World Religions

HUM 2093: World Religions

Fall 2025

James R. Adair

Contact Information

Email: james.adair@utsa.edu (note: use utsa.edu, not my.utsa.edu)
Phone: 210-363-8230
Office Location: FLN 1.02.06H
Class Hours: MWF 1:00-1:50 pm
Office Hours: by appointment
Course Links

Course syllabus
Victoria Kennick Urubshurow, Introducing World Religions
Other books used in the course:

Charles Kimball, When Religion Becomes Evil, revised edition (used for group discussions starting Week 3)
Yann Martel, The Life of Pi (book review due Week 12)
Hugh B. Urban, New Age, Neopagan, & New Religious Movements (used for the final group presentations during Finals Week)

Canvas
Group Assignments and Presentations
Sources for Academic Research
How to Write a Book Review - sample reviews: nonfiction, nonfiction, fiction

Important Dates
Important Terms

Exam Study Guides

Class Notes: Unit One
Exam One Study Guide
Class Notes: Unit Two
Exam Two Study Guide

Religion in the News

Extra Credit Opportunities

For extra credit, choose up to three of the news items listed above under Current Religion News, read or listen to them, and write a reaction paper of a minimum of two pages, double-spaced (it must extend to the bottom of page two or extend to a third page to count as two pages). Summarize what you read/heard, and express your personal thoughts and reaction to it. This extra credit assignment, and others like it, are worth a maximum of 1 point added to your final average at the end of the semester. It and other extra credit assignments may be turned in between now and Dec 6. Additional news items may be added over the course of the semester, so check back from time to time if you're interested.
For extra credit, you may choose a smaller religious tradition—i.e., not one that we discussed in class, and not one that is assigned to your group for the final group presentation of Hugh Urban's book—and write a 2-page (minimum) paper about it. A bibliography of at least 3 academic sources must be included (the bibliography does not count toward the required page count). The religious tradition discussed must not be a member of a larger religious tradition that we've already discussed. If you're not sure, feel free to ask the instructor.
Up to 5 points may be earned for the extra credit opportunities mentioned above.
You may also submit up to two additional interviews and visit reports for extra credit. See the syllabus or Canvas for details.

Grading

Individual grades on assignments will be recorded in Canvas. However, Canvas does not accurately calculate average grades. The following scheme will be used to determine your final grade in the class:

Reports on visits to houses of worship: 15% (+ up to 4 points added to the visit report grade average for up to two additional visits)
Interviews: 15% (+ up to 4 points added to the interview grade average for up to two additional interviews)
Book report on Life of Pi: 10%
Group discussions on Kimball's book and Week 13-15 presentations: 20%
Exam 1: 15%
Exam 2: 15%
Final group presentations on other religious traditions: 10%
Extra credit: up to 5 points may be earned for extra credit assignments given over the course of the semester, in addition to extra credit earned by submitting additional visit reports and interviews

Schedule

Week	Date	Assignments Due IWR=Introducing World Religions
UNIT ONE: RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF THE WEST
Week 1	Aug 25	Course introduction Proposed Definitions of Religion
	Aug 27	Approaching religious traditions - IWR ch. 1 An Indian Love Song, by Sarojini Naidu (interaction between a Muslim man and a Hindu woman) The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 America's Changing Religious Landscape Uluru (Ayers Rock, Australia) Black Hills (South Dakota)
	Aug 29	Religious traditions of Oceania, America, & Africa - IWR ch. 2 Expressive traditions: Maori tattoos (ta moko) Australian Aboriginal dreaming Sioux Ghost Dance Navajo sand painting Candomblé dance Dagara initiation Fon (Ifa) divination - cf. I Ching hexagrams
Week 2	Sep 1	LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
	Sep 3	Zoroastrianism - IWR ch. 3 Zoroastrian worship service, with priest chanting Yasna, centered around sacred fire
	Sep 5
Week 3	Sep 8	Judaism - IWR ch. 4 The Ancient Near East, 1300 BCE Kingdoms of the southern Levant, 9th C BCE The Six Orders of the Mishnah Talmud bBabaMetzia 59 Thirteen Principles of Maimonides Tree of Life in Jewish mysticism Hebrew, English Gold medallion recently unearthed in Jerusalem Jewish cantor blowing a shofar during Rosh Hashanah service Jewish Reactions to the Shoah/Holocaust
	Sep 10
	Sep 12	Group report on Kimball, Introduction & chap. 1, due Sep 13
Week 4	Sep 15	Christianity - IWR ch. 5 The Christian Canon Defining Orthodoxy in the Early Church The Divine and the Human in Christ - different views The Nicene and Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creeds Icons of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Unam Sanctam, a papal bull (decree) issued by Pope Boniface VIII The Last Judgment by Hans Memling (ca. 1470) Cologne Cathedral (13th-15th C, Germany): aerial view, interior South Rose Window of Chartres Cathedral Nestorian Tablet (image), (text) (record of Christian activity in China from the 8th century) Atonement (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) - Joshua Thurow
	Sep 17
	Sep 19	Group report on Kimball, chap. 2, due Sep 20
Week 5	Sep 22	Islam - IWR ch. 6 The Five Pillars of Islam The spread of Islam Muslim Call to Prayer (Adhan) Great Mosque of Córdoba from the air, interior view Whirling Dervishes (traditional Sufi dance) Hajj in Mecca Illuminated (illustrated) Quran ca. 1600
	Sep 24
	Sep 26	Visit report 1 due Sep 27 Interview 1 due Sep 27
Week 6	Sep 29	EXAM 1
UNIT TWO: RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF THE EAST
	Oct 1	Baháʾí - IWR ch. 7 The Baháʾí Faith Shrine of the Báb, Haifa, Israel
	Oct 3	Jainism - IWR ch. 8 Kevala Jnana of Mahavira, the 24th tirthankara inside and outside of Jain temple The Message of Jainism: Non-Violence is the Highest Virtue (from Jain Temple, Rajasthan, India) Group report on Kimball, chap. 3, due Oct 4
Week 7	Oct 6	Buddhism - IWR ch. 9 Sand Mandala Demonstration Buddhanet Wheel of Life, representing the six realms of rebirth Dharma Wheel Collection of koans used in Zen Buddhism Sumedha, who would be Siddhartha Gautama in a future life, receiving the prediction of Buddhahood from the Dipankara Buddha Mandala, used in tantric traditions to enhance or focus meditation Distribution of major Buddhist schools Journal of Buddhist Ethics, oldest religious studies journal on the web, founded in 1993
	Oct 8
	Oct 10	Group report on Kimball, chap. 4, due Oct 11
Week 8	Oct 13	FALL BREAK
	Oct 15	Hinduism - IWR ch. 10 Maurya Empire Hindu gods: Brahmā, Shiva, Ganesha, Vishnu, Krishna (and Arjuna), Kali Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva: The Trimurti Hindu temple at Angkor Wat, Cambodia Traditional Caste System in India Worship in Hindu Temple in Edmonton
	Oct 17	Group report on Kimball, chap. 5, due Oct 18
Week 9	Oct 20	Hinduism (continued)
	Oct 22	Sikhism - IWR ch. 11 Sikh worship service, with explanation Punjab region, Amritsar, Punjab, India Guru Nanak List of Sikh Gurus Sikh Golden Temple
	Oct 24	Group report on Kimball, chap. 6, due Oct 25
Week 10	Oct 27	Chinese traditions - IWR ch. 12 Oracle Bone from Shang Dynasty Map of Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), encompassing traditional Chinese homeland Ceremony at a Confucian temple The Great Learning, from Sanli, a traditional Chinese book especially revered in Confucianism Portrait of Confucius from the Tang Dynasty Zhuangzi Loses His Wife Traditional Daoist Taiji Diagram (yin-yang symbol) Dudeism, a modern take on Taoism (sort of)
	Oct 29	Confucianism
	Oct 31	Taoism/Daoism Group report on Kimball, chap. 7, due Nov 1
Students may attend and report on the San Antonio Diwali festival on Nov 1 and get credit for a visit report. See https://www.anujasa.com/diwali-sa/ for details.
Week 11	Nov 3	Shinto - IWR ch. 13 Introduction to Shinto Plan of a typical Shinto shrine: torii (gate) stone stairs approach to shrine purification font stone lanterns building for sacred dance administrative offices wooden plaques with prayers & wishes small shrines "lion-dogs," guardians of the shrine hall of prayer fence surrounding the main hall main hall, enshrining the kami (honden) decorative rooves Torii, or ornamental gate that serves as entrance to Shinto shrine Itsukushima main shrine Mount Fuji
UNIT THREE: TOPICS ACROSS RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
	Nov 5	Discuss Life of Pi Questions to consider concerning The Life of Pi
	Nov 7	Discuss current events in religion Visit report 2 due Nov 8 Interview 2 due Nov 8
Week 12	Nov 10	EXAM 2
	Nov 12	Storytelling in religious traditions Stories from various religious sacred texts Serivanija-Jataka (Buddhism) Stories from various religious traditions
	Nov 14	No class meeting, work on Group Presentation #1 Book report on Life of Pi due Nov 15
Week 13	Nov 17	Group Assignments and Presentations Presentation topic: The problem of evil (Group 1) Presentation topic: Divine-human mediators (Group 2)
	Nov 19	Presentation topic: Eschatology (Group 3) Presentation topic: Nature of god(s) and (semi-)divine beings (Group 4)
	Nov 21	Presentation topic: Religious expression in art & architecture (Group 5) Presentation topic: Life, death, and afterlife (Group 6)
Week 14	Nov 24	No class meeting, work on Group Presentation #2
	Nov 26	THANKSGIVING
	Nov 28	THANKSGIVING
Week 15	Dec 1	Presentation topic: War, peace, & violence (Group 3) Presentation topic: God(s) and sexuality (Group 4) Presentation topic: Sacred texts (Group 5)
	Dec 3	Presentation topic: Sacred places, objects, and times (Group 6) Presentation topic: Myth and cult (Group 1) Presentation topic: Religion and culture (Group 2)
	Dec 5	STUDY DAY Visit reports 3+ due Dec 6 Interviews 3+ due Dec 6
Finals Week	Dec 8, 1:00-2:50 pm	Final Group Presentations on Other Religious Traditions

HUM 2093: World Religions

Fall 2025

James R. Adair

Contact Information

Course Links

Exam Study Guides

Religion in the News

Extra Credit Opportunities

Other Links of Interest

Suggested houses of worship for various religious traditions (there are many others as well!)

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

Baháʾí

Buddhism

Hinduism

Sikhism

Shirdi Sai Baba

Grading

Schedule