Language and Religion, E103
Other Basic Information
August 26, 2007

Robert F. Port, Professor
Chung-lin Yang, Assistant Instructor

Basis for Grade

Midterm	20
Final exam	25
8 graded homeworks	20
About 10 quizzes in class or discussion section	20
Fieldtrip reports	10
Discussion section class participation	5
Total	100%

    No makeups for quizzes or exams. Excused absences are possible given a note from a doctor.

    I will follow the IU guidelines on plagiarism and cheating.  See the Code of  Student Rights Responsibilities and Conduct.

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Text Materials

1.  Burke, T. Patrick  The Major Religions: An Introduction with Texts, 2d Ed. (Blackwell, Malden, Mass.)
2.  Novak, Philip The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions (Harper-Collins, San Francisco, Cal
3.  Course materials by Prof. Port available from the Syllabus page
4.  Required materials available on the web accessible from the Syllabus page

General Reference Materials on World Religions on the web:

• Guide to Internet Resources on World Religions.

Sources about Language on the web.

· Yahoo Language Page.

Religious Field Trips

Write a report on 2 field trips to a religious event  (in Bloomington or elsewhere) that differs greatly from your personal religious background. Check the IDS on Fridays to find a list of activities in churches and other local religious events.

• The reports should be about 3-4 pages long..  If you do the field trip with a partner from the class, you should discuss the experience together, but write your own report.
• Tell us where you went, what you saw and heard.
• Specifically, describe several activities involving language such as song, chants, group prayers, etc. (or the avoidance of language).
• Compare and contrast these activities with your own religious traditions (assuming you were raised with some) - otherwise with the religious tradition you are most familiar with.
• The first report is due in lecture class Monday,October 22 and the second on Wednesday, November 28.
  

Some local religious events would make an appropriate field trip.   If you have another idea for a religious event to participate in, contact me or your AI.  I will enrich this page with more information as I find it. But you all know how to use the web and the telephone..

• Tibetan Culture Center  located at 3655 S. Snoddy Rd (334-7046). Have frequent meditations and teachings.   Watch the TCC webpage to stay informed of coming events.  The Dalai Lama will visit Bloomington, Oct 23-28 this fall. He will give some public lectures but they may have an entrance fee.
  
• Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling Monastery at 102 Clubhouse Drive, Bloomington (off Old Walnut/Old 37).  A monestary on the north side from a competing sect from that of the Dalai Lama. The fact that neither webpage points to the other tells you something.
  
• Bloomington Religious Society of Friends (the Quakers).  Their Sunday services are at 10:30 am. Guests are welcome.
• Sanshin Zen Community, 1726 S. Olive St. Bloomington. (339-2635)  A local Zen group that recently hired a director, Rev. Shohaku Okumura.
  
• Hinduism. There is no temple nearer than Chicago, as far as I know. The IU Indian Student Organization arranges celebrations of some major holidays.
• St. Paul Catholic Center. On 17th St between Fee Lane and Union.
• Trinity Episcopal, corner of Grant and Indiana, downtown across from the Monroe County Library.
• Islamic Center of Bloomington has Friday prayers. Check their events calendar.
• Hillel Foundation, supporting Jewish IU students. (730 E. Third Street across from Swain Hall. 336-3824).
  

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