Abrahamic Religions Project: Denominations, Sects, and Movements

You will be researching a denomination, sect, or movement of one of the Abrahamic religions
that we have studied. A list of pre-approved groups is on the back page. You will present the
results of your research in two ways: a 20x20 Pecha Kucha slideshow presentation (explained
further by Mr. Holm in class) given to your peers and a three-page paper turned in to Mr. Holm
the class period after your Pecha Kucha presentation day.

In your research you should answer the following questions:

– When and why did this group start to develop or split off from a larger group? Who
founded it? (Was it one person, a group of people, or a broader trend?)
– What are the major developments in the history of this group? (Try to limit this to no
more than three points, though with some groups that may be hard!)
– What are their key beliefs and practices?
o How are these distinct from and similar to other groups in the same religion?
– What does this group look like in America in the 21st century? outside of America?
– Are there common misunderstandings of this group by outsiders?

Your research must engage with at least three different sources:

– Two sources written by people identifying within the group. If the group has an official
website, this could count as one of your sources. But you must have at least two!
– One source written by a person identifying outside the group but within the same
religion. So, for example, if you were researching the Roman Catholic Church, you could
use what a Methodist Christian has written about Catholic Christianity.
– Wikipedia is an approved source for your research, but it does not count toward these
three sources. (However, Wikipedia may help you track down other sources that would
count!)
– You should prioritize sources who have formal expertise, such as clergy and scholars.
The everyday experience of normal members of the group is important, but sometimes
non-expert understandings (such as about the history of the group) are incorrect. Don’t
take a random YouTuber’s or TikToker’s word for it just because their content is slick.

Your grade will be determined as follows:

20 points: Pecha Kucha (shared with tholm@stfrancishouston.org as a complete Google Slides

presentation by 11:59pm the night before your Pecha Kucha day)
10 points: Answers all of the required questions clearly
5 points: Complete (20 slides, 20 seconds each), all images and info fully cited
5 points: Smooth and practiced
30 points: Paper (turned in hardcopy to Mr. Holm the class after your Pecha Kucha day)
10 points: Answers all of the required questions clearly
10 points: 3 pages (± 0.5 page) of relevant, organized student writing
5 points: An additional works cited page correctly formatted in MLA style
5 points: Clearly proofread; grammatical errors are limited and writing is clear
 Pre-Approved Groups

Only one group can be chosen by any one student each trimester. You must claim your group
with Mr. Holm – first come, first served.

If there is a group you are interested in researching that is not included here, please speak to Mr.
Holm to get approval. There is a good chance he will say yes, so long as the group you’d like to
research has a close relationship to an Abrahamic faith.

Judaism
Orthodox (or a subgroup – Haredi, etc.)
Conservative
Reconstructionist
Reformed

Christianity
Eastern Orthodox (or a subgroup – Russian Orthodox, etc.)
Roman Catholic
Lutheran
Church of Nigeria (the largest African cousin of the Episcopal Church)
Presbyterian
Baptist
Methodist
Latter Day Saints (Mormons)
Pentecostal

Islam
Shi’a (or a subgroup – Twelvers, etc.)
Sunni (or a subgroup – Wahhabis, etc.)
Sufism