Course Paper and Paper Presentation
 
Write a 1500-word paper on Sikhism

Answer the following questions:

1.     What is the worldview of the religion?  Worldview is how the religion views the world and its place in the world.  You are not being asked to tell how others view this religion.

2.     What are the important religious practices and does this religion have important religious practices beyond the 12 areas that our textbook focuses on?

a.       

3.      What most often / easily offends people who practice this religion?

4.     What are the taboos of the religion?

5.      What are your recommendations to outsiders as ways to be most considerate of people who practice this religion?

6.     If possible, you should try to interview a person who practices this religion. See me for some guidance on how to locate people who practice these religions.  

a.      Don’t worry about this

7.     You should organize your paper around these questions.  A paper which consists only a general statement of the religion’s beliefs, history,

8.     and subgroups will not earn a passing grade.  

9.     Your paper will be evaluated according to “Evaluation of the course paper” section of the syllabus.   

•  Submit your paper as a Word document attached to email to the instructor.  
•  Your presentation should consist of no more than 6 slides.
•  Avoid writing full sentences on the slides; use key phrases
•  Each slide should be accompanied by a narration, either audio or written
in the notes section for each slide.
•  The narration should explain the key phrases on the slide that it
accompanies.
•  The slides should tell what you learned about the religion that you wrote
on; especially focus on the answers to the questions that you are asked to
research for the paper (see bulleted list on page 1 above).
•  Post your presentation on the Week 8 discussion and respond to the
presentations of one or two other students.

Gwynne, P. (2018). World religions in practice: A comparative introduction (2nd ed.). Wiley.

1.      Art (Gwynne, chapter 1)

At the heart of religion lies the belief in a transcendent reality that provides an overarching context for human life and all that it contains. Seen through religious eyes, this visible world is not the full story. There is a dimension beyond the visible that holds the key to the origin, the purpose and the ultimate destiny of the cosmos and its inhabitants. Where religions tend to diverge is on the specific nature of this dimension. Is it personal or impersonal? Is it one or many? Is it masculine or feminine? Is it fundamentally similar to or different from us? The answers to such questions can be found by investigating one of the principal practical ways in which Hindus, Buddhists, Daoists, Jews, Christians and Muslims access the transcendent – their use or non‐use of the sacred image

(Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 29)

2.      Buildings (Gwynne, chapter 10)

Religion not only casts a transcendent light on time but it also sanctifies the three‐ dimensional space that characterizes our world. Although most religions believe that the Absolute is ubiquitous, they also identify particular places where it can be more tangibly and powerfully experienced. In Chapters 10 and 11 we shall explore two ways in which ordinary space is given extraordinary meaning: via religious buildings and sacred journeys. This chapter will focus on the physical edifices that serve as places of communal prayer and devotion. What is the religious building of each major faith? What primary and secondary functions does it serve? What are its salient architectural features? What religious beliefs are expressed by the details of its exterior and interior design?

(Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 273)

3.      Book/Sacred Text (Gwynne, chapter 2)

Whether a religion supports or condemns the use of sacred images, each of the six major religions possesses a set of written texts that are considered to be uniquely holy and authoritative. If not all faiths accept the validity of visual access to the transcendent via a painting or an icon, there is a greater willingness to accept the legitimacy of verbal access. Religions may disagree as to whether the divine face can be depicted, but there is a broad consensus that the divine voice can be heard and the divine word captured in human language. In this chapter we shall explore the sacred books of each religion. What are their form and contents? What is the basis of their authority? Who were the human authors involved? Who may read the texts and how are they used in ritual and daily practice?

        (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 56)

4.      Ethics (Gwynne, chapter 3)

In addition to its ethical dimension, religion also sheds meaning on the journey of life, especially important milestones along the way such as birth, marriage and death. In Chapters 4 to 6 we will examine the life‐cycle rituals associated with these three key moments, commencing in this chapter with the ways in which the six world religions celebrate and interpret the beginning of human life. What are the birth ceremonies in each of the six religions? What primary symbols and gestures are used and why? How do they convey notions of identity and membership of the faith community?             (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 84)

5.      Birth (Gwynne, chapter 4)

In addition to its ethical dimension, religion also sheds meaning on the journey of life, especially important milestones along the way such as birth, marriage and death. In Chapters 4 to 6 we will examine the life‐cycle rituals associated with these three key moments, commencing in this chapter with the ways in which the six world religions celebrate and interpret the beginning of human life. What are the birth ceremonies in each of the six religions? What primary symbols and gestures are used and why? How do they convey notions of identity and membership of the faith community?              (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 109)

6.      Death (Gwynne, chapter 5)

A key element in religion’s claim to provide an answer to the riddle of life is its insight into the meaning of death. The religious belief that a form of afterlife lies beyond the grave casts human existence in a completely new light. For believers, it opens up the possibility for definitive justice in a world where all too frequently the innocent suffer and die while the guilty go unrepentant and unpunished. It grounds the hope that love will not end and that dear ones may be seen again. It suggests that the desire to live forever, which is so deeply ingrained in the human spirit, is not in vain. But how does each of the six religions envisage the next world? What is the ultimate destiny of human beings? What is the significance of the physical body? What do the funeral rites of each religion tell us of these things?

        (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 131)

7.      Marriage  (Gwynne, chapter 6)

a.      celibacy & clergy employment

Alongside birth and death, the third rite of passage that is commonly invested with religious meaning and celebrated with religious ritual is marriage. For many faiths, the formal union of husband and wife is not merely a vital social institution in which children are conceived but also a serious religious duty, a means of worship and an earthly symbol of a transcendent reality. How does each of the six world religions understand the meaning of marriage? What are its primary ends? How does this understanding affect practical issues such as interfaith marriages, the number of partners and the conditions of divorce and remarriage? How is this meaning expressed in the symbolism of the wedding ceremony? What is the attitude of each religion to celibacy as an alternative lifestyle? What impact has the example of the founder had on belief and practice?

                (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 152)

8.      Food  (Gwynne, chapter 7)

It is generally acknowledged that the two most basic physical necessities of human existence are food and clothing. As corporeal beings in time and space, our bodies need inner nourishment and external protection. These two ordinary aspects of daily life also constitute an important part of religious practice and are invested with extraordinary meaning. In this chapter we focus on religious practices involving food, drink and meals. What types of food does faith favor or forbid? What principles lie behind traditional food taboos? How does food reflect the relationship between fellow believers, and between the believer and divine reality? What role does food play in worship and the quest for salvation or liberation?

        (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 189)

9.      Clothing (Gwynne, chapter 8)

Along with food, clothing is one of the most fundamental of human physical needs. Apart from the basic function of providing protection for the body from the elements, the clothes that we wear also carry an array of social meanings. Different styles of apparel can be used to maintain levels of modesty, indicate particular occupations and roles, and signify membership of socio‐cultural groups. In some respects, the old adage has a point: “Clothes maketh the man.” Religious practice is also characterized by the inherent potential in ordinary clothing to convey deeper theological values. This chapter will explore the most prominent forms of religious attire in each of the six religions. In what specifically religious ways do believers dress and fashion their appearance? Do such customs apply to all believers or only certain members of the faith? Are they linked to daily life or special circumstances? Most importantly, what religious meanings do they signify?

        (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 215)

10. Year (Gwynne, chapter 9)

Human existence is played out in a four‐dimensional cosmos, shaped by the fundamental categories of time and space. The very fabric of our being and all aspects of our world are intrinsically spatio‐temporal by nature. Even religion, which points beyond time and space toward transcendent reality, is rooted in this world of now and then, here and there. As with other aspects of daily life, these basic categories are taken up and transformed by religious understanding. Time and space are recast through the eyes of faith and given a more profound, holy meaning. This chapter focuses on the temporal aspect of reality, in particular the annual calendars of the six religions. What is its basic structure? How are the years counted? When do major festivals occur? What practices and meanings are associated with them? Are there specific periods or seasons inserted into the year and what do these signify?

        (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 241)

11.  Journey (Gwynne, chapter 11)

Transcendent reality can be experienced in the special space within the house of worship, but it is also sought after in more distant places of exceptional significance. Such locations beckon the believer to visit them and to draw on their unique ethos, even if only once in a lifetime. Ordinary space is rendered extraordinary not only by the sacred building but also by the sacred journey. In this chapter we explore the sanctification of space via the experience of the pilgrim. What are the main pilgrimage destinations in each of the six religions? Why are these particular places so significant? What physical features mark the sacred location and what specific actions and rituals are performed there? What are the main motives for such journeys and what aspects of belief are highlighted and expressed?

        (Gwynne, 2018,  pdf pg 299)

12.  Introductions? (Gwynne, chapter 1)

Idk what the 12^th thing discussed in pdf is?

Gwynne, P. (2018). World religions in practice: A comparative introduction (2nd ed.). Wiley.