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Monmouth
College, Spring
2005
ISSI402 Classical Mythology and Religion
TH 3:30-4:45, Wallace Hall
114
Instructor
| Course
description | Texts
| Class
format | Course
Handouts
Goals,
requirements, and evaluation | Web
access | Schedule
Instructor: Dr. V. Wine (Return
to menu)
Course description: This course
fulfills the senior-level Issues and Ideas component of the Monmouth
College General Education requirement for graduation. It is a liberal arts
course without prerequisites, designed for all students, whatever their
majors may be. The Monmouth College
catalogue gives the following description of Issues and Ideas
courses:
[These courses] address issues and ideas that any responsible citizen
must confront. These are courses which draw upon the maturity and
intellectual flexibility of students in their senior year. They engage the
student with problems and ideas that directly address the conditions and
well-being of life.
These courses include, but are not limited to, issues and ideas such
as the continuing presence of war; what we understand a just society to be;
the question of personal identity and the self; or responsible
relationships with the natural world.
These courses incorporate the perspectives of various viewpoints
since they deal with questions that transcend immediate professional and
intellectual vantages. They elicit a recognition of
and a critical response to shared and continuing human concerns.
Classical Mythology and Religion uses the myths and religions
of the ancient Greeks and Romans as a framework for discussing issues of
religion and spirituality in the modern world. The course challenges
students to reflect upon and to develop their feelings about how
spirituality and deity factor in their lives and how humanity fits into the
"grand scheme of things." Classical Mythology and
Religion starts from the premise that one people's religion is another
people's myths and considers the relationship between religion and
mythology. The issues and ideas addressed in this course include the
following:
What is religion and religious truth?
What is the role of deity in human life?
What is the place of a human being in the world?
Course readings, class discussions and lectures will provide
background on the relationship between religion and mythology in the
ancient world, especially among the Greeks and Romans. Students will be
expected to use this material in order to reflect upon their own religious
beliefs and world views. (Return
to menu)
Texts: Athanassakis,
Apostolos N. The Homeric Hymns (Baltimore:
The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004); Burkert, Walter. Ancient Mystery Cults (Cambridge: Harvard University Press,1987);
Meyer, Marvin
W. The Ancient Mysteries
(Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,1986); Nagle, Betty
Rose.Ovid's Fasti. Roman Holidays
(Bloomington: Indiana University Press,1995)
Note: You are
also expected to have ready access to a Bible. Click
here
for an electronic version. (Return to menu)
Class format: The emphasis
of this class is discussion of the assigned readings in terms of one's own
religious beliefs and world view. Willingness of class members to read and
reflect upon assigned readings in advance and to express their opinions in
class is essential to the success of each class. It is expected that
everyone attend class regularly, read the assignments carefully, and come
to class prepared to discuss them. (Return to menu)
Goals, requirements, and evaluation: The final grade
will comprise Class Participation and Quizzes (25%), Personal Statements
(35%), Individualized Project (35%), and Group Presentation (5%). Daily
participation in class discussions and readiness when called upon is
expected; the instructor will keep track of those who volunteer information
and opinions. Quizzes, whether announced or not, may not be made up.
Grading scale: A 100-90, B 89-76, C 75-61, D
60-50.
Personal statements will be assigned approximately each week on class
discussion and course reading. At least 600 words (two full typed pages) in
length, these statements are informal, short, non-research essays on
discussion topics. They are not just summaries of what was said or what was
read. They should go beyond mere recording of events to include personal
analysis and commentary. Emphasis will be on (1) integration of the
student's own ideas and thoughts with the subject matter of the course and
on (2) coherent and logical expression of these ideas. In these statements
you will briefly summarize the main points, offer your own opinion and
thoughts about the topics raised, and support your statement with specific
data. Submission of the work on time earns the student one point.
Additional points will be earned for following content and stylistic
requirements and for personal analysis and commentary.
The individualized
project and group presentation are described on the website. (Return to
menu)
Web access: Readings,
web links, this syllabus, and other information are available via the MC
website. Access the Department of Classics homepage, Syllabi, Spring 2005;
or http://department.monm.edu/classics/Courses/Syllabi/default.htm
.
SCHEDULE OF
ACTIVITIES
Schedule: The following
schedule outlines discussion topics, reading assignments, and due dates for
assignments. It may be changed as necessary, and the student is responsible
for making note of any changes announced in class.
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