REL303 F11 Japanese Religions Syllabus

Religious Studies 303 Japanese Religions, Fall 2011
CRN 16297
Instructor: Mark T. Unno, Office: PLC 812, Tel. 346-4973, Email: munno@uoregon.edu
Unno Home Page: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~munno/
Class meetings: 10:00-10:50 MWF, 16 PAC
Office Hours: Wednesdays & Fridays 1:00-2:00 p.m.
This course traces select themes and developments in the history of Japanese religion. Based on an interdisciplinary approach, various aspects of intellectual and social history are examined including: the relation between state and religion; issues of gender, class, and cultural identity; religious experience; and ritual and institutional practices. We will examine representative samples of primary texts in translation supported by secondary scholarly literature. Various forms of Japanese Buddhism including Zen and Pure Land as well as Shinto will be examined through such genres as journals, shamanic oracles, philosophical texts, monastic schedules, poetry, fiction, folk tales, and cooking instructions.

Requirements
1. Attendance: Required. Students can have one unexcused absence without penalty. Each class missed thereafter without prior permission will result in 1/2 grade penalty for the course grade.
2. Short exam: There will be two short, in-class exams, based on materials from the readings, lectures, and course web site. The first exam will also contain questions on writing papers.
3. Short papers: Students will write two short papers based on topics that will be provided by the instructor.
4. Final paper: Each student will hand in a medium length final paper of 5-6 pages (approx 1500 words) double-spaced. Suggested topics will be provided. Students may choose to create their own topics with the consent of their section leader. In the case of the latter, a one-paragraph description of the topic must be submitted by email to the instructor one week prior to the due date.
5. Late policy on written assignments: Three grace days total will be allotted excluding the medium-length final paper for which no extensions will be given. For all other assignments, a cumulative total of three late days will be allowed without penalty. Thereafter, each late day will result in a two-point deduction from the course grade. Weekends are not counted against the grace days.
Email accounts. Students should all have email accounts. Your email address will be used to communicate with you during the course.
Grades

* Short exam 1 10% Short paper I 15% Short paper II 20%
* Short exam 2 10% Final paper 30% Attendance and participation 15%
Note: You must complete all assignments in order to receive course credit.
Even if you are too late for an assignment to receive a passing grade, you must hand it in.

Required Texts
Natalie Goldberg, Long Quiet Highway (New York: Bantam Books, 1994).
Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (New York: Weatherhill, 1970).
Taitetsu Unno, trans., Tannisho-A Shin Buddhist Classic (Honolulu: Buddhist Study Center, 1996).
Course Reader, REL 303 Japanese Religions, Fall 2006,
available at the Copy Shop, 539 E. 13th Street, Eugene, OR 97401, TEL 485 6253.