香港大學課程 -- A Carnival of Gods - A Study of Contemporary Religions

Course YCAS0004:

 
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Jonathan K.S. Cheng （鄭建生博士）

Description:
As a fundamental aspect of human experience, religion is an ignored yet important part of contemporary Hong Kong society. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this course gives a brief but critical overview of the World Religions and influential religious and quasi-religious phenomena, and discusses various theories about the meaning and the role of religions in society. The World Religions or influential religious institutions will present their own worldviews. The course will help students to come to appreciative and critical understanding of mainstream religions in the world including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Chinese religiosity (including face reading, fortune-telling, feng shui) as well as the New Age Movement.

Course Objectives:
1.  to appreciate the relevance of religion to contemporary society.
2.  to gain critical insights on how people with different spiritual beliefs conceive of the meaning of life like truthfulness, goodness, suffering,  death, hope and human destiny as well as human values shaping the organization of society like justice, equality and materialist values.
3.  to understand and dialogue with people of other religious beliefs.
4.  to stimulate students to reflect introspectively and learn verbal articulation of in-depth cultural and religious constructs.

Tentative Lecture Schedule
Time: Wed 1700 to 1900
Venue: Library Building (New Wing) Lecture Room 6 (LBN-LE6)

26 Jan            Introduction to Contemporary Religious Situation

Lecturer: Dr. Cheng Kin-sang (CAS, HKU)  

Lecture 1 (Part 1) in ppt format

Lecture 1 (Part 2) in ppt format

 

2 Feb              New Age Movement – De-institutionalized Forms of Religions?

                        Lecturer: Dr. Cheng Kin-sang (CAS, HKU)  

                        Lecture 2 (Part 1) in ppt format

                        Lecture 2 (Part 2) in ppt format

                        Lecture 2 (Part 3) in ppt format

 

16 Feb            Approaches to Religious Studies  

Lecturer: Prof. Kwan Shui-man (Practical Education Co-ordinator, Theology Division, Chinese University)

                        Lecture 3 in ppt format

　

23 Feb           Clash of Civilizations and Future of Humanity

Lecturer: Prof. Anis Ahmad (Vice Chancellor, Riphah International University, Islamabad and Meritorious Professor of Islamic and Comparative Religion)  

Abstract in word format, pdf format

Lecture 4 in ppt format

 

2 Mar              Systemic Constellation - Quasi-religious phenomenon

                        Lecturer: Dr. Cheng Kin-sang (CAS, HKU)  

                        Lecture 5 in ppt format

 

9 Mar              Death and Eternity

Lecturer: Dr. Kung Lap Yan (Associate Professor, Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, Chung Chi College, Chinese University)      

     

23 Mar           Meditation – From Taoist, Buddhist to Scientific Forms 

                       Lecturer: Dr. Chow Wai-yin (Research Fellow, Religious Education Resource Centre)

                       Lecture 6 in ppt format

                    

30 Mar           New Religious Movement

                       Lecturer: Dr. Yeung Kwok-keung (Research Fellow, Religious Education Resource Centre) 

                       Lecture 7 in ppt format

 

6 Apr             Group Presentation

                       Face Reading and Fortune Telling Education Centre（李英才相學研究院－江湖賣相講座）in ppt format

                   We, Hong Kong, Islam in ppt format

                        The Carnival of Gods - Broadening and Deeping in ppt format

　

27 Apr          Individual Presentation

                    　

　

Recommended Readings:

Hunt, Stephen, 2003, Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction. Hampshire, Ashgate.

Esposito, John L.; Fasching, Darrell J. and Lewis, Todd, 2002, World Religions Today. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

　

Further Readings:

Woodhead, Linda; Fletcher, Paul; Kawanami, Hiroko and Smith, David, 2002. Religions in the Modern World. London and New York: Routledge.  

 

Molloy, Michael, 2002. Experiencing the World’s Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. London, Toronto: Mayfield.

 

陳慎慶編，2002年。《諸神嘉年華 – 香港宗教研究》，牛津大學出版社。

　

　

Tentative Visit Schedule

 

Please be noted that the visits may not be held on the field trip week. Students have to participate in 4 visits and one or two of the following visits may be compulsory. Students should choose the visits on or before 2 Feb. 

　

Visit:  ISKCON - International Society for Krishna consciousness of Hong Kong 國際奎師那知覺協會 (New Religious Group related to Hinduism 印度教) in ppt format 

Date:  12 Mar (Sat)

Time:  9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Address:  6/F, Ocean view Building, 27 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui

Language:  Cantonese

　

DRESS CODE: 
Men: No singlets/vests, no shorts. All outer garments must not have icons, crucifix, images or pictures of man or animal (or cartoons). Mono colour garments preferred.
 
Women: No shorts, no short sleeved blouses or shirts. All top Garments must be long sleeved (up to wrists). No low-neck or V-neck top garments. Garments must have collars. Trousers must cover up to ankles. Jeans is not a problem. All outer garments must not have icons, crucifix, images or pictures of man or animal (or cartoons) Mono colour Garments preferred.

Visit:  Islamic Union of Hong Kong 香港伊斯蘭聯會

Date:  14 Mar (Mon)

Time:  11:30 am - 1:45 pm

Address:  40 Oi Kwan Road, Wanchai

Language:  English and Cantonese

　

DRESS CODE:

 

For both men and women, all garments must not have icons, crucifix, images / pictures of people or animals.

 

Men: Trousers. No singlets or sleeveless top garments.

Women: Trousers or mid-skirts up to ankles. No sleeveless top garments.

All top garments have sleeves up to wrists. Top garments must have collars.

(No V-neckline or low cut sexy necklines.)

　

　

Visit:  Ziwei Analysis (Chinese astrology) 紫微斗數

Date:  16 Mar (Wed)

Time:  10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Address:  Termini Caffe and Curry, 2/F, no. 516, Lockart Road, Causeway Bay

Language:  Cantonese

　

　

Visit:  Face Reading and Fortune Telling Education Centre 堪輿相學研究院

Date:  17 Mar (Thu)

Time:  2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Address:  Rm 1501-1502, Wu Sang House, 655 Nathan Road, Mongkok

Language:  Cantonese

　

　

Visit:  Peace of Mind Zenter (Contemporary Buddhist and Zen Centre, 心靈環保禪淨中心)

Date:  18 Mar (Fri)

Time:  2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Address:  6/F, Kam Fung Commercial Building, 2-4 Tin Lok Lane, Wanchai

Language:  Cantonese

　

　

Visit:  Charismatic (靈恩派) Christian gathering organized by Ministry on the Rock 泉石復興事工作

Date:  18 Mar (Fri)

Time:  7:15 pm - 10:00 pm

Address:  Hong Kong International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay

Language:  Cantonese

　

　

Visit:  Soka Gakkai (Local Japanese New Religious Group 香港國際創價學會)

Date:  19 Mar (Sat)

Time:  7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Address:  101-109 Boundary Street, Kowloon Tong

Language:  Cantonese

　

　

Visit:  Fung Ying Seen Koon (Taoist Temple) 蓬瀛仙館（道教）

Date:  17 April 2005

Time:  9:45 am - 12:00 pm

Address:  66 Pak Wo Road, Fanling, N.T. (near Fanling KCR station)

Language:  Cantonese & English

　

　

Visit:  Zoroastrianism 祅教 (俗稱拜火教)

Date:  21 May (Sat)

Time:  2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Address:  Zoroastrian Cemetery, Opposite Happy Valley Race Course, Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley.  (followed by visit to Zoroastrian Building, 3/F, 101 Neighton Road, Causeway Bay)

Language:  English

　

For the details of the arrangement, please contact Dr Jonathan Cheng at Email住址會使用灌水程式保護機制。你需要啟動Javascript才能觀看它

　

Other Requirements:

1. There is a Group Presentation session to be held on 6 April. The focus of the presentation is around the personal meaning that the religious believers gains, what new identities have been constructed and also how the religions present themselves in contemporary societies and in time of economic recession in Hong Kong .

 

2. Students have to fill in questionnaire on their religious beliefs in the beginning as well as around the end of the course.

 

Attendance   10%

5% for attendance of lectures, visits and group presentation

5% for punctuality (late arrival and early departure will gain no marks)

 

Participation   20%

Criteria:  5% responsive to questions 

               5% observation of other classmates’ values, attitudes and behaviours

10% active sensible questioning

 

Presentation   20%

3 persons per group, each group choose one visit to study and make presentations

Duration: strictly less than 10 minutes

Criteria:  5% good-looking vs visually poor

                5% clear and understandable vs messy

                5% in-depth, reflective and insightful vs ordinary & with no significance

                5% touching vs distanced

If the presentation contains multimedia section, that part should not be over 3 minutes.

Students can arrange themselves to meet the believers after the official visit

 

Projects   50%

Write an essay (3000 words) to account for their reflection on religious beliefs

1.   application of different approaches of religious studies on 4 visits

2.   what have you personally changed

3.   what is the reason and value behind the change (if there is no change, why is it the case)

4.   what new conceptions of the relations between sacred and profane has been learned or unlearned

5.   what theories are best to account for their own change

6.   what change has been undergoing in other classmates

 

last day of submission: 9 May 5:30 pm

for late submission, 10 marks deducted per day.

 

This was created by Cathy Wong at CAS.

Last updated on Friday, 13 May 2005.

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