Unit I: Foundations
Mr. Henderson
Directions: The class will be divided into teams and each
will be assigned one of the world’s major religions. After researching this religion thoroughly, you
will write an informative essay and present the information to the class. Make
a copy of your essay for each student in the class plus an extra one for the
teacher. This should be typed in
paragraph form (i.e., no lists). Any
maps you can find would greatly help.
Pay careful attention to the considerations below; your paper should
follow these points as a general outline.
Things
to consider:
1. Origins: Where did this religion
start? Why did it start? Was it the result of a revelation or was it a
reform movement breaking off from a previously existing religion? Was there a specific person who founded this
religion?
2. Doctrines and Teachings: What are the basic beliefs of this religion? Is it inclusive or exclusive? What are its teachings concerning death and
the afterlife? What is it that affects
one’s status in the afterlife? Is there
a special caste of religious priests or masters that serve as a mediator to the
Divine? If so, what are the social and
political implications of this arrangement? Does this religion promote an
active industrious lifestyle or one of quiet contemplation?
3. Dissemination: To what places did this religion spread? (Maps would be very helpful
here.) How did it spread? (military conquest, trade routes etc.) What issues divided
this religion into different forms or sects?
4. Absorption: When this religion entered a specific region what effect did it have
on existing belief systems and traditions?
Did it enforce or alter views concerning the role of women? Did it present challenges to the political
authorities?
To
find this information I suggest you use the textbook (see the book’s index and
table of contents), the Encyclopedia
Britannica, the internet and books from the library. If you have consulted these sources and still
are having a difficult time, come see me.
After
completing the written part of this assignment, the groups will meet with each
other in class to compare and contrast the dissemination and absorption of the
different religions.