Video Report

Follow this link for instructions concerning the on-line video report Video Report

Group Project

You can find the information for the group project at: Group Project

Three Page Essay

You are responsible for an essay of three pages in length. The essay is worth 10% of your final grade.

If you are in the Tuesday/Thursday class your essay is due on April 5th.

If you are in the Monday Night class, your essay is due on March 19th

If you are in the Friday late-start class, your essay is due on March 23rd

The essay must have a thesis statement and a Works Cited page.

You are required to have at least one primary source. You must interact with the scriptures of the religion you are writing about. These scriptures satisfy the primary source requirement. You can find many scriptures that have been translated into English at www.sacred-texts.com .

In addition to the textbook, you will need three print sources, and you will need at least three on-line sources. Do not cite from Wikipedia, Answers.com, etc. Use scholarly sources.

The system of citation for your essay is the Modern Language Association's The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. The textbook, Think World Religions by Roy R. Robson, is a good place to start your research. At the end of each chapter the textbook includes a "For Further Study" section which gives suggested books and websites. The syllabus for this class also includes a list of several additional helpful texts.

If you are doing research into Christianity, make reference to the Bible (The New International Version is an easy version to read).

If you are doing research into Islam, make use of English translations of the Quran. An on-line version can be found at: http://www.jannah.org/qurantrans/

If you are doing research into Hinduism, make use of English translations of Vedas, Upanishads, or Bhagavad Gita. An on-line version of Upanishads can be found at: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/upanishadindex.asp . An on-line version of Vedas can be found at: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/vedicsection/vedaindex.asp

If you are doing research into Buddhism, make use of English translations of the the Pali Canon or Tipitaka. Translations in English are available on the Internet at: http://virtualreligion.net/vri/buddha.html
or http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/buddhism_scripts.asp .

You can find help for writing a thesis statement at: How to write a thesis statement and outline

A complete Style Guide Resource for MLA from Guide to online schools.com can be found at: Guide to online schools.com.

You can find help on how to avoid plagerism at: Avoiding Plagiarism

Tuesday/Thursday Class Follow this schedule:

1. Declare a topic no later than the third week of class, January 26th.
2. Submit your thesis statement on the fifth week of class, February 9th.
3. Submit your annotated bibliography on the eleventh week of class, March 22th.
4. Turn in completed version of your essay on the thirteenth week of class, April 5th.

Monday Night Class Follow this schedule:

1. Declare a topic no later than the third week of class, January 23rd.
2. Submit your thesis statement on the fifth week of class, February 6th.
3. Submit your annotated bibliography on the tenth week of class, March 12th.
4. Turn in completed version of your essay on the eleventh week of class, March 19th.

Friday Late start class follow this schedule:

1. Declare a topic no later than the third week of class, February 10th.
2. Submit your thesis statement on the fourth week of class, February 17th.
3. Submit your annotated bibliography on the eighth week of class, March 16th.
4. Turn in completed version of your essay on the ninth week of class, March 23rd.

The following criteria will be used for grading the essay:

1. title page (5 points)
2. thesis statement (5 points)
3. Works Cited and Annotated Bibliography (5 points)
4. One primary source (10 points)
5. Three sources other than textbook (10 points)
6. Three on-line sources (10 points)
7. citation (5 points)
8. minimum of three pages (20 points)
9. originality and approach (5 points)
10. grammar, structure, and logic (5 points)
11. format and use of manual of style (5 points)
12. turned in on time (15 points)

Topics for essays: Choose one of these topics. Your topic must be approved by your professor.

1. Essay about mysticism in one of these religions:
   1. Judaism,
   2. Christianity,
   3. Islam
2. Essay about one of these religious leaders:
1. Shankara (founder of monistic Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism)
2. Patanjali Maharshi (compiled the Yoga sutras)
3. Saicho (founder of the Tendai school of Japanese Buddhism)
4. Kukai (founder of Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism)
5. Honen (founder of Jodo or Pure Land sect of Japanese Buddhism)
6. Judah haNasi, Judah the Prince (editor of the Mishnah)
7. Maimonides (Medieval Jewish philosopher and theologian)
8. Pope Leo I (leader in Christological debates of fifth century)
9. John Wycliffe (professor at Oxford and father of Protestant Reformation)
10. Zayd ibn Thabit (chief editor of the Qur'an)
11. Abu Hanifa (founder of the Sunni Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence)
12. Al Ghazali (Islamic philosopher who legitimized Sufism for orthodox Muslims)

    Contact professor Lorenz at slinjersey@msn.com