RLGA01: Final exam study guide. UTSC.

RLGA01: Final Exam Study Guide

December 2015

Fri Dec 18, 2015          9:00am-12:00pm        RWGYM

No Study Aids

Format: 15 Multiple-Choice, 6 definitions, 2 short-essay questions and 1 long essay question, based on both the readings and lecture material. Please write all your answers in essay format (not point-form). See each section below for more details.

Required Readings for Final Exam:

“Defining Religion”

“Anthropological Study of Religion”

“Buddhism in Central, South and Southeast Asia”

“Buddhism in East Asia”

“Religious Authority”

“Syncretism”

“Sikhism in the Punjab and Beyond” (or Sikh Powerpoint slides)

“Globalization and Religion”

PART A: Multiple-Choice: 15 X 1 mark each = 15 marks

Multiple-Choice questions will be based on Slides and classes related to Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh traditions, as well as discussions and class resources related to “Buddhism in Central, South and Southeast Asia” and “Religious Authority”

PART B: Definitions: You will be asked to choose 6 terms from a list of 10 (6 X 5 marks each = 30 marks)

See the file “RLGA01: Tips for Defining Terms-Key Figures” on Blackboard.

The 6 terms/names of key figures will be taken from the list below:

charismatic leader                  Tylor                Talal Asad                   Robert Redfield quotation

patriarchal authority           etic                      global/local dynamic (or “glocalisation”)                            

syncretism                  “Hinduism”                  nirvana            cargo cults            kami spirits

Guru Granth Sahib            conscience (and religious authority)                            cognitive blending       

Grading Criteria for Terms:

4.5-5/5: complete identification; student clearly articulates the term; student relates the term to other concepts in the course; student provides a concrete example (if applicable); student contrasts and compares the term, demonstrating more than surface comprehension (see resource file “Tips for Terms”)

3.5-4/5: complete identification; student clearly articulates the term; student makes an attempt to either relate the term to other concepts in the course or provide a concrete example (if applicable) or an attempt at contrasting and comparing

3/5: Some identification and attempt at articulation of the term; relative success with attempts at providing additional context; possible issues with clarity

2.5/5 or lower = D/F: incorrect/insufficient identification; insufficient significance; explanation relies too heavily on ideas outside of course content

Part C: You will be asked to answer 2 essay questions based on questions selected from the following (2 X 15 marks each = 30 marks):

a.     What are the factors that led anthropologists to move away from studying tribal cultures? Can you connect this with anthropological attempts to define religion?

b.     Provide a brief overview of the whole reading of “Buddhism in Central, South and Southeast Asia” and then analyze details from one particular section – choose one from

South Asia and Southeast Asia

The Sangha as Political Actor

The Women’s Sangha

Questions to ask:

-        What are the key themes in this section?

-        Contextualize your discussion with examples.

d.     For the “Buddhism in East Asia” reading, focus on the Buddhism in China section. Choose one of the following to focus on:

1.     How has Buddhism interacted, influenced, and been affected by wider socio-cultural and political forces?

2.     Identify concepts that help to explain the social interactions connected with Buddhism. Why did it flourish? Why did it falter?

e.     Describe the three general types of authority and then the 3 kinds of human authority as outlined by Max Weber. How are all three of the general types of authority still centred on human activities? What are the factors affecting textual authority?

f.      How is authority maintained? How is it passed on? How does authority get re-evaluated or transformed? How do ethical issues affect the maintenance of authority?

g.     First, describe at least 3 modes of syncretism as outlined in the reading. Then describe how Sikh traditions are an early and obvious example of syncretic religions. Using any other religious tradition(s) as examples, why might some traditional perspectives find the idea of something being ‘syncretic’ or a ‘blend’ to be a BAD thing? Cite an example from the reading.

h.     First, describe the 3 levels of analysis of syncretism as outlined in the reading. Then describe how Sikh traditions are an early and obvious example of syncretic religions. Using any other religious tradition(s) as examples, why might some traditional perspectives find the idea of something being ‘syncretic’ or a ‘blend’ to be a BAD thing? Cite an example from the reading.

Grading Criteria for Essay Answers:

We are using the following grading criteria for the essay questions:

      15/15 = A+: high quality writing; succinct and direct approach to the question; clearly identifies (without simply copying the question) which question is being answered; answers completely all components of the question; demonstrates an advanced comprehension of the readings and lecture topics; provides an argued response that goes into the finer details.

To receive a 5/5 response is to be nearly perfect; good enough that we will ask the student if we can use it as an example in lectures to talk about terms/essays on quizzes.

      13.5-14.5/15 = A/A+: All of the above –an excellent response; should have very few to no technical errors (spelling, general sentence structure) and no substantial errors; Mastery of course content.

      12/15 = A-: clear writing; complete response; attempts analysis, comparison, or some “big picture”/critical thinking; able to repeat our discussions of the topic, but may not add anything original, analytic, or evaluative to the discussion; SOME mastery of course content.

      11/15 = B: Good effort; attempts to respond to all aspects of the question (even if not always successful); does everything well, but does not demonstrate confidence or superior mastery in navigating through course content.

      9-10.5/15 = C: similar to a B, but less evidence of familiarity/confidence/independent analysis of material; issues with clarity and writing; student provides course content, but it is only formulaic (and no clear attempt by the student to demonstrate their comprehension); student does not address all dimensions of the question.

      7.5-8.5/15 = 50/D: more severe examples of ‘C’ category issues; demonstration of not reading the textbook; short and insubstantial responses (or long-winded and irrelevant responses).

      7/15 and lower = F: Student’s writing is unclear, contains a pattern of errors, illegibility, etc.; discussion is not grounded in material from lecture/course readings.

Part D: Long Essay – One question given, you must answer it (1 X 25 marks):

This essay question will ask you to take key themes from the “Globalization and Religion” reading and use them to demonstrate your understanding of key themes in the course in general. The most successful essays will demonstrate a grasp of the reading but also the ability to apply themes from the reading to other topics and readings that we reviewed in the course. To help study, here are some good prep questions:

1.     What does Beyer mean by “globalization in a religious mode”?

2.     How has religion been an important element in the process of globalization?

3.     Familiarize yourself with EITHER the example of Hinduism (pp. 240-241) Japanese religions (pp. 241-243) or African Christian traditions (pp. 243-244). Show how this concrete example connects with core concepts in the reading and our course.

4.     In connection with the theme of migration, what does Beyer mean when he says that “different localities mean different versions of religions.” (p. 246)

100 marks total