Department of Religious Studies
Course Offerings: Spring, 2007
Religions of Asia
Religious Studies 001-601
W 6:30-9:30
Instructor: Wellman (CGS)
History and Tradition Sector
tennyson.jacob.wellman@gmail.com
Introduction to the major religious traditions that originated in Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and the religions of China and Japan. Attention to Sacred scriptures, historical development, and modern expressions.
Religions of the West
Religious Studies 002-401
(JWST 122)
TR 12:00-1:30
Instructor: Fishman
tfishman@sas.upenn.edu
History and Tradition Sector
An 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.
Myths & Religion in the Ancient World
Religious Studies 014-401
(NELC 046)
MW 3:30-5:00
Instructor: Frame
frame@sas.upenn.edu
General Requirement in History & Tradition
This course will survey the religions of the ancient Middle East, situating each in its historical and socio-cultural context and focusing on the key issues of concern to humanity: creation, birth, the place of humans in the order of the universe, death and destruction. The course will cover not only the better known cultures from the area, such as Egypt and Mesopotamia, but also some lesser known traditions, such as those of the Hurrians, or of the ancient Mediterranean town of Ugarit. Religion will not be viewed merely as a separate, sealed off element of ancient societies, but rather as an element in various cultural contexts, for example the relationship between religion and magic, and the role of religion in politics will be recurring topics in the survey. Background readings for the lectures will be drawn not only from the modern scholarly literature, but also from the words of the ancients themselves in the form of their myths, rituals and liturgies.
Approaches to the Study of Mysticism: Mysticism, Experience, and theory
Religious Studies 103-601
T 6:00-9:10
Instructor: Blum (CGS)
DIST CRS History & Tradition
Is it possible for a medieval Dominican preacher to have the same experience as a modern Zen monk? How literally should we take the paradoxical statements of mystics who claim to have ineffable experiences about which they write hundreds of pages? Mysticism is one of the most debated topics in religious studies and philosophy. Disagreements range over the very meaning and relevance of the term, what mystical experiences could or do consist of, and how we should study them. This class will examine the central issues in this discussion and some of the mystical texts which have made the debate so fascinating and controversial. Conflicting theories about the nature of mysticism and mystical experience will be considered and debated.
Religion and Film
Religious Studies 105-601
(CINE-105)
M 6:00-9:10 (CGS)
Instructor: Derakhshani
DIST CRS Arts & Letters
Introduction to different ways religion is represented in film. Emphasis is on religious themes but some attention will also be given to cinematic devices and strategies. Although most films studied will deal with only one of the major historical religious traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), the course will include at least two of the traditions.
Science, Magic, and Religion
Religious Studies 116-401
(STSC 028, HSOC 025, FOLK 025)
W 2:00-5:00
Instructor: Kuklick
hkuklick@sas.upenn.edu
General Requirement in History & Tradition
Throughout human history, the relationships of science and religion, as well as of science and magic, have been complex and often surprising. This course will cover topics ranging from the links between magic and science in the seventeenth century to contemporary anti-science movements.
Themes in Jewish Tradition: The Binding of Isaac
Religious Studies 129-402
(NELC 252, JWST 100)
TR 10:30-12:00
Instructor: Stern
dstern@ccat.sas.upenn.edu
Benjamin Franklin Seminar History & Tradition Sector
The story of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac – the Binding of Isaac – as told in Genesis 22, is perhaps the greatest of all tales in the Bible about religious obedience and faith. It is also one of the most problematic texts in all Jewish literature, the subject of numerous interpretations, and a source for countless later tales and re-imaginings in Jewish literature. In this course, we will study the history of this tale from the Bible through modern Jewish writing in order to show how a specific tradition in Jewish literature develops and changes in response to the historical changes and religious and cultural developments that Jewish civilization itself undergoes. In this way, we will also attempt to understand the very nature of Tradition itself as it figures in Jewish culture. For comparative purposes, we will also consider the history of the tale in Christian and Islamic traditions as well. All readings will be in translation, and no previous background in Jewish literature or history is required. This course is intended to serve as a way of introducing Jewish literature and culture. Readings will include sections of the Bible, classical Jewish interpretations of the Biblical tale, Crusader Chronicles, poems both medieval and modern, and modern treatments of the theme by the Christian philosopher S. Kierkegaard and such writers as Kafka, Ch. N. Bialik, and A. B. Yehoshua, among others.
Introduction to the Qur’an
Religious Studies 140-401
(NELC 130)
TR 3:00-4:30
Instructor: Lowry
elowry@sas.upenn.edu
The goal of this course is to provide students with a general introduction to the holy scripture of the religion of Islam, the Qur’an. In particular, students will become familiar with various aspects of Qur’anic content an style, the significance of the Qur’an in Islamic tradition and religious practice, and scholarly debates about the history of its text and interpretation. Through close reading of selected passages and short research assignments, students will gain first-hand knowledge of the Qur’an’s treatment of prophecy, law, the Biblical tradition, and many other topics. Most sessions of this course are based on assignments that combine reading of and written responses to selected passages from the Qur’an.
Introduction to Indian Philosophy
Religious Studies 155-401
(PHIL 050, SAST 150)
F 2:00-5:00
Instructor: Mohanty
History & Tradition Sector
The fundamentals of Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, the main patterns of Western response to it, and some basic questions of “comparative philosophy”. Selected readings from classical Indian texts in English translation.
Introduction to Hinduism
Religious Studies 163-401
(RELS 663, SAST 140)
TR 10:30-12:00
Instructor: Novetzke
cln@sas.upenn.edu
DIST CRS History & 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.
African Religions
Religious Studies 210-401
(AFRC 210, AFST 210, HIST 250)
MW 4:30-6:00
Instructor: Ofosu-Donkoh
kodonkoh@sas.upenn.edu
Religion permeates all aspects of African life and thought. There is no dichotomy between religion and society in Africa. In this course, we will survey some of the indigenous religions of Africa and examine their nature and their philosophical foundations. We will examine African systems of beliefs, myths, symbols, and rituals, as developed by African societies to express their distinctive worldviews. We will also raise some questions about the interrelationship of religion and culture as well as religion and social change in Africa, and the challenges of modern technologies to African beliefs. We will examine the future of African religions and analyze the extent to which African peoples can hold on to their beliefs in this age of rapid technological and scientific development. Emphasis will be on themes rather than on individual national or tribal religions. Case studies, however, will be limited to West Africa among the Akan of Ghana, the Yoruba of Nigeria, and the Mende of Sierra Leon. Questions are provided (a) to guide and direct reading (b) to form the basis for discussions (c) as exercises and (d) for examinations.
Food and Identity in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Rels 212-401
(HIST 205, JWST 205, NELC 235)
T 1:30-4:30
Instructor: Freidenreich
freidenreich@gmail.com
This course examines the ways in which religiously inspired food restrictions and food practices relate to the establishment and preservation of communal identity. Considering Jewish, Christian, and Islamic sources in their historical contexts from their foundations to the present day, we will explore the underlying relationship between food and fellowship, the elements distinctive to each tradition, and the factors that prompt historical development in each.
Religion in Early America
Religious Studies 217-401
(HIST 324)
TR 12:00-1:30
Instructor: Callahan
ldcallah@sas.upenn.edu
This course is a survey of religious figures and movements in the United States from the colonial period until the Civil War. Particular attention will be given to religious diversity and the formation of new religious traditions in the American context. Although the course seeks to be inclusive, it is by no means exhaustive. Students will have the opportunity to do independent exploration and study.
The Bible in Translation: Exodus
Religious Studies 224-401
(NELC 250, COML 380, JWST 255, NELC 550
TR 4:30-6:00
Instructor: Tigay
jtigay@ccat.sas.upenn.edu
Benjamin Franklin Seminar
DIST CRS Arts & 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 for spring 2007 is Exodus.
The Devil’s Pact in Literature
Religious Studies 236-401
(GRMN 256, COML 241)
MW 12:00-1:00
Instructor: Richter
srichter@sas.upenn.edu
Arts and Letters Sector
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.
Islamic Ethics
Religious Studies 247-401
(NELC 287)
TR 10:30-12:00
Instructor: Elias
jjelias@sas.upenn.edu
This course examines classical and modern sources in Islamic ethics to understand the place of moral and ethical thought in Islam. By looking at Islamic scripture, legal and theoretical writings, as well as literary sources, we will explore a wide scope of topics such as biomedical, reproductive and sexual ethics, as well as attitudes towards war and violence. The overall purpose of the course is to understand diverse Muslim understandings of what it means to live an ideal life, both individually and collectively.
Honors Thesis Seminar
Religious Studies 309
TBA
Permission needed from instructor
Required of honors majors. See department for section numbers.
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.
Sufism
Religious Studies 445-401
(NELC 485, RELS 645 NELC 687)
T 1:30-4:30
Instructor: Elias
jjelias@sas.upenn.edu
This seminar explores mystical experience and philosophy through an inquiry into the Islamic movement called Sufism. The course examines Sufism from several directions: it surveys individual mystics and Sufi martyrs; studies the social organization of Sufi communal life and religious practice; explores the symbolism of mystical poetry; analyzes the ideas of prominent Sufi philosophers; and traces the development of Sufism in North Africa, West Asia and South Asia. The narrow goal of the course is to understand the spiritual dimensions of Islamic religious leadership and the variety of its manifestations in the intellectual life; social organizations, and regional diversification of the Islamic world. The wider goal is to gain an understanding of the nature of religious experience and the role of communal and individual dimensions of mysticism within this religious experience.
Zen Buddhism
Religious Studies 476-401
(EALC-265)
R 3:00-6:00
Instructor: Lafleur
lafleur@sas.upenn.edu
DIST CRS History & Tradition
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 505-401
(FOLK 533, HSSC 533)
M 1:00-4:00
Instructor: Hufford
djh5@psu.edu
This course will offer students the opportunity to critically examine representative complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) health beliefs and practices found within the United States and their cultural position in American society. These will range from cosmopolitan systems such as chiropractic and traditional Chinese medicine to folk medicine. The philosophical and theoretical premises behind these health systems will be analyzed and compared to the premise of conventional, Western medicine and to one another. This will include a description and discussion of current models for understanding health behavior. Ethical issues and practical applications of this knowledge will also be discussed. The materials and methods of the course will draw on the literatures of the social sciences, history, philosophy, the allied health professions and medicine.
A Book of the Bible: Eichah
Religious Studies 521-401
(Hebr 550, JWST 550)
W 2:00-5:00
Instructor: Tigay
DIST CRS Arts & Letters
In-depth study of a book of the Bible studied in light of modern scholarship (including archaeology and ancient Near Eastern literature) as well as ancient and medieval commentaries. The book varies each semester and the course may be repeated for credit. Book for Spring ’07 is Eichah.
Pre-requisites: Thorough command of Biblical Hebrew and prior experience studying the Bible in the original in high school, college, or a comparable setting. Qualified undergraduates are welcome but must contact the instructor for permission to register and show how they meet the requirements. Language of instruction is in English.
Packaging Jewish Knowledge
Religious Studies 523-401
(HEBR-583, HIST-523, JWST-523)
M 2:00-5:00
Instructor: Fishman
tfishman@sas.upenn.edu
The course aims at sensitizing students to the ways in which diverse units of Jewish knowledge have been structured, formatted and materially packaged. What are the social and cultural meanings of these variables of packaging, whether intended or unintended? Why do certain forms – and their related “rules” – emerge in a particular time and place? How do anticipated uses shape production of knowledge, and
how do the variables of material packaging affect cultural content? Primary sources include readings from ancient, medieval and early modern Jewish texts. Open to undergraduates only with the instructor’s permission.
Feminist Critique of Christianity
Religious Studies 530-401
(GSOC 530)
T 1:30-4:30
Instructor: Callahan
ldcallah@sas.upenn.edu
DIST CRS Society
An overview of the past decades of feminist scholarship about Christian and post-Christian historians and theologians who offer a feminist perspective on traditional Christian theology and practice. This course is a critical overview of this material, presented with a summary of Christian biblical studies, history and theology, and with a special interest in constructive attempts at creating a spiritual tradition with women’s experience at the center.
Kierkegaard
Religious Studies 539-401
(Coml. 509)
W 2:00-5:00
Instructor: Dunning
sdunning@sas.upenn.edu
Critical examination of selected texts by Kierkegaard. Discussion of such issues as the pseudonymous writings and indirect communication, the theory of stages of religious development, the attack upon establishment religion, the psychological dimension of Kierkegaard’s thought, and his relations to his predecessors, particularly Hegel.
Politics of Hindi & Urdu
Religious Studies 601-401
(SAST 701)
W 2:00-5:00
Instructor: Behl/Rai
abehl@ccat.sas.upenn.edu
One of the most interesting anomalies in South Asia is the phenomenon of the joint language that is Hindi-Urdu, written in a variety of scripts but sharing the same linguistic base. The evolution and codification of Hindi and Urdu as separate languages with literary canons is also a history of the political and cultural formations that occupy the contested domain of contemporary South Asia. This course attempts to map this domain through a history of key moments: linguistic origins and literary inaugurations in the Sultanate period, the shifts attendant on the waxing and waning of the Mughal imperium, the spectrum of literary media that evolve around various devotional and courtly milieux, the beginnings of notions of canonicity in the eithteenth century, the critical intervention of colonial language pedagogy and the introduction of print technology, the deployment of linguistic difference in the service of identity politics, the intersections of Hindi and Urdu with emergent nationalisms, the engagement with modernism and modern literary genres, and post-Partition representations of a bifurcated set of languages.
Sufism
Religious Studies 645-401
(RELS 445, NELC 485, NELC 687)
T 1:30-4:30
Instructor: Elias
jjelias@sas.upenn.edu
This seminar explores mystical experiences and philosophy through an inquiry into the Islamic movement called Sufism. The course examines Sufism from several directions: it surveys individual mystics and Sufi martyrs; studies the social organization of Sufi communal life and religious practice; explores the symbolism of mystical poetry; analyzes the ideas of prominent Sufi philosophers; and traces the development of Sufism in North Africa, West Asia and South Asia. The narrow goal of the course is to understand the spiritual dimensions of Islamic religious leadership and the variety of its manifestations in the intellectual life; social organizations, and regional diversification of the Islamic world. The wider goal is to gain an understanding of the nature of religious experience and the role of communal and individual dimensions of mysticism within this religious experience.
Introduction to Hinduism
Religious Studies 663-401
(RELS 163, SAST 140)
TR 10:30-12:00
Instructor: Novetzke
cln@sas.upenn.edu
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.
Seminar in Judaism and/or Christianity in the Hellenistic Era: History and Historiography, with Special Focus on Josephus and Eusebuis
Religious Studies 735-401
(CLST 735, JWST 735)
T 3:00-6:00
Instructor: Kraft
kraft@ccat.sas.upenn.edu
Undergraduates Need Permission from Instructor
The main sources for postbiblical Jewish history and for early Christian history are, respectively, Josephus (first century CE; Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews) and Eusebius (fourth century CE; Ecclesiastical History). The goal of this seminar is to attempt to understand these authors in their respective contexts with special attention to how and why they constructed and presented their historical works, and how we can test their presentations for historical accuracy. Neither author worked in a vacuum, so we will also spend some time exploring available sources and trends in the Greco-Roman Jewish world of Josephus as well as in the eastern Mediterranean Christian world of Eusebius two centuries later. While knowledge of Greek will be helpful, the texts will be discussed in class in English.
The Long Reformation in Britain and America
Religious Studies 738
(HIST 720)
W 2:00-5:00
Instructor: Todd
mtodd@sas.upenn.edu
The current view of the protestant reform movements in Britain no longer presumes quick acceptance of the new doctrines, even in the south of England or Lowland Scotland; instead the Reformation is increasingly understood as a gradual cultural transformation that ought to be traced into the early eighteenth century and across traditional borders. This seminar will examine the slow process of protestanisation in England, Wales, Scotland, and parts of Anglo-Ireland; protestantism’s transportation to the British American colonies; and resistance in Gaelic Ireland, Northern England, and the Scottish Gaihealtachd.
Readings in recent secondary work and select primary sources will precede work on a short (conference paper length) research paper. An optional paleography segment introduces interested students to secretary hand. The seminar meets in the Lea Library in order to examine early modern print and manuscript sources.
Graduate Independent Study
Religious Studies 999
Time 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.