Aug. 27
Course Introductions
Discussion: How does an
Issues and Ideas course fit in the
Monmouth College Curriculum?
Assignments:
1. Use these
study questions to prepare for class discussion
of ISSI courses on Thursday.
2. Consider the relationship between the words "myth" and
"religion". See:
The Web of Myth Theory and
Myth and Religion: Some Definitions.
2. Apply for a personal website from the MC
Information Systems Office by clicking on "Computer Assistant" on the
Desktop. Then click on the "Help" tab. Then select "Apply for a Personal
Webpage" and follow the instructions. When the IS office sends you the
address of your webpage, please e-mail it to the instructor. This web
address must be received by the instructor by Sept. 19th. |
Aug. 29
Issues and Ideas, Myth and Religion
Discussion:
ISSI study
questions and the
relationship between myth and religion.
Assignments:
1. Write a reflection on ways that you think that
the theme of myth and religion may fit the description of an ISSI course in the Monmouth
College Curriculum. Be sure to consult these
writing guidelines before beginning to write. Due
Sept. 3.
2. Read
Cleanthes' Hymn to Zeus,
Prayer / Lord's
Prayer, |
Sept. 3
Prayer
Discussion:
How is the Hymn to Zeus a prayer? How is it like the Lord's Prayer? How is
the prayer "myth"? How is it "religion"?
Assignment: Write a reflection comparing Cleanthes' hymn to a prayer which is important to you personally.
Be sure to discussion the purposes of prayer and the relationship between
god and the person praying. Please submit a copy of the prayer you chose
along with your reflection.
Due Sept. 5th. |
Sept. 5
Personal Reflections on Prayer
Discussion:
What prayer did you compare to the Hymn to Zeus?
Why? What purposes do you think these prayers served? How
would you describe the relationship between god and the person praying in
these prayers?
Each member of the class
will explaining what prayer they chose to compare
to the Hymn to Zeus and how the two prayers compare. The
class will then break down into small groups to discuss reasons why people
pray. What purposes does prayer serve? The groups will use Cleanthes' Hymn
to illustrate these purposes. Each group will then
report back to the entire class.
Assignment: Read
Xenophanes of Colophon, and the fragments
called satires:
Xenophanes' Fragments
and look at these images of Zeus. |
Sept. 10
Anthropomorphism
Discussion:
How do the Greeks represent Zeus? What does Xenophanes
think about this? What is your image of God? Does your god have anthropomorphic features?
How does your image of god compare to the Greek image of Zeus
Assignment:
1. Read Preface and introduction to Athanassakis, Homeric
Hymns, Polytheism,
A Brief
Survey of Christian Polytheism, Islam
and Polytheism, The
Pantheon, Greek
Pantheon,
Classical
Myths: The Ancient Sources,
and a review of A World Full of Gods
by Keith Hopkins (available in Public Documents under All Public
Folders/Departments/Academics/Classics/ISSI402).
2. Write a reflection on monotheism versus polytheism.
Why would someone only believe in one god? Why would others believe in many
gods? Where do you stand? This assignment is due on Thursday, Sept. 12th. |
Sept. 12 Homeric Hymns and
Polytheism
Discussion of class
reflections on Polytheism vs. Monotheism.
What do the introductory materials tell you about the
Homeric Hymns? What image of Christianity and ancient
religions does Hopkins create in this statement: : "But I wanted to recover the passion of that time.
Re-create the confusion of voices. Think of it: Religion absolutely
everywhere. Gods and goddesses and demons and nightmares, and sex mixed up
into all of it. Christianity must have seemed so strange, so absurd to
good, decent pagans."
What
relationship between Christianity
and the ancient religion is suggested by Hopkins' quote?
Assignment: Read Homeric Hymn
23 (Zeus), Prometheus
(and Hesiod's Theogony, 508-544
and 545-565).
Prometheus
Bound. Also Catalogue of Greek
Animal Sacrifice and Summary. |
Sept. 17
The Homeric Hymn to Zeus. Types of Religious
Sacrifice
Discussion: How is the Homeric Hymn to Zeus similar
to Cleanthes' Hymn? How is it different? In what ways are the Cleanthes and Homeric hymns to Zeus myth? In
what ways are they religion? How is Prometheus' sacrifice a form of worship?
How is it a trick? What does this story suggest about
the Greek attitudes towards relationship between human and god? How do these
attitudes compare to your own?
Assignment: Write a personal reflection on religion.
This reflection should give describe your religious background and describe
your personal beliefs about god and religion. Due
Sept. 24.
Click here
for some helpful questions. Click here
for Prof. Sienkewicz' personal statement. |
Sept. 19
Introduction to
Website Development in Trotter
Computer Lab
Webpage
Design: Ms. Marcie Beintema of the MC Information Systems Office will conduct a
session about getting started with your personal
website. . Use this website template
as a model. |
Sept. 24
Class discussion of personal religious reflections
Assignment: Read the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 12-22 and the sacrifice
of Iphigenia. Also Iphigenia
as sacrificial victim. Review
of Human Sacrifice in Ancient Greece. Minoan
Religion (focus on Anemospilia). Anemospilia.
Minoan Snake Goddess.
Also read Prospectus
for Individualized Project.
See Individualized
Project Guidelines. |
Sept. 26 Human Sacrifice
Discussion:
The Greeks and Romans practiced animal sacrifice but not
human sacrifice. Do you make any distinction between the two? What is the
religious purpose of sacrifice? How is sacrifice important in your religion?
Prospectus
for Individualized Project
Assignment: Read
Theories
on the Origin of Religion;
pp. 22-27 of Nagle. Additional materials: Some
Definitions / Beginnings
of Religion / Roman
Divinities in Archaic Period / Religio
Romana |
Oct. 1
Introduction to
Roman Religion
Discussion: What do the
documents dealing with the sources of Roman religion suggest to you about
the Romans and their religious beliefs? Why do you think humans have
developed religious beliefs? What purposes does religion serve in human
life?
Assignment:
1. Look for characteristics of Roman Religion described in Some
Notes on Roman Religion in the documents found in the Sources
of Roman Religion.
2. Write a reflection on these characteristics and compare them to
modern religious views and practices.
Due Oct. 8. |
Oct. 3 Roman Religion
Cont.
Discussion: What points of
comparison did you find between Roman and modern religious views and
practices?
Assignment: Read Ovid's Fasti: Introduction; January Bellini's
Feast of the Gods.
Also the preface and introduction to Nagle. See
Ovid's Fasti Overview / Fasti
Outline
/ Fasti
I:
January / The Roman
Calendar / Christian
Liturgical Calendar
|
Oct. 8
Ovid's Fasti
Discussion: How is the Fasti organized? What were Ovid's
purposes in writing this poem? How is it religious? Why do the Romans sacrifice
an ass to the god Priapus? Why does Ovid tell this story? What does Ovid tell you about
the emperor's attitude towards religion? How does a Christian
artist like Bellini use the ancient deities? To what extent
is our calendar religious?
How is the Fasti religious?
Assignment: Read Homeric Hymns 3, 21 (Apollo) and 9, 27
(Artemis). See also Outline
of Hymn, Study
and Discussion Questions, and Sacred
Places: Delphi
and Delos. |
Oct. 10-15 Apollo and
Artemis
Discussion:
What kind deities are Apollo and Artemis? Compare
the story of Apollo to the life of Jesus Christ. What characteristics does
Artemis have in common with Mary the Mother of Jesus? How does he compare to
your beliefs about deity? How is Artemis similar to and different from her
brother Apollo? How is a goddess different from a god? What makes Delphi and
Delos sacred places?
Assignment:
1. Compare Apollo to your god. Be sure to deal with
issues of anthropomorphism, forms of worship, and ethics. Due
Oct. 24.
2. Read Homeric Hymn 5, 6, 10 (Aphrodite)
and
Sappho's
Prayer to Aphrodite. Focus on the encounters between Aphrodite and the
mortals Anchises and Sappho. |
Oct. 17
Aphrodite
Discussion: Compare
Anchises and Sappho's encounters
with Aphrodite to that of the
sailors with Apollo. What do these episodes suggest about the Greek attitude
toward deity in general? Human interaction with deity? Human free will?
What ethical issues are suggested in these episodes? What do you think
about all of these issues? Why do you think the Greeks had a goddess like
Aphrodite? What do you think about a goddess who seduces mortal men?
Class Activity
on Epiphanies
Prospectus
for Individualized Project
DUE TODAY!
Assignment:
1. Write a
Mid-Course
Evaluation for Oct. 18.
2. Read Fasti:
February and March; Fasti
II: February , Lupercalia;
Fasti
III:
March / Fasti
III: Study Questions
/ Some
Characteristics of the Fasti
Juno Sospita: Coin
/ Church of San Nicola in Carcere in Rome: 1
/ 2/
3 /
See Midwinter
(and scroll to Juno Sospita) /
Tommaso
Laurenti Siciliano: The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism (1585) /
For more on this painting, see the Raphael
Rooms of the Vatican / Babri
Masjid (mosque) at Ayodhya / The
Ayodhya Dispute
Apotheosis:
Temple of
Antoninus and Faustina /
On
the temple / Apotheosis
of an Emperor /
On the
Column base of the emperor Antoninus Pius /
The Lincoln Memorial /
The Apotheosis of
George Washington /
More
on the Fresco |
| Oct. 22 Fall Break. NO
CLASS |
Oct. 24 Ovid's
Fasti II and III: Apotheosis, the Lupercalia, and Juno Sospita
Discussion: Why does the
Temple of Juno Sospita become the Church of San Nicola in Carcere? What
other examples of such religious building/site conversions can you think
of? Why do such things occur? Whose apotheosis
does Ovid describe in February? How does such an event compare to modern
religious beliefs? How many stories does Ovid tell to explain why the Luperci run naked? Why does Ovid
tell the story of the Sabine Women in March? What is the feast of the toga
virilis and what might be some modern equivalents?
Assignment: Read
Fasti:
April, May
and June See Fasti
IV: April
/ Study Questions for
IV / Fasti
V: May
/
Fasti
VI: June
/
Mars Ultor
/ Claudia Quinta |
Oct. 29
Ovid's Fasti IV, V, and VI
Discussion:
How is the Fasti a poem? How is the Fasti like
an encyclopedia? What elements of political propaganda can you find in the Fasti? How religious do you think Ovid was? Why? Where does Ovid
sound religious in Fasti? Where does he sound less sincere?
What myth does Ovid tell
for the Feast of Cerealia in April? What does this myth have to do with the
powers of the goddess Ceres?
Apollo reflection due.
Assignment:
1. Write a reflection on
characteristics of Roman religion in the Fasti compared to modern
religious views. Due Oct. 31.
2. Read Homeric
Hymn 4, 18 (Hermes),
Outline
and Study
Questions for the Homeric Hymn to Hermes. Also read hymns #8, 11, 15-17,
19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 28-33
|
Oct. 31 Hermes
Discussion: What kind of god is Hermes? How does he compare to your
idea of deity? Which gods are honored in these hymns? How are these
hymns different from the Homeric Hymns to Apollo, Dionysus, Hermes, Aphrodite, and
Demeter? Why do you think these gods received different hymns? What do the Homeric Hymns
as a group tell you about Greek religion and especially belief in god?
Assignment: Read Some
Definitions of Terms, Some
Notes on Mysteria, Brief
History of Greco-Roman Religion.
Also read the
introduction to Meyer
and Burkert
and consult study questions. (Click on authors' names.).
|
Nov. 5
Introduction to Ancient Mystery Religions
Discussion: What did the Greeks
mean by mystery?
What is a mystery religion? What personal
needs does religion satisfy?
How are
Burker's and Meyer's books similar? How are they
different?
Assignment: Read Homeric Hymn
2, 13 (Demeter)
Read Meyer, chapter 2.
Sacred Places: Eleusis
/ Eleusinian
Mysteries: Some Documents / Demeter
Laughed |
Nov. 7 NO CLASS
Assignment: Work on individualized project.
Progress
report due on Nov. 12. |
Nov. 12
Demeter
and the Eleusinian Mysteries
Discussion: What personal needs does the mystery religion of
Demeter satisfy? Compare the Homeric Hymn to Demeter in Athanassakis to the
version in Meyer (pp. 20-31). How are these two versions similar? How are they different?
How is Demeter similar to and different from your concept of a deity? Compare her to
Artemis and Aphrodite.
Assignment: Read Meyer, chapter 4
and Homeric Hymns
1, 7, 26 (Dionysus),
Outline of Homeric Hymn to
Dionysus, Dionysian
Mysteries: Some Documents, Some
Dionysian Terms, Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus (the Inscription
/ Latin
text / English
translation; Livy
XXXIX). |
Nov. 14
.Dionysus
and Dionysian Mysteries
Discussion: What divine powers
does Bacchus (Dionysus) have? Does
he seem divine to you? To what
extent does Dionysus fit his modern stereotype? What personal needs does the mystery religion of Dionysus
satisfy? Why do you think that ancient Greeks and Romans were afraid of this cult?
Assignment: Read
Villa
of the Mysteries / Villa
of Mysteries 2 / Take a
Virtual Tour of the Villa. |
Nov. 19
Reading Visual Evidence for the Dionysian Mysteries
Discussion:
The Villa of the Mysteries
Assignment:
1. Write a reflection the Dionysian Mysteries. Due on Nov. 21.
2. Read Burkert, chapter
1-3 with Study
Questions |
Nov. 21
The Organization of the Ancient Mystery
Religions
Discussion: How were the ancient mystery religions organized? How
does this organization compare to the organization of established churches in the modern
world? What is theologia? What do myth and allegory have
to do with mystery religions? Apply these concepts to the religions of Demeter and
Dionysus.
Assignment: Read Meyer, chapter 5.
Also
Cybele
/ Catullus'
"Attis" / Study
Questions about Cybele |
Nov. 26
Cybele and the Cult of the Great Mother
Discussion: Compare the Great Goddess to deities like
Demeter and Aphrodite? How is she similar and different?
What is Catullus' opinion of the Great Mother?
Assignment:
1. Write a statement in which you use
some of the documents on Cybele in Meyer in order to reflect on what was
attractive in her worship to the ancients and what is attractive and not
attractive in her worship today. Due Dec. 3.
2. Read
Venus of
Willendorf Website
and
Dove"s
"Venus of Willendorf" |
| Nov. 28
Thanksgiving Day. NO CLASS |
Dec. 3 The
Female Image of Deity
Question: How does the cult of the Great Goddess appeal to
modern feminism? Why do you think that the Venus of
Willendorf was made? Is it a religious object? Do you think that the
earliest human image of god was male or female? Why?
Assignment: Read Burkert, chapter 4 with Study
Questions |
Dec. 5
"The
Extraordinary Experience" (Burkert, chapter 4)
Question: What does Burkert mean by the
"extraordinary experience"? How did the ancients talk about this experience? Do we
talk about it today? |
Dec. 12 8 A.M.
EXAM PERIOD
Group Presentations, Course
Evaluations, etc. |
