Introduction to Religion Spring Semester, paper assignment help

REL 1103-01 Introduction to Religion Spring Semester, 2017
Focus Paper-I Instructions Dr. William M. Kallfelz,
Assigned Monday, February 6th 2017—due1 Monday, March 6th
Instructions

As far as the constraints go, the final submission should be prepared in double-
space in standard format (either Times New Roman or Times or equivalent font, no
smaller than 11 pt font and no larger than 12 pt. font). Please include title of paper,
your name, and date on the header (a separate title page is not necessary), pagination
(page numbering), and list of references at the end of the paper or in a separate sheet.
Please use MLA conventions (or equivalent) in terms of citation conventions (see
footnote 4 below for more details).

There are no requirements for absolute page length of the body of the paper,
but try to keep the word count (for the body of the paper, not including title and
references) between 800-1,000.2 Remember, however, that you’ll be graded for writing
quality, not writing quantity. Necessary conditions for writing quality include (but
aren’t limited to): precision, clarity, explanatory depth and coherence, etc.

As far as any expository parts of the paper go, on account of the constraints on
length, though you’re welcome to paraphrase the author(/s) points, please try to keep
the number of direct quotes to a minimum. If, however, you encounter a “zinger”
passage3 that you feel you have to directly cite/quote from, make sure you explain the
quote’s significance in a succinct sentence or two.4 Keep in mind, however, that much
of your paper may consist in reflection, not exposition—so (for instance) it’s fine to use
first-person. When engaging in reflective writing, it’s best to allow yourself time to
mull over whichever topic you have chosen, to allow some coherent thoughts to
emerge—in that regard, try to think about why that particular topic may have
captured your interest and what sorts of personal experiences you may have had
which you feel resonate (and which you’re welcome to share).

1 Late policy: I subtract one letter grade for every day it’s late (including weekends). So if you
hand it in Tuesday (March 7th) that will cost you one letter grade penalty (i.e., an otherwise “A”
paper will be graded as a “B”, etc.) Obviously (at no penalty) you are welcome, if you wish, to
hand in your paper earlier.

If that feature isn’t working, you may send it to
wkallfelz@philrel.msstate.edu or wmk35@msstate.edu

Also, every
submission is through SafeAssign (whether as a scanned hardcopy or otherwise) and you do
not need to create an account for yourself, if you don’t have one already (I’ll create one on your

behalf in that case).

2 For TNR font, 12 pts, double-spaced, this translates to approximately 3 to 4 pages. For more
information, see: http://www.wordstopages.com/
3 If it’s more than two sentences, you should indent and single-space.
4 Also, please use MLA conventions for all citations. For more information, please see:
www.mla.org/style_faq If you cite or paraphrase from one of my slides from lecture, however,
you can be informal (I.e. a convention like “(Kallfelz lecture __ )” is sufficient.

Please upload Focus paper 1 using the Assignment feature

(Focus Paper 1 content area) in BbL

I assume no responsibility for

missing attachments and/or corrupted files (late penalties will still apply.

1

one topic only

(i.e. one of the elements in the outline below, i.e. I.b)

List of Topics: Please just choose
or II.c) , etc.) from the following list below (the topics are arranged in terms of categories covered in the course,
up through February 6th). If you have your own original topic you’d like to write about instead, please consult
with me (preferably during office hours—not by email) in advance (no later than one week before it’s due, i.e.

no later than February 27th ).

I. Religion and Phenomenology (January 9th – 23rd)

1. a.) Thought Experiment 3 and Thought Experiment 4 (C & K, 2013, p. 53).
   In describing succinctly the sacred persons you have observed in your
   own life, as well as the sacred places in your life and community, make
   sure you specify in particular all of the four essential aspects of Sacred
   Reality. Reserve a paragraph or two to reflect upon, in your own words,
   what effect(s) these people or places had on you and what you would has
   impacted your inner spiritual life.
2. b.) Imagine yourself to be from a culture very different from our own—for
   instance, suppose you grew up in a small, tribal per-literate community
   that practices shamanism and animism, like (for instance, an early
   Native American tribe). Suppose you (for the first time in your life) make
   contact with a missionary, who takes you to his/her church, and
   imagine yourself having a dialogue with the missionary afterward. Use
   the phenomenological method5 to try to find common ground with what
   you think s/he is trying to communicate to you. Note that in your
   tradition, all you are familiar with are the particular elements of your
   culture—whether they include belief in nature spirits, or (in in case of
   the Sioux) Wakantanka (Great Spirit) and White Bison Spirit Woman
   (Wakantanka’s representative sent to deliver the sacred pipe to the tribal
   elders). Assume you know nothing of the beliefs and practices of the
   Christian religion of the missionary.
3. c.) Pick a particular poem (preferably short, like a Japanese Haiku) or a
   passage in the Bible (if you chose the latter, mention which edition you
   are using)—again preferably short (several sentences). Briefly comment
   on the poem (or verse’s) literal, allegorical, moral, and (possibly)
   anagogical meanings (recall JCL, 2009, pp. 117-120).6 Also reserve
   several paragraphs’ worth on reflection on the poem’s/passage’s personal
   and spiritual significance to you, and how you believe or interpret its
   symbolic imagery as awakening special forms of states of religious
   consciousness, or self-transcendence.7

5 As discussed, for instance, in C & K (2013), pp. 3-10, or also, in greater depth in chapters 3
and 4 (JCL, 2009)
6 In particular, many of the poems by W.B. Yeates, as well as by T. S. Eliot, make references to
apocalyptic and eschatological imagery.
7 You may find chapters 3, 4 of JCL (2009), pp. 37-73 to be useful guides here.

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