HU 281 - Exploring World Religions
Description
Students survey (through substantial immersion into world religion texts) the origins, teachings, values, and practices of Indigenous/Primal religions; Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism. While learning the content of individual traditions and exploring the comparative questions between/among traditions, students focus on how human beings have answered the perennial questions about the ultimate meanings and purposes of existence. It is recommended that students complete EN 101 with a C or Higher prior to enrolling in this course.
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 3
School: School of Liberal Arts
Department: Language & Thought
Discipline: HU
Major Course Revisions: General Education Review
Last Revision Date Effective: 20230223T16:19:35
Course Review & Revision Year: 2027-2028
Course Type:
General Education- Offering designed to meet the specific criteria for a GRCC Distribution Requirement. The course should be designated by the requirement it fulfills.
Course Format:
Lecture - 1:1
General Education Requirement: Humanities
General Education Learner Outcomes (GELO):
3. Critical Thinking: Gather and synthesize relevant information, evaluate alternative perspectives, or understand inquiry as a means of creating knowledge, 4. Cultural Competence: Understand diverse interpersonal and cultural perspectives through analysis of scholarly or creative works
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Utilize the terminology associated with the study of religion in the comparison and contrast of primal religions, eastern religions, middle eastern religions, along with the Abrahamic religions.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the foundational roots and contributions of the culture within which or from which religions were birthed and developed.
3. Analyze, compare, and contrast the interrelatedness and non-negotiable stances as recorded in written canonical and non-canonical scriptures, oral traditions, commentaries, as well as other sacred traditions so as to understand the ways history, time and space, and the sacred and profane are understood by cultures around the world. (GELO 4)
5. Identify and investigate founders of religions, great teachers of given traditions, historical and metaphorical figures presented in scriptures and oral traditions, as well compilers of religious texts. (GELO 4)
6. Analyze and synthesize ideologies, doctrines, dogmas, rites of passage, initiation rites, and rituals presented in world religions so as to better understand his or her own Weltanschauung (world and life view). (GELO 3)
7. Produce an independently researched and in-depth study of practices, traditions, and/or teachings of a specific group of related religions or contrasting religions so as to acquire a greater understanding of a particular world view through the eyes of practitioners of specific spiritual traditions. (GELO 3)
8. Translate or explain what written information means and/or how it can be used.
9. Use rules or frameworks to provide context for and understand problems or issues.
Approved for Online Delivery?: No
Course Outline:
I. Understanding ReligionA. Why Study the Major Religions of the World? B. Why Is There Religion? II. The Sacred and the Profane A. Time and Space B. Good and Evil Patterns Among Religion III. Goddess Religion A. Great Mother B. Fertility Goddess C. Development of Archetypes 1. Demise of Archetypes 2. Hidden Archetypes 3. New Archetypes IV. Tribal and City A. State Religion B. Religions and Tribes of North America V. Religions of Mesoamerica and South America VI. Religions of Australia A. The Aborigines VII. Religions of Africa A. The Egyptian Religion B. The Basongye of the Congo C. The Zulu Peoples D. The Yoruba Oral Religion 1. Discovering Oral Religion 2. Studying Oral Religion: Learning from Pattern Sacred Practices in Oral Religion 3. Oral Traditions Written Down Problems of Interpretations and Selective Canon Oral Religions Today VIII. Hinduism A. The Origins of Hinduism B. The Upanishads and the Axis Age Living Spiritually in the Everyday World C. Devotional Hinduism D. Hinduism and the Arts Hinduism: Modern Challenges IX. Jainism Ttirthankaras and Ascetic orders X. Buddhism A. The Beginnings of Buddhism B. The Life of the Buddha C. The Basic Teachings of Buddhism D. The Influence of Indian Thought on Early Buddhist Teachings E. The Early Development of Buddhism 1. Theravada Buddhism: The Way of the Elders 2. Mahayana Buddhism: The “Big Vehicle” 3. Zen Buddhism: Enlightenment Through Experience 4. Vajrayana Buddhism XI. Taoism and Confucianism A. Basic Elements of Traditional Chinese Beliefs 1. The Origins of Philosophical Taoism 2. The Basic Teachings of Philosophical Taoism 3. Religious Taoism 4. Taoism and the Arts 5. Taoism and the Modern World B. Confucianism 1. The Tao in Confucianism 2. Living According to Confucian Values 3. Confucian Literature 4. Confucianism and the Arts 5. Confucianism and the Modern World XII. Shinto A. The Origins of Shinto B. The Historical Development of Shinto C. Essentials of Shinto Belief D. Shinto Religious Practice E. Shinto and the Arts F. Shinto Offshoots: The New Religion Shinto and the Modern World XIII. Judaism A. An Overview of Jewish History B. The Hebrew scriptures C. Biblical History D. Exile and Captivity E. Cultural Conflict during the Second-Temple Era F. The Development of Rabbinical Judaism G. Questioning and Reform Jewish Belief H. Religious Practice I. Judaism and the Modern World J. Divisions within Contemporary Judaism K. The Contributions of Judaism L. Jewish Identity and the Future of Judaism XIV. Christianity A. The Life and Teachings of Jesus B. Beliefs and History C. The Essential Christian World view D. The Early Spread of Christianity E. Influences on Christianity at the End of the Roman Empire F. Christianity in the Middle Ages G. The Protestant Reformation H. The Development of Christianity XV. Islam A. The Life and Teachings of Muhammad B. Essentials of Islam C. The Historical Development of Islam Sufism D. Islamic Mysticism E. Islamic Law and Philosophy F. Islam and the Arts G. Islam and the Modern World XVI. Sikhism A. Guru Nanak B. The Sihk scriptures
Mandatory CLO Competency Assessment Measures:
None
Name of Industry Recognize Credentials: None
Instructional Strategies:
Lecture: 30-45%Facilitated discussion: 25-35% Video and mediated instruction: 15-20% Group work: 30-40%
Mandatory Course Components:
Tests, quizzes, and/or examsMinimum of one substantial research/analysis paper or project
Academic Program Prerequisite: None
Prerequisites/Other Requirements: None
English Prerequisite(s): None
Math Prerequisite(s): None
Course Corerequisite(s): None
Course-Specific Placement Test: None
Course Aligned with IRW: IRW 99
Consent to Enroll in Course: No Department Consent Required
Total Lecture Hours Per Week: 3
Faculty Credential Requirements:
18 graduate credit hours in discipline being taught (HLC Requirement), Master’s Degree (GRCC general requirement)
Faculty Credential Requirement Details: Eighteen graduate credit hours or a Master’s Degree in Humanities or a Humanities related field.
General Room Request: None
Maximum Course Enrollment: 30
Equivalent Courses: None
Dual Enrollment Allowed?: Yes
Number of Times Course can be taken for credit: 1
Programs Where This Courses is a Requirement:
None
People Soft Course ID Number: 102937
Course CIP Code: 24.0103
High School Articulation Agreements exist?: No
If yes, with which high schools?: NA
Non-Credit GRCC Agreement exist?: No
If yes, with which Departments?: NA
Corporate Articulation Agreement exist?: No
If yes, with which Companies?: NA
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