JAPANESE RELIGIONS*

概要

This course traces the development and cultural impact of the diverse religious traditions of Japan. It will focus on the role that folk traditions, Buddhism, Shintō and New Religious Movements have had in the formation of Japanese culture, as well as the ways in which these traditions have adapted to the unique social and historical circumstances found in Japan.

目標

By the end of the course students will be able to describe in some detail the history of Japan’s various religious traditions, and some of Japan’s most important sacred sites. Students will also be able to use what they have learned about religion in Japan to reassess broader generalizations about the nature of religion and gain experience analyzing how religious values inform diverse areas of human experience from aesthetics to ethics.

授業外の学習

●Preparation of class materials and reading assignments (70 minutes). ●Work on class assignments, preparing comments/discussion questions (60 minutes) ●Review, research, preparation for final project (60 minutes) Students are expected to spend roughly 190 minutes per session engaged in learning activities. This includes reading assigned texts, listening to or viewing assigned materials (including online “lectures,” videos and podcasts), completing writing assignments, and/or doing research. Students will also need to prepare a final presentation. Since a great deal of religious action in Japan is organized around specific sites, early in the term groups of students will select a particular sacred site on which they will produce a final presentation and a twelve to fifteen page write-up or summary of their research. Time will be set aside in class for students to discuss preliminary ideas with each other and with the instructor. The paper will be due at the end of the term. Students will be required to complete reading assignments prior to class and produce at least one comment or discussion question for each of the readings. Students will need to prepare for pop quizzes that will be held throughout the term. Students will also need to participate in asynchronous group discussions of the readings using Moodle forums.

所要時間: 190