Purpose

The final reflection is to answer two short essay questions. Students are expected to utilize the theories and methodologies they learn from this course to interpret these two questions. Students are also encouraged to introduce their own religious experience in their discussions. This final reflection aims to test if students have mastered some major theories and debates on the academic study of religion.

Instructions

• Religious community is often regarded as a textual, image, ritual, moral, and disciplined community. All members of the religious community are binding themselves together by the texts they read and transmitted, images they created and produced, rituals they performed and repeated, morality and disciplined they observed and followed. Please briefly explain your understanding of the cultural and social origins of a religious community. (50 points)
• Religion is also often viewed as a traditional thinking, a way of life, and the old principle as well as morality. Please share your thoughts on how a traditional religion can beat the challenges of contemporary society in the era of globalization, politically, culturally, and ecologically. (50 points)
  

  Grading Criteria

  The grading will be based on the following requirements:1. At least 200 words for each of these two questions. (20 points, 10 for each question)2. Please explain them by referring to religious theories and interpretations you learned from our course materials. (20 points, 10 for each question)3. Please offer citations, showing what particular sources you use. (20 points, 10 for each question)4. Please note you should also use at least one additional source beyond our lectures and textbooks and assigned readings. Please find articles from JSTOR or elsewhere. No commercial websites (.com) will be counted as additional sources. (20 points, 10 for each question)5. Please introduce your own religious experience and observance of religious activities. (20 points, 10 for each question)