Art and Design Building 2003

MW 10:30-11:45am
Spring 2018

Professor: Catherine Prueitt

Office: Robinson Hall B 446
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1pm-4pm
Email: cprueitt@gmu.edu

RELI 100: Human Religious Experience

In this course, we’ll ask the big questions about religion—What is it? Where did it come from?
What does it do in people's lives?—and the even bigger question of how we could possibly go
about trying to study “religion” as an object of academic inquiry in the first place. We’ll
approach these topics through case studies of religions from a wide range of times and places,
thereby cultivating both an awareness of major world religions and the tools to understand these
religions in the contemporary world.

We’ll proceed using a hybrid approach blending theories, case studies, and long-form journalism
about religions in the contemporary world. We’ll have two basic kinds of classes. In the first
kind, we’ll do readings on various theoretical aspects of religion and I’ll guide the lecture and
discussion. In the second kind, we’ll focus in on a specific tradition. I’ll give a short lecture on
the background for the tradition, and then you, along with 1-2 other group members, will each
present a contemporary news item relating to that tradition. Finally, as a group you’ll guide the
class in an activity designed to help us discuss, debate, and better understand religion as present
in your articles.

Each of you will find your news article and have it approved by me at least two weeks prior to
your group’s presentation. You’ll then coordinate with each other to plan your group’s class
activity. I’ll post all articles on Blackboard one week before your presentation date so that the
other students can read them.

Traditions for case studies: 1. Indigenous Religions of North America; 2. Indigenous Religions
of Africa; 3. Hinduism; 4. Buddhism; 5. Jainism; 6. Sikhism; 7. Chinese Religions; 8.
Shinto; 9. Judaism; 10. Christianity; 11. Islam; 12. New Religious Movements

Each of these traditions has a chapter in our Invitation to World Religions textbook. All students
will read this chapter as background material for the appropriate presentation day.

Groups presenting in the first half of the semester will send me their articles two weeks before
they present. Everyone will have to send me their articles by Monday, March 5 th if they are
presenting in the second half of the semester. This is so that you can begin work on your final
paper. Speaking of which…

In your final paper (approximately 8 pages/2000 words), you will provide context for and
analysis of your article. You’ll do this by applying 1) five peer-reviewed scholarly sources from
outside of the class that are related to your article, and 2) at least one theorist who we’ve studied
in class. We will have a series of assignments leading up to the final paper, so you’ll have
extensive support and instruction in how to do this.

Your other responsibility will be to submit questions about our readings for each class period,
and use your questions as a springboard for participating in discussions.

Grading structure:
All assignments are submitted via Blackboard. You do not have to turn in physical copies of any
assignment.

The Honor Code is in effect at all times in this class. I take plagiarism very seriously and there
will be consequences, ranging from failing the assignment to being reported to GMU’s Honor
Committee, if you do not properly cite any and all sources you use in your assignments. If you’re
not sure about the Honor Code or what plagiarism is, please check https://oai.gmu.edu/mason-
honor-code/

1) Questions and Attendance: 30% (+ up to 5% extra credit on your final grade)

By 11:59pm the night before each class, you’ll submit one question for each reading. This means
that on theory days you’ll submit one question, and on presentation days you’ll submit 2-3
questions (one for the background reading and one for each article). Questions for each group
presentation day will be worth 2 points of your final grade, up to a total of 24 points. This is a
lot. Your question for each theory day will be worth 1 point of your final grade, up to a total of
11 points. This is also a lot. You’ll notice that 24 points + 11 points = 35 points. This is on
purpose; you can miss a few days of class or questions and still get full credit for this
requirement. Alternatively, if you submit for everything, you’ll get extra credit.

You’ll have to come to class to get at least half credit for your questions. So, for example, if you
submit one question on a theory day but don’t come to class, you’ll get 0.5 points out of the
possible 1 point for that day. Likewise, if you submit questions for all of the articles and the
background reading on a presentation day but don’t come to class, you’ll get 1 out of 2 possible
points. You won’t get any credit for just coming to class but not submitting questions. The reason
for this is that I integrate your questions into my lectures and use them to guide discussion each
day. For this same reason, there will be NO credit given for questions submitted after 11:59pm
the night before class.

2) Article Search and Presentation (25 points)

Submitting on time an appropriate article and getting it approved by me: 5 points (due two weeks
before your presentation date OR by Monday, March 5th,, whichever is earlier)
Individual Presentation: 10 points (dates vary)
Class Activity (awarded as a group): 10 points (dates vary)

3) Final Paper Series (45 points)

Annotated bibliography: 10 points (due Wednesday, March 28th)
Mind map OR outline OR draft: 10 points (due Wednesday, April 18th)
Paper (~8 pages/2000 words): 25 points (due Wednesday, May 9th)

You will find detailed guidelines for the article, the presentation, and the final paper series in the
“Assignments” tab on Blackboard.

Late Policy
Since this class is so thoroughly based on student coordination and participation, it will be highly
problematic if you don’t submit your news articles and questions on time.

You will have one point deducted from your article credit for each day it is late. This is a hard
and fast policy. If I tell you that the article you submitted is not appropriate, you will have 24
hours to submit a new one. After 24 hours, the article will be treated as late. If you do not
submit your article a week before your presentation, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE PRESENTATION. This means that you lose all 25 points and will
most likely fail the class.

You will not be given any credit for questions submitted after the class that the material they’re
based on is being discussed. Remember that there is some flexibility built into the grading for
these questions; if you are sick or otherwise absent for a day, or even a week, then the questions
you don’t submit will be absorbed by the extra 5 points inherent to the category. If there’s a
bigger problem and you’ll be missing more class, talk to me as soon as possible.

You will have one point deducted from each item in the “Final Paper Series” category for each
day that it’s late and you haven’t talked to me. If you need an extension on one of these
deadlines, send me a ridiculous excuse by the time the assignment is due. You can say that an
alien in a blue box whisked you away to the corners of the galaxy, that Beyoncé desperately
needed you as a back-up dancer, or anything else you fancy. Just tell me how much more time
you need, take a breath, and try not to worry.

Required Texts
These books will be available in the college bookstore. If a book is on backorder, I highly
suggest that you order it on Amazon or through another seller. We will begin using the books
quickly. The GMU library also has electronic access to Tweed’s Crossing and Dwelling. The
interface is clunky and awkward, but if you’re unable to purchase the book it’ll do.

1. 2006. Tweed, Thomas. Crossing and Dwelling. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press. ISBN 9780674027640.

2. 2016. Brood, Jeffrey. Invitation to World Religions. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
ISBN 9780199378364.

Articles and other readings will be posted on Blackboard.

Schedule
Monday, January 22nd:
First day of class. Sign up for groups

Wednesday, January 24th:

Crash course on identifying reliable news sources and academic articles

Monday, January 29th:

Tweed, “Chapter One: Itineraries,” 1-28

Wednesday, January 31st:

Tweed, “Chapter Two: Boundaries,” 29-53

Monday, February 5th:

Tweed, “Chapter Three: Confluences,” 54-79

Wednesday, February 7th:

Group #1 Indigenous Religions of North America presents

Monday, February 12th:

Tweed, “Chapter Four: Dwelling,” 80-122

Wednesday, February 14th:

Group #2 Indigenous Religions of Africa presents

Monday, February 19th:

Tweed, “Chapter Five: Crossing,” 123-163

Wednesday, February 21st:

Group #3 Hinduism presents

Monday, February 26th:

Tweed, “Conclusion,” 164-183

Wednesday, February 28th:

Group #4 Buddhism presents

Monday, March 5th:

Class discussion/review of Tweed; submit a question on any part of Tweed
Everyone’s articles due to me

Wednesday, March 7th:

Myth

MONDAY, MARCH 12TH & WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16TH SPRING BREAK NO CLASS

Monday, March 19th:

Group #5 Jainism presents

Wednesday, March 21st:

Philosophy and Religion

Monday, March 26th:

NO CLASS I’ll be at a conference

Wednesday, March 28th:

Group #6 Sikhism presents

Monday, April 2nd:

Crash course on writing
Annotated bibliography with at least five scholarly sources from outside our class due
NO QUESTION DUE TODAY

Wednesday, April 4th:

Group #7 Chinese Religions presents

Monday, April 9th:

Religious Expression

Wednesday, April 11th:

Group #8 Shinto presents

Monday, April 16th:

Group #9 Judaism presents

Wednesday, April 18th:

Religion and Popular Culture
Mind map, outline, or first draft of final paper due
NO QUESTION DUE TODAY

Monday, April 23rd:

Group #10 Christianity presents

Wednesday, April 25th:

Vocation

Monday, April 30th:

Group #11 Islam presents
Wednesday, May 2nd: Last Day Of Class
Group #12 New Religious Movements presents

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9TH (OUR EXAM DATE): FINAL PAPER DUE BY 11:59PM