Now at The Tech Museum of Innovation: Islamic Science Rediscovered

An illuminating exhibit about scientific and technological innovations from the Muslim world is now open at The Tech.

More information can be found here.

News Roundup 9.27.11

Glee's Christian star speaks out for gay rights

• Christian Glee star Kristen Chenoweth: "I don’t think being gay is a sin. Period." Advocate
• One author's quest to meet Satan Christian Post
• Florida Republican Party appeases Tea Party elements, denies a Muslim a post on state committee Huffington Post
• Study's controversial finding: Christians having pre-martial sex and abortions as much as non-Christians Relevant
• Heckler to President Obama: "You are the Antichrist!" New York Daily News
• A latest weapon in the fight against climate change: Durga, the Hindu goddess GroundReport 

 

Week 06: Christian Scientists

Eschewing medicine, followers instead rely on healing through prayer

Mo 9.26
Read: eR—“The Crusade Against Evolution” (Wired), “Intelligent Designer” (Salon), “In Defense of Evolution” (NOVA), “God by the Numbers” (ChristianityToday)
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Lecture—“Easy Fixes: 10 Grammar Rules to Know”

We 9.28
Read: eR—“Paul Bettany’s Journey to the Dawn of Creation” (Vanity Fair), “Governor Perry, Like Many Christians, Wants to Leave Room for God” (Washington Post), “Teaching Evolution: A State-by-State Debate” (NPR)
Class: Lecture—“Spirituality on Film”
Due: REFLECTION 3

UPCOMING:

Week 7
Mo 10.3
Read: eR—“The Evolution of Creationism” (Salon), “The Texas-Size Debate over Teaching Evolution” (Newsweek), “Defending Intelligent Design” (NOVA)
Class: Guest speaker TBA

We 10.5
Read: eR—“Board vs. Teachers” (NOVA), “Evangelicals Question the Existence of Adam and Eve” (NPR), “Evolution vs. Creationism: Study Reveals Public School Science Lagging” (Huffington Post)
Class: Reading discussion; Lecture—“The Fundamentals of Rhetoric;” Assignment—Persuasive essay

News Roundup 9.21.11

Why be buried when you can be plasticized?

• Thinking outside the box: Alternatives to casket burials LiveScience
• Christian Coalition leader on bullying; “I hardly think bullying is a real issue in schools." Think Progress
• Pat Robertson continues to draw flack for advising man that it's okay to divorce his wife who has Alzheimer's Christian Post
• Atheism on the rise in America Washington Post
• Texas family: The Virgin Mary saved our house from wildfires CNN
• European Sikhs protest for better treatment at airports PRNewswire

Reflection 3: What's Hot Now!—Cultural Appropriation and Religious Symbols

Gods, symbols, and rituals have all been absorbed into the mainstream

Cultural appropriation is the act of one culture "incorporating" aspects of another culture into its own. However, this is different than American hip-hop adopting Bollywood moves or fusing Thai ingredients into Mexican cuisine. In cultural appropriation, a dominant group assimilates aspects of a foreign culture without regard to their original use or intent. In other words, parts of one culture might be absorbed into another in insensitive or offensive ways, often for their perceived exoticism or cool factor. This practice extends to the religious and spiritual practices of other cultures, as well. Thus, in America, we've seen hipsters embrace Dia de los Muertos, the popularization of sacred Tibetan symbols as tattoos, celebrities sporting Kabbalah string bracelets, and the labeling of a clean, Asian-influenced design as "Zen" style. Each of these is misunderstood and, in turn, misapplied; and yet each has seeped into pop culture. How have you seen the religious iconography of other cultures absorbed into the American mainstream? And what of those instances when a particular culture is offended by the use of their religion in our culture, such as Buddhists objecting to Victoria's Secret's Buddha-themed bikini? What is the line between borrowing, often sacred, cultural artifacts and misusing them? Do we truly respect and understand the traditions of Ojibwa dreamcatchers, or Maori tribal tattoos, or Siddha Yoga chants when we engage them?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "Kanji Tattoos are Primarily for Western Eyes” (Japan Times)
• "On Hipsters/Hippies and Native Culture" (Bitch)  
• "Día de los Muertos: Cultural Appropriation Meets Craft" (ONTD Feminism)
• "The Conversation on Cultural Appropriation" (The White Hindu)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Must be exactly two-full pages in length

Due: We 9.28

Assignment: Editorial Essay

Since September 11th, 2001, America has wrestled with understanding Islam, the second-largest religion in the world. And while many Americans seized on those tragic events to learn more about the faith, others turned to prejudice and hate. Thus, a sad byproduct of those attacks has been the rise in American society of Islamophobia, an irrational fear or prejudice towards Islam and Muslims. In their book, Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy, Peter Gottschalk and Gabriel Greenberg chronicle the ways in which our culture has demonized Islam over the past ten years. They argue that American politicians and media have used Muslims as polarizing figures in American society, painting them in the broadest strokes possible. As a result, not only does prejudice run rampant, so too does ignorance. In a concise editorial, explain how you believe we, as a society, should address this issue. How do we start a national dialogue about the ways this is negatively impacting Americans—Muslim and non-Muslim alike? And what are some of the most challenging aspects of Islamophobia to confront? To support your thesis, cite evidence from Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy, one article you find on your own, and at least two articles/clips below:

• “Making Islamophobia Mainstream” (FAIR)
• Interview with Geert Wilders from Glenn Beck (FoxNews)
• Interview with Rep. Keith Ellison from Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
• “Islamophobia: Media Myth?” (FoxNews)
• “Islamophobiapalooza”from The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
• Interview with Rep. Keith Ellison from Glenn Beck (CNN)
  

Requirements:

• MLA Style, including parenthetical citation and works cited
• 3-page minimum
• Cite from Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy, one article you find on your own, and at least two articles/clips above 

The best papers:

• Have a title that articulates its point of view
• Stay within the parameters of the subject matter
• Have a concise thesis which clearly outlines a position
• Are written in a voice that is casual, yet informed
• Clearly support their thesis with solid evidence and a logical structure, citing from Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy, one found article, and at least two articles/clips above
• Conclude with a summation of the argument
• Properly cite evidence using MLA's parenthetical citation method
• Are in compliance with MLA Style

Sample editorials from the New York Times:

• "Eggheads and Blockheads" by Maureen Dowd
  
• "Where the Jobs Aren't" by David Brooks
• "Is It Weird Enough Yet?" by Thomas L. Friedman
• "In Honor of Teachers" by Charles M. Blow
• "It's Still the 9/11 Era" by Russ Douthat

Due: Mo 9.26

Week 05: Santerians

A woman has her fortune told by a Santeria priestess in Havana

Mo 9.19
Read: ISLAM—p. 89-152; eR—“Making Islamophobia Mainstream” (FAIR), Interview with Geert Wilders from Glenn Beck (FoxNews), Interview with Rep. Keith Ellison from Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
Class: Reading discussion; Lecture—“MLA and Works Cited;” Presentaions (Sec. 3: Khuloud Rasheed and Erika Vasquez; Rachael Valdez & Christina Huy); Assignment—Editorial essay

We 9.21
Class: Watch—Religulous (2008)

UPCOMING: 

Week 6
Mo 9.26
Read: eR—“The Crusade Against Evolution” (Wired), “Intelligent Designer” (Salon), “In Defense of Evolution” (NOVA), “God by the Numbers” (ChristianityToday)
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Lecture—“Easy Fixes: 10 Grammar Rules to Know”
Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY 

We 9.28
Read: eR—“Paul Bettany’s Journey to the Dawn of Creation” (Vanity Fair), “Governor Perry, Like Many Christians, Wants to Leave Room for God” (Washington Post), “Teaching Evolution: A State-by-State Debate” (NPR)
Class: Lecture—“Spirituality on Film”
Due: REFLECTION 3

Assignment: Research Paper

Often, much of what we know about a faith comes via the media. In fact, it is often television series that most explore specific belief systems. Representations might vary from accurate and objective to stereotypical and biased, even offensive.

For your research paper, you will examine the representation of faith (or lack of faith) in a major American television series. The goals are to illustrate the ways in which a specific belief system is portrayed and to analyze that portrayal's impact on the general perception of those beliefs.

Requirements:

• Minimum 10 pages in length
• MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
• Minimum of 6 outside sources—at least 3 from peer-reviewed academic texts—listed in a separate Works Cited page
• Examine at least 4 relevant episodes of a major American television series (see list below)

Include in your research paper:

• A clear thesis, arguing how this particular faith (or lack of faith) is portrayed in a specific television program
• An analysis of:: 

• The program's representation of one belief system—via specific characters, plot lines, themes, etc. 
• The media's historical representation of this particular belief system
• A contrasting view of this belief system via a secondary source

• At least one secondary television program to compare and contrasted with your primary source
• A conclusion that illustrates an understanding of this intersection of faith and media.

The primary focus of your paper should be on one of the following television shows; your secondary source may also come from this list:

1. 30 Rock (NBC)
2. 7th Heaven (The WB)
   
3. Battlestar Galactica (2004 remake; Syfy)
4. Big Bang Theory (CBS)
5. Big Love (HBO)
6. Bones (FOX)
   
7. Boston Legal (ABC)
8. Breaking Bad (AMC)
   
9. Caprica (Syfy)
   
10. Carnivale (HBO)
11. Charmed (The WB)
12. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)
13. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
14. Dexter (Showtime)
    
15. Family Guy (FOX)
16. Futurama (FOX)
    
17. Gilmore Girls (The WB)
    
18. Glee (FOX)
19. The Golden Girls (NBC)
    
20. Highway to Heaven (NBC)
    
21. House (FOX)
    
22. Joan of Arcadia (CBS)
    
23. Little House on the Prairie (NBC)
24. The Living Dead (AMC)
25. Lost (ABC)
26. Mad Men (AMC)
27. The O.C. (FOX)
28. The Office (NBC)
29. Scrubs (NBC/ABC)
    
30. The Secret life of the American Teenager (ABC Family)
31. Seinfeld (NBC)
    
32. The Simpsons (FOX)
    
33. Six Feet Under (HBO)
34. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Syndicated)
    
35. Star Trek: The Next Generation (Syndicated)
36. That 70's Show (FOX)
    
37. Touched By an Angel (CBS)
    
38. True Blood (HBO)
39. The Tudors (Showtime)
    
40. The Waltons (CBS)
41. The Wire (HBO)
42. The X-Files (FOX)

Due: We 11.16 (Draft 1); Mo 11.28 (Draft 2); Mo 12.5 (Final Draft)

News Roundup 9.14.11

Should Vatican officials be held accountable for abuses by priests?

• Abuse victims to International Criminal Court: Prosecute the Vatican New York Times 
• A look at the bathtub Marys of Kentucky San Francisco Chronicle
• Federal appeals court to teacher: Take down down religious banners UPI
• US State Department: Arab Spring revolutions a potential threat to religious freedoms International Business Times
• Americans increasingly tailoring religion to fit individual needs USA Today
• Couple offers insight into abstinence until marriage in new book PRWeb

Week 04: Mormons

Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Mo 9.12
Read: ISLAM—p. 13-60
Class: Reading discussion; Lecture—"Steps of the Writing Process"

We 9.14
Read: ISLAM—p. 61-88; eR—“Islamophobia: Media Myth?” (FoxNews), “Islamophobiapalooza”from The Daily Show (Comedy Central), Interview with Rep. Keith Ellison from Glenn Beck (CNN)
Class: LITERARY ANALYSIS/SHORT ANSWER RESPONSE
Due: REFLECTION 2

UPCOMING:

Week 5
Mo 9.19
Read: ISLAM—p. 89-152; eR—“Making Islamophobia Mainstream” (FAIR), Interview with Geert Wilders from Glenn Beck (FoxNews), Interview with Rep. Keith Ellison from Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
Class: Reading discussion; Lecture—“MLA and Works Cited;” Assignment—Editorial essay

We 9.21
Class: Watch—Religulous (2008)
Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY

News Roundup 9.10.11

• Miley Cyrus turns to Hinduism for new tattoo Times of India
• The chutzpah: Mel Gibson to make film about Jewish hero Daily Variety
• Former Christian Dior designer convicted in French court of making anti-Semitic remarks  The Hollywood Reporter
• "Mixed bag" for American Muslims since September 11th CBS News
• High school senior booted from Christian school after admitting she's a lesbian WTIC-TV Hartford
• Young evangelicals split over same-sex marriage Washington Post

Reflection 2—Who Decides?: The WTC Cross Debate

Should this cross-like WTC remnant be part of the official memorial?

As our nation commemorates the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, a debate has arisen over a peculiar artifact from the attacks. The item in question is a pair of steel beams from the World Trade Center rubble that resemble a Christian cross. While some people find comfort in the cross as a symbol of hope, faith, and healing, others object to the use of a religious symbol in a national memorial. American Atheists, an atheist advocacy group, has even gone so far as to sue to keep the cross out of any official tribute. Where do you think the cross should go? Is it appropriate to be placed it as part of The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, or should it placed somewhere else? What would you do to resolve this controversy?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "Atheists Object to '9/11 Cross'" (Atlantic)
• "The WTC Cross Still Inspiring Debate" (Gather)
• "Why the WTC Cross Does Not Belong at the 9/11 Memorial" (Guardian)
• "9/11 WTC Memorial Cross Supported by 72 Percent of Americans" (Christian Post)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Must be exactly two-full pages in length

Due: We 9.15

Week 03: Shintoists

A torii gate indicates a place is a sacred Shinto site.

Mo 9.5
No Class: Labor Day

We 9.7
Read: Gdocs—Excerpt from The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, “NippleJesus” by Nick Hornby, “This Blessed House” by Jhumpa Lahiri, Excerpt from Snow by Orhan Pamuk
Class: DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY

News Roundup 9.2.11

• Chaz Bono on Dancing with the Stars: Not how God intended it? Forbes
• Just in time to commemorate September 11th: A disturbing anti-Muslin coloring book for kids The Guardian
• Do we need a separation of church and weather? CityWatch
  
• Influential American rabbi on same-sex marriage in America: "in 10 years, maybe less, maybe more, it won't be an issue" The Jewish Chronicle
• The Vatican blasts NYC schools' "magical trust in the effectiveness of sex education" Huffington Post
• Florida pastor: Atheists are like sex offenders, should be put onto a national registry New York Magazine