Assignment: OBSERVATION TRIP
As your syllabus indicates, 10% of your grade in this class will be based on your going on your own time to a service of a religious tradition that is not your own and then writing a short paper about it. Go to one that is entirely not your own tradition, i.e., if you are Catholic, going to a Protestant service does not count because both are versions of Christianity. The purpose of the trip is to observe the religion in practice, from the outside. You are definitely not required to participate, from the inside.
BEFORE YOU GO
• Identify where and when the congregation typically meets.
• Call ahead to confirm and to say you are coming for a class and what to wear, and ask if there is anything else a visitor should know to be respectful.
AFTER THE VISIT:
Type a 3-4 page reflection about your visit and hand it in near the end of term, when we will share our experiences with each other in class. SEE OUR SCHEDULE FOR THE DUE DATE. Questions to be addressed in your reflection:
• Name the religious congregation you visited and when. Which religion do they practice?
• Describe the setting. Do you notice any religious symbols, artwork, clothing or furnishings? Does the architecture contribute to the spiritual or religious atmosphere, and if yes, how?
• Describe what you observed happening. Be as specific as you can. What was done, by leaders and by the congregation? What was said? What other sounds did you hear? What did you see, smell, etc.?
• Make connections: Did anything you observed confirm your prior understanding of the religion from class or otherwise? Did anything surprise you? Try to connect things from our readings, online work, class discussions or field trips to what you observed.
• Think personally: What did you personally appreciate about what you observed - was there something that you found inspiring or useful or interesting in it? What seemed strange to you, or offended you, and why? How does what you observed relate to your own religious or non-religious attitudes or tradition?
• Identify at least one question this observation raised for you about the tradition. Try to ask the question of someone from the tradition or, if you weren't able to, research an answer from our book or online sources and tell me where you got the answer. What was the question, and the answer you found?