19052

THEO 201 Poetic Theologies

Nancy Leonard

M . W . .

1:30 pm -2:50 pm

OLIN 310

HUM

Cross-listed: Literature An exploration of the poetic languages by which the poetic seeks the sacred, to embody, contest, celebrate and discover, it, and to affirm the powers and limits of language. We will focus on lyrics and longer poems written in English, within Judeo-Christian traditions, but will include other poetic and religious traditions (Sufi, Hindu) with visits by knowledgeable faculty. Poems by John Donne, George Herbert, John Milton, Henry Vaughan, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Emily Dickinson, and T. S. Eliot will be read; passages from the Hebrew Bible and the Gospels will be explored, and some work by female mystic poets included. New scholarship by Debra Shuger, Regina Schwartz, Heather Dubrow and more will help us discover specific forms and issues which emerge when the poetic encounters the theological. Core course for prospective majors in theology. All are welcome; no belief is required.

19144

THEO 212 Archaeology of the Bible

Bruce Chilton

. T . Th .

10:30 -11:50 am

Village Dorm A, Study of James

HIST

Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Religion In two senses, the Bible has been an object of excavation. Artifacts and archaelological investigations have played a major part in the reconstruction of the meanings involved, while the depth of texts -- as compositions that took shape over time -- has been increasingly appreciated. This seminar involves understanding the social histories of Israel and the early Church as they shaped the biblical texts. This approach identifies the constituencies for which the sources of the texts were produced. By “sources” we mean, not the documents as they stand (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and so on), but the traditions that fed into those documents. The final, editorial moment when traditions were crystallized in writing is a vital juncture in the literary formation of the Scriptures, but is not solely determinative of their meaning. The unfolding of meanings within texts during the whole of their development explodes the claim of a single, exclusive meaning in biblical exegesis. The seminar will attend to the variety of meanings inherent within the Scriptures -- without limitation to a particular theory of interpretation, and with constant attention to issues of historical context. Program category: Interpretive

19381

REL 106 Introduction to Islam

Ismail Acar

M . W . .

10:30 -11:50 am

OLIN 306

HUM/DIFF

19143

REL 120 The Future of Christianity

Paul Murray

. T . Th .

2:30 pm -3:50 pm

OLIN 309

HUM

19145

REL 213 Sexuality and Spirituality

Paul Murray

. T . Th .

4:00 pm -5:20 pm

OLIN 309

HUM/DIFF

19382

REL 268 The Quran: Listening, Reading, and Viewing

Ismail Acar

M . W . .

3:00 pm -4:20 pm

HEG 201

HUM/DIFF

19234

REL 284 Jewish Searches for Alternative Spirituality

David Nelson

. . W . F

9:00 -10:20 am

OLIN 201

HUM