Understanding Religion
1. (Original Content Only) (400 words for the post) (APA citations) (In-text citations are a must)
Assignment 3: Writing Religion
Context
Religion is everywhere. Its definition, however, is all over the place. One of the things that this class offers is a solid launching point for understanding religion (hey, that’s the name of this course!) by exposing you to different ideas about religion, including strategies for thinking about those different ideas with a “both, and” mentality rather than the more common “either, or” approach, which often shuts down helpful dialogue.
DESCRIPTION
Go to Google News, use the search term “religion” to find current news on the subject, and pick a story that intrigues you. Briefly share the gist of it with the class, then reflect on the following prompts:
HOW DOES THE PROBLEM OF DEFINING RELIGION FACTOR INTO THE STORY?
How does the author of this article understand and present religion? For example, they might view it as good or bad, as primarily a moral system, as relative or absolute, in relation to politics, from a Christian-centric perspective, and so on.
If you were the journalist tasked with writing up this same story, how might you approach it differently, knowing what you’ve learned from Hedges this week?
Delivery
Please post your initial post (400 words) to the appropriate discussion thread no later than Thursday evening (11:59pm MT). Your post must dialogue with the readings and/or videos for this week, including proper APA citations.
- Sources to cite:
Hawks, J., Garrett, M., & Marcus, B. P. (January 6, 2020). Separating Religion and Government…But What Is Religion?: A Look at the US Supreme Court. [Audio]. The Religious Studies Project.
- Blasi, A. J. (2020). Definition of religion. In A. Possamai, & A. J. Blasi (Eds.), The SAGE encyclopedia of the sociology of religion. UK: Sage.
“This entry reviews four major definitional strategies, observes some of their strengths and weaknesses, and notes the importance of definitions of religion both in the sociology of religion and the environing world of social scientific students of religion.”
- Alston, W. P. (2006). Religion. In D. M. Borchert (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2nd ed., Vol. 8, pp. 366-373). Macmillan Reference USA
2. (Original Content Only) (400 words for the post) (APA citations) (In-text citations are a must)
ASSIGNMENT 4: QUESTIONS AND CONNECTING THOUGHTS
Context
There is always more to say when it comes to religion, as any scholar or student in the field will tell you, meaning that it is possible to go deeper on any given subject.
Description
Read through the “Questions and Connecting Thoughts” section on pp.41-42 of Hedges’ Understanding Religion. Choose one of the questions there and respond to it in dialogue with the materials for this week. You may also include additional sources or media as you see fit.
Delivery
Please post your initial post (400 words) to the appropriate discussion thread no later than Thursday evening (11:59pm MT). Your post must dialogue with the readings and/or videos for this week, including proper APA citations.
3. (Original Content Only) (400 words for the post) (APA citations) (In-text citations are a must)
Context
Religion is a touchy subject. Earlier forms of social etiquette avoided discussing religion (and politics) altogether because it was too easy to offend another person’s—and one’s own—sensibilities, but that is now changing. Religion is at the forefront of civic and social life, and we ought to be able to dialogue about it in a respectable, informed, and thoughtful manner. Part of the problem stems from what scholars call the Insider/Outsider Problem or Emic/Etic Debate.
Listen to the episode of The Religious Studies Project podcast called “The Insider/Outsider Problem: An RSP Remix” (15 min.) for a brief introduction to this issue in the field of religious studies that adds to what Hedges has to say (Ch.2).
Description
In dialogue with your Hedges reading and The Religious Studies Project podcast,
- what are the pros and cons of studying a religious tradition from a practitioner’s perspective?
From a non-practitioner’s perspective?
How do you reconcile these two possible perspectives—or do you?
4. (Original Content Only) (400 words for the post) (APA citations) (In-text citations are a must)
Context
On p.81, Hedges rightly claims, “Studying texts, elite philosophical belief systems, and normative official statements only gets you so far.” The rest of the chapter is dedicated to helping us understand how that is so and what else there is to study—religion as it is lived. That is, religion as people actually practice it and think about it, and how such religion relates to the “official” or institutional religion that informs it. As Hedges explains, religious traditions are often practiced syncretistically, blending practices developed from a variety of religious and cultural traditions that one may or may not realize are imported from elsewhere.
Description
From Hedges, your own experience, a little independent research, or a combination of these, choose an example of religious syncretism that you find interesting and share it with the class. Then, analyze the practice, addressing these issues and others you would like to discuss.
How does this practice illustrate syncretism?
Which two or more traditions are being blended and what are their historical origins?
- When did this practice emerge and under what circumstances?
Do practitioners today acknowledge the syncretistic nature of the practice, or do they consider it a “pure” iteration of their tradition? (This last one may be a bit of a trick question, considering Chs.1-2.)
5. (Original Content Only) (400 words for the post) (APA citations) (In-text citations are a must)
Context
Between this week and last week, you have been given much to consider. As we end this section of the textbook, we are leaving our discussion of religion, method, and theory as broad concepts and entering the realm of actual methods and theories of religion. This calls for a moment of pause and reflection.
Description
Review the materials for weeks 1 and 2, and reflect on the question “So what?” How, now, am I supposed to approach the task of understanding religion?
Think practically. Share with us your current thoughts on
HOW RELIGION OUGHT TO BE STUDIED, AND
what areas you might find challenging as we enter the next section of the course.
ANY NEW QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS
anything you would like further clarification on
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