{"id":1266,"date":"2013-08-10T08:48:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-10T08:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2013\/08\/teaching-beyond-the-world-religions-paradigm.html"},"modified":"2013-08-10T08:48:00","modified_gmt":"2013-08-10T08:48:00","slug":"teaching-beyond-the-world-religions-paradigm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2013\/08\/teaching-beyond-the-world-religions-paradigm.html","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Beyond the World Religions Paradigm?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
Currently I am teaching an undergraduate course, Introductions to Western Religions. This introductory course (along with its companion course, Introduction to Eastern Religions) is a common one in universities across North America. These are the basic \u201cfeeder\u201d courses, or foundation courses, that support the religious studies major. Often they are designed to teach the basic content associated with such religions: historical survey, beliefs system, ethics, social\/community structure, and (perhaps most importantly) the major religious texts associated with each tradition.<\/span><\/div>\n
These introductory courses are supported by academic presses, especially those which specialize in textbooks. There is a plethora of textbooks out there on the market that continue to compete for that coveted \u201cintro textbook\u201d status. Many of these books are constantly being issued in new editions, forcing students to purchase expensive books with little opportunity of re-sell. From a purely commercial perspective, there is definitely a market for \u201cworld religions\u201d in textbook publishing. And likely this is due to the continued market for such courses \u2013 courses that may be keeping some departments above water in an era when the humanities have once again come under fire as students and parents react to the Great Recession and the astronomical cost of higher education (especially in the United States).<\/span><\/div>\n
The entire approach to the study of religion that is exemplified in such world religions courses (whether covering the major world religions or divided into the eastern and western camps) falls under what has been dubbed the \u201cworld religions paradigm\u201d (WRP).<\/span><\/div>\n
Read the rest here<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Currently I am teaching an undergraduate course, Introductions to Western Religions. This introductory course (along with its companion course, Introduction to Eastern Religions) is a common one in universities across North America. These are the basic \u201cfeeder\u201d courses, or foundation courses, that support the religious studies major. Often they are designed to teach the basic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2251,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nTeaching Beyond the World Religions Paradigm?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Currently I am teaching an undergraduate course, Introductions to Western Religions. 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