12/21/2024 5:16:48 PM	PHIL 8 Course Outline as of Fall 2003	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  PHIL 8	Title:  COMPARATIVE RELIGION
Full Title:  Comparative Religion
Last Reviewed:9/24/2018

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

Study of the philosophies underlying the major Eastern and Western religions and the interrelationships between those philosophies.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

Study of the philosophies underlying the major Eastern and Western religions and the interrelationships between those philosophies.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
Area:	E H	Humanities Global Perspective and Environmental Literacy
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	C2	Humanities		Fall 1981
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	3B	Humanities		Fall 1981
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Not Certificate/Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

(1)  Describe the main philosophical tenets of the major world religions,

including but not necessarily limited to Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism,

Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

(2)  Critically evaluate these same philosophical tenets.

(3)  Show the internal relationships between the ideas examined in each

of the religions under consideration.

(4)  Compare and contrast the various religions with respect to their

conceptions of things such as:  ultimate reality, the physical world,

humankind, afterlife and morality.

(5)  Describe the origin, the historical development, the cultural

setting, and the global spread of each of the religions covered, in so far

as such considerations help elucidate the religious philosophies and

their interrelationships.

(6)  Describe how these religions have influenced each other throughout

history.

Topics and Scope

Topics include some of the following:

1.  Key concepts and theories used in the philosophical study of world

   religions (e.g., ultimate reality, theology, mythology, afterlife,

   monotheism vs. polytheism, morality, history, rituals, scripture)

2.  Historical development, tenets, and texts of the major world

   religions, including

   a.  Hinduism (Bhagavad Gita, Trimurti, Brahman-Atman, maya, karma,

       samsara, caste system, four stages of life, yogas/paths)

   b.  Buddhism (life of Buddha, relation to Hinduism, Four Truths,

       Eightfold Path, Tripitaka, anatman, nirvana, bodhisattva,

       Theravada vs. Mahayana, zen, Tibetan Vajrayana)

   c.  Confucianism (life & historical context of Confucius, li, jen,

       filial piety, education, relation to Taoism)

   d.  Taoism (legend of Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chuang Tzu, I Ching, tao,

       wu-wei, yin-yang, popular deities, relation to Zen Buddhism)

   e.  Judaism (creation, Patriarchs, Prophets, Exodus, Diaspora,

       relation to Christianity, Zionism, Orthodox, Reform & Conservative

       branches, Holocaust)

   f.  Christianity (life of Jesus, relation to Judaism, resurrection,

       disciples, early Christians, incarnation, original sin, Trinity,

       last judgment, Roman Catholicism vs. Protestantism vs. Eastern

       Orthodoxy)

   g.  Islam (life of Muhammad, Five Pillars, Sunnis vs. Shi'ites,

       Sufism, jihad, relation to Christianity & Judaism, fundamentalist

       political movements)

3.  The manner in which various religious ideologies have influenced each

   other throughout history.

4.  The effects that interrelationships between religions have had upon

   global events and international relations.

Assignments:

May include any/all of the following:

1.  Readings from course text and/or supplementary materials

2.  Group discussion of specific issues raised in readings or lecture

3.  Short essays (2-4 pages) comparing and contrasting various aspects

   of the major religions

4.  Research project and written essay (5-10 pages) defending a specific

   position on a comparative issue.

5.  Quizzes (multiple choice and/or short answer) on assigned readings

6.  Midterm examinations including essay, short answer, and multiple

   choice sections

7.  Final examination including essay, short answer, and mulitple choice

   sections

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 45 - 65%
Written homework, Term papers
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 25 - 45%
Multiple choice, Essay exams, short answer quizzes
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 10 - 20%
CLASS PARTICIPATION

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

PATTERNS OF RELIGION, Roger Schmidt et al

  1st edition, 1999, Wadsworth

EXPERIENCING THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS, Michael Molloy

  2nd edition, 2002, McGraw-Hill

WORLD RELIGIONS TODAY, John L. Esposito, et al

  1st edition, 2002, Oxford. U. P.

RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD, Lewis M. Hopfe & Mark R. Woodward

  8th edition, 2001, Prentice-Hall

Print PDF