HISTORICAL STUDIES
OF RELIGION
HISTORY 5308:
(38535)
Summer I 2017: MTuWThF
2:00pm – 3:50pm
Holden Hall 255
TEACHER
John Howe
Office Hours: MTuWThF
4:00‑4:30pm;
Office:
143 Holden Hall TuTh 1:00-1:30pm;
Telephone:
806 834-7544
and by appointment
E‑Mail:
john.howe@ttu.edu
Web:
http://myweb.ttu.edu/jhowe
(the best way to access this syllabus)
PURPOSES OF THE
COURSE
To acquire a general knowledge of historiographical traditions concerning
religion. To introduce problems
involved in comparative study of religions.
To provide a general knowledge of common research perspectives in order to help
orient work on historical problems related to religion.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Required Texts
Capps, Walter.
Religious Studies: The Making of a
Discipline. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995.
Martin, Craig. A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion. 2nd edition, Sheffield: Equinox, 2017.
Stausberg, Michael, and Steven Engler, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion. London: Routledge, 2012.
Required Reading
This graduate topics class is primarily a reading class. There will be
specific assignments for each class, either from the required book or single
items to be chosen from the
reading lists provided. The "Reading and Class Schedule" indicates
how the course will proceed. Since
student participation is a major part of the course, it is important to have all
assignments completed as scheduled.
Book Reviews
Over the course of the Summer I semester, each student will write six book or source reviews based on the reading lists attached to this syllabus. Some reading lists contain mixtures of books and journal articles: to avoid temptations to minimize assignments, each student is required to base at least three of his or her reports on monographs. Each review should not be too much longer than two double‑spaced typed pages. Students should be prepared to report orally in class on the works they review.
Midterm Examinations
Midterm tests are scheduled for Wednesday, June 21; and Friday, June 30.
Each will include
multiple choice questions, identifications,
and a single
essay (to be selected from two or more choices).
Research Proposal
Each student will, over the course of the semester, prepare a three- to
five-page summary description (about 900‑1200 words) of a specific historical
research project related to religious studies. This
description should indicate why the problem deserves investigation, offer a
thesis relating to it which requires testing, present a method
for testing it (alluding when appropriate to the relevant methodologies studied
in this course), and note the types and locations of sources to be used. The aim of this assignment
is not to produce a formal thesis or dissertation proposal but simply to
stimulate reflection about how to conduct historical research on a religious
topic. This proposal must be
received by July 8, but it can be submitted at any time over the course of the
semester--early submission is strongly encouraged because problems can be fixed and the proposal resubmitted
up until 1:20pm on July 8.
Class Attendance
Successful completion of the course requires regular attendance.
Students who will need to miss more than four classes should not be
enrolled because they will not be able to do their best work and fully
demonstrate their knowledge.
GRADING
The class participation grade is computed on the basis of attendance,
class preparation, and class contributions by dividing students up at the end of
the semester into three groups: 1)
outstanding; 2) generally average; and 3) significantly below acceptable
standards. In computing the course
grade, the first group gets the class participation component credited as an
`A'; the second group has these points dropped out (so they neither help nor
hurt); and the third group has them credited as an `F'.
READING AND LECTURE
SCHEDULE
Tu
June 6 Course
Introduction
Capps xiii‑xxii; Martin 1-32; Stausberg & Engler 3-20, 40-53.
Start
Reading List#1: "Religion as a 'Western Invention'?"
W
June 7
What is Religion? What Is Religious Studies?
Capps xiii‑xxii, 1‑30;
Descartes;
Kant;
Schleiermacher;
Otto.
Continue List#1
Th
June 8
The Quest for
Religion's Substantive Essence (through Rudolph Otto)
Capps 30-52; Martin 33-63; Continue List#1
F
June 9 The
Quest for the Illusory(?) Essence of Religion (through Today)
[F
June 9 Last day to
drop a course and get a full refund.]
Finish List#1
M June 12 Reports & Discussion: Are the Categories of "Religion" & "World Religions" Western Inventions?
Capps
53‑104. Start Reading List #2: Mysticism
Tu
June 13
The
(Anthropological) Debate on the Origin of Religion
W
June 14 Phenomenology
and Description of Religion
Capps 157-208; Durkheim ;
Weber. Continue
List#2
Th
June 15
The (Sociological) Functions of Religion
Capps 209‑46; Stausberg & Engler 40-53,109-160, 355-65
F
June 16
The Language of Religion Part 1:
Finish List #2
M
June 19
Reports & Discussion: Mysticism and Religious Language
Capps 246-65; Stausberg & Engler 366-81; Structuralism ; Lévi-Strauss
Tu
June 20
The Language of Religion Part 2:
Structures
Study
W
June 21
Midterm#1
Read John Howe.
"The Awesome
Hermit: The Symbolic Significance of the Hermit as a Possible Research
Perspective." Numen 30 (1983): 106-19
[access through
JSTOR].
Read and write a book review of a short article
from
Reading List # 3:
Hagiographies
Th.June 22 Discussion: Religious
Biographies
Martin 143-81; Bellah. Start
Reading List #4: Religious Ritual
F
June 23 Civil Religion
Finish List #4
M
June 26
Student Reports:
Religious Ritual
Stausberg & Engler 217-44 382-420;
Tu
June 27
Field Research on Religion
Read
Definition of Popular Religion,
Peter Brown, and
"From the Ground Up."
Also
read Reading List #5: Popular Religion
BUT DO NOT WRITE A REPORT ON A BOOK--look
instead at the range of scholarship on
popular religion. Write a couple of
pages explaining your view on
whether
religious studies should or should not embrace the "popular religion" model.
W
June 28
Discussion: Popular Religion as a Religious Studies
Paradigm
Stausberg & Engler 445-522
Th
June 29
Material Culture of Religion
Study
F
June 30 Midterm
#2
Prepare to report on your research proposals
M
July 3 Proposal
Reports
[Tu July 4 Holiday]
Finish Report from List # 6:
W July 5 Reports & Discussion: Violence and Religion
Capps 331-48; Stausberg & Engler 2-12
Th
July 6 The
Future of Religious Studies as a "Discipline'
Finish Research Proposals
[Sat July 8 In lieu of a final
exam, each student should present a finished research proposal, no later than
1:30pm on July 8, the official close of the final exam.]