For the research essay, students will select ONE Eastern religious tradition that we have studied in the course (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Shinto, Confucianism, or Daoism) and ONE particular contemporary issue on which to focus. Such issues may include (but are not limited to):
• environmental ethics (i.e. global warming, pollution, etc. – pick only one!)
• the role of women in religion (i.e. positions of authority, role in religious scripture, etc. – pick only one!)
• issues of gender and sexuality (i.e. homosexuality, abortion, birth control, etc. – pick only one!)
• religion and violence (i.e. role of religion in contemporary conflict, fundamentalism, etc. – pick only one!)
• bioethics and medical technologies (i.e. organ donation, blood transfusions, etc. – pick only one!)