Instructions
After reading your classmates’ responses and considering your initial response in Part 1 of this assignment, read the article The Case for Contamination by Kwame Anthony Appiah again.  Write a well-structured essay that answers the questions: “What roles do religions play in Appiahs analysis? Do you agree or disagree with his approach to religion? How does it differ from your individual approach towards religion?
Guidelines

Format:

MLA format required
Double-spaced, 12 point size, Arial or Times New Roman font

Length: 1000 words (not including your Works Cited page)
Content: Field research and supplementary research    
Works Cited page required

College-level Writing
In every Gordon Rule course at FIU, students must demonstrate college-level writing skills. College-level writing must exhibit the following characteristics:     

It has a clear purpose and thesis or controlling ideas.    
The thesis is supported with adequate reasons and evidence.    
It shows sustained analysis and critical thought.    
It is organized clearly and logically.    
It shows knowledge of conventions of standard written English.    
It shows awareness of disciplinary conventions regarding content, style, form, and delivery methods.    
Moreover, sources must be cited as appropriate. 

Thesis Statement
The thesis is the central idea of your paper around which all your evidence and claims are organized. Every single paragraph should be dedicated in a clear way to proving your thesis. In your essay, the thesis should be stated as quickly and as clearly as possible. In fact, many teachers will expect your thesis statement to appear in the last sentence of your essay’s first paragraph. A vivid thesis statement will announce the steps of its argument, not just provide a flat statement of the essay’s ultimate goal. Think of the thesis as a road map that gives directions to your reader rather than as a picture of your final destination. 
A good thesis should not state something obviously true. When your thesis is too easy to prove, your essay can become repetitive and you may feel that you do not have enough to write about. A complex thesis, on the other hand, requires you to convince your reader that your argument is logical and will reveal ideas that cannot be easily anticipated. A worthwhile thesis will always outline an argument with which a reader can readily disagree.
These are two links to guide you to write a good thesis statement:

“How to Write a Thesis Statement” by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University Bloomington (Links to an external site.)
“Thesis Statements” by The Writing Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Links to an external site.)

Grading Elements
When reading your essays, I will be looking at three different elements: Content, Style, and Research. You will receive a grade in each of these areas, and these grades will then be averaged together for your final essay grade. 
Content

refers to the information in your paper. Is it correct? Is it detailed? Do you demonstrate basic knowledge of the religious tradition? Is this knowledge evident in your description of the service?

Style

refers to how that information is presented. This includes the way the information is organized and language skills such as spelling, grammar, and proper sentence structure.

Research

refers to the quality and quantity of your research.