RELS 397:1
Mysticism and Spiritual Experience
Class Schedule: Professor: Ruby Ramji
September 13 – December 3, 2010 Office: CC 241
THURS 1:00 - 3:30 pm Office Hours: M/W 11:30-1:00pm/
CC 226 M 4:00-4:30pm/TH 11:30-1:00pm
Office Phone: 563-1264
e-mail: ruby_ramji@cbu.ca
http://faculty.cbu.ca/rramji
Course Description:
We will examine the great mystical traditions from East to West; the validity and merit of chemically induced mystical states of consciousness; and, the stages of mystical development within the spiritual experience. A variety of ecstatic phenomena from a number of different cultures will be considered as an introduction to the subject.
Mysticism is a difficult concept to define. Western monotheistic religions tend to consider a mystical experience to be a product of divine grace. This form of mysticism is seen as a pursuit or communion with divinity, reality, spiritual truth or through direct experience or insight Eastern traditions such as Buddhism and Taoism state that a mystical state can be reached through meditation and training (therefore it is caused by human effort). Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture these specific experiences or awareness. We will examine the different religious traditions describe this fundamental mystical experience. We will read passages from the foundational texts associated with each religion and explore how these texts represent mystical experiences. We will also consider the difficulties in generalizing about mystical states and experiences: the validity and communicability of the mystic experience; and, the psychopathology associated with such experiences.
The course seeks to stimulate critical thinking and discussion amongst students, as well as the ability to conduct research, read critically and present scholarly work in a clear and coherent style. During this course, we will try and cover many of the themes mentioned in the description. But it will also go off track sometimes to cover more issues that are relevant to the study of Mysticism and Spiritual Experience. Other topics of interest that students which to examine may be discussed as well. Participation is extremely important as discussion will play a large role in this class, and attendance is imperative for in-class assignments.
Topics that will be discussed in class:
Mysticism in Christianity Movie: Holy Ghost People
Mysticism in Islam Movie: Whirling Dervishes
Shamanism and Voodoo Movie: Divine Horsemen: Living Gods of Haiti
Mysticism and Chemicals Movie: Altered States
Movies will be shown in class. Movies listed above are only a few movies that may be shown in class. It is important that students see the movies in class as they may not be available elsewhere.
Course Evaluation:
Chapter assignments 30% One assignment x 3 chapters (10% each)
Chapter presentations 15% One presentation x 3 chapters (5% each)
In-class assignments 15% 3 assignments-to be done in class (5% each)
Major Research Essay 30% Due December 2, 2010
Essay Presentation 5% December 2, 2010
Course Participation 5% Attendance and participation
Required Text: Course textbook will be available at the CBU Bookstore
Denise Carmody and John Carmody. Mysticism: Holiness East and West. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Tentative Class Schedule:
Week 1 – Introduction to Mysticism (September 16)
Week 2 – Mysticism and Naturalistic Approaches (September 23)
Week 3 – Movie: Altered States (September 30)
Week 4 – Mysticism in Christianity (October 7) *Chapter assignment due
Week 5 – Movie: Holy Ghost People (October 14)
Week 6 – Near Death Experiences (October 21)
Week 7 – Mysticism in Hinduism (October 28) *Chapter assignment due
Week 8 – Movie: Heart Yoga: The Sacred Marriage of Yoga and Mysticism
Week 9 – Mysticism in Islam (November 4)
Week 10 – Remembrance Day – No class (November 11)
Week 11 – Movie: Whirling Dervishes (November 18) *Chapter assignment due
Week 12 – Shamanism and Voodoo plus Movie: Divine Horsemen (November 25)
Week 13 – Research Essay Presentations (December 2)
Chapter Assignments:
Students will write a three to four (3-4) double spaced page assignment of each chapter discussed in the course, and be prepared to present their papers to the class. Each assignment is worth 10%. Assignments are due in the class we are discussing the topic. Assignments are based on course readings – external sources are permitted to add to the course readings. The assignments must be handed in during class or earlier to the professor. Do not put it under the instructor’s office door. Due dates are not negotiable and extensions are not given except for documented medical or compassionate grounds. If you think that you will require an extension for these reasons, talk to the instructor as soon as the need becomes apparent: do not wait until the assignment is due.
Three written chapter assignments – 10% each = 30%
Chapter Assignment Guidelines
The chapter assignment (3-4 pages) will examine the author’s key ideas and arguments and give a short explanation on each of the following themes found in each chapter:
Chapter Assignment Presentations
Thursday October 7 – Christianity assignment due
Thursday October 28 – Hinduism assignment due
Thursday November 18 – Islam assignment due
Students will present their assignments in class. If students are not in class to present their assignments, they will not receive the presentation marks
Course participation of 5% will be based on regular attendance taken in class.
In-Class Assignments:
The in-class assignments are worth 15% of the final grade. The assignments will be based on class lectures. There will be 3 in-class assignments, worth 5% each.
Final Research Essay:
One major research essay will be due on the assigned date of Thursday December 2, 2010 and is worth a total of 30% of your grade. The essay must be handed in during class or earlier to the professor. Do not put it under the instructor’s office door. Due dates are not negotiable and extensions are not given except for documented medical or compassionate grounds. If you think that you will require an extension for these reasons, talk to the instructor as soon as the need becomes apparent: do not wait until the assignment is due. Please be aware that having several assignments fall due in the same week does not constitute grounds for an extension.
Essays must be between 10-15 pages in length, with a minimum of four reference sources – they are to be books and journal articles only. All papers must be carefully documented with precise references for all quotations (direct and indirect), paraphrases, and derived ideas, information and interpretations. You are reminded that it is essential that you give credit to all authors for all ideas and phrasing not originating with you. Failure to document and/or to place quotation marks around all direct quotations is plagiarism and will be dealt with in accordance with university disciplinary regulations. Plagiarism can result in a zero grade on the essay. Do not hesitate to consult with the instructor if doubts should arise.
On the last day of class, students will present their research essays to the class and students will have the opportunity to discuss each others’ presentations. Essay presentations are worth 5% of the total grade.
NOTE: The final research paper will be based on mystical experiences in a religious tradition not covered in the class – you will need to get approval for the topic of your essay from the professor by Thursday November 4, 2010 as each essay has to be unique. Two students cannot pick the same religious tradition or experience to write their essay on, so the sooner you choose your topic, the more likely you are to get the topic you want.
Final Research Essay Topic
Final Research Essay Due Date - Thursday December 2, 2010
The following religions or traditions can be chosen for your essay (or you may propose another not on the list with approval) – inform professor of choice by November 4th:
§ Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajryana, Pure Land, Zen)
§ Chinese and Japanese traditions (Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto)
§ Judaism (Maimonides, Kabbalah, modern Jewish mysticism)
§ Sikhism
§ Jainism
§ Oral Traditions (Australia, North American Aboriginal mysticism
§ New religious movements
Essay Checklist: Your essay will be distinguished by the following:
§ Printed (i.e. computer generated)
§ The essay itself must be ten to fifteen pages in length
§ Double spaced, but do not put extra spaces between paragraphs
§ Numbered pages (not including title page)
§ Reference all materials in your essay, either using MLA or APA style. Precise references are required for all quotations, paraphrases, information and ideas. You must give credit to all authors for all ideas that are not your own. See the following website for more information on footnotes, endnotes, parenthetical references and how to write a bibliography - http://www.aresearchguide.com. Refer to the CBU policy on academic dishonesty in the Academic Calendar.
§ Bibliography of at least 4 items (books or journal articles), placed on the final page of the essay; only those works cited in your essay are to be included
o Do not use any internet sources (especially wikipedia)
o Do not use any encyclopedia or dictionary sources
o Do not use course notes as a reference source
o Remember the restrictions on which sources are acceptable
§ Title page including your name, identification number, course number and the instructor's name
§ Students must keep a copy of all the papers they submit until final grades have been submitted for the course.
· For inclement weather, see CBU’s Inclement Weather Policy at http://www.cbu.ca/pdfs/3-1-Weather.pdf
Citing Sources Using Parenthetical Style
The simplest way to cite sources is to use Parenthetical references or Parenthetical documentation. The author's last name, year of publication and page number(s) are placed in parentheses in the text to give credit to sources.
For example, in your paper you write:
In their Preface, the authors point out that "Learning Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML) is like learning any new language, computer or human" (Musciano and Kennedy 2000: 23).
If you are paraphrasing (using ideas from the authors but not quoting them) you can cite the work in two ways.
Example One:
Example Two:
To indicate a work with more than three authors or editors, use et al. (Latin meaning "and others") e.g. (Carmichael et al. 2001: 25).
In your Bibliography, you list:
[Format: Author’s last name, first name. Title of Book Underlined. Location: Press, Year]
Musciano, Chuck, and Bill Kennedy. HTML and XHTML: The Definitive Guide. 4th ed. Sebastopol, CA: Oxford University Press, 2000.