Comparing and Contrasting Two Eastern Religions
Order Description
Resources: Paden, Religious Worlds; Prothero, God is not One, pp 101-201, 279-315; Lectures 10/23-11/8, power point slide shows
The Eastern religions of China and India come from a much different tradition than do the Western Abrahamic faiths. Your assignment for this paper is to compare and
contrast two of the Eastern religions using at least one of the paradigms identified by Paden in his text: myth, ritual, gods, or systems of purity. For information on
the Eastern religions, draw from the Prothero text and from class lectures presented between October 23 and November 8, as well as the associated power points. You may
compare and contrast any two of the four major Eastern religions that we are studying: Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism or Buddhism.
Your paper should address the question: How do the two religions you have selected compare and contrast with one another within the context of the paradigm you are
using from Paden (myth, ritual, gods, or systems of purity)? Do you see these as basically similar religions or as largely dissimilar in the area of your analysis?
Be sure that you pay attention to the following guidelines in completing your paper:
Length: Your paper should be three to four pages in length. Use an essay format with organized paragraphs that include topic sentences, no bullets or outline forms.??
Format: It should be double spaced with 1″ to 1.5″ margins all around. Font size should be 10 or 12 with an easily readable font. You should include a title page at
the beginning of the paper, with your name and paper title.
should have a thesis sentence in the first paragraph that summarizes what you will argue and why (i.e. what evidence your argument is based on). Underline your thesis
statement so that I know exactly what you plan to argue in your paper. A thesis is a statement that provides an overarching answer to the question and introduces your
main points of argument. A thesis is about an argument – try and argue something
