Journal Guidelines

The journal assignment is intended to give you the opportunity to reflect on the course material in a disciplined and comprehensive manner.  It will include three parts:

1)  critical reflections on assigned readings or class material:  each of these may be a response to one of the study guide questions or a discussion of one or more issues raised in the readings or in class that strike you as significant; try to explore an issue or idea rather than merely summarize what the reading says; you should write two entries each week; each entry should fill at least half of an 8 1/2 by 11-inch page typed (roughly 200-300 words), should be in complete sentences, and should be dated; two of these are due each week, unless you submit one of the alternative assignments listed at the end of the study guide; for a description of these, click here.

2) reflection on some aspect of your experience outside of class relevant to the issues raised by the course (two-pages, double-spaced):  this could be reflections on a movie or performance with religious themes (music, theatre, dance), the description and analysis of a ritual that you personally observed, or some other experience that has captured your attention and that the course seems to illuminate; you should make explicit connections between issues raised in the course, for example, in one of the class readings, and your experience; if you’re having trouble deciding what to write about, speak to me after class or write me an e-mail message and we’ll discuss your options (this can be handed in at any time during the semester, but it must be submitted on the last day of class at the latest).

3) final course assessment:  write a well-organized two- to three-page essay (double-spaced) discussing some of the key issues that the course has raised for you and summarizing how your thoughts about religion have changed as a result of the class; your conclusion may also include critical reflections on the course itself, and any suggestions you have for improving it; due on the last day of class.

Your journal will be of use to you in direct proportion to the amount of effort and time that you devote to it.  Effective reading is seldom accomplished by simply running your eyes over a page of text and trying to remember what it says.  This is particularly true of primary sources that were not written with you as the intended audience.  (For some further suggestions about how to read and understand primary sources such as those we will be reading this semester, click here).  Understanding emerges from a process of asking the text questions as you read, and of exploring your own reactions to what you encounter in the text.  Research has shown that the process of writing about what you've read supports the process of critical thinking and facilitates a deeper understanding.  The purpose is not so much to "get the right answer" as to explore what you think about the readings and to follow and extend your own train of thought.  The reflections recorded in your journal should be very helpful when you prepare for your midterm and final exams, and they should facilitate your participation in class discussion.  Your journal will also provide me with a basis for evaluating the extent and quality of your engagement in the course. 

As an incentive to keeping up with your journal entries, I will collect your twice-weekly critical reflections each week at the beginning of the Thursday class.  I will not accept late journal entries except for reasons of illness or family emergency.  You may submit your written reflections in either handwritten or word-processed form, though I much prefer the latter for reasons of legibility.  You also have the option of submitting your journal entries by e-mail; if you choose this option, I must receive your two entries for each week before the start of our Thursday class.  Be sure to keep a personal copy of your journal entries in addition to the copy you hand in so you can consult them for the midterm and final exams.  When we are two or three weeks into the class, I will return your accumulated journal entries with my comments, just so you know you're on the right track in terms of what I expect for the journal assignment.  I will again return journal entries about two-thirds of the way through the class.  Since you will not receive your journal reflections back immediately, please feel free to e-mail me directly about particular questions you have about the readings or points raised in class.