More than most courses, this one depends on student involvement.
People learn by doing and learn even better by telling others what they've done.
Were I to lecture at you all semester, I would learn quite a bit about the sociology of religion. You, however, would just have your notes about what I'd learned. I'm not above a bit of coercion to insure success. Reading, class attendance, and class participation are therefore required of all students. Consistent failure to perform will cause me to drop you from the course with a grade of 0.0.