Song and Spirit: Music and Religion
CORE 320 (4 units)


Instructors

Anita M. Hanawalt, Ph.D.

  • Office: ULV Chapel Organ Loft
  • Office Hours: By Appointment.
  • E-Mail: hanawalt@ulv.edu 

Ryan Harrison, MATP

  • Telephone: 909-455-7946
  • E-Mail: Rharrison2@ulv.edu 
  • Office Hours: By Appointment. If you'd like to arrange an appointment with me, please contact me by e-mail or phone and we will set a time to meet.

ULV Catalog Course Description
A comparative study of sacred song in selected world religions, affirming religion and music as universal expressions of human culture and civilization throughout history. Students critically examine ritual music in many worship traditions, including a critical review of their own religious musical practice. 

Course Objectives
  • Students will develop an understanding of foundational themes and issues in the music of six prominent world religions, exploring historical themes and textual sources (including hymnals and songbooks).
  • Students will become familiar with chant in early communities, music in public liturgy and private devotion, and music/chant as a spiritual discipline.
  • Students will learn to listen to sacred music critically, with an understanding of its context and purpose.
  • Students will experience religious practices outside their own, evaluating and interpreting unfamiliar practices.

Required Text

Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religions (2006) Guy L. Beck, editor. ISBN 0889204217

Requirements

Weekly Assignments:

    1. Read the assigned chapter(s) in the text.
    2. Participate in threaded discussions on foundational issues, historical themes and textual sources, and listening examples.
    3. Write a one page journal entry, critically reflecting on readings, recordings of listening examples and live sacred music.

One-Time Assignments:

    1. Write and post a report on participation in a worship service and an interview with a person outside your own experience.
    2. Write and post a 3 to 5 page reflective research paper, properly formatted according to given instructions, which examines your understanding and/or experience of a specific topic related to an interconnection of music and religion.

Mid-Term and Final Exam

Mid-Term Webliography: Construct a Webliography (a cyber space version of an annotated bibliography) of 8 website links analyzing sacred music in human interactions. Write a brief paragraph (2-3 sentences) describing each link, including also a 2-3 paragraph discussion on how each link relates to the other sites in your chosen group.

Final Exam: Take a final exam with multiple choice, true/false, and fill in the blank questions. Multiple attempts will be allowed.

Assessment

Term Grades will be determined using the following point system:

Worship Service/Interview Report

10

Threaded Discussions

40

Weekly Journal Entries

20

Reflective Research Paper

10

Mid-Term Webliography

10

Final Exam

10

Incomplete Grade Policy

To request a grade of Incomplete (INC) in this class, you must complete an INC contract before the end of the term, have participated until the last day to withdraw from the class, and have completed at least 50 points out of 100. Please see the ULV Policy on the grade of INC:
http://www.ulv.edu/catalog/aca_info/grades.phtml.

Grading Scale:

94-100%

A

90-93%

A-

87-89%

B+

84-86%

B

80-83%

B-

77-79%

C+

74-76%

C

70-73%

C-

67-69%

D+

64-66%

D

60-63%

D-

0-59%

F

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is required of every student on every assignment completed for this course. Students who break the academic honesty policies as described in the current University of La Verne Catalog will be subject to a possible failing grade on an assignment, in the entire course, or may even be subject to dismissal from the school, depending on severity. If you have questions on academic honesty, please consult the ULV Catalog or contact Dr. Stephen Lesniak, Dean of Regional Campus Administration.