Meeting Times: Period 10: TTh 10:00-11:15 am
Meeting Place: CC 5
Professor: Dr. Loye B. Ashton
Office: CC10
Office Hours: MTWTh 2:00-3:00 pm and by appointment
Phone: 601-974-1333
Email: ashtol@millsaps.edu

Course Description:

This course provides a historical and conceptual introduction to the religious and cultural traditions of China and Japan with special attention to Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Shinto and popular religions. Our goal is to do more than study traditions in isolation; we will also study the religious cultural lives of East Asians in their complex multiplicity. This means that we will focus especially on the reality of multiple religious participation. Many Chinese and Japanese do not think of themselves as adhering exclusively to a single tradition. Therefore, a reexamination of traditional Western notions regarding religion and religious belonging will be a crucial component of this course.
We will also attend to the ways in which notions about "East" and "West" have been shaped by history of colonialism. Whereas in the past, Western representations of the East were shaped by missionary and colonial interests, recently Western notions of East Asia linger under the influence of "nativist" ideas in which East Asian traditions often are regarded as intrinsically superior to Western traditions. East Asia is considered spontaneous, natural, nondualistic and organic whereas Western thought is characterized as calculating, artificial, and dualistic. This dichotomizing perspective is especially apparent in Western and East Asian representations of Ch'an/Zen Buddhism. We will study Ch'an/Zen closely paying special attention to the ways Zen is made to play a role in shaping collective representations about the nature of East and West.
Students should leave the course with a basic knowledge of the major religious traditions of East Asia and their interactions. Most importantly, students should be able critically to consider the category "religion" in light of information gathered about East Asian religious traditions.


Course Texts:

Course readings will be drawn from these required books:

PCC A Pilgrim in Chinese Culture. Judith Berling. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1997)
RELJ Religions of Japan: Many Traditions Within One Sacred Way. Byron H. Earhart. (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1984)
TTC Tao Te Ching: The Classic Book of Integrity and the Way. Translated by Victor Mair. (New York: Bantam Books, 1990)
RELC Religions of China: The World as a Living System. Daniel L. Overmyer. (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1986)
CHINR Chinese Religion: An Anthology of Sources. Edited by Deborah Sommer. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995)
SJT Sources of Japanese Traditions: Volume I. Edited by Tsunoda, Ryusaku, Wm. Theodore De Bary and Donald Keene. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1958)

Course Requirements:

A course syllabus is the learning agreement between student and instructor. As such, it should be taken seriously as a contract or covenant that explicitly spells out our mutual obligations and responsibilities. As your instructor it is my responsibility to help facilitate your learning of the content and liberal education skills outlined in the course description above to the best of my ability. In this endeavor with you this semester I will be a co-learner as well as your instructor. Your responsibility will lie not only with completely the academic work required of you but also with learning how to teach yourself. As students at a liberal arts college one of the most important skills you can develop is the ability to take responsibility for your own learning. In this class you will be joining a community of scholar-colleagues who will be asking questions about the character of religious thought and practice in East Asia and the meaning of religion itself. The relationship between student and teacher is a privileged and unique relationship. Every class is made up of an unrepeatable combination of students who bring distinctive experiences, questions, values, and gifts to the classroom. I do not teach "to" a generic "class." Rather, I teach unique individuals with the intention that all in this class will actively contribute to becoming a community of learners, a class with its own distinctive spirit, style, and struggles. As your teacher, I see myself as a steward of your own intellectual maturity, and I want to teach in such a way that that maturity will be served. To that end I hold the following expectations:

Attendance: Being in class, being engaged with the work of the class, and behaving courteously are all expected. One discourtesy to avoid is coming into class late. Lateness reflects a lack of respect for classmates, for the instructor, for the subject matter, and for your own educational process. Lateness counts as half an absence. Likewise, regular attendance at all class meetings is a must. This course is designed on the model of dialogue and active learning, which means that we are all equally responsible for its success or failure. If you miss more than three classes without the prior permission of the instructor, your final grade will be lowered by a full letter grade. If you miss more than six classes without the instructor's permission, your final grade for the class will be no higher than a D. Attending a college course at a quality institution such as Millsaps is an opportunity and a privilege that many people throughout the world (as well as this nation and this state) do not have. In addition, informed participation is essential to active learning. Students are expected to come to class having completed the assigned reading for the day and prepared to engage in discussion. What are the key issues posed by the readings of the day? What are your responses and reactions to the assigned readings? Students should come to class having considered these questions. Class attendance alone is not sufficient to meet class participation requirements.

Assessment:
Students are required to take a take-home mid-term exam that will be handed out on October 9. The exam will be due on October 14. No additional resources beyond the texts of the course should be employed to answer the questions. However, students should NOT quote extensively from course books. A strong exam will demonstrate that you have thought about and can synthesize responses to the central questions and issues raised in the course. Remember, your work is to be yours alone. Students should not converse with colleagues regarding the exam for the period of these 5 days and these days alone. You may work together to prepare for the exam BEFORE the questions are distributed but not thereafter.
Students, working in pairs, are expected to make class presentations (Oct. 30 and Nov. 4) on a topic to be worked out in consultation with the instructor. Each student will also submit a short paper on the topic in question (5 pages). The paper will be due within a week of the presentation. Any topic that touches on some specific East Asian cultural practice or set of practices is appropriate. These include, but are not restricted to, the following:
T'ai Ch'i Feng Shui Tea Ceremony
Martial Arts Divination Calligraphy
Acupuncture Chinese Medicine

A good presentation and presentation paper will draw important connections between the major themes explored in the course and the concrete cultural practice(s) under consideration. The use of internet resources is encouraged. However, students must make informed judgments concerning the quality and reliability of these sources. Although students will work together to make presentations, each student's presentation paper must be an individual effort.
Students are also required to write a research paper (15 pages) on a topic to be worked out in consultation with the instructor. A prospectus outlining the topic to be addressed, the methods to be employed, and the sources to be used will be due on November 11. The research paper will be due on December 2.
A strong research paper will require assembling effective primary and secondary resources. Therefore, the use of Inter-Library Loan (ILL) will be necessary. Students should plan to allow 2 weeks or more before ILL delivers the materials ordered. Conversations with librarians regarding the resources available for your research are strongly encouraged.
Possible topics for your paper may include but are not restricted to the following:
Religion and Ecology.
An exploration of any significant thinker.
An exploration of any relevant school or sect.
An exploration of any theme considered in class.
Students taking this course to meet Women's Studies Requirements must address questions of gender in their term paper.
Finally, a comprehensive final exam will be held on December 9 at 2 p.m. in CC 5.
1. Active and Informed Class Participation: 15%
2. Mid-Term Exam: 20%
3. Class Presentation and Paper: 15%
4. Term Paper: 30%
5. Final Exam: 20%

Note: any student who has ever been a fan of the New York Yankees will be penalized 10% of their entire grade for the course. If, however, you can suitably demonstrate adoration of the Boston Red Sox, the penalty will be rescinded.

Late and missing papers: Written assignments turned in late will lose a letter grade or equivalent. Homework may not be turned in more than one week after its due date. A '0' will be recorded for any work not turned in (except that, in this class, one homework paragraph may be skipped without penalty). No work of any kind will be accepted after the last day of final examinations. Exceptions to this policy will be granted only to the victims of unforeseeable and uncontrollable circumstances.

Academic honor: All of us at Millsaps are pledged to uphold academic honor, the core of which is refraining from giving or receiving unauthorized aid on any assignment. I particularly caution against plagiarism, that is, using the words or ideas of others without acknowledgement. Plagiarized work means a mandatory referral to the Honor Council and may result in expulsion from the class. Please read carefully the Millsaps Honor Code statement at the end of this syllabus.

Incompletes: An "Incomplete" grade for the course will be given only to students who, due to unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances, find themselves unable to complete course requirements during the term and can reasonably be expected to complete them within a few weeks after the term's end. The "Incomplete" must be requested and appropriately justified before the end of final examinations.

Course Schedule:

Week 1: Introduction to course issues.

8/26 Defining Religion.
8/28 Divination: An Introduction to the I-Ching
Reading: CHINR 3-6; RELC 11-27, 74-77

Week 2: Classical Confucian Thought

9/2 Ritual in Ancient China
Reading: CHINR 7-39; RELC 11-27
9/4 Confucius vs. Mo Tzu
Reading: CHINR 41-54; RELC 27-32

Week 3: Classical Confucian and Taoist Thought

9/9 Mencius vs. Hsun Tzu
Reading: CHINR 55-70; RELC 27-32
9/11 Tao Te Ching
Reading: TTC 3-55

Week 4: Classical Taoism cont.

9/16 Tao Te Ching
Reading: TTC 59-105
9/18 Chuang Tzu and Varieties of Taoism
Reading: CHINR 77-83; RELC 32-39

Week 5: Taoism and Buddhism

9/23 Video: Taoism: A Question of Balance
9/25 Introduction to Buddhism (reading to be assigned)

Week 6: Buddhism in China

9/30 Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism
Reading: CHINR 119-143; RELC 39-44
10/2 Introduction to Ch'an Buddhism
Reading: CHINR 155-168; RELC 44-48

Week 7: Neo-Confucianism

10/7 Chu Hsi and Wang Yang-Ming
Reading: CHINR 183-198, 227-232; SJT 335-368
10/9 Wang Yang-Ming
Reading: CHINR 183-198, 227-232; SJT 335-368
Mid-Term Exams distributed

Week 8: Chinese Religious Diversity

10/14 Journey to the West
Reading: CHINR 239-246 (Mid-Term Exam Due)
10/16 Negotiating Religious Diversity
Reading: PCC 3-38

Week 9: Chinese Religious Diversity Cont.

10/21 MID-SEMESTER HOLIDAY
10/23 Tales of Chinese Religious Diversity
Reading: PCC 41-98

Week 10: Chinese Religious Diversity Cont.

10/28 What Can We Learn from Chinese Approaches to Religious Diversity?
Reading: PCC 99-134
10/30 Class presentations

Week 11: Shinto

11/4 Class presentations
11/6 Shinto and Early Myths Concerning the Origins of Japan
Reading: SJT 12-33; 261-276; RELJ 9-28

Week 12: Japanese Buddhism

11/11 Devotion to the Lotus Sutra: Saicho and Nichiren
Reading: SJT 109-132, 213-225; RELJ 9-28
Prospectus for Term Paper Due
11/13 Pure Land Buddhism: Honen and Shinran
Special Guest: Dr. Steve Smith
Reading: SJT 181-212; RELJ 29-41

Week 13: Japanese Buddhism Cont.

11/18 Dogen and Other Early Pioneers of Zen
Reading: SJT 226-260
11/20 Rinzai versus Soto Zen (readings to be assigned)

Week 14: Buddhism Cont.

11/25 Video: The Land of the Disappearing Buddha
11/27 Thanksgiving: No Class

Week 15: Final Considerations

12/2 The Poetry of Basho
Reading: SJT 441-458
Term Paper Due
12/4 Rethinking Religion in East Asia

Final Exam: Tuesday Dec. 9 at 2:00 pm