Social Studies Curriculum

History/Social Sciences Electives

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Adopted January 1999

Comparative World Religions

Course Description:

Comparative World Religions is a study of religions as an integral part of daily life. Students will investigate the history and beliefs of selected world religions. The emphasis will be on the practices and principles and how they affect human behavior. How can people of different cultures cooperate if they do not understand each others underlying belief systems?

Sample topics in Comparative World Religions include:

• World religions and their belief structures
• Traditions, customs, and behaviors
• Key historical events and people
• The roles of religion and philosophy in our contemporary world
• The impact of religion and philosophy on economic, political, and social decisions

The course title and description have been approved by the Anchorage School Board.  This course outline is meant to serve as an example of one possibility for organizing this class.  It does not represent the only way the course may be organized.  Each course outline has been written by a different teacher so there will be differences in the approach used from one course to another.

Course Goals:

Through this course students will:

• Acquire understanding of the beliefs, customs, traditions and values among the various religions and compare similarities and differences.
• Develop an historical and geographical awareness (when, who, how and where) of each religion.
• Develop understanding of the economic, political and social positions of major religious groups and the issues that may separate or bind them.
• Gain understanding of the relationship between religion and government in countries across the globe and how conflict among religious groups can cause political and cultural change to a region and the world.

Course Objectives:

The student will:

• Develop maps and graphs to show the spatial relationships of religions across the globe and within continents and/or countries.
• Explain and compare beliefs, customs, traditions and values of world religions.
• Describe the historical and geographical backgrounds of world religions.
• Illustrate how religious conflict or expansion can cause political and cultural change in a region.
• Identify the cause of disputes between religious groups.

Course Outline:

1. Overview and comparison of each religion.
   1. Origins
   2. Founders life and teachings
   3. Doctrine, institutions and practice
   4. Early development and expansion
   5. Conflict and new groupings (sects)
   6. Worship
   7. The religion today
2. Contemporary world religious views
   1. Explore current issues/problems concerning world religions
   2. Presentations by guest professional speakers illustrating world religious views.

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