For Monday

1) Read over syllabus yourself and be prepared to ask any questions you may have, please print double-sided and bring to class on Monday - we are in Orradre Chapel, so bring Wherever You Go, There You Are book.

2) Religion/Spirituality: Where Am I?... Worth 50 points
Due: 2nd meeting next week:

2nd - Tuesday, 6th - Wed.

Please type 2-3 pgs, 1 1/2 spaced, 12 pt. font, an overview of Where You Are at this point in your life in regards to religion/spirituality. You may be very personal about this, and/or you may analyze religion in general from your point of view. Be sure and take time to describe how your path has evolved and what has brought you to where you are today: key influences, experiences, questions.... How would you describe to someone your own view of the world, your philosophy, your sense of yourself, your religiousness/spirituality? This is due our 2nd meeting next week, at the beginning of class, and please be prepared to share by reading a section.

I look forward to hearing from you!  It will be interesting to hear what we bring to the class. I will share mine as well.

1) See above for what's due 2nd meeting this week.

2) For 3rd meeting, please read pgs. 1-15 in Smith's World's Religions.  Be sure and notice the art, photos, and images, important part of these traditions!

Then summarize in bullet points Smith's approach to "religion".  I will collect these.

3) We will begin watching Baraka this week. Please click on the link on my website to get some more background on the film. For Tuesday, 1/16, you are to write a 1-2 pg (500-750 words) typed reflection response, incorporating at least 3 of the 12 questions listed at the Baraka link. Please TYPE, 1 1/2 spaced, 12 pt font and please print on both sides if you can. The printers at SI print on both sides.

Happy MLK Day on Monday!

See above for what's due Tuesday.

For 3rd meeting , please read Ch IX (9) on Primal Religions in Smith's, World Religions .  You need to answer the questions on the website listed under Smith Questions.

I will collect these. 

See me with any questions.

Revised - We will NOT meet in Orradre on Monday due our schedule next week and b/c we met in Orradre with Mr. Lynch. For this weekend you need to complete the Novak reading for Primal Religions. See below.

1) Please read Primal Religions chapter in Novak (read a sampling under each heading), and answer 1st 3 questions, then choose 1 from each subheading, and any additional 2 for a total of 10 questions answered.  You do NOT have to type your questions, just make them neat and easy to read.  This concludes our reading of our 1st tradition: Primal Religions.

Please bring to class on Monday. Also, make sure you bring Kabat-Zinn, as well as Novak to class.

Have a good weekend, Go SAINTS!

In preparation for our movie that begins next meeting, please read the links of the film Whale Rider to the right.  This is about the Maori of New Zealand.  I will not require you to write a summary of the readings...please read for background, as you will be lost in the film otherwise!  This should not take you long.   You will enjoy this film!

http://www.whaleriderthemovie.com

(CLICK MOVIE, THEN CLICK SYNOPSIS, feel free to poke around further if you like!)

http://www.haro-online.com/movies/whale_rider.html

http://www.movienet.com/whalerider.html

For Tuesday -2nd pd, Wednesday - 3rd pd, you will write your 1st Final Synthesis Paper for Primal/Indigenous Traditions. Please go to the Vision Quest link on the main page and you will see the directions there. Bring to class on Tuesday -2nd, Wednesday - 6th. and we will discuss and conclude our study of Primal/Indigenous Traditions.

We conclude Primal Religions and begin Hinduism this week. Please pace yourself as you read Hinduism in Smith's World Religions. You are to answer the 20 questions listed. They are due Monday, Feb. 5th.

To pace yourself, please finish the first 5-7 questions by 3rd meeting, the second 5-7 questions by 4th meeting. You will have the final 6-10 questions for the weekend. We will do some reading in class together.

See Mr. Haardt with questions.

Namaste - "The divine in me honors the divine in you."

You are asked to read the Hindu section in Novak , which will be due Monday, 2/12.

Please read selections from Vedas, Upanishads, Baghavad-Gita and Grace Notes.   See Novak link for questions... you must answer # 11, 12, 27-29 (5 questions) & then choose any additional 7 questions under each sub-heading (Vedas-2, Upanishads-2, Gita-2) + any additional 1.

Total = 12 Questions!

1) Begin working on Novak questions due Monday, see above.

2)Due Friday, 2/9: http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm - Click this link and choose your God/Goddess that you will also incorporate into your final synthesis. Many Hindus are allowed to worship their own local God/Goddess who is a reflection of the realization of Atman=Brahman.

After you choose your God/Goddess, print out a 1 pg summary and image of your God/Goddess and be prepared to share with the class. Please try to explain the details in your image, like why Ganesha has an elephant head, what is he holding, why does he have many arms etc...?

Enjoy choosing your God/Goddess.

Namaste

1) 6th period will report to room 209 for class on Wed.

2) For Thurs & Friday, 2nd & 6th periods are to report to the Libary to complete their Hindu Final Synthesis. All Hindu Final Synthesis papers must be turned in on Feb. 20th...if you are not going to be here for any reason...please make sure someone hands it in for you or you may e-mail it to me.

3) See the main page under Hindus, 1st link is the basis for our in-class presentations, a nice overview. The 2nd link is your Hindu Final Synthesis which is due Tuesday, Feb. 20th! We will share these in class. Make sure you have paired up with someone from your class!

Namaste and pray for your seniors and Mr. H on Kairos!

1) We begin the Buddhist tradition this week. Please read the Buddhist chapter in Smith and answer the 30 questions listed. This is the longest chapter in Smith and the most questions. So please pace yourself. Questions will be due from Smith on our 1st meeting next week Tuesday, Feb. 27th - 2nd pd/Wednesday Feb. 28th - 6th period.

Please keep up with the reading!

2) Buddhist Novak Questions will be due Friday, March 2nd - Pick any 10 questions of the 30 listed, try to choose ones you have not answered in Smith already. Take this time to read the actual sacred texts themselves and think about what Buddhism is trying to reveal about the human condition.

Good Luck and please complete these on time.

For the next 4 weeks that we study the Buddhist tradition, I am going to ask you to do the following:

Mindwatch: Make 2 journal entries/day for the next 4 weeks/5 days/week = 20 days, noting what your thoughts/judgements are of other people: family, friends, different races, genders, cliques, social class, economic class, sexual orientation, general appearances, etc. Please do not censor your entries, you do NOT have to include any names. This is an exercise in internal honesty and mindulness - paying attention to your own mind and its thought patterns. We will explore these journal entries at various times, so keep them with you in your binders. I will collect at the end of the unit, so please keep pace with 2/day.

For the next 4 weeks that we study the Buddhist tradition, I am going to ask you to do the following:

Mindwatch: Make 2 journal entries/day for the next 4 weeks/5 days/week = 20 days, noting what your thoughts/judgements are of other people: family, friends, different races, genders, cliques, social class, economic class, sexual orientation, general appearances, etc. Please do not censor your entries, you do NOT have to include any names. This is an exercise in internal honesty and mindulness - paying attention to your own mind and its thought patterns. We will explore these journal entries at various times, so keep them with you in your binders. I will collect at the end of the unit, so please keep pace with 2/day.

Enjoy your quarter break!

In prepartion for next week, you are to do the following:

1) For Monday, click the link on the main page: Four Noble Truths by Ajahn Sumedho. Click on any 2 links on the left hand side, print out the readings, double-sided, and then highlight/underline the key points as you read. Bring to Orradre on Monday for our discussion on the Four Noble Truths. Be prepared to explain the readings you chose. Choose any 2 links that look interesting to you.

See me with any questions and don't forget the MindWatch!

Please click on your Buddhist Final Synthesis. This will be due Friday, March 16th - .

We will prepare all week for this final synthesis and most importantly, this will come from your own experience!

We will begin Kundun next week! See below for details!

Happy B-Day to Mr. Haardt on March 17th & Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you!

1) We will begin watching Kundun, the film by Academy Award winner (as of last week, finally!) Martin Scorcese. You need to read over the Kundun Overview, also on the main page for our 2nd meeting. You will also be answering the questions listed under Kundun/Tibet Questions. This film is about the 14th Dalai Lama and his in Tibet and after the Chinese invaded, though the Chinese called a "Peaceful Liberation of Tibet."

• Kundun Overview
• Kundun & Tibet Questions
• International Campaign for Tibet

1) Taoism Chapter in Smith and Questions due 2nd meeting.

Tuesday - 2nd period

Wed - 6th period

Time to flow with the Tao, like Winnie the Pooh!

2) Mindwatch Summary due by Wed in room 209. 1 pg, typed summary of what you learned during your mindwatch.

3) Plan your Spiritual Activity

1) Taoism Chapter in Smith and Questions due 2nd meeting.

Tuesday - 2nd period

Wed - 6th period

Time to flow with the Tao, like Winnie the Pooh!

2) Mindwatch Summary due by Wed in room 209. 1 pg, typed summary of what you learned during your mindwatch.

3) Plan your Spiritual Activity

1) Read Taosim section in Novak - the Tao Te Ching chapters. Read 4-5 pages of the Tao Te Ching and then choose 3 that resonate with you and come to class ready to discuss those 3 tomorrow!

2) Ch. 82 of the Tao Te Ching is due Friday. Read below for details.

3) Bring in Child Photo, 3-6 years old for Friday!

Taoism Final Synthesis

Now you are ready to write Chapter 82 of the Tao Te Ching (there are 81 chapters in the Tao Te Ching).  I would highly recommend that you immerse yourself in a natural surrounding that will inspire thoughts of the Tao, "the Way", some have called it the "the Watercourse Way", the "Way of least resistance".  If you ever watch water in a river or stream, do you notice how it effortlessly finds its way, this is what the Taoist sages have seen and of which they speak.  So, after finding a suitable place, write a minimum of 10 lines, maximum of 20, describing the Tao, in nature, in human relationships, in you, all of the above, just run with it..., you may also talk about other Taoist concepts, yin/yang, wu-wei, chi, etc….   It would be ideal if you started with 5-10 minutes of meditation.  I want you to write more from your heart-mind and less from your intellectual-mind, more from the Pooh-mind (as in Winnie the Pooh) :)

1)Please finish the film questions for Monday. We will begin our readings and dialogue about Islam next week.

2) Next Friday, Novak questions are due:

a.) Read Novak Chapter Seven: Islam...Remember read selections of each...Qu'ran, Hadith, Sufis, Malcolm X.

b.) Then answer Novak Questions, #1-10, #32, and choose any additional 3 for a total of 15 questions.  Due Friday, May 4th!

3) All Spiritual Activities are due Friday, May 4th!

1) For Monday, 2nd period - please read the Huston Smith introduction handed out in class. Also, please read the 1 pg. The Other Anti-Semitism by James Zogby.

6th period - you need to read The Other Anti-Semitism by Zogby.

2) This is all prep for your Islam Final Synthesis due Tuesday, May 8th. We will share in class and this will be our final day of discussion on Islam.

1) Please see e-mail sent by Mr. Haardt for updates for the week.

• Islam Final Synthesis Due Friday - Meet in Orradre on Friday
• Spiritual Activity due tomorrow, Tuesday, May 8th. NO EXCEPTIONS. On my desk or in my box by 3pm
• From Science to God Reading - please bring book to class for the rest of the quarter. We will read together and for homework.

2) Please read preface, intro and Ch. 1 by Wed - 2nd pd, Thurs - 6th pd.

1) Please look over the Final Exam Essay. You have plenty of time to prepare your best work!

2) For Tuesday, May 22nd, please read Ch. 7 in From Science to God. We will finish Ch. 9 together. We will also read Huston Smith's conclusion, so please bring BOTH Smith and Russell to our final class in Orradre!