it may be that a clarification on the essay is in order. Essay I is the one, and only one, I wanted you to hand in. The reason for this is that this essay is centered upon gaining familiarity with Ninian Smart’s seven elements of religion. Smart’s concept provides a fairly comprehensive analytical tool that can be applied to the understanding of any religious tradition and it would help you to be familiar with it. If that is problematic for anybody please send me an e-mail message and tell me what your concern is. Essay I must be at least 2,100 words, which means that you will disregard the word requirement noted in the instructions. Read the directions carefully. Basically, you need to retype all the words in red font into your essay in the order in which they occur in the instructions. Then, choosing from chapters 2, 3, and/or 4 (Indigenous Religions, Hinduism, and Buddhism) find examples for the element under consideration. So, for instance, retype into your essay the red-fonted words comprising Element One, and find examples in any of the above-noted chapters to illustrate that element in the following way:

Element One: Doctrinal and philosophical. (This is the belief structure and intellectual framework.) This means that every religion has beliefs that they have thought through and organized.

Page XXX (Name of the tribe or people, and where they live) The Maori of New Zealand believe that, etc.

Then move onto Element Two, repeating the process until you cover all seven elements. Note that Element Five and Element Six have two parts to them. The total number of headings will therefore be nine rather than seven. Finally, write a substantive conclusion. This conclusion should include (but is not limited to) whether Ninian Smart’s analytical tool works, whether it can be applied to any and all religious traditions, whether there are any shortcomings in his analytical tool and, if so, what they may be, and whether you found it a help in better understanding different religions from the one you are most familiar with. One last point is that this essay does not require an introductory paragraph. I hope the above information has clarified any questions about the essay.