Comparing and Contrasting the Common Elements of Religions

Select one Eastern religion and one Western religion discussed so far in this course. Review the lessons in Unit 1 and Unit 2 as you consider how these religions are both similar and different.

Your short essay should include four parts:

• Briefly introduce the two religions you have selected to compare and contrast.
• Identify and explain at least two commonalities between these two religions, using specific examples from the lessons.
• Identify and explain at least two differences between these two religions, using specific examples from the lessons.
• Briefly summarize & conclude your short essay. In your conclusion, explain what we can learn about religions in general by noticing both their similarities and differences.

As you develop your response, you should compare or contrast at least one example from each of the following elements of religion:

• Historical & geographic origins
• Core beliefs & doctrines
• Core rituals & practices
• Important texts & narratives

You will use information from the Sophia tutorials to support your response. When citing material from a tutorial, please include the name of the tutorial and use the following format (using Sophia’s Primal Religions tutorial as an example):

• In-text citation: (Religion and Food, n.d.)

This is only an example; your own citations will be to the tutorials you use in answering the question. Please do not use any sources outside the class.