ENglish SUPPLEMENTAL materials
General Religion
This website from the Pew Research Center's Religion and Public Life Project conducts surveys of the U.S. population on a variety of topics and issues related to religion and faith. The organization is interested in discovering the relationship between religion and public policy matters. Some useful data provided includes demographic information regarding various religious traditions in the U.S., as well as their general views on a variety of political and social issues. Students could use this site to analyze data and determine popular trends in points of view.
|
The United Religions Initiative is "a global grassroots interfaith network that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities and the world." In addition to resources on their main homepage dealing with a variety of global social justice issues, URI also publishes a kid-friendly site with general information about world religions and religious stories from different faith traditions, as well as supplemental activities and worksheets.
|
Judaism
The "Holy Land" of Judaism as well as Christianity and Islam, Jerusalem is an important site for all three of the world's major monotheistic faiths. This short documentary explores some of the locations central to the Jewish tradition, but also illustrates how some of these sites are also linked to Muslim and Christian doctrine and history as well.
|
This book is part of a larger series on major world religions. Replete with wonderful photographs and illustrations, the primary benefit of this series is that each volume combines one individual's perspective with a broader treatment of larger trends. This balance of personal and general is extremely helpful in any case, but especially in the context of this interdisciplinary unit.
|
Hinduism
Ramayan 3392 A.D. is a comic series that situates the Ramayana (the classic Hindu epic) in a post-apocalyptic future. While some details are changed to fit with this altered setting, the general themes and important characters remain. Additionally, the artwork blends classic comic styles with the vibrant color palette and artistic motifs of traditional Hindu art. Currently there are eight issues organized into three collections.
|
This documentary investigates modern India, dealing with (among other things) how religion and spirituality manifest in contemporary society. Director Rick Bay brings viewers to major locations, such as the Himalayas and the Taj Mahal, but the true benefit of this film is its treatment of inner cities and rural villages. The chance to see how everyday Indians practice their faith is something not offered by many other documentaries on this topic.
|
Buddhism
This book offers an overview of some of the central teachings of Buddhism written for a general audience. The author, Thubten Chodron, is an American Buddhist nun who has studied under many of the leading Buddhist teachers today, including the Dalai Lama. She is well-known for her emphasis on interfaith dialogue and the need for greater cross-cultural understanding in the modern world. The book is organized as a series of questions and answers, making it very user-friendly for reference purposes.
|
The 1993 film Little Buddha (starring a young Keanu Reeves) is an interesting and accessible exploration of Buddhism, especially reincarnation. While the film specifically deals with the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, it also depicts scenes from the Buddha's life, meditation practices, and other general Buddhist themes. As a Hollywood storyline, there are bound to be certain inaccuracies or elaborations, but overall it is a useful film for students interested in learning more about Buddhism.
|
Christianity
The Action Bible depicts over 200 biblical stories in 750 pages. Illustrated by Sergio Cariello (who has previously done work for both Marvel and DC Comics), the book uses stunning, eye-catching illustrations and paraphrased text to convey the themes and messages central to Christianity. Whether students are already familiar with the stories or are completely unaware of the contents of the Bible, this is a worthwhile resource to provide them.
|
The Jewish Roots of Christianity is another wonderful documentary highlighting interfaith dialogue. Starring three Jewish scholars, the film explores the relationship between two of the world's major monotheistic faiths in terms of historical, doctrinal, and theological connections. Many students struggle to understand that, for instance, Jesus was in fact Jewish. This documentary covers this and many other questions in a fair and knowledgeable manner.
|
Islam
This National Geographic documentary brings the company's trademark high production values and in-depth reporting to a tradition that seems mysterious to many students unfamiliar with Islam. The Hajj to Mecca (one of the Five Pillars of Islam) is a major religious tourism event every year in Saudi Arabia, and this film does a wonderful job depicting its spiritual and human components.
|
Growing Up Muslim is the brainchild of a girl who grew up as a Muslim in Southern California. She realized that she was consistently asked similar questions about her life and faith throughout her childhood, and decided to compile this information into a book resource. She is careful to note that she can only speak to her own experience of her religion, but connects personal experience with sacred texts and cultural traditions in a meaningful way.
|
more Resources
In his 2002 book, Religion Explained, cognitive psychologist Pascal Boyer explores the roots of religious experience in the human psyche. This book is too theoretical and verbose for students, but provides a useful framework for teachers before embarking on this unit. Boyer's approach is also a strong model for the discourse required of teachers in a unit such as this.
|
Our Religions offers an insiders look at seven of the world's major religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). The biggest benefit of this text is that each chapter is written by a leading scholar on that religion who also (in most cases) practices it themselves. Like the Boyer book, it can become a bit overwhelming at times for students, but is a wonderfully in-depth resource for teachers.
|