tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post6717513993695157111..comments2024-03-26T11:33:59.219-06:00Comments on Religion in American History: Introductions to the Study of ReligionPaul Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13881964303772343114noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-44883694544343870552015-08-11T06:48:51.048-06:002015-08-11T06:48:51.048-06:00Zellerbe and Brent, thank you for sharing your app...Zellerbe and Brent, thank you for sharing your approaches! I hope others will use the comments to chime in!Samira K. Mehtahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01856123420355764896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-43469639712918962432015-08-10T08:28:33.642-06:002015-08-10T08:28:33.642-06:00My students (undergraduates at a selective but not...My students (undergraduates at a selective but not elite liberal arts college) can handle reading and discussing JZ Smith's "Religion, Religions, Religious" on the second day of class pretty well. They miss some of the details but the big picture is clear to them. It leads to a good discussion. I would not try Asad on them at that point though. <br /><br />I should note that I personally find theory uninteresting unless it is helpful in understanding the real world. I suspect my students are similar in this regard, and whenever I teach anything resembling theory I tell them why I think it might be useful, and I ask them later on if it was useful to them. If not, I tell them to feel free to ignore it.zellerbehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12904539796435389947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-15990863472376232322015-08-08T04:25:50.361-06:002015-08-08T04:25:50.361-06:00If you are talking about an "intro" clas...If you are talking about an "intro" class, or even the first weeks that students may have ever had an RS course, then I'd definitely stay away from Smith, Asad, etc for first days. Don't worry about those grad-school definitions and getting it "right." Get the students engaged with something first, and later layer on the theory.<br /><br />I always start with something contemporary, cultural. I do something like "zellerbe" ^ in that I have a 12pp list of "definitions" of religion, from Geertz to soul singer Al Green to Sting to Schleiermacher to the Dalai Lama. I have them read through the list, circle definitions they like and begin to do the family resemblance thing. We end up with a range of terms that help formulate some of the edges of definitions, and problems therein: individual v. community, transcendence v. immanence, social constructions v. natural law, practice, belief, etc. <br /><br />I also like Cara's use of a podcast up front. Get them thinking about something they can relate to from a contemporary cultural perspective. Don't even let them know they are thinking about "religion"...<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17733903555731222560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-72193299181655246422015-08-07T11:07:57.058-06:002015-08-07T11:07:57.058-06:00Indeed, thanks for sharing! (The things I miss on ...Indeed, thanks for sharing! (The things I miss on Facebook when I'm busy taking care of kids!) I also use the JZ Smith reading, particularly when I teach my religion & science class, since I will also spend a lot of time dissecting "science" as well.<br /><br />I often run an exercise in other courses on the first day where we try to come up with some basic qualities of what people tend to think is "religion." (Yes, I use the air quotes in class.) It becomes a sort of Wittgensteinian family resemblance model definition. Students are generally pretty good at playing devil's advocate and getting a good discussion going. It also sets the tone from the beginning that the class is about engagement and that they need to bring their own ideas to the table. I generally start by having them free write, then discuss in small groups, then the big group. It works well.zellerbehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12904539796435389947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-86944515403980463562015-08-07T07:56:34.547-06:002015-08-07T07:56:34.547-06:00Thanks for sharing this conversation, Samira.Thanks for sharing this conversation, Samira.Brantley Gasawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02894338478934982958noreply@blogger.com