＜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
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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
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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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 8. Social Issues, 1. What is the view of the relationship between religion and politics? (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 8. Social Issues, 2. What is the view of the relationship between religion and science? (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 8. Social Issues, 3. What are some of the religion’s teachings in the area of human sexuality? (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Japanese Religion] ☞ Japanese Traditions, in: Willard G. Oxtoby, Roy C. Amore, Amir Hussain ed., World Religions: Eastern Traditions, pp. 545-556 (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Japanese Religion] ☞ Japanese Traditions, Ibid., pp. 556-564 (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Japanese Religion] ☞ Japanese Traditions, Ibid., pp. 564-573 (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 9.Ethical Questions, 1. What are our obligations to strangers and guests? (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 9.Ethical Questions, 2. What are our obligations to the environment and the natural world? (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Monotheism] ☞ 9.Ethical Questions, 3. What are the religion’s views on violence and warfare? (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Synthesis] ☞ Katsuhiro Kohara, "Japanese Ethical Attitudes to Animals"; Magfirah Dahlan, "Islam and Animals," Dharma World, Vol. 44, pp. 6-10 (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
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（内容/ Contents）
[Synthesis] ☞ Katsuhiro Kohara, " Issues for Religions in Peace Building: From the Perspective of the Study of Conscience and Integral Peace, " The Journal of Oriental Studies, Vol. 30, pp. 153-166 (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
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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
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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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