Fall 2009

L23 202 Re St Intro to Religious Traditions I: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Judaism, Christianity and Islam are elaborate and dynamic systems of belief and practice. While each of them is a distinct religious tradition, all three share a common cultural background, harbor similar views of the individual, and assume a linear perspective of history. Moreover, the historical trajectories of these three Western monotheisms have been intricately intertwined: Christianity emerged out of Judaism, and Islam took shape largely in a Jewish and Christian context. This course will explore these monotheistic traditions in a comparative perspective with ample attention to questions of historical context and development. Our coverage will be explicitly topical and comparative, and the themes examined will include scripture and interpretive tradition, monotheism, authority, worship and ritual, ethics, material culture as well as religion and political order. Note: This class is open to all interested students. This course is required for all Religious Studies majors and minors and replaces L23 105 Intro to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 3 units. Same as L06 ANECC 202, L75 JNE 202.
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01 MWF 2:00p-3:00p XXXII Ahmed

L23 210C Re St Intro to Islamic Civilization
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 JNE 210C.
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01 MW 11:00a-12:00p XXXII Karamustafa
Discussion sections:
A F 11:00a-12:00p XXX [TBA]
B F 11:00a-12:00p XXX [TBA]
C F 12:00p-1:00p XXX [TBA]
D F 12:00p-1:00p XXX [TBA]

L23 3031 Re St Christianity in the Modern World
Survey of Christianity since the Reformation. Focus on the divisions in Christianity, its responses to modern science, the rise of capitalism, and European expansion into Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Attention to ecumenism and the contemporary status of Christianity in the world. Use of original documents. Requirements: Idea journal, midterm, final paper. 3 units. Same as L97 IAS 3034.
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01 TuTh 2:30p-4:00p XXXI Flinn

L23 309 Re St Chinese Thought
This course offers an introduction to Chinese thought through a study of thinkers from arguably one of the most vibrant periods of religious-philosophical discourse in China. We will examine early classical texts from the Daoist, Confucian, Mohist, and Legalist traditions, and follow arguments where the thinkers expand upon, dispute, and respond to each other in regard to questions that are still important to us today. We will explore issues such as notions of the self, conceptions of the greater cosmos, the role of rituals, ideas about human nature, and the subjects of freedom and duty. Motivating the course will be the underlying question, "What is the good life?" 3 units. Same as L06 ANECC 309, L03 East Asia 309, L97 IAS 3090.
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01 TuTh 10:00a-11:30a XXXII Lee

L23 3091 Re St Confucian Thought: The Sage and Society
This course offers an introduction to the ethical dimensions of Confucianism through a study of a select number of religio-philosophical texts ranging from ca. 500 BCE through the present day. We will begin with a study of Confucianism as a commentarial tradition on the classical text of the Analects. We will then turn to the theme of self cultivations and examine three contrasting ideas put forth on the subject: self cultivation through learning the classics, through mystical intuition, and through a study of history. in the third part, we will explore the role of Confucianism in adressing contemporary ethical issues such as ones regarding government, abortion, the environment, human rights, feminism, and intellectual property. 3 units. Same as L06 ANECC 3091, L03 East Asia 3091, L97 IAS 3095.
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01 TuTh 1:00p-2:30p XXXII Lee

L23 311 Re St Buddhist Traditions
This survey course introduces students to a complex variety of Buddhist traditions from several perspectives that include, but are not limited to, historical, philosophical, contemplative, and ethical dimensions of Buddhism. The course is divided into four parts. in the first part, we will focus on the figure of the Buddha and his basic teachings, development of the Buddhist community, and early forms of Buddhism. in the second part, we will examine the rise of Mahayana, Buddhist philosophical and contemplative systems, and different models of the Buddhist path and its stages. in the third part of the course, we will study about ritual, historical, and other aspects of several South and East Asian Buddhist traditions. in the final part, we will concentrate on contemporary issues in Buddhism, especially those related to ethics and bioethics, transformations of Buddhist practices in Europe and America, and contemporary Buddhist education in the West. Please note: This course replaces L23 245 Buddhist Traditions. Prereq: L23 106 or permission of the instructor. 3 units. Same as L06 ANECC 311, L03 East Asia 3112, L97 IAS 311.
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01 MWF 11:00a-12:00p XXXII Takahashi

L23 334C Re St History of the Jews in Christian Europe
This course will investigate some of the major themes in the history of the Jews in Europe, from the High Middle Ages to the eve of the French Revolution. Jews constituted a classic, nearly continuous minority in the premodern Christian world, and one of the purposes of the course is to examine the ways in which the Jewish community interacted with and experienced European societies, cultures, and politics. We will look at the dynamics of boundary formation and cultural distinctiveness; the limits of religious and social tolerance; the causes and contexts of conflict and anti-Jewish violence; and the prospects for Jewish integration in Europe after the Enlightenment. This course will also explore some of the major developments in Jewish culture and thought during this time. This course satisfies the pre-modern course requirement for the history major. PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 3 units. Same as home course L22 History 334C.
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01 MW 1:00p-2:30p XXIII Kieval

L23 336C Re St History of Jews in Islamic Lands
This course is a survey of Jewish communities in the Islamic world, their social, cultural, and intellectual life from the 7th to the 19th century C.E. Topics include: Muhammad and the Jews; the legal status of Jews under Islam; the spread of Rabbinic Judaism in the Islamic Empire; the development of new Jewish identities under Islam (Karaites); Jewish traders and scholars in Medieval Egypt; the flourishing of Jewish civilization in Muslim Spain; and Sephardi (Spanish) Jews in the Ottoman Empire. This course satisfies the pre-modern course requirement for history majors. PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 3 units. Same as home course L22 History 336C.
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01 TuTh 2:30p-4:00p XXIV Jacobs

L23 348 Re St Hindu Traditions
What exactly is Hinduism? Many have remarked on the overwhelming variety of Hindu traditions: the plethora of gods, the richness and range of mythological traditions, the great variety of festivals. in this course, we examine the diversity of Hindu traditions from a number of perspectives. We will reflect on what this diversity means - How can we define Hinduism? Who is a Hindu? What have people understood "Hinduism" to be? We will familiarize ourselves with key concepts, ceremonies and narratives (from the Vedas to the Ramayana, from sacrifice to marriage) through the eyes of men and women, upper- and lower-castes, on the Indian subcontinent and around the world. We will also learn how issues of social and gender equality have been debated in the language of Hindu traditions, thereby building a foundation for understanding the gender struggles, class conflict, and sectarian strife in modern India. 3 units. Same as L06 ANECC 348, L22 History 3480, L97 IAS 3480.
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01 TuTh 11:30a-1:00p XXXII Adcock

L23 390 Re St Lyrics of Mystical Love, East and West
How can mystical experience be put into words? How did the mystic poets, from various world traditions, attempt to express the inexpressible? How should we "read" and "interpret" these poetic images? This course deals with these and similar questions while examining key mystical/poetic concepts such as silence, union with the divine, or human versus mystical love. The lyrics of the world-renowned mystic Rumi will be used as the main text with frequent comparisons to the writings of other prominent figures such as St. John of the Cross, Yunus Emre, John Donne, Kabir, and Meister Eckhart. All poems will be read in English. 3 units. Same as home course L16 Comp Lit 390.
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01 TuTh 1:00p-2:30p XVIII Keshavarz

L23 39T8 Re St Sufism: Mystics in Islamic History: Writing Intensive Seminar
This course is designed as a social and intellectual history of Sufism in all its major aspects. The course begins with a survey of Sufism's formative period from the 9th to the 12th centuries CE, examining the emergence of key doctrines and practices as well as the formation of the first Sufi communities around accomplished masters. Then, the course traces the rise to social prominence of the Sufi mode of piety during and after the 12th century. The course will also consider the critique of Sufism by modernist Muslims and radical Islamists alike, as a mode of piety out of tune with "modern" science and rationality as well as Sufi responses to such critique. This course satisfies the pre-modern course requirement for the history major. PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 3 units. Same as home course L22 History 39T8.
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01 MW 1:00p-2:30p XXXI Karamustafa

L23 4041 Re St Islam and Politics
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.
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01 Tu 1:00p-3:30p XXXII Beck

L23 405 Re St Diaspora in Jewish and Islamic Experience
The polarities of diaspora and home - periphery and center, wandering and rest, exile and return - have played important roles in the historical experience and religious culture of both Jews and Muslims. For long stretches of time, Jewish culture has been marked by the historical condition of statelessness combined with a theology of redemptive return. Paradoxically, it was the significant political and military success of Islam in its first millennium that helped to create a far-flung diaspora well removed from its center in Arabia. The institution of pilgrimage to Mecca counterbalanced a sense of distance and remove. More recently, modern nationalisms, war, and post-colonial politics - including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - have done much to underscore the continuing dilemmas of diaspora and home in both Jewish and Islamic identity. The goal of the seminar is to offer a comparative, historical perspective on this theme and to encourage students to examine an aspect of the diaspora experience in depth. [Note: This course fulfills the capstone requirement for Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern Studies. It also qualifies as a History department advanced seminar.] 4 units. Same as home course L75 JNE 405.
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01 M 4:00p-7:00p X Kieval

L23 4050 Re St Topics in Political Thought: Politics of Religious and Cultural Pluralism
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.
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01 Tu 2:30p-5:00p XXXI MacMullen

L23 423 Re St Topics in American Literature: Religious Transformations in the Early Modern Americas
This course will not be offered in Fall 2009.

L23 432 Re St Early Christianity and Classical Culture
This course explores the tangled, sometimes conflictual, but always fascinating relations between early Christianity and the classical world through which it spread. Topics to be discussed include: the Pauline epistles in relation to Greco-Roman letter writing; the gospels and pagan biographical traditions; the apocryphal Acts of the Apostles and the ancient novel; and the relationship between miracle and magic in regards to Jesus and pagan holy men. Our aim is to understand the multicultural, cosmopolitan world that gave rise to Christianity and its earliest literature. 3 units.
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01 MW 1:00p-2:30p XXIII Abraham

L23 474 Re St Topics in Religious Studies: Monasticism: The Cloister and the World
This course will not be offered in Fall 2009.

L23 481 Re St Dante
A study of the Divina Commedia with emphasis on the "inferno." Conducted in English. Reading knowledge of Italian recommended but not required. 3 units. Same as home course L36 Ital 481.
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01 W 2:00p-4:00p XV Sherberg
Discussion sections:
SECT A: in English.
A M 2:00p-3:00p Sherberg
SECT B: in Italian.
B M 3:00p-4:00p Brody

L23 487 Re St Topics in Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern Studies: Readings in Midrash
The aim of this course is to learn to read Midrash, the literature of classical Rabbinic Biblical interpretation. Addressing the literary, historical, and cultural context in which rabbinic Midrash developed, we will get to know a variety of Midrashic collections covering a time span from late antiquity to the Islamic Middle Ages. These works were composed according to a complex set of exegetical and literary rules to be illustrated by the selected readings. Certain Midrashic genres reflect their origins in academic discourses, while others were delivered as public sermons, drawing on parables, legends, and folk lore. Among the topics to be studied are: How did the Rabbis read the Bible? What is the relationship between the plain meaning of the Biblical text and the polyphone interpretations of Midrash? Is Midrash a commentary or a literary discourse in its own right? initially the Midrashic logic may seem elusive from the viewpoint of a modern Western reader, in turn its creative thinking will prove to be smart, playful, at times even slippery, and yet substantial. ALL TEXTS WILL BE READ IN TRANSLATION. 3 units. Same as home course L75 JNE 487.
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01 TuTh 11:30a-1:00p XIII Jacobs

L23 498 Re St Independent Work for Senior Honors I
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

L23 4996 ReSt Advanced Seminar in History: Islam in China
This seminar examines the history of Islam and Muslim communities in China. While the course covers the entire history of Muslim communities in China, from the arrival of the first Muslims in China in the seventh century to the present, it primarily focuses on developments during late imperial and twentieth century China. Central themes of the course are cultural interactions, identity-formation, and state-Muslim relations. We will attempt to understand and analyze the above themes in the context of Chinese history and the history of the Islamic world. Knowledge of either China or the Islamic world is helpful but not required. This course satisfies the modern course requirement for history majors. ONLINE REGISTRATION UNAVAILABLE: STUDENTS MUST CONTACT COURSE INSTRUCTOR FOR PERMISSION TO ENROLL PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 4 units. Same as home course L22 History 4996.
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01 Th 2:30p-5:30p XXXI Mao

L23 500 Re St Independent Work
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.
01-09 XXX TBA

Current University College Courses

U66 106 RelSt Bible: Values, Ideologies and Politics
The Bible is a very complicated collection of books (the library of the ancient Jews), based on oral traditions and written materials, which were written, rewritten, edited and reedited over a 1000-year period. It contains a variety of values and ideologies, which developed in response to concrete social and political conditions. In this course students will cover the development of the Bible as a literary document and undertake a careful reading of the text to uncover and analyze its themes in their historical context. 3 units. Tuition: $1,545.00. Same as home course U94 JINE 106.
01 Tu 6:30p-9:00p XXXV Rosenbloom

U66 3401 RelSt Greek and Roman Religion
This course explores the religious beliefs and rituals of the ancient Greeks and Romans from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity. Rather than emphasizing ancient myths and legends, it examines the actual worship of the gods and the ways in which the Greeks and Romans interpreted and interacted with the supernatural world around them. This examination will involve the use of ancient sources which give contemporary eyewitness testimony, inscriptions, votive offerings, and other archaeological remains. 3 units. Tuition: $1,545.00. Same as home course U02 Cla 3401.
01 Th 5:30p-7:30p
Christine Smith

U66 478 RelSt Topics in Religious Studies: Religion and Violence
This seminar seeks to explore the relation of religion and violence. Major themes include sacrifice, the scapegoat, martyrdom, scarification, forms of ritual circumcision and piercing, cannibalism, holy militias, holy terror and holy war. Concrete examples will be discussed. Viewpoints range from the anthropological, to the psychological, sociological and theological. Among key writings to be studied are Durkheim, "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life"; Freud, "Totem and Taboo"; Hubert & Mauss, "Sacrifice: Its Nature and Function"; Robert Lowrie, "Primitive Religion"; Rene Girard, "Violence and the Sacred"; and Mark Juergensmeyer, "Terror in the Mind of God". 3 units. Tuition: $1,545.00. Same as U89 AMCS 4782, U43 IS 478.
01 Th 6:30p-9:00p XXXII Flinn