Jonathan Tan, Ph.D.
ProfessorJTan@gmail.com

Grading Policy

Religion Resources
Library Research Resources

Return to:
Course Portal Menu

Google

THEO 351 FAITH, CULTURE & ETHNICITY

FALL SEMESTER 2009
Tue & Thu 1:00-2:15 p.m. (Alter 201)

http://www.jonathantan.org/351/

PDF THEO 351 Faith, Culture & Ethnicity Syllabus

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
  • For more information on Islam, see THEO 355 Islam

  • DOCUMENTARY SCREENING: Inside Islam Documentary
    Date: Monday, 16 November 2009
    Time: 7:30-9:00 p.m.
    Venue: Kelley Auditorium, Alter Hall

  • PUBLIC LECTURE: The Future of Islam: Muslim-Christian Relations
    Speaker: John L. Esposito, University Professor, Professor of Religion and International Affairs, Professor of Islamic Studies, and founding director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.
    Date: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
    Time: 7:30-9:00 p.m.
    Venue: Duff Banquet Center in the Cintas Center

UPDATES:

RACISM & INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE:
Interracial Couple Denied Marriage License By Louisiana Justice Of The Peace (Huffington Post, 15 October 2009)
Man's halt of interracial marriage sparks outrage (Associated Press, 16 October 2009)
Governor calls for firing of justice in interracial marriage case (CNN.com, 17 October 2009)


SHORTCUTS TO:


25 Aug: Introduction

27 Aug: Race: The Power of an Illusion

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Transcript: Part 1
(2) Transcript: Part 2
(3) 10 Things Everyone Should Know About Race
(4) The Historical Origins & Development of Racism
(5) The Origin of the Idea of Race
(6) A Long History of Racial Preferences -- For Whites
(7) Racial Preferences for Whites: The Houses That Racism Built
(8) Racism Privacy Initiative: An Invitation to Racial Discrimination

We will be watching Part 3 of the PBS Documentary, Race: The Power of an Illusion in class today. Please read the transcripts for Part 1 and Part 2 in preparation for viewing and discussing Part 3 in class.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE:
Episode 1: The Difference Between Us
Episode 2: The Story We Tell
Episode 3: The House We Live In

ADDITIONAL READINGS:
Where Race Lives
The Hispanic Color Divide
The Hidden Cost of Being African American
New York Times articles on Race

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:
Official Website of Race: The Power of an Illusion (California Newsreel)

1 Sep: Racism Without Racists #1

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:
(1) Bonilla-Silva, pp. xiii-xviii, 1-52.
(2) Please watch the YouTube clip below


3 Sep: Racism Without Racists #2

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Bonilla-Silva, pp. 53-101.
(2) Peggy McIntosh's Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
(3) White anger fueling health care debate (Mercury News, 23 August 2009)
(4) Jenkins' remark raises eyebrows (Topeka Capital-Journal, 27 August 2009)
(5) Critical Dialogue: Rocky's Racism, by Michael Gallantz, in Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media 18 (August 1978): 33-34.

8 Sep: Racism Without Racists #3

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Bonilla-Silva, pp. 103-149.
(2) The End of White America? By Hua Hsu (Atlantic Magazine, Jan/Feb 2009)
(3) On Being a Black Woman Lawyer
(4) Racial Gaps in Faculty Job Satisfaction (Inside Higher Education, 5 Dec 2008)
(5) Racial Differences in College Faculty Job Satisfaction

10 Sep: Racism Without Racists #4

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Bonilla-Silva, pp. 151-205.
(2) Naturalization Act of 1790 (U.S. citizenship for free white persons only, passed by the First Congress, Second Session) [source: Library of Congress]
(3) Fourteenth Amendment (1868, granting citizenship rights to those born in the U.S., including former slaves) [source: Library of Congress]
(4) Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 (Synder Act) (grants U.S. citizenship to Native Americans)
(5) Immigration & Nationality Act of 1952 (McCarran-Walter Act) [section 1422 (eligibility for naturalization) abolishes, among other things, racial prerequsites for naturalization, thereby repealing the Naturalization Act of 1790.]
(6) Takao Ozawa v. United States, 260 U.S. 178 (1922) [source: FindLaw]
(7) United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, 261 U.S. 204 (1923) [source: FindLaw]

15 Sep: Racism Without Racists #5

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Bonilla-Silva, pp. 207-241.
(2) Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Facts, Not Fiction: Setting the Record Straight (National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education, 2008)
(3) Asian Americans & the Glass Ceiling
(4) Asian Americans & Equal Opportunity
(5) Study Foresees the Fall of an Immigration Record That Has Lasted a Century (New York Times, 12 February 2008)
(6) Yearning for Words of Tolerance (Washington Post, 10 March 2008), p. B01.
(7) In a Generation, Minorities May Be the U.S. Majority (New York Times, 14 August 2008)
(8) Majority Minorities (New York Times, 14 August 2008)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM PROFESSOR TAN'S BLOG:
Resources on Asian Americans
Resources on Latino/as

FOR FURTHER READING:
Fear of a Black President (by Jonathan L. Walton) [source: Religion Dispatches]
Boy, Oh, Boy (by Maureen Dowd) [source: New York Times]
Islamophobia/Discrimination Against U.S. Muslims
Black American Muslims (Africans/African Americans)

17 Sep: Introduction to Hinduism

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Being Hindu is Much Different in the U.S. than in India (International Herald Tribune, 4 September 2006).
(2) Family Ties and the Entanglements of Caste (New York Times, 24 October 2004).
(3) In a Suburb of Atlanta, a Temple Stops Traffic (New York Times, 14 July 2007).
(4) Camp Joins Summer Fun With Teaching Hindu Faith (New York Times, 21 July 2007).
(5) A Daily Round of Rituals For Boys Becoming Priests (Washington Post, 18 October 2007), p. A16.
(6) Homes With a Bit of the Homeland (Washington Post, 19 December 2007), p. A01.

We will be watching the video documentary, 330 Million Gods (from the acclaimed BBC Classics series, "The Long Search") in class today.

Discussion Questions ("Hinduism: 330 Million Gods")

ADDITIONAL READINGS:
New York Times articles on Hinduism
ROADMAP: From the Vedas to the Upanisads to the Bhagavad-Gita: An Outline

REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #1 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. today (17 Sep 2009)

22 Sep: Place at the Multicultural Table #1

REQUIRED READINGS: Kurien, pp. ix-xiii, 1-39.

24 Sep: Place at the Multicultural Table #2

REQUIRED READINGS: Kurien, pp. 40-85.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Hinduism Today Magazine Website
Association of Indians in America
National Federation of Indian American Associations
Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA)
Kerala Hindus of North America
sulekha.com
rediff.com

LORD GANESH'S MILK MIRACLE:


ADDITIONAL VIDEO: BBC Video Archive of the Milk Miracle


RECOMMENDED MOVIE: The Namesake (directed by: Mira Nair, 2006)

Trailer



Mira Nair discusses her film, "The Namesake"

29 Sep: Place at the Multicultural Table #3

REQUIRED READINGS: Kurien, pp. 86-139.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Malibu Hindu Temple (Hindu Temple Society of Southern California).
Sri (Lord) Venkateshwara
Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha. See also WikiPedia entry.
Hindu Temple of Greater Cincinnati

RECOMMENDED MOVIE: Veer Zaara (directed by: Yash Chopra)

Theatrical Trailer:

1 Oct: Place at the Multicultural Table #4

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Kurien, pp. 140-183.
(2) UN set to treat caste as human rights violation (The Times of India, 28 Sept 2009)
(3) The Caste System and the Stages of Life in Hinduism

ADDITIONAL READINGS:
"Hymn of the Man" (Purusa Sukta). Click here for the Sanskrit text.
"Knowing" Words in Indo-European Languages


RECOMMENDED MOVIE: Amar Akbar Anthony (directed by: Manmohan Desai).

Watch full movie on YouTube.

6 Oct: Place at the Multicultural Table #5

REQUIRED READINGS: Kurien, pp. 184-248.

REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #2 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. on Thu (8 Oct 2009)

8 Oct: Fall Holiday -- No Class

REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #2 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. on Thu (8 Oct 2009)


Map of Buddhism in Asia (Click to download)

13 Oct: Introduction to Buddhism

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) ROADMAP: Summary of Principal Points in Buddhism
(2) Buddhism in the West: Self Realization or Self Indulgence? (Maria Reis Habito)
(3) ZEN and the art of lawyering: Legal eagles find meditation a stress solution (San Francisco Chronicle, 30 July 2007).
(4) A Very Old Zen Master and His Art of Tough Love (New York Times, 9 December 2007).
(5) Excerpts From Interview With Kyozan Joshu Sasaki Roshi (New York Times, 9 December 2007).
(6) In Buddha's Path on the Streets of San Francisco (New York Times, 10 October 2008)

POWERPOINT SLIDESHOW: The Life of Buddha Sakyamuni

We will be watching the video documentary, Footprint of the Buddha (from the acclaimed BBC Classics series, "The Long Search") in class today.

ADDITIONAL READINGS:
New York Times articles on Buddhism

15 Oct: Buddhism in America #1

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Seager, pp. ix-xviii, 12-32.
(2) pdf The Suffering of Self (by Professor David Loy)
(3) pdf The Problem with Karma (by Professor David Loy)
(4) Lotus Therapy (New York Times, 27 May 2008)

ROADMAP: Summary of Principal Points in Buddhism

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Class Outline: Suffering & its Causes
Class Outline: Path to Liberation
Class Outline: Karma, No-Self, Rebirth
Class Outline: Mahayana Buddhism
Class Outline: Three Types of Practitioners in Mahayana Thought
Class Outline: Sunyata (Emptiness)


Buddha Amitabha (Amida)'s Pure Land (Sukhavati)

20 Oct: Buddhism in America #2

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Seager, pp. 3-11,33-69.
(2) Lotus Therapy (New York Times, 27 May 2008)
(3) Explanation of the Pure Land Mandala
(4) Larger Pure Land Sutra (Bilingual: Chinese/English)

CLASS OUTLINES:
Class Outline: Pure Land Buddhism (Historical Overview)
Class Outline: Japanese Pure Land Buddhism

OFFICIAL WEBSITES:
web Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) (Jodoshinshu in the United States)
web Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) (Berkeley, CA)


22 Oct: Buddhism in America #3

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Seager, pp. 70-112.
(2) Beginning Zen Meditation (courtesy of Maria Kannon Zen Center)
(3) Ruben L.F. Habito. In Memoriam: Yamada Koun Roshi (1907-1989) Buddhist-Christian Studies 10 (1990):231-237.
(4) Ama Samy Genu-ken Roshi. Heart to Heart: Zen and religion: the roots and the shape
(5) Zazen & Christianity. By Yamada Koun Roshi.
(6) Other selected Teishos/Writings by Yamada Koun Roshi
(7) Multiple Religious Belonging: Opportunities and Challenges for Theology and Church. By Peter C. Phan. Theological Studies 64 (2003): 495-519.

Class Outline: Chan Buddhism

FULLTEXT OF THE LOTUS SUTRA:
English Translation by Burton Watson
English Translation by the Buddhist Texts Translation Society

OFFICIAL WEBSITES OF ESTABLISHED U.S. ZEN BUDDHIST CENTERS:
Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Zen Mountain Monastery (ZMM)
San Francisco Zen Center
Zen Center of Los Angeles
White Plum Asanga
Diamond Sangha


FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

(1) Zen:
Sanbo Kyodan (English version). Click here for the mirror site.

(2) Dharma Heirs of Hakuun Yasutani/Yamada Koun Roshi:
Bodhizendo & Amasamy Genu-ken Roshi.
Robert Aitken Gyoun-ken Roshi
David Loy Tetsuun-ken Roshi
Maria Kannon Zen Center (Dallas, TX) & Ruben Habito Keiun-ken Roshi

(3) Nichiren Soshu/Soka Gakkai:
Nichiren Shu
Nichiren Soshu
Nichiren Soshu in the United States
Soka Gakkai International (SGI)
Soka Gakkai International United States







27 Oct: Sustainability Day -- No Class

29 Oct: Buddhism in America #4

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Seager, pp. 113-181
(2) web Humanistic Buddhism (Wikipedia)
(3) web Biography of Dharma Master Hsing Yun (Founder of Fo Guang Shan Monastery, Taiwan)

OFFICIAL WEBSITES:
web Fo Guang Shan [Buddha Light Mountain] Monastery (Taiwan)
web Hsi Lai Temple (Hacienda Heights, California)
web University of the West
web Tzu Chi Relief Foundation (Taiwan)

3 Nov: Buddhism in America #5

REQUIRED READINGS: Seager, pp. 185-231

INTERVIEW WITH VENERABLE DR. YIFA
Dr. Yifa speaks about her recent book, Authenticity: Clearing the Junk: A Buddhist Perspective (2007). Dr. Yifa, a Buddhist nun belonging to the Fo Guang Shan [Buddha Light Mountain] Monastery (Taiwan), holds a law degree from Taiwan National University, a MA in Comparative Philosophy from the University of Hawai'i, and a PhD in Religious Studies from Yale University.



OFFICIAL WEBSITES:
Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Official Website of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village Dharma Center
Thich Nhat Hanh on FaceBook
Tzu Chi Relief Foundation (Taiwan)

U.S. BUDDHIST LGBT COMMUNITIES:
Gay Buddhist Fellowship (San Francisco)
Queer Dharma
Gay Buddhist Sangha
Listing of Gay Buddhist Groups by City

5 Nov: Buddhism in America #6

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Seager, pp. 232-265
(2) pdf Buddhism in the West: Self Realization or Self Indulgence? (Maria Reis Habito)

10 Nov: NO CLASS -- Professor attendng the American Academy of Religion Conference


Map of the Islamic World (Click to download)

12 Nov: Introduction to Islam

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:
Please:
(1) watch the documentary, Islam: Empire of Faith on YouTube
(2) review the articles/readings in Islam Resources

We will be watching the second part ("The Awakening") of the PBS Documentary, Islam: Empire of Faith in class today.

Discussion Questions ("The Awakening")

ADDITIONAL READINGS:
New York Times Articles about Islam

REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #3 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. today (12 Nov 2009)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING: Inside Islam Documentary
Date: Monday, 16 November 2009
Time: 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Venue: Kelley Auditorium, Alter Hall


PUBLIC LECTURE: The Future of Islam: Muslim-Christian Relations
Speaker: John L. Esposito, University Professor, Professor of Religion and International Affairs, Professor of Islamic Studies, and founding director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.
Date: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Time: 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Venue: Duff Banquet Center in the Cintas Center


Sheik Reda Shata Vodcast
(New York Times)

Embracing A New Faith:
U.S. Latinas Embracing Islam

(Photo Slideshow)

17 Nov: Transnational Muslims in American Society #1

REQUIRED READINGS: McCloud, pp. 1-42

19 Nov: Transnational Muslims in American Society #2

REQUIRED READINGS: McCloud, pp. 43-71

24 Nov: Islam in the United States

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:
  1. web VODCAST: Portraits of Ordinary Muslims in the United States (Frontline: Muslims)

  2. Please read the articles in Multimedia & News Resources on Islam in the United States to prepare for today's class. For our class discussion, we will be focusing on:

  3. web Intolerance and an Attempt to Make Amends Unsettle a Chicago Suburb's Muslims (New York Times, 10 August 2000)

  4. Please watch the YouTube clips below.

We will be watching excerpts from the PBS Documentary, Frontline: Muslims in class today.

Discussion Questions ("Islam in the United States: Being Muslim and American")

YOUTUBE CLIPS:

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN & ISLAM:


LADY CALIPHS ON ESPN:

This is a 7-minute clip on ESPN of the Lady Caliphs of W. Deen Mohammed High School (735 Fayetteville Road SE, Atlanta, GA 30316), a K-12 Islamic school that is noted for its academic excellence. The Lady Caliphs completed another outstanding basketball season, winning 21 out of 22 games.

26 Nov: Thanksgiving Holiday -- No Class

1 Dec: Transnational Muslims in American Society #3

REQUIRED READINGS: McCloud, pp. 72-94


Distribution of Shi'i Muslims
(Click to download)

3 Dec: Transnational Muslims in American Society #4

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:

(1) web podcast PODCAST: The Partisans of Ali: A History of Shia Faith and Politics [A 5-part series on NPR Morning Edition. Please listen online or download and listen to all the podcasts on your iPod, as well as read the articles (profiles, chronology, history, etc.) for today's class]

(2) web podcast The Sunni-Shia Divide and the Future of Islam. By Vali Nasr, on "Speaking of Faith" (American Public Radio, 20 November 2008). Please listen online or download and listen to the podcast on your iPod, as well as read the articles for today's class.

(3) McCloud, pp. 95-122 (NB: Please listen to #1 and #2 before you read #3)

(4) web Huaisheng Mosque (The oldest mosque in China and one of the oldest mosque in the world)

(5) web Great Mosque of Xi'an

(6) web Niujie Mosque (The Great Mosque of Beijing)

YOUTUBE: Ashura in New York City


YOUTUBE: Ashura in Nabatieh, Southern Lebanon


FOR FURTHER REFERENCE:
Contemporary Sunni-Shi'a Relations
Shi'ism & Contemporary Iran

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Daqin Pagoda (the oldest extant Christian Church in China, built by missionaries from the Assyrian Church of the East).

8 Dec: Transnational Muslims in American Society #5

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) McCloud, pp. 123-137
(2) Readings/Resources on Wahhabism

10 Dec: NO CLASS.

REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #4 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 11 Dec 2009.

Humorous student evaluations at a foreign (non-U.S.) university... Enjoy!!!

COPYRIGHT COMPLIANCE:
STATEMENT OF FAIR USE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

A good faith effort has been made to comply with US copyright law. This does not mean that none of the materials used in this course website is copyright protected, but that the "fair use" clause of US Copyright Law has been adhered to. In particular, any copyright material used here is (a) not used for commercial gain and used exclusively for educational purposes; and (b) used in limited amounts in comparison to the published source. The relevant provision (section 107) of the U.S. Copyright Act is reproduced below:

Section 107: Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair Use
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phone records or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use, the factors to be considered shall include:
(1) The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. (added pub. l 94-553, Title I, 101, Oct 19, 1976, 90 Stat 2546).


Revision 2.0.0012. Originally created: 17 February 2008. Last updated: 23 November 2009.
© Copyright Jonathan Y. Tan, 2006-2009. All rights reserved.
REQUIRED
TEXTBOOKS:


E. Bonilla-Silva
Racism Without
Racists

(Random, 2006)


Richard Seager
Buddhism in America
(Columbia, 1999)


Aminah McCloud
Transnational Muslims
in American Society

(Florida, 2006)


Prema Kurien
A Place at the
Multicultural Table

(Rutgers, 2007)


RECOMMENDED
BOOKS:



Eric Goldstein
The Price
of Whiteness

(Princeton, 2007)


Omi & Winant
Racial Formation
in the
United States

(Routledge,1994)


K. Brodkin
How Jews Became
White Folks

(Rutgers, 1999)


D. Roediger
Working Toward
Whiteness

(Basic, 2006)


M.F. Jacobson
Whiteness of a
Different Color

(Harvard, 1999)


J. Guglielmo
Are Italians
White?

(Routledge,2003)


N. Ignatiev
How the Irish
Became White

(Routledge,1996)




Google Scholar

Google Book Search

Google