World Masterpieces and Religion

The class textbook, World Masterpieces, contains a vast array of nonfiction selections on the five major religions of the world as well as a collection of sacred texts. We will read not only the nonfiction selections to give you a better understanding of the five religions, but also some of the sacred texts. We will examine literary devices used in those texts, including character, setting, symbol, tone and theme.

Here is a list of the nonfiction sections of World Masterpieces that everyone in the class will read:

• Hinduism: “Religious Thought” and “Language” pp. 149-150; “The Rig Veda” pp. 152-153; “Upanishads” p. 160; “Religion in India” pp. 164-165; “Hindu dharma” p. 167.
• Buddhism: p. 217, p. 229, “Religious Traditions” p. 263
• Judaism: “Hebrews” p. 10; “Hebrew Literature” p. 38
• Christianity: “Christian Humanism and Reformation” p. 662-663
• Islam: “Persian and Arabic Lit” pp. 77-84; “Koran” pp. 106-107; “Sufism” p. 111.