CCOG for R 201 Winter 2025
- Course Number:
- R 201
- Course Title:
- Asian Religions
- Credit Hours:
- 4
- Lecture Hours:
- 40
- Lecture/Lab Hours:
- 0
- Lab Hours:
- 0
Course Description
Intended Outcomes for the course
Upon completion of the course students should be able to:
- Explain the history and development of the religions of Asia, including the myths and doctrines, personal and social ethics, and the interactions among the religions and surrounding cultures.
- Explain the variety of religious beliefs and practices in Asia.
- Discuss the models of religious practice which allow simultaneous participation in multiple religious traditions.
- Identify appropriate interactions with practitioners of Asian religions.
- Recognize and describe the impact of religion in relation to world events and cultures.
Integrative Learning
Students completing an associate degree at Portland Community College will be able to reflect on one’s work or competencies to make connections between course content and lived experience.
General education philosophy statement
R 201, Asian Religions, introduces religions from Asia that are important in the world today, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Jainism, Sikhism, Shinto and Islam in its Asian expressions. Each of these religions originated in a culture different than that of present-day Oregon, but each is now practiced here. In exploring the religions, we seek to understand their histories and perspectives on the world and humanity. We investigate their interactions with various cultures, and the part these religions play in creating and enforcing a particular set of cultural norms for their practitioners. The knowledge gained about religion allows deeper understanding of our own experiences and contexts. It also offers resources for understanding and reasoning qualitatively about others, their experiences and contexts.
Aspirational Goals
Students will apply their knowledge of religious beliefs and practices and their skill in comprehending religious beliefs to understanding and interacting with practitioners in the broader realm of religions.
Students will employ their knowledge of the terminology used by and about, and perspectives of and on, a given religion to interact with practitioners of that religion.
Students will employ their knowledge of the language about and perspectives on religion to engage in dialogue about the role of religion in political and cultural settings.
Course Activities and Design
The course may include lectures, audio-visual presentations, student presentations, large and small group discussions, guest lecturers, field trips and/or community-based learning activities.
Outcome Assessment Strategies
Assessment strategies will include some of the following:
• Essays in the form of in-class exams, short papers or term papers
• Student presentations on research, including site visits to religious settings
• Short-answer or multiple choice exams
• Group and individual projects, written or multi-media
• Participation in classroom discussion and activities, including field trips
• Portfolios and/or journals
• Community-Based Learning projects
• Attendance
Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)
The course will focus on exploring the following topics and issues as an introduction to Asian religions.
• The genesis and historical development of the religion, including its geographical reach.
• The major doctrines and myths of the religion, including major teachers and sacred texts.
• The rituals and traditions of the religion.
• The social and personal ethical tenets of the religion.
• The interactions between the various religions historically and today.