91959 |
REL 103 Buddhist Thought and Practice |
Rae Erin Dachille-hey |
. T . Th . |
1:30 pm – 2:50 pm |
HEG 106 |
HUM/DIFF |
Cross-listed: Asian Studies; Theology This course introduces
Buddhism as a tradition best understood by looking at the rich historical,
philosophical, narrative, artistic, and ritual traditions that define it. We begin by examining the assumptions we
bring to the study of Buddhism as a “religion” and the circumstances of the
initial Western encounter with Buddhist traditions. We then look at the Indian origins of
Buddhism and its relationship to other Indian religious and philosophical
traditions. In particular, we consider how Buddhism evolved in relation to
other major developments in Indian culture such as the invention of writing and
the rise of images as a form of religious expression. Next, we explore
representations of the Buddha’s birth and enlightenment in the art and texts of
the early tradition. As we proceed to look at key aspects of the tradition,
thinking about how Buddhism challenges existing ideals of self and identity
will feature prominently in our discussions.
While much of the course focuses upon the rise of Buddhism as an Indian
religion, we will also consider how the tradition was reinvented in its spread
to Southeast and East Asia and the Himalayas. Class
size: 22
91832 |
REL 106 The Islamic Tradition |
Tehseen Thaver |
M . W . . |
1:30 pm – 2:50 pm |
OLIN 204 |
HUM/DIFF |
Cross-listed: Global & Int’l Studies, Middle Eastern Studies An examination of the
intellectual and lived traditions of Islam. In addition to early Muslim
political history this course will also familiarize students with the major
disciplines in Islam including the Qur’an, Hadith, theology, Islamic law,
Islamic philosophy, and Sufism. The concluding segments of this course
interrogate the interruptions of modernity in these traditions through the
study of contemporary Muslim reform movements, Muslim modernism, and Islamism.
We will utilize a variety of sources including primary sources (in
translation), historical works, anthropological and literary sources, and films
to guide our discussion. Through the study of Islam, this course will also
provide students a solid theoretical foundation in larger conceptual questions
and categories pertinent to the academic study of religion and to the
humanities more broadly. Class size: 20
91823 |
REL 111 The Hebrew Bible |
David Nelson |
. T . Th . |
11:50 am -1:10 pm |
OLIN 101 |
HUM/DIFF |
Cross-listed: Jewish
Studies, Theology The Hebrew Bible is arguably one of the most
important works of Western culture. This course will survey the text, meaning,
historical background and ancient near eastern literary and cultural context of
the Hebrew Bible, and will provide a crucial introduction to all further
studies of the three Abrahamic faiths. We will examine the interplay between
history and myth, the various forms and purposes of biblical law, the
phenomenon of biblical prophecy, and the diverse literary genres that are found
within the Bible. Our goal will be to understand the work as a religious,
historical, legal, and narrative work that reflected the society from which all
of later Judaism, Christianity and Islam grew.
Class size: 20
91820 |
REL 117 Hindu Religious Traditions |
Richard Davis |
M . W . . |
3:10 pm -4:30 pm |
OLIN 101 |
HUM/DIFF |
Cross-listed:
Asian Studies; Theology This course will provide
an historical overview of the series of religious movements in India
collectively referred to as ‘Hinduism.’ For the foundations of classical
Hinduism, we will read from a vast corpus of mythic and epic literature and
familiarize ourselves with the gods, goddesses, and heroes that have been
central to Hindu religious practice throughout history. We will explore a range
of social and devotional paths taken by Hindus by examining caste structure and
social location, as well as the paths of action, devotion, and wisdom (karma,
bhakti, and jnana, respectively). Moving into the
contemporary context, we will focus on modern ethnographic accounts of how the
tradition is lived, both in India and the United States, with a special eye to
the construction of sacred space through temples and pilgrimage. Religion program category:
Historical Class
size: 20
91821 |
REL 140
SANSKRIT |
Richard
Davis |
.
T . Th . .
. W . . |
10:30
am- 11:30 am 10:30
am- 11:30 am |
OLIN
LC 118 OLIN
101 |
FLLC |
Cross-listed: Asian Studies, Classical Studies Sanskrit is the language of ancient India,
the language in which such works as the Bhagavad
Gita, the great Hindu epics Mahabharata
and Ramayana, and the Upanisads were
written. In this course students will
learn the grammar and syntax of Classical Sanskrit and acquire a working
vocabulary. In the second semester
students will read substantial portions of original texts in Sanskrit. Religion program category: Interpretive Class size: 15
92281 |
REL 254 Buddha imagined |
Rae Erin Dachille-hey |
. T . Th . |
3:10 pm – 4:30 pm |
RKC 103 |
HUM |
What
does it mean to imagine the Buddha? This
course examines representations of the Buddha in art, narrative and
ritual. We will look specifically at the
tools Buddhism provides for understanding what an image is and what imagination
and representation are all about. The
tension between iconic and iconic modes of representation in early Indian
Buddhist artistic representations of the Buddha will serve as a point of
departure. We will explore textual and
visual representations of the stories of the Buddha’s past lives. We will also
consider the role of images in the spread of Buddhism beyond India to better
understand how cultures adapted Buddhist images in making them, and the
tradition itself, their own. Turning to
the relationship of art and ritual, the course will include some comparative
exercises as well, bringing Buddhist relic worship and image consecration rites
into dialogue with Medieval Christian traditions. The course will conclude with a brief
exploration of Tibetan tantric Buddhism and the questions it raises about the relationship
between humans and the divine. What does
it mean to imagine yourself as a Buddha? Program
category: Historical Class size: 22
91847 |
REL 269 Sacred Pursuits |
Bruce Chilton |
. . W . F |
1:30 pm -2:50 pm |
CENTER FOR JAMES |
HUM |
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology This seminar is
devoted to developing theoretical self-awareness in the study of religion. In
order to achieve that end, we will read some of the key theorists in the study
of religion, apply their insights to case-studies, and refine their approaches
as seems necessary. Class size: 18
91833 |
REL 336 Sufism |
Tehseen Thaver |
M . W . . |
6:20 pm – 7:40 pm |
OLINLC 210 |
SSCI/DIFF |
Cross-listed: Global & Int’l Studies, Middle Eastern Studies This course examines the
mystical tradition of Islam or Sufism. We will cover a range of topics
including Sufism and Orientalism, the intellectual and institutional history of
Sufism, Sufi textual traditions, Sufi orders and the master-disciple
relationship, gender and Sufism, Sufism and modernity, and online Sufism. A
major focus of this class will be on the close reading of primary texts from
multiple intellectual disciplines, time periods, and regions (all in
translation). Class size: 15
91883 |
REL COL Religion Colloquium |
Richard Davis |
M . . . . |
5:00 pm -6:00 pm |
OLIN 101 |
|
2 credits The religion colloquium
is a two-credit course open to all students, but required of religion moderands. The purpose of the colloquium is to foster a
community of scholarship among students and faculty interested in the study of
religion, and to prepare public presentations of independent research. The
colloquium is designed to encourage interdisciplinary and comparative
perspectives on students’ topics of particular interest. Weekly sessions will
be devoted to discussion of new books, films, CD-roms,
etc. as well as regular updates of progress on senior projects. Public sessions
of the colloquium will be scheduled three or four times each semester; students
who enroll for credit will shoulder the responsibility for preparing papers to
present in these sessions. Outside speakers and faculty members may also be invited
to present papers in these public sessions.
Program category: Theoretical
Class size: 20