Psychology and Religion--The Plan

Religious Studies 101 Fall 1999 Sigrid Peterson, Ph.D.

Course Home Page and Introduction

The planned sequence of class sessions, as dates, topics, and assignments, follows. There is more information about each assignment on the assignments page . The overall focus of the course is on religion as it is experienced and understood by the individual.

We will analyse different approaches to understanding individuals and their religion throught the following assignments and activities.


 September 8 Introduction to the Course


 September 15 Abraham and Kierkegaard

Read Genesis 12-22, concentrating on Genesis 22, the Binding of Isaac

Read Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, to page 82.

View Bill Moyers PBS Series Genesis: A Living Conversation, show on the

Binding of Isaac.

First response paper is due.
 September 22 Read William James, Varieties of Religious Experience

Read Lectures 1 through 3

Second response paper is due

Discussion of Genre, clip from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome


 September 29 Read Louis Jacobs, Jewish Mystical Testimonies

Read "Introduction" by Karen Armstrong

Read 122-166

Read 182-191

Read 264-291

Use the Glossary at end of book

Third response paper is due
 October 6 Read William James, Varieties of Religious Experience

Read Lectures 4 and 5, 78-113

Read Last Lectures, 337-403

Creative response paper, or second James response paper, is due
 October 13 Read Sigmund Freud, Psychopathology of Everyday Life

Read 9-61, and especially 306-355

Fifth response paper is due
 October 20 Read Carl Gustav Jung, The Unconscious Self

Read 29-125, then read 11-27

Sixth response paper is due
 October 27 Read Evelyn Underhill, Practical mysticism

Read 11-110; 173-191

Seventh response paper is due
 November 3 Read Abraham Maslow, Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences

Readings tba (To Be Announced)

Eighth response paper is due
 November 10 Read Abraham Maslow, Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences

Readings tba

Outline of Topic Paper is due
 November 17 Topic 1 -- to be selected later

Read assigned readings at Rosengarten Reserve

Tenth response paper is due
 November 24 Session on email -- no class meeting

Read Andre Dubus, Meditations from a Movable Chair

Read 3-11; 19-32; 59-60; 61-71; 72-82; 85-102;

103-108 (about resignation/faith--remember/review Kierkegaard);

119-145; 156-159; 174-193.

Eleventh response paper is due
 December 1 Topic 2 -- to be selected later

Read assigned readings at Rosengarten Reserve

Twelfth response paper is due

Take-home final distributed
 December 8 Topic 3 -- to be selected later

Read assigned readings at Rosengarten Reserve

Take home final is due
 December and January -- Have a Great Break!


Last updated September 24, 1999 by Sigrid Peterson, Ph.D.

You can send her email here

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