RELG 402 - World's Living Religions
Module 15 - New Religious Movements
Module Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to :
- Identify the people and main events associated with various New Religious Movements.
- Discuss the literature associated with various New Religious Movements.
- Describe the teachings and ethical standards of various New Religious Movements.
- Describe the world-views associated with various New Religious Movements.
- Describe the varieties of worship associated with various New Religious Movements.
Readings
- Textbook, chapter 14, New Religious Movements
You may want to refer to other parts of the textbook and to the class notes and InterNet resources for some of your information - Documents relating to NRMs
Optional InterNet Resources
- Go here for Links to optional extra resources for this week.
- Useful articles can be found by using Search Engines such as GoodSearch
- Remember - always cite your sources
This Week's Assignment
This weeks Assignment is to finish your three Term Papers and submit them to Canvas, and to post a final message on the Discussion Board.
The Term Papers ask for three Essays
- Compare and contrast Christianity with one of the Religions derived from Christianity, or one of the New Religious Movements derived from Christianity
- Compare and contrast Islam with one of the Religions derived from Islam, or one of the New Religious Movements derived from Islam
- Compare and contrast Hinduism with one of the Religions derived from Hinduism, or one of the New Religious Movements derived from Hinduism
Each paper should be 2,000-4,000 words in length
You may use the Religions or New Religious Movements given in this week's InterNet resources or in the textbook, or Religions or New Religious Movements which you studied in any previous week of the course, or any other NRMs with which you have a particular interest or experience.
NOTE - for the purposes of these Papers, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy are counted as parts within Christianity - they are not New Religious Movements.
Likewise, Sunnis, Shi'ites and Sufis are counted as parts of Islam, rather than New Religious Movements.
If in doubt about your choices, check with the instructor.
Each paper should be 2,000-4,000 words in length
When comparing and contrasting a new religion or an NRM with its parent religion, describe :
- Who was the founder of the New Religious Movement, and why did he/she break away from the parent religion?
- Are extra writings regarded as Sacred?
- Are extra writings regarded highly, though not as Inspired?
- How do the teachings of the New Religious Movement differ from those of the parent religion?
- What is the history of the New Religious Movement after the break-away?
- What are the relations between the New Religious Movement and the parent religion? (persecution? suspicion? excommunication? laissez-faire? amicable?)
Remember to cite your sources
Prepare and save your work, then submit it to the relevant boxes on Canvas.
Discussion Board 15
Final Message :
Say goodbye to your classmates, with thanks for ideas and help if appropriate.
If you plan to graduate at the end of this semester, what are your plans for the future?
If you are continuing towards your degree, which courses are you enrolled in for next semester?
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
