Modern Influences on the Future of Religion
The New World Order

1. Describe how the social, political, and economic landscape has changed to produce the new world order.
2. Discuss the effect modern capitalism has had on the world and on religion.
3. Define globalism and urbanism and explain their challenge to traditional religion.

Multiculturalism and Interfaith Dialogue

1. What factors have made contact across different cultures practically unavoidable?
2. Discuss some of the ways different traditions have adapted to changes in the world.
3. What are some points of contact or common ground that have served as a basis for interfaith dialogues?

Women's Rights Movements

1. How have women been restricted in many societies?
2. What developments have begun to affect attitudes regarding the roles of women?
3. Give examples of some religious groups that have opened leadership roles to women.
4. List a few religious groups that have resisted allowing women leadership positions.
5. Describe ways that the women's movement has already affected religious practices.

Reassessment of Human Sexuality

1. What factors have prompted a reexamination of human sexuality?
2. Contrast traditional views of the purpose of sex with other functions it serves.
3. Describe some of the areas of debate and controversy in religion surrounding marriage and sex.

Science and Technology

1. Briefly summarize the current scientific view of reality.
2. What have been the benefits and liabilities of the scientific approach to reality?

Science and Ethical Issues

1. What are some of the new choices and ethical questions presented by science and technology that traditional religion never faced?

Secularism

1. What is secularism?
2. How does agnosticism relate with a secular view?
3. In what ways did Communism manifest religious attributes?

Religions, Sacred Texts, and Violence (Box Feature)
Summarize the sometimes conflicting views on violence in the religious texts and traditions of Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Environmental Challenges
What are some of the threats to the environment that have raised new moral questions?

The Recurring Challenge of Change

1. What are the two possible common denominators existing in every religion?
2. In what major ways has the Roman Catholic Church adapted to modern changes?
3. Define the phenomenon of fundamentalism.
4. Give some examples of twentieth-century fundamentalism.

Environmentalism: A New Religious Phenomenon?

1. Discuss how human beings have tried to control or minimize the power of nature.
2. How has nature been negatively viewed by some religions?
3. What are some of the reasons nature is being viewed differently today?
4. What religions have traditionally esteemed nature?
5. How has an appreciation of nature been expressed recently in the West?
6. What are the religious parallels appearing in environmentalism?

Eclectic Spirituality
Describe the particular set of attitudes and practices associated with eclectic spirituality.

Religion and Movies (Box Feature)
What spiritual concerns have been addressed in films?

Interrelatedness
Discuss the feature of interrelatedness in eclectic spirituality.

Religion and Pop Culture (Box Feature)
Describe aspects of popular culture that present religious themes.

Reverence and Respect
Discuss reverence and respect as a feature of spirituality.

Contemplative Practices
How does the contemplative stance form a part of spirituality?