See below for instructions on how to do DQs.

LIST OF CHAPTERS, THE MAIN TOPICS OF EACH,
        and the volunteers for each ch, for 10:00 and 11:00.

This is only a list of the main topics.  Each person is free to create a DQ [Discussion Question] on any subtopic or closely related topic the person chooses.
When there is a significant reading attached to a chapter the DQ  may be on this reading rather than material in the chapter, if the person wishes.

Ch.  3.  What have religions believed about Ultimate Reality?
              (Barnes)
Ch.  4.  Is belief in an Ultimate religiously satisfactory?
              Dave Thomas and Katie Norris
Ch.  5.  How do religions 'solve' the problem that life contains suffering and death?
              Kimber Lucius and Colleen Fitzsimons (Monday, September 18)
Ch.  6.  How do religions affect human social relations?
              Kevin George (Wednesday, September 20)
Ch.  7.  How do religions affect people's sense of identity and value?
              Badel Hernandez and Amanda Brian (Friday, September 22)
Ch.  8.  What are the basic differences among human motivations?
              Senia Smoot and Greg Moredock (Monday, September 25)
Ch.  8.  How do we know what is good or not; and how do religions deal with this?
              Tracey Horan and Melissa Janicke (Wednesday, September 27)
Ch.  9.  What are the major aspects of tradition as a guide to human life?
              Hilary Marsh and Katie Jennrich (Wednesday, October 4)
Ch. 10. How important are ritual and symbol in human life?
              Katie Sunday and Debbie Crowdus (Friday, October 6)
Ch. 11. When and why did religions begin to reflect rationally on their traditions?
              Sally Ogle (Wednesday, October 11)
Ch. 11. What are the possible relations between faith and reason?
              Eric Krissek and Liz Raphael (Friday, October 13)
Ch. 12. How did scientific rationality affect religious traditions?
              Michelle Timmerman and Krista Versteeg (Friday, October 27)
Ch. 13. What are the roots of skepticism about religion in the West?
              Albert Trinh and Matt Magner (Monday, October 30)
Ch. 13. How should we think of autonomy and responsibility?
              Drew Morrison (Friday, November 3)
Ch. 14. How might religion address challenges from science and scientific rationality?
              Robert Plucis and David Kaufman (Monday, November 6)
Ch. 14. Can religions remain true to their tradition and also adapt to modernity?
              Adam Maurath and Pete Kolis (Friday, November 10)
Ch. 15. What is the current status of religion and what is its future?
              Alex Whitehead and Alice Begovich (Wednesday, November 29)

One person will be assigned to create a question to address for part of the class that day.
     (On Wed., Aug. 23, you will have a chance to choose your chapter or part of a chapter.
       See the lower part of this page for a list of the chapters by number and the topics.)
[That one person will probably profit from talking things over with two others who are willing also to read the chapter in question and help devise a question to fit the format below.  But only the one person assigned/volunteering gets the 20 point maximum credit.  If the question does not seem to be the result of careful thought and preparation, it will get fewer points.]

The three questions given here, on the Introduction and Chapters 1 & 2, are examples.
The format is borrowed from Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) and late medieval disputations.
     First the topic is phrased as a question.
     The question is followed by a “it seems not.”
     This in turn is followed by an “on the other hand.”
This combination is an effective way to set up a topic for analysis.
     The analysis in Aquinas would begin with "I answer that . . . ."

1. Is primitive religion really religion? It seems not, because primitive people do not worship the spirits. It is really just a bunch of beliefs in magic and ghosts. On the other hand, it is commonplace to refer to this as “primitive religion” anyway.

2. Is it all right to categorize cultures as primitive or archaic or classical or modern? It seems not because it denigrates earlier religions as less developed and therefore somehow inferior. On the other hand, it seems factually accurate.

3. Is it fair to try to undercut religious belief by “reducing” them to manifestations of some sort of intellectual or psychological or sociological need. It seems not, because even if humans have underlying needs for a relation with the sacred, Eliade argues the sacred is still distinct from those needs and is very important. On the other hand, we may understand humans better by listening to people like Marx and Durkheim and Guthrie.

For chapters 11, 13, & 14 two questions are possible.  there are more possible questions than students in the class, so some of the topics will be introduced by another means.
You may consult the discussion questions at the end of each chapter for inspiration.  
Your question does not have to cover the entire chapter you pick.  You can restrict the question to any point of interest to you that is substantive enough to merit class discussion.

This page last modified Aug. 30, 2006