Students will answer the question “what is religion?” by comparing and contrasting the beliefs and practices of various religious traditions in a final 6-10 page research paper, using only the materials assigned in the course. Students will be required to address the “elliptical” character of religion in that their definition must touch on both the social and personal/belief dimensions of religion.
What you need to include:
You are free to present the information in your final paper according to your own understanding, however, you need to have the following elements
Introduction
body paragraphs
conclusion.
Bibliography/Works Cited page (not included in the
6-10 page minimum/limit)
Your FIRST PARAGRAPH should contain the following:
Why study other religions? Provide a brief summary of the Catholic tradition’s statement on the need to study religion as stated in the document Nostra Aetate (Unit 1)
What is your religious studies method? Identify the four approaches to religious studies (see: Capps) and identify the approach you will be employing in your analysis (Unit 1)
What is religion? Provide a thesis statement that directly answers the prompt in the first paragraph that will be the definition of religion you will defend over the course of the paper.
How are you going to demonstrate your thesis? Provide a brief “road map” or outline that says what your paper will discuss.
Your BODY PARAGRAPHS Hence your body paragraphs should support your thesis (definition of religion) by discussing the following content areas:
A religion from India (History, Beliefs, Practices)
A religion from East Asia (History, Beliefs, Practices)
A religion from the Middle East (History, Beliefs, Practices)
An Indigenous tradition
A New Religious Movement
One piece of information from one of the Religion and Society Readings
One piece of information from the Religion and Science Reading
*NOTE: you must include a citation for each of the above, including the Capp’s and Nostra Aetate readings on your works cited page at the end of your paper. Please refer to each content area where the correct citation has been provided. So, you should have a total of at least 9 different citations on your work cited page.
Your CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH should
Provide a succinct summary of what you discussed in your body paragraphs. This is a “reverse road-map” of the road map you presented in the first paragraph
Restate your thesis – be sure to restate the main point or the main take-away
Why does it matter?/“Call to action” – lastly, connect your research to a wider issue we have discussed in class, in your local community, or in the global community.
Formatting
Submit plagiarism check report from plagiarismdetector.net
Word Document
Times new roman, 11pt font
1” Margins
Double-Spaced
Name, Professor, Course, and Date in the top left corner of your paper
Provide a title
Provide a work’s cited page formatted according to MLA
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