TO THE STUDENT: Welcome to the Greatest Stories Ever Told

TO THE TEACHER: As We Teach Writing, You Teach Religion and Theology

PART 1: Reading & Writing for Introductory Religion and Theology Courses

1Read & Write to Understand Religious Experience

1.1The Benefits of Effective Reading

Read & Write 1.1: Analyze a Sermon

1.2Reading Ritual and Narrative

Read & Write 1.2: Appreciate the Lakota Heyoka Ceremony

1.3Reading Mystical Experience and the Sacred

Read & Write 1.3: Explain the Popularity of Juan Soldado

1.4Reading Social Cohesion and Ethics

Read & Write 1.4: Explain How New Religious Moments Achieve Social Cohesion

1.5Reading Doctrine

Read & Write 1.5: Explore Doctrinal Options for the Separation of Church and State

2Read & Write Effectively

2.1Get into the Flow of Writing

Read & Write 2.1: Explain or Persuade

2.2Think Creatively

Read & Write 2.2: Freewriting

2.3Organize Your Writing

Read & Write 2.3: Write a Paper Outline

2.4Draft, Revise, Edit, and Proofread

Read & Write 2.4: Discover Your Own Style

3Practice the Craft of Scholarship

3.1The Competent Writer

Read & Write 3.1: Correct a Sentence Fragment

3.2Avoid Errors in Grammar and Punctuation

Read & Write 3.2: Proofread for the Pope

3.3Format Your Paper Professionally

Read & Write 3.3: Explain the Data in this Table

3.4Cite Your Sources Properly

Read & Write 3.4: Create a Scholarly Bibliography

3.5Avoid Plagiarism

Read & Write 3.5: Summarize an Article from Shambala Sun, Moment, or Guideposts

4Become Familiar with Quality Information Sources

4.1Welcome to the American Academy of Religion (AAR)

Read & Write 4.1: Write an Email to an AAR Section Chair

4.2Welcome to the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)

Read & Write 4.2: Write an Email to an SBL Section Chair

4.3How to Locate Religion and Theology Dissertations and Theses

Read & Write 4.3: Collect Six Dissertation Abstracts on a Topic of Interest

4.4How to Locate Studies by Think Tanks

Read & Write 4.4: Collect Six Think Tank Studies on a Topic of Interest

4.5Welcome to the Library of Congress (LOC)

Read & Write 4.5: Examine Some Religion Items from the Library of Congress Collection



PART 2: Become a Scholar of Religion

5Learning Observation Skills

5.1Conduct an Interview

Read & Write 5.1: Interview a Local Religious Leader

5.2Conduct a Focus Group

Read & Write 5.2: Conduct a Focus Group on a Topic of Interest

5.3Conduct a Case Study

Read & Write 5.3: Conduct a Case Study on a Local Religious Group

5.4Conduct a Survey

Read & Write 5.4: Conduct a Survey on a Topic in Religion

6Learning Scholarship Skills

6.1How to Read Religion and Theology Scholarship

Read & Write 6.1: Explain the Content of a Recent Article from a Religion or Theology

Journal

6.2How to Critique an Academic Article

Read & Write 6.2: Critique a Recent Article from a Religion or Theology Journal

6.3How to Write a Book Review

Read & Write 6.3: Review a New Religion or Theology Book

6.4How to Write a Literature Review

Read & Write 6.4: Write a Religion or Theology Literature Review

7How to Research Effectively

7.1Institute an Effective Research Process

Read & Write 7.1: Write a Religion or Theology Research Proposal

7.2Evaluate the Quality of Online and Printed Information

Read & Write 7.2: Write a Bibliography with a Dozen High Quality Sources

PART 3: Practice Some Avenues of Religion Scholarship

8Study the History of Religion

8.1Study the Origins of Religion

Read & Write 8.1: Explore Cosmos and History in South America

8.2Study the Histories of Religions

Read & Write 8.2: Chronicle the Recent History of an Asian Religion

8.3Compare Religions

Read & Write 8.3: Compare Rituals, Doctrines, or Practice of Two African Religions

9Discover Some Contemporary Approaches to the Study of Religion

9.1Sociology of Religion

Read & Write 9.1: Welcome to PEW Trust Religion Studies

9.2Psychology of Religion

Read & Write 9.2: Encounter Minds and Gods

9.3Neurology and Religion

Read & Write 9.3: Explore Experiences of Spiritual Consciousness

9.4Politics and Religion

Read & Write 9.4: Consider the Politics of Religion

9.5Postmodern Approaches to Religion

Read & Write 9.5: Behold the Panopticon

PART 4: Practice Theology, Ministry, and Discipleship



10Engaging Scripture

10.1Engaging Hermeneutics

Read & Write 10.1: Construct a Personal Hermeneutic

10.2Engaging Exegesis

Read & Write 10.2: Practice Exegesis

11Engaging the History of Theology

11.1Tracing the Course of a Tradition’s Theology

Read & Write 11.1: Trace the Course of a Religious Tradition’s Theology

11.2Comparing Practices and Doctrines

Read & Write 11.2: Compare Doctrines of Two Major Sects within a Major Religious

Tradition

12Writing for Worship and Sharing Life

12.1The Craft of Homiletics

Read & Write 12.1: Write Words to Inspire

12.2The Craft of Celebration

Read & Write 12.2: Write Words to Unite in Joy

12.3The Craft of Healing

Read & Write 12.3: Write Words to Console in Bereavement

GLOSSARY
NOTES
INDEX