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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
HUMID009H
Course Title (CB02)
Introduction to Comparative Religion - HONORS
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
An interdisciplinary examination and comparison of the religious dimensions of human life: history, terminology, emotional experiences, concepts, attitudes, images, material expressions, conflicts, myths, metaphors, symbols, perceptions of nature and the natural environment and rituals relating to the particular social context of each tradition. Emphasis will be placed on the numerous practices and perspectives of women and men throughout time and from different cultures regarding their sense of the sacred. As participants in an honors course, students will be expected to complete additional assignments of greater depth and breadth, in order to gain increased insight into the field of Comparative Religion.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course meets a general education requirement for °®¶¹´«Ã½, CSUGE and IGETC and is included in the Arts and Letters emphasis in the °®¶¹´«Ã½ Liberal Arts Associate Degree. It is UC and CSU transferable. This course is an option for students working towards the Humanities Certificate of Achievement. This course provides students with an opportunity to explore (both objectively and subjectively) religious, spiritual, and secular traditions and identifies interconnections between them. This course is the honors version of HUMI D009. and as a result, includes more advanced assignments and assessments.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
°®¶¹´«Ã½ GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GC2°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGC2CSU GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG3BIGETC Area 3B - HumanitiesApproved

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

  • (Not open to students with credit in the non-Honors related course.)
  • (Admission into this course requires consent of the Honors Program Coordinator.)

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

In-class exploration of Internet sites

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Field observation and field trips

Guest speakers

Homework and extended projects

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Collaborative projects

Other: such as role playing, audio aids, questions, etc.

Assignments

  1. Reading assignments from a minimum of one college-level, book length textbook on religion, from the library reserve and in or out of class articles and papers of various lengths.
  2. Viewing assignments of videos shown in-class or in media lab. Each viewing assignment is accompanied with specific questions or prompts to assess and summarize.
  3. Writing assignments that will demonstrate the student's increased ability to both critique and empathize with the complexities of each religious tradition, through discussion questions, reflection papers, journal entries, compare and contrast, a comprehensive assessment of course material, and a guided research paper and/or team project.
  4. An individual or collective creative project that will require students to synthesize their critical thinking, imaginative, cooperative, and empathetic abilities as whole persons in order to contextualize their knowledge: a panel presentation, interview project, CD/DVD, video, film, musical, theatrical, poetic, graphic or artistic expression that reflects both the exploration and comparison of material covered.
  5. The Honors project will include a written research paper, or a set of written assignments, and may involve service learning and/or civic engagement. The Honors project will require 10 or more hours beyond the regular (non-honors) course requirements, and will include more advanced work with higher expectations for achievement.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Short "prep" quizzes that are evaluated according to student's ability to analyze and critique the concepts being studied: then reviewed, and discussed in class. These quizzes will be on limited topics found within the lecture, audio and video presentations, and course reading assignments.
  2. A minimum of three examinations based on lectures, audio and visual presentations, and reading assignments that test student's ability to evaluate, critique and appraise course material.
  3. A final examination requiring students to demonstrate their ability to appraise the complexities of religious practices and beliefs, including critical analysis of concepts and terminology, influences, comparisons and contrasts, interrelationships, and relevance to contemporary culture and social issues.
  4. A written research or thorough assessment paper on topics originated and assigned by the instructor to demonstrate the student's capacity to define, explain, analyze, compare and contrast and drawn conclusions on said topics with regard to contemporary cultural, local, national, or global issues. These papers may be several short monographs, a major monograph, or a two-part book analysis.
  5. A creative or artistic project on topics originated and assigned by the instructor to demonstrate the student's capacity to reorganize, compose, or recreate various aspects of material covered.
  6. The Honors project will be evaluated for depth of analysis, originality of thinking, and a comprehensive discussion of the research topic.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Carmody, Denise L. and Brink, T.L. "Ways to the Center: An introduction to world religions," 7th edition, Boston, MA: Wadsworth. 2013.
Hopfe, Lewis M., Woodward, Mark R. and Hendrickson, Brett. "Religions of the World," 13th edition, New York, NY: Pearson North America, 2016.
Molloy, Michael. "Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change," 7th edition, New York, NY. McGraw Hill, 2017.
Smith, Huston. "World Religions: 50th Anniversary Edition." Harper One, 2009.
Walsh, Roger. "Essential Spirituality: 7 central practices to awaken heart and mind." New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2000.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Armstrong, Karen. "The Case for God." New York: Anchor Books. 2009.
Aslan, Reza. "God: A human history." New York: Random House. 2017.
Barnes, Craig S. "In Search of the Lost Feminine." Golden: Fulcrum Publishing, 2006.
Boulton, Matthew Myer. "God Against Religion: Rethinking Christian Theology Through Worship." (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies) Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdman Publishing Co., 2008.
Campbell, Joseph. "The Hero With a Thousand Faces." Princeton, Univ. of Princeton Press, 1984.
________. "The Masks of God: Creative Mythology," New York, Viking, 1972
Campbell, Joseph, and Moyers, Bill. "The Power of Myth." New York: Anchor, 1991
Das, Lama Surya. "Awakening the Buddha Within." New York, Bantam-Doubleday, 1997
Dennett, Daniel C. "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon." New York: Penguin Books. 2007.
Eliade, M. "The Quest: History and Meaning in Religion." Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1969.
________. "Rites and Symbols of Initiation: The Mysteries of Birth and Rebirth." New York: Harper and Row, 1958.
________. "Yoga: Immortality and Freedom." trans. W. Trask, Princeton: University of Princeton Press", 1969.
Fieser, James, and Powers, Dr. John. "Scriptures of the World's Religions," 6th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2017.
Fisher, Mary Pat. "Living Religions," 10th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2016.
Gimbutas, Marija. "The Languages of the Goddess." New York: Thames & Hudson Inc., 1989,
Hitchens, Christopher. "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything." New York: Hachette Book Group, 2007.
Kessler, G.E., "Studying Religion: An Introduction Through Cases," 3rd Edition. Boston, McGraw-Hill, 2007
Kinsley, D. "The Sword and the Flute." Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1977.
Maathai, Wangari. "Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World." Doubleday, 2010.
Pagels, Elaine. "Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas." New York: Random House, 2003.
Peach, L.J., "Women and World Religions," Upper Saddle River, New York: Pearson, 2001
Radice, B. (edit.) "The Bhagavad Gita." trans. J. Mascaro, New York: Viking, 1985
Radice, B. and Baldick, R. "Lao Tzu/ Tao Te Ching." trans. D.C. Lau, Baltimore: Penguin, 1963.
____________________, "The Upanishads." trans. J. Mascaro, Baltimore: Penguin, 1965.
Tedlock, Barbara. "The Woman in the Shaman's Body: Reclaiming the Feminine in Religion and Medicine." New York: Bantam Dell, 2005.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Integrate the multidisciplinary components that make up the field of humanities.
  • Identify, examine, analyze, evaluate and expand perspectives regarding the various religious perceptions of what is considered sacred from any combination of the following: tribal, ancient, Axial, modern and contemporary.
  • Examine and analyze the complexities and controversies regarding religion.
  • Examine, analyze, compare and contrast the numerous dimensions of religious experience and practice.
  • Examine, analyze, compare and contrast the different types of religious consciousness.
  • Examine, analyze, compare and contrast differing emphases on faith, knowledge, or experience.
  • Examine, analyze, compare and contrast the root or promotion of peace or conflicts within and among each practice.
  • Satisfy the Honors requirement for this course by demonstrating intellectual ownership and risk-taking while developing a creative synthesis of one or more multidisciplinary topics from various religious and/or spiritual traditions.

CSLOs

  • Synthesize critical thinking, imaginative, cooperative, and empathetic abilities as whole persons in order to contextualize knowledge, interpret and communicate meaning, and cultivate capacity for personal, as well as social change.

  • Develop understanding between persons of various religious traditions.

  • Critique the complexities within each religious tradition in order to engage others in meaningful dialogue regarding values and controversies.

Outline

  1. Integrate the multidisciplinary components that make up the field of humanities.
    1. Literature.
    2. Philosophy.
    3. Arts and music.
    4. Psychology.
    5. History.
    6. Anthropology.
    7. Architecture and Archaeology.
  2. Identify, examine, analyze, evaluate and expand perspectives regarding the various religious perceptions of what is considered sacred from any combination of the following: tribal, ancient, Axial, modern and contemporary.
    1. The exploration of the dialectic between the Sacred and the Profane.
    2. The examination of transcendent or immanent conceptions of the Sacred.
    3. The consideration of unitive conceptions of the universe.
    4. Sacred stories as either human creations or divine or sacred disclosures.
  3. Examine and analyze the complexities and controversies regarding religion.
    1. The difficulty of defining religion, since it is a word that is frequently applied to a wide range of phenomena so that it may be impossible to identify a set of beliefs and practices that all religions have in common.
    2. The wide range of differences between religious traditions, in terms of beliefs, rituals, central myths, ethics, community, emotional experience, material expressions or sacredness.
    3. The theistic , atheistic and nontheistic views of reality.
    4. The complex relationship between scientific and religious belief systems, including the points of connection and the role of language in shaping the perception of difference.
  4. Examine, analyze, compare and contrast the numerous dimensions of religious experience and practice.
    1. The Sacred versus the Quest.
    2. Symbolism and Language.
    3. Conceptions of "God", "Soul", and "Reality".
    4. Taboos versus Ethics.
    5. Sacramental, prophetic, or mystical orientations.
  5. Examine, analyze, compare and contrast the different types of religious consciousness.
    1. Nature versus cosmic or "pre-axial" consciousness.
    2. Historical and moral religious consciousness.
    3. Aesthetic consciousness, which explores the relation between doctrine, myths, rituals, and material expression (architecture, paintings, music, sculpture, poetry, icons, etc.).
    4. Esoteric versus exoteric ways of knowing and practicing.
  6. Examine, analyze, compare and contrast differing emphases on faith, knowledge, or experience.
    1. The debate between "faith" versus "mystical experience".
    2. Mysticism, which places an emphasis on experience or "union" with what is divine or sacred.
    3. The Quest as a Path of knowledge, action, trust, etc. versus the notion of "surrendering" to the sacred or divine.
  7. Examine, analyze, compare and contrast the root or promotion of peace or conflicts within and among each practice.
    1. Religious fundamentalism as extremism.
    2. The social, historical, and cultural context.
    3. Exploration of the moral or ethical tenants.
    4. Examining issues of authentic representation.
  8. Satisfy the Honors requirement for this course by demonstrating intellectual ownership and risk-taking while developing a creative synthesis of one or more multidisciplinary topics from various religious and/or spiritual traditions.
    1. Analysis of the various conceptions of the divine.
    2. Analysis of the various creation stories.
    3. Analysis of the relationship between humans and the divine.
    4. Connections between science and religion/spirituality.
    5. Role of religion and/or spirituality in environmental issues.
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