The Course: This course is an introduction to the humanities through the study of spirituality and mysticism. You will be encouraged to think openly, beyond the boundaries of the field of literature, and to explore materials in other fields, such as philosophy, theology, art, and music; this has been traditionally termed "history of ideas." "Spirituality" is a hot issue at the present time; we will discuss why. Most of the semester will be spent addressing issues related to Christian spirituality, but we will occasionally stray to other religious traditions (such as Judaism, Native American, and Eastern). We will do a good deal of reading, look at some film, some art, and listen to some music. Since the chief purpose of a college education is to acquire the ability to analyze, we will spend a good deal of time reading texts, some more difficult than others, and then explore issues raised in discussion in the written essay. Because learning is about processing information and turning it into knowledge, the best way to display that new-found knowledge is through writing; objective examinations only test information, not knowledge.

Attendance: Students are expected to attend class regularly. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting. If you miss more than six class meetings, you will fail the course. Lateness will have a similar effect. If you are sick or have an emergency which forces you to miss more than two consecutive classes, call the Office of Student Affairs and let them know. This way, they will contact all of your instructors, and you might not be held accountable for those absences. Don't disappear for two weeks and then reappear, expecting everything to be all right.

Academic Honesty: Plagiarism is the theft of someone else's ideas and work. Whether a student copies verbatim or simply rephrases the ideas of another without properly acknowledging the source, the theft is the same. In the preparation of work submitted to meet course requirements, whether a draft or a final version of a paper, project, or computer program, students must take great care to distinguish their own ideas and language from information derived from sources. Sources include published primary and secondary materials, the Internet, and information and opinions gained directly from other people. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from a student's reading and research, the sources must be properly cited. The instructor will use the University subscription to turnitin.com when necessary.

It is the student's responsibility to learn the proper forms of citation according to standards delineated by Black Hills State University. Students who have questions about the standards of scholarly writing should speak with their instructors before beginning research on assigned papers and projects. Violations include, at the discretion of the instructor, failure for the individual paper to failure for the course; such violations may be entered in the student’s permanent academic record, and upon multiple offenses the Dean may recommend expulsion from the University.