Department of Religious Studies
Course Offerings: Spring, 2006

Religions of Asia

Religious Studies 001

MWF 11:00-12:00

Instructor: Adluri

sadluri@sas.upenn.edu

General Requirement II: History and Tradition

Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto - the essential beliefs, doctrines, institutions, and practices of the major religious traditions (or traditional worldviews) of Southern and Eastern Asia. Historical backgrounds and development will be surveyed briefly to provide context for the course's central focus: understanding the distinctive worlds of meaning created and maintained and expressed in these religions. Reading and discussion of representative primary texts in translation will be emphasized in this effort to understand basic attitudes and beliefs. Particular attention will be devoted to answering questions about the persisting influence and vitality of these religious traditions - about the nature and significance of change and about the importance of these great religions in shaping the sense of identity, aspirations, and expectations of their adherents in the face of the technological and ideological challenges of the contemporary world.

Requirements: No prerequisites. Moderate reading load. Optional paper.

In-class midterm and final examinations.

Religions of the West

Religious Studies 002

(JWST 122)

T 5:00-8:00

Instructor: Krulak (CGS)

tckrulak@hotmail.com

General Requirement II: History and Tradition

Introduction to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the three major world religions that originated in the Middle East and that are the largest religions of the Western World today. Attention will be given to sacred scriptures, historical development and modern expressions.

Religion and Literature

Religious Studies 003

(COML 242)

TR 10:30-12:00

Instructor: Matter

amatter@ccat.sas.upenn.edu

General Requirement III: Arts and Letters

This course explores some ways in which religious ideas and practices appear in works of literature from different cultures. although we will read representative works from various centuries, the focus will be on modernity, since it is the last several centuries that have presented the greatest challenges to traditional religious systems, and therefore the most complex translation of religiosity into literary forms. Most of the reading selections will be from the Christian tradition, but there will also be works that deal with issues in Judaism and modernity. No specialized knowledge of these traditions is presumed; the necessary background will be presented in the lectures.

Religion in Public Life

Religious Studies 010

TR 1:30-3:00

Instructor: Dunning

sdunning@sas.upenn.edu

This seminar is an introduction to several aspects of the hotly debated relation between religion and

public life in America. In the first half of the course we will study two books by law professors, one Jewish and the other Christian. Their debate will introduce us to the legal and historical background, and to the continuing challenges of church-state separation in America. The second half of the course will examine the claim that we now live in a “new religious America,” one in which the increasing presence of Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims has created a new pluralism and a new set of challenges. We will then consider the argument of one historian that diversity and difference have characterized religious groups in America since at least the 19^th century, and that this has resulted in a number of paradoxical social situations. Finally, we will close with a brief look at the claim that there exists in America a “civil religion,” one that unites all citizens despite their other religious differences.

Requirements: participation in class discussions; weekly interpretative questions (150 words max) about the reading; and two papers, each about 10 pages (3000 words).

Popular Religion in China

Religious Studies 086

(EALC 036)

MW 3:30-5:00

Instructor: Schmid

dnschmid@ncsu.edu

This course is an introduction to the Chinese religions from antiquity to the present. Paying particular attention to both the distinction and interaction between popular and elite religious traditions, we will examine the chronological development of dominant themes and tropes such as: Shamanism; Death and the afterlife; Family and ancestor worship; Personal welfare and its relation to mantic knowledge; Religious aspects of imperial authority and bureaucracy. Moving beyond textual representations of belief and practice, the course will, in addition, examine in-depth a variety of ritual objects and artistic expressions of these thematic elements of each tradition.

Religion and Film

Religious Studies 105

(FILM 105)

M 6:00-9:00

Instructor: Derakhshani (CGS)

derakhsh@sas.upenn.edu

Distribution III: Arts and Letters

Survey of ways religion is represented in film. This semester's theme: Nietzsche's critique of religion and morality and the "death of God." We will also look at various consequences to that "death," including the replacement of religious discourse by the therapeutic, and the modern nostalgia for the "primitive" especially in its neo-gothic forms. Readings: selections from Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, Bataille and Foucault in conjunction with about a dozen post-WWII European and American feature films.

History of Jewish Civilization I: Jews and Judaism in Antiquity

Religious Studies 120

(AMES 156, JWST 156, HIST 156)

MW 3:00-4:30

Instructor: Dohrmann

dohrmann@sas.upenn.edu

General Requirement II: History and Tradition

This course is an overview of Jewish history, culture, and society from its biblical settings through the Hellenistic-Roman and rabbinic periods. We will trace the political, social, intellectual-religious, and literary development of Judaism from its beginnings through the Second Temple period to the formation and evolution of Rabbinic Judaism. Topics to be covered include: the evolution of biblical thought and religious practice over time; Jewish writing and literary genres; varieties of Judaism; Judaism and Imperialism; and the emergence of the rabbinic class and institutions.

Introduction to Judaism

Religious Studies 123

(AMES 253, JWST 123)

W 6:00-9:00

Instructor: Peterson (CGS)

petersig@ccat.sas.upenn.edu

Distribution II: History and Tradition

Judaism gave the world the Bible, and is the ground out of which Christianity and Islam developed. This course considers what Jewish practice now involves, and how that relates to history, tradition, and the development of Western Civilization. Questions may range from "What do Jews do on Christmas?" to "What do Jews actually believe?" to "How do I, in my life, relate to Judaism?" We will cover the major Jewish holidays, the major Jewish observances, the American varieties of Judaism and their history, and, for a major part of the course, the history of Judaism from biblical to modern times.

American Jewish Experience

Religious Studies 124

(HIST 150. JWST 130)

TR 9:00-10:30

Instructor: Perelman

Perelman@DEPT.ENGLISH.upenn.edu

Distribution II: History and Tradition

This course offers a comprehensive survey of American Jewish history from the colonial period to the present. It will cover the different waves of Jewish immigration to the United States and examine the construction of Jewish political, cultural, and religious life in America. Topics will include: American Judaism, the Jewish labor movement, Jewish politics and popular culture, and the responses of American Jews to the Holocaust and the State of Israel.

Introduction to Jewish Mysticism

Religious Studies 126

(JWST 126)

W 4:00-7:00

Instructor: J. Hecker

jhecker@rrc.edu

Distribution III: Arts and Letters

The Jewish mystical tradition, often called kabbalah, has received international publicity in the media in the last few years because of the involvement of the stars in the popular arts (e.g. Madonna, Demi Moore, et. al.) who have been involved with a contemporary interpretation, and marketing, of kabbalah. Traditionally, however, study of the kabbalah was reserved for a scholarly and pious (and male) elite, partly because of the necessary for vast erudition to understand it and the belief of its adherents that catastrophe could occur if its secrets are revealed to those who are unworthy. this course will offer a brief history of the 'kabbalah' but will focus on its central and canonical text, the Zohar. Through reading selections f the Zohar in translation students will gain familiarity with the symbol system of sefirot, consider the nature of the specifically Jewish mystical experience, and begin to read the world like a kabbalist.

Introduction to Islamic Religion

Religious Studies 143

(NELC 136)

T 1:30-4:20

Instructor: Quraishi

arimaq@sas.upenn.edu

Distribution II: History and Tradition

A comprehensive introduction to Islamic doctrines, practices, and religious institutions in a variety of geographic settings from the rise of Islam in the seventh century to the present. Translated source materials from the Qur'an, sayings of Muhammad, legal texts, and mystical works will provide an overview of the literary expressions of the religion. the course aims, as well, to view Islam in the immediacy of everyday life. Among topics to be covered are: The Qur'an as scripture and as liturgy; Conversion and the spread of Islam; Muhammad in history and in the popular imagination; Concepts of the feminine; Muslim women; Sectarian developments; Transmission of religious knowledge and spiritual power; Sufism and the historical elaboration of mystical communities; modern reaffirmation of Islamic identity; Islamic fundamentalism; and Islam in the American environment.

Persian Mystical Thought: Rumi

Religious Studies 144

(NELC 115, NELC 515, RELS 544,COML 114)

MW 2:00-3:30

Instructor: Minuchehr

pardis@ccat.sas.upenn.edu

This course examines the works and ideas of the thirteenth century sufi and founder of the Mevlevi order, Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Although Rumi composed his mystical poetry in Persian, numerous translations in a multitude of languages have made this poet an international personality. In this course, we will examine Rumi’s original mystical vocabulary and allegorical style in English translations. We will also look at Rumi’s reception in different parts of the world, especially in America, where he has been on the best-seller lists for decades.

Introduction to Hinduism

Religious Studies 163

(SAST 163)

TR 10:30-12:00

Instructor: Novetzke

cln@sas.upenn.edu

Distribution II: History and Tradition

We will survey the myriad traditions, practices, and concepts that constitute Hinduism in India. Relying on primary and descriptive sources, as well as ethnography, we will highlight salient features of Hindu religious life, endeavoring to explore issues of gender and class throughout. Our approach will be primarily conceptual and secondarily historical, allowing us to trace key features of religious imagination through time. Special emphasis will be given to modern, urban, and diasporic formations of Hinduism.

Introduction to Buddhism

Religious Studies 173

(SAST 173)

T 6:00-9:10

Instructor: Welbon (CGS)

gwelbon@ccat.sas.upenn.edu

Distribution II: History and Tradition

An examination of the fundamentals of Buddhist thought and practice. In addition to reading and discussing selected primary Buddhist sources (in English translation), we shall review the history and development of Buddhism from its Indian origin through its spread to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan. Primary sources and historical materials will be supplemented by some ethnographic readings dealing with the actualities of Buddhist life in contemporary Southeast and East Asia. This course provides basic background for more advanced courses on Buddhism.

Religion on the Silk Road

Religious Studies 187

(EALC 137, EALC 537)

W 5:00-8:00

Instructor: Schmid

dnschmid@ncsu.edu

In this course we will examine the socio-economic and cultural factors which gave rise to the rich diversity of religions in Inner Asia, specifically along what has come to be known as the Silk Road. From the late Bronze age to the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire, an axis of regular trade and communication existed between western and eastern Asia allowing for a number of religious traditions to flourish and interact: Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Manichaeism, Nestorian Christianity, and Islam. Although focusing on Buddhism, we will approach all these traditions and their development through reading a variety of their classic and/or sacred texts, supplementing these with lectures and secondary studies. To broaden our understanding of the role of non-textual material in the development of religions along the Silk Road, we will also focus on the wealth of non-literature religious expression, such as art, ritual, and iconography.

The Bible in Translation: Genesis

Religious Studies 224

(COML 380, JWST 255, NELC 250)

TR 4:30-6:00

Instructor: Tigay

jtigay@ccat.sas.upenn.edu

Distribution III: Arts and Letters

Careful textual study of a book of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as a literary and religious work in the light of modern scholarship, ancient Near Eastern documents, and comparative literature and religion. The book varies from year to year.

Topic for Spring ’06: Genesis

The Devil’s Pact in Literature

Religious Studies 236

(COML 241, GRMN 256)

MW 12;00-1:00

Instructor: Richter

srichter@sas.upenn.edu

General Requirement III: Arts and Letters

For centuries the pact with the devil has signified humankind’s desire to surpass the limits of human knowledge and power. From the reformation chap book to the rock lyrics of Randy Newman’s Faust, from Marlowe to Goethe to key Hollywood films, the legend of the devil’s pact continues to be useful for exploring our fascination with forbidden powers.

Muslim Political Thought

Religious Studies 243

(PSCI 275, NELC 282)

MW 10:00-11:00

Instructor: Norton

anorton@sas.upenn.edu

This seminar offers an introduction to Muslim political thought. Chronologically the course ranges from the medieval period to the present. Particular attention will be given in the later part of the course to the renaissance of Muslim political thought in recent years and to the development of political Islam, including the work of such thinkers as Said Qutb and Hasan Turabi. We will also study the roots of this renaissance in classical philosophy of the medieval period (Al Farabi, Al Ghazali, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Tufayl) and the liberal age.

Honors Thesis Seminar

Religious Studies 309

TBA

Permission needed from instructor

Required of honors majors. See department for section numbers.

Religion in Latin America

Religious Studies 312

(HIST 312)

W 2:00-5:00

Instructor: Farriss

nfarris@sas.upenn.edu

This course examines various expressions of religion in contemporary Latin America and their roots both in Native American and African traditions as well as Hispanic Christianity. Emphasis is on “popular” beliefs and rituals and their relationship with elite religion and state power

Independent Study – Undergraduate

Religious Studies 399

Time and topic arranged

Instructor: Staff

rstudies@sas.upenn.edu

Please obtain section numbers from the department office or from the faculty member with whom you will be working.

Dutch Art, Religion and History

Religious Studies 415

(HIST 407, ARTH 473, DTCH 473)

TR 10:30-12:00

Instructor: Peters/Silver

empeters@sas.upenn.edu

This course is an introduction to the emergence of the Dutch Republic from the perspective of three academic disciplines: history, history of art, and religious studies. the course beings in the late Burgundian-Hasburg world of northwest Europe around 1500, the connection with Spain, and the world of the modern devotion. It continues with the impact of the commercial revolution and the religious reformations and the growing alienation of the Low Countries from Charles V and Phillip II of Spain. these changes will be considered in terms of art and architecture as well as devotional and political movements. The course will examine closely both the Dutch revolt and the establishment of the Dutch Republic and the world of Van Dyck and Rembrant.

Rabbinic Writers on Rabbinic Culture

Religious Studies 426

(HEBR 486, JWST 426)

TR 12:00-1:30

Instructor: Fishman

tfishman@sas.upenn.edu

This course traces reflections on rabbinic culture produced within Jewish legal literature of the classic rabbinic period - - Midrash, Mishna, and Talmud - - and in later juridical genres - - Talmudic commentary, codes and responsa. Attention will be paid to the mechanics of different genres, the role of the underlying prooftext, the inclusion or exclusion of variant opinions, the presence of non-legal information, attitudes toward predecessors, balance between precedent and innovation

Requirements: Reading knowledge of Hebrew

The Life and Letters of Paul

Religious Studies 436

(COML 591)

TR 3:00-4:30

Instructor: Gruen

gruen@sas.upenn.edu

Distribution III: Arts and Letters

The purpose of this course is to learn how to understand a noted author/thinker of the past on his own terms and in relationship to his own world. The specific subject matter is PAUL, a Jewish and Christian writer in the Greco-Roman world during the first century of the common era (c.e.). The larger historical context is Judaism and Christianity in the first two centuries c.e.

Islamic Mysticism in South Asia

Religious Studies 466

(SAST 366, SAST 667)

TR 1:30-3:00

Instructor: Haq

nhaq@sas.upenn.edu

This course explores the mystical dimensions of Islam in South Asia through various institutions of the Sufis such as Dargah, Qawwali, Zikar, and Langar. In addition to these the concept and practice of Sufism will be discussed. Sufi texts, poetry, and discourse with history and Shariat through various phases of history will constitute an important part of this course.

Zen Buddhism

Religious Studies 476

(EALC 265, EALC 665)

R 1:30-4:30

Instructor: Lafleur

lafleur@sas.penn.edu

This course examines the history, doctrines, and practices of Zen Buddhism in China, Japan and the West. Topics include the monastic life, notable Zen masters, Zen’s cultural impact, and enlightenment.

Folk and Unorthodox Health Systems

Religious Studies 505

(FOLK 533, HSOC 505)

M 1:00-3:00

Instructor: Hufford

djh5@psu.edu