Discipline: Humanities Degree Credit  [X]
Non Credit  [ ]
Nondegree Credit  [ ]
Comm Service  [ ]
 

Riverside Community College District
Integrated Course Outline of Record

Humanities 10H


COURSE DESCRIPTION
10H Honors World Religions Units: 3.00
 
Prerequisite(s): None.

Advisory: Qualification for ENG-1A.
Limitation on Enrollment: Enrollment in Honors Program.
Thought and concepts of the major religious systems, including primal religions, extinct religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This Honors course offers an enriched experience for students through limited class size, seminar format, discussions and projects generated and led by students, a focus on primary texts in translation and the application of higher level thinking and writing skills – analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Students may not receive credit for both HUM-10 and HUM-10H. 54 hours lecture.
 
SHORT DESCRIPTION FOR CLASS SCHEDULE
Offers students in the Honors Program an enriched introduction to the major religions of the world including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
 
ADVISORY ENTRY SKILLS
Before entering the course, students will be able to:
  1. Critically discuss and analyze primary and secondary texts, recognize key ideas and respond in both oral and written form;

  2. Analyze, synthesize and evaluate concepts studied in primary and secondary texts using intermediate to advanced critical thinking skills;

  3. Compose developed, unified, stylistically competent writing assignments and adjust writing to the target audience with intermediate to advanced skill.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

Describe the varieties of religious experience, belief and practice.

Critically discuss, compare and interpret primary religious texts in the context of the traditional beliefs of various religious traditions.

Appreciate the varieties of religious belief and experience and the cultures in which they are found.

Evaluate the various religious traditions of the world in terms of the concepts, themes and analytical tools presented in the course.

Demonstrate, apply and synthesize understanding of fundamental issues, themes and concepts in world religious traditions through comparative, analytical and critical discussions.

Demonstrate, apply and synthesize understanding of the worlds’ religious traditions through the writing of original analytical and evaluative essays totaling 20 pages (a minimum of 5000 words over the course of the semester).

Demonstrate the ability to think creatively, independently and critically about the varied issues, problems and concerns of religions around the globe.
 
COURSE CONTENT
  TOPICS
 

Coverage of topics by the instructor may be thematic or genre based, within a chronological or geographic context, and always with an emphasis on the use of original source material (in translation).

Nature of religion:  definitions, viewpoints, terms, meaning across cultures.

  1. Primal Religions and Extinct National Religions:  Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome.
  2. Introduction to the eleven major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity,  and Islam
    1. Origin and/or founder of each religion
    2. Chronological survey or history of the development of each religion
    3. Major beliefs, values/ethical system, religious tenets
    4. Sacred ceremonies, sacred practices and holy places, objects/relics
    5. Festivals, holidays, rites of passage
    6. Canonical and/or recognized literature
 
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
 Methods of instruction used to achieve student learning outcomes may include, but are not limited to:

  • Presentations of lectures and demonstrations outlining key concepts, topics and historical and social/political developments relevant to the subject , with examples from primary religious texts, in order for students to understand the central issues of each tradition.
  • Seminar discussions on weekly assigned course material in order to encourage independent learning, public speaking, and the rational debate over ideas.
  • Cooperative or collaborative learning tasks and activities designed to help students apply the concepts in the course, to enhance close reading skills, and to synthesize ideas.
  • Individual conferences once a semester in order to appraise student of her/his progress.
  • Showing films, videos, PowerPoint presentations, distributing handouts, and/or using electronic or computer-based media in order to reinforce understanding of concepts related to issues and concepts in world religions.
  • Computer assisted and/or web enhanced instruction which reinforces the course content.

 
 
METHODS OF EVALUATION
 Students will be evaluated for progress in and/or mastery of learning outcomes by methods of evaluation which may include, but are not limited to:

  • The writing of a minimum of 5000 words (approximately 20 pages) of formal interpretive/analytical prose.
  • Additional informal writing assignments designed to assess students’ ability to think critically and independently and communicate that ability in college level writing.
  • Seminar style discussions on assigned topics for the week in order to encourage independent student learning.
  • Participation and regular attendance as required by seminar format to ensure progress in mastering course content and developing thinking and writing skills.
  • Informal written assignments in order to demonstrate required familiarity with the weekly material.
  • Class and individual learning tasks designed to assist students in applying course concepts and synthesizing their knowledge.
  • Final essay that requires students to interpret, compare synthesize and evaluate ideas, values, and practices within at least four traditions from both East and West.
ASSIGNMENTS

Required Reading Assignments


Required Writing Assignments


Other Outside-of-Class Assignments
 
COURSE MATERIALS
 All materials used in this course will be periodically reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate for college level instruction. Possible texts include:

  • Carmody, Denise and T.L. Brink. Ways to the Center : An Introduction to World Religions. 6 ed. N.Y. : Wadsworth Publishing, 2005.
  • Durkheim, Emile. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. New York: The Free Press, 1968.
  • Eliade, Mircea. The Sacred and the Profane. N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace, 1959.
  • Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions . 6 ed. N.Y.: Prentice-Hall, 2005.
  • Girard, Renee. Violence and the Sacred. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1979.
  • Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World’s Religions:Tradition, Challenge, and Change. any: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
  • Noss, David. S. . A History of the World’s Religions. 11 ed. N.Y.: Prentice-Hall, 2002.
  • Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions.. San Francisco: Harper, 1991.
  • Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World Religions: A Guide to our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper, 1995.
  • Van Voorst, Robert. Anthology of the World Scriptures. 5 ed. N.Y.: Wadsworth Publishing, 2005.
  • Primary Texts

    1. The Bible
    2. The Quran
    3. The Bhagavad Gita
    4. Tao Te Ching
    5. Chuang Tzu
    6. The Analects of Confucius
    7. The Dhammapada
    8. The Gnostic Gospels
    9. Nag Hammadi Manuscripts

    Additional materials may include professional, instructor-or student-prepared audio/visual materials, computer media/software, and instructor-prepared handouts.
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