Course Summary

A survey of Eastern religious faith systems including history, beliefs, and analysis 

The course distinguishes major Eastern religions, identifies underlying assumptions, and contrasts these with Christianity.  It is organized in three modules: (1) Hinduism, (2) Buddhism, and (3) Other Eastern Religions. 3 semester hours of undergraduate credit.  Credit will not be awarded if the student completed BRS 17.

Objectives

1. Discover the origins, history, and spread of select Eastern religions

2. Detect common themes and contrasting ideals among Eastern religions

3. Analyze essential tenets of Eastern religions

Credit. Credit for the course requires a score of 70% or greater on three multiple choice examinations, a 2,000-word paper analyzing one Eastern religion, and a 2,000-word paper comparing and contrasting two other Eastern religions.  Also required are two discussion forum postings for each module. The exams and papers count for 20% each toward the course grade. A sample exam problem is given below.

The Sikh religion began as (A) a means to create a higher level of Hindu philosophy, (B) a schism of Islam, (C) a synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism, (D) an attempt to draw nearer to God.

Resources

E-books are available in the Electronic Collection without cost to the student.