course material

1. Rejection of blood transfusions by Jehovah’s witnesses.
Reli335: Essay 1: Public debates about religion Essay: write 1500 words Presentation: After
finishing writing the essay please make sure to write up to 600 words in separate page as a
summary so I can present it in class Essay 1 will address a contemporary religious debate in
the public sphere (gay marriage; public wearing of burka; religion in schools; etc.) Your
essay will present two sides of a debate. You can choose any public debate that focusses on
religion. Your task is not to decide which side is right, but to think about what the debate
tells us about religion in the modern world. Given that it is a short essay, just focus on two
different positions in the debate, even though there are often more than two distinct parties
engaging in important public debates. First, present the content of each side of the debate.
What is each side arguing? What is their concern? What is at stake for them? Then, ask more
analytical questions that may shed light on the way religion is debated in public. • What
does the debate tell us about religion in the modern world? • How does each side define or
characterise religion? What are the differences in their definitions? Which definition is more
aligned with the way religious studies defines religion? • Who makes up the groups that
have come into conflict? Are there interesting coalitions/alliances (e.g., religious groups that
would normally keep their distance from one another)? Were their groups that you thought
would be opposed to a specific position but are not? You should also tell us which major
participants in these debates you WON’T be focussing on, just to give us a sense of the scope
of the debate. • What does each side cite as the bases of their authority? (Bible, rationality,
constitutional laws, etc.) • What role does the state play in the debate? • How do the groups
respond to each other? That is, how do they describe, and counter, the views of their
opponents? • What is at stake in the debate? Who are the winners and losers? • What vision
do they have of the role of religion in the public sphere? • What vision do they have of an
ideal society? That is, what sort of society are they trying to build? Use direct quotations
from your sources, which communicate to your audience the voices and concerns of the
participants. There is certainly a place for paraphrasing in your essay, but sometimes
paraphrasing blunts the message of participants engaged in passionate debate. When you
give a direct quotation, tell us who the speaker is, and give details about him/her/it. Is it a
religious leader, a politician, an ordinary person, a law, an official church statement, etc.?
Sources: 1. Primary sources. These are ‘sources’ which contain the writings and words of
the participants in the debate. The internet can be a good source of primary materials. For
example, if you are writing about abortion in the Catholic Church, you will be able to find
online official Church policy on abortion, and official justification of that policy. Look at

2. online newspapers that will tell you about the different positions taken by groups on the
debate. Even reader comments could be useful statements of positions. Interviews with
participants are also primary sources. In your essay, clearly state the position and status of
your participants. Are you focussing on church leaders, or on ordinary worshippers?
Government officials, or marginalised people? 2. Secondary sources. However, you should
go beyond primary sources. Look at journal databases to see if there are scholarly articles
about the specific debate you are interested in. You might also look at scholarly sources that
give relevant historical background to a debate. For example, if you are writing on a debate
over whether scientology is a ‘cult’ or a ‘religion’, you should look at academic writings on
the Church of Scientology. However, because of the brevity of the essay, use more than
about 3-4 scholarly sources.