Empathy papers are papers of 3 pages (750-900 words) demonstrating your empathic understanding of certain dimensions of the traditions covered in this course. Imagine that you were a follower/practitioner of a tradition studied, and reflect upon how its worldview, doctrines, and/or practices would affect you personally. That is, try to look at the ideas and practices as an insider of the tradition, and consider the benefits, limitations, or struggles those ideas and practices may bring to your daily life. Use the present tense and relate “your life” in a matter-of-fact fashion. (That is, instead of saying “If I were to adopt X as my religion, I would have to make a change to do Y,” it will be more effective to say “I am a practitioner of X, and in my daily life I experience Y.” The former is still commenting as an outsider looking in, and the latter is putting yourself in the shoes of an insider.) You are expected to be both appreciative and critical about the tradition, rather than being completely for or against it. For instance, “I am a follower of X, and I practice Y, which gets me through difficult times, but practice Z has limited my choice in….” (If you happen to be of Asian descent and follow one of the religious traditions covered in class, you must write your Empathy Paper and Field Experience Report on traditions that are not your own.)
Note that a real-life “insider” necessarily has a social location determined by gender, age, class, geographical location (in their homeland or in the U.S., for example), sub-tradition, individual practice, etc. That is, the more specific you are with your “insider” persona, the more realistic your empathy paper could be. Stated differently, it will not be a good paper if you simply repeat the sentences in the books or the lectures, or make broad statements like “my religion is all about peace and love.” It should suffice to draw from what we cover in class, and our class material should be your focus. Additional research, while welcome, is not necessary and should not eclipse the class material (that is, your references should primarily be class material). All sources must be properly cited—when you allude to a certain practice or idea of the religious tradition, put the source in parentheses, for example, (Esposito et al, 82) or (Van Voorst, 71).
