Introduction

This page was created for students in Sociology 257 to assist them in becoming acquainted with the contents of The Religious Movements Homepage. It is a large site, and while the navigation structure has received high marks for many visitors, it can take a little time to become acquainted with the breadth and scope of the site. This page is a set of links designed to walk students through the majors segments of the page so that they can more quickly utilized the site effectively and efficiently.

The Three Major Components

The Religious Movements is divided into three major components: (1) Religious Movements, (2) Religious Freedom and (3) Religious Broadcasting. As a student of religious movements, you'll be dealing primarily with the Religious Movements pages, but the three are interconnected and it will be helpful for you to understand how and why from the onset. By becoming familiar with the broad scope of the site, you should be more efficient in locating materials for your own study and term project. Secondly, in exploring the two other major components, you may a topic related to the New Religious Movements course that you would like to explore. It is possible to make provisions for students to do this -- as their project for Soc 257, another sociology of religion course, or as an independent studies project.

If you have your own computer, I recommend that you created a bookmake folder for the major segments of the site. Here are the three components:

Religious Movements Homepage
The Religious Freedom Page
Religious Broadcasting

Take some time and explore the content of each of these pages and become familiar with what you can access. Note also how the three pages are interconnected. The primary and secondary pages of all three segments provide a link for you to jump to the other major components of the site.

Let me call your attention to the fact that each component has its own domain address. They are easy to remember and can help you access the pages quickly if you don't work on the same computer most of the time where you have bookmarks.

The domain name for the Religious Movements Homepage is http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu

The domain name for The Religious Freedom Page is http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu; and

The domain name for Religious Broadcasting is religiousbroadcasting.lib.virginia.edu

Religious Movments Resources

As a student of New Religious Movements (Soc 257), Sociology of Religion (Soc 203) or Sociology of Religious Behavior (Soc 452) you'll mostly be working with the syllabus for your couse and the materials in the Religious Movements component of the web site. This tour is designed for the Soc 257 course, but you can easily use to explore the major feature of the site if you are in another course. First, explore your own syllabus and then follow the links that follow below.

Soc 257: Course Syllabus

The course syllabus serves as an index to guide you to many of the resources that you will need during the term. The syllabus is also effectively a contract. It tell you what you need to do, when and provides resources to help you accomplish this. You need to be familiar with all of the resources that are relevant to your fullfilling your obligations as a student of this course. Here are links to some of the major sections:

Course requirements

This is the course contract. Make sure you are familiar with what is here because this is effectly a contract. Among other things, note especially the segment about the Virginia Honor Code and pledging your work.

Lecture and class discussion topics

This is the syllabus. It is recommended that your keep up with the readings and that you at least skim the lecture notes before class. Many students copy the notes ahead of class and then make additional marginal notations on the printout. Note you can access the readings by clicking ont he topic. If there is no link, that means the lecture notes are not yet available.

Course readings

You need the password to access these readings. You are bound by the Honor Code not to share this password with other or pass along URLs to other students here are UVa or off grounds. If you forget the password, ask in class. I don't send this information out by e-mail.

Course lectures

We don't have course lectures on every topic, but I'm added new materials each term. And, if you look at the lectures that are scheduled for early in the term and compare them with those that are scheduled for later, you'll see that I am also working toward a standardized presentational content.

Resources for web page development

You'll find lots of different resources here. You won't need to go out and buy a copy of Web Page Development for Dummies. You'll find everything your need here to develop your own page. Some are the memos were written early in the development of the Religious Movements Homepage project and are somewhat dated. I'll be trying to update all these materials this term before you need them. If I don't get them all done, I'll offer explicit guidelines as to what it most critical and helpful for the development of your own page.

Term Project and benchmark due dates

It is critical that you keep up with the development of your page. Following the guidelines outlined here is critically important to the success of your project.

Profiles index

To date we have over two hundred web pages that have been developed by students of this course. Take a look and become familiar with the general structure of the pages. Pick out a few good pages to use as your model of excellence. If you see some technical aspect of a page that you would like to use in your own Profile, use the "View Source" on your browser to locate the codes. Then, just copy and paste into your own page.

Searching this site

The University of Virginia no longer supports this search engine with the result that we have had some problems with keeping it current. It can be right on target, but sometimes gives erroneous results. If you know something is one this site, but don't know where, give it a try. There is not likely to be a quick fix, but we're working on a long term solution.

Searching the Internet

There are many search engines; some are obviously better for some purposes that others. Alta Vista is a pretty good search engine for resources relevant to this course, but Google is a new search engine that seems to be a real cut above most of the familiar search engines. Give it a try. For best results in developing your Profile Page you should use multiple search engines.

Dictionary

The study of religion can introduce you to lots of terms and concepts that may not be familiar to you. Give Irving Hexham's Dictory of Religion a try.

Cult Group Controversies

The site has a growing about of information about "cult" controversies. A lot of this material is directly relevant to lecture and reading topics for the course. Take a look around.

History of the Religious Movement Homepage

This essay is a first persons account of how this web site developed as a class project.

Brief bio of your instructor

Educations, where I came from, how I got interested in religion and that kind of stuff.