Thur	Religion and Preists Read: Talcott Parsons, "Introduction," pp.xix-lxxvii (19-77) Weber: Rise of Religions (ch.1); Gods, Magicians and Priests (ch.2) Religion focus: Judaism Assignment: 2-page life of Max Weber Summary & Reflection: 3-page on Ch.1, Ch.2, & Ch.8.
			Read: Huston Smith, Why Religion Matter. Weber: Ch.1-Rise of Religions; Ch.2- Gods, Magicians and Priests. Ch.8- Intellectualism, Intellectuals, and the History of Religion Religion focus: Judaism [Presentation]
WK4	4/19	Thur	Religion and Idea of God Religion focus: Islam [Presentation]
			Read: Eliade, Myth of Eternal Return [1-page life of Eliade] Weber: Ch.3- The Idea of God, Religious Ethics and Taboo. Ch.4- The Prophet
WK5	4/26	Thur	University Mission Day - No Class
WK6	5/3	Thur	Religion and Castes Religion focus: Hinduism [Presentation]
			Weber: Ch.5- The Religious Congregation, Preaching and Pastoral Care; Ch.6- Castes, Estates, Classes and Religion
WK7	5/10	Thur	Religion and Salvation Religion focus: Buddhism [Presentation]
			Read: Karl Jaspers on Buddha [1-page life of Karl Jaspers] Weber: Ch.10: The Different Roads to Salvation Ch.11- Asceticism, Mysticism, and Salvation Religion
WK8	5/17	Thur	Religion and Social Order Religion focus: Confucianism [Presentation]
			Read: Karl Jaspers on Confucius Weber: Ch.12- Soteriology and Types of Salvation Ch.13: Religious Ethics, World Order and Culture
WK9	5/24	Thur	Religion and Mysticism Religion focus: Daoism [Presentation]
			Weber: Ch.11- Asceticism, Mysticism, and Salvation Religion
WK10	5/31	Thur	Concluding Reflections:
	3/7	Wed	Weber: Ch.14- The Relationship of Religion to Politics, Economics, Sexuality and Art Weber: Ch.15- Judaism, Christianity, and the Socio-Economic Order Ch.16- The Attitude of the Other World Religions to Socio-Economic Order
			Final Exam schedule see SU Registrar Office