(CC) RELI 75 Mysticism and the Spiritual Quest
Summer Session Three
MTWH 6:10 - 9:20
Brower 201
Office Hours: Mon and Wed 5:00 - 6:00
Dr. Ann Burlein
104 K Heger
Ann.Burlein@Hofstra.edu
516-463-7238
Course Schedule
Texts
Assignments
Absence Policy
Grading Policy
Late Policy
Plagiarism
Tapestry: A Taoist female Immortal
carrying a flower basket and a fungus;
a deer, a peach-tree, rocks and a stream
Chinese, Ming or Qing dynasty, 1575–1725
Color on silk panel
From the Freer Gallery of Art
Disabilities Policy
Department Goals and Objectives
General Education Goals and Objectives
- John Powers, A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
- James Miller, Daoism: A Beginner's Guide
- Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu, translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1993).
- Bokenkamp, Early Daoist Scriptures -- recommended
- Additional readings are listed on the syllabus
One. Introductory Frameworks
Mon Aug 2
Introductions
Richard King, "Mysticism and Spirituality," from Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion, ed. John Hinnells (NY: Routledge, 2005): 306-322.
Tues Aug 3
Elizabeth Grosz, "Body
Images: Neurophysiology and Corporeal Mappings," in Volatile Bodies (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994), 62-85. PLUS
Antonio Damasio, Looking for Spinoza, selections
Two. Tibetan Buddhism
Introduction to Buddhism
Powers, Concise Intro to Tibetan Buddhism, chapters 1, 2 and 3, pages 17-54.
Selections from Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path, White Clouds (Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1991): 119-131, 145-150, 166-173, 185-189, 211-215 and 429-445.
We will also read in class:
Strong, 1.6 "Realizing the Four Noble Truths"
Heart Sutra
Strong, 4.4.1, "The Necessity of Compassion"
Strong, 4.4.5 "The Skillful Means of Vimalakirti"
Tantra
Powers, chapters 4 and 5
Film clips: Scorcese, Kundun
Deity Yoga & Mystical Practices at Death
Lama Yeshe, Intro to Tantra, chapters 4, 10 and 11.
In class, we will watch film clips of the Chenrezig sadhana.
Test
Historical overview of Daoism
Two. Daoism
Miller, Way (chp 2), Body (3), Power (4) and Nature (8).
Dao de Jing
IN CLASS we will start reading excerpts from The Upper Scripture of Purple Texts.
Bokenkamp, Purple Text excerpts: Bokenkamp, The Upper Scripture of Purple Texts, 307-331 and then skip to pages 289 - 302 which come from Bokenkamp's intro that describe the two last sections (we are only reading Bokenkamp's summary, not the original text). .
Bokenkamp, "Declarations of the Perfected," chapter 11 in Religions of China in Practice, ed. Don Lopez (Princeton: Princeton Univ, 1996), 166-179
- 25% of your grade will be earned through attendance, preparation and participation.
- 50% of your grade will be earned on two tests (dates in syllabus).
- 25% of your grade will be earned from three structured essays (4 pages each). .
There is no one textbook that holds this class together. As a result, attendance in class and in your discussion sections is crucial. You simply cannot do well if you do not attend and participate. To reflect this, 25% of your grade will come from your participation. You are expected to 1) attend ALL classes, 2) have read and prepared ALL assignments before coming to class and 3) DISCUSS relevant issues. This means that if you come to class, but spend the period working on your computer rather than attending and participating (or if you text constantly), you will be considered absent even though you are physically present.
If you are someone who rarely speaks, then this
will be an opportunity for you to work with me to find ways
to help you feel more comfortable speaking in class. If you
are someone who tends to speak too much in class, then this will be an
opportunity for you to learn how to
limit your contributions so
that others have a chance to jump
Again, because there is no one textbook
that holds this class together, absences in this class work like karma.
You have two days to be absent without consequences. On your third day
of absence, you lose all benefit of the doubt when it comes to your
final grade. For every absence thereafter, you lose 1/3 of a letter
grade from your FINAL grade. (This does not mean that you have
two cuts. If you cut class twice in the beginning of
the semester, and then become sick at the end, karma happens).
When you are absent, YOU are responsible to find out from another student what went on in class and for making up the work that you missed. MAKE FRIENDS.
In order to return your writing promptly with detailed and constructive
feedback, I do not accept late work. You will earn an F and forfeit your
right to feedback. If there is an emergency or a
tragedy in your life and you need an exception, you must communicate
with me BEFORE the
due-date. This includes tests: if you are too sick to attend
class on a day when we are scheduled to take a test, you must call
and let me know BEFORE class begins that you will not be
able to take the test and arrange time for a make-up.
Studying religion is both an academic and a personal exercise. In your written assignments you will be graded on thinking and argumentation. I will not grade your personal beliefs or non-belief. Nor will I grade or the particular position you take. I will grade
- how well you articulate why you (or someone) thinks a particular (and precisely articulated) way
- how closely you read the assigned materials
- how much you are able to make connections between readings
- how much your ability to reflect critically on the position you take grows over time.
Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism is a serious ethical and professional infraction. Hofstra’s policy on academic honesty reads: “The academic community assumes that work of any kind [...] is done, entirely, and without assistance, by and only for the individual(s) whose name(s) it bears.” Please refer to the “Procedure for Handling Violations of Academic Honesty by Undergraduate Students at Hofstra University” for details about what constitutes plagiarism, and Hofstra's procedures for handling violations.
This course is dedicated to helping you develop your own thinking. Thus I regard plagiarism as a serious violation of the academic compact, because it involves passing off someone else's thought as your own. This can happen by copying someone else's words or re-phrasing someone else's ideas in your words. Neither is your own thought.
0 -- You handed in work that was not your own.
F -- There are two ways to earn an F. Your writing was
fantastic -- but late. OR your writing fails to answer the questions, expresses little
accurate information, and/ or is not coherent.
D -- shows effort,
but the information and explanation are weak. You need to make
more references to the readings.
C -- articulates what you think clearly. You need to
engage in a more detailed and systematic way with the readings.
B -- explores why you think the way you do. You need to
critique yourself (see the next grade level).
A -- reserved for excellence, when you use the material as a
springboard for higher level thinking. You engage with other
perspectives and counter-arguments. You elaborate a creative and
original take on the readings and issues being discussed in class,
and you articulate your thoughts in your own voice. You go beyond
stating your point of view to evaluate the pros and cons of
thinking the way you do.
If you have any concerns regarding a physical, psychological and/or learning disability that may have an impact upon your performance in this course, appropriate accommodations can be made on an individualized, as-needed basis after the needs, circumstances and documentation have been evaluated by the appropriate office on campus. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities is located in 212 Memorial Hall. Telephone: 516-463-7074. Please see the Hofstra Guide to Pride, or visit their site. All disability-related information will be kept confidential.
General Education Goals and Learning Objectives for the BA Degree that this course fulfills:
Goal 1. Students will demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively.
Learning Objectives:
1a. Clearly and accurately summarize and evaluate the facts, presumptions, viewpoints, values, and arguments presented in a text or creative work.
1b. Gather and assess relevant information, and apply appropriate cognitive methods in solving problems or answering questions raised in a text or creative work.
1c. Construct well-reasoned solutions or conclusions; test and defend conclusions against relevant criteria and standards.
1d. Critically analyze one's own thinking by identifying one's presumptions, values, and viewpoints as well as problems, inconsistencies, and unanswered questions.
1e. Conceive and defend alternative hypotheses and viewpoints; offer and explain reasons for provisionally rejecting or accepting them.
Goal 2. Students will apply analytical reasoning across academic disciplines.
Learning Objectives:
2a. Read with comprehension, and critically interpret written work in discipline-specific contexts.
2f. Apply the methods of social science to ethically investigate and analyze human social behavior.
2g. Describe, comprehend, and analyze the role of philosophical ideas, historical movements, or ethical debates in the development of civilizations.
Goal 3. Students will demonstrate proficiency in written communication.
Learning Objectives:
3a. Compose grammatical sentences.
3b. Use various sentence forms to effectively modulate style and tone.
3c. Compose a sequence of paragraphs that develop a point.
3f. Respond to writing assignments using appropriate style, structure, and voice.
Goal 5. Students will develop an awareness of and sensitivity to global issues.Learning Objectives:
5b. Demonstrate knowledge of the intellectual, social, political, economic, or cultural practices of at least one of the peoples in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, or of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and Australia.
Religion Department Goals Fulfilled by this Course:
Learning Goal 1 [Knowledge]
Students will be able to describe religions' historical contexts
Objectives
a) Students will describe periods of the history of a religious tradition or traditions
b) Students will relate knowledge of religions’ history to other aspects such as rituals, texts, ethics, or beliefs
Learning Goal 3 [Analysis] Students will be able to analyze the social implications of religion
Objectives
a) Students will explain the inseparability of religion and its social context
b) Students will give examples of the links between religion and other dimensions of social life (gender, class, race, ethnicity, nationality, politics, economics, science, technology etc.)
Learning Goal 5 [Evaluation]
Students will be able to evaluate religious phenomena
Objectives
a) Students will describe differences within religious traditions (e.g. conservative vs. reform movements), among different traditions (e.g. Catholic vs. Confucian) or between religions and movements not normally thought of as religious (e.g. science, nationalism, sport, gardening etc)
b) Students will express opinions formed by an engagement with scholarship in the field.