Topics and the Research Begins

Here are the topics that my students will research this semester:

Maya: Buddhism (she will be narrowing this down once she begins her research)

Matthew: Religion and Sex Laws, particularly age of sexual consent

Darnell: Church and the Economy (looking at what money people give to churches)

Drew: Jewish Traditions/Ceremonies (he will narrow down as he researches)

Mike: Why do people lose their faith?

Rachel: Color and Religion, particularly red and white (she will narrow down to see how these two colors are used in a few religions)

Wilson: "What Goes Around Comes Around:" How this phrase is observed in various religions

Sarah: Death Masks: Artistic and Religious Purposes in select religions/cultures

Cory: Interpretations of "Messiah"

Jennifer: Who has the right to pass judgment?

Alex: What are the responsibilities of the Creator/Parent? He will look at Buddhism in particular

Elle: Neuroscience, Brain and Faith

Fran: Gay Marriage and Proposition 8

Greg: Commercialism of Holidays (he has not yet narrowed it down to a holiday, possibly St. Patrick's Day)

Matthew 2: Scientology (he has not yet narrowed down but will when he begins research)

Qapre: Does truth affect faith?


I have reviewed and returned all their research proposals. Quite a few still had not narrowed down their topic enough for this paper (i.e. a whole religion vs. one practice/tradition). They will be going to the library today to begin their research. They will turn in a review of one source in two weeks, another the week after.

I have had mixed reactions from students about the Fact & Faith topics for this class. Many are excited to be starting with religion and a few are quite put of by it. However, I continue to reiterate to them that they do not need to do a religion for their research. Some, as you can see by the list above, have branched out. On the first day of class we made a list of possible Fact & Faith topics, and students could see how large this umbrella is.

Our showing and analysis of Contact proved to be as rewarding as it was last semester. Students were surprised by it (and not just by Matthew McConaughey) and the various messages throughout. I also have seen students reference this film in their Oasis postings and their research proposals.

Due to the speed of the class, we have not had much time to discuss our readings in class. However, their Oasis postings on the readings and their responses to each other have been excellent. I'm much more impressed with their engagement with each other's ideas than I have been in past semesters.