＜概要/Course Content Summary＞
This is a seminar to learn about both Japanese religions and the monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). The course takes a comparative approach and will be conducted in English.
All established religions share the following four characteristics: a belief system, customary rituals, protocols, and ethics. Monotheistic religions hold to the belief of one supreme God. This God is believed to have created the world and all its inhabitants. Typical rituals of monotheistic religions include prayer, fasting， pilgrimage and other acts of devotion. Monotheistic protocol governs acts such as marriage， divorce， inheritance， commerce, etc. In the terms of ethics, there are principles of justice, equality, human dignity and other common values like honesty, kindness, cooperation, mastery of work, forgiveness, seeking knowledge etc. Japanese religions have fundamentally different characteristics from the monotheistic ones. But are these differences so basic and comprehensive that they lack any point of commonality? To answer this question, we will attempt a comparative investigation into Japanese and monotheistic religions.
＜到達目標/Goals,Aims＞
Students will learn about the basic components/features/characteristics of Japanese and monotheistic religions and conduct a comparative study of them. They will also learn how to find a common base on which they can build a fruitful dialogue with each other both inside and outside Japan. Additionally, students will gain the ability to explicate Japanese religions and culture.
＜授業計画/Schedule＞
（実施回/
Week）
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（内容/
Contents）
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（授業時間外の学習/
Assignments）
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（実施回/ Week）
1 (Apr 14)
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（内容/ Contents）
Introduction
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
2 (Apr 21)
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（内容/ Contents）
Let's talk about Doshisha and Kyoto.
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
3 (Apr 28)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 1. Origin and Composition, 1. When, where, and how did the religion begin? (textbook)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
4 (May 12)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 1. Origin and Composition, 2. What are the main subgroups within the religion? (textbook)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
5 (May 19)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 1. Origin and Composition, 3. Where is the religion found today? (textbook)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
6 (May 26)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Japanese Religion] Overview of Japanese Religion ☞ Encountering the Japanese religious world, in: Robert Ellwood, Introducing Japanese Religion, pp. 1-14 (PDF)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
7 (Jun 2)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Japanese Religion] Shinto (1) ☞ The way of the kami, Ibid., pp. 44-55 (PDF)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
8 (Jun 9)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Japanese Religion] Shinto (2) ☞ The way of the kami, Ibid., pp. 55-63 (PDF)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
9 (Jun 16)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 5. Beliefs, 1. How is the human condition understood in the religion? (textbook)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
10 (Jun 23)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 5. Beliefs, 2. How is the nature of God understood in the religion? (textbook)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
11 (Jun 30)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 5. Beliefs, 3. How is the relationship between God and humanity understood? (textbook)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
12 (Jul 7)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Japanese Religion] Buddhism (1) ☞ A Guide to Japanese Buddhism, p. vii-14 (PDF)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
13 (Jul 14)
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（内容/ Contents）
[Japanese Religion] Buddhism (2) ☞ A Guide to Japanese Buddhism, p. 15-21 (PDF)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Read the material assigned for the next week.
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（実施回/ Week）
14 (Jul 21)
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（内容/ Contents）
Synthesis and Review (1): Presentations by the participants
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Prepare the presentation.
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（実施回/ Week）
15 (Jul 28)
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（内容/ Contents）
Synthesis and Review (2): Presentations by the participants
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Prepare the presentation.
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This syllabus will be subject to changes and/or revisions. ☞ in the above schedule shows the reading assignment.
＜成績評価基準/Evaluation Criteria＞
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Attendance and participation
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70%
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Punctuality is an essential expression of courtesy and latecomers may be asked to leave the class.
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Term Paper
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30%
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Failure to properly quote your sources or any form of plagiarism in writing required papers will immediately result in a zero grade.
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1) Attendance and Participation
Assumed are active participation in and contribution to the class. Students are urged to have done the required reading before the class. It will provide the background and framework for lecturers and discussions.
You need to read in advance all pages assigned for each particular week. The amount of reading is limited to an easily manageable number of pages and， with the exception of a documented emergency， no excuse will be accepted for not doing the reading. In every class， each student should be prepared to conduct a discussion on the reading materials or the topics they involve.
A quick reading of the materials is often not sufficient to assimilate their contents. For each reading material you will need to take at least one full page of notes for yourself. Rather than facts， write down reminders concerning ideas that the text suggests， issues that you do not find clear， or any other elements of reflection that may trigger further elaboration in your own papers or be useful for the class discussions.
2) Presentation and Paper
Students will be required to give a short presentation and write a paper based on the presentation. The details will be announced in the classroom.
＜テキスト/Textbook＞
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Micah Greenstein, Kendra G. Hotz, John Kaltner
, What Do Our Neighbors Believe?
:
Questions And Answers On Judiasm，Christianity，and Islam
,
2nd edition
.
(Westminster John Knox Press, 2019)
.
ISBN:0664265103
https://amzn.to/3eKoU3n (Kindle)
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The participants will get some parts of the reading assignments as a PDF file.
＜参考文献/Reference Book＞
＜備考/Remarks＞
E-mail: kkohara@mail.doshisha.ac.jp (KOHARA Katsuhiro), benkei.tun@gmail.com (ELBALTI Beligh)
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