Ira Chernus  
PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER

 

EXAM # 1

RLST 2400 SUMMER, 2005

Religion and Contemporary Society

 

PLEASE ANSWER ONE (1) OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

A. Do you believe that people living in the United States a hundred years ago, when the traditional U.S. nomos (the traditional "public religion") prevailed, were more or less alienated (as Peter Berger defines that word) than people living in a traditionally religious society (as Berger describes it)? Or might people in both societies be equally alienated, but in different ways? To answer this question you will have to explain Berger’s concept of alienation and his distinction between religious and secular society. You will also have to give specific examples from the traditional U.S. nomos as we studied it.

 

B. If Berger’s theory is correct, the traditional U.S. nomos (the traditional "public religion") was developed to protect the American people against the threat of anomy. Based on what you have learned in this class, how well do you think it worked? In what ways did people feel safe from anomy? What do you think most people saw as the major threats to their nomos? How do you suppose they would have responded to that threat? What measures did they take to legitimate the nomos in the face of that threat? How does Berger’s discussion of nomos, anomy, and secularization help you understand the traditional U.S. nomos?

 

This essay covers material studied through June 13.

It is DUE in class on June 20.

Essays should be about SIX (6) double-spaced pages. Please identify clearly which question you are answering.

(OVER)

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ESSAY EXAMS

As in any other academic course, you are being tested on your ability to understand, organize, synthesize, and think logically about the ideas presented in the course. Therefore, in answering the question, you should show that you have read the assigned readings, attended class, and grasped the main ideas presented in readings and class. On some occasions you may be asked to write about your own personal experiences or feelings. But please remember that your grade is always based on your demonstrated understanding of the course material. Your primary responsibility in every essay is to show what you have learned in this course. The more course material you include in your essay, presented accurately and logically, the better your grade will be.

A good essay is written clearly, concisely, and precisely. It offers a series of general ideas, with each one supported by more specific ideas or evidence, and all the general ideas are arranged in a logical order. Make sure your essay has a clear logical flow of ideas within each paragraph and from one paragraph to the next. If your paragraphs could be rearranged in a different order and make just as much sense, your essay is not yet well organized! A good way to avoid this problem is to make an outline before you write your final draft, so that you can see the organization of your essay clearly. Make every word count, from the very first word; avoid needless introductions and repetitive conclusions. Make every sentence add a new thought or a new way of supporting a main idea.

You should always show that you can express the main ideas of the course in your own words. A good way to do this is to assume that you are writing for someone who knows nothing about the subject; imagine you are writing to a parent, a friend, etc. Do not use lengthy quotations (though you may want to refer to specific pages in the readings in parentheses or footnotes).

I will be glad to discuss with you your ideas for the essay and answer any questions you have.

GUIDELINES WILL APPLY FOR THE FINAL EXAM TOO. PLEASE SAVE THIS SHEET.

 

 

 

EXAM # 2

RLST 2400 SUMMER, 2005

Religion and Contemporary Society

 

PLEASE ANSWER ONE (1) OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

  1. Fully postmodern people will not accept any master narrative as entirely true. Rather, they will mix and match worldviews, values, and lifestyles the same way they will mix and match clothing or the playlists on their ipod shuffles. Suppose you met a fully postmodern person who said: "I can accept fundamental aspects of the liberation theology nomos and the holistic spirituality nomos (as presented by Spretnak) and still live completely in the postmodern nomos." How would you respond? What aspects of liberation theology and holistic spirituality do you think are really compatible with postmodernism? What aspects contradict postmodernism? Overall, do you think the statement could be true, or not? If this imaginary postmodern person wants to be logically consistent, should s/he feel forced to make a choice between postmodernism and the two challenging nomoi, or not?

B. Do you think that Spretnak’s holistic spirituality and the movements of liberation theology, taken together, provide the resources for a viable alternative to the nomos of postmodernism? In order to be "viable," an alternative must be both possible and desirable. In other words, there must be a real chance that the alternative could become the dominant nomos, and there must be good reasons to want the alternative to become the dominant nomos. In what ways does postmodernism support or help make possible the rise of holistic spirituality and liberation theology as values in the public sphere? In what ways does postmodernism make it more difficult for holistic spirituality and liberation theology to shape the public sphere? Regardless of whether it is possible, do you think it would be desirable for holistic spirituality and liberation theology’s values to become more influential than postmodernism?

 

This IS your final exam. There is no other final exam.

Essays should be about six (6) pages, double-spaced.

Guidelines from the previous exam apply to this exam too.

The exam is due by 4:30 PM on friday, july 1, in my mailbox in the Religious Studies Department mail room, Humanities 273. I will be happy to accept them in class on June 30.

If you would like my comments on your paper, please attach a stamped self-addressed envelope, or call me at 492-6169 after July 6 to make arrangements.

THANK YOU FOR A VERY ENJOYABLE AND FUN COURSE.

HAVE A FINE REST OF THE SUMMER.