EXAM
# 1
RLST 2400
RELIGION AND CONTEMPORARY
Write An essay answering one (1) of the following questions.
(Please identify which question you are answering.)
1. Imagine that a roommate, a friend, or a parent, who has never heard of Peter Berger, finds the following paragraph in your notebook:
The hallmark of a secular society is that the processes of externalization, objectivation, and internalization that create the nomos are carried on largely within the public sphere. Thus the public sphere is the primary bulwark against anomie. One might expect, therefore, that the public sphere would be legitimated by some language invoking numinous power. Yet this is not the case in a secular society. The nomos of the public sphere is legitimated without reference to numinous power. There are a variety of private nomoi whose language invokes numinous power. However, these must compete in the marketplace with secular nomoi. The availability of competing religious and secular nomoi may shape the ways in which individuals experience the challenges of alienation and bad faith.
Naturally your roommate, friend, or parent will respond: “What the hell does that mean?” Write an explanation of the paragraph. You do not have to say whether you agree or disagree with Berger. You simply have to explain the meaning of the terms and the ideas in the paragraph, so that anyone can understand it. In other words, you have to tell what it means in plain English. Berger does not directly address the last sentence in the paragraph above, so explaining it will take some independent thought and speculation on your part.
2. Do you believe that people living in a secular society would be more or less alienated (as Peter Berger defines that word) than people living in a traditionally religious society? Or might people in both societies be equally alienated? To answer this question you will have to explain Berger’s concept of alienation and his distinction between religious and secular society. Be sure to give clear, logical reasons for your answer to the question.
Essays should be about 4 typed pages, or the equivalent in neat handwriting. All papers double-spaced, please. No papers above the length limit will be accepted.
Please read carefully and follow the Guidelines for Writing Essays (on the reverse side).
This exam covers material studied in class through September 18.
It is due in class on September 25
(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).
Your essay exams will be graded by your recitation instructor. It will be to your advantage to discuss the course material as fully as possible with your instructor, both in class and outside of class. It makes a lot of sense to discuss the ideas BEFORE you write the essays, though you are also encouraged to discuss the essays after they are returned to you with comments. We will be happy to discuss your exam with you, or go over a preliminary draft, during office hours or at other times by appointment. See the syllabus for office hours and phone numbers.
THE SAME GUIDELINES WILL APPLY FOR EVERY EXAM.
PLEASE SAVE THIS SHEET FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
EXAM
# 2
RLST 2400 Fall, 2006
RELIGION AND CONTEMPORARY
Write An essay answering one (1) of the following questions.
(Please identify which question you are answering.)
A. We
have been studying the hypothesis that postmodernism is becoming the new nomos, the new public religion. Suppose that hypothesis is true and that in
the near future postmodernism will be the dominant style in every aspect of
B. Cultural
changes do not happen overnight. When a
new nomos takes over from an old nomos,
the process takes a long time. Even if
postmodernism is becoming the new nomos, we are still
strongly affected by elements of the traditional (= modern) nomos. So our present nomos
is actually a blending of the modern and the postmodern. Pick THREE examples of different facets of
life in the
Essays should be about five (5) pages, double-spaced. Please observe the length limit.
Please read carefully and follow the Guidelines for Writing Essays from the first exam.
This exam covers material studied in class through November 1.
It is due in class on November 6.
RLST 2400 FALL, 2006
Religion and
Contemporary Society
PLEASE ANSWER ONE (1) OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
(Be sure to identify which question you are answering.)
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 five (5) pages, double-spaced.
Guidelines from the previous exam apply to this exam too.
The exam is due by 4:30 PM on TUESDAY, DEC. 19, in the Religious Studies Department mail room, Humanities 273.
If you would like comments on your paper, please attach a stamped self-addressed envelope, or email your recitation instructor after Dec. 19 to make arrangements.