World Religions
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Reading and Writing Workshop

Comparative Themes in Religion

Focus: Comparative themes in world religions using primary texts and writing practice
Standards: Comparative analysis, textual evidence, expository and argumentative writing, speaking/listening skills

Session 1: Views on the Divine
Focus: Monotheism, Polytheism, Non-theism
Readings:

• The Bible (Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10
• The Rig Veda (Book 1, Hymn 164 – “They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni...”)
  https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv01164.htm
• The Dhammapada (Chapter 1 – Non-theistic moral teachings of the Buddha)
  https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/ptf/dhp000.htm

Writing Task: Compare how each tradition conceptualizes the divine or ultimate reality. Use direct textual evidence.

Session 2: Afterlife Concepts
Focus: Heaven, Hell, Reincarnation, Liberation
Readings:

• The Qur’an (Surah 56 – The Inevitable: vivid depictions of Paradise and Hell)
  https://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/eng/sbe09/index.htm
• The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 2 – On reincarnation and the immortality of the soul)
  https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/gita/bg02.htm
• Plato’s Phaedo (Socrates on the immortality of the soul and liberation)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1658

Writing Task: How do these texts conceptualize the afterlife or post-death state? What ethical or philosophical ideas underpin their views?

Session 3: Role of Women in Religious Traditions
Focus: Women's status, leadership, and roles in sacred texts
Readings:

• The Bible (Luke 1–2 – Mary, mother of Jesus; Proverbs 31 – The “virtuous woman”)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10
• The Qur’an (Surah 4 – Women: rights, marriage, inheritance)
  https://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/eng/sbe09/004.htm
• Therigatha (Poems by early Buddhist nuns – earliest female-authored texts in Buddhism)
  https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe13/index.htm

Writing Task: Analyze the role or representation of women in one or more texts. Consider status, voice, and societal expectations.

Session 4: Ethics and Morality
Focus: The Golden Rule, nonviolence, justice
Readings:

• Confucius: Analects (Book 15, Verse 23 – “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself”)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3330
• The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7 – Christian ethics, nonviolence, justice)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10
• The Jain Acaranga Sutra (Doctrine of nonviolence)
  https://www.sacred-texts.com/jai/sbe22/sbe2203.htm

Writing Task: Compare moral teachings in two or more religious traditions. What is the role of compassion or justice? Are there universal ethical principles?

Session 5: Synthesis Seminar – Cross-Religious Dialogue
Focus: Connecting themes across traditions
Activity:

• Socratic seminar or roundtable discussion
• Students select a theme from previous sessions and share comparative insights
• Use at least two primary sources to support observations

Optional Reading for Discussion:

• Selections from “The World's Great Religions” by John H. Barrows (1893) – Parliament of World Religions addresses shared values
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31865

Capstone Project: Comparative Religion Essay or Presentation
​Options:

1. Comparative Essay – Choose one of the following topics:
   • “The Concept of the Divine in Three World Religions”
   • “Comparing Afterlife Beliefs and Their Ethical Implications”
   • “The Role of Women: Sacred Texts and Social Realities”
   • “A Universal Ethic? Exploring Justice Across Religions”
2. Creative Presentation – Create a slide deck, podcast, or short video exploring one comparative theme using sacred texts and analysis.

Requirements:

• Use at least three public domain sacred texts
• Include citations with URLs
• Incorporate quotations and analysis
• Show comparative insight and original thought