Course Goal:

The goal of this course is to increase your competence as an academic writer.  As a University student exploring a wide variety of subjects in different disciplines, you will be expected to research topics, represent research results accurately, develop arguments, present reasons and evidence for your claims, acknowledge and respond to counter-arguments, and write clearly.  This course will give you tools which are essential to succeeding at these tasks.

Course Theme:

Why “Sex, Faith, and Rock ‘n Roll”?  First of all, it’s an abbreviation for three important, inter-related issues in the study of humanity: our sexuality, which is literally a matter of life and death; our hopes, ideas and commitments concerning ultimate, transcendent reality; and our pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty – as well as pleasure, understanding, and community -- through the production and consumption of all kinds of arts and entertainments.  Secondly, it’s a way to generate a broad range of topics, such that each of you will be able to write about things that interest you.  Lastly, it sets a standard for how to develop your topics: the middle term, “faith”, however you construe it, must be part of your analysis of your topic, whether that topic has to do with “sex” or “rock ‘n roll” -- or a combination of the two.