University of Mount Olive

REL 240 Survey of World Religions

Fall 2019, Glover 108, TR 11:00-12:20

Professor: Dr. Tyanna Yonkers

Email: tyonkers@umo.edu
Phone Extension: 919-658-7861 OR Extension 1087 Office: Glover 114
Office Hours: faculty schedule posted in Moodle, on Starfish, and on office door
Dean, School of Arts and Sciences: Dr. Burt Lewis (blewis@umo.edu)

Course Description:
REL 240 (3 sh) Survey of World Religions This course will explore origins, beliefs, and
practices of the world’s major religions. GER Religion or Global Understanding

Purpose: The course is designed to introduce the major religions in such a manner as
to increase our understanding of what these faiths have meant to those who
embrace them. We will examine the historical development of various religions,
seeking to be as objective as possible in our exploration of each religion.

Required Text:
Brodd, Jeffrey, Layne Little, Bradley Nystrom, Robert Platzner, Richard Shek, and Erin
Stiles. Invitation to World Religions, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press,
2018.
Note: Please make sure you get the 3rd edition.

Other readings will be posted on Moodle.

Note: There will be a good deal of unfamiliar terminology and concepts addressed in the
text, some of it complex. Consulting other sources (e.g. dictionaries, encyclopedias of
religion, other texts on world religions, approved websites, etc.) will be helpful in dealing
with specific topics. The Companion Website for the textbook is also a helpful additional
resource.

Suggested Parallel Readings:

Ellwood, Robert S. and Barbara A. McGraw. Many Peoples, Many Faiths:
Women and Men in the World Religions. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 1999.
Matthews, Alfred Warren. World Religions. Minneapolis/St. Paul: West Pub. Co.,
1995.
Noss, David S., and Blake R. Grandaard. A History of the World’s Religions, 13th
edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. 2012.
Smith, Houston. The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions, 2d ed.
San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991.

REL 240 Survey of World Religions

Fall 2019
Dr. Tyanna Yonkers
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 GER/Student Learning Outcomes Means of Assessment
Upon successful completion of this This outcome will be indicated by
course, students should be able to: successful:
 Understand cultural differences, demonstrate  Research paper/project
knowledge of global issues, and understand
his or her own culture in a global context.
[Citizenship GER]
 Identify and utilize interpretive tools to aid in  Research paper/project
the understanding of diverse beliefs and
practices [Religion GER]
 Trace the origins of and important historical  quizzes, mid-term, final
developments in the major religions of the
world.
 Explain and discuss the various dimensions of  quizzes, mid-term, final
religion (ritual, myth, doctrine, ethics,
experience, etc.) that provide insight into the
distinctive features of each of the major
religions.
 Demonstrate an awareness of the similarities  research paper/project, mid-term, final
and differences among religious beliefs and
ability to contextualize one’s own beliefs in
light of those of others.

Course Requirements:
1. Periodic Assignments & Classroom Participation - Students are to complete all
assigned readings as listed weekly in Moodle. To get the most out of the class, regular
class attendance and engagement in the topic under discussion is expected. Throughout
the semester assignments will be made to encourage extended participation in class.
Coming to class unprepared will result in a reduced participation grade.

2. Chapter Quizzes - As a way to aid study and assess comprehension of materials,

students will complete online chapter quizzes. Quizzes will be a combination of Multiple-
Choice, True/False and Fill-in-the-Blank. You may take the quizzes up to 2 times.
Moodle will record your highest grade in the grade book. Quizzes must be completed by
the designated due date. No late attempts will be permitted.

REL 240 Survey of World Religions

Fall 2019
Dr. Tyanna Yonkers
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 3. Group Research Project & Paper: (Group Presentation & Individual Paper) (GER
SLO Assessment)
In groups of 2-3, students will research the holy days and/or festivals of an assigned
world religion.

As a group, you will creatively explore with the class the holy days/festivals of your
assigned religion. All group members must participate in the presentation.
Presentations should include visuals, handouts, and other means that will help the
class understand the religion and its holy days/festivals. Presentation dates are
determined based on the religion assigned.

Each student in the group will be responsible for thoroughly researching one of the
holy days/festivals and from that research the student will write a four to six page
research paper, not including the title page or bibliography. The paper should also
include information about the holy day/festival’s religion and how that holy
day/festival fits with the other festivals in that religion. The paper should explore not
only what the holy day/festival is about, but what participants or observers can learn
about the religion from the holy day/festival.

Your paper should be written using (and citing from) at least five references from
multiple sources, including pre-approved scholarly journals, books, and no more
than three pre-approved websites specific to the religion the paper addresses.
Sources should include authors from the religious tradition being researched. The
paper must evidence higher thinking skills. More will be said about this in class.
Presentation will be scheduled depending on the religion assigned.
Five (5) points per DAY late will be deducted from the research paper).
Presentations will be at least 20 minutes in length. More information about the
presentation will be provided in class and on Moodle.
Paper is due one week following the presentation.

4. A Mid-Term and Final Exam.

Evaluation:
Attendance and Participation-------------------------------10%
Online Chapter Quizzes-------------------------------------15%
Mid-Term -----------------------------------------------------15%
Research/Experiential Project Paper ----------------------20%
Research/Experiential Project Presentation -------------20%
Final Exam----------------------------------------------------20%

Grades will be awarded as follows: See document in Moodle for letter grade descriptions.

Number Letter GPA

93-100 A 4.0
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Fall 2019
Dr. Tyanna Yonkers
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 90-92 A- 3.7
87-89 B+ 3.3
83-86 B 3.0
80-82 B- 2.7
77-79 C+ 2.3
70-76 C 2.0
60-69 D 1.0
59-below F 0.0

NOTE: Sanctions for cheating or plagiarism may include permanent separation from the
College, suspension, disciplinary warning, or failure of the course involved.

Please note: I only give out the grade that you have earned. I do not give extra-credit to make
up for missing assignments or to pass the class, or to raise your grade. You are responsible for
your grade. The syllabus clearly identifies what a student must do in order to pass the class. It
also explains my grading practices. Please read the syllabus carefully.
Policy on All Written Assignments: All written assignments must be typed according to
the following guidelines.
 Write papers using one inch margins with a Font size of Times New Roman 12 or
its equivalent.
 All sources must be properly documented (MLA or Turabian/Chicago style).
 All work is to be written in gender inclusive (gender neutral) language.
 Grammar, structure and style will be considered in the grading process (see
above).
 Submit papers in MS Word format via Moodle or email. All assignments must be
saved in MS-Word format as a .doc or .docx file and uploaded as an attachment in
Moodle. This is the only acceptable method to submit assignments. The file name
on each assignment should follow this format: studentname-assignment#.doc
(e.g., phelps-questionsweek1.doc). Failure to follow these guidelines may result in
a reduced grade for the assignment.
 If you are unable to save and send your file as a .doc file, then you can do so as an
.rtf or .txt file. Please note, however, that if you choose this latter option, you
may be unable to view my comments, since I use the editing function in MS-
Word to grade your assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure
that all sent files are in a readable format.

All assignments are due by the deadline. Even one minute past the deadline is late.
Failure to follow these guidelines will result in a loss of points on the assignment.

Course Outline:
I. Introduction to the Study of Religion
A. Prehistoric Religions
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Fall 2019
Dr. Tyanna Yonkers
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 B. Indigenous Religions
II. The Spiritual Paths of India
A. Hinduism
B. Jainism
C. Buddhism
D. Sikhism
III. Religions of East Asia:
A. Taoism
B. Confucianism
C. Shinto
IV. Western Religions:
A. Zoroastrianism
B. Judaism
C. Christianity
D. Islam
V. New Religions and Movements

Attendance and Make-up Policy:

Regular class attendance and readiness to participate in class discussion. For
optimum benefit from the class, students must attend class lectures. The attendance
policy as detailed in the online UMO Catalog will be followed. Tardiness and early
departures will be penalized as well. Three (3) tardies/early departures will be counted
as the equivalent of one (1) absence. Excessive absences, beyond 20%, will result in a
reduction of the final average equivalent to one point per absence over the 20%.
Sleeping in class will count as an absence. Students found texting, checking email or
social media during class will have their attendance for the day recorded as an absence.
Reading and/or studying material other than that under discussion will also be cause for
changing the attendance status to an absence. If you must miss class, inform me,
preferably in advance, via email. If you are absent from a class it is YOUR responsibility
to get missed information including assignments, and/or schedule changes. The last
date to drop the course with a W is Thursday, February 28.
Make-Up Policy – See 2b above under “Course Requirements”

Email Communication, Moodle, and Starfish

UMO email is the only acceptable form of email communication for students and instructors. You
must check your UMO email account daily for important course updates and information. Moodle
is UMO’s learning management system, where you can locate the class syllabus, weekly
assignments, and class announcement. All assignments should be submitted via Moodle You
should also check our Moodle shell daily for course-related announcements. Not checking email
or Moodle is not an acceptable excuse for missed messages or assignments.

Starfish is an online notification system used by faculty to communicate with students and their
advisors regarding academic achievements and to identify areas for improvement. Use Starfish

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Fall 2019
Dr. Tyanna Yonkers
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to monitor your course performance or book appointments with your academic advisor,
instructors, or Learning Commons support programs. Access Starfish at
https://umo.starfishsolutions.com/starfish-ops.

Electronic Interruptions
Disruptive activities in the classroom will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the
class. This includes cell phone use (including text messaging), pagers and other electronic
devices. These devices must be turned off during class. Violation of this rule is grounds for
dismissal from class.

Academic Integrity Policy

Students are expected to abide by all policies and regulations pertaining to the University’s
Academic Integrity Policy when completing and submitting work in this course. Any form of
academic cheating, including plagiarism, is intellectually dishonest, and will not be tolerated.
Students are expected to complete their own work. Failure to meet academic integrity standards
may result in an honor code violation and associated penalties (such as a failing grade). Students
who have questions about meeting these standards should consult with the Course Instructor
before submitting any work for credit.

To access the Academic Integrity Policy please refer to Moodle or Undergraduate Catalog (pgs.
38-44):
https://myumo.moc.edu/academic/umocatalog/Documents/2019-2020%20UMO
%20Undergraduate%20Catalog.pdf

Academic Questions or Concerns

All academic issues must be brought first to your instructor. My contact information is at the top of
this syllabus. Please feel free to come to me with questions, comments, or even complaints.

In the unlikely event that you and I cannot resolve an issue, the next step is to contact the Dean of
the School of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Burt Lewis (blewis@umo.edu) .

Accommodations and Student Accessibility

"The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.  Among other things, this
legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that
provides for reasonable accommodation for their disabilities.  If you believe you have a disability
requiring an accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility at (919) 658-7497, or visit
Henderson 106, email studentaccessibility@umo.edu or visit the webpage
https://myumo.moc.edu/learningcommons/studentaccessibility/Pages/default.aspx for
assistance.”
Undergraduate Syllabus Supplements
For additional informational on the university catalog or student support services available for free
to UMO students including the Academic Calendar, Academic Resource Center (ARC), Career
Development, Moye Library, and the Writing Center, visit
https://myumo.moc.edu/learningcommons/undergraduate_supplement/SitePages/Home.aspx.”
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