RELIGION

CRN

 10148

Distribution

 A/C

Course No.

 REL 103

Title

Buddhist Thought and Practice

Professor

 Brad Clough

Schedule

 Tu Th 1:30 pm - 2:50 pm LC 115

Cross-listed: Asian Studies

The main purpose of this course is to familiarize ourselves with the major categories of Buddhism, an historically pan-Asian religious tradition of remarkable philosophical and practical diversity, and expansive geographical and chronological scope. While the course will always maintain an historical perspective, to provide us with a framework for understanding Buddhist developments in their cultural and temporal contexts, the course will be structured mainly along thematic lines, according to the traditional concepts of the "Three Jewels or Refuges":

Buddha (teacher, exemplar, enlightened being), Dharma (doctrine), and Sangha (community), and the "Three Trainings": Shila (ethics), Samadhi (meditation), and Prajna (wisdom). Following this structure, we will closely read primary sources (in translation) and historical and ethnographic studies, in order to explore how Buddhists, both ancient and modern, have viewed the world and lived their lives in the cultural settings of South and Southeast Asia (Theravada Buddhism), East Asia

(Mahayana Buddhism), and the Tibetan and Himalayan regions of Asia (Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism).

CRN

 10149

Distribution

 A/C

Course No.

 REL 217

Title

Reading Religious Texts

Professor

 Richard Davis

Schedule

 Tu Th 10:00 am - 11:20 am OLIN 307
This course offers an introduction to some of the fundamental texts of the major world religions, and to the strategies adopted in reading these texts by both believers and scholars of these traditions. We will focus on two genres of religious writing: narratives of the foundation of religious community, and lyric expressions of devotion towards a deity. Readings will include selections from the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Buddhacarita, and the devotional poetry of Rumi, Mirabai, and Kabir. We will examine the commentarial and hermeneutical methods employed within each religious tradition, and the post-Enlightenment textual practices of academic historians of religion.

CRN

 10150

Distribution

 A/C

Course No.

 REL 220

Title

Modern Study of Religion

Professor

 Bruce Chilton / Richard Davis

Schedule

 Tu 4:00 pm - 6:20 pm OLIN 306
The modern study of religion is an eclectic field, drawing upon many other disciplines in its attempt to circumscribe and comprehend the diversity of human religiosity. In this course we will critically examine various approaches to the study of religion in the twentieth century, including psychological, sociological, anthropological, and phenomenological. We will also consider where this field of study may be heading in its post-modern present. Particular attention will focus around the topic of sacrifice. Required for Religion majors, and open to others interested.

CRN

 10151

Distribution

 D

Course No.

 REL 225

Title

Intermediate Readings-Sanskrit

Professor

 Brad Clough

Schedule

 Tu Th 10:00 am - 11:20 am OLIN 302
The course combines intermediate-level readings in Sanskrit with the study of Indian society and religion. Beginning with a review of basic grammatical structures of Sanskrit, students will quickly move on to read Sanskrit texts such as the animal fables of the Hitopadesa, the religious philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, and the classic poetic rendition of the Buddha's life, the Buddhacarita of Asvaghosa.

Prerequisite: Sanskrit 101-102 or equivalent.

CRN

 10293

Distribution

 A/C

Course No.

 REL 236

Title

Introduction to Sufism

Professor

 Amina Steinfels

Schedule

 Tu Th 11:30 am - 12:50 pm OLIN 307
Sufism is one of the most important philosophical and theological movements within the world of Islam. While primarily known for their production of mystical poetry and achievement of ecstatic states, Sufis have produced a unified system of belief and interpretation which both transgresses and defines the boundaries of the Islamic religious tradition. In this course we will examine some of the central ideas of Sufism, such as the nature of the relationship between God and humanity, and between God and His creation. The implication of these relationships for the process by which the Sufi hopes to achieve closeness or even union with God will be examined. As well as the intellectual aspect of Sufism, the historical developments of the Sufi orders, and their social and political role in Islamic history will be dealt with. As far as possible, translations of original Sufi texts will make up the majority of the course readings. The course is open to all students, but previous work in the study of religion is strongly recommended.

CRN

 10294

Distribution

 A/C

Course No.

 REL 246

Title

Feminism and Islam

Professor

 Amina Steinfels

Schedule

 Mon Wed 11:30 am - 12:50 pm OLIN 308

Cross-listed: Gender Studies

The veil, polygamy, arranged marriages--these are the images many Westerners have when they envision women in the Islamic world. While the images may be accurate, their interpretation by Muslim and Western feminists may be radically different. Given these divergent views, the question arises whether Muslim women and other women can speak to one another, and if so, what they would say. This course will approach this question by first examining several issues: the role of multicultural voices in the feminist movement, the critique of Islamic society by Western feminists and human rights activists, and the concerns raised by Muslim feminists about their relationship to other women throughout the world. The course will attempt to place Western and Muslim feminists in dialogue with one another, seeking to develop a deep understanding of the place of women in modern Islamic society and to probe questions of oppression and agency. Readings will draw from feminist philosophy, novels, case studies, and legal theory.

CRN

 10152

Distribution

 A/C

Course No.

 REL 304

Title

Contemplative Traditions of Asia

Professor

 Brad Clough / Richard Davis

Schedule

 Mon Wed 1:30 pm - 2:50 pm LC 208

Cross-listed: Asian Studies

This course specifically will investigate five meditation systems of major importance, selected from among the many varied, complex, and rich contemplative traditions that have developed in pursuit of spiritual liberation, throughout Asian history: 1) Raja Yoga and Vedantic Hinduism of India; 2) Theravada Buddhism of South and Southeast Asia; 3) Kashmiri Shaiva Hinduism of India; 4) Taoism of China; and 5) Zen Buddhism of East Asia. We will examine primary texts which provide each system with its philosophical underpinnings and practical techniques, and secondary studies which explore some of the ways in which these systems have manifested themselves in worldly pursuits, such as communal living, artistic expression, and political activism. In addition to the study of texts, this course, employing anthropological methods and principles of "participant observation," will include first-hand observation of and participation in these contemplative traditions, by way of class visits by master teachers from these traditions, and field trips to institutions where these systems are actively practiced.

CRN

 10197

Distribution

 A/C

Course No.

 REL 323 Upper College Seminar

Title

Belief within a Religiously Plural World

Professor

 Paul Murray

Schedule

 Tu 7:00 pm - 9:20 pm OLIN 204

Cross-listed: Theology

The proximity of religious traditions in an increasingly global society tends to undermine absolutist and exclusivist truth claims, by rendering them both socially and psychologically untenable. What are the alternatives? This seminar will examine this question, by tracing its Biblical and historical roots and antecedents and examining its modern emergence among diverse religious thinkers, including Paul Tillich, Karl Rahner, Thomas Merton, Bede Griffiths,and John Hick.

Prerequisite: Moderation in Social Studies, or permission of the instructor.