Fall 2012
Freshman Seminar: Magicians and Witches in Greco-Roman Literature
L23 116 Re St
This course examines the representation of "magicians" and "witches" in ancient Greek and Roman literature. Our starting point will be Apuleius' METAMORPHOSES (or THE GOLDEN ASS as St. Augustine dubbed it), written in the 2nd century C.E. This work of narrative prose collects several tales of witches, magical transformations, and religious revelation. From there, we will examine other tales of magicians and witches, paying particular attention to the role of gender in these representations and the conflict between magic and religion. Our goal will be to understand how these representations function within their particular society, what anxieties they reveal, and how they relate to the archaeological evidence we have for these practices. 3 units. Same as home course L08 Classics 116.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
SB:> HUM
FA:> Lit
SA:> Lit
01 MW 2:30p-4:00p XIV
Abraham
Freshman Seminar in Religious Studies: Miracles
L23 180 Re St
Miracles - those concrete manifestations of divine power at work in the world - have been a central feature of Christianity since its inception. This course uses the history of miracles to explore shifting notions of nature and the supernatural, power and grace, healing and holiness, community among the living and with the dead, and the functioning of the spiritual economy. 3 units. Same as L22 History 180.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
SB:> ETH
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 TuTh 10:00a-11:30a XX
Bornstein
Thinking About Religion
L23 204 Re St
Everyone agrees that religion is vitally important, but people rarely agree about what religion is. This course will introduce students to the questions posed about religion, and the methods by which they are answered. Beginning with the central question, What is religion? we will ask: How has religion served political power? How does the experience of religion create or change perceptions of reality? How does religious practice maintain or subvert gender roles? How does commemoration of the past shape communities in the present? How are religious identities formed, and how do they change? What is religious art? How does something become sacred? We will explore these and other questions using case studies drawn from a range of sources that represent different regions, traditions, and scholarly approaches. 3 units.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
SB:> ETH
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 MW 11:00a-12:00p XVII
Abraham
Discussion sections:
A F 11:00a-12:00p
B F 11:00a-12:00p
C F 11:00a-12:00p
Intro to Islamic Civilization
L23 210C Re St
Historical survey of Islamic civilization in global perspective. Chronological coverage of social, political, economic and cultural history will be balanced with focused attention to special topics, which will include: aspects of Islam as religion; science, medicine and technology in Islamic societies; art and architecture; philosophy and theology; interaction between Islamdom and Christendom; Islamic history in the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia as well as Africa; European colonialism; globalization of Islam and contemporary Islam. 3 units. Same as home course L75 JINE 210C.
AS:> TH, CD
A&S IQ:> HUM, LCD
EA:> H
SB:> ETH, IS
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 MW 12:00p-1:00p XXXII
Yucesoy
Discussion sections:
A F 11:00a-12:00p
B F 12:00p-1:00p
C F 12:00p-1:00p
D F 1:00p-2:00p
Biblical Law and the Origins of Western Justice
L23 3012 Re St
This course explores how law developed from the earliest periods of human history and how religious ideas and social institutions shaped law. The course will also illuminate how biblical law was influenced by earlier cultures and how the ancient Israelites reshaped the law they inherited. The course will further analyze the impact of biblical law on Western culture and will investigate how the law dealt with those of different social classes and ethnic groups, and we will probe how women were treated by the law. 3 units. Same as home course L75 JINE 3012.
AS:> TH, CD, SD
A&S IQ:> HUM, LCD
EA:> H
SB:> BA
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 MW 11:30a-1:00p XXXI
Barmash
The Taoist Tradition
L23 303 Re St
This course offers an introduction to the ethical aspects of the Taoist tradition through the study of a select number of literary and philosophical texts ranging from ca. 300 BCE through the present day. We will explore questions regarding the relationship between nature and culture, conceptions of the self, and ideas about the good life. 3 units. Same as L04 Chinese 303, L03 East Asia 303, L97 IAS 3030.
AS:> TH, CD
A&S IQ:> HUM, LCD
EA:> H
SB:> ETH
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 MW 10:00a-11:30a XII
Lee
Islam, Culture and Society in West Africa
L23 3062 Re St
This course will explore the introduction of Islam into West Africa beginning in the 10th Century and explore its expansion and development in the region, placing emphasis on the 19th century to present day. It will focus on the development of West African Muslim cultural, social, religious, and political life, to understand not only how the religion affected societies, but also how West African local societies shaped Islam. The course also aims to introduce students to a critical understanding of Islamic writing in West Africa. It will also examine the organization of Muslim Sufi orders in West Africa through time and space. The course is organized around a series of lectures, readings, as well as print and visual media. 3 units. Same as home course L90 AFAS 3062.
AS:> SS, CD
A&S IQ:> SSC, LCD
EA:> S
SB:> ETH
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 W 4:00p-6:30p XXXI
DIALLO
From the Temple to the Talmud: The Emergence of Rabbinic Judaism
L23 3082 Re St
This course offers a survey of the historical, literary, social, and conceptual development of Rabbinic Judaism from its emergence in late antiquity to the early Middle Ages. The goal of the course is to study Rabbinic Judaism as a dynamic phenomenon - as a constantly developing religious system. Among the topics to be explored are: How did Judaism evolve from a sacrificial cult to a text-based religion? How did the "Rabbis" emerge as a movement after the destruction of the Second Temple and how could they replace the old priestly elite? How did Rabbinic Judaism develop in its two centers of origin, Palestine (the Land of Israel) and Babylonia (Iraq), to become the dominant form of Judaism under the rule of Islam? How did Jewish ritual and liturgy develop under Rabbinic influence? How where the Rabbis organized and was there diversity within the group? What was the Rabbis' view of women, how did they perceive non-Rabbinic Jews and non-Jews? As Rabbinic Literature will be used as the main source to answer these questions, the course will provide an introduction to the Mishnah, the Palestinian and Babylonian Talmuds, and the Midrash-collections - a literature that defines the character of Judaism down to our own times. All texts will be read in translation. 3 units. Same as L35 BHBR 3082, L75 JINE 3082, L75 JINE 5082.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
SB:> HUM
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 TuTh 1:00p-2:30p XVIII
Jacobs
American Holidays, Rituals, and Celebrations
L23 3105 Re St
This seminar examines a variety of holidays, festivals, and rituals in American history and culture. Topics include: conflicts over Christmas, the sentiments of greeting cards, African-American emancipation celebrations, Roman Catholic festivals dedicated to the Virgin Mary, modern renderings of Jewish ritual (including Hanukkah), the masculinity embodied in fraternal lodge ceremonies, Neopagan festivals, and Halloween Hell Houses. Various interpretive approaches are explored, and the intent is to broach a wide range of questions about history and tradition, gender and race, public memory and civic ceremony, moral order and carnival, through this topical focus on ritual and performance. A major emphasis will also be placed on original research and writing, evident in the weight given the concluding seminar report and the final paper. 3 units. Same as home course L98 AMCS 3105.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
SB:> BA
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 W 2:30p-5:00p XXXI
Schmidt
Islam, Music, Muslim Media
L23 3585 Re St
How do Muslim individuals and communities understand and negotiate the relationship between sound and spirituality? How does Islamic philosophy challenge Western definitions of music? How do music and cultural practices reflect and shape diverse Muslim identities and political struggles? To what extent can we speak of an "Islamic world," musical or otherwise? In this course, we investigate Islamic musics and musical practices in the lives and experiences of Muslims throughout the world. We approach our study of Muslim musical practices with the understanding that the social, cultural, and political contexts where music is created, disseminated, and consumed inform the sounds of the music and its various--and often conflicting--interpretations and meanings. We will engage with a variety of academic, musical, and media texts to develop interdisciplinary analyses about Islam, music, sound experience, and Muslim subjectivities. Issues of nationalism and transnationalism, class, race and ethnicity, gender and sexualities, colonialism and postcolonialism, history and memory will remain central to our exploration of spirituality and religion in Muslim musical and cultural practices. 3 units. Same as home course L27 Music 3585.
AS:> TH
01 MW 1:00p-2:30p XXIII
Gill-Gurtan
Gurus, Saints, and Scientists: Religion in Modern South Asia
L23 3670 Re St
Many long-standing South Asian traditions have been subject to radical reinterpretation, and many new religious movements have arisen, as South Asians have grappled with how to accommodate their traditions of learning and practice to what they have perceived to be the conditions of modern life. In this course we will consider some of the factors that have contributed to religious change in South Asia, including British colonialism, sedentarization and globalization, and new discourses of democracy and equality. We will consider how new religious organizations were part and parcel with movements for social equality and political recognition; examine the intellectual contributions of major thinkers like Swami Vivekananda, Sayyid Ahmad Khan, and Mohandas Gandhi; and explore how Hindu, Islamic, and other South Asian traditions were recast in the molds of natural science, social science, and world religion. 3 units. Same as L22 History 3673, L97 IAS 3670, L75 JINE 3670.
AS:> TH, CD
A&S IQ:> HUM, LCD
EA:> H
SB:> ETH
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 MW 1:00p-2:30p XXXII
Adcock
Religion and Politics in South Asia: Writing-Intensive Seminar
L23 38C8 Re St
The relationship between religion, community, and nation is a topic of central concern and contestation in the study of South Asian history. This course will explore alternative positions and debates on such topics as: changing religious identities; understandings of the proper relationship between religion, community, and nation in India and Pakistan; and the violence of Partition (the division of India and Pakistan in 1947). The course will treat India, Pakistan, and other South Asian regions in the colonial and post-colonial periods. Modern, South Asia. PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 3 units. Same as home course L22 History 38C8.
AS:> TH, CD, WI
A&S IQ:> HUM, LCD
EA:> H
SB:> IS
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 TuTh 2:30p-4:00p XXXI
Adcock
Lyrics of Mystical Love, East and West
23 390 Re St
This course has been canceled.
Religion and American Society, 1890 to the Present
L23 3962 Re St
This course explores religious life in the United States. We will focus our study on groups and movements that highlight distinctive ways of being both "religious" and "American," including the Americanization of global religions in the US context. Major themes will include religious encounter and conflict; secularization, resurgent traditionalism, and new religious establishments; experimentalism, eclecticism, and so-called "spiritual" countercultures; the relationship between religious change and broader social and political currents (including clashes over race, class, gender, and sexuality); and the challenges of religious multiplicity in the US. You will: 1) acquire knowledge of the disparate religions practiced in North America during the twentieth century and beyond; 2) examine some of the chief conflicts as well as alliances between religion and the American social order in a global context; and 3) develop interpretive tools for understanding religion's present and enduring role in the US and the world. 3 units. Same as L98 AMCS 3962, L22 History 3962.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
SB:> ETH
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 TuTh 10:00a-11:30a XX
Griffith
Topics in East Asian Religion and Thought: Virtue in Early Chinese Thought
L23 403 Re St
This course offers an in-depth study of four classics of early Chinese thought: The Analects, the Mengzi, the Zhuangzi, and the Xunzi. The course assumes familiarity with the primary texts and we will engage in philosophical, comparative, and to some extent, historical studies. We will ask questions about the authenticity of the texts, place the works within their intellectual historical context, and examine philosophical questions regarding human nature, ethics, politics, ritual, and metaphysics. Preqrequisite: Intro to Chinese Thought or permission from instructor. The course is responsive to student interests and the syllabus will be adapted accordingly through the semester. 3 units. Same as L04 Chinese 403, L03 East Asia 4030, L22 History 4030, L97 IAS 4033.
AS:> TH, CD
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 MW 1:00p-2:30p XXXII
Lee
Islam and Politics
L23 4041 Re St
Blending history and ethnography, this course covers politics in the Islamic world in historical and contemporary times. Topics include history of Islam, uniformity and diversity in belief and practice (global patterns, local realities), revolution and social change, women and veiling, and the international dimensions of resurgent Islam. Geographical focus extends from Morocco to Indonesia; discussion of other Muslim communities is included (Bosnia, Chechnya, sub-Saharan Africa, U.S.) 3 units. Same as home course L48 Anthro 4041.
AS:> SS, CD
A&S IQ:> SSC, LCD
EA:> S
SB:> IS
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 Tu 12:00p-2:30p XXXI
Beck
Topics in Political Thought: Politics of Religious and Cultural Pluralism
L23 4050 Re St
How does religious and cultural pluralism impact our reasoning about the legitimate use of political power? Does pluralism strengthen the case for political institutions that defend the liberty and promote the autonomy of individual citizens? How can liberal states and their citizens justify using coercive power against a background of pluralism and in ways that systematically disadvantage certain religious and cultural groups in society? Should special rights, exemptions from generally applicable laws, or other accommodations be granted to the members of particular religious or cultural groups? Readings are taken from contemporary political philosophy. Prereq: at least two courses in political theory/philosophy, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor. 3 units. Same as home course L32 Pol Sci 405.
AS:> SS
A&S IQ:> SSC
EA:> S
SB:> ETH
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 Tu 2:30p-5:00p XXXI
MacMullen
Convivencia or Reconquista? Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Medieval Iberia
L23 4060 Re St
Senior Seminar. This seminar will provide an opportunity to explore in some depth various facets of the convivencia ("dwelling together"; coexistence) of Muslims, Jews, and Christians in medieval Iberia. While we will pick up the timeline with the emergence of an Ibero-Islamic society in the 8th century CE, the seminar's historical horizon stretches up to the turn of the 16th century, when Spanish Jews and Muslims were equally faced with the choice between exile and conversion to Christianity. Until about the mid-11th centuries Muslims dominated most of the Iberian Peninsula. From roughly the mid-11th through 15th centuries, Christians ruled much and eventually all of Spain and Portugal. Through a process termed, from a Christian perspective, as reconquista ("reconquest"), Catholic kingdoms acquired large Muslim enclaves. As borders moved, Jewish communities found themselves under varying Muslim or Christian dominion, or migrated from one realm to the other. Interactions between the three ethno-religious communities occurred throughout, some characterized by mutual respect and shared creativity and others by rivalry and strife. The course focuses on these religious and cultural contacts, placing them in various historical and geographic contexts. It will raise questions concerning the ambiguities of religious change and concerning the interplay of persecution and toleration. Methodologically, the seminar emphasizes the study of primary sources, including documentary, historiographical, literary and poetical texts. In the course of their study, attention will be paid to peculiarities of genre, and difficulties involved in formulating historical assessments. At the same time, we will aim at developing critical reading skills in relation to secondary literature. Seniors in Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern Studies, Arabic, and Hebrew will be given preference in admission. Advanced students in other fields are asked to contact the instructor prior to enrollment. 3 units. Same as home course L75 JINE 4060.
AS:> TH, CD
A&S IQ:> HUM, LCD
EA:> H
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 W 2:30p-5:30p XXXII
Jacobs
American Religion, Politics, and Culture: Historical Foundations
L23 4121 Re St
This research-oriented seminar involves in-depth historiographical investigation of leading scholarship at the busy intersections of American religion, politics, and culture. Some sessions will include a visiting scholar engaged in cutting-edge research--a feature that will allow seminar members to work with important scholars from beyond the university. Research projects may originate from seminar participants or from other scholars within the university. Possible topics include: church-state relations, religion and foreign policy, religion and civil rights, religion and the science wars, the rise of the Religious Right, and the role of religion in national elections. The seminar is taught under the auspices of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics and is a two part seminar. It's ambition is to build up a community of inquirers engaged in the core questions that animate the Danforth Center. PREREQ: Advanced undergraduate or graduate standing in AMCS, History, or Religious Studies or permission of instructor. 3 units. Same as L98 AMCS 4121, L22 History 4121.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 Th 2:30p-5:30p XXXI
Schmidt
Gender, Religion, Medicine and Science
L23 4141 Re St
Until recently the histories of science, medicine and religion were written by men and for men. These fields did not critically analyze gender or sexuality. Neither masculinity nor femininity were topics of interest in the studies of great scientists or famous theologians. Sexuality in scientific writing and religious thought barely received more than a sentence or two in the writings of historians. What changed? Feminist/Queer theory made us rethink the way we learn about the history of medicine, science and religion. Despite these great strides, we are only beginning to explore the interplay between these fields from a feminist/queer perspective. In other words, while feminist/queer scholars have deepened our understandings of both science and religion, they have only recently begun to examine the relationship between these two fields. This course will explore how feminist research has broadened our understanding of the interplay between the authority of religion, science and medicine in historical and contemporary studies. Some of the topics we will explore include: conception and gestation, birth control, birthing, sexuality and aging. Prereqs: Intro to Women and Gender Studies or Intro to Sexuality Studies and at least one 300-level WGSS course. 3 units. Same as home course L77 WGSS 414.
AS:> TH, SD
A&S IQ:> HUM, SD
EA:> H
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 MW 1:00p-2:30p XXII
Cislo
Zen Buddhism
L23 425 Re St
This course is designed as an exploration of the history, teachings, practices and literature of Zen Buddhism in China (Chan), Korea (Sôn), Japan (Zen), and the United States. We will discuss how Zen´s conception of its history is related to its identity as a special tradition within Mahayana Buddhism, as well as its basic teachings on the primacy of enlightenment, the role of practice, the nature of the mind, and the limitations of language. We will also look at Zen Buddhism and its relation to the arts, including poetry and painting, especially in East Asia. Finally, we will briefly explore the response of Zen teachers and practitioners to questions of war, the environment and other contemporary issues. Open to seniors and graduate students. Prereqs: L23 Re St 311 Buddhist Traditions or instructor's permission. 3 units. Same as L03 East Asia 425, L97 IAS 4250.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 Th 3:00p-5:30p XXXII
Grant
The Mystical Tradition in Judaism: Magic and Mysticism in the 15th to 19th century
L23 444 Re St
The course will deal with the place of magic and mysticism in the Jewish society from the late 15th to the 19th century. In our discussion we will explore different questions, such as: What is Kabbalah and what were its influences on Jewish culture in the period? What was the nature of mystical experience? Which abilities were attributed to the Jewish magicians? How did they allegedly gain their magical powers? And what was the role of magic in the daily life of the Jewish population? The course will also address some of the most intriguing phenomena in the Jewish culture, such as the Dybbuk and the traditions regarding the creation of an artificial man (the Golem). It will also examine the character of the important mystical movements in Jewish world, such as the messianic movement surrounding Sabbatai Zevi and Hassidism. During the semester we will also investigate the attitude of Jewish law (Halakhah) towards magic and mysticism, and examine the dialectical relationship between magic, mysticism, Enlightenment and modernism. Prereqs: A course in Jewish Studies or Religious Studies or permission of the instructor. 3 units. Same as L35 BHBR 444, L22 History 4444, L75 JINE 444.
AS:> TH, CD
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
SB:> ETH, IS
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 TuTh 4:00p-5:30p XXXII
Zinger
Topics in Islamic Thought: Islamic Law and Legal Theories
L23 490 Re St
This course has been canceled.
Independent Work for Senior Honors I
L23 498 Re St
Investigation of a topic, chosen in conjunction with a faculty advisor, on which the student prepares a paper and is examines. Students will take L23 498 in the fall semester and L23 499 in the spring semester. Prereq: Admission to the Honor's program, and permission of the program director and the major advisor. 3 units.
** See start of this departmental entry or contact department directly for details on faculty/sections and enrollment.
01-10 XXX TBA
Advanced Seminar: Women and Religion in Medieval Europe
L23 4993 Re St
This course explores the religious experience of women in medieval Europe and attempts a gendered analysis of the Christian Middle Ages. In it, we will examine the religious experience of women in a variety of settings - from household to convent. In particular, we will try to understand how and why women came to assume public roles of unprecedented prominence in European religious culture between the twelfth century and the sixteenth, even though the institutional church barred them from the priesthood and religious precepts remained a principal source of the ideology of female inferiority. Pre-modern, Europe. PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 4 units. Same as home course L22 History 4993.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 TuTh 1:00p-2:30p XXXI
Bornstein
Independent Work
L23 500 Re St
PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE RELIGIOUS STUDIES PROGRAM. Credit variable, max 6 units.
** See start of this departmental entry or contact department directly for details on faculty/sections and enrollment.
01-10 XXX TBA
Fall 2012 University College Courses
Religion and American Society: 1890-Present
U66 3962 RelSt
This course explores religious life in the United States. We will focus our study on groups and movements that highlight distinctive ways of being both "religious" and "American," including the Americanization of global religions in the US context. Major themes will include religious encounter and conflict; secularization, resurgent traditionalism, and new religious establishments; experimentalism, eclecticism, and so-called "spiritual" countercultures; the relationship between religious change and broader social and political currents (including clashes over race, class, gender, and sexuality); and the challenges of religious multiplicity in the US. You will: 1) acquire knowledge of the disparate religions practiced in North America during the twentieth century and beyond; 2) examine some of the chief conflicts as well as alliances between religion and the American social order in a global context; and 3) develop interpretive tools for understanding religion's present and enduring role in the US and the world. 3 units. Tuition: $350.00. Same as home course L23 Re St 3962.
AS:> TH
A&S IQ:> HUM
EA:> H
SB:> ETH
FA:> SSP
SA:> SSP
01 TuTh 10:00a-11:30a XX
Griffith
Topics in Religious Studies: Utopias and Dystopias East and West: Theological Hopes and Philosophic
U66 470 RelSt
This seminar explores how the idea of Utopia has shaped both religious hope and philosophical reflection in the East and the West. Topics include: the relation between Utopia and religious eschatology and apocalypse; ideal cities and polities; utopia in art, architecture, music, and dance; utopian communities in time and space; and the critique of utopia. 3 units. Tuition: $1,815.00. Same as U43 IS 470.
01 W 6:00p-8:30p XXXII
Frank Flinn