Reference no: EM133831553 , Length: Words Count:750
Assignment:
Description (~250 words)
Preliminary details: Report the name and religious affiliation of your site, and the type of service you observed. Also, do a little sleuthing and determine the site's tradition within the larger landscape of that religion. (E.g., "This is a Methodist church, which is a denomination with
Protestant Christianity," or "This is a Pure Land temple, which is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition.")
Initial Appearance details: Describe how the building/grounds/interior space looked, and what sort of people participated in the service - gender, age, ethnicity, and approximate number of those present.
Worship Action details: Specifically describe what happened during the service. What were the leaders doing? What were the other people (if any) doing? What was the "order of events" as the service progressed? Describe the "feel" of the service, whether formal, casual, scripted, or spontaneous, and why you selected that characterization.
2. Analysis (~250 words)
Theoretical Expression: What messages were communicated verbally, through prayers, reading of scripture, etc.? (If the language is not English, does the sound and expression of this other language evoke feeling?) What messages were communicated non-verbally, through the visual symbols present in the space? How did the service reflect the teachings (doctrine) of this religion?
Practical Expression: What messages were communicated non-verbally through the actions or rituals? Did the "action" of the service follow what you expected based on our reading (in the textbook and the websites) and class discussions? Hypothesize how the service affected those participating in it, and explain the evidence behind your idea.
Sociological Expression: How did the worshippers interact with each other - much or little contact? Friendly or stand-offish? What role did the leader (if any) play? Was there a difference in the way that men and women participated and/or led the service?
3. Comparison (~250 words)
Previous experience: Compare in detail this experience to other religious services you have witnessed, including the buildings/spaces, the messages, the order of worship, the leadership, etc. Explain how this experience affected you, including your previous assumptions about the religion whose site you visited.
Course material: Compare and contrast what you learned about the religion from class (readings and other videos) to what you experienced. What details were present in both? What details were present in one but not the other? It should be clear to the reader that you have carefully read the assigned reading on this religion.