Greetings,
Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow, Tuesday October 5 is our first map quiz. You may have seen the excellent practice map that’s been circulated on email by one of your esteemed colleagues – amazing! Use it!!
Also – next week, Oct. 12, we’ll begin the first of many discussions on the study of religion proper. That’s also when your first short critical papers are due. The assignment, again, is to write a precis of Tomoko Masuzawa’s encyclopedia entry on “World Religions.”
This means that you have 1-2 pages (maximum) to summarize the essential argument(s) put forth by Masuzawa in the entry. Remember, this is NOT a simple regurgitation of facts (in other words, don’t simply restate her examples). Instead, get right to the heart of the matter. As an intellectual historian, what exactly is Masuzawa up to in the piece? Where does she stand in relation to the field of religious studies? What are her basic conclusions? How does she use examples?
You are, of course, free to include in your own opinions and conclusions IF they fit in your 1-2 pages. And remember, the way you present Masuzawa’s argument, the way your craft your own prose, is one key way you have of letting your reader know where you stand in relation to the piece. In other words, the way in which you structure your summary of another scholar’s work reflects your own scholarly position.
The following article is also required for Oct. 12, but not part of the writing assignment:
Klimkeit, Hans J. “Religions and Religious Movements: Introduction.” History of civilizations of Central Asia (Vol. 4.2), 61-65. Ed. by M.S. Asimov. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, 2000. [Available on Google Books]
