religion spring 2009 department of Courses tufts University

Transcription

1 religion tufts University department of spring 2009 Courses

2 Spring 2009 courses Courses Offered by Religion Faculty REL Philosophy of Religion Lemons F+ TR 12-1:15 REL Sufism Garden D+ TR 10:30-11:45 REL Global Christianity Curtis E+ MW 10:30-11:45 REL Islam: Scripture, Authority and Canon Garden J+ TR 3:00-4:15 REL Introduction to the New Testament Hutaff F+ TR 12-1:15 REL History of Religion in America Curtis I+ MW 3:00-4:15 REL Introduction to Buddhism Walser 2 W 9:00-11:30 REL Introduction to the Religions of China Walser 11 T 6:30-9:00 REL Feminist Theologies Hutaff H+ TR1:30-2:45 REL Contemporary Religious Thought Lemons 1 T 9:00-11:30 REL Religions in International Relations O Leary 11 T 6:30-9:00 REL Mystics and Mysticism O Leary E+ MW 10:30-11:45 Co-listed Religion Courses REL The Art of War Maranci M+ MW 6:00-7:15 REL Early Islamic Art Hoffman I+ MW 3:00-4:15 REL Introduction to Yiddish Culture Gittleman H+ TR 1:30-2:45 REL Jewish Women Ascher J+ TR 3:00-4:15 REL Music & Prayer in the Jewish Tradition Summit H+ TR 1:30-2:45 REL Early Islamic Art Hoffman I+ MW 3:00-4:15 REL Jewish Experience on Film Rosenberg Arr. T 4:30-7:30, R 4:30-5:45 REL European Visual Works in the 1300s Caviness 11+ T 6:00-9:00 REL The Art of War Maranci M+ MW 6:00-7:15

3 Religion Course Descriptions REL Philosophy of Religion co-listed as PHIL This course offers an introduction to the philosophical analysis of major religious issues. We will explore such topics as the nature of religion, religious experience, and ultimate reality, the problem of evil or suffering, and the relationship between faith and reason and between religion and science. By exploring different philosophical approaches to the study of religion including existential, phenomenological, linguistic and comparative, students will develop constructive responses to the variety of ways in which philosophers analyze religious beliefs and practices in diverse world religions. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Elizabeth Lemons F+ TR 12-1:15 REL Sufism Sufism is often defined as Islamic Mysticism. It is further described as a practice through which a Sufi seeks the annihilation of the self and union with the divine through spiritual exercises. But what do any of these terms actually mean? This course aims to demystify Islamic mysticism. We will begin with a brief overview of the Islamic religious tradition from a Sufi perspective to see what is particularly Islamic about Islamic mysticism. We will then turn to Sufi psychology and practice, asking how Sufism sees human nature and how it seeks to perfect it and thereby bring it closer to God, the ultimate source of its existence. We will then look at concrete, historical expressions of Sufi thought and practice in the world, asking what happens when the quest for the eternal and ineffable is instantiated in flesh-and-blood human beings with worldly relations and concerns. We will then grapple with the question of how to describe the indescribable experience of the divine. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Ken Garden D+ TR 10:30-11:45

4 REL Global Christianity co-listed as HIST This course explores Christianity as a global religion. We trace the development of Christianity as a world movement beginning in antiquity, but focus especially on the expansion of Christianity across the globe through exploration, trade, conquest and mission from the 16th century to the present. We examine the multifaceted cultural encounters between European Christians and native religious traditions during the early modern period; the emergence of indigenous expressions of Christian faith and practice in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East; the relationship between western Christian missionary movements and the rise of European colonial empires; the on-going transformations of Christian traditions in post-colonial societies; the world-wide spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century; and the development of Christian internationalism in an era of increasing globalization. Emphasis on Christianity in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Heather Curtis E+ MW 10:30-11:45 REL Islam: Scripture, Authority and Canon Those looking for Islam s equivalent of the Bible often turn to a single text: the Qur an. But to read only the Qur an is to miss the complexity of Muslim scripture. First, Islam has a second scripture: brief accounts of the sayings and deeds of Muhammad, known as Hadith. Furthermore, both of these scriptures point beyond themselves to contexts they do

5 not provide. The Qur an often refers to events not recounted between its covers, both from the history of the early Muslim community and the lives of Biblical prophets. For this background, Muslims turn to a literature on the Causes of Revelation (asbab al-nuzul) and to a literature known as Stories of the Prophets (qisas al-anbiya). The brief anecdotes found in Hadith are understood in the context of the Biography of the Prophet known as the sira. These other genres are not viewed as scripture, but clearly have important implications for the reading and interpretation of scripture. This course will examine the complex relationship between all of these different scriptures and para-scriptures, looking at how Muslims define and interpret their scriptural canon and claim its authority for different visions of their faith. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Ken Garden J+ TR 3:00-4:15 REL Introduction to the New Testament Study of the origins of Christianity and the evolution of its earliest beliefs and practices, as reflected in the writings ultimately selected for its canon. Jesus and his interpreters, Paul and his letters, beginnings of the church, interaction between Christians and their jewish and Greco-Roman enviroments, women s paticipation in the shaping of early Christian history. Occasional readings from non-canonical literature to add perspectives. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Peggy Hutaff F+ TR 12-1:15

6 REL History of Religion in America co-listed as HIST This course is about religion in America from the arrival of European immigrants in the 16th and 17th centuries to the present. We will study major figures, events and issues that have helped to shape American religious history, while paying particular attention to the ways that social and cultural contexts have influenced religious experience in different times and places. Throughout, we will ask how religion has impacted the history of the United States, and, conversely, how religious traditions have been transformed by American culture. Key topics and themes include encounter and colonization; revivalism and reform; church and state; gender and women s history; spirituality and devotional life; slavery and race relations; immigration and ethnicity; innovation and secularization; and pluralism and diversity. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Heather Curtis I+ MW 3:00-4:15 REL Introduction to Buddhism The history, doctrines, and practices of Buddhism in India, China, and Korea. Philosophical theories of the Buddha, meditation, and nirvana. Aspects of Buddhist social and institutional history. This course meets the Humanities and World Civilization distribution requirements and can be counted ONLY as one or the other. It also meets the East Asian Culture and Diasporas and South and Southeast Asian Culture culture options. Joseph Walser 2 W 9:00-11:30

7 REL Introduction to the Religions of China co-listed as CHNS Historical introduction to texts and contexts of major Chinese religions from Shang Dynasty shamanic practices to debates about religion in contemporary China. Historical and literary approaches to the study of religions in China. Interactions between folk and elite traditions, and alternating syncretism and competition between religions. This course meets the Humanities and World Civilization distribution requirements and can be counted ONLY as one or the other. It also meets the East Asian Culture and Diasporas culture option. Joseph Walser 11 T 6:30-9:00 REL Feminist Theologies Feminism, says theologian Judith Plaskow, is a process of coming to affirm ourselves as women/persons - and seeing that affirmation mirrored in religious and social institutions. This course will survey the impact which the growth of feminist consciousness during the last three decades has had on the religious commitments of women, as well as on traditional religious institutions, beliefs, and practices. We will explore new approaches and methods which recent feminist scholarship has brought to the study of ancient religious texts and other historical sources, and will assess how the inclusion of women s perspectives is challenging, enlarging, and enriching the craft of theology itself. Also to be considered: the rise of new women s rituals and alternative spiritualities, and the relationship of religious feminism to other struggles for human dignity and liberation. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Peggy Hutaff H+ TR1:30-2:45

8 REL Contemporary Religious Thought What does the separation of church and state mean for the role of religion in U.S. public life? How should religion and politics be related? How do religious thinkers address contemporary debates about the war on terrorism, racism, sexism, abortion and homosexuality? Is religion a problem or a resource? This semester Contemporary Religious Thought will explore representative positions concerning the relationship of religion and American public life and focusing on the topics of violence and sexuality. Exploring religion as both a problem and a resource in U.S. public life, the course aims to foster students capacity to analyze and discuss selected religious/political/social issues. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Elizabeth Lemons 1 T 9:00-11:30 REL Religions in International Relations In this seminar, we will work with texts from The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Foreign Affairs, books by Madeleine Albright, John Danford, Erik Owens, Jeffrey Haynes, K.R. Dark, et al. To fully understand a culture, country or a people, one should know what is consider Sacred, Holy & Enlightened. Religions & IR will explore five of the worlds ma-

9 jor Faith groups/spiritual paths; Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity & Islam and how these impact International Relations. Major guest speakers are also being scheduled for this seminar. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. Fr. David O Leary 11 T 6:30-9:00 REL Mystics and Mysticism An exploration of the mystics and of mysticism as experience, as spiritual knowledge, and as a way of life. Reading, discussion, and reflection based on the mystics of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Fr. David O Leary E+ MW 10:30-11:45

10 Co-Listed Course Descriptions REL The Art of War co-listed as FAH In an era referred to by some as an architectural Dark Age, the seventh-century building boom in Armenia forms a stunning exception. This course explores why and how the churches arose in a world of violent change, considering the building forms, the engraved and written messages which clothe them, and the ceremonial that unfolded around them. Shedding light on a virtually unstudied chapter of medieval art, this course will demonstrate how monuments could function in, and respond to, an age of acute anxiety. May be taken at 100 level as REL This course meets the Art distribution requirement. Christina Maranci M+ MW 6:00-7:15 REL Early Islamic Art co-listed as FAH A survey of the visual arts in Muslim lands from Spain to Central Asia between the seventh and thirteenth centuries, emphasizing the role of visual arts in the formation and expression of cultural identity. Painting, sculpture, architecture, and the portable arts of ceramics, ivory, metalwork, and manuscript illustration will be considered. Topics will include the uses of figural and non-figural imagery; calligraphy and ornament; religious and secular art; public and private art; the art of the court and the art of the urban middle class; and the status, use, and meaning of the portable arts. May be taken at 100 level as REL This course meets the Art, Humanities and World Civilization distribution requirements but can be counted ONLY as one of the three. It also meets the Middle Eastern culture option. Eva Hoffman I+ MW 3:00-4:15

11 REL Introduction to Yiddish Culture co-listed as JS From the shtetl to suburbia, a survey of the development of Yiddishkeit in Eastern Europe from the Middle Ages to the present, with emphasis on language, literature, culture, transition to America, Jewish-American literature. Readings include Sholom Aleichem, I. B. Singer, Malamud, Bellow, Roth, and others. Meaning of modern revival of ethnicity, ethnic chauvinism, stress on universal cultural patterns and similarities of ethnic experience. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement and also meets the Judaic Culture culture option. Sol Gittleman H+ TR 1:30-2:45 REL Jewish Women co-listed as JS Images, experiences, and accomplishments of Jewish women in life, literature, and tradition from Biblical times to the present. Focus on individual women from various times and cultures; discussion of basic issues, present conditions, and prospects. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement and also meets the Judaic Culture culture option. Gloria Ascher J+ TR 3:00-4:15 REL Music & Prayer in the Jewish Tradition co-listed as JS The role and function of music in Jewish worship and cultural identity. Focus on the Kabbalat Shabbat. Topics to include participation vs. performance in worship, music and historical authenticity in prayer, music and religious experience, and the invention and presentation of tradition. Liturgical music and dual culturalism in the American Jewish community. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement and also meets the Judaic Culture culture option. Jeffrey Summit H+ TR 1:30-2:45 REL Early Islamic Art co-listed as FAH A survey of the visual arts in Muslim lands from Spain to Central Asia between the seventh and thirteenth centuries, emphasizing the role of visual arts in the formation and expression of cultural identity. Painting, sculpture, architecture, and the portable arts of ceramics, ivory, metalwork, and manuscript illustration will be considered. Topics will include the uses of figural and non-figural imagery; calligraphy and ornament; religious and secular art; public and private art; the art of the court and the art of the urban middle class; and the status, use, and meaning of the portable arts. May be taken at a lower level as REL This course meets the Art, Humanities and World Civilization distribution requirements but can be counted ONLY as one of the three. It also meets the Middle Eastern culture option. Eva Hoffman I+ MW 3:00-4:15

12 REL Roots of the Jewish Imagination co-listed as JS An introduction to Jewish myths, legends, and mystical doctrines that were influential in the formation of Jewish imaginative literature. Topics include the life and death journey of the soul; Israel s exile among the nations; the Messiah and the end of days; the Throne of Glory and the divine name; angels, demons, and beasts of fancy. All texts read in English. This course meets the Humanities and also meets the Judaic Culture culture option. Joel Rosenberg W 4:30-7:30 REL The Jewish Experience on Film co-listed as JS Selected classic and contemporary films dealing with aspects of Jewish experience in America, Europe, and Israel, combined with reading on the cultural and philosophical problems illuminated by each film. One weekly session will be devoted to screenings, the other to discussion of the films and readings. In English. This course meets the Arts distribution requirement and also meets the Judaic Culture culture option. Joel Rosenberg Arr. T 4:30-7:30, R 4:30-5:45 REL European Visual Works in the 1300s co-listed as FAH Social differences manifest in art in relation to changing notions of the human body, especially through the lens of gender, class, and skin color; the roles of calamitous events such as the great famine, the Black Death, the Hundred Years war, and the Pogroms against Jews, as well as the rise of new heresies and Christian religious orders; legal and medical illustrations are scrutinized, as well as religious art. Cultural centers for in-depth study chosen from France, England, Bohemia, and Italy. May be used to fulfill Women s Studies requirement and meets the Arts distribution requirement. Madeline Caviness 11+ T 6:00-9:00 REL The Art of War co-listed as FAH In an era referred to by some as an architectural Dark Age, the seventh-century building boom in Armenia forms a stunning exception. This course explores why and how the churches arose in a world of violent change, considering the building forms, the engraved and written messages which clothe them, and the ceremonial that unfolded around them. Shedding light on a virtually unstudied chapter of medieval art, this course will demonstrate how monuments could function in, and respond to, an age of acute anxiety. May be taken at a lower level as REL This course meets the Art distribution requirement. Christina Maranci M+ MW 6:00-7:15

13 Religion Major and minor requirements The Religon Major Ten courses distributed as follows: Foundation Requirement After taking two courses in the department, students must take REL 99 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion. Diversity Requirement (four courses) Students should have exposure to at least four different religions traditions through classes in which four different traditions are taught, or through four courses, each focused on a different religious tradition, or through some combination thereof. Depth Requirement (three courses) Students must choose a religious tradition, the traditions of a geographical region, or a religious textual tradition and take at least three classes in that specialty. One of the three courses must be in the doctrinal (theological and philosophical) aspects of religion and two must be 100-level courses. Two Additional Courses The two courses can be listed or cross-listed within the department. The Religion Minor Five courses distributed as follows: Foundation Requirement After taking two courses in the department, students must take REL 99 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion. Diversity Requirement (three courses) Students should have exposure to at least three different religions traditions through classes in which four different traditions are taught, or through four courses, each focused on a different religious tradition, or through some combination thereof. Upper-division Requirement One other course at the 100-level that does not count for any of the above requirements.

14 religion department tufts university 126 Curtis Street Medford, MA (617) RELIGION FACULTY Joseph Walser Department Chair Associate Professor 126 Curtis Street, Room 305 Asian religions Heather Curtis Assistant Professor 126 Curtis Street, Room 302 Christianity, religion in America Kenneth Garden Assistant Professor 126 Curtis Street, Room 303 Islam, Islamic Revival, Sufism Peggy Hutaff Senior Lecturer 126 Curtis Street, Room 301 Bible and Feminist theologies Elizabeth Lemons Senior Lecturer 126 Curtis Street, Room 301 Religion and culture, philosophy and religion Reverend David O Leary Senior Lecturer, Chaplaincy Goddard Chapel david.oleary@tufts.edu Catholicism, medical ethics, world religions Kevin Dunn Adjunct Professor Department of English kevin.dunn@tufts.edu English Bible Gary Leupp Adjunct Professor Department of History gary.leupp@tufts.edu Japanese history and religions