The third weekend will be an examination of the doctrines and development of Buddhist doctrine and meditational techniques down to the present age. The fourth weekend will focus upon the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, and the growth and development of the Christian Church. The fifth weekend will be a discussion of the development of Christian theology and the understanding and search for Jesus today, the last session of the fifth weekend will begin the first part of the final exam. Zen for Beginners by Judith Blackstone, et al. All reading assignments will be given in class.
Attendance is mandatory and a factor in grading evaluations.
The choice of paper topics has a wide range of flexibility in the hopes that the students will pursue subjects that command their interests and spark their imaginations. You will want to begin exploring possible topics from practically the beginning of the course and should not only feel free but consider it a necessary step in your preparation to consult the instructor concerning your topic. Various strategies for generating a viable topic will be discussed in class. Upper division students are naturally expected to write a much more expansive research paper than lower division students due to their advanced sophistication and greater academic preparation.