Nature Of Religion – The Myths

Schedule of Lectures: Monday, August 28 First Day of Class Wednesday, August 30 Understanding the Study of Religions Read: Paul Tillich, “Religion as a Dimension of Man’s Spiritual Life” (handout) No class Monday, September 4 Tillich, continued Wednesday, September 6 Read: Continuation of Tillich Week of September 11 Wilfred Cantwell Smith: What is Religion? Read: Smith Chapter 1 (Introduction) Monday, September 18 Religion in the West Read: Smith 2, and sources on Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur No class Wednesday, September 20 Week of September 25 Smith – West, and Judaism/Christianity Read: Continue with Chapter 2 – primary sources on developing a theology in Western religion and the conceptualization of “God” and “Religio” in Christianity. Tillich/Smith Paper Due October 2 Week of October 2 Smith—“Other” Cultures, Other Religions Read: Smith; Chapter 3 (Other Cultures – The Religions). Focus on the Ancients (Gobelki Tepe, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Scotland – Ness of Brogdar). Additional readings and site reports on BlackBoard No class Monday, October 9 Smith—“Other” Cultures Wednesday, October 11 Read: Continue Chapter 3, and focus on religions of China and Japan Week of October 16 Other Cultures: Hinduism and Buddhism Read: Finish Smith Chapter 3, Bhagavad Gita selections and selections on Buddhism (BlackBoard) Response Paper on Tillich/Smith/Other due October 23 Week of October 23: Mircea Eliade: Hierophany and Sacred Space and Sioux Traditions Read: Eliade Introduction and Chapter 1, and, if time Chapter 3. Lame Deer: Blood Turned into Stone; other examples of sacred space and viewing of Baraka Week of October 30 Hierophany and Nature Read: Eliade 3; Lame Deer: Talking to the Owls and the Butterflies, Inipi, Yuwipi. Week of November 6 Human Existence and the Sacred Initiations and Belonging Read: Eliade 4; Lame Deer: Alone on the Hilltop, and Looking at the Sun, They Dance Week of November 13: Sacred Time and Ritual Read: Eliade 2. Sproul, Introduction; Enuma Elish (91) Week of November 20: : Myths: Creating the World Read: continue Enuma if necessary; Sproul, from the Bushongo: Bumba Vomits the World” (44), Jain: “There is No Creator” (192), Three Tahitian Cosmologies (349), Yami, “The Outbursters” (325); skim Thesiod’s Theogony. Week of November 27: Myths: Creating an Ideology – the Issue of Abrahamic Religions Read: Sproul: Genesis 1-6; Psalm 33:6-13; Quran, The Made Plain and the Bee (also selections from other surahs); Smith Chapter 4; synoptic gospels and Gospel of John. Week of December 4: Religion and Current Issues Read: Smith 5-9, and current ideologies (student choice). Monday, December 11 Last Day: Conclusions