Course Syllabus

HUM130
Religions of the World

Course Start Date: 02/21/2011

Course End Date: 04/18/2011

Please print a copy of this syllabus for handy reference.

Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please remember this syllabus is
considered the ruling document.

Copyright

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Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix© editorial standards and practices.

Facilitator Information

W. David Nelson, Ph.D.

nlsnwd@email.phoenix.edu (University of Phoenix)
wdavidnelson29@gmail.com (Personal)
682-597-7597 (Eastern Standard Time)

Facilitator Availability

I am available from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time on most days, but I attempt to reserve most of Saturday
and Sunday for my family. I tend to be online, however, at least one weekend morning. If these times are
not convenient for you, please let me know. I will be happy to accommodate your schedule, if possible. I
provide you with these times to make it easier to communicate with me, and not to limit our contact.

I want you to know that, should you need to contact me outside these time frames, you should not
hesitate to do so.

For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Online Learning System
(OLS), please send a message to my personal email address. In the event a third party needs to contact
me, please direct them to my contact information listed under "facilitator information." No third party
should use your login credentials to gain access to the classroom.

Where to Go to Class
Main: This is the main forum for the class and is where discussion is conducted. It has read-and-write
access for everyone.

Chat-Room: This is a read-and-write access forum. It is designed as a place to discuss issues not related
to the course content. This is the forum to which we will send our bios.

Course-Materials: This is a read-only forum, which means you can read messages here but cannot send
any. This is where I will post the course syllabus and materials.

Individual Forum: You will see one forum with your name on it. This is a private forum, shared only by
you and me, the facilitator. Your classmates will not have access to this forum. You can ask questions
here. However, if you have general questions about instructions of assignments, please post those in the
Main forum, since other students may benefit by that exchange as well.

Where to Submit Your Assignments

Assignment Section: This is where you will submit all formal assignments. Navigate to the
Assignments link on eCampus. Locate the link to submit your assignment as an attachment.

Policies
For class policies, please see the "Policies" link on the left side of the Materials page for the course on
eCampus. Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all
policies contained within that link. University policies are subject to change so please be sure to read
them at the beginning of each class as it may have changed since your last class. Policies may be slightly
different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities it
is important you read the policies governing your current class modality.
Technical Support
Technical Support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 1-877-832-4867, or use the e-mail
support form.
Answers to the most common issues are found in the Knowledge Base by clicking Help, found at the top
of every student Web site.

Feedback
Each week, I will provide grades or scores and comments on your assignments.

Grading Formula

Percentage % Grade

95+ A

90-94 A-

87-89 B+

84-86 B

80-83 B-

77-79 C+

74-76 C

70-73 C-

67-69 D+

64-66 D

60-63 D-

<59 F

Course Description

See eCampus.

Course Topics & Objectives

See eCampus.

Course Materials

See eCampus.
Discussion Questions___________________________________________________

Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement.

Participation___________________________________________________________

All week: Participate in the class discussions by posting at least 2 substantial messages on 4 out of 7
days during the week, with a total of eight substantive messages per week. The two discussion questions
in weeks two, four, six and eight must be answered, and your two answers will count towards the eight
substantive postings needed for those weeks.

Point Values for Course Assignments

ASSIGNMENTS Points

Individual (100%)

Week One
CheckPoint: Effects of Religion 30
Assignment: Vocabulary 70

Week Two
Exercise: Indigenous Culture Web Site Reviews 20
Participation/Discussion Questions 30

Week Three
CheckPoint: Hindu Terms Map 30
Assignment: Hinduism Paper 100

Week Four
CheckPoint: Final Project Preparation 30
Participation/Discussion Questions 30

Week Five
CheckPoint: Eastern Religion Elements Matrix 30
Assignment: Judaism Presentation 100

Week Six
CheckPoint: Five Pillars of Islam 30
Participation/Discussion Questions 30

Week Seven
CheckPoint: Monotheistic Religions 30
Assignment: Jesus and Mohammed Paper 100

Week Eight
CheckPoint: Rough Draft World Religions Report 30
Participation/Discussion Questions 30

Week Nine
CheckPoint: Capstone 30
Final Project: World Religions Report 250

Total 1000
 HUM 130 Course Calendar

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Week 1 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Effects of
Vocabulary
HUM130 Post Bio Religion
Quiz
CheckPoint
Week 2 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Web Site
HUM130 DQ #1 Due DQ #2 Due Reviews
Exercise
Week 3 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Hindu Terms
Hinduism
HUM130 Map
Paper
CheckPoint
Week 4 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Final Project
HUM130 DQ #1 Due DQ #2 Due Preparation
CheckPoint
Week 5 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Eastern
Religion
Judaism
HUM130 Elements
Presentation
Matrix
CheckPoint
Week 6 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Five Pillars
HUM130 DQ #1 Due DQ #2 Due of Islam
Checkpoint
Week 7 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Monotheistic
Religion Jesus &
HUM130 Elements Mohammed
Matrix Paper
CheckPoint
Week 8 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Rough Draft
HUM130 DQ #1 Due DQ #2 Due
CheckPoint

Week 9 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

World
Capstone
HUM130 Religions
CheckPoint
Report Due

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Week One
The Religious Response

• Recognize ways in which organized religion influences people’s lives.

• Define common terms related to the study of religion.

Course Assignments

1. Course Preparation

• Read the course description and objectives.

• Read the instructor’s biography and post your own.

2. Readings

• Read Appendix A & B.

• Read Ch. 1 of Living Religions.

3. CheckPoint: Effects of Religion

Post a response to this prompt: Religion may affect people in many different ways.
List at least two effects that organized religion has had on society and provide examples from
past or present world events that illustrate your examples.
Post your response in the Assignment Section by Day 4.

4. Assignment: Vocabulary Quiz

Complete Vocabulary Quiz found in Appendix C.
Post your completed quiz as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 7.

Weekly Reminders

Summary of Week 1 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

Effects of Religion CheckPoint Assignment Section Day 4

Vocabulary Quiz Assignment Section Day 7

Week Two
Indigenous Sacred Ways

• Describe the importance of relationships to indigenous religions.

• Identify examples of roles and observances held sacred by indigenous peoples.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 2 & 3 of Living Religions.

2. Exercise: Indigenous Culture Web Site Reviews

• Review your classmates’ responses to the first Discussion Question for this week.
• Choose two Web sites that interest you from your classmates’ responses.
• Complete Appendix D using the two Web sites you found for your Discussion Question
response and the two additional Web sites borrowed from your classmates’ responses.
• Post your completed exercise as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 5.

3. Discussion Questions

• Find two Web sites dealing with indigenous cultures or religions. Discuss how modern
civilization has affected the spiritual lives of the indigenous peoples you explored. Are
indigenous religions still practiced today? If so, how have the practices changed over time?

Post the two Web site URLs in the thread along with your answers to the questions in the
Main Forum by Day 2.

• As suggested by Fisher (2003) in Living Religions, consider the interrelatedness of everything

in the cosmos as it is expressed in many indigenous religions. How do you think the
importance of these relationships developed? What spiritual purpose do you think they serve
for indigenous peoples? Post your response in the Main Forum by Day 4.

Weekly Reminders

Discussion Questions

Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement and will be
evaluated separately. Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation
score.

Summary of Week 2 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

DQ #1 Main Forum Day 2

DQ #2 Main Forum Day 4

Exercise: Indigenous Culture WebSite

Assignment Section Day 5
Reviews
Week Three
Hinduism

• Describe the Hindu philosophical systems and forms of worship.

• Explain the origins of Hinduism.

Course Assignments

1. CheckPoint: Hindu Terms Map

• Post your answers to Appendix E as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 4.

2. Assignment: Hinduism Paper

• Write a 700- to 1000-word paper answering the following questions:

o Considering that Hinduism lacks a uniting belief system, what makes up the Hindu
religion?
o What are the cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region
in which it originated?
o Explain the desire for liberation from earthly existence.

• Format your paper according to APA standards.

• Post your completed paper as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 7.

Weekly Reminders

Summary of Week 3 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

CheckPoint: Hindu Terms Map Assignment Section Day 4

Hinduism Paper Assignment Section Day 7

Week Four
Buddhism

• Explain the origins of Buddhism.

• Describe Buddhism’s theological foundations and spiritual practices.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 5, 6, & 8 of Living Religions.

2. CheckPoint: Final Project Preparation

• Review the material found in Appendices A & F.

• Complete Appendix B and post as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 5.

3. Discussion Questions

• How did the childhood experiences of Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) lead to his questioning
of the spiritual practices of his time? Post your response in the Main Forum by Day 2.
• How do contemporary Buddhist practices reflect the foundations of the religion? Post your
response in the Main Forum by Day 4.

Weekly Reminders

Discussion Questions

Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement and will be
evaluated separately.

Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.

Summary of Week 4 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

DQ #1 Main Forum Day 2

DQ #2 Main Forum Day 4

CheckPoint: Final Project Preparation Assignment Section Day 5

Week Five
Daoism, Confucianism, and Judaism

• Compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Daoism,
Confucianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
• Explain the origins of Judaism
• Describe Judaism’s theological foundations and spiritual practices.

Course Assignments

1. CheckPoint: Eastern Religion Elements Matrix

• Complete Appendix G and post as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 4.

2. Assignment: Judaism Presentation

• Create a PowerPoint® Presentation geared toward teaching a younger person, age 9 to 14

year old, about Judaism. Your presentation must cover each of the following topics:

o Relationship with God/Torah

o History of Key Sacred Texts
o Ten Commandments
o Jerusalem
o The Nation of Israel
o Different Sects of Judaism
o The Holocaust
o Sacred Practices and Holidays
o Judaism today

• Include a minimum of 10 slides.

• Include speaker’s notes that describe what you would say if you were actually presenting it to
an audience.
• Post your presentation as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 7.

Weekly Reminders

Summary of Week 5 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

CheckPoint: Eastern Religion Elements Matrix Assignment Section Day 4

Judaism Presentation Assignment Section Day 7

Week Six
Christianity and Islam

• Explain the origins of Christianity.

• Explain the origins of Islam.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 9 & 10 of Living Religions.

2. CheckPoint: Five Pillars of Islam

• Submit a 350- to 700-word response answering the following questions:

o What are the central beliefs of Islam, and how are they reflected in the "Five Pillars”
(McInerney, 2003)?
o Which of the Five Pillars do you feel would be easiest to fulfill, and which would be the
most challenging (McInerney, 2003)?
• Post your response in the Assignment Section by Day 5.

3. Discussion Questions

• How has Christianity, a faith based on the teachings of one text, the Bible, divided into so
many denominations? Post your response in the Main Forum by Day 2.
• What events and figures have shaped the development of Islam in the United States? Post
your response in the Main Forum by Day 4.

Weekly Reminders

Discussion Questions

Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement and will be
evaluated separately.

Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.

Summary of Week 6 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

DQ #1 Main Forum Day 2

DQ #2 Main Forum Day 4

CheckPoint: Five Pillars of Islam Assignment Section Day 5

Week Seven
Monotheistic Religions

• Compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam.

Course Assignments

1. CheckPoint: Monotheistic Religions Elements Matrix

• Complete Appendix H and post as an attachment in Assignment Section by Day 4.

2. Assignment: Jesus & Mohammed Paper

• Submit a 1,250- to 1,500-word paper in which you compare and contrast the lives of Jesus
and Mohammed in relation to each respective religion. Complete the following steps in your
paper:

o Trace the lives of Jesus and Mohammed historically.

o Compare what impact the death of each person had on his respective religion.
o Describe the ways each individual was or is worshipped.
o Explain how their messages are being carried out in the world today.

• Format your paper according to APA standards.

• Post your paper as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 7.

Weekly Reminders

Summary of Week 7 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

CheckPoint: Monotheistic Religion Elements Matrix Assignment Section Day 4

Jesus and Mohammed Paper Assignment Section Day 7

Week Eight
New Religious Movements & Religion in the 21st Century

• Compare and contrast new religious movements with well established religions.
• Estimate the impact of religious pluralism and the interfaith movement on the future of
organized religion.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 12 & 13 of Living Religions.

2. CheckPoint: Rough Draft World Religions Report

• Post Your Rough Draft of your World Religions Report as an attachment in the Assignment
Section by Day 5.

3. Discussion Questions

• How are newer religions different from older ones? How are they similar? Post your response
in the Main Forum by Day 2.
• What effect do you think religious pluralism and the interfaith movement will have on the
future of organized religion? Explain your answer. Post your response in the Main forum by
Day 4.

Weekly Reminders

Discussion Questions

Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement and will be
evaluated separately.

Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.

Summary of Week 8 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

DQ #1 Main Forum Day 2

DQ #2 Main Forum Day 4

CheckPoint: Rough Draft World Religions Report Assignment Section Day 5

Week Nine
Making Connections

• Communicate with people of different religions about their beliefs and practices.

Course Assignments

1. Capstone CheckPoint

• Post your response to the following questions:

o In what ways has learning about world religions influenced the way you think about
religion?
o Why is it important to learn about other peoples' beliefs and attitudes?
o How will you utilize this information in the future?

• Post your response in the Assignment Section by Day 4.

2. Final Project: World Religions Report

• Resources: Appendices A, B, & F

• Select a religion that is not your own and then visit a place of worship and interview a person
of that faith.
• Write a 2,000- to 2,500-word informative paper about the religion.
• Compare your selected religion with at least one other religion you are familiar with through
this class.
• Include the following elements:

o Introduction of the religion

o Name, location and review of the site.
o Interview summary
o Comparing and contrasting with another religion
o Conclusion
o References

• Format your paper according to APA standards.

• Post your paper as an attachment in the Assignment Section by Day 7.

Weekly Reminders

Summary of Week 9 Deliverables

Assignment Location Due

CheckPoint: Capstone Assignment Section Day 4

Final Project: World Religions Report Assignment Section Day 7