Discussion Forum Overview

Class discussions are an important part of this course. Your participation in the discussions will count toward your participation mark (25%). Before contributing to the discussion topics, please read the following sections.

  • Discussion Description and Expectations
  • Accessing the Discussion Forum
  • Discussion Assessment Rubric
  • Individual Discussion Topics

Discussion Description and Expectations

You will find 2 discussion questions in every module related to the 6 movies in the course. There are 2 questions for each module for a total of 4 questions per movie. You will discuss a new movie every other week. These questions relate to the course movies, the module readings, and the course lectures.

Each week, you are expected to contribute an initial post to each of the 2 questions in the discussion forum and then comment on the answers of 2 other students in your group.

You are expected to post thoughtful answers to each question. Your answers should be insightful and include reference to the course material. Your language should be conversational yet professional. You are welcome to agree or disagree with other students but you must elaborate on your view and your comments to others should be constructive.

Accessing the Discussion Forum

You can access all of the discussion forums by clicking Connect and then Discussions on the course navigation bar above, or from the links in the Individual Discussion Topics section below.

Discussion Assessment Rubric

CRITERIA
A B C D E
Discussion Interaction (how student acts in the discussion forum) Student interacts with others in a respectful way, supports the views of others, and comments or critiques the ideas of others in a constructive way Student interacts with others in a respectful way, usually supports the view of others but may have some difficulty when his or her own ideas are challenged Student interacts with others but not in a respectful way and sometimes attacks others while in discussion Student participates but interacts with others in a consistently disrespectful way, often argues or attacks others during discussion, and does not respect the ideas of others Student does not participate at all
Conversation Leadership (how student acts as a leader in the discussion forum) Student usually leads the discussion and encourages others to participate; student provides feedback to others using constructive criticism or questions Student leads the discussion and encourages others to join the discussion but is not always successful Student rarely leads discussion and when he or she does lead, the student prefers his or her own views and does not include the views of others Student follows the discussion but does not lead; student may disrupt conversations or stop the flow of discussion Student does not participate at all
Development of Argument or Viewpoint (well-formed and substantiated arguments or positions) Student’s comments or arguments are well formed, logical and always supported by course material; student uses secondary research sources and makes valuable contributions to the course discussion Student’s comments or arguments are well formed, logical and mostly supported by course material; student makes valuable contributions to the course discussion Student’s comments are opinions that are not backed up with evidence from the course; student’s comments demonstrate confusion or a misunderstanding of the course material Student’s comments or arguments do not make logical sense and are not backed up with evidence; student criticizes the readings without explaining why; others cannot follow along Student does not participate at all
Discussion Focus (student follows along with the discussion) Student always follows the discussion, adds valuable information, and keeps the discussion focused on the topic Student usually follows the discussion, often adds valuable information, usually keeps the discussion focused on the topic, and asks questions when unsure Student often does not follow the discussion properly and may repeat information already discussed; student rarely adds valuable information Student participates but does not follow the discussion at all and adds irrelevant information to the discussion Student does not participate at all
Use of Course Material (student understands and uses course material) Student understands the course material which is demonstrated in the discussion; student supports arguments with course material, goes beyond the main ideas, and is often prepared with questions Student understands most of the main ideas in the course material but may have difficulty with some concepts which is demonstrated in the discussion Student has read the course material but did not understand the main ideas or is not well-prepared to discuss the main ideas Student did not read or did not understand the main ideas in the course material which is demonstrated in the discussion; student cannot explain ideas or answer questions Student does not participate at all

Highlights

  • Remember that discussions are a part of your assessment.
  • Everyone is in a group and you will remain with the same group each week.
  • Each student is required to initiate a discussion each week and respond to at least 2 posts by fellow group members—what that means is that I should see at least as many discussion threads (initiated discussions) each week as there are group members.
  • Your responses should be considered and thoughtful; that is, not simply “I agree with what you said.” That’s the online equivalent of nodding your head in class and expecting to get a mark for it.
  • Finally, when you post, you need to support your claims or contentions with evidence and proper argument. Simply offering an opinion, however interesting, is not the same. This is especially the case with religious claims or claims about religion, many of which are not open to empirical investigation and remain at the level of conjecture. Simply being convinced of something is insufficient to convince others.
    • Tip: Pretend they don’t agree with you. How would you convince them? What evidence would you offer?
    • When you make a claim about religion, on the other hand, you want to be sure that you have your facts straight. Occasionally, I have seen claims that are simply incorrect. Since in this course we treat religion just the same as we would any other human or social phenomenon, we want to sure of our ground.
  • I consider this your discussion time, not so much mine, which is why I tend to monitor the discussions rather than comment on every thread—which would be tough to do! When I see something appearing across threads and across groups, I will usually try to put something here in the Announcements, or in some other forum that the entire class can see. Think of it as small group discussion in a face-to-face class, where I drift around the room, listening in and occasionally contributing, but then calling the entire class together to raise a particular point.

Individual Discussion Topics

Module 1

  • Module 1: Question 1 Discussion
    Why does “religion matter”? Why is understanding religion important? Why does Prothero say “religion matters”? How can you relate this to Saved!?
  • Module 1: Question 2 Discussion
    What are some of the off-screen issues that make the on-screen action in Saved! relevant, and how does a more complete understanding of religion help us understand those concerns both on-screen and off-screen?

Module 2

  • Module 2: Question 1 Discussion
    According to Prothero, “evangelicals [borrow] (and [sanctify]) virtually every accoutrement of modern life.” What examples of this can you find in Saved!? What other examples can you think of in terms of the “Christianizing” of popular culture?
  • Module 2: Question 2 Discussion
    Prothero writes: “Atheists and agnostics, pointing to such horrors as the Holocaust, routinely claim that religion has been the most powerful force for evil in world history. That is probably true. But religion has likely been the world’s most powerful force for good too.” Think carefully about this passage. Do you agree with him? Do you come down more on one side of the argument or the other? If so, which side, and why?

Module 3

  • Module 3: Question 1 Discussion
    One of the most important distinctions in looking at the Christian religion on film is in terms of whether we are seeing a Christ-figure or a Jesus-figure. How would you apply Malone’s fairly easy distinction between these 2 concepts to a film such as Life of Brian?
  • Module 3: Question 2 Discussion
    Using Malone’s distinction between a Jesus-figure and a Christ-figure, discuss other films in which you might see either of these figures. Obviously, Jesus-figures are easier to spot, so concentrate on whether you think you have seen Christ-figures in film. Why would you interpret them as Christ-figures? Be sure to support your answer with concrete examples for the films you cite.

Module 4

  • Module 4: Question 1 Discussion
    Anton Kozlovic lists a wide range of characteristics that he considers part of the tradition of the “cinematic Christ-figure.” Do some of these make more sense to you than others? Why, or why not? Do you think he has gone too far with some of his characteristics? If so, why?
  • Module 4: Question 2 Discussion
    Christopher Deacy clearly thinks Kozlovic has gone too far in his interpretation of Christ-figures. Which of the readings do you find more compelling, more persuasive? And why? When answering this question, you will make a stronger case if you can refer to other films or television shows that you have seen. Remember: concrete examples always strengthen one’s answers.

Module 5

  • Module 5: Question 1 Discussion
    What does Mullen mean by the “sound byte culture in which we live”? How does this affect our perception of the world around us? What are some examples of this from Little Buddha? If she is correct, why do we seem so accepting of these fictions?
  • Module 5: Question 2 Discussion
    Do you agree with Mullen’s analysis in paragraph three? Why or why not? Support your answer with examples drawn from the film.

Module 6

  • Module 6: Question 1 Discussion
    In what other ways does Hollywood (or Bollywood or Hong Kong cinema, for example) “mythologize” complex social, cultural, political, and religious situations? What other examples of this can you think of?
  • Module 6: Question 2 Discussion
    According to Mullen, a Tibetan Buddhist monk “calls for ‘discriminating wisdom’ to end the unrealistic portrayals of both Tibet and her leader in Hollywood.” Once again, we are back to the question of a filmmaker’s social responsibility. To whose vision must a filmmaker be most true? What are his or her responsibilities to the subject of a film?

Module 7

  • Module 7: Question 1 Discussion
    A common theme in late modern North America is the supposed conflict between the rational and the religious—as though the latter is, by definition, somehow non-rational. Where do you see this conflict in The Exorcist? Can you think of other current examples?
  • Module 7: Question 2 Discussion
    Using the concepts of sociophobics described in “Religion and Cinema Horror”, discuss some of your favourite horror films (or films that may not be strictly horror, but contain fear-based elements). What kinds of fears are represented and why do you think they were represented in these ways?

Module 8

  • Module 8: Question 1 Discussion
    What do you think Darryl Jones means by “a profound antipathy toward the body that has been deeply ingrained in Christian belief and practice”? How is this portrayed in The Exorcist? What other examples can you think of—in film and television, religion, or both?
  • Module 8: Question 2 Discussion
    Do you agree with Michael Medved’s contention that “that the American film industry itself has simply ‘gone too far'” in its supposed attack on religion? Why or why not? Is it even possible for art to “go too far”? How would we know when that’s happened, and who gets to decide where the lines are drawn?

Module 9

  • Module 9: Question 1 Discussion
    When Ellie goes before the Machine Commission, she is told that since the vast majority of Earth’s population believes in a god of one kind or another anyone who represents Earth should also believe. What are the arguments for and against this position? Use concrete examples to explore your answer.
  • Module 9: Question 2 Discussion
    Throughout the course, we have considered a variety of ways in which audiences “read religion into” films, whether it is there or not. While you don’t need to stick to science fiction in your discussion, what other examples of what Cowan is calling “occidentalism”—whether religious or not—can you identify in popular movies and television? Discuss why you think this is taking place.

Module 10

  • Module 10: Question 1 Discussion
    Cowan describes three particular approaches to the problem of first contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence. What are they and where do you see examples of them in the film? Be sure to use concrete examples and explain your answer in depth, rather than simply point out the examples.
  • Module 10: Question 2 Discussion
    Do you think Ellie had a “religious experience” during her journey in the Machine? Why or why not? How would you know if she had? That is, how should we identify a “religious experience”?

Module 11

  • Module 11: Question 1 Discussion
    According to Thomas, what he is calling shûkyô asobi “jettisons the artificial distinction between popular entertainment and religion.” Can you think of other examples of this in popular entertainment and popular culture?
  • Module 11: Question 2 Discussion
    Part of the concept of shûkyô asobi is that popular entertainment “can have a moral or spiritual effect on the audience.” Once again, we are back to the question of audience response. How might an audience be “morally or spiritually” affected by a film such as Princess Mononoke? What aspects of the film do you think Miyazaki means us to identify with and why?

Module 12

  • Module 12: Question 1 Discussion
    Thomas writes that “Miyazaki’s films serve as religious texts that inspire and exhort people to alterations in behavior.” Can you think of any films that have affected you this way, or films that have affected people you know? Why do you think this is, and were you surprised by this reaction?
  • Module 12: Question 2 Discussion
    S. Brent Plate writes that “Films are not religious simply because of their content, but become religious due to their form and reception.” What films in this course, if any, fit Plate’s description? How and why? Use specific examples to support your answer. If you think none of these films fit the description, what other examples can you offer?

Short Answer Overview
Short Answer Questions

Instructions

There are 6 short answer assignments in this course, one for each of the odd-numbered modules. At the end of each odd-numbered module, you will submit a short answer paper. These short answer papers will make up 25% of your final grade.

Short Answer Description and Guidelines

Each module contains 2 discussion questions. After discussing both questions in the group discussion forum, choose 1 of the questions and expand your answer into a 1-2 typed page response to the question.

Your short answer should be 300-400 words, and must not simply repeat your discussion posts. Your paper should be no shorter than 300 words, and no longer than 500. That is, you can go a little past the maximum if you want, but you cannot fall below the minimum. This minimum should also not count course information or a repetition of the question. You will submit this short answer paper to the dropbox. Include your name, student number, and the question you are answering.

When writing your short answer, you should consider the question carefully and reflect on the course material, the corresponding movie, the weekly readings, and your post in the discussion forum.

Important: Your short answer may build on your discussion post, but it must not simply be a repetition of it.

Tips

I encourage you to read the questions and the readings before watching the film; then keep them in mind while you watch the movie.

 

 


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