Professor Allen is very much aware that this is a 1000 level course that a lot of people use for a gen-ed (in fact he asks for a show of hands on the first day) and as such the workload is very reasonable. The lectures were pretty interesting, and attendance is mandatory but you will honestly want to go because most of the test information will come directly from lecture. The only things you really need to read are the primary sources, and you can 100% get away without reading the textbook with the exception of looking up a few terms/concepts for tests that he doesn't cover in lecture. Allen is not trying to trip you up in any capacity - when he says the study guide contains what is on the test, he 100% means it. Discussion helps dissect the primary source readings but can be boring at times. One thing to keep in mind is that an A is a 95 in this class, so for many people it is an "easy A-." Overall, I would recommend this class if you're at all interested in religion and/or are looking for a course with a lighter workload. On the flip side, if you are looking for a super deep-dive into a certain religion, I wouldn't recommend this course because he has to cover 4 religions in the span of about 15 weeks.

Professor Allen is super nice, and it is obvious that he really cares about his students. He is passionate about religion, however, this course is not really a deep dive into religion. He gives you study guides for each exam, and each exam is pretty straightforward. This is a good class to fill a gen ed requirement, and he teaches this class like a 1000 level course. There is weekly homework writing assignments, but they are short and only take about an hour for each. The textbook reading is not really important, but make sure you do the primary source reading because it will come up on the exams. The class is interesting for the most part even if lecture was sometimes dry. #tCFfall2021

The content is interesting, and imo not too difficult to memorize. As the other reviews say, there is a study guide for each of the three unit tests, and nothing on the test is not from its study guide, so I was able to score well by finishing and memorizing the study guide. There is not a separate study guide for the cumulative final, but the level of the information tested is the same, and all the questions were either taken verbatim from past study guides or asked information from the study guides. This is an easy A class if you put in sufficient effort.
#tCFspring2021

This class is amazing! Professor Allen is really passionate about this course and he explains things so well. The exams are a breeze because he gives you a study guide beforehand so there are literally no surprises. Everything in the study guide is on the exam.

Professor Allen is a gem of a professor. He's super knowledgeable and approachable if you have questions regarding content or class mechanics itself. I would say this class is more of an easy A- as an A is a 95%+. It is doable to get an A if you talk ever so often during discussions. Do the study guide in total before the exam and read it over multiple times! I got a low A- by just brushing up on it but on the following tests, I made sure to actually go through it a few times and get an A. For the final, I also went through the previous tests and study guides and did very well. Fantastic course, learned a lot, it can feel contrived at times but the payoff it well worth it. I would love to take another course with Professor Allen if presented with the opportunity! Highly recommend : )

Professor Allen is wonderful. This is great to take during the summer because it is not a lot of work and it is only four weeks long. Also, this class fulfills two requirements: non-western perspectives and humanities (if you are in the traditional curriculum). There is a recorded lecture every day (less than an hour), but sometimes there are two (1.5 hours total) and a short written assignment that you must complete every day (15 total, just like during the semester). The exams are very easy: Professor Allen gives you a study guide with all of the possible questions that he just chooses from. But there is a section that he pulls quotes from primary sources and asks you to contextualize it (the most challenging part of the tests). The grading for this class is 15% Participation/Attendance/Lecture Notes, 15% written assignment (each one is 1%, based on completion), 40% for three midterms averaged, and 30% final exam. The final exam simply draws questions from previous study guides. This is a great class for an easy A and is very very interesting. I'm not sure how the synchronous discussion sessions worked during normal times, but during virtual learning, we met as a class for 50 minutes five days per week (even though the full class period is 135 minutes). Taking it online was not stressful, as the required class time was significantly shortened. Overall, I would highly recommend taking this class with Professor Allen.

Professor Allen is wonderful! He demonstrates a genuine passion for teaching students about the subject. There are several readings each week. Plus, there is a weekly homework assignment based on a reading that is used to facilitate discussion in dicussion section. My TA (Elliott) was great and conducted discussion in a meaningful way. Professor Allen provides a study guide before each test that lists all potential test questions. As long as you learn the information on it, you'll get an A on the tests. There are three tests (40%) and a cumulative final exam (30%). It is not a hard class. I would highly recommend taking it.

This class was easy and fun. The material is new and interesting and Professor Allen is super nice. The tests are not super hard if you show up to class and go to your discussion section. I would recommend especially if you need a class to cover some gen-ed requirements.

Prof. Allen is great! He knows so much about the subject and obviously cares a lot, but he also recognizes that many students are there for the requirements the class fulfills. The class is not hard -- one or two supplementary readings a week plus some textbook reading. I focused more on the non-textbook sources as they were what we tended to focus on in section and were covered on the exam. As other reviews mention, the exam study guide provides all possible tests questions, so if you complete it and understand the content, you're guaranteed to do well. My TA (Miguel) was very thoughtful and did a good job with discussion, which often took the form of debates. If you're looking to fulfill some requirements and want an actually interesting professor/class to do so, this is a great option.

Professor Allen is extremely realistic and knowledgeable. He understands that the vast majority of students are in the lecture hall because of a gen-ed requirement (he asks for a show of hands on the first day) and doesn't pretend otherwise. As a result, the course content is simple (as simple as understanding religion can be) and pretty digestible. That said, you can tell he really cares about what he teaches and will throw in the occasional random fact he thinks is particularly interesting. There are weekly readings which on average take about half an hour and tend to be the primary source for what Prof Allen mentions in class. In addition to writing a 1-2 paragraph response, the readings are then the central focus of discussion which went relatively well for me (Zarif is a solid TA). The three exams and final all have a comprehensive study guide that includes all potential questions that may show up. So, if you do it, you'll know exactly what to expect. All in all, if you're looking for an A, take it and you'll also learn a bit about some Eastern traditions. If you're looking to learn about some Eastern traditions, take it and you'll get an A.