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/

 

Week 4 - Thursday, September 26

From "But If Not" Sermon by Martin Luther King Jr.

The "IF" faith v. the "Though" faith (sermon distributed)

Assignment: Homework #2 :Chapters 7 & 8 of  Faith: Security & Risk were distributed. For next class you are to have read both chapters and respond  to questions 3 & 4 from Chapter 7 AND questions 3 & 4 from Chapter 8.  Please type, 12 point font (single or double spaced), 5 sentence minimum for EACH question.This will be a graded assignment.

In class, we discussed the "If" faith and the "though" faith. In small groups, we shared the Religion in the News assignment. The introduction and Chapter on Finding Faith of the documentary, In God's Name, was also shared. For your benefit, here is a list of graded assignments to date

 SEE PREVIOUS WEEKS FOR ASSIGNMENTS

Religion in the News #1     Due 9/26
Reflection paper #1             Due 9/19 based on Chapter 4-6 Faith: Security & Risk
Homework #1                      Due 9/12 based on Chapters 1-3 Faith: Security &Risk

Week Three

Week Three  Week of September 16th               Reflection Paper Due
Topics	Class Activities	Religion in the News	Sharing
The Meaning of Faith/The Beginnings of Faith from Literal to Personal Faith  Connection between Morality and Faith	Review of Chapters 1- 3 of Kropf’s Faith: Security & Risk, Fowlers Stages of Faith Chapters 4- 6 Class activity	View a former student’s “Religion in the News”  along with websites/blogs	Group Sharing of papers; “Faith” from  “World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts.”; Video – In God’s Name (Part I)
Time permitting: In God's Name
Assignment: Review Fowler Handout and Class notes. * Quiz will be given on terms and stages of faith. Complete first Religion in the News. See syllabus for websites and outline. DUE Thursday, September 26th.

Foundation of Morality Franz De Waal - Moral behavior in animals
http://www.ted.com/talks/frans_de_waal_do_animals_have_morals.html

More from Franz de Waal on Religion and Morality. Do you agree? Disagree with his views?

 

Another perspective from one of the great minds of the 20th century Jiddu Krishnamurti. Biography: http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/about-krishnamurti/biography.php

 

 

Stages of Faith Power Point

I will be emailing you an attachment for James Fowler's Stages of Faith. The previous link was broken and went to the homepage of the school that first sponsored it. My apologies.

Week Two

 DUE: Today

*Complete questions for Reflection and Discussion at 

the end of chapters 1, 2 and 3 of Faith: Security & Risk

http://www.stellamar.net/writings/books/fs&r/fs&rtoc.htm

 We have been exploring general themes concerning religion and faith. We will continue to do as

we begin discussing Chapter 1 in detail.  Below are two videos to help in this process. Key terms to
 know.

General definitions of faith and religion (how does Frankl define them)

fulfillment

self transcendence (See second video- a link is provided)

self - actualization

objective faith

subjective faith

The stages of faith (handout) by James Fowler

Important people: Viktor Frankl, Sigmund Freund, Alfred Adler,
 James Fowler

Week Two     Week of September 9th      Please visit www.rs107fall.blogspot.com for updates
Topics	Class Activities	The Meaning of Faith	Beginnings of Faith
The Meaning of Faith/The Beginnings of Faith	Syllabus questions, Sample Reflection Paper, Outline for “Religion in the News”	Review and discussion of Ch 1&2  Victor Frankl video clip from www.Ted.com	Ch3,  James Folwer  Stages of Faith Handout, Stages of faith handout, RCC* Chapter 3
What did you glean from the readings?
Assignment – Review Folwer handout. Read also Chapters 4, 5 & 6 of Faith: Security and Risk Questions to consider: 1. What is the connection between faith and morality? (Chapter 4) 2. At what point in your life was your faith first challenged? Did your faith grow or diminished? How and why? (Chapter 5) 3. In what ways do you see faith as a risk? (Chapter 6). Choose ONE of these questions and write a 1 1/2 to 2 page reflection paper (refer to class handout on reflection paper requirements. Due Week Three. Be Sure to be working on Dictionary of Religious Terms assignment as well as exploring possible websites for Religion in the News.

Viktor Frankl - Man's Search for Meaning



Self Transcendence - Jonathan Haidt -Ted.com

http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_humanity_s_stairway_to_self_transcendence.html

Freud's Stages of Development

 

 Alfred Adler - Self actualization


But if we are talking about self -transcendence and the role of faith* -We need another model. Enter James Fowler