REL 134 Complete Class
WEEK 1
REL 134 Week 1 Individual Assignment Elements of Religious Traditions Paper
Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that does the following:
Explains how religious traditions describe and encourage the following relationships:
Relationship with the divine
Relationship with sacred time
Relationship with sacred space or the natural world
Relationship with each other
Identifies key critical issues in the study of religion
Includes specific examples from the various religious traditions described in the Week One readingssuch as a belief in one God or many gods and goddesses, church on Sunday, holy mountains, or the Quakers calling each other friends. You may also include examples from your own religious tradition or another religious tradition with which you are familiar.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
REL 134 Week 1 Discussions
DQ 1:Why should we study religions? What are some of the methods used to study religions? What are some of the problems and questions sometimes associated with them?
DQ 2: How do religious traditions view the world and humanitys place in it? How do religious traditions respond to issues of gender?
DQ 3: From the reading, what are the basic elements of religion?
DQ 4: What are some difficulties in trying to define religion and religious beliefs?
WEEK 2
REL 134 Week 2 Individual Assignment Jewish Holy Days Paper
1. Prepare a 700-1050 Words Paper on Jewish holy days:
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
Hanukkah
Purim
Passover
Shavuot
2. Include in your paper:
The time of the year of the holy day(s)
The historical origin of the holy day(s)
The religious practices associated with the day(s)
Theological or cultural differences that might lead to differences in the observance of the holy day by the various branches of Judaism
3. Format your presentation consistent with APA guidelines.
REL 134 Week 2 Discussions
DQ 1: Choose a key moment in the Biblical history of the Jewish people. How does this moment relate to the main religious beliefs of the Jewish faith?
DQ 2: What influence has Judaism had on the Western world? Provide examples of this influence?
DQ 3: What do the terms brahman, atman, maya, karma, samsara, and moksha mean? How do these terms relate to each other in Hindu teachings?
DQ 4: What forms of devotion and spirituality are common in Hinduism?
WEEK 3
REL 134 Week 3 Learning Team Assignment Christianity and the Arts Presentation
1. Choose an example of Christian art, music, or architecture from each of the following:
Eastern icons
Western Medieval
Renaissance
Modern
2. Create a 12- to 15-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation in which you explain how the chosen works illustrate the following:
Basic Christian beliefs that emerged in the early church
Historical development of the three major traditions
Contrasts among the Christian traditions
Pluralistic nature of contemporary Christianity
3. Format citations and references consistent with APA guidelines.
4. A Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations with notes.
REL 134 Week 3 Discussions
DQ 1: How was the New Testament formed and recognized in the early Church? What issues were critical to including a writing in the New Testament?
DQ 2: How does Christianity exhibit a pluralistic character? Compare Christian practices and sacraments among its many different denominations.
DQ 3: Do you identify Buddhism as a religion? Why or why not? How does it contrast with other traditional religions?
DQ 4: What are the Three Jewels of Buddhism? What are the Four Noble Truths? What are the steps of the Noble Eightfold Path? How do these teachings inform the practice of Buddhism?
WEEK 4
REL 134 Week 4 Individual Assignment Islam Worksheet
Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Islam Worksheet available on the student website.
REL 134 Week 4 Discussions
DQ 1: Islam means, at its root, surrender. How does Islamic belief and practice reflect the importance of surrendering to Allah? How is this idea expressed in similar ways in Judaism and Christianity?
DQ 2: What was the influence of Islam on the arts and sciences? How does the past influence compare with todays influence?
DQ 3: What elements of Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto are characteristic of Eastern religious traditions studied in this course?
DQ 4: How does Confucianism differ with Taoism?
WEEK 5
REL 134 Week 5 Learning Team Assignment Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Paper and Presentation
Resource: Understanding Religious Beliefs and Traditions II simulation
Choose one of the Western religious traditions discussed in the course.
Write a 2,100- to 2,450-word paper about the contemporary issues facing the Western religious traditions studied in this course. The paper should discuss the following:
Historical connections and theological similarities with the other two religionsthis section is limited to 350 to 700 words
Contemporary struggles within the religion and with the other two religions
Cite at least five references in addition to the textbook.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
REL 134 Week 5 Discussions
DQ 1: How has the idea of the sacred or holy created conflict between these three Western religious traditions?
DQ 2: What threats do the Western religious traditions face in a more secular world? How are they coping with these threats?
