Themes for Essay #3

Prepare your essay from the following list of themes. Alternatives are permitted only if cleared with the instructor ahead of their preparation and submission.

While your textbook is an acceptable initial source for preparing your essay, it will be insufficient fully to address these topics. The number of additional reference resources you need will differ from topic to topic, but a typical number of additional sources will range from 3 to 5, whether digital or hardcopy. More is fine, but fewer may mean you will miss incorporating a key point in your essay. Be succinct, but be complete.

Do remember to place the following sentences as a separate paragraph at the top of the first page of your essay. An essay submitted without this paragraph will not be marked, and resubmission will be subject to the late penalty:

"I hereby attest that this essay is entirely my own original work, excepting only that the work of others is properly noted and cited where incorporated into my own work. Thus, it is fair and honest for me to ask this work to be evaluated and marked by the instructor for a grade in this Humanities I course."

1. Compare and contrast the architectural designs and social roles of the Jewish synagogue with that of the Islamic mosque.



2. Compare and contrast the architectural designs and social roles of the Byzantine church with that of the Islamic mosque.



3. Cite and compare examples of Hebrew and Islamic poetry, especially that which appears in the Hebrew scriptures (aka Old Testament) and the Quran (aka Koran).



4. Cite and compare examples of Hebrew and Christian poetry, especially that which appears in the Hebrew scriptures (aka Old Testament) and the Christian scriptures (aka New Testament).



5. Compare and contrast the role of Greek philosophy in the development of Jewish and Christian orthodoxy (such as in the writings of Philo and Augustine).



6. Compare and contrast the role of mysticism in the development of Jewish and Christian orthopraxy (with a focus on AD 300-600).



7. Compare and contrast the role of mysticism in the development of Jewish and Islamic orthopraxy (with a focus on AD 400-900).



8. The Hebrew scriptures (aka Old Testament) were written originally in Hebrew, the Christian scriptures (aka New Testament) in Greek, the Quran (aka Koran) in Arabic. Compare and contrast the impact these languages had upon the composition and transmission of these sacred texts and associated commentaries to adherents and prospective converts.

The University, and I, take the standards and expectations relating to academic honesty quite seriously. You are expected to prepare an original essay comprising your own words and ideas generated from our readings and discussions and your further research, using others' work (whether the textbook or notes from other hardcopy or digital sources) only where appropriate and with full disclosure/citation. Lack of proper disclosure and citation of other's work constitutes plagiarism, which is academic dishonesty. A first offense renders the student subject to dismissal from this class with an F; a second offense any time during your academic career here at CBU may result in dismissal from the University. If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism in particular, or academic dishonesty in general, you are welcome to raise questions with me or any of your instructors, and encouraged to refer to the 2002-03 Student Handbook (see pages 76-77) for University policy details.