Religion in Contemporary Society-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS01 10015 LE38 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | Mainly 1st & 2nd year students | Target Student | For liberal arts students | |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Tue.4 | |
| Instructor name | Julius Bautista (Center for Southeast Asian Studies Associate Professor) | |||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | This course is an exploration into how religion impacts upon some of the major social, cultural, political and economic issues of today's world. We shall be focusing on specific case studies relating to religious fundamentalism, religious pluralism, new religious movements and spirituality from around the world. Specific attention will also be paid to considering how the rise of information technology and social media impact religious belief and practice. We consider case studies in inquiring into how religion influences the pursuit of knolwedge and scientific inquiry, including questions of ethics and morality in a rapidly globalizing world. | |||
| Course Goals | This course has two main learning outcomes for students: (1) the ability to assess how religion has figured as a critical factor in some of the major political and social issues facing the world today and (2) the ability to express an informed opinion on the themes of science and modernity, religious violence, extremism, radicalization and revivalism among others. | |||
| Schedule and Contents |
1 Introduction 2 Globalization and Religion 3 Discussion Session 1: How is religion affected by global events? 4 Religion and Technology 5 Discussion Session 2: Is ‘transhumanism' the new religion? 6 Religion and Secularization 7 Discussion Session 3: What is the relationship between religion and politics? 8 Religion and Terrorism 9 Discussion Session 4: Is religion a source of terrorism? 10 Individual Consultation Session 11 Essay Writing Break 12 Conclusion 13 Feedback Week **Note: This schedule is tentative and should be used as a guide only** |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy |
Students will be evaluated according to four main criteria. (1) Online reading analysis and comment (30%): Comment on readings uploaded on NowComment platform (2) Original research essay (30%): Submit a self-authored essay of 2000-3000 words in length. (3) Class discussion/online debate (30%): Work with group mates in a structured presentation/debate in class using the Kialo platform. (4) Overall participation in lectures and individual sessions (10%): Ask questions and make comments during in-class and online activities. Participate in individual consultation session. |
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| Course Requirements | None | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | No prior knowledge of religion is required. Students should be able to participate in discussions with their classmates in English. This will be face-to-face small group discussion or online forum. Students may also be asked to make short presentations in English based on the class topics. | |||
| Textbooks | Textbooks/References |
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, Yuval Noah HARARI, (Harville Secker), ISBN:9783406704024, *This is the research reading for the semester**
There are three kinds of readings in this course. (1) Research reading/s provide the content from which you will express your interpretations, analysis, and opinions. It may also be the basis for the research essay. It may be read in any language, as long as they are official translations endorsed by the publisher. (2) NowComment readings are texts, documents and other forms of media that are uploaded onto online platforms. Students are expected to comment online on these readings as part of their class assessment. (3) Background readings provide additional information and data on the weekly class topics. These readings are not compulsory. |
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