For your assignment, virtually visit an Eastern religious institution that you do not belong to. Write a reflection paper (approximately 750 words)
The goal of this assignment is to demonstrate that you have gained general knowledge and insights about religion through this course, and that you are able to use this knowledge and these insights to reflect on a personal experience of a particular religious institution.
Instructions
For your assignment, virtually visit an Eastern religious institution that you do not belong to. Write a reflection paper (approximately 750 words) that reflects on your experience at this religious institution. Your reflection paper will include all of the following information:
- State the name of the place of worship you visited, its address, and the religion and denomination of its congregation (i.e. Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh etc). Include one or more photographs of the religious place of worship you ‘visited’.
- Discuss the ways your virtual experience in this particular space made you reconsider your views about this religion, or religion in general.
- Compare your experience of this particular space to how this religion is viewed either in the media, or your own congregation/community..
As you complete your discussion on these topics, your paper may also reflect on any of the following topics:
- the people attending and caring for the institution you visted (e.g., their rituals, beliefs and the reasons why they belong to this institution)
- the architecture of the building and the design of the rooms (e.g., such as how the physical layout of the affects forms of worship) and how this compares to descriptions of religious architecture we learned about in this course
- the forms of worship (e.g., prayer, meditation, song, sermons and communal eating)
- what this experience taught you about this religion’s beliefs and traditions that you were not aware of prior to visiting this institution.
- how this experience challenged (or reaffirmed) your prejudices/beliefs about religion and religious practices.
Guidelines
Your paper should not simply list or describe (like an encyclopedia entry) the various attributes, beliefs or history of this religion. Instead, it should reflect on your personal experiences and observations.
You may write this paper in the first person, using a narrative form OR as a formal essay. It should be written in grammatically correct sentences, and your ideas should be presented in a clear and organized manner. Do NOT use point form.
Answer preview for For your assignment, virtually visit an Eastern religious institution that you do not belong to. Write a reflection paper (approximately 750 words)
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