Martha G. Newman

This course will explores the principal beliefs and practices of Jews, Christians and Muslims and the historical development of the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  At the same time, the course will provide an introduction to the field of religious studies by exposing students to some of the interdisciplinary methods used to understand religion as a central component of human culture, including historical methods, the study of ritual, and the analysis of ideas.

This class carries both a Cultural Diversity and an Ethics and Leadership flag.

RELIGIOUS  STUDIES 304;  HISTORY 304R

(Jewish Studies 311,  Islamic Studies 311, CTI 304 + CTI 111)

JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY,  ISLAM:  AN INTRODUCTION

 

Dr. M. Newman                                                            Office: Burdine 410

Spring 2010                                                                        Office hours:  Wednesday 1:30-3:00

Unique nos. 38990, 43520, 41480, 39925, 33097                                    or by appointment

UTC 3.110                                                                        email:  newman@mail.utexas.edu           

MWF 10                                               

 

TA:  Lior Sternfeld                       

Office hours:   Mon 11-12;  Wed 12-1;  Fri 11-12, or by appointment.           

Office:  Burdine 454                       

Email:     <lior.sternfeld@mail.utexas.edu>

Core Texts and Ideas seminar:

Dr. Patrick Gardner

Office Hours:  T Th  3-5 or by appointment

Office:  WAG 401 D

Email: <patrickmgardner@gmail.com>

Students interested in enrolling in a 1-credit hour discussion section can contact the office of the Core Texts and Ideas Program to enroll in CTI 111.                                    

I. BOOKS

The following books are available in paperback:

Required:

John Corrigan, Frederick Denny, Carlos Eire, Martin Jaffe, Jews, Christians, Muslims:  A Comparative Introduction to Monotheistic Religions  (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1998)

Documents and readings on the Blackboard site.  Materials will be placed in folders under “Course Documents.”

Recommended:

The HarperCollins Study Bible, ed. Wayne Meeks

The Qur’an. Trans. M. A. S. Abdel Haleem.  (Oxford, 2004).

On-line resources:

The NSRV is also available on line at: http://www.devotions.net/bible/00bible.htm .

If you are interested in comparing Christian translations of the Bible, see http://ntgateway.com/multibib/bible.htm. 

For an English (JPS) translation of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), see http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Bible/jpstoc.html

The Qur’an is also available on line: http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran/browse.html  M.H. Shakir, trans. (Tahrike Tarsile Qu’ran, 1983), or  http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/

(multiple translations, interesting but hard  to use).

All websites on this syllabus can be found as “hot links” on Blackboard.

II.  COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADES

I grade using +/- on letter grades.  For my grading scale, see Blackboard, course documents. 

5 quizes @ 4% each = 20%                          Sept 20, Oct 4, Oct. 18, Nov. 3, Nov. 22

2 short papers  = 10% total                          Sept 3, Dec 3                       

2 projects @ 20% each = 40%            Due  Oct 11, Nov. 10

final exam  =  25%                                    Due  Wed. Dec 8.

attendance  =  5%                                    Starting Sept 1

Attendance policy:  We will take attendance starting on Sept 1 (after adds and drops is over).  You will receive a point for each class you attend of the remaining 38 classes.    Your attendance grade will be the percentage of 37 classes:  that is, your accumulated points divided by 39, multiplied by 100.  You thus receive one free absence;  students with perfect attendance will receive the extra credit.  Other than this one class, excused absences will be granted only for a documented medical problem, a religious holiday, or an absence due to official university business;  expect a request for written documentation although this may be waived in the case of a flu outbreak.              

Statement on academic integrity:  Don’t cheat.  I report all cases of scholastic dishonesty to the Dean of Students.  My recommended penalty for cheating on tests or plagiarism on papers is an F for the course.  If you are unsure about the exact definition of scholastic dishonesty or what constitutes plagiarism, you should consult the information about academic integrity produced by the Dean of Students Office: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php

Make-up Exams:  I will only give a make-up exam if a student misses a test because of a documented medical problem, a religious holiday, or official university business.  In all cases, I should receive valid written documentation for the absence.  If the absence is due to university business, I should receive this documentation at least one class prior to the exam.

Students with Disabilities:  Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (471-6259) as soon as possible to request an official letter outlining authorized accommodations.

Religious Holidays:  Students can make up work missed because of a religious holiday as long as they provide the instructor with documentation before the holiday occurs.

Blackboard:  Course information, handouts, assignments, review sheets, etc. will be posted on the class website on Blackboard.  To find the Blackboard site, and go to:  http://courses.utexas.edu/  and log in with your EID and password.  Readings can be found under “Course Documents.”

Academic Assistance:  In addition to the assistance of the assigned teaching assistants, students may wish to utilize the academic services provided by the UT Learning Center (UTLC). The UTLC is a student academic service that offers both group and individualized programs to help increase efficiency in college-level writing, reading, and learning strategies.  All UTLC programs, except appointment tutoring, are free to all currently enrolled students. The UTLC is located in the Jester Center, Room A332A

III. Course Goals

This course will explores the principal beliefs and practices of Jews, Christians and Muslims and the historical development of the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  At the same time, the course will provide an introduction to the field of religious studies by exposing students to some of the interdisciplinary methods used to understand religion as a central component of human culture, including historical methods, the study of ritual, and the analysis of ideas.

IV. Schedule of Lectures

I. Studying Religion

Reading (August 25-30):  Nye, “Religion: Some  Basics”  [Blackboard]

1. August 25  Introduction

2. August 27  What is religion?

3. August 30  Defining religion

II.  Rituals and Foundational Stories

            Reading (Sept 1-3): Genesis 9.1-9.17;  15.1-18.15;  21.1-22.19;  Exodus 19;

Deut. 4.44-11.32; 2 Corinthians 1-3,  Romans 4

                        Qur’an Surah 3.78-3.130

 

            4. Sept 1 Abrahamic religions                                      

5. Sept 3  The idea of covenant 

*short paper due*

Sept 6  LABOR DAY

Reading (Sept 8-20):  Corrigan JCM:  pp 213-234;  277-295; 341-368.

 

            6. Sept 8  Passover 

                        Reading: Exodus 3; Exodus 6-7;  Exodus 11-15.

            7. Sept 10  Ritual analysis

                        Reading:  Haggadah excerpts (blackboard)

8. Sept 13 Jews as the Chosen People

            Reading: Psalm 115, Psalm 145; Deut. 12-17.

                        613 Mitzvot (on blackboard)

9. Sept 15 Exile and  Redemption

            Reading:  Deut. 27-30; Isaiah 57-58; Psalm 27

10. Sept 17 Written and Oral Torah

            Reading: Pirke Avot 1 (blackboard)

            Tractate Ta’anith 27b (blackboard)           

            Tractate Menahoth 109b-110a (blackboard)

11. Sept. 20 Enacting this History QUIZ 1

            Reading: daily prayers (blackboard)

Reading (Sept 22-Oct 4): Corrigan JCM:  pp. 235-255; 296-322;  368-396.

12. Sept 22  Easter

            Reading: Luke 22-28

13.  Sept 24  Ritual Analysis 

            Reading:  Easter liturgies (blackboard)

14. Sept 27  Human Sinfulness  

            Reading: Genesis 3-10;  Psalm 51;  Isaiah 11

15. Sept 29  Jesus the Redeemer

            Reading Matthew 5-6; John 3;  Romans 5-8

16. Oct 1 Presence and Remembrance

            Reading Matthew 26;  Mark 14 (compare to Luke 22);  John 6           

17.  Oct 4  Enacting this History  QUIZ 2

            Reading:  Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, Lord’s Prayer (blackboard)

Reading (Oct 6-Oct 18): Corrigan, JCM, pp. 256-273;  323-338;  397-416.

 

18. Oct. 6  Hajj 

            Reading: Qur’an Surah 2. 196-219.  Malcolm X on the Hajj (Blackboard)           

19.  Oct. 8  Ritual Analysis 

            Reading:  schematic of the Hajj (blackboard);

            Talbiyah prayer   (blackboard)

20. Oct 11  Muhammad the Prophet

Reading: Life of Muhammad [Sirat Rasul Allah of Ibn Ishaq] (excerpts) (blackboard)

Qur’an  Surah 96;  Surah 1, Surah 87.

*Project 1 due*

21. Oct. 13:  Forming the Umma

            Reading: Qur’an Surah 2

22.  Oct. 15  Sunni and Shia

Reading: Elegies on the death of Husayn (blackboard)

23.  Oct 18:  Enacting this History  QUIZ 3

            Reading: Salat prayers (blackboard)     

III.  Texts and Authorities

            Reading (Oct 20-Nov 10):  Corrigan, JCM:  pp. 1-72; 155-211

24.  Oct. 20  Ancient kingdoms and their texts

            Reading:  Genesis 1-2; Genesis 6-9;  Genesis  37.                       

25.  Oct. 22   Apocalyptic

            Reading:  Daniel 7-8;  Daniel 10-12

26.  Oct. 25   Paul’s epistles

            Reading:  1 Thessalonians

27.  Oct. 27  Gospel variants

            Reading: Mark 13-16, John 19; (review Luke 21-24);

                        excerpt from Gospel of Thomas (blackboard)

28.  Oct. 29  Bishops and the Biblical Canon

            Reading: Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch; Irenaeus of Lyons (blackboard)

29.  Nov. 1  Rabbis and the Oral Torah  

                              Reading: excerpts from the Talmud (blackboard)

                              sample Talmud page (follow the hyperlinks!): http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudPage.html#Page

30.  Nov. 3 Christians and Jews QUIZ 4

            Reading:   Matthew 23, 27;  John 8.  Acts 7;  1 Thessalonians 2

31.  Nov. 5  The Qur’an

             Reading:  Qur’an Surah 17, Surah 53, Surah 10

32.  Nov. 8  The Sunnah of the Prophet

            Reading:   Qur’an  Surah 62   

            Examples of hadith (blackboard)

33.  Nov. 10  Schools of Law and the Ulama

            Reading:  Al-Baghdadi on the law and its variations (Blackboard)

*Project 2 due*

Reading (Nov 12-Dec 3):  Corrigan JCM:  pp. 75-151

34.  Nov. 12  Jews, Muslims, Christians and the encounter with classical thought

            Reading:  excerpts from Ibn Sina, Maimonides, Aquinas  (blackboard)

35.  Nov. 15  Christians and Muslims;  the Crusades 

            Reading; Urban II at Clermont (blackboard)

36. Nov.  17 Mysticism

            Reading: Sufi poems and prayers (blackboard)

37.  Nov. 19 Christian Reformation;  Sola scriptura

            Reading: Luther on his conversion  (blackboard)

38.  Nov. 22  Jewish Orthodoxy and Reform QUIZ 5

            Hand out final exam questions

            Reading:  Pittsburgh Platform of 1885;  Columbus Platform of 1937 (balckboard)

39.  Nov. 24: Individual conferences

Nov 26:  THANKSGIVING 

39.  Nov. 29:  Reopening the gates of Itjihad? 

            Reading:  TBA

40. Dec. 1  Jews and Muslims in the Middle East

            Reading;  TBA

41.  Dec. 3 Conclusions 

*short paper 2  due *

This course contains a Cultural Diversity flag.