ow that we have discussed numerous theorists’ understanding of religion, you will use the knowledge that you have gained from the assigned readings along with class lectures and discussions to analyze one of the movies that is approved for this course. Approved movies are the movies that have links for streaming videos below (The Children of Men, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Smoke Signals, 2012, and The Village). These are the only movies that you can use for this assignment. You can watch one movie or you can watch all the movies before you determine the movie on which you want to write your reflection paper.
You need to do several things before you start writing your paper:
Read the Sample Reflection Paper on Titanic so that you will have a clear idea of the type of paper that you are to write. It is attached below.
Be sure that you not only have the different religious theorists that we have discussed in depth so far this semester clearly in mind, but also you need to make sure that you understand the concepts of sacred symbols, religious myths, and sacred rituals. (The recorded lecture and assigned reading for Class 11 discussed Religious myths, and the recorded lecture and assigned reading for Class 12 discussed Sacred Rituals.)
Reflect on the movie that you have chosen as the subject of your paper. What examples of myths, symbols and/or rituals did you notice while watching the movie? Sometimes religious symbols are quite subtle in films. So pay close attention to references to objects and/or colors that seem to have special significance to the characters in the movie. Note any repeated rituals or behaviors in which the characters participate.
Which of the views of religion proposed by the theorists that we have studied in depth this semester (Tylor, Frazer, Freud, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, James, Otto, and Eliade) could you argue that the movie represented? How did the movie address human concerns and the human condition? How did the movie’s reflection of human concerns relate to the religious theorist that you chose to discuss? How did the religious symbols, myths, or rituals in the film agree with the religious theorist’s understanding of religion?
Then write your paper following the style of the Sample Reflection Paper. In other words, state which theorist of religion (Tylor, Frazer, Freud, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, James, Otto, or Eliade) you believe the movie fits, and demonstrate how different scenes in the movie support the understanding of religion proposed by the theorist that you are saying is represented. There is not a right or wrong theorist for each movie. You can argue a case for any of the above named theorists for any of the approved movies. (Do not base your reflection paper on a theorist that is not listed above.)
As stated in the syllabus, your reflection paper should be typed and double-spaced using a 12-pt font (Times New Roman or similar acceptable fonts). Your paper should be a minimum of 3 full pages in length (with 1-inch margins on all sides) and a maximum of 4 pages (no longer!). Do not put extra space between the paragraphs of your paper. (Notice the sample paper does not have additional spaces between the paragraphs.) Papers not meeting the minimum length requirement of 3 full pages will receive a significantly lower grade than those meeting the length requirement. Papers that put extra spaces between the lines of text or paragraphs or papers that adjust the margins or fonts to make the paper seem longer
