Sects, Cults and New Religions

Click link below for syllabus in Word

AlumkalIST3057SectsCults&NewReligionsWinter2017.doc

Thursday 1:00-4:30 pm

Instructor: Antony Alumkal

Office Phone: 303-765-3131

Email: aalumkal@iliff.edu

Course Description:

An exploration of religious groups that are considered to be outside of the mainstream of society. Specific topics include theories of religious group innovation and recruitment; controversies over identifying “cults”; sectarian Christianity, gender and sexuality; religious understandings of the paranormal; and religion and marginalized racial projects.

This course aims to help students to understand the following issues related to non-mainstream religious groups:

1. Why are these groups created and why do they attract adherents?
2. How are they similar to and different from more mainstream religious groups?
3. What factors need to be considered in normatively evaluating these groups?

1. The following books are required texts for the course.

Bader, Christopher D., F. Carson Mencken and Joseph O. Baker. 2010. Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture. NY: New York University Press.

Dawson, Lorne L., editor. 2003. Cults and New Religious Movements: A Reader. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. 

Jenkins, Kathleen E. 2005. Awesome Families: The Promise of Healing Relationships in the International Churches of Christ. Rutgers: Rutgers University Press. 

Marsh, Clifton E. 2000. The Lost-Found Nation of Islam in America. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

2. The following article is available on Canvas:

Berlet, Chip. 2004. “Christian Identity: The Apocalyptic Style, Political Religion, Palingenesis and Neo-Fascism.” Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions 5(3):469-506.

Requirements:

1. Students are expected to attend every class, except for cases of illness or family emergency. It is not possible to pass the class if you miss more than two classes.

2. Presentations: Students will be asked throughout the course to bring in materials related to the groups being studied and to discuss these materials in light of the theoretical ideas in the course texts.

3. Final Paper: For masters students, the paper should be 10-12 pages. It should present information about a particular religious group and then discuss how this case confirms, contradicts, or expands concepts from the course read­ings. For doctoral students, the paper should be 15-20 pages. It should also be based on an empirical case study and should place this case study in dialog with the course read­ings plus additional theoretical readings to be chosen by the student. 

Grading:

Attendance and Participation—25%

Final Paper—75%

Masters students may take the course pass/fail if they request this option in writing during the first two weeks of class. You do not need to provide a justification for you request.

Students must adhere to the rules of their respective institutions (Iliff or the Joint Doctoral Program) regarding incompletes.

My working assumption is that students in a masters program can be expected to produce above average academic work. Therefore, the modal grade I assign is B+. A paper will earn a B+ if it 1) fulfills all of the requirements of the assignment and 2) demonstrates that the student has a solid (though not necessarily flawless) understanding of the con­cepts in the course readings and lectures. A paper will earn a grade higher than a B+ if it fulfills the assignment and demonstrates exceptional insight into the course concepts. A paper will earn a grade of B or B- if there are minor to moderate shortcomings in either fulfilling the assignment or demonstrating understanding of course concepts. Grades below B- are reserved for papers with major shortcomings in either area.

I expect doctoral students to produce work in the A to A- range. I encourage doctoral students to write papers that, after further refinement, can be presented at conferences or published.

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.