Term Paper Assignment
Guidelines
It should be 6 to 8 pages long.
This is a research paper, so you should be sure to include a works cited page. The best term paper project to work on is one that excites and interests you. Below is a list of suggested topics; you may choose from this list or come up with a topic on your own. This is a research paper. You should cite at least three non-internet sources (books, academic journals, encyclopedias). Citing internet sources is allowed, but don't confine yourself to these. Try to find sources that have been prepared for publication in a peer reviewed setting. If you write a biographical paper, be sure to do more than just tell the story of the life of your subject; place their life in the context of the religious tradition with which they are associated, indicating how their life exemplifies that tradition.
Monasticism: its nature and its place as a path to sanctity in Christianity.
Prayer: its purpose, the ways it is practiced, and its role in everyday life.
The Sacred: how it is conceived and experienced in different religious traditions
Mysticism: its nature and the different forms it takes.
Art: the role it plays in developing religious feeling and tradition. (e.g.: Eastern Orthodox icons)
Symbols: their origin and meaning in different religious traditions.
Authority over tradition: how it is established, and the role it plays in different religious traditions.
Saintliness: how human piety and sanctity are conceived and recognized.
Salvation: how it is conceived and how an individual achieves it.
Sacred Law: how it is established and the role in plays in religious life.
Prophecy and Revelation: their nature and the role they play in religious traditions.
Science and Secularism: how have religious traditions reacted to these modern movements?
Music: the role it plays in worship.
Diet: the role played by dietary restrictions in a religious life.
Sin: how it is conceived and overcome in the monotheistic traditions.
Caring for the community: the role Rabbis, Priests or Ministers, and Imams play in community life
Cults: their relationship to mainstream religious traditions.
Architecture: how the design of sacred space reflects different religious beliefs.
Sexuality and gender roles in religious traditions.
Miracles: their significance in the monotheistic traditions.
Reform of traditions: how this arises and how it transforms religious traditions and communities.
War: the attitudes taken by religious traditions towards conflict and violence.
God: how the divine is conceived and worshipped in different religious traditions.
Fundamentalism in the monotheistic traditions: what it means and how it is expressed.
These figures might make interesting subjects for biographical papers:
Abraham Malcolm X Martin Luther King St. Paul
King David Mother Theresa Ibn Arabi Elie Wiesel
Martin Luther Saladin The Baal Shem Tov