Reli
180
Fall 2007
Guidelines
and Topics: Mid-Term Essay
I. ASSIGNMENT AND DEADLINE:
Write an essay of five typed pages. Use
12 point font, 1" margins, and double-spacing throughout.
Consistently
follow one method for citing sources. Any established method is
acceptable.
That might mean, for instance, the methods outlined in the MLA
Handbook and The
Chicago
Manual of Style. Please observe how those sources reference web
pages.
Number your pages. Include a separate title page listing your name,
the title of your paper, "Religious Studies 180" and the date. Do not
put your name on each page.
Please turn in
your completed essay to your TA in class on Tuesday, October 16.
(You
can hand it in early, but you cannot be late.)
II. GUIDELINES:
The topic of your mid-term essay is listed
below.
Please note: if you hand in an essay on an unassigned topic, you will
receive
a failing grade for the mid-term. No exceptions. So make
sure
that you follow the instructions given below. You may wish to
come
to me or your TA with a sheet of paper that includes a title and thesis
paragraph.
Make sure that you offer an argument about, or
interpretation of, the examples mentioned in the topic
assignment.
Make one overall point. Do not try to do too much. The point of this
assignment
is to encourage depth, since the journals and recitation sections
encourage
breadth.
Each essay also must include a thesis or point
statement, typically towards the end of the introductory
paragraph.
To write a successful argumentative essay is to avoid two errors:
- First, do not simply restate the
facts.
A string
of historical facts or statistical data does not constitute an argument.
- On the other hand, no essay is persuasive
that does
not offer evidence to support its claim. So, avoid a second
error:
do not assert simply that you feel this way or that. Argue!
In other words, offer evidence to support your thesis. That
evidence
may be from any of the books or web pages mentioned below, or from
related
outside material that you bring in to the discussion.
Those sorts of sources count as evidence. Remember
to cite any source you use at the end of each sentence in which you
summarize
or quote material from the source. Unless you thought of the argument
or
did the research yourself, you must cite it. The best style of citation
for a paper like this is to give your sources in parentheses at the end
of the sentence in which you have used the quote or paraphrase. Usually
this is done with the author and date of publication and then the page
like this: (Malcolm X 1992[1964]:132). If you mention the author's name
in the sentence, then only the date and page is necessary. In this
paper,
of course, you may want to cite class lectures. Do this in a simplified
form. Cite as Class Lecture and then given the date, like this: (Class
Lecture, 9-5-07). If you are using ideas from discussion, then (Class
Discussion, 9-6-07).
To support a position you also can appeal to
reason
and common human experience. It is not appropriate in a public
university,
however, to cite a sacred scripture or church tradition as a source of
authority to support a thesis, because not everyone accepts the same
authorities. Although such sources might be
crucial
in your personal life, it is not appropriate here to suggest that a
view
is right because it says so in a holy book--whether it is the Qu'ran,
New Testament,
or the Book of Mormon. You can (and should) analyze a historical
figure's
use of a sacred text, if that is important to your topic.
Consider also possible counter-evidence and
objections
to your thesis and respond to them in advance. Imagine what an
intelligent
and informed classmate might say to challenge your argument.
Finally, at every step of the process--from
thesis
statement to completed paper--give your essay a revealing title.
The title should hint at your thesis and reveal the general
topic.
So "Islam in America" is too broad. "The Search for Racial
Identity
in the Nation of Islam" is better.
As I noted above, I invite all students to
show
me or your TA a thesis paragraph. Of course, you may show me
several
thesis paragraphs or paper outlines. But please allow
sufficient
time to review and discuss them. If you are worried about writing the
essay, relax: I will
try to give you all the help you need to succeed on this
assignment.
Come see me or your TA during office hours, or if that is not
convenient for you
make
some other arrangement to meet. Our email addresses are listed
on the course homepage.
III. FEATURES OF AN ESSAY AND CRITERIA FOR
GRADING
One of the things that drives students crazy is
guessing what is important to each professor. To relieve you from
that guessing as much as possible, I here attempt to state clearly the
standards by which we distinguish poor, fair, good, and excellent
essays.
We will talk about these in class and section. If you do not
understand
these, please ask for a fuller explanation. So, here are the criteria
that
are most important:
FEATURES OF A SUCCESSFUL PERSUASIVE ESSAY:
CRITERIA
FOR GRADING
We will use the following criteria in grading your paper. Note that
a passing or even a good paper may not meet all of the criteria, which
are arranged in order of difficulty within each section.
A. Use of sources. In this assignment the student:
- has used the sources accurately to support the thesis
- was fair and balanced in their critiques of all sources
- was discriminating in the use of sources. (i.e., was able to
distinguish
between advocacy Web sites and informational Web sites)
Template for Religious studies
Evaluation of
Websites
(TREW)
Web sites relating to religion can vary widely in terms of quality,
accuracy, and value. Anyone can set up a web site that looks
authoritative,
but some are advocacy or attack sites, while others are scholarly and
informational.
How can you evaluate the content of a web site on religion? Here are
some
key questions that should be asked in order to come up with a profile
of
a web site that will form a basis for evaluation.
- What is the address of the site? (give the complete address,
beginning
with http://)
- Who is the author, contact person, or webmaster?
- What is the religious affiliation or institutional sponsor of
the site?
- What is the latest date of revision? Is it kept up to date?
- What is the statement of purpose, and what audience is
intended?
- Is the site primarily informational, sectarian (advocating a
particular
religious position), or polemical (arguing against another position)?
- What links are offered to other sites, if any, and what is
their
purpose?
- How much information is available on the site?
Ultimately, it will be necessary to go to additional sources outside
of the web site in order to place it in a context and evaluate its
content.
But these questions provide a starting framework that is suitable for
analyzing
the structure and purpose of a web page that deals with religion. So be
careful about using web sources in your paper.
B. Quality of the thesis.
- In this assignment the student had a clear thesis
- the thesis demonstrated that the student understood the nature of
the
question
- the thesis was defensible.
- the thesis presented a sophisticated argument that demonstrated
excellent
perception into the issue.
C. The quality of the argument. In this paper the student:
- understood the difference between a sound argument and sheer
rhetoric
- did not confuse the specific issues on religion as presented in
the
question
with personal opinions about religion or God or practice in general.
- showed an understanding of both the pros and the cons of their
own
argument
- marshaled resources well to support each point of the argument
- was able to present a counter argument when the sources did not
necessarily
agree with their thesis (i.e., if the student did not always agree with
the interpretation of materials given in the class lectures or the
comments
of their class fellows--this can include a good argument against the
professor's
interpretations!)
- demonstrated an ability to be creative (i.e., to go beyond the
issues
presented
in class or discussions pertaining to this question)
D. The quality of the writing style. In this paper the student:
- used and spelled words correctly including technical terms
- used the best word possible to present the case
- had a clear paragraph and sentence structure
- created good transitions from point to point
- wrote with varied vocabulary and sentence structure
- was able to use language with rich connotations.
IV. ESSAY TOPIC
Choose one of the following topics. These essays can be successfully
completed on the basis of the sources listed on the syllabus and
schedule, although you are free to use additional materials if you wish.
A. Religious Identity in The Rock. Choose two
of the following characters from Kenan Makiya's The Rock: Ka`b, `Umar, Sophronius,
Ishaq, or `Abd al-Malik. What sort of religious identity does each of
them exhibit, and how are various ancient texts and sites used to
express that identity? Also, how do the two characters see each
other, or how would they distinguish themselves from each other? In your explanation, make sure not to forget relevant
information from Makiya's notes at the end of the book, where he
explains how he came up with his interpretations.
B. Wives of the Prophet. How does
Fatima Mernissi interpret the role and importance of women in the early
Muslim society in the Medina period, in The Veil and the Male Elite?
Discuss any two of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad as examples, and
consider the way in which Mernissi uses and evaluates historical
evidence in making her judgments. What are the standards she uses in
constructing her interpretation of the way in which women's status
unfolded in Medina?
C. Two Perspectives on `Umar. The Prophet's companion `Umar is a
significant character in Mernissi's The Veil and the Male Elite as well
as in Makiya's The Rock.
Compare the two portrayals. How do Mernissi and Makiya differ in the
way they present `Umar? How do these portrayals relate to the objective
and intended audience of each book?