Order 909475: option 2

RELG U305-01W Spring 2018 Religion, Health & Healing

Reaction Paper #2 Assignment Guidelines (30 Points)

Due by Midnight on Monday, March 26th, 2018

Sent via e-mail to [email protected]

Here are guidelines for your papers, due by midnight on Monday, March 26th, 2018. These papers should be sent as attachments and run 6-8 pages (1,500 to 2,000 words), with each page numbered and marked with your name. The brevity means that you must organize your ideas, focus your thoughts, and sharpen your writing.

Please save your paper as a Microsoft Word document (ending with .doc or a .docx) or as an .rtf file or as a .pdf before you send it to me. When I receive your document I will acknowledge receipt by e-mail. Title your document as follows: Yourlastname_RX2_RELGU305_Spring2018. So, if you are Daniel Tiger your paper would be titled: Tiger_RX2_RELGU305_Spring2018.

You have two options for this paper.

OPTION 1

Read the chapter by Edith Turner posted on the class website. Her chapter is titled Taking Seriously the Nature of Religious Healing in America . It is chapter 24 of the book Religion and Healing in America (Oxford University Press, 2003), edited by Linda L. Barnes and Susan Starr Sered. The chapter is posted on the class website and the entire book is available through the USC Upstate library as an electronic resource.

Edith Turner is one of the great names of Anthropology in the 20th century, and in this chapter she describes the difficulty of maintaining academic impartiality in the study of healing. First, discuss any one of the healing-related or spiritual experiences that she describes happened to her – how, if it all, does it match up with some of the topics – such as shamanism – that we have discussed so far in class? Then discuss any three of the healing-related or spiritual experiences that she relates that happened to her acquaintances that gathered in Virginia (starting at page 394) for regular meetings to discuss spiritual healing & events – how, if it all, do these three narratives match up with some of the topics that we have discussed so far in class? Finally, discuss her quote from p. 390 that--

Many try to be sensitive to natural entities, to the seasons, to spirit guides and the like, and will relate some remarkable experiences. We now have to recognize that this (her emphasis) is our “Western society,” not the small enclave of rationalist scientists, however high the status and power of the enclave. This other ordinary society – its ways somewhat hidden and turned toward nature, and not appearing to be a true culture – actually predominates. This is Western society, and historically always has been.

Is she right? Is this religious and spiritual orientation focused on healing what people actually value and follow in their lives, even if they say they place their faith in rational scientific medicine? Explain her view and the ‘evidence’ she presents, and then explain your answer – is she right or not, and why do you think that she is or isn’t correct?

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OPTION 2

First, skim the three selections listed below. They are available under the Assignments heading on the class website.

1. “Daily Lives of the Ancient Egyptians: Medicine & Mathematics,” by Bob Brier and Hoyt Hobbs (Greenwood Press, 1999);

2. “Ancient Babylonian Medicine: Theory and Practice,” by Markham J. Geller (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010)

3. “Medicine in Ancient Hebrew and Jewish Cultures,” edited by Helaine Selin (Kluwer, 2003)

After you have taken a quick look at the materials, choose any two of them to compare and contrast. In what major ways are they similar? In what major ways do they differ? In your opinion, are the approaches to healing based on religion, magic or medicine? Identify and explain what you consider to be the most significant similarities in the approach to illness, disease and healing between the two traditions you chose to explore. Then identify and explain what you consider to be the most significant differences in their approaches to illness, disease and healing. Of the two traditions that you chose to discuss, which one has an approach to illness and healing that is closest to the approach you see in contemporary ‘Western’ bio-medicine? Why do you think so? Do any of the attitudes toward healing that Martin Marty discussed seem relevant here?

Extensive quotes and citations are not necessary in this type of paper. For questions of style and format, refer to one of the following reference works listed below. Choose only one reference style and follow it closely. You may choose any format you wish, but you must be consistent in usage.

A. Turabian, K. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations.

B. Gibaldi, J. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.

C. APA Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Be serious about your writing – use complete sentences and watch your spelling, grammar and readability. I’ll be looking for such features when I grade your papers.

Good luck with your writing, and don’t be afraid to contact me with questions as you work on these.