Course Descriptions

This course offers a thematic introduction to the study of religion by focusing on narrative, ritual, and artifact at Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim pilgrimage sites. Using one Latino Catholic pilgrimage site in New Mexico to orient our opening discussion, the course begins by thinking about the meaning of key terms— including religion, shrine, and pilgrimage. To get our bearings and map the field, we consider some leading theories of pilgrimage and influential ways of studying it. Then we turn to Japan and analyze one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites there. We next shift our focus to Islam and Mecca, including Malcolm X’s account of his journey to the holiest Muslim site. Finally, we focus on a Christian site, a Cuban American shrine in Miami dedicated to Our Lady of Charity. The course meets the criteria for the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. flag because a bit more than one third of the course deals with an underrepresented cultural group in the U.S.—Latinos. It also meets the standard for the Global Cultures flag because more than half, and almost two thirds, of the course material deals with cultures of non-U.S. communities—Buddhists in Japan and Muslims in the Middle East.

Texts:

Michael Wolfe, ed., One Thousand Roads to Mecca (Grove Press, 1997);
homas A. Tweed, Our Lady of the Exile: Diasporic Religion at a Cuban Catholic Shrine in Miami (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997)
Ian Reader, Making Pilgrimages: Meaning and Practice in Shikoku (University of Hawaii Press, 2006).

Grading:

1) Intellectual Journal (20%)- a journal of up to 20 entries that includes analysis of the assigned readings on Latino Catholics, Japanese Buddhists, and Middle Eastern Muslims; 2) Midterm Exam I and Midterm Exam II (25% each): One exam focuses on Latinos in the U.S. The other exam focuses on Muslims in the Middle East; 3) Cummulative Final Exam (25%): About half of the final exam focuses on Buddhists in Japan and the rest concerns material from throughout the course; 4) Class Participation (5%)

This course offers a thematic introduction to the study of religion by focusing on narrative, ritual, and artifact at Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim pilgrimage sites. Using one Latino Catholic pilgrimage site in New Mexico to orient our opening discussion, the course begins by thinking about the meaning of key terms— including religion, shrine, and pilgrimage. To get our bearings and map the field, we consider some leading theories of pilgrimage and influential ways of studying it. Then we turn to Japan and analyze one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites there. We next shift our focus to Islam and Mecca, including Malcolm X’s account of his journey to the holiest Muslim site. Finally, we focus on a Christian site, a Cuban American shrine in Miami dedicated to Our Lady of Charity. The course meets the criteria for the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. flag because a bit more than one third of the course deals with an underrepresented cultural group in the U.S.—Latinos. It also meets the standard for the Global Cultures flag because more than half, and almost two thirds, of the course material deals with cultures of non-U.S. communities—Buddhists in Japan and Muslims in the Middle East.

Texts:

Michael Wolfe, ed., One Thousand Roads to Mecca (Grove Press, 1997);homas A. Tweed, Our Lady of the Exile: Diasporic Religion at a Cuban Catholic Shrine in Miami (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997)Ian Reader, Making Pilgrimages: Meaning and Practice in Shikoku (University of Hawaii Press, 2006).

Grading

1) Intellectual Journal (20%)- a journal of up to 20 entries that includes analysis of the assigned readings on Latino Catholics, Japanese Buddhists, and Middle Eastern Muslims; 2) Midterm Exam I and Midterm Exam II (25% each): One exam focuses on Latinos in the U.S. The other exam focuses on Muslims in the Middle East; 3) Cummulative Final Exam (25%): About half of the final exam focuses on Buddhists in Japan and the rest concerns material from throughout the course; 4) Class Participation (5%)

Course Description and Goals

This course surveys the history of the Middle East from the rise of Islam to the end of the fifteenth century. Students will be introduced to basic aspects of the political, social, and cultural dimensions of Islamic civilization from Spain to Iran as they changed over time. In the midst of mapping this broad view, we will focus our attention on how specific historical figures and events contributed to definitions of Islamic identity, community, and authority. Central themes include the emergence of Sunni and Shi`I identities, the relationship of Muslims and non-Muslims, and the unique material and intellectual contributions of Islamic civilization to world history and other societies.

An overarching goal of this course is to focus attention on the history of the Middle East in this formative phase as a fascinating, complicated, and enriching study in its own right. In order to do this, students will be expected to master key terms and concepts of the period. The intent of all essay exams is to hone analytical skills and written expression.

Course Rules

It will be my pleasure to meet with you throughout the semester, whether you have a question about the course or simply to make your acquaintance and facilitate your learning experience at this University.

I am available during office hours and by appointment. Teaching assistants will also hold office hours. You may not reproduce verbatim notes or tapes of my lectures anywhere, in any form.

I will attempt to make this an informative and enjoyable class, but your participation is essential to complete your own intellectual development. I will not require your attendance in class (freewill in adults is a beautiful thing), but unexcused absences will not result in the recapitulation of a lecture by the instructor or teaching assistants.

*Religious observances are always understood as excused absences.

*Students with disabilities should consult me at the beginning of the semester.

*Class handouts and assignment sheets due to any absence will always be supplied. Attendance will be taken at exams.

*Do not breach the University's Honor Code; re-read it.

In order to succeed in this class, you will need to learn all the reading material assigned on the syllabus, delivered in lectures, and discussed in class. All exams and other written assignments are due on the dates stipulated on the syllabus.

There will be no make-up exams without consent of the instructor. (Only medical emergencies or catastrophic events will warrant consideration.) Emails simply alerting me to your absence without discussion or documentation are not acceptable.

Course Requirements:

4 exams @ 25% each = 100%.

Required Books and Readings:

To be determined.

Part One:

Religion and Politics

I.  Course Objectives and the Middle East before Islam

II. The Advent of Islam

III. The Prophet

IV. The Caliphs: Succession and Conquest

V. The First Islamic Empire: The Umayyad Dynasty at Damascus

Part Two:

Social Change and the Rise of Islamic Culture

VI. Cosmopolitan Islam and Conversion: The Abbasid Empire at Baghdad

VII. The Separation of Mosque and State

VIII. Philosophy and Mysticism

IX. Buyid Shi`I and Saljuk Sunni Dynasties at Baghdad

X.  Shi`ism in Egypt and the Impact of the Crusades

XI. The Mongol Invasion

Part Three:

New Empires and Contacts with the West

XII.  Islamic Spain [***Third Exam]

XIII. The Conversion of Iran to Shi`ism

XIV. The Sunni Ottoman Empire

XV. Islam in 18th- Century Western Thought [Fourth Exam (in-class)]

This course focuses on some of the most influential religious texts in human history the 27 texts that were included in the New Testament. In addition, we will also read several other ancient texts that did not make it into the Christian Bible. During the semester we will explore the content of these texts, theories about how they were produced, methods used by scholars to interpret them, and conclusions that specialists reach about their significance. In the process, students will also have a chance to reflect on the general nature of human religiosity.

Texts:

The Harper Collins Study Bible, NRSV including apocryphal and deuterocanonical books, Student Edition; Harper Collins, 2006 (ISBN 978-0-06-078683-0).
Mitchell Reddish, An Introduction to the Gospels, Abingdon Press, 1997 (ISBN: 0687004489).
E. P. Sanders, Paul: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford Univ. Press, 2001 (ISBN 0192854518).

Grading:

25% Paper, approximately 700 words. 30% Exams, 2 @ approx. 15% each 25% Final exam 10% Attendance and participation 10% Misc. small tasks.

This course introduces students to the institutional, social, economic, and doctrinal history of Buddhism in India. Emerging in the 5th century B.C.E., Buddhism spread quickly across South Asia. For more than 1500 years it had a significant impact on Indian culture, philosophy, art, architecture, and politics. The course discusses Buddhist teachings, from their earliest formulations to later developments, the spread of Buddhist institutions, and resulting social, political, and economic issues. Finally, we will take a look at the revival of Buddhism in India in the 20th century and its impact on society.

Readings:
Paul Williams, Buddhist Thought
Rupert Gethin, Sayings of the Buddha
Course Packet

Grading
Attendance/participation: 20%
Weekly reading responses: 20%
Oral presentation: 15%
Article for class encyclopedia: 15%
Midterm exam: 15%
Final exam: 15%

In this course, we will study the religion of Islam through its sacred text, the Qur’an. To this end, this course will entail extensive reading of the Qur’an itself, as well as of other texts. In our studies, we will focus on the following themes of the Qur’an: cosmology and theology, ethical principles, ritual prescriptions, and legal injunctions. We will also examine some of the prominent symbols, images and rhetorical structures of the Qur’an. Through reading the prophetic narratives, we will have an opportunity to compare Qur’anic and Biblical accounts of the major prophets shared by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The syllabus also includes an inquiry into role of the Qur’an in Muslim devotion and as a medium for artistic expression. We will also discuss the tradition of interpretation (or “exegesis”), especially as it pertains to those verses that engender the most debate today: those surrounding politics, intercommunal (i.e. interreligious) relations, and women/gender. Prior knowledge of Islam is helpful but not required for this course.

INDIA'S NONCONFORMIST THINKERS W

Edeltraud Harzer

This course introduces Indian philosophy by focusing on the opponents of the mainstream and by examining the subversive challenge of their thought. Drawing on the dissenting voices, the course reconstructs a picture of debate and exchange. Thinkers such as Sankara, Nagarjuna, and Dignaga who revise and newly reformulate existing theories are of primary interest. Four major areas of philosophical concern will be representative of the multitude of ideas. The four are:

1. Value system (bridging philosophy and religion, liberation, free will, dharma, karma, Bhakti),

2. epistemic concerns, that is proving various truths by different means (examining the ways of establishing Self or No-self, why the belief of one group cannot be shared with another, etc.),

3. Revival in premodern times, channeling sentimentality.

4. Modern thinkers evaluating their own tradition. The novel approach of this course relies on viewing the brahmanical tradition through the eyes of its opponents. Thereby we can gain a more comprehensive picture of the intellectual milieu. The course will also include nonconformist thinkers of more recent times, such as Gandhi, his grandson Ramchandra Gandhi, and Daya Krishna.

This course contains a substantial writing component and fulfills part of the basic education requirement in writing.

TEXTS:

Hamilton, Sue. Indian Philosophy. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, 2001. Keown, Damien. Buddhist Ethics. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, 2005.

NON-CONFORMISTfall09w.doc 1 of 1King, Richard. Indian Philosophy An Introduction To Hindu And Buddhist Thought. Edinburgh, 1999. ON BLACKBOARD Matilal, Bimal. The Character of Logic in India. Ed. Ganeri & Tiwari, 1998.

Roy Perrett.

Hindu ethics [electronic resource] : a philosophical study

Honolulu, Hawaii : University of Hawaii Press, c1998.

Focusing on the idea of religious and cultural diversity, this course introduces to various holy figures and sainthood practices in South Asia as they are understood in modern times. Our emphasis will be on the intersections of classical and modern realms of these sainthood practices. We also try to understand their role in the everyday life in contemporary South Asia.  At the turn of modern times, several saints and yogis began to appear on the South Asian landscape and public sphere. In dialogue with modernity, these saints - from various backgrounds such as Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and Christianity - made a profound impact on the emerging modern discourses and increasingly technological life-styles. Focusing on their life stories, teachings and cultic practices, this course explores their role in the making of modern South Asia at various intersections of history, religion, literature and philosophy. In this course, we will read the works of these saints and very few carefully selected secondary materials that put their practices and teachings in a perspective.  We will watch and analyze two documentaries made on these saints. We explore two major questions: 1. what role these “classical” models of holy persons are playing in a fast-changing and constantly shifting modern world? 2. If each religion has a discrete sainthood tradition, what are the specific religious/philosophical/everyday aspects that connect these saints of diversified worlds?

This course will deal with the history, art and architecture, and religions of India during the period of Muslim rule, from the tenth to the eighteenth centuries. We will look at the émigré culture of the Sultanate period (ca. 1000-1500), and the composite culture of the Mughal empire (ca. 1500-1800), paying particular attention to the interaction of Islam with Indian religions, the development of distinctive architectural and artistic forms of expression, and the ideology and form of political institutions. Towards the end of the course, we will also look at the earliest contacts between Europe and India from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries.

Requirements include two short papers, 2 map assignments, a mid-term, a slide quiz, and a final. An optional research paper may substitute for the final exam. Percentages for the grade: papers 20, 25 %, mid-term 20%, slide quiz 10%, final 25%. Grading will be on the new system with pluses and minuses. Textbooks (subject to change):Ainslie Embree, ed., Sources of Indian Tradition, Vol. IBlair & Bloom, The Art & Architecture of Islam (1250-1800)         Asher & Talbot, India Before EuropeSelected travel accounts for book reportsPossibly a packet of readings Blackboard

This course introduces students to a burgeoning field of  American Jewish cultural studies that deals with what one theorist calls, “the social value of things” (Arjun Appadurai). Focusing on the interplay between material culture and Jewish identity and thought in contemporary America, the course explores how Jews think about, work with, display and “perform’ objects in the course of their everyday lives. This is not a course on the production of fine art by or about Jews, so much as it is about the everyday arts of adornment, celebration, memorialization and identity negotiation through the material cultures of our everyday lives.

In this course, we will endeavor to navigate some of the extensive anthropological literature that has been written on Japanese conceptualizations of self and body and explore how these concepts intersect with ideas about religion and morality.  The “self” has been one of the central themes in ethnographic writing about Japan since Ruth Benedict’s work The Chrysanthemum and the Sword was published in the 1940’s.  We will consider how Japanese educational approaches contribute to the formation of particular forms of behavior; how selves change over the life course; Japanese conceptualizations of the body and person; and how Japanese ideas about self and body are expressed in medical practices.  The course is discussion-based and will incorporate films in addition to ethnographic writings.  Grading will be based upon five response papers and mid-term take-home and final take-home exams. 

Texts:

Gilbert Ryle.  2000.  The Concept of Mind.  University of Chicago Press. ISBN: 0226732967Traphagan, John.  2000.  Taming Oblivion: Aging Bodies and the Fear of Senility in Japan.  Albany:  SUNY Press.  ISBN: 0791445003Kondo, Dorinne. 1990.  Crafting Selves : Power, Gender, and Discourses of Identity in a Japanese Workplace. University of Chicago Press.  ISBN: 0226450449Cave, Peter.  2007.  Primary School in Japan: Self, Individuality and Learning in Elementary Education.  Routledge.  ISBN: 0415545366Ozawa-de Silva, Chikako.  2006. Psychotherapy and Religion in Japan: The Japanese Introspection Practice of Naikan.  Routledge.  ISBN: 0415545684.

Grading:

Mid-term exam:  20%Final exam: 30%Five 2-page response papers: 50%

This course will examine the complex relationship between the Western Church and the Jews over two millenia. How did theological ideas about the Jews crystallize in the early centuries? How were they expressed in legal and social terms in the centuries that followed? How did economic and social realities dovetail with theology to produce the extreme persecutions of the Jews in the late medieval period? What led to the striking changes in Christian attitudes to Jews in from the post-Reformation period to the present? We will analyze relevant documents and images, emphasizing how theological positions both created and responded to the socio-economic roles of Jews.

Required to purchase:

Revised Standard Version of the Bible (any edition)

The course will make used of a website designed specifically for it by the instructor. The website includes many of the readings. Other assigned readings will be posted on Blackboard.

Grading:

Class attendance and participation (10%), participation on Discussion Board (20%), two 1-3 pp. assignments (20%), mid-term exam (20%), final exam (30%).

Description:

This course will focus on the life and work of Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), particularly his conflict with Church authorities and his condemnation in 1633. We will also put Galileo’s work in several broader contexts: the development of science in the 16th and 17th centuries; court life and patronage in early modern Italy; and the history of relations between science and religion.

This is a Writing Flag course. We will emphasize research, writing, and class discussion.

Texts:

Richard Blackwell, Galileo, Bellarmine, and the Bible,

Maurice Finocchiaro (ed.), The Galileo Affair: A Documentary History,

Maurice Finocchiaro (ed.), The Essential Galileo,

Dava Sobel, Galileo’s Daughter,

plus a packet of readings.

Grades:

Each student will co-lead a class discussion during the semester, and will write:

— a short paper (3–4 pages) on a related topic;

— a longer research paper (16–20 pages), a draft version of which the student will circulate to the class for discussion;

— a formal critique (2–3 pages) of another student’s draft paper.

Grades will be based on the class presentation (10%), the short paper (10%),  the presentation of the draft of the longer paper (10%), the final version of the longer paper (45%), the critique (10%), and participa­tion in class discussions (15%).

The Spanish Inquisition operated for three and a half centuries, and became one of the most notorious institutions in history. It is popularly known for its secret trials, autos-da-fe, and burnings at the stake. But why was it established? Why did it survive even when heresy seemed virtually eliminated? What purposes did it serve that allowed it to survive for so long? These are some of the issues we will explore in this course. Each student will carry out a project “tracing” one (fictitious) personality through the various phases of the inquisitorial process, from the time of arrest (or re-arrest) to the day of the sentencing. By discussing one another’s projects we will get a sense of the great diversity - in time and space, and in motives and aims - of this institution. 

Required books:

Henry Kamen, The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision

Lu Ann Homza, The Spanish Inquisition, 1478-1614

Grading:

Attendance and participation (20%), project proposal (20%), draft of project (20%). Final project (40%).

This course is a survey of the development of Islamic art (inclusive of most expressive, and creative art forms) in the Muslim societies from the earliest to the present time with a focus on gender and contemporary artistic issues. Topics will include: gender and gender identities; art patronage, Orientalism, themes of power; and their influential roles in form and express formation, the dominant artistic traditions before and after 1900, the loss of traditional aesthetics due to Western influence, and the re-emergence of calligraphic art as an expression of “Universal Muslim Identity”, and themes of artistic expressions as it is related to current world events (war, occupation of land, and religious resurgence). Discussions incorporate analysis of historical, political, social & economical factors that gave rise to aesthetic changes in the regional cultures. Selected biographical data on some of the most influential traditional & modern Muslim artists will be discussed, to provide a basis for the appreciation of the artistic works and the important roles played by the artists in regards to the theme of “Gender”, in both the traditional & the contemporary Muslim societies.

Text: Reader Packets

Requirements: Upper Division Standing

Description:

The course is devoted to the study of gender politics in the Islamic world. It is designed to help students gain a better knowledge of the Islamic world and, at the same time, increase their understanding of major sociological concepts such as gender, social organization, culture, and politics. It shows how culture is mediated by politics, resulting in diverse interpretations of the cultural tradition and in different policies with respect to gender. We start by examining the themes and issues that are part of the common denominator of the Islamic tradition. We then consider how the diversity can be explained and what factors contribute to it. The focus is on women’s rights, which have been a key political issue in several countries and internationally.

Texts:

E.W. Fernea, Guests of The Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village. Anchor, (GS) 1965.

M. M. Charrad, States and Women’s Rights: The Making of Postcolonial Tunisia, Algeria and

Morocco. Berkeley: Univ of California Press, 2001 (SWR)

Fadela Amara, Breaking the Silence: French Voices from the Ghetto. Berkeley: UC Press 2006 (BTS).

Joni Seager, The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. 4th ed. Penguin. 2009. (Atlas).

Articles will be placed on Blackboard.

Grading and Requirements:

Students are encouraged to take an active role in discussing readings and raising questions. I expect students to attend class and to complete the assigned readings prior to coming to class.

Exam 1 25%

Exam  2 40%

Exam 3 20%

Team presentation 10%

Class participation 5%

Islamic Theology may be understood as that branch of knowledge that comprises the way that Muslims have conceived the natures of God, humanity and the natural world, as well as the relationships between these three.  Muslim contemplation of these subjects has given rise to a number of debates and doctrines.  Some of these have had to do with issues such as the relationship between human will and the divine will, or the origins of sinfulness.  Other disputes have had to do with the nature of governance and the role of the ruler in effecting salvation.  Yet another area of questioning has had to do with the limits of rational knowledge and possibility of meta-cognitive experience of God.  These three classical areas of inquiry – that is, political theory, systematic theology (dogmatics) and mystical theology (sufi theosophy) – will form the main areas of focus in this upper division course. 

Jerusalem has been described famously as a golden bowl full of scorpions. As this proverb suggests, Jerusalem not only has been regarded as a treasure but also as something that is difficult to possess. This course surveys the often-tumultuous religious, political, and cultural history of Jerusalem over three millennia and examines the city's role as a symbolic focus for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course examines literary evidence, artifacts, architecture, geography, and iconography to explore the development of the city and how its sacred space and symbolic significance has been shaped by history.Texts

Coogan, Michael D. et al., eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Fourth Edition, New Revised Standard Version, College Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

The Qur'an. Any modern edition with English translation.

Bahat, Dan & Chaim T. Rubenstein. The Carta Jerusalem Atlas. Third edition. Carta, 2011.

Cline, Eric H. Jerusalem Besieged: From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel. Ann Arbor, Mich. 2005.

Montefiore, Simon Sebag. Jerusalem: The Biography. New York: Knopf, 2011.

Grading Policy

Three in-class one-hour examinations (60%)

One cumulative, final examination (30%)

Class attendance (10%)

Israel’s second king, David son of Jesse, is remembered in later literature as the ideal king—he overcame obstacles to rule a large kingdom; he was loyal to and beloved of Yahweh, Israel’s god; he played the lyre and wrote psalms; he was even the type of the Messiah, an idea taken over by the early Christians. But is that really the way the Hebrew Bible paints him? Was he a king by Yahweh’s design or a usurper? Was he moved to compose a lovely poem to King Saul and his son Jonathan or responsible for their deaths? What kind of loyal Yahwist would send his pregnant mistress’s husband to die in battle?

David is an enigma, no less to modern scholars than to ancient narrators. We will examine his story in the context of the Hebrew Bible, of archaeology, of other kings in the ancient Near East, and of his relationships—with his family, with Saul, and with Yahweh.

Texts/Readings

B. Halpern, David’s Secret Demons S. McKenzie, King David: A Biography Articles posted on Blackboard

Grading

25% oral report presenting the reading for one day’s class 10% peer review of the oral report 40% 2 4-page reviews of readings from a list provided by the professor 25% attendance and participation in class

DESCRIPTION OF COURSE:

A survey of the sources and main features of Germanic religion and of the transition from paganism to Christianity in northern Europe and the Germanic territories of western Europe: Anglo-Saxon Great Britain, the Low Countries, Germany, Switzerland and Austria--diachronically, from the statements of Caesar and Tacitus about Germanic religion to the last pre-Christian documents in the continental area (Merseburg charms, early runic inscriptions, etc.) and in England (Beowulf) as well as the Scandinavian texts of the Eddas and sagas.  Course coverage may include: cosmogonic myths, the origin of man (in Tacitus and the Eddas) and of society (in the Rigsthula), the concept of the soul (fylgja, etc.), the great gods and goddesses and their mythology (Odin, Thor, Tyr, Njord, Freyr, Freyja, Heimdall, Loki, Balder, etc.), and the organization of worship (temples, sacrifices, etc.).  Attention will also be devoted to the survival of Germanic myth in epic/legendary literature (Sigurd/Siegfried, Hervor, Starkad, etc.), and realistic sagas (“magic” in Egils saga, Eiríks saga raudha, Gísla saga, etc.), as well as to information about pagan worship in Christian writings (lives of the saints, Adam of Bremen, etc.).  The background and expansion of Germanic worship and belief will also be examined (Indo-European heritage, correspondences with Celtic, Slavic and Finno-Ugric traditions, Arab sources, and the Thor-cult of Vikings in the diaspora [Normandy, Eastern Europe, etc.]).

TEXTS:

The Poetic Edda, tr. Carolyne Larrington.  Oxford University Press, 1996. 

The Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson, tr. Jesse Byock.  Penguin Books, 2005. 

The Saga of the Volsungs, tr. Jesse L. Byock.  University of California Press, 1990. 

Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs, by John Lindow.  Oxford University Press USA, 2002.

Nordic Religions in the Viking Age, by Thomas A. DuBois.  University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. 

GRADING:

Quizzes on Reading (on most days when readings are due):     10 %

Two six-page reaction papers or position papers, 15% each =     30 %

In-class peer review activities on these papers:             10 %

Three one-page film reports, 5 % each =                 15 %

One three- to five-page group project (groups of 3-4):         15 %

One six-page research paper:                         20 %

Mystics and visionaries claim  to have a particular encounter with the divine that transcends ordinary human experience.  In this course, we examine particular mystical and visionary experiences within the context of medieval European Christianity.   We will read writings both by and about figures such as Hildegard of Bingen, Bernard of Clairvaux, Catherine of Siena, Margarete Porete, and Meister Eckhard, and we will investigate the interpretative questions these writings raise for historians and scholars of religion.   We will explore the tensions between individual experience  and communal or institutional religion; the kinds of authority and challenges to authority that these experiences created;  the relationship between experiences of the spirit and practices of the body; and the problem of expressing what is unexpressible.  Finally, we will examine the ways in which scholars have studied these types of religious experiences. This course will have a writing flag, and thus students are expected to write frequently, substantially, and with peer input.  Students will write 5 response papers to the weekly readings, and will work through the stages of writing a research paper.   While the course readings will focus on medieval Christian mystics and visionaries, students are welcome to write research papers on figures from other religious traditions or to examine mystics or visions from the early modern or modern period.

Books will include:

Hanson, Ron.  Mariette in Ecstasy. 

Kroll, Jerome, and Bernard Bachrach,  The Mystic Mind:  The Psychology of Medieval Mystics and Ascetics

Fanning, Steven.  Mystics of the Christian Tradition

McGinn, Bernard.  Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism.

Selected Writings of Hildegard of Bingen.

In addition, a set of  articles and primary source readings will be placed on Blackboard.

Grading

5 1-2 page papers:    3% each  =  15%

research project prospectus   =  10%

research paper (10-15 pages)  draft  = 15%

peer responses  = 10%

final research paper  = 25%

class participation  = 25%