The Sacred Journey:
Religions of the World

Core Discovery Course 166

Schedule of Class Topics, Readings, Project Due Dates, and Exams

Tentative, Subject to Change

January 10-22  Class Topic: Equipping Ourselves for the Journey

• Topics:  

  1. Reiterations: Starting point for your journey: re-telling your own journey.  The Questions: A. Who are you? Where did you come from?  Why are you here?  Where are you going? B. What do we seek to understand?   How should we approach that which we seek to know?   What should we do with that which we come to know? 

  2. Course Organization.  Departure Ports from the Indigenous, Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist Traditions.  Reflections on where we've traveled and where we will be traveling (teach).  Re-visiting our "eye juggling" (ol) and academic approach to the interpretation of religious texts.

• Readings: 

  1. Eye Juggling: A Methodology for Interpreting Stories  Review Immediately

  2. "Preface" and ch. 1 from Huston Smith. 1991. Illustrated World's Religions  pp. 6-15  Review

  3. Genesis 1-4 (The Hebrew Bible) By January 15

  4. Pilgrimage Edicts

• Group Presentations: Groups on Genesis "eye juggling" - January 22

• Video:

  1. Secrets of Jerusalem's Holiest Sites  (47 min., the "City of Peace" is at the intersection of the three Abrahamic religions; National Geographic 2006)  By January 17 (in class)

• Supplemental Materials:

  1. Good Samaritan (a story text to be interpreted)

  2. Garden of Eden - An Eye Juggling Interpretation

• Out-of-class Activity:

  1. Visit with your instructor, ( during office hours MW 9:00 to noon, or by appointment)

• Note: As with the other religious traditions we have addressed this year, we will seek an understanding of the primary teachings of the three monotheistic religions addresses this semester.  But in addition, we will be introducing materials, new to many students, that are on the historical and contemporary periphery of these traditions, especially that of Christianity, in order to better appreciate the range of this tradition, as well as its core teachings.  As we apply the Eye Juggling method of interpretation, we will also be considering the historical construction of sacred texts, as well as the development of a religious tradition within its historical context.  Judaism, Christianity and Islam can not be understood divorced from their historical settings.

• You will need an Adobe Reader to access PDF printable files

• Along with the user ID and password provided in class, you will need a reliable high-speed Internet connection (suggested at 10 Mbps, as clips are streamed at 450 Kbps) and a RealPlayer to access class videos.  Remember, videos can be enlarged by dragging your mouse on the bottom right corner.  For a free version, .  

January 24 - February 19  Class Topic: Abraham, Judaism, Rites of Passage, and Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah

• Topics:

  1. Abraham - Patriarch of Monotheism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  

  2. Medrash: theological interpretative method.  

  3. Meaning of God-Yahweh and Creation.  

  4. Basic Orthopraxis: the Law and Justice, and Suffering and Hope, and the story of Job.  

  5. Bar Mitzvah (ol) and Rites of Passage (ol).  

  6. Matisyahu and Hasidism

• Readings:  (be prepared to discuss in class the readings marked with an * for the dates they are assigned) 

  1. "Judaism,"  from Smith's Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 179-203 Begin immediately

  2. Passages from the Hebrew Bible: Begin immediately

     • Genesis 12-25  (on Abraham)

     • Exodus 12, 14 (on Passover)

     • Exodus 19-20 (Ten Commandments) and Other Laws

     • Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (on a resignation and a happy life)

     • Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel (on hope and the Messiah)

     • Job (on trust and divine justice)

  3. Hebrew Prophets, Rabbi Rami Shapiro  Begin immediately

  4. Rites of Passage  By February 7

• Group Presentations:

  • Hebrew Prophets - Groups 1 and 2 on February 12

• Video:

  1. Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites, in four parts:  Part 1 (55 min., "By the Rivers of Babylon," Job),  Part 2 (55 min., "The Book and the Sword"), Part 3 (55 min., "The End of Days"),  Part 4 (55 min., "The Gifts of the Jews").  (great overview of Jewish history; PBS Video 2003)    By January 31 (in class and on own)

• Guest Speaker:

  1.  Myron Schreck February 7 room TLC 28

• Supplemental Materials:

  1. Medrash: a method of interpretation

  2. Images of Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher 

  3. The Foundation Rock 

  4. Music of Matisyahu (fusion of Hasidic, Hip-hop Rapper and Reggae traditions)  

  5. To Every Thing There Is a Season (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and the Byrds)

• Out-of-class Activities:

  1. "Islamic Values, Human Values."  Talk given by Mohamed Adiouane.  Wednesday Feb. 13 at 7:00 pm SUB Ballroom

February 7 - last day to drop courses on-line, avoiding the drop fee and grade of W

February 19 - First Exam - See Study Guide

February 21 - April 3  Class Topics: Christianity, Jesus in Mark, Thomas and Paul

• Topics:   

  1. The Historical Context of Jesus.  

  2. Primary Teachings of Jesus as reflected in Mark and the other Synoptic Gospels (among them, "Love" and the "Kingdom of God"; use of aphorisms and parables).  

  3. The Juxtaposition of Gnostic Christianity: the Gospels of Thomas, Judas and Mary Magdalene.

  4. Making of the Canon: Irenaeus and the First Council of Nicaea.  

  5. Orthodoxy and the Influences of Paul and Augustine: a. "Faith" and Abraham re-interpreted, b. "Love" and the Great Commission, c. "Hope," Dualistic Divinity, Suffering Re-visited, and the Apocalyptic Worldview in Paul and John's Revelation, d. the Kingdom of God and Trinity, and e. the Incarnation, the Soul, Original Sin, Atonement/Salvation through Faith, and Grace.  

  6. Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.   

  7. Societal Journey: Revitalization Movements (ol).  

  8. Personal Journey: Baptism and Confirmation as Rites of Passage (ol). 

• Readings:

  1. "Christianity,"  from Smith's Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 205-229 Begin immediately

  2. Passages from the Christian Bible (King James Version, with Jesus Seminar interpretation; refer to Source Gospels for the criteria for the color coding designation.)  Begin immediately

     • Jesus' Teachings on Love and Kingdom of God and the Parables

     • The Gospel of Mark  

     • Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians

     • On Abraham, from John and Paul  

     • The Revelation of John  (New International Version)  By March 18

  3. The Gospel of Thomas, Stevan Davies (for the Jesus Seminar color-coded word interpretation of this text; suggestions for study)  By February 28

  4. The Nicene Creed

  5. A Revitalization Movement  By March 20

• Group Presentations:

  • The Gospel of Thomas - Groups 3 and 4 on March 4

• Videos:

  1. From Jesus to Christ, in four parts: Part 1  (53 min., a wonderful overview and introduction to Jesus and Christianity, who was Jesus, Herod, Social Class, Judaism, the Essenes and an Apocalyptic View, Dead Sea Scrolls, John the Baptist, Jesus the Preacher, Pontius Pilote, the Passion), Part 2 (51 min., Apostle Paul, First Followers, Spread of Christianity, Jews and Gentiles, Peter and Paul, Building the Church, First Jewish Revolt), Part 3  (51 min., Rock of Masada and Second Jewish Revolt, Gospels according to Mark, Matthew, Luke/Acts, and John, along with Gospel of Q and the "Messianic Secret"), and Part 4 (54 min., Paganism and Ancient Rome, Nag Hammadi and the Gospel of Thomas, Gnosticism, Pliny the Younger, Crime to be a Christian, Bishop Irenaeus establishes the four Canonical Gospels, Emperor Decius, Cross and Triumph).    (From Jesus to Christ is a great introduction to Jesus, his teachings, the construction of the Gospels, and the establishment of the Church, placing them all within their historical context; PBS Video 1998.) By February 21

  2. Apocalypse: the Story of the Book of Revelation, in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2.   (45 min. and 70 min.  This 1999 WGBH/PBS Frontline production explores the historical context within which this critical text was written, the symbolic meanings of the concepts and characters referred to in this literature, as well as the affects the interpretations of text has had on subsequent European and American history.  View some of the great art, as well as people that has been inspired by the Book of Revelation.)  By March 18

  3. The Face of Jesus in Art, in two parts: Part 1 (31 min., Introduction, the Gospel According to Giotto, and Beginnings), Part 2 (26 min., Search for the Authentic Image and the Suffering Christ), Part 3 (33 min., the Beautiful Christ and the Worldwide Spread of the Image), and Part 4 (25 min., the Modern Era and Lord of Light)    (The Face of Jesus in Art traces the dramatically different ways in which Jesus has been represented in art by people throughout history and around the world.  It explores why God can be represented, the various roles and functions of this art form, and what Jesus is understood through the art from various times and places.  A 2001 Voyager/WNET co-production.)

  4. The Gospel of Judas, in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2 (44 min. and 43 min., a new look at this ancient Gnostic text and the role of Judas, as well as the way the Canonical Gospels were historically constructed; National Geographic 2006)  By February 21

  5. The Secrets of Mary Magdalene (48 min., provides an historic overview of the many roles Mary played – a sinner and prostitute, or the secret wife of Jesus and leader of his church? This fascinating documentary strips away the veils of history to reveal the flesh and blood woman who may have served as Jesus' foremost apostle and possibly the love of his life.  A 2006 Koch Vision documentary.) By February 21

  6. Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trail, in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2 (55 min. and 55 min., a 2007 Nova production; an overview of the current discussion on evolution and intelligent design theories.  An insight example of how people can distinguish or merge literal, metaphor and anagogic ways of knowing.)

• Guest Speaker:

  1. Sharon Kehoe  March 6

• Supplemental Materials:

  1. The Source Gospels and the Words of Jesus

  2. The Growth of the Jesus Tradition

  3. The Stages in the Development of Early Christian Tradition

  4. Study questions on Thomas

  5. Christian Love as articulated by C. S. Lewis

  6. The Cathedral

  7. Zoroaster

  8. Jesus Film (produced in 1979, this docudrama about Jesus, as portrayed in the Gospel of Luke, is credited as the most effective evangelical tool available for Christian missionaries.)

  9. Music of the Passion: Tallis and Allegri

  10. Sistine Chapel

  11. Rapture Ready (web site indexing the "prophetic speedometer of end-time activity")

  12. There Is No Tomorrow, article by Bill Moyers on the Apocalypse, Rapture Index and the environment 

• Out-of-class Activities:

  1. TBA

March 10 - 14 - Spring Recess

March 20 - NO CLASS - on your own, view The Gospel of Judas, in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2

March 24 - Advising for Fall semester begins

March 27 - Proposal due for your Personal Quest - Participatory Paper

March 28 - Last day to withdraw from a class

April 3 - Second Exam - See Study Guide   

April 8 - May 1  Class Topics: Islam, The Qur'an, and the Pilgrimage to Mecca

• Topics:

  1. Muhammad, Ibrahim, and the Qur'an.   

  2. Basic Theology - God-Allah, Sin, Atonement.  

  3. The Five Pillars of Islam.  

  4. Islamic Art and the Mosque.  

  5. Personal Journey: The Hajj, Hajj Stations and Mecca as Pilgrimage.  

  6. Sufism: Rumi and his Poetry. 

• Readings:

  1. "Islam,"  from Smith's Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 145-177  Begin immediately

  2. Passages from the Qur'an:   Begin immediately 

     • Surah 1 The Opening (image illustrating the calligraphy of the Qur'an)

     • Surah 16 The Bee (on Ibrahim); Surah 2 The Cow (on Ibrahim and the pilgrimage to Mecca ); additional Surahs on Ibrahim

     • various Surahs on the Prophets and Jesus

     • Surah 53 The Star (on the divine visionary experience of Muhammad)

     • Surah 2 The Cow (on nature of Allah)

     • Surah 4 The Women and 17 The Night Journey (some key Islamic Values)

     • Surah 90 The City (on social justice),

     • various Surahs on Jihad and war 

  3. "Pilgrims at Heart" by Ebrahim Moosa  By April 17

  4. On Pilgrimage By April 17

  5. Rumi and Islam: Selections from His Stories, Poems, and Discourses, Ibrahim Gamard  By April 29

• Group Presentations:

  • Rumi and Islam - Groups 5 and 6 on May 1

• Videos:

  1. Inside Islam, in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2 (46 min. and 46 min.,  a great introduction to Islam and its basic teachings, including the Five Pillars.  History Channel 2002) By April 10

  2. Inside Mecca  (56 min., a great overview of the Hajj, from the perspectives of three pilgrims, an Indonesia, a South African, and a Texan, National Geographic 2003) By April 15

  3. Islamic Mysticism - The Sufi Way  (25 min., an insightful introduction to Sufism.  A 1971 film by Huston Smith and Elda Hartly on Sufism) By April 24

  4. Rumi: Poet of the Heart (56 min., one of the most translated poets, the poetry of Rumi is a wonderful introduction to the esoteric dimensions of Islam and to Sufism.  Magnolia Films 1998, 2004) By April 29

  5. Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain, in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2 (57 min. and 58 min., a Robert Gardner 2007 film. An examination of a time during the Middle Ages when Christians, Jews and Muslims peacefully coexisted in southern Spain; and then what led to the disintegration of that society. Included are reenactments, as well as a wonderful glimpse into the region's Islamic architecture.)

• Guest Speakers:

  1. Adam Yaghi April 24

• Supplemental Materials:

  1. Listening to the Qur'an from the Qur'an Explorer, an interactive audio translation. 

  2. Qur'an an article by Seyyed Hossein Nasr in the Encyclopedia Britannica Online

  3. Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights 

  4. Music of Mohammad Reza Shajarian

  5. Calligraphy: a sequence of images

  6. Diagram of a Pilgrim's Journey

  7. Rumi's Words Continue to Inspire (NPR September 28, 2007 broadcast)

  8. The Foundation Rock

  9. Controversy on Images - The Danish Cartoons

  10. Controversy on War: Fitna - one view of Islam and war by the Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, and Fitna - Schism, a response by Raed, a blogger from Saudi Arabia.  Raed's point in making his response was not to misrepresent Christianity, which he respects, but to show how any religion can be distorted to advance one's political agenda.  Fitna (فتنة) is an Arabic word, generally regarded as very difficult to translate but at the same time is considered to be an all-encompassing word referring to schism, secession, upheaval and anarchy at once. It is often used to refer to civil war, disagreement and division within Islam and specifically alludes to a time involving trials of faith, similar to the Tribulation in Christian eschatology.  There are some disturbing images contained here.

• Out-of-class Activities:

  1. TBA

April 14 - Fall registration begins

April 24 - Outline draft due for your Personal Quest - Participatory Paper

May 1 - Personal Quest - Participatory Paper is due

Final Topic: Returning to the Questions:. 

A. Who are you? Where did you come from?  Why are you here?  Where are you going? 

B. What should we do with that which we come to know? 

Activity:  Reflective Write  

May 7 - Final Exam - the Take-home Question: access the appropriate exam based upon your last name,  A-M, N-Sc, or Sn-Z.   Success on this cumulative exam is based upon materials shared throughout the entirety of this semester.  Having responded in writing, come prepared to discuss your response during the regularly scheduled final exam time at 10:00 - 12:00 on Wednesday May 7 - See Study Guide