+1 862 207 3288 Experiencing the World’s Religions
Text Title: Experiencing the World’s Religions
• Edition: 6th (2013)
• Author: Michael Molloy
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
As part of the course requirements, you will be writing a research paper. Please read all instructions and give this some consideration before making your choice. Both paper choices will involve extensive research on your part and have the following minimum requirements: Your paper MUST be 3000 to 3500 words in length. As a reminder, please use Times New Roman or Ariel font with a 12 point font size, 1″ margins, and 2x (double) spacing. Also, please submit each written assignment as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx). If you use a word processor other than MS Word, then you may need to save and submit each assignment as a Rich Text Format (.rtf) document (see your word processor’s Help menus for details); if it is submitted in any other format, there is no guarantee that I will be able to read it. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor if you are having any problems in this regard. Your paper also MUST contain proper references/citations throughout, along with a corresponding bibliography at the end. (APA or MLA formats are OK.) For sources, you are encouraged to avail yourself of the “Resources” page in each unit; however, you MUST also include at least three sources drawn from traditional print media (e.g., books). For traditional print media sources, you are encouraged to use the bibliography at the end of the chapters in the textbook. You may also, where possible, include among your sources a personal interview you may conduct with a practitioner of some particular religion, as appropriate to your topic. Remember, late work will NOT be accepted.
Traditional Research Paper Directions
One option is a traditional research paper on the topic of your choice so long as it relates directly to the study of Easternreligions and so long as you first clear your topic with me before proceeding. This is your opportunity to dig deeper into something you have found interesting. For example, you are welcome to focus in-depth on any subtopic or other aspect found within any particular Eastern religion covered in class; alternately, you may choose to take some common theme or subtopic which is found in several different Eastern religions, and discuss its common significance among them, how each individual Eastern religion treats it uniquely, and role it plays within each such religion. Your paper should focus on how the aspect or theme or other subtopic discussed is related to other beliefs within its own religion, and how the topic affects the lives of its practitioners.
Movie Research Paper Directions*
In this option, you will be asked to write a research paper on one movie of your choice (see the list below for suggestions but please note that I have not seen all of these movies, so it is your responsibility to research the movie to decide if it is appropriate for your personal values). The film should be selected on the basis of its importance or potential in illuminating the contemporary human predicament, shaping values, or critically evaluating and communicating the symbols, practices, and beliefs of an Eastern Tradition(s) or theoretical orientation we have studied in this course. Please note, this option will take some creativity on your part and will still involve research into the specific Eastern tradition depicted. Since this is not a traditional paper, I’ve included the following outline to help you structure your paper:
Introduction (no more than one page)
a) Overview: What movie did you review, which tradition or theory are you highlighting, and why?
Film Analysis (roughly 2-3 pages)
a) Plot & Character Development: What is the main theme of the film? What are the obstacles causing conflict and what is the outcome or resolution? Is there an underlying agenda or message? Trace the film’s development of the central character(s) throughout the course of the film.
b) Cinematic analysis: How does the world of the film contribute to the story-telling and to the viewer’s experience? The important thing here is to interpret the key religious or existential issue(s), question(s), or claim(s) of the movie with reference to how it (they) surface in the film through imagery, editing, symbols, music, camera work, etc.
Theoretical and Theological Analysis (roughly 6-8 pages)
a) Theoretical Issues: Identify the theoretical issue(s) presented in the film. What claim(s) or existential/religious issue(s), question(s) does the film communicate, challenge, or engage either implicitly or explicitly and how does the film do this? Note worldview (nature of ultimate reality, God, universe, human nature, knowledge, nature of evil, history, etc.), ethics (values of life, death, wealth, sex, gender, race, justice, relations with other, environment, etc.), or perhaps meaning and beauty.
b) Application: Having identified the issue(s), discuss the film’s implicit or explicit claims and those of the Eastern Tradition or theory and how they play on each other in the film. This requires you to show that you have done academic research complete with appropriate citations and bibliographic references. Draw upon the tradition’s theological, ethical, or scriptural resources in considering the claim(s), issue(s), or question(s) raised by the film. Consider also whether the film utilizes any symbols that have theological significance for reconstructing or communicating the particular Eastern Tradition. Do the claims or existential/religious issues mesh well with the specific religious tradition under investigation or do they deviate from the norm and how? Consider how a member of the specific religious tradition might react to how these claims are presented. Please use sacred text and other primary sources in addition to high quality secondary sources to support your arguments.
Closing Paragraphs (no more than one page)
a) Draw your conclusions.
Movie Suggestions (please choose wisely, as I have not seen all of these movies and cannot say for certain that all of these will work well for this paper)
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) – Hinduism/Buddhism
Tron: Legacy (2010) – Buddhism
Matrix (1999) – Buddhism
Delhi 6 (2009) – Islam/Hinduism
Star Wars (1977-2005) –Taoism
Razors Edge (1984) – Hinduism/Buddhism
Sita Sings the Blues (2008) – Hinduism
Om Shanti Om (2007) – Hinduism
Jodhaa Akbar (2008) – Hinduism/Islam
Lost in Translation (2003) – Buddhism
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) – Taoism/Buddhism
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003) – Buddhism
A Buddha (2005) – Buddhism
The Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) – Confucianism
Kundun (1997) – Buddhism
Water (2005) – Hinduism
Little Buddha (1993) – Buddhism
7 Years in Tibet (1997) – Buddhism
The Last Samari (2003) – Shinto/Buddhism
Hero (2002) – Confucianism/Taoism
Fight Club (1999) – Buddhism
Peaceful Warrior (2006) – Taoism
*Adapted from Dr. Bryan Stone’s (Boston University School of Theology) Faith and Film course: http://www.bu.edu/sth/academics/faculty/bryan-stone/
