In a reflective essay of 3-5 pages, drawing from the course readings to date (American Grace and Lesson 1), please answer the following questions (the last two in depth, please):
* Please introduce yourself—your name [Hamed], major [Chemical Engineering], hometown [Saudi Arabia], interests, your goal in this course, and anything else you think I should know about you to help you succeed in this class.
* What are some of the common theoretical approaches used in the scientific study of religion, as in Lesson 1 (see pages 11-13)? What are your thoughts about the significance of religion in America?
* How would you define the sociology of religion, and how should we approach religious belief as religious studies/sociology scholars? How do the authors of American Grace exemplify that?
