Term Paper Assignment

Guidelines

It should be 6 to 8 pages long.

This is a research paper, so you should be sure to include a works cited page. The best term paper project to work on is one that excites and interests you. Below is a list of suggested topics; you may choose from this list or come up with a topic on your own. This is a research paper. You should cite at least three non-internet sources (books, academic journals, encyclopedias). Citing internet sources is allowed, but don't confine yourself to these. Try to find sources that have been prepared for publication in a peer reviewed setting. If you write a biographical paper, be sure to do more than just tell the story of the life of your subject; place their life in the context of the religious tradition with which they are associated, indicating how their life exemplifies that tradition.

Monasticism: its nature and its place as a path to sanctity in Christianity.

Prayer: its purpose, the ways it is practiced, and its role in everyday life.

The Sacred: how it is conceived and experienced in different religious traditions

Mysticism: its nature and the different forms it takes.

Art: the role it plays in developing religious feeling and tradition. (e.g.: Eastern Orthodox icons)

Symbols: their origin and meaning in different religious traditions.

Authority over tradition: how it is established, and the role it plays in different religious traditions.

Saintliness: how human piety and sanctity are conceived and recognized.

Salvation: how it is conceived and how an individual achieves it.

Sacred Law: how it is established and the role in plays in religious life.

Prophecy and Revelation: their nature and the role they play in religious traditions.

Science and Secularism: how have religious traditions reacted to these modern movements?

Music: the role it plays in worship.

Diet: the role played by dietary restrictions in a religious life.

Sin: how it is conceived and overcome in the monotheistic traditions.

Caring for the community: the role Rabbis, Priests or Ministers, and Imams play in community life

Cults: their relationship to mainstream religious traditions.

Architecture: how the design of sacred space reflects different religious beliefs.

Sexuality and gender roles in religious traditions.

Miracles: their significance in the monotheistic traditions.

Reform of traditions: how this arises and how it transforms religious traditions and communities.

War: the attitudes taken by religious traditions towards conflict and violence.

God: how the divine is conceived and worshipped in different religious traditions.

Fundamentalism in the monotheistic traditions: what it means and how it is expressed.

These figures might make interesting subjects for biographical papers:

Abraham            Malcolm X              Martin Luther           King St. Paul
King David         Mother Theresa      Ibn Arabi                 Elie Wiesel
Martin Luther     Saladin                  The Baal Shem Tov