Since your writing assignment submissions will be used as the primary indicator of your understanding of the course material, as well as the sophistication of your own thought, it is very important that you offer the fullest and best representation of your thought in responding to the questions. As the issues raised here are subtle and complex, give them the time and the thought they deserve. Your submission should be thoughtful: 400-600 words.
Even More Important Caution! The writing assignment questions are directed toward your understanding and analysis of the course materials. Please do not complicate your problem by pursuing ‘research’ i.e. by introducing external texts. Put another way, the Bi-Weekly Writing Assignments ask for your analysis and theoretical reflection; they don’t suggest googling what other people might say about the issue being posed. The Writing Assignments are NOT research papers. There are very severe course penalties for plagiarism.
This week you have two options. Choose one only.
Option #1
Huston Smith on the Origin of Religion
In discussing Hinduism, Huston Smith explicitly floats an account of the origin of religion, and its function in human life. Does that account strike you as the sort of thing that insiders (i.e. members of various faith communities) would accept or reject? Why or why not?
Option #2
THE FUNCTION OF SAMSARA
The mainstream Western religions certainly have nothing even remotely resembling the Hindu notion of long cycles of births, lives, deaths, and rebirths. What is the function of that idea of Samsara in Hinduism? Do the Western Religions, with which you are familiar, have another way to satisfy this function?
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