Week 8 - The Beginnings of Religious Literacy

This afternoon we will open with discussion (sample) from Mid Terms. Follwoing this will be a prayer reflection based on "The Logical Son" and followed by a selection from St. Agustine's "Late Have I come to Thee" from his Confessions. I hope to demonstrate and summarize  the I- Thou relationship, "It" versus, "Though" faith , Transcendence v. Immanence, Faith and Reason and the Conjunctive- Mystical Faith that leads to a Unitive faith using Augustine's text. It is quite powerful! This information will be distributed in class along with notes on the Nature of Religion and Catherine Albanese's the 4Cs.
After this we will launch into defining more religious literacy and and its importance. The videos below hopefully will help in this process.

The Logical Song (lyrics provided)

Link - St. Augustine (handout)


Jay Leno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAZevVS-oKU

"The Bible" series by  - Mark Burnett and Roma Downey

The following are clips featuring Mark Burnett, famous producer of such series as Survivor,  Shark Tank and The Apprentice on his series The Bible which aired this past Sunday night on the History Channel.  The series is to run five consecutive Sunday up until Easter Sunday. Check it out. Check also his comments on biblical literacy (from EW.com  posted on CNN Weekly) Both Mark and his wife, Roma, felt "called" to tell the story of the Bible. Their hope is to reach a whole new generation of people"who have never gone to Church."

"The Bible" is a 10-hour live-action miniseries executive produced by "Survivor" and "Celebrity Apprentice" executive producer Mark Burnett along with his wife Roma Downey ("Touched by an Angel"). Burnett has said he made the special effects-filled project to help tackle "Bible illiteracy" among young people. "In school, you have to know a certain amount of Shakespeare, but no Bible," Burnett told the Christian Science Monitor. "So there's got to be a way to look at it from a pure literature point of view. If it wasn't for the Bible, arguably Shakespeare wouldn't have written those stories."

Now whether you agree with Burnett's and Downey's very Christian telling of The Bible as a complete "love story" whose central or main character is God revealed in the person of Jesus ("Jesus is the main character" according to Burnett), the question still remains, Does this series help with biblical literacy? religious literacy? 

Joseph Campbell on Religion - The stories of faith Myth and on Being Human

Highlighting the Introduction to Religious Literacy

See Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta7KJXMnxnU

Reflection on the Sikh Temple shooting - In conjunction with the Introduction to Religious Literacy.

Why Religious Literacy - Parenting Beyond Belief

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAZevVS-oKU

Parenting Beyond Belief Episodes 2 &3

Religious Literacy Done Right

Week 7 Mid Term Due

An updated syllabus for Week 7 -14 was distributed. Please read it carefully paying specific attention to the assignments for each week and the due dates.
Please bring with you both the book Religious Literacy and Twelve Theological Dilemmas.
Assignments See syllabus. 1.  Begin reading the Introduction and Chapter One of Religious Literacy (Chapter One should be completed with notes by October 28th)
2. Go to the below website for God in America and complete the Religious Literacy Quiz. Click on "Test Your Religious Literacy" Follow the directions and submit your results to me: mjsims@manor.edu
Website:http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/

 WE open with this. Describe these works of art.

From the Da Vinci Code

"Understanding our past determines actively our ability to understand the present."

Stephen Prothero: Religious Literacy not only a Religious issue but also a Civic and Political Issue.

From Week 5

This past Thursday we concluded are look at Faith: Security & Risk. I offered a varied approach that I hoped help disseminate the information related to our course work.

YOUR ASSIGNEMENT for this Thursday: READ ONLY pages 25 -36 of Twelve Theological Dilemmas. Be prepared to discuss the chapter. We will focus on key concepts as transcendence and immanence.
An email with an attachment for you midterm exam has been sent. Your midterm will take place on Thursday, October 17th in Room 13. You will submit the take home paper and will complete a brief objective portion. Since this is a midterm, your presence is mandatory.

Below are segments used in class last Thursday. Notes were distributed.

This video is from the Catholic priest, author,  and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation - Richard Rohr. Here is describes the "non - negotiables" of faith. I used this as an example of what individuals at the Conjunctive - Mystical stage of faith refer to as "getting at the core" of what their faith tradition truly teaches.

Mother Theresa of Calcutta, India is an example of someone who truly represents botha Conjunctive and Sacrificial or Unitive Faith (see notes). This short selection speaks of how must address the "poverty of the heart" if we are to be open to both God's love and the love of others.

 

The is the song composed by the rock band U2 that speaks to the theme (and reality) of  sacrificial faith.

 

 

I spoke of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador. He like Martin Luther King Jr. is an example of Sacrificial faith. He,too, knew his action might well "get him killed."

 

Lastly, I shared a video clip from Sunday Morning television show highlighting the sacrifice of those serving in the military and their families. Click on this link not only for the video but for other pertinent information surrounding the reasons for the video.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-20116271/rare-look-at-a-fallen-heros-final-homecoming/