Reference no: EM133770276
Assignment: Thoughtful Writing Practice
Answer three of the following questions. The best responses will contain the following elements:
1) Thoughtful and nuanced thesis statement
2) Exceptional organization
3) Clarity in expression
4) Contextualizes and qualifies assertions
5) Points toward broader themes and issues in the study of New Religious Movements
6) Accounts for evidence that appears to challenge the thesis statement.
Be sure to include specific examples with direct in-text citations to our readings to support your points and cite any idea or quote that is not your original thought to demonstrate your close engagement with our course material. Include the editor/author's last name and the page number. For example, (Allitt, 5).
To demonstrate the breadth and depth of your knowledge, do not repeat examples between the responses.
Responses should be of a sufficient length to display an immersion in our readings, offer enough examples to persuade even the skeptical reader that their argument is not only plausible but the most likely interpretation of the material, and considers the more subtle nuances and less explicit underlying implications of the questions.
A. Drawing on Stark and Bainbridge's article, which of the groups that we have studied would you categorize as "church," "sect," "cult," etc. Which groups were most challenging to classify? Why?
B. How would you account for the rise and decline of the 19th-century New Religious Movements that we have studied? Why are some groups able to sustain while others eventually end? What seem to be the key determining factors? Why?
C. What parallels do you see between the groups that we have studied so far? Are they responding to similar themes and issues? Why or why not?
D. Analyze the documentary "The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God." What was the thesis of the film? What evidence was used to advance the argument? How did the documentary confirm or challenge the presentation of the religious traditions in our readings? What does it tell us about the nature of the study of New Religious Movements?
E. Closely analyze one community that we have studied so far in the course. What themes and issues in the study of New Religious Movements does the group seem to highlight? What does a close examination of the dynamics of the community tell us about the study of New Religious Movements more broadly?