Spiritual Autobiographies

Remember, you have a choice between a research paper, using 2 class texts and at least 3 of the provided scholarly sources, OR writing your own spiritual autobiography (with a 1-2 page explanatory paper at the end). I will accept a few extensions. Descriptions of the project are under the final link under "resources." Remember that there are rubrics on the last page of the assignment. I would love to be able to share examples of your work with future students (I will only do this with your permission, but I would like to have your permission). Please follow this link and fill out this form letting me know which ways of sharing your work you would permi General Description: The final project is designed to use and developed some of the elements practiced in the small assignments. Reflect on a part of your spiritual experience, especially in terms of key identity shaping events. Analyze spiritual experience, especially by engaging comparison between spiritual autobiographies (such as by addressing the topics used to prepare small groups for discussion, such as psychological, sociological, theological, historical, and rhetorical contexts) Explore and develop a central theological idea (at least as broadly construed as the quest for meaning). Construct your own teaching about a spiritual/theological aspect of life (addressing the idea of God, the human person and the human community, sin, salvation/rescue, conversion) Specific Requirements: Complete Final Project A or B. Project is worth 25% of your grade. A: Research Paper: Compare, using research, a theological idea present in two theological anthropologies we studied. One of your texts must be Augustine’s Confessions or The Autobiography of Malcolm X (because scholarly articles are plentiful on these topics). For example, compare “sin” or “conversion” in The Confessions by St. Augustine and sin in Malcolm X. (-8 pages long, working with at least 3-5 scholarly sources (peer-reviewed articles), from the ATLA databases (I’ve provided many on Moodle), including references. OR B: Spiritual Autobiography: Part 1: Write a polished section of your own spiritual autobiography, (5-6 pages long), polishing one of the small assignments you submitted earlier in the course, meeting the requirements described in the rubic. Part : Write a 2-page (double-spaced) discussion of your essay, analyzing it through comparison with another class text (addressing at least 3 of the topics we used to prepare small groups for discussion (showcase your understanding of a class text and of your own writing). So, you might explain your idea of God (or meaning) in your paper, or your writing decisions, or your sense of the context of the story, or what you want your story to teach to your readers, etc. You should write your final project imagining future students like you as your final audience. For this reason, I recommend leaving your name off of your paper (Moodle will store your paper safely under your name). I will send you a link to specific what kind of future uses you would permit for your paper (you will have the opportunity to agree or decline in writing whether or not I can share your paper). Up to 2 Bonus Points will be given if you meet with me before the announced date to discuss your new draft (no points if the draft is minimally changed from an earlier submission, though I will still gladly meet with you and help you). Rubrics Research Paper 1. Thesis, specific and arguable, addressing 1-2 of our class texts in a way that will address theological ideas. Thesis must be in the introduction, developed in body of paper, addressed in conclusion. /10 2. Richness of reflection on class themes. We have read many different spiritual journeys and have addressed theological topics (God, the human person, creation, the good, sin/evil, meaning) in light of the particular ways humans encounter them (growing up, belonging or not belonging to groups, seeking love, seeking truth, facing suffering or death, etc.), we have showcased change (in the faith lives of individuals, and even in whole communities of faith). Your paper should showcase that you have developed as a more sensitive and experienced thinker about a few of these key issues. /10 3. Use of Class Texts: 1-2 Class texts are used well, focusing on a specific theme or section of each text. Evidence from the text (direct quotes or paraphrases with page numbers) are used to build up the argument, well explained by you, the author /10 4. Use of Research: At least 3-5 Scholarly sources from ATLA are used as sources of evidence to build the argument (these are posted for you on Moodle). Proper research format (MLA or Chicago style, every paraphrase or direct quote is properly referenced, including the page number), the first time a source is used it is introduced. /10 5. Well-written: Author stays in command of the paper (not a mishmash of quotes), topics are organized by paragraphs; sentences are clear and varied; transitions between paragraphs; basically free of spelling and grammar errors. /10 Spiritual Autobiography Essay (5-6 pages): 1. Well-focused on a well-chosen experience within your spiritual journey. Your focus should be your experience and your reflection on it (it should not seem like you needed to fill space so you “threw in” another incident). /10 2. Thoughtful and reflective: Your reflection should demonstrate your openness to listen to and learn from your experience—and should showcase how your attention to class themes has deepened your reflective ability. Experiences that challenged, changed or deepened your thinking tend to show this better than incidents that just confirmed something you already thought. I’d be more impressed to see you struggle to discuss a challenging experience than easily describe an easy one. /10 3. Meaningful: Claim your own voice and your own experience: As you tell your story, make sure your reader gains a sense feel for who you are, how you think and what you care about, help draw the reader to listen to you as you. Remember, you are writing for an audience out of the belief that your story could help someone else, that it has meaning beyond your own life. How “meaningful” is your story, as you’ve written it? (Staying specific here is more powerful that general platitudes – your story should “show” this to me, you do not need to state the meaning in the autobiography itself. /10 4. Well-written: The author has polished the writing to communicate the author’s experience to the reader. Excellent writing uses some writing strategies, both “show” and “tell,” such as using specific/concrete details, or sensory details, key units of dialogue, comparisons, a sense of setting, thoughtful word choice, avoids boring formulations (“There was,” “This is,” “It was..” “I felt…”), crafted beginning and ending (such as using “framing”—not an academic introduction), correct grammar and spelling. /10 Explanatory Essay (1-2 pages): Clearly explain what you intended to communicate or teach through your spiritual autobiography essay. This explanatory piece should showcase richness of your reflection on class themes and class texts, and your ability to analyze spiritual autobiographies, by offering specific comparisons between your autobiography and a key one we studied. We have read many different spiritual journeys and have addressed theological topics (God, the human person, creation, the good, sin/evil, transcendence) in light of the particular ways humans encounter them (growing up, belonging or not belonging to groups, seeking love, seeking truth, facing suffering or death, etc.) Your discussion of your own spiritual autobiography should showcase that you are a knowledgeable, sensitive, and experienced thinker.