Religious Traditions of China & Japan

Course Outline

September 8, 1997

Overview

First off: a confession. I am not a scholar of the religious traditions of China and Japan. I do research in the religious traditions of India, and in the study of Native American religions. It is unusual for an academic to have two areas of research; one never has three. So what informs my instruction of this course? My few graduate-level courses, the needs of a small RS department, and an abiding interest in these religious traditions. If you are here expecting answers from a wise expert who has spent his life researching and writing about Ch'an Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, T'ien-t'ai Buddhism, Shinto, Nichiren Buddhism, Zen, Pure Land Buddhism, or the so-called "popular religions" of Japan and China, you should probably look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you want some well-seasoned, experienced guidance in trying to understand the work of such wise experts, read on.

When, as an undergraduate, I began studying the religious traditions of China and Japan, it seemed to me that everyone was speaking a foreign language. In a sense they were. I don't mean they were all using lots of Sanskrit, classical Chinese or Japanese words. Rather, in order to converse about the religious traditions of China and Japan, academic authorities use a specialized language. This language presupposes a background. Most of the time these authorities are so absorbed in their conversations that no one has the time to give a beginner the background she needs to understand. In a course like this, we have to learn enough of that background and that specialized language to be able to eavesdrop effectively on these conversations. If we don't, we can't hope to come to some academic understanding of these religious traditions.

The question we will return to periodically this term is:

What do we need to know in order to be conversant in the academic study of the religious traditions of China & Japan?

Method

This course will proceed by collaborative inquiry. Let's start with the "inquiry" first.

We have no common text. Instead we will take most of the first month of the course to root around and find academic articles in scholarly journals which claim to explain some aspect or aspects of these religious traditions. I will help you find articles representative of the kinds of conversations I mentioned above in areas you are interested in learning about. I will ask you to report to your colleagues about what you've found. One goal of the course, then, is to become comfortable reading and writing about the academic articles which discuss the religious traditions of China and Japan.

Once you and your class colleagues have identified the kinds of background information you need to provide context for your articles, I will ask you to find resources to help you fill in this background. "But," I hear you fretting, "if I read a couple of articles, I can't expect to learn much about Chinese and Japanese religions." This is a fair concern, but it rarely happens. Remember, each of your class colleagues will read different resources and write reports on these different resources to assist everyone's learning. Furthermore, you will find the process of coming to understand the specialized language of the scholars who write about these religious traditions will increase the breadth of your knowledge. Eavesdropping on a conversation adds to one's general as well as specific knowledge.

Approximately a month from the first day of class we will return to the reports you and your class colleagues have written about the found-articles about China and Japan. Working with these reports will lead us to a decision about which articles we will spend the rest of the term working with, which voices in the conversation we will continue to listen to. This decision should be complete by the third week of October.

The remainder of the term we will explore the religious traditions of China and Japan using these articles as our touchstones. The term will conclude with an extended class discussion of the eavesdropping we've all done during the term.

Because we will be sharing our resources, working with and learning from each other -- in writing and in oral discussion -- I call the course "collaborative." One aim of the course is to encourage each participant to become a class colleague -- to teach and learn from one another. In other courses like this one students have found they are writing frequently, often in front of a computer, sometimes in the computer lab; that they typically have to work in the library; that they work with their class colleagues on projects in groups of different sizes. To provide a means for you to write and to read each other's writing we rely on the linked computers on the top floor of Sir James Dunn Hall and in the basement of this building, as well as on the photocopiers of the University and the Harriet Irving Library.

I will ask you to keep a "portfolio" of your individual work. "Portfolio" is a fancy word for a record of your academic endeavours -- a place where you keep a copy of every piece of writing (aside from anonymous inksheds) you do for this course. I will ask to see your portfolio at the end of the term, on December 3. In addition, I will ask you to reflect on your learning for the course.

For almost every class I'll be writing you and your colleagues a letter that I call a "prompt". The prompts are most often intended to guide you in your inquiry.

Evaluation and Learning

The standard university course requires students to write tests, exams, and essays. This course does not. Without these requirements, I cannot evaluate your work by standard methods. Thus, your evaluation will consist of these three parts:

Part 1) the minimum or base grade which reflects your attendance and your responses to the prompts. If you attend consistently and respond to the prompts consistently, you will earn, for a "base grade", a grade in the "C" range. What's "consistently" mean? For me it means missing no more than a week's worth of classes (that's three) a term, and responding to all the prompts (see the item on "late assignments and excused absences" which follows). If you do not attend class consistently and/or do not respond to the prompts consistently, your base grade will go down. Regardless of how you do in the other two areas of evaluation, your final mark will not, however, be lower than your base grade. It may, of course, be higher. You can earn a higher-than-base grade by doing well in the other two areas of evaluation.⁽¹⁾

Part 2, a mark, added to this minimum, based on my assessment of the quality of your work as reflected in the learning reflections of your colleagues, that is, what they write about your contribution to their learning;

Part 3, a mark, added to the minimum, based on my assessment of the quality of your portfolio, including your learning reflections. This will especially include what and how you write about what you have learned from your class colleagues.

I will ask for your learning reflections on three different occasions: October 8, November 5, and December 3. The first two of these will involve filling out an electronic form with questions that I hope will help you focus your thoughts. I am aware that students often find writing learning reflections difficult. If learning to think about what one has learned were not so vital to thinking critically and well, I wouldn't be asking you to do it.

Learning Group Covenant

While my experience is that I learn most efficiently in groups, I also remember group experiences that were real disasters. Early in the term I will probably ask the members of RS 343 to work with me to negotiate a learning group covenant of group norms. We will be discussing such issues as rules for discussion, attendance at small group meetings held outside of the classroom, and a whole host of issues around time -- starting on time, ending on time, time for breaks, getting written work to the group on time, and so on. We'll also discuss ways of dealing with colleagues who just don't seem to want to do any work. I have found that by working through some of these issues early on, some group-related problems can be averted. I will also encourage any "working groups" which form to accomplish a long-term task to formulate a learning small-group covenant consisting of additional clauses that apply only to the work of the working group.

Information and Suggestions

1. Late assignments/excused absences. When someone asks me to be excused from a class or an assignment, I often feel the request is really for forgiveness. In fact I can (and do) forgive most absences and lapses in responding to prompts; but I cannot excuse them. There are no excuses in RS 343. As you will see, an assignment passed in late is often useless to your class colleagues and thus is as good as not done; and an absence from class is often an absence from your group whether you have a good reason or not. Late assignments are assignments not done; and an absence is an absence is an absence. This requirement flows naturally from the collaborative nature of the course.

2. Save all the work of the course. We produce lots of writing in this course. Despite the use of computers, there's a huge amount of paper, which I expect you to save and keep track of at least until December. The prompts are only a small part of these. I find a three-ring binder and a paper punch a great way to keep track of all the paper. You will learn ways to keep an electronic copy of your important electronic mail messages and electronic files. I strongly suggest you keep a paper or electronic copy of every significant contribution you pass in or write to the shared directory on the computer network. This means getting a few small diskettes on which to copy electronic files. Ignore this at your peril.

3. Keep your portfolio up to date. It need not be fancy (I'll pass out file folders that will do the job), but it is your responsibility to make sure that your portfolio represents your work. If you don't want something to appear there, simply leave it out. I will assume that you intend missing items to be missing. I'll ask for your portfolio only once -- on the last day of classes. I will ask for your final learning reflection at the same time. If your portfolio is not up to date, you will find the final learning reflection difficult to do.

4. Textbooks, Photocopies, and Examinations. There is no textbook. Please set aside at least $20.00 for photocopying (the cost of a "big" debit card at the library. You will find it necessary to photocopy library material as well as your own and colleagues' work. You may need another $10.00 for laser printing. (These amounts are estimates). There are no examinations in RS 343. A caution, however: you can plan on spending the time you would have spent cramming for exams in this course working consistently throughout the term. Figure on approximately five hours outside of class time each week.

5. Many times when you write something in response to a prompt, it will be read by some or all of your class colleagues. Please keep this simple fact in mind when you are preparing assignments for this course. If the work is going to be on paper, make sure it is dark enough to photocopy. If the work takes electronic form (e-mail or a file), make sure you put your name on it. An excellent piece of work that is unreadable cannot be used. Only you will know how good it is. Your class colleagues will not, nor will I. If it's unsigned, we can use it, but you cannot be cited for it.

The Class Begins On Wednesday

After reflecting on this course outline and on what will be happening in this afternoon's class, you may feel you are not comfortable with the style of learning in RS 343. Or you may feel you are not ready to take on the kind of commitment to learning that the course requires. That's okay. There are other religious studies courses you may take; there are other years to take this course.

I suggest we treat today as an information session; the class begins Wednesday afternoon ... I'll take the first attendance then. If you need to drop RS 343 before then, that's okay. I know the course will work best with and for people who want to be here.

An Assignment for Friday

Should you decide to join us in the course, please e-mail me. Your message can contain just your name and Login ID (at St. Thomas this is the five letter non-word beginning with G), or, if you wish, a longer message. I need an electronic record of your name and Login ID for making electronic lists. Please do this by Friday, September 12. I have a one-page instruction sheet for this.

____________________

1. I noted that your base grade is augmented by the two other marks. The exception to this is if you earn an F as a base grade. Missing lots of classes earns you an F; so does not responding to lots of prompts. You cannot pass the course if you earn an F as a base grade; if there are other marks they are not counted. What does "lots" mean? Miss some combination of 15 classes and prompt-responses and you fail.

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