Revised 4.08

 

Application for Exploration Designation

Core Curriculum: Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World

Core Committee

 

J: Religion 2

 

Submit 8 copies of the proposal and the syllabus to the chair of the Core Committee. 

 

I.     BASIC INFORMATION

 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_____________    _________       __________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT    NUMBER       TITLE

 

 

INSTRUCTOR(S) :________________________________________     ­

    

                                ________________________________________       

 

Is this is a new or modified course? ___________ If so, has it been approved by the Curriculum Committee? _________ When? _______________

                                                           

II.     SIGNATURES

 

____________            _________________________________________

      date                        signature of Department Chair, or Program Director

Signature indicates the proposal has the support of the Department Chair, or Program Director

 

____________            _________________________________________

       date                       signature of Division Chair

Signature indicates curricular, budgeting and staffing issues have been approved.

 

 

III.   FULFILLMENT OF CORE EXPECTATION

 

1.   Please explain how this course will enable students to achieve the Learning Outcomes, using the criteria identified for this Core area. (See attached Application Guidelines)

 

2.   How will this course meet the Writing-Across-the-Core requirements as identified for your department? (Please attach a copy of the current departmental Statement on Writing.)

 

3.   How will this course prepare students for responsible engagement in the world?

 

IV.   SYLLABUS

 

     Please attach a syllabus to this application.

 

 

Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World

Application Guidelines for Exploration Designation for Religion 2

Core Committee

INTRODUCTION

To become responsibly engaged in the world students need to be able to explore significant religious questions with clarity and competence in order that they might be able to understand themselves and others. Individual courses in Religion 2 focus on one of four methodological approaches, namely interpretive (the study of sacred texts), historical (the study of historical religious issues), comparative (the study comparative study of religious traditions, including world religions and Christianity, as well as other comparative foci), and constructive (the study of theology and ethics). Religion 2 courses take an in-depth look at one of the aforementioned approaches, however, often secondary approach in order to help students focus on topics of interest and/or significance to them.   Religion 2 courses individually explore ethical, cultural, historical, and descriptive dimensions of religious human experience, with an emphasis on approaches which help them reach carefully considered and understood conclusions, formulating respectful interpretations, or making informed judgments concerning the topics and approaches encountered in these courses.

An Exploration Courses in Religion 2 will meet the following criteria relative to Concordia’s Goals for Liberal Learning:

1.      Emphasize religious ways of thinking and knowing (in particularly, interpretive,  historical, comparative, and constructive ways of thinking and knowing (GLL 1,3)

2.      Imbue students with an understanding of the importance of multiple perspectives and contexts as relevant to each course (GLL 3,5)

3.   Incorporate interpretive theories and practices as understood in the four

      approaches to religious study (GLL 2,3)

4.   Use primary sources to engage students in methods of critical thinking that are

      characteristic of the various approaches to Religion (GLL 2,3,4)

An Exploration Course in the Religion will meet the above criteria for all Religion 2 exploration courses and also focus specifically and primarily on

  1. Exploring ethical, cultural, historical, or descriptive dimensions of religious human experience.
  2. Studying the context and meaning of people, events, texts, and cultural religious objects.
  3. Emphasizing approaches which aid students in making judgments, formulating interpretations, defending assertions, and reaching reasoned conclusions.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Religion 2 Outcomes

  1. Student will demonstrate an awareness of multiple perspectives on human religious experience.
  2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of historical or religious modes and approaches of inquiry.

Students will demonstrate the ability to use critical interpretation as a method of understanding texts, practices, or artifacts within religious and historical contexts.