Dr.

Anne Mocko Office hours:

amocko@cord.edu W 2:30-4:00 or by appt.
(218) 299-3436
Academy 208 Lunch (Maize): Tu. 12-1

Religion 387:
Religions of India
CRN 17980
MW 8:30-9:40 / F 8:00-9:10
Grose 232

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the religious cultures of the Asian
subcontinent, and to the diverse religious traditions which were founded in, practiced in, or which look
towards India. The focus of the course will be on a cultural sphere roughly designated as ‘India’—rather
than the contemporary Indian nation-state—and so we will be considering materials drawn from various
modern countries, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Thailand.
Our course will devote the most sustained attention to Hinduism and Buddhism, but will also
consider Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, and (very briefly) Christianity. Students will consider the many ways
in which these religions have attempted to understand the world and the nature of divinity, and in
particular how the religions of India have engaged in a complex conversation about the nature and
correct direction of human action. Utilizing the theories and methods appropriate for the comparative-
method study of religion, students will learn about the resources that each tradition provides for the
construction of meaning and the cultivation of human life.

Required Reading:

The following text will be available for purchase (or rental!) at the Cobber Bookstore:

Jeffrey Brodd et. al. Invitation to World Religions. (Oxford University Press)

All other texts for the semester will be available in electronic formats through Moodle. Students
are expected to come to each class having read and reflected on the selected text in advance, and are
requested to have the text with them in class to consult.

The professor requires that you bring the reading to class in a flat, readable format, either hard-
copy or on a tablet device. No phones, no computers with flip-up screens.
 OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:
RELIGION 300/J STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of a Religion 300/J course, students will demonstrate:

I. a critical understanding of religion, i.e.,

a) religious literacy: knowledge about religion; an understanding of the complex role and
significance of religion in human life; and the ability to think critically about religious
phenomena and questions, with regard to a particular religion, region, topic, period, etc.
b) an understanding and appropriation of the essential terms and concepts used primarily in
one of the four areas in the academic study of religion
c) an ability to analyze the social implications of religious phenomena (e.g., ideas, beliefs,
practices, texts, and values)

II. an informed appreciation for diversity, i.e.,

a) an ability to represent empathically the diversity of religious forms and expressions,
within and/or among religious traditions
b) an ability to analyze social differences (e.g., race, class, gender, ethnicity) as
supported/challenged by religious traditions
c) an ability to analyze the ecological implications of religious phenomena (e.g., ideas,
beliefs, practices, texts, and values)

III. foundational skills, i.e.,

a) facility in reading, writing, and speaking about religion in ways that are complex,
creative, and critical
b) facility to combine critical thinking and scholarly research to formulate an argument
about religion

IV. self-awareness and sense of responsibility, i.e.

a) critical introspection and the ability to assess assumptions
b) the ability to formulate and appraise one’s understanding of vocation, personal life goals,
and social responsibility

This course falls within the Religion Department’s division of Comparative Studies. This
means that the primary approach of the course is to introduce students to religious traditions and ideas
outside of the mainstream religious culture of North America, and to obtain insight through that tension
and difference.
 ASSIGNMENTS, GRADING,
AND COURSE POLICIES:

TESTS 210 points / 47%

Unit Tests (60 points + 50 points)
Final exam (20 points take-home essay + 80 points in-class = 100 points)

WRITING 150 points / 33%

Hindu Deities Project (50 points)
Preliminary Report for paper (30 points)
Paper (70 points)

CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 90 points / 20%

Map Quiz (10 points)
Reading Quizzes (20 points)
Attendance (20 points)
Participation (40 points)
______________
450 points / 100%

TESTING
 The course will have two unit tests and a final exam. The final exam will be cumulative, and will have both
take-home and in-class components.
 Each test will have both an objective component (multiple-choice, true/false, term identification), and an
open-answer component.
 The professor will circulate a study guide via Moodle at least one week in advance of exams.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
 All writing for the course will be submitted through Moodle. Detailed instructions for each assignment will
be made available in advance through Moodle.

 The Hindu Deities Project is a group research exercise that will include a written component, an oral
presentation, and an artistic component.

 The main writing exercise for the course will be researched and completed through paired assignments:

1) Students will select one text from a list of major works of Indic religious literature, and research
its history, importance, and lived religious context. They will submit the results of this
investigation as the Preliminary Report (approximately 4-5 pages).

2) Students will incorporate insights from their Preliminary Report into a polished final Paper
(approximately 7-8 pages), analyzing the content of their selected literary work.
CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE
 Reading quizzes will be randomly administered on a surprise basis at the beginning of selected classes, in
order to ascertain whether students have come to class prepared.
o There will be five quizzes administered, each worth five points.
o The lowest grade will be dropped to leave a total of four grades.

 In-class Participation will be evaluated according to the expectations laid out in the “Attendance and
Participation Policies” document posted separately on Moodle.

 Attendance Policies (including the procedure for making up absences) are posted on Moodle. But there are
some important things to specifically note here:
o Students get two “freebie” absences.
o They can also make-up any absence during the semester.
o If a student nevertheless ends the semester with more than six un-made-up absences, they will
automatically fail the course. Don’t be that student.
o In addition to normal in-class time, students will be asked to attend TWO SHORT or ONE
LONG experiential learning event(s), for a total of two beyond-class attendances.
 A list of qualifying events is provided at the end of the syllabus.
 Students who attend extra events will receive extra attendance credit.

‘I’M STRUGGLING’ POLICIES

 For students entering the class already knowing they need support: the professor will diligently work with
you to devise specific arrangements/accommodations, according to the general recommendations made by
Counseling and Disability Services, or the Center for Student Success.
o Our course is bound by the College’s Statement on Diversity, and policies on Disability, both of
which are made available on the course Moodle site.

 Circumstances that arise during the semester, that interfere with tests or timely submission of work, need
to be presented to (and cleared by) the professor at least one full day in advance of the test or deadline in
order to reschedule and avoid grade penalties.
o The sooner a student alerts the professor to a problem, the more accommodating she can be.
o In the event of a last-minute emergency, please contact Lois Cogdill in Student Affairs as soon as
you are able, and have her notify the professor of the situation.

 Even if you are struggling in a way that doesn’t qualify for an extension or accommodation, it’s still
better to submit late work than to submit no work. A docked grade is better than a zero.

 For late submissions of written work:

o Late work will be accepted for consideration up until the professor finishes grading the
assignment.
 Work submitted within 24 hours after deadline will be docked a partial grade.
 Work submitted more than 24 hours late will be docked at minimum a full letter grade, at
the discretion of the professor.

 For rescheduling tests:

o The professor generally prefers for make-up tests to be taken prior to the in-class test.
o In the event that a make-up can only be scheduled after the in-class test, the professor reserves the
right to add an extra essay section to the test, at her discretion.
 SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS
Fri. Aug 31 Introduction

Part I: Hinduism
Mon. Sept 3 Encountering divine presence in the world
(reading: Eck, “Seeing the Sacred” [Moodle])

Wed. Sept 5 Puja and ritual purity

(reading: Brodd, “Hinduism” chapter: section on ‘Hinduism as a way of life’)

Fri. Sept. 7 Karma, dharma, samsara

(reading: Brodd, “Hinduism”: section on ‘Hindu philosophical & social concepts’)

Mon. Sept 10 The householder path: life cycle rituals and the patriline
(reading: Olson, “The Way and the Structure of Life” [Moodle])

Wed. Sept 12 Gender in Hindu families and society

(reading: Denton, excerpt from Female Ascetics in Hinduism [Moodle])

Fri. Sept 14 Caste in Hindu society

(reading: Michaels, “The Social System” [Moodle])

Mon. Sept 17 “Cool” deities: Vishnu and Laxmi ** Map Quiz **

(reading: Kirk, excerpts from Stories of the Hindus [Moodle])

Wed. Sept 20 NO CLASS: ATTEND SYMPOSIUM

Fri. Sept 21 “Hot” deities: Shiva/Shakti

(reading: Dimmitt, from Classical Hindu Mythology, AND Kinsley, “Kali” [Moodle])

Mon. Sept 24 Scriptural Hinduism: the Vedas and the Sanskrit legacy
(reading: Brodd, “Hinduism”: ‘Texts in Hinduism’ ; excerpts from Rig Veda [Moodle])

Wed. Sept 26 Scriptural Hinduism: Dharma-shastra

(reading: excerpts from The Laws of Manu [Moodle])

Fri. Sept 28 Scriptural Hinduism: The Bhagavad Gita

(reading: excerpts from The Bhagavad Gita [Moodle])
Mon. Oct 1 The sadhu path: introduction
(reading: McDaniel, excerpt from The Madness of the Saints [Moodle])

Wed. Oct 3 The sadhu path: tantra and yoga

(reading: watch film “Aghori Babas” [link on Moodle])

Fri. Oct 5 Possession and dangerous religiosities among lay people

(reading: Kapadia, “Dancing the Goddess” [Moodle])

** Hindu Deities Project materials due by 11:55p.m.

Sunday Oct. 8 **
Mon. Oct 8 Deity Fair I

Wed. Oct 10 Deity Fair II

Fri. Oct 12 UNIT TEST (HINDUISM)

Part II: Jainism

Mon. Oct 15 Ahimsa and the development of Jainism
(reading: Brodd, Chapter 6, “Jainism”)

Wed. Oct 17 Jain asceticism

(reading: excerpt from Cort, Jains in the World [Moodle])

Fri. Oct 19 Jain lay practice

(reading: Dundas, “The Layperson” [Moodle])

Midsemester Recess
No class October 22, 24, 26
Part III: Buddhism
Mon. Oct 29 The Buddha
(reading: two parts of Brodd, “Buddhism” chapter: 1) beginning of chapter through ‘Final
days and last words’ subsection; 2) section on ‘Buddhist Sects and Texts’)

Wed. Oct 31 The Dharma

(reading: Brodd, “Buddhism” chapter, section on ‘Basics of the Buddha’s Teaching’)

Fri. Nov. 2 The Sangha

(reading: Wijayaratna, “Solitude” [Moodle])

Mon. Nov. 5 Theravada ordination and the making of monastic bodies

(reading: Tomalin, “The Thai Bhikkhuni Movement” [Moodle])

Wed. Nov. 7 Theravada lay-lives

(reading: Evers, “Buddha and the Seven Gods” [Moodle])

Fri. Nov. 9 Theravada Buddhist politics and nationalism

(reading: Poethig “Movable Peace [Moodle])

**Preliminary Report due by 11:55 p.m.

Sunday Nov. 11 **
Mon. Nov. 12 Tibetan Buddhist monastic communities
(reading: Dreyfus, “Literacy and Memorization” [Moodle])

Wed. Nov. 14 Reincarnating teachers in Tibetan Buddhism

(reading: video on life of the Dalai Lama [link on Moodle])

Fri. Nov. 16 Tulku discussion (cont.), and Tibetan lay devotional traditions
(reading: Taye, excerpt from Enthronement [Moodle])

Mon. Nov. 19 UNIT TEST (JAINISM / BUDDHISM)

Thanksgiving Break
No class November 21, 23
Part IV: Sikhism
Mon. Nov. 26 Development and basics of Sikhism
(reading: Brodd, first half of “Sikhism” chapter [stop at ‘Sikhism as way of life’])

Wed. Nov. 28 The Khalsa and Sikh community life

(reading: Brodd, second half of “Sikhism” chapter)

Fri. Nov. 30 Sikh body practice, American body practice

(reading: NONE)
** Papers due by 11:55 PM
Sunday December 2 **

Part V: Islam
Mon. Dec. 3 Islam and Islamic rule in pre-colonial South Asia
(reading: skim through Brodd “Islam” chapter)

Wed. Dec. 5 Vernacular Islam in Bangladesh

(reading: Thorp, “The Muslim Farmers of Bangladesh” [Moodle])

Fri. Dec. 7 Muharram and the public performances of South Asian Islam
(reading: Chelkowski, “Shia Muslim Processional Performances” [Moodle])

Part VI: Inter-religiosity and blurred boundaries in South Asia

Mon. Dec. 10 Hindu/Muslim (Indian Sufi shrines)
(reading: Gold, “Sufi Shrines of Gwalior” [Moodle] )

Wed. Dec. 12 Hindu/Buddhist/Muslim (Sri Lanka)

(reading: Goonasekera, “Bara: Buddhist Vows at Kataragama” [Moodle])

Fri. Dec. 14 Christianity in a Hindu-majority context

(reading: Bloomer, “Rosalind”)

FINAL EXAM:
Monday December 17, 8:30-10:30
 Schedule of out-of-class
Experiential Learning Opportunities

Saraswati Puja Friday Sept. 7

short Community hour (9:20-10:20 a.m.)
Campus Interfaith room

Bhai Tika Friday Sept. 14

short Community hour (9:20-10:20 a.m.)
Campus Interfaith room

Buddhist Meditation Retreat Saturday Sept. 15

long 9:00a.m.-noon
(or extra-long, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.)
Basement of UCC church (406 8th St. S.,
Moorhead)

Diwali Wednesday Nov. 7

long 5:00 p.m.-(7:30 p.m.?)
Dr. Mocko’s house (1006 16th St. S., Moorhead)

In the event that you are able to go down to Minneapolis during the semester, there is a major
Hindu temple (in Maple Grove), a Tibetan Gompa and a Theravada Vihara, all of which have routine
weekend worship. Of particular note, there will be a robe-donation program at the Theravada Vihara
Nov. 9-10.

Please speak with Dr. Mocko if you would like to add/substitute an experiential learning
opportunity in Minneapolis to/for the campus opportunities listed here.