You are required to submit two analyses of a news story from a reputable source that concerns religion in the contemporary world. One analysis must deal with one of the Eastern religious traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, or Daoism), and the other must deal with one of the Western religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, or Islam). These analyses must be between 500 and 600 words; due dates are indicated on the syllabus page of the course website. Here are the details:
1. Selecting your story
You are looking for a news story about one or more religious traditions that is connected to the subject matter that we discussed this semester. The story should be substantial enough for you to write a 500-600-word paper about it, and must come from a reputable source. These are good places to look for a news story:
www.nytimes.com
www.theatlantic.com
www.newyorker.com
www.thetimes.co.uk
You are required to approve the story you have chosen with me before writing your paper. Please have your story approved no later than a week before it is due, to give me a chance to look at it, and to give you a chance to choose another story if I do not approve your first one.
2. Writing the paper
Your paper should accomplish two main tasks:
1. Provide a concise summary of the news story, in your own words.
2. Comment on the story based upon what you have learned in the course. Use the following questions as a guide:
a. What elements of this story did you already know/understand on account of our course material?
b. What additional things did you learn about the religion that you did not learn from the course material?
c. What have you learned in the course that helps you interpret or gives you better insight into the subject of the article?
d. What questions did the article leave you with?
3. Grading:
You paper will be graded for both content (how well you summarized and analyzed the story in relation to the questions above, how well your analysis demonstrates your knowledge of course material) and form (grammar, diction, length, and organization).
When you submit your paper, you should include a copy of or link to the news story so that I can consult it while assessing your paper. You paper will not be graded without it!
