Religion in the Modern World: Feminist Principles and the Christian Faith

Religion in the Modern World Paper

This is your last formal paper for Nature of Religion, and serves as your “final”. In this paper, you should answer the question, “How do we study religion today? as scholars in the modern world and scholars facing modern issues. Wilfred Cantwell Smith has raised this question in his Meaning and End of Religion. We are faced with the evidence supplied by the sciences, by plurality and diversity, by the media, by political events, by gender, by sexuality, by consumerism, by art, by technology…by pretty much everything! Two of our assigned texts this term deal with issues of theodicy, a major issue in modern religion: Doors to the Sea, read earlier, and The Cross and the Lynching Tree. Another text we read was Buddhism Beyond Gender, which looked at the issues of gender and attachment in Buddhism. Other thinkers, such as Don Cupitt, take on the bigger meaning of “god”. Your paper must address these authors, as well as branching off on a topic of your own. Options for choosing your topic: Approach this paper by choosing one of the religions we’ve studied in class, and creating a thesis based on similarities or differences you see with David Bentley Hart, Cone, Gross or Cupitt. -You can use the “big religions” of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism, but you can choose one of the tribal religions, whose myths are represented in Primal Myths and Lame Deer’s Seeker of Visions. Remember, these secondary sources were written decades ago, so be sure to use a more “modern” view. You may also choose a tradition mentioned by Smith, such as Manichaeism, Shinto, Sikhism, etc. Don’t tackle the religion overall (or your paper will be a million pages), but just one aspect of it. -You may also challenge Smith’s statement on ancient religions by considering the practice of certain elements of ancient religion today. We find this, for example, in modern Wiccan religion. -Any religion can be considered here, but be careful to frame your discussion. -This is not a paper that expresses your personal faith, but should demonstrate what we covered in class. Instead of a specific tradition, you may choose an issue, such as feminism, LGBTQ rights, gender, wealth, science, health, religion and government, ethical issues, etc. You may also choose to work on religion and the arts as an approach to religion, considering a specific art work, play, installation, film, etc from the modern world. What is religion? Your understanding can include sport, quantum theory, cults – the topic and approach is up to you, but make sure it is grounded in scholarship. Non-Negotiables: -The paper must include David Bently Hart, Cone, Gross and Cupitt. -You must develop a thesis statement. I have opened a section on Turnitin so that you can list your proposed topic easily and so that I can comment. -Any outside source material used MUST be based on academic scholarship. Take time to review the list of “what not to include” on the syllabus. Your paper may need to use some exceptions, and for this, you will need to see me first. Your paper should be a minimum of 5 pages, plus bibliography. Remember to not only keep the tone scholarly, but to avoid statements of personal faith and belief. This is your “final exam” for class. -Proofreading is a must. A paper with major proofreading mistakes will not be considered. This also includes not italicizing titles of books, and adding quotation marks. -No plagiarism -Do not resort to AI to write your paper -Do not write “All Muslims believe…” or “Christians believe that…” unless it is true for all denominations. Enjoy! as this should be something that allows you to explore your interests!