Fred Glennon, Ph.D. (Courses)
Professor (RH 216)
Department of Religious Studies
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, New York 13214 
(315) 445-4343

REL 314

Church and State in Comparative Perspective

ACTIVITY OPTIONS

PARTICIPATION (Worth 75-100 points of total course grade).  

One of the assumptions I make is that students learn best in cooperation with others.  However, students do not always have the opportunity or the ability to do it.  One of my goals is to enable students to work collaboratively with others by providing such opportunities.  That is why the basic pedagogy in this class is cooperative learning:  students working in various groups to teach and learn from one another.  To pull this off, it is imperative that students be present and participate actively in their groups.  The Participation Activity is one way of providing incentive to do so.

I also believe that students ought to be rewarded for effort as well as ability.  Students often complain that, no matter how hard they work on an assignment, they can get no higher than a C or a B.  This leaves them disappointed and frustrated.  Through your participation in this class, you have the opportunity to make an A for one fourth of your grade (100 points).  That is because the Participation Activity grade measures the effort you put into the class.

The student's grade for this activity will be determined by class attendance, reading preparation, and successful completion of assessment activities (see list of Assignments on Canvas).

·         Attendance is critical if cooperative learning is to take place. Each student should expect to attend all classes. (But because students want to know how many classes they can miss, students who miss more than 4 classes will receive a D for their participation grade.  Students who miss more than 6 classes can expect no higher than D on their final grade.  Students who miss 8 or more classes will receive an F for the course. (Note for Athletes:  your participation in the sport will use up your allowable absences.) 

·          The online reading response portion of the participation grade will come from successful completion of online reading responses during the semester. (See Canvas under Assignments/Reading Responses for a description of what these entail.)  They should be completed by Thursday class time of each week.  Late reading responses will receive no credit. 

·         The final portion of the participation grade will come from completion of assessment exercises (completion of a syllabus quiz, a learning self-assessment, a learning covenant, discussion on learning covenant, mid-term class evaluation, objective understanding assessment, and completion of final self-assessment). The purpose of these exercises will be to assess student learning of course materials.  (See Canvas, Assignments for Assessment Activities for guidelines for each.).

GROUP FINAL PROJECT (Worth from 75-100 points of total course grade):  This activity will take place in lieu of a final exam and will be done in home groups. Further information on the content of this activity, guidelines for completing this project, and the evaluation criteria will be distributed at a later time.

LIBRARY RESEARCH PAPER (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This is a traditional research (term) paper. You are to select a topic of interest to you which is also related to the course topic, research it thoroughly, and generate a well-written and well-organized research paper. There are no length requirements, as the length will vary depending upon the nature and scope of the topic selected. But a paper in the range of 7-10 pages is average. This is to be a good research effort (at least 5 bibliographic sources). To aid you in this process, you may submit an outline and/or a first draft for comment and review. However, if you want comments on the draft, you must submit it two (2) weeks prior to the last day of class.    

Evaluation Criteria:

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This is to be a small, but well-done, original research project. It can either duplicate a research project already done by a previous scholar or it may be completely original. It might include something like administering a questionnaire, doing intensive interviews, conducting an experiment, writing up a participant/observation research project, collecting and analyzing self-generated data, or the like. For most original research projects, it should begin with a review of the appropriate literature. After conducting the research it should be written up as would be done for any research paper.

Evaluation Criteria:

BOOK REVIEW ESSAY (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This is a formal paper written critiquing several books on, generally, the same topic. Most book review essays review anywhere from two to five books (but this is not a hard-and-fast rule). The book review essay attempts to integrate the books while critiquing them around a common theme; the emphasis is on analysis, not description. The books may be selected from the bibliography placed on reserve in the library or chosen on your own.

Evaluation Criteria:

INTEGRATIVE ESSAY OVER REQUIRED TEXTS (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This essay would be due toward the conclusion of the semester. In it you would link each of the texts used in the course around some integrative/ analytical theme or thesis of your own devising. Since most of the required readings are essays, you would pick out key essays that fit your thesis. The emphasis is on analysis rather than mere description.

Evaluation Criteria:

LECTURE (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade). Le Moyne College brings a variety of scholars and others to campus each semester who often address ethical themes or issues.  Some already on the schedule include:

Speaker

Topic

Date, Time, Place

George Yancy, Ph.D.
Emory University

"Martin Luther King Convocation Speaker"

Thursday, Jan. 26, 4pm, James Commons

Brian Stolarz, J.D.
Partner, LaClair-Ryan

"Race and Justice on Death Row"

Thursday, Feb. 2, 4pm, SCA 101

Elizabeth Calvin, Human Rights Watch

Berrigan Lecture

“’These aren’t children, they’re monsters:’ Sentencing Children to Die in Prison in the U.S”

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 6pm, Grewen Auditorium

Massimo Faggioli, Ph.D.
Villanova University

"The Trump Presidency and the Catholic Church between the US and the Vatican"

Thursday, Feb. 16, 7:00pm, Panasci Family Chapel

Khurram Hussain, Ph.D.

Hobart &William Smith

Calling on Malcolm X in the Time of Trump - Racism, Muslim Oppression and Reimagining Resistance with Black Lives Matter.

Tuesday, Mar. 16, 5:00pm, Grewen Auditorium

Prudence Bushnell,

U.S. Ambassador to Kenya (ret)

"Genocide in Rwanda, 1994:  Personal, Policy, and Leadership Lessons"

Wednesday, Apr. 3, 5:30pm, Panasci Family Chapel

Joel Winkelman, Ph.D.
Hamilton College

 "The Vocation of a Citizen:  Lessons from American Political Thought"

 Tuesday, Apr. 4, 4:00pm, Reilley Room

 

 

 

This activity requires that you attend a lecture and discussion and write a reaction/analysis to the ideas presented. If you complete this activity, you should attend the ENTIRE event. Thus, you should arrive on time to attend the entire presentation and question session. You should participate if possible. You will write an analysis of the presentation and question session. Here again, the analysis should be critical, not merely descriptive.

Evaluation Criteria:

  1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the analytical framework that holds the entire together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed?  How well is the lecture understood?  How well does the paper make connections between the various components of the lecture?  Does the critique of the lecture accurately interpret the presentation or are there distortions which seriously weaken the critique? Do the points made in the critique go beyond the obvious?
  2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas?  How clearly are the ideas expressed?  How well does the analysis illustrate the ideas drawn from the lecture?  How effective is the transition between ideas?  How effective is the introduction and conclusion?   
  3. Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary).  Are the grammar and spelling correct?  Are there a variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed?  Is the vocabulary accurately and effectively used?

 

Two lecture analyses must be done for this activity to count for 100 points.

ANALYSIS OF RELIGIOUS ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade): This activity requires that the student select a religious organization that engages in political or social advocacy for issues of social justice, religious freedom, or other ethical issues (e.g. peace advocacy, Catholic Charities, environmental groups, jail ministry/advocacy group, etc.). Arrange a visit to the organization to find out the mission and purpose of the organization, the issues it addresses, and how they go about their work. In particular, focus on the values or beliefs that motivate their work. Then make a report on the organization which is not merely descriptive but analytical in that the report shows the connectedness between mission, beliefs/values, and organization. Moreover, you should include a critique of the organization from your perspective. This report can be written, but may use other media as well (such as photographs, videotape, etc.)

Evaluation Criteria:

PEW FORUM ON RELIGION AND POLITICS ANALYSIS (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade):  The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has a section on Religion and Politics (http://www.pewforum.org/Topics/Issues/Politics-and-Elections/) as well as sections on Religious Views of various social issues we will explore.  This activity requires that students choose one of those issues and explore it in-depth on the website (in other words, look at the whole issue on the site, not just one page.  For example, there is a great resource on Religion, Evolution, and the Public Schools that would be a good one to explore.).  You would then write an analysis of the information found there (4-5 pages).  The student will include an accurate URL(s) in her/his analysis.

Evaluation Criteria:

WEB SITE EXPLORATION AND ANALYSIS (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): This activity requires that students choose one or more web sites that address the themes discussed in class (separation of church and state, religious freedom, etc.). The student will review the materials on that subject present at the web site and write an analysis of the information found there (4-5 pages). The student will include an accurate URL(s) in her/his analysis. (Note: note all web sites are of the same quality. It is important that you search out the best ones for this activity, those that are affiliated with a particular institution whether it is academic, research, or advocacy group. Stay away from personal web sites if possible. For suggestions on possible web sites, see the professor. Good search engines to use in this activity include Google (http://www.google.com/) and Yahoo! Search (http://search.yahoo.com).

Evaluation Criteria:

MID-TERM EXAMINATION (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): The material from which the essay questions will be taken consists of assigned readings and class discussions. Unless indicated otherwise the mid-term exam will be a take-home exam.  You will find the exam on Canvas under Graded Activities.

Evaluation Criteria:

FILM OR PLAY REVIEW(S) (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): There are many films and plays about social issues which have moral and ethical implications and which engage the relationship between religion and politics (e.g. Loving, Inherit the Wind, The Mission, Religulous, The Courageous Mr. Penn, Hitchcock's I Confess (sanctity of the confessional), A Man for all Seasons, The Handmaid’s Tale, etc.). Unless otherwise specified the review (s) would take written form. The emphasis would be critical more than descriptive.

A good film review is not simply a discussion of the film with a personal opinion attached to the end. It is not picking up an important theme in the film and then spending most of your time discussing your view on the subject either. Rather, a good film review generally begins with an interpretation of what you think the central theme (or themes) of the film is. (To get at this you might ask yourself, "What does the filmmaker want the viewer (me) to take from this film?") What is the filmmaker saying about this theme (themes)? You should be able to state this clearly in one or perhaps two paragraphs. The bulk of the remainder of the review should then discuss/describe key scenes from the film that illustrate why your interpretation of the filmmaker’s intent or theme makes sense. You don’t have to discuss every scene in the film, but you should be sure to discuss most of the relevant scenes to support your view. You may then discuss a bit whether or not you think the filmmaker was successful in her/his efforts. You should then conclude the review with a good summary of your argument/discussion.

Two film reviews must be done to count for 100 points.

Evaluation Criteria: 

·         Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the paper in identifying and analyzing the main theme (s) of the film?  How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the analysis developed?  How well is the film and subject matter understood?   How appropriate is the film for this course? 

·         Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the paper?  How clearly are the ideas expressed?  How effective is the transition between ideas?  How effective is the introduction and conclusion?   

THOUGHT PAPERS (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade): These are short (3-5 pages) typed papers which are your reactions to things which have been happening in class or reactions to ideas you have come across elsewhere (e.g. in a book, in discussions with friends, etc.). The thoughts should be ORIGINAL and UNIQUE, they should not merely restate what others have said. These may or may not be distributed to the entire class depending upon whether you want them to be or not. They should be tightly focused and should concern themselves with only a single topic; as such, they should be logical and well-written. A minimum of three (3) must be submitted and due dates for each should be given.

Evaluation Criteria:

JOURNAL (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade): A journal should include at least three entries per week and should be entries which have been generated by ideas which you have come across in class, readings, the interactions of those in class, etc., and they should reflect broadly on the religious and/or moral dimensions of the relationship between church and state, religion and politics. (In other words, don't write about your date on Friday Night unless you can discuss the religious or moral aspects of it.) The journal entries may take several different forms---they could be highly analytical, they could be emotive, they could focus on one problem or issue throughout the entire semester, etc. Whatever form it takes it must be specified prior to beginning its writing. The journal will be due twice during the semester; once around mid-term and once at the conclusion of the semester (unless otherwise specified). The mid-term evaluation will be returned with comments (no grade). A grade will be assigned at the conclusion of the semester.

Evaluation Criteria:

ARTWORK (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade): This might include works such as poems, paintings, cartoons, photographs, videotapes, sculptures, performances, and the like which you actually create. The object is to convey some ideas, thoughts, or feelings through the use of symbols which enables you to demonstrate that you have met one of content course learning objectives 2-6 (see syllabus for these objectives) or a content learning objective you developed and the professor approves.  (In other words, although the artwork activity may enable you to develop your artistic abilities or to express your understanding of the relationship between church and state, religion and politics, through a creative medium, it must also demonstrate your learning in one of the content areas of the course.). These may be shared with the class or they may be shared only with the professor. In addition to the piece of artwork itself, you should attach a brief (2-4) page written statement which explains the purpose of the artwork, the learning objective you sought to meet, and how you have attempted to accomplish it.

Poems, collages, photographs:  50 points
Paintings, sculptures, video creations, performances:  75 points

Evaluation Criteria:

CLASS PRESENTATION/LEAD DISCUSSION (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): The format for the presentation is left up to the student to decide, but you must do so in conjunction with the professor. This might include a presentation and discussion on the selected topic, a dramatic or visual arts display, a simulation game, or readings/discussions of group members’ research efforts. It would be up to you to gather reading materials for distribution or placed on reserve and to get approval from the professor (the reserve readings are a good place to start). The presentation will be evaluated according to the following criteria and will be conducted by the professor and classmates.

Evaluation Criteria:

FILM PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION LEADERSHIP (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): You are to select a film, arrange to have it shown at an appropriate time during the semester, and lead a discussion of the film following its viewing. This may be an academic or relevant popular film. This activity may be done either in class or outside of class. (In the latter case, arrangements must be made to have the discussion videotaped.)

Evaluation Criteria:

FIELD TRIP (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This may include either a trip you take by yourself or with others to some place of significance for the course (Women's Rights museum in Seneca Falls, Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center on Onondaga Lake Parkway, a site of a significant event for church-state issues in the U.S., etc.) or you might arrange to take the entire class (or all those willing and able to go). Note: Upon completion of the trip a report (either written or oral) must be made in which you describe what you did to prepare for the trip, what you did on the trip, what was learned, etc.

Evaluation Criteria:

GAME (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade):  In addition to the game itself (which includes directions, appropriate equipment, etc.) there should be an accompanying written statement which details the purpose of the game and explains PRECISELY how the purpose is achieved by the game. The statement should be detailed, thorough, and precise.

Evaluation Criteria: 

TEACHING/CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade) This activity involves one or two students in assessing the effectiveness of the teaching and learning processes used in the course.  Students will meet bi-weekly with the professor to discuss what occurred in the previous week’s classes and what will happen in the weeks ahead. I will provide students with copies of my objectives and selected activities for each class ahead of time so that they can write comments as the class proceeds. In particular, students are to note if the objective for each class was achieved or not and what helped or hindered its achievement. At our meetings, we will discuss your comments and make suggestions for how the class might be improved upon and what I need to do in classes ahead to insure that the material is learned better.  In addition, students should pay attention to the processes that are going on in class that help or hinder the effectiveness of the class.

Evaluation Criteria:

·         Effort.  How much time and effort did you put into this activity?  How faithful were you in attendance at meetings?  How well did you understand the overall direction of the class?  How prepared were you for our discussions?  How detailed were your procedural notes and record-keeping?

·         Initiative and leadership.  How effective were you in taking initiative in bringing issues that arose in class to the attention of the professor?  

·         Insightfulness and creativity.  How insightful were your understandings of what worked and did not work in the class?  How helpful were your suggestions for improvement?

WILD CARD (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): The list of activities I have provided are meant to be suggestive, but not exhaustive. If you can develop new and unique activities, I encourage you to do so. However, you must discuss these with me and you must assist in the development of appropriate evaluation criteria and restrictions for those activities.