RELI 100 Final Take-Home Exam

Select one of the following questions and write an essay that engages with some of the
major issues we have discussed in this unit. This essay should be 3-5 pages long and
should include at least three references to course material (at least one should be to
something we talked about in class, at least one should be to a reading). It should also
reference material from at least two different weeks in unit three.

1. Emile Durkheim famously argued that religion binds communities together by

creating intense collective emotional experiences. Writing in the early 1900s,
Durkheim worried that modernity would see a decline in religiosity and that
without religion serving as the glue that holds communities together, society
would fall apart. Based on this unit’s discussion of modern Asia’s religious
history, would you say Durkheim’s views were justified? Be sure to address both
parts of Durkheim’s claim over the course of your essay: a) that religion will
decline in the modern world and b) that society will fall apart without religion
holding communities together.

2. Among other things, Karl Marx is known for his claim that “religion is the opium of
the people.” He believed religion gave the poor, oppressed people of this world a
form of happiness that was ultimately insubstantial and illusory. Distracted by this
false happiness, these oppressed people did not feel the need to rise up against
their oppressors, thereby achieving a real, substantive happiness. Marx therefore
believed that in order to produce a truly modern, egalitarian society, religion
would have to be abolished. Based on this unit’s discussion of modern Asia’s
religious history, would you say Marx’s views were justified? Be sure to address
both parts of Marx’s claim in your essay: a) that religion keeps people in a state
of oppression through false happiness and b) that the abolition of religion is
necessary to achieve a modern, egalitarian society.

This is a formal writing assignment, so please submit a well-structured, proofread

document with proper citations. This essay is an examination of your engagement with
course material, and so you should rely on the texts we’ve read, your notes, and my
PowerPoint slides, but you may not use outside sources without my permission.
Doing so will be considered cheating, a violation of the academic integrity policy.

Essays should be submitted (preferably as a .docx) on May 8 by 3:30 pm via Moodle.

Late papers will be accepted for a full letter grade deduction until May 12 at 3:30 pm.
After this point, papers will not be accepted for credit.
 RELI 100 
Writing Guidelines 


Purposes

Essays in this course will allow you to systematically think through readings and class
discussions to date and solidify your own opinions about those materials. They also
allow me to make sure you have been following allowing with required readings and
paying attention in class. To this end, a good essay will not only demonstrate an
understanding of the course materials, but will also contain a significant amount of
creative, insightful analysis and argumentation. This can include not only critical
engagements with scholarly texts we have read, but also constructive arguments in
support of your own original position.

Format

1” margins, double spacing, 12-point font, and a standard typeface (like Calibri,
Helvetica, Arial, etc.) printed in black ink.

Citations

Whenever you use someone else’s ideas, it is necessary to use proper citations. Just to
be clear, it is necessary to cite an author not only when you quote them directly, but also
when you paraphrase or summarize them. A basic parenthetical citation is preferable. In
this course you may not use outside sources without special permission. If you
have permission, you must include a proper bibliography. Otherwise, no bibliography is
needed. http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/mlaparen.html

Style

I expect students to use Standard English grammar in their writing. Avoid excessive
colloquialisms. Use spellcheck, and be careful about homophones (e.g. their/there/
they’re, to/too/two, etc.). Be sure you’re clear on the difference between possessive and
plural forms of words. Use gender-neutral language, rather than the generic masculine,
where possible. You may use “I” judiciously in your writing, but don’t start every other
sentence with “I think/feel/believe.” http://theoatmeal.com/tag/grammar

Structure

Good academic writing starts out with an introduction that lets the reader know what the
paper will be about. In papers presenting an argument, the introduction paragraph
should include a thesis statement, which the body of the paper should support. In other
papers, the introduction should describe a theme which the body of the paper will
explore systematically. Please underline the sentence(s) that describe your thesis
or theme in your intro paragraph. Most academic writing benefits from a brief
conclusion which summarizes how the information presented in the body relates to the
thesis or theme. http://www.uoregon.edu/~munno/Writing/WritingGuide.html
 RELI 100: Rubric for Take-home Exams
Knowledge Analysis Clarity and Structure
A The essay cites the required Evidence presented The essay starts with an
number of sources. supports the thesis well introduction that hooks the
References to course and is subjected to reader and clearly states
material demonstrate total insightful analysis. the thesis or central claim
comprehension of course Questions posed by the of the paper. The author
concepts and are highly prompt are answered clearly shows how the
relevant to the essay’s thoroughly and in an evidence relates back to the
argument. original manner. thesis. Typos are very rare.
B The essay cites the required Evidence is subjected to The essay has a thesis of
number of sources. some analysis, but the sorts, but it may be a little
References to course analysis may lack depth. ambiguous. The relevance
material may demonstrate Questions posed by the of the presented evidence
student’s understanding prompt are answered, but may be somewhat unclear
less clearly or the may seem not always thoroughly. at times, but the reader can
less pertinent to the essay’s make an educated guess
argument, as if they were about the author’s
included arbitrarily just to intentions. There are some
make the minimum. errors, but they do not
obscure the meaning.
C The essay may cite an What evidence is The essay has no real
inadequate number of presented is not really thesis, or the thesis is so
sources or may show that analyzed much if at all. vague as to be meaningless.
the student has only a slight The essay may be mostly It is often unclear how the
grasp of the course material. summary with only a little presented evidence
Alternatively, references to original thought. The advances any argument.
course material may seem student more or less sticks Errors are persistent,
completely arbitrary or with the general topic of suggesting sloppy
superficial. the prompt, albeit without proofreading, and at times
providing clear answers to obscure the meaning.
the questions it poses.
D The essay barely relates to The argument, if it exists, There is no thesis and the
course concepts at all. has no clear relationship essay has little clear
to the prompt and is not structure. Errors may be so
supported by evidence or frequent that substantial
analysis. The essay may portions of the essay are
just summarize a variety difficult to understand.
of random information
from the course.
F The essay has no clear There is no argument or The essay is an inchoate
connection to anything we evidence. ramble. Errors are so
have done in class. frequent that it is difficult
to comprehend at the
sentence level.