discussion post

Religions of the World

Paper Guidelines

Write a 5-7 page paper in which you reflect on class readings in the textbook Living Religions (10th edition). The main guidelines are the following:

1. The paper should be double-spaced and written with 12 size font in Times New Roman. Do not leave blank spaces between paragraphs. Please type your name at the top and then the title of the paper with only a double space between them. There is no need to any additional information. In addition, the margin around the text should be one inch only.

2. You need to provide a smooth transition from one paragraph to the other in which your paper is constructed as a one unit of academic writing rather than a collection of disjoined paragraphs. You should state your thesis on the first page and provide a concluding paragraph at the end.

3. The previous point relates to the requirement of constructing your paper as a piece of formal writing, Therefore, your style of writing in general should follow the basic rules of grammar and punctuation.

4. You need to write at least five pages using your own style of writing. There is no need to include quotations from the textbook. Rather, you should list the page and paragraph numbers when referring to any point in the textbook using the page numbers in the assigned 10th edition. If you are using the online version of the book, please refer to the unit or topic number in each chapter such as “2.1” indicating that you are citing the first unit/topic in chapter 2. Please do not use footnotes or endnotes.

5. You can choose to write about any point or topic covered in the textbook. You need first to explain the author’s presentation of the topic citing paragraph and page numbers and then reflect on the readings with your own thoughts and opinions. For example, is there any part of the readings that is not clear to you? If you are writing your paper on Hinduism, for example, do you find concepts such as “karma” and “reincarnation” interesting? Do you see any effect of “karma” in your life? You can reflect on such concepts based on your personal experiences and whether these concepts make sense to you or not.

6. In general, you can focus in your paper on one chapter in the textbook or several chapters. If you write on one chapter, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, etc., you can explain and reflect on what you have learned from reading this chapter.

You have another option of choosing a theme such as “creation stories,” “main beliefs,” “rituals” or “ethical teachings.” Here you can mention the similarities and differences between these religions as they are presented in the textbook Living Religions.

7. Please note that using sources other than the textbook is not accepted in this assignment. This is a reflection paper on topics in the textbook Living Religions. Therefore, it is not a research paper. The paper will be rejected if sources other than the textbook are quoted.

8. Finally, the paper is due on Monday, May 6. Please send your paper to the instructor via Canvas Assignments and not email. You need first to access the Canvas web page for the course, then click on “Assignments” and upload your paper as an attachment in Word ending with “.doc or .docx”. Please do not copy the paper into the main body of the message. The paper must be posted in a format that allow adding comments to it. If the paper’s posting is incorrect, the paper will be rejected.

You can contact the IT Help Desk at MSU if you experience any problem in submitting your paper. Students are responsible for the correct posting of their papers in Canvas Assignments.

9. Late papers will be lowered one letter grade (A to B and so on). The last day late papers are accepted is Friday, May 10 until 11:59 P.M.