Religions of the World Nate Neil
Rm. C204 nate.neil@bend.k12.or.us
Text: Religions of the World 541-322-5822
Blog: summitreligions.blogspot.com
Course scope and sequence:
We will survey the major religions of the world including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Shintoism, and Taoism. This is a religions class in a secular High School…you are expected to treat everyone with respect and opinions will not be judged. This is an opportunity for you to learn the agreed upon facts of the religions covered not to judge them based on personal attachment, stereotypes, or whose right and wrong.
4-5 weeks (The Abrahamic Faiths)
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam which all trace their tradition
back to Abraham.
4-5 weeks (The Vedic Faiths)
Veda which means “sacred knowledge” or “learning” in Sanskrit
(the oldest surviving written language India) describes the 3
faiths that arose out of India from a common Veda culture.
4-5 weeks (Other Major Traditions)
The roots of these faiths are wither not as clear or not share a
clear ancestry with other major faiths and include Shinto,
Taoism, and Sikhism.
Remainder of Semester – “minor” religions and sectarianism
We’ll look at some of the less well-known and understood faiths
as well as why many religions have multiple traditions that
sometimes war with each other.
What you need: Book, paper, something to write with everyday, and
homework if previously assigned.
Grading/scoring: 90< = A; 80< = B; 70< = C; 60< = D; F for failed to participate
Daily Journal: Free write for 5-10 minutes at the beginning of every class and to be graded bi-weekly ( I will tell you the number of entries you should have and because you were told ahead of time you are expected to have them done when you miss class.
