REL133
Week 1 Individual Assignment Elements of Religious
Traditions Paper
Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that does the following:
Describes these basic components of religious traditions and
their relationship to the sacred:
What a religious tradition says—its teachings, texts,
doctrine, stories, myths, and others
What a religious tradition does—worship, prayer, pilgrimage,
ritual, and so forth
How a religious tradition organizes—leadership,
relationships among members, and so forth
Identifies key critical issues in the study of religion
Includes specific examples from the various religious
traditions described in the Week One readings that honor the sacred—such as
rituals of the Igbo to mark life events, the vision quest as a common ritual in
many Native American societies, or the influence of the shaman as a leader. You
may also include examples from your own religious tradition
or another religious tradition with which you are familiar.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
Week 1 Discussion Questions
How do you define the word religion? What elements are
commonly associated with religious traditions?
How do you define the word sacred? How do religious
traditions orient their conception and location of the sacred?
From the reading, what are the basic elements of religion?
What are some difficulties in trying to define religion and
religious beliefs?
Week 2 Individual Assignment Four Yogic Paths and Jainism
Worksheet
Resource: Understanding Religious Beliefs and Traditions I
simulation
Complete the University Material: Four Yogic Paths and
Jainism Worksheet located on the student website.
Week 2 Discussion Questions
What are the Vedas? How do the Upanishads differ from the
Vedas?
What are the stages of life in traditional Hindu teaching?
Imagine you are a practicing Hindu. Which life stage are you in? How does it
affect your daily activities?
What do the terms brahman, atman, maya, karma, samsara, and
moksha mean? How do these terms relate to each other in Hindu teachings?
What forms of devotion and spirituality are common in
Hinduism?
Week 3 Individual Assignment Buddhism Worksheet
Complete the University Material: Buddhism Worksheet located
on the student website.
Week 3 Learning Team
Assignment Buddhism Presentation
Resource: Buddhism Worksheet
Consult the facilitator regarding the assignment of one of
the following Buddhist traditions:
Theravada Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism
Zen Buddhism—as a special school of Mahayana Buddhism
Prepare a 12- to 15-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint®
presentation on the assigned Buddhist tradition that does the following:
Describes how significant moments in the Buddha’s life
informed the assigned tradition
Includes unique practices and teachings of the tradition
Format citations and references consistent with APA
guidelines.
Present the Buddhism Presentation.
For Local Campus students, these are 20-minute oral
presentations accompanied by Microsoft® PowerPoint®presentations.
Week 3 Discussion Questions
What were the key experiences in the life of the Buddha? Why
were those experiences important?
What are the Three Jewels of Buddhism? What are the Four
Noble Truths? What are the steps of the Noble Eightfold Path? How do these
teachings inform the practice of Buddhism?
Do you identify Buddhism as a religion? Why or why not? How
does it contrast with other traditional religions?
Why do you think Zen Buddhism became popular in the U.
S.? How has Zen Buddhism influenced
Japanese arts?
Week 4 Individual Assignment Taoism, Confucianism, and
Shinto
Part 1: Reflections on the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching)
Worksheet
Complete the University Material: Reflections on the
Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) Worksheet located on the student website.
Part 2: The Ideal Person
Write a 350- to 700-word essay that describes the ideal
person according to Confucius.
Include the concepts of ren, li, shu, xiao, and wen.
Format your essay consistent with APA guidelines.
Part 3: Shinto Illustration
Access the Shinto Art Creator tool located on the student
website.
Create an illustration representative of the Shinto
religion, based on the beliefs of openness, use of nature, and deliberate
simplicity.
Include an artist’s statement of 200 to 350 words on the
meaning of the illustration.
Week 4 Discussion Questions
What are the basic elements of early Chinese belief? How did
these elements influence later beliefs?
How would you describe the two main, early teachers of
Daoism: Laozi (Lao Tzu) and Zhuangzi (Chauang Tzu)? How did each influence the
development of Daoism?
What elements of Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto are
characteristic of Eastern religious traditions studied in this course?
How does Confucianism differ with Taoism?
Week 5 Individual Assignment Common Elements of Eastern
Traditions
Choose three of the Eastern religious traditions studied in
the course.
Complete the University Material: Common Elements of Eastern
Religious Traditions template located on the student website.
Week 5 Learning Team Assignment Contemporary Issues in
Eastern Paper and Presentation
Consult the facilitator regarding the assignment of one of
the Eastern religious traditions studied in the course.
Field Exercise: Learning Team members visit a sacred site of
the specific religion. While all do not
need to visit the same location at the same time, each member is required to
contribute their own experience in the Final Paper and Presentation
Write a 2,100- to 2,450-word paper about the contemporary
issues facing the assigned Eastern religious tradition in which you:
Discuss the common characteristics the assigned religion
shares with the others.
Analyze the interactions between the modern world and the
assigned religion.
Provide examples of how these interactions influence both
the assigned religion and the modern world.
Cite at least five references in addition to the textbook.
Format the paper consistent with APA guidelines.
Prepare Presentation minimum 10- to 12-slide Microsoft®
PowerPoint® presentation detailing the paper.
Format citations and references consistent with APA
guidelines.
Present the Eastern Religions Presentation.
For Local Campus students, these are 30-minute oral
presentations accompanied by Microsoft® PowerPoint®presentations.
Week 5 Discussion Questions
What are the common characteristics of the Eastern religious
traditions?
What are the effects of science on religion in the modern
world? Do religions have an effect on science? Explain how.
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