Department of Religion | Spring 2003 Course Atlas

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Spring 2003 Course Atlas

REL 100: Introduction to Religion: Christianity and Hinduism
Courtright, MWF 9:35-10:25, MAX: 40
Content: An exploration of ways of being religious in the Hindu and Christian traditions. The course will focus on sacred texts, rituals, architectures, communities, and formations of religious identities within each of these traditions.
Particulars: Readings, film and video, visits to Hindu and Christian sites in Atlanta, and in-class interviews with local religious leaders from these communities will make up the work of the course. Brief in-class writing exercises, exams, and final paper. The course will make use of the Blackboard technology for storing and retrieving most of the course materials. The course fulfills General Education Requirement V.C.(Nonwestern Cultures or Comparative andand International Studies).
(2/3 reserved for freshmen)
****Although content is different in REL 100 courses, you may not repeat for credit.****

REL 100: Introduction to Religion: African Traditional Religion and Christianity
Stewart, TTh 10:00-11:15, MAX: 30
Content: This class will introduce students to the study of religion by examining one major set of religious traditions (African Traditional Religion) and another major religious tradition (Christianity). During the first part of the semester, we will focus upon select classical religions of sub-Saharan Africa and their diasporic expressions in the Caribbean and the Americas. During the second part of the semester, we will examine salient trajectories in the history of Christianity, including that of ancient Africa, and the ancient, modern and postmodern West, with special emphasis upon African American Christianity. We will conclude our study with a brief examination of the encounter between African Traditional Religion and Christianity in Africa and the African diaspora.
Texts:
John Mbiti, Introduction to African Religion
Gary Edwards & John Mason, Black Gods-Orisa Studies in the New World
Albert Raboteau, African-American Religion
Albert Raboteau, Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart or Ngugi Wa Thiongo, The River Between
Particulars: Two 3-page papers; mid-term and final examinations. The course fulfills General Education Requirement V.C.(Nonwestern Cultures or Comparative and International Studies).
(2/3 reserved for freshmen)
****Although content is different in REL 100 courses, you may not repeat for credit.****
REL 100: Introduction to Religion: Buddhism and Christianity
Reinders, TTh 1:00-2:15, MAX: 30
Content: This course is an introduction to the study and comparison of religions, focusing on Buddhism and Christianity, and especially on conflicts between the two. First, we spend two weeks on "Buddhism" and two weeks on "Christianity," to gain basic information and orientation. Thinking how to compare religions, we discuss the etiquette of dialogue with other peoples’ religions; basic methods in the Academic Study of Religion; attention to the voices we listen to and the voices we speak with; and the possible goals and desires of such encounters. We will work through some thematic comparisons considered in the abstract, but then move to explore the real relations of Buddhism and Christianity. We will analyze some examples of Christian discourse on Buddhism and Buddhist discourse on Christianity. And we will consider some case studies of "encounters," historical moments when Buddhists and Christians have met, sometimes in friendship, sometimes not. Our topics here include: missions, conflicts, and the possibility of mutual understanding.
Texts:
Damien Keown, Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction.
Brian Wilson, Christianity.
Whalen Lai & Michael von Brück, Christianity and Buddhism: A Multi-Cultural History of Their Dialogue.
Rita M. Gross & Terry C. Muck, Buddhists Talk about Jesus, Christians Talk about the Buddha.
Particulars: Two short informational exams early in the semester: one on Buddhism and one on Christianity. Two written pieces, a group presentation, participation (including responses to readings, posts on our learnlink site, attendance, contributions to discussion). The course fulfills General Education Requirement V.C.(Nonwestern Cultures or Comparative andand International Studies).
(2/3 reserved for freshmen)
****Although content is different in REL 100 courses, you may not repeat for credit.****
REL 150: Introduction to Sacred Texts
V. Robbins/Newby, MWF 9:35-10:25, (same as MES 160), MAX: 35
Content: An introduction to the life of oral and written sacred traditions in Hindu, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities in various periods. We will explore sacred texts in translation and investigate their origins, their transmission, and the processes by which they became authoritative for their communities. We will study ways the texts were interpreted in the past, how they are used and understood today, and we will visit local worship communities to observe contemporary uses of sacred texts. In addition to the written texts we will delve into the sights, sounds, feel, and in some cases, the taste of some of the world's most sacred texts.
Texts:
Richard Bush et al, The Religious World: Communities of Faith
Muhammed Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran
Wendy Doniger, Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism
Barbara Stoler Miller, The Bhagavad-Gita
New Oxford Annotated Bible
Photocopy Course Pac
Particulars: The course is open to Freshmen (2/3) and Sophomores (1/3) only. There will be short written assignments on LearnLink, some short site visit reports, three short examinations during the semester, and a comprehensive final examination. The course fulfills General Education Requirement IV.A (Humanities).
REL 190: Freshman Seminar: What is Mind?
Farley, TTh, 11:30-12:45, MAX: 18
Content: Shantideva pointed out that we humans all desperately want happiness, but it is as if we are running as fast as we can away from it. We are always doing things we do not want to do, not doing the things we want, acting in ways that are completely different from what we say we want or value. We spend a lot of time distracting and numbing ourselves.

Our emotions, memories, desires, and intentions often seem a jumbled up pile that make little sense to us. Before Freud came along, Buddhist and Christians (and many others, of course) interpreted this confusion by thinking about where we came from and what our destiny was. Instead of psychotherapy, meditation was used to explore deeper recesses of our psyche.

Using literature, music, film and traditional texts (mostly) from Buddhism and Christianity, we will think together about what kind of creature we are and what is the nature of our "mind."
Texts: Examples of the kinds of material we will use include: "Affluenza," (film); The Inner World of Trauma; I and Thou; Dorotheus of Gaza; Augustine's Confessions; The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying; Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying (the Dalai Lama), "The Method and Psychology of Centering Prayer" (Film); Teresa of Avilla, The Interior Castle; Desikachar, The Healing Art of Yoga. Students will be encouraged to add recommendations for novels, poems, films, and music that seem relevant.
Particulars: In addition to coming prepared to class, students will engage in a series of formal and informal writing projects, group presentations, and exploration of various meditation practices with guest speakers.
REL 205: Biblical Literature
Buss, TTh 10:00-11:15, (same as JS 205), MAX: 15
Content: In this course, we will seek to understand the dynamics of various parts of the Jewish Bible, called "Old Testament" by Christians. This will involve questions such as the following: What is said? How is it said? What appears to be the aim? Insofar as there can be disagreement in regard to these questions, we will look at different answers, both as they have been given by others and as they are presented by members of the class.
Texts:
JPS, Tanakh
Holy Bible, The African American Jubilee Edition
S. Sandmel, The Enjoyment of Scripture
C. Buchmann and C. Spiegel, eds., Out of the Garden
M. Buss, Manuscript
Particulars: Students will bring to each class an analysis of the text studied and will be ready to discuss their analyses orally in class. Students who have to miss class more than occasionally can turn their analyses into short papers and discuss them in an individual conference (which will normally cover two or three such papers covering the topics of two or three missed classes). There will be a midterm and a final. The course fulfills General Education Requirement IV.A (Humanities).
REL 210: Classic Religious Texts: The New Testament
Shauf, MWF 9:35-10:25, MAX: 30
Content: This course introduces students to the writings of the New Testament. We will seek to understand the New Testament writings in the historical and cultural contexts of the ancient Greco-Roman world and first century Judaism. We will study the texts both to learn about the experiences of the persons who formed the movement that came to be called Christianity and to understand the individual New Testament writings as expressions of and responses to those experiences. As we read these texts, an important goal for students will be to develop their analytical and comparative skills in textual interpretation, as well as their argumentative and expressive writing skills.
Texts: Our primary text will be the New Testament itself. Supplementary readings will provide background information and opportunities to engage varying interpretations of the primary texts.
Particulars: Careful reading of the primary texts is essential, as is regular attendance and class participation. Interpretation briefs will be submitted electronically before most classes. In addition, there will be two short (4-5 page) papers and two exams. This course fulfills General Education Requirement IV.A (Humanities).
REL 210: Classic Religious Texts: Domination and Resistance in the Hebrew Bible
Yates, MWF 10:40-11:30, MAX: 30
Content: This course will explore issues of power in and around a selection of texts from the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh/Old Testament). The purpose of the course will be to engage the texts in lively interpretations that address their content, historical and sociological background, and contemporary relevance. We will explore these different aspects through the lens of power. We will interpret one text per week, examining it from various angles, including: the power dynamics within the text (among the characters in the text, how is power distributed? how is it exercised? how is it subverted?); the power struggles behind the text (whom can we imagine to have been empowered and/or disempowered by such a text?); and the power of the text vis-à-vis contemporary readers (what kinds of power does it hold for different social groups, and how may it affect individuals today?). Class discussion will be an important component of the course, which fills the General Education Requirement.
Texts:
Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh
Packet
Reserve materials
Particulars: One short paper, a midterm and a final. Class participation will also factor into the evaluation process. The course fulfills General Education Requirement IV.A (Humanities).
REL 211: Western Religious Traditions
Gilders, TTh 10:00-11:15, MAX: 60
Content: This course provides an introduction to the history, thought, and practice of the three "Abrahamic" religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Topics and questions treated in the course will include: the identification of the three traditions as "western"; the meaning of monotheism; the place of Abraham (Avraham; Ibrahim) in each tradition; roles, status, and religious lives of women; contemporary problems and challenges (war and conflict; pluralism; responses to secularism); Jewish, Christian, and Islamic communities in Atlanta. Guest speakers will represent their traditions and address student questions. Three feature-length films will be shown outside of regular class time.
Texts: Introductory textbooks on the three traditions; additional readings in an on-line reserve collection.
Particulars: This course meets General Education Requirement V.B (Historical Perspectives on Western Culture). Students will take three tests and a final examination. Course writing will involve a choice of several short papers or one 10-page research paper.
REL 303S: Modern Hinduism
Flueckiger, TTh 11:30-12:45, (same as AS 303S), MAX: 12
Content: This course identifies and examines key themes and issues in the study of contemporary Hinduism, beginning with questions of definition and scope of the terms "modern" and "Hinduism." The primary focus will be on contemporary religious practice, including the ways in which religious texts are performed, received, and experienced, pilgrimage, festivals and ritual. We will consider the ways in which textual and performative traditions take different shapes and meanings according to varying contexts of historical movements, region, gender, and media of communication. Finally, we will look at Hinduism as it exists in our community here in Atlanta, through site visits, interviews, and media representations and consider the ways in which Hinduism is being reshaped in the diaspora.
Texts: Texts may include:
Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image, Diana Eck
Devi: Goddesses of India, ed. by J. S. Hawley and Donna Marie Wulff
Speaking of Siva, tr. by A. K. Ramanujan
The Ramayana: A Journey, Ranchor Prime
Fruitful Journeys: The Ways of Rajasthani Pilgrims, Ann Gold
Samskara, U. R. Anatha Murthy
Selected articles.
Particulars: Three short (3-4 pgs.) papers, one of which will be based on an ethnographic observation of a temple or domestic or community Hindu ritual/festival; a second short paper will be an analysis of a film or media news report concerning Hinduism; a final research paper (10-12 pgs).
REL 309: Modernization of Judaism
Chervin, TTh 2:30-3:45, (same as JS 309), MAX: 20
Content: The course will focus on the modernization of Judaism, i.e. the changes in Jewish religious identity and thinking which were caused by Jews' entrance into modern Western society. The aim is to enable students to understand the differences among the four major denominations of contemporary Judaism - Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionism. We will examine what these movements are and how they came about, and then use this knowledge to interpret current events. Because America constitutes the largest Jewish population in the world (larger than the State of Israel), and the fact that Jewish religious diversity is primarily an American phenomenon, our readings and discussions in the second half of the course will focus on the American scene. We will also have guest speakers representing each of the four denominations.
Texts:
Arthur Hertzberg, The Zionist Idea
P. Mendes-Flohr and J. Reinharz, The Jew in the Modern World
Michael Meyer, The Origins of the Modern Jew
Gilbert Rosenthal, Contemporary Judaism
Marshall Sklare, American Jews: A Reader
Jack Wertheimer, A People Divided
Particulars: Particulars: 1. Active class attendance and participation 2. Short written exercises 3. Site visits to two houses of worship and two-page reports for each 4. Midterm Exam and Final Exam
REL 311: Early and Medieval Christianity
Mikoski, MWF 8:30-9:20, MAX: 28
Content: This course will provide a broad overview of the fifteen centuries of Christian history from the New Testament through the late Medieval period. The course will introduce central themes in practice, belief, and controversy of the Pre-Reformation Christian traditions. The broad thematic approach of the course will be complemented by an in depth and careful reading of some important writings by four figures central to this fascinating and complex story.
Texts:
Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, vol 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation
The Gospel of John
Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians
Bradshaw, Early Christian Worship: A Basic Introduction to Ideas and Practice
Athanasius, On the Incarnation
Augustine, The Confessions
Aquinas, Aquinas' Shorter Summa
Julian of Norwich, Showings
Particulars: Mid-term exam, final paper
REL 313: Modern Catholicism
Sweeney, TTh 1:00-2:15, MAX: 20
Content: Modern Catholicism is a question and some would say a contradiction. Can the Catholic church be or become modern while remaining itself? This course provides a critical consideration of the question of Catholicism's relationship to modernity (into postmodernity). Beginning with some of the Decrees of the Council of Trent and the Vatican's anti-modern proclamations before Vatican I, we will move into the era of Catholic modernity and explore Catholic responses to some controversial topics of the past 150 years or so, including: church authority; political movements; the church's role in society; contemporary literature and the fine arts; the role of women in the church; sexual ethics; inculturation; and academic freedom.
Texts: The readings will be taken wherever possible from primary texts. In addition to official documents from popes, texts will include Dorothy Day's Long Loneliness, Thomas Merton's Seven Storey Mountain, Mary Daly's The Church and the Second Sex, and Gianni Vattimo's Belief.
Particulars: You will be expected to read the assigned texts carefully and to discuss them constructively. You will also be asked to write three short interpretive exercises (of about five pages each) and a final paper (of about fifteen pages) in several steps. Regular use of LearnLink and a weekly journal are components of this course. There will be no examinations.
REL 324: The Holocaust
Voyles, TTh, 11:30-12:45, (same as JS 324;), MAX: 15
Content: This course will probe the question of what it means to resist and respond to the Holocaust. Through the diverse media of film, art, literature, politics, and history, we will examine how various communities and individuals live in the shadows and memories of the Holocaust.
Texts:
The Nazi Holocaust, Ronnie S. Landau
The Survivor, Terrence Des Pres
Night, Elie Wiesel
Kindertransport, Diane Samuels
I Never Saw Another Butterfly
Maus, Art Spiegelman
Maus II, Art Speigelman
Videos:
Triumph of the Will
Genocide
Rumkowski and the Jews of Lodz
Courage to Care
Obedience
Image Before my Eyes
Ambulance
Particulars: TBA
REL 326: Spritual Dynamics of Afro-America
Stewart, TTh 1:00-2:15, (same as AAS 326), MAX: 15
Content: This course explores the evolution of Black theology from its inception in the academy in 1969 to the present day (2001). Students will examine the debates and controversies that have emerged within the discourse among Black theologians. Students will also examine themes and issues within the wider discipline of theology pertaining to the chief motifs and insights of Black theology. Some major themes considered are Black theology and theodicy; Black theology, the Black religious experience and the African heritage; the particular and universal in Black theology; womanist (Black feminist) challenges to Black theology; Black theology and the Black church; and praxis and reflection in Black theology.
Texts: Major Texts:
James Cone & Gayraud Wilmore, Black Theology: A Documentary History Volume One, 1966-1979
James Cone & Gayraud Wilmore, Black Theology: A Documentary History Volume Two, 1980-1992
James Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation
James Cone, God of the Oppressed
Josiah Young, A Pan African Theology: Providence and the Legacies of the Ancestors
Delores Williams, Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God-Talk
Anthony Pinn, Why Lord: Suffering and Evil in Black Theology
Particulars: One 6-page paper; a mid-term take-home examination; one 10-page paper; and journal entries.
REL 329: Religion and Ecology: Wilderness, Spirituality & Philosophy
Patterson, MWF 12:50-1:40, (same as ENVS 329), MAX: 10, TPL
Content: This class explores the relationship between nature and religion including theological, spiritual, and philosophical considerations. It also emphasizes how these approaches shape religious and ethical practices in wilderness or natural settings. We will examine paradigms of nature as sacred from Christian, Buddhist, and Amercan Indian traditions. Perspectives from Feminism, Deep Ecology, Global Ethics, and poetic discourse will be used for further analysis.

This class is a Theory Practice Learning class. Students will learn the theories and methods of the TPL approach to learning. Specifically, they will explore connections and disconnections between religious ideas of nature and the practices of religion related to nature. The course is designed to develop competence not only in theoretical and epistemological understandings of presented materials but also relevant attitudes and behaviors. Students will have opportunities to develop consciousness of "place" and consider how "place" relates to eco-justice. Fieldwork sites include the Emory campus, urban Atlanta, North Georgia, and North Carolina. SEVERAL WEEKEND CAMPING TRIPS ARE REQUIRED (Leaving Friday after noon and returning Saturday evening or Sunday by 2 p.m.)
Texts:
Rosemary Radford Reuther: Gaia and God
Forest Meditations
Texts from the Patristics
Sally McFague: The Body of God
Selections from: Dharma Gaia
Selections from Joanna Macy: Coming Back to Life
Gary Snyder: Practice of the Wild
Other articles
Particulars: Class participation is crucial. Assignments will include an 8 page topic paper (with references and footnotes), creation of a portfolio of learning and experience, and development of an "active learning activity" to be presented to the class relevant to our topics. You must be available for several field trips including a few weekend camping trips (leaving Friday afternoon and returning Saturday evening or Sunday by 2 p.m.)
REL 350S: Jesus and the Gospels
J. Smith, TTh 2:30-3:50, MAX: 18
Content: The course aim is essentially three-fold: (1) to acquaint the class participant with the canonical and non-canonical early Christian gospels; (2) to practice certain techniques of interpretation and to employ certain tools of research that can be used to analyze the various stories and teachings of Jesus, focusing rimarily on literary, social-scientific, and psychological methods; and (3) to survey the methods of historical research on Jesus and the various images of Jesus as a person that have been formed on the basis of this research. The emphasis will be on textual interpretation and discussion of religious texts from the Christian gospels and traditions associated with the activity, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth. It focuses on reading these stories and teachings from a variety of contemporary vantage points to elicit the meanings of stories about Jesus and his religious and social teachings. An effort will be made to review modern debates about Jesus and contemporary portraits of Jesus as a historical person. Contemporary social, ethical, and spiritual aspects that deal with Jesus and the gospel texts are sure to play a part in the class discussions and will be welcomed when appropriate.
Texts: Texts that may be utilized:
Robert J. Miller, ed., The Complete Gospels (Polebridge, 1994)
W. Barnes Tatum, In Quest of Jesus (Abingdon, 1999)
Wim Weren, Windows on Jesus (Trinity Press International, 2001)
Richard L. Rohrbaugh and Bruce J. Malina, Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels (Fortress, 1993)
Other selected articles
Particulars: Requirements for the class include two 5-7 page text interpretation papers and a final exam. In addition, there may occasionally be one-page response papers responding to a reading that lays the basis for open class discussion. The class will include some lectures but will be geared primarily around seminar-style discussions.
REL 352R: Women and Religion in China
Ho, MWF 12:50-1:40, (same as CHN 361 and WS 352R), MAX: 3
Content: This course will examine what impacts the religious traditions of China, including Confucianism, Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism, have had upon shaping the social experiences, roles and images of women in twentieth century China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. We will be exploring dimensions of the modern encounter between women and traditional Chinese traditions such as the construction of genders and the roles given them in the Chinese religions, and the images of the "goddess" and the symbolism of the female in art. We will also engage with contemporary Chinese women's responses to the traditional representations of their spiritual, sexual and social roles in various women's social movements, as well as a new presentation of the female body in contemporary Chinese cinema.
Texts: Course packet
Particulars: Weekly writing assignment, Group-project and Research paper.
REL 354WR: Ethics in Action: An Introduction to Practical Ethical Engagement
Snarr, MWF 11:45-12:35, Max: 20
Content: "Ethics in Action" takes an interdisciplinary approach to applying ethics in contemporary contexts. Drawing on religious, philosophical, sociological, and biological resources, we will examine the origins of morality and the cultivation of ethical and compassionate decision-making and leadership. The course is organized around concrete case studies and field practitioners in several sectors, e.g. business, political and familial ethics. In the end, the course raises questions about how ethical lives, communities, and institutions are formed in contemporary contexts.
Texts:
Reading Packet
Fasching and Dechant, Comparative Religious Ethics
Muesner, Making an Honest Living
Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed
Mahan, Forgetting Ourselves on Purpose: Ethics of Ambition
Particulars: Bi-weekly reflection papers, 4 public ethics practices or a theory-practice learning option, oral presentation and final written paper on topic of student's choice. This course fulfills the Post-Freshman Writing Requirement.
REL 360: Evil: Philosophical-Literary Approaches
Mahn, TTh 10:00-11:15, MAX: 20
Content: In this course, we will learn and evaluate several religious and philosophical responses to the problem of evil. We will also explore the limits to understanding evil based on narratives by those who suffer from and inflict evil. We begin by discussing different interpretations of evil and the difficulties with interpreting it. We then more closely examine the free-will defense (the idea that humans are responsible for evil), the “tragic” alternative, and different understandings of God and God’s relation to evil and suffering. Throughout the course, our interpretations will be “interrupted” by literature from Wiesel, Morrison, and Dosteyevski, and other narratives from film and sound recordings. Because theodicy (the problem of evil, philosophically construed) is often an implicitly Christian exercise, we will pay particular attention to Jewish responses to suffering/evil (especially in light of the Holocaust) and explore Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim resources for engaging "the human condition." Religious interpretation and religious narrative will thus serve as sources for our own reflection on the meaning and overcoming of evil.
Texts:
Farley, Wendy. Tragic Vision and Divine Compassion: A Contemporary Theodicy. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1990.
Inbody, Tyron L. The Transforming God: An Interpretation of Suffering and Evil. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1997.
Kelly, Joseph. The Problem of Evil in the Western Tradition: From the Book of Job to Modern Genetics. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2001.
Morrison, Toni. Beloved: A Novel. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1988.
Weisel, Ellie. Night. Trans. Stella Rodway. Toronto: Bantam, 1982.
All other readings will be available by electronic reserve, as accessible through the Blackboard syllabus.
Particulars: Besides seminar preparation and participation, you are asked to fulfill four assignments: (1) An in-class writing assignment, (2) a critical reflection paper, (3) a group presentation on resources in Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism for interpreting and responding to evil, and (4) a final paper, through which you will have the chance to explore an aspect of the course more closely.
REL 369: Religion and Film: India and the United States
Courtright/Laderman, MWF 12:50-1:40, (same as AMST 385, FILM 373, and AS 375), MAX: 20
Content: This course will explore the intesections of religion, culture, and film. Our focus will be comparative, investigating various religious themes and sensibilities informing films in two specific cultural settings: Bollywood and Hollywood. Students will be introduced to critical issues in the study of religion, including how increasing attention to globalization and popular culture is shaping the field, through thematic and historical comparisons of films produced in India and in the United States.
Texts: to be determined
Particulars: Students will be required to view films, participate in class discussions, take two exams, and write one short paper.
REL 370S: Special Topics: Mind, Medicine, and Healing
Laderman/Eisen/Rao, MWF 9:35-10:25, (same as Biology 470), MAX: 9, Permission of instructors required.
Content: This course is designed as a capstone seminar to mix students from the Neurosciences and Biology programs with students from Religion and other Humanities programs. Its aim is to explore the ways in which religion bears on healing, if at all. While much of the class will focus on contemporary debates and issues, the course will also examine the connections between religion and healing in a variety of different historical and cultural contexts. Science and humanities students will partner and develop research projects mentored by targeted Emory faculty from around the university who have volunteered to serve in this role.
Texts: to be determined
Particulars: Grades will be based on participation, presentations, and collaborative research projects.
REL 370: Special Topics: Religion and Media
Gray, TTh 4:00-5:15, MAX: 30
Content: Working in discussion- and team-based formats primarily, students will explore the role of religion in American culture with particular attention to how that role is reported in the U.S. media. The course will concentrate on contemporary and recent developments with an eye to historical antecedents and trends throughout. Students will learn how to examine religious phenomena from both the perspective of the devout and the secular and how to assess reporting about religion. Students will also learn to address the problem of defining religion; examine new religious movements and religious-like movements and institutions; and examine approaches to understanding religion’s primary social roles, basic organizational forms, and role in politics. Students will do active, ongoing monitoring of the coverage of religion in a variety of media.
Texts: Texts may include:
“Readings on Religion as News”
“Salvation on Sand Mountain”
“America’s Religions: From their Origins to the 21st Century”
“The Sociology of Religious Movements”
REL 370: Special Topics: Mind, Body, and Healing: Tibetan and Western Perspectives
Negi, TTh 1:00-2:15, (same as AS 370), MAX: 15
Content: This course aims at examining the fundamental principles underlying the processes of body - mind connections from both Tibetan and Western perspectives. We will focus on the role of emotions, stress and addiction in understanding various psychological and physical ailments, as well as the mind’s role in healing as explored in current Western research and Tibetan Buddhist contemplative and medical traditions.
Texts: Readings may be drawn from:
Healing Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, Emotions, and Health, edited by Daniel Goleman
Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Psychiatry: The Diamond Healing,Terry Clifford
Sleeping, Dreaming and Dying, Francisco Varela, Ed.
Molecules of Emotions: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine, Candice Pert
Beyond the Relaxation Response, Herbert Benson
REL 370S: Special Topics: Judaism and Sexuality
Riccetti, TTh, 10:00-11:15, (same as JS 370), MAX: 9, Seminar
Content: This course will provide an overview of how sexuality has been treated in the Jewish tradition, from the Bible and rabbinic law to contemporary and feminist thought. We will explore the material through class discussion and paired study groups (chevrutot). Knowledge of Hebrew is not necessary, though we will discuss certain Hebrew "value concepts" dealing with sexuality.
Texts: TBA
Particulars: Grades will be based on weekly short papers (topics will address questions discussed in class) and a 10-20 page final paper on any topic relevant to the class.
REL 370: Special Topics: South African History & Issues
Manegold, TTh, 2:30 - 3:45 p.m., (Same as JRNL 488, WS 385, AFS 389, AAS 270), MAX: 3, (Permission of Instructor Required)
Content: This interdisciplinary course introduces students to the history and contemporary issues of South Africa. It explores topics in modern South African history and issues facing a society undergoing enormous social change. The course encourages students to learn about themselves by challenging them to contrast and compare the racial dynamics in America with those in South Africa. Finally, this course allows students to do individualized preparation for May/June internships in Cape Town.
Texts: TBA.
Particulars: Enrollment in this course requires permission of the department under which the student will be completing the internship as well as the Journalism Program. Students must attend the orientation on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2002 in Callaway Center S423 (4 pm).
REL 372S: Qur'an and the Bible
V. Robbins, M 2:00-3:40/W 2:00-2:50, MAX:18
Content: Content: The Quran contains significant information about more than twenty people who play an important role in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh/Old Testament), and all of these people also are important for the New Testament. In addition, the Quran contains significant information about five people (including Jesus and Mary) who play an important role in the New Testament but not in the Hebrew Bible. This course will lead the student into interactive interpretation of the presentation and valuation of these people in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Quran. The broader context of importance for interactive interpretation of the Quran and the Bible lies in Old Textament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, NT Apocryphal Gospels and Apocalypses, the Diatessaron, Rabbinic Talmud and Midrash, and other lesser known writings and fragments of writings known by certain groups in Late Antiquity. The seminar will use collections of material (some in parallel columns for comparison) that instructors and research assistants have been compiling at Emory University for research on the Quran and the Bible.
Texts:
Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, The Glorious Quran (English and Arabic)
New Oxford Annotated Bible
Robert Miller, The Complete Gospels
Brannon M. Wheeler, Prophets in the Quran
Gordon D. Newby, A Concise Excyclopedia of Islam
Jamal J. Elias, Islam
Vernon K. Robbins, Exploring the Texture of Texts
Particulars: In addition to regular contributions to the ongoing work of the Seminar, each student will write a major paper on some aspect of the relation of the Quran and the Bible.
REL 372: Special Topics: Literature and Existence: Dostoevsky
J. Robbins, TTh 11:30-12:45, (Same as CPLT 490), MAX: 7

Content: In this course we will read closely three major works by Fyodor Dostoevsky. We will follow out his exploration of the themes of alienation, family conflict, responsibility to others, and the eclipse of God. We will attend especially to the evolution of Dostoevsky's dialogic artistry, as it has been theorized by Mikhail Bakhtin.
Texts:
Fyodore Dostoevsky: Crime and Punishment, The Possessed, The Brothers Karamozov
Mikhail Bakhtin: Dostoevsky's Poetics
Selections from Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus and The Rebel
Particulars: Requirements: two eight-to-ten-page papers.
REL 372: Special Topics: Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy
Negi, TTh 2:30-3:45, (same as AS 375), MAX: 15
Content: This course aims at providing the student with a comprehensive overview of the philosophical and metaphysical characteristics of the four principal movements that developed in Buddhist India during its classical period, i.e., pre-twelfth century A.D. All four of these movements were based on specific aspects of Buddha's own teachings, and emerged from the works of later Buddhist masters in their attempts to arrange the diverse elements of Buddha's doctrines into a cohesive structure. In that all schools of Buddhism that arose in other countries around Asia are based on trends found within these four, an understanding of them is paramount to an understanding of the many faces that Buddhism has revealed over the centuries in environments as diverse as China and Japan to Tibet, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Texts: Coursework will draw from texts representing the two basic literary sources: the original sutras of the Buddha (The Sutra of the Four Truths of the Noble Ones (Skt.Chaturarvadharmasutra), The Sutra that is the Heart of Wisdom (Skt. Prajnaparamitasutra), The Sutra Addressing the Intent of the Buddha (Skt. Samdhinirmochanasutra); and the commentaries of the later Indian masters (Acharya Vasubandhu's Treasury of Metaphysics (Skt. Abhidharmakosha), Acharya Dharmakirti's Analysis of Valid Cognition (Skt. Pramanavarttika), Acharya Asanga's Stages of the Attendants (Skt. Shravakabhumi), Acharya Chandrakirti's A Guide to the Middle View (Skt. Madhvwnakavatara). This will be done with English translations made from the Tibetan versions of these ancient texts, with reference reading drawn from modem scholarship.
Particulars: Students will be graded on four criteria: (1) Attendance and class participation; (2) Class presentations and written summaries of the readings; (3) A mid-term exam; (4) A final term paper, six to eight pages in length. This should first present the main points of one of the four schools, and conclude with either a defense or a refutation of these.
REL 372: Special Topics: Buber's Philosophy of Dialog
Dimitrova, Tues 1:00-4:00, (same as JS 730), MAX: 5
Content: Buber's philosophy shows that the principle of dialog is an all embracing perspective of our orientation in the world. In this sense, he presents an original and authentic point of view. Openness of the listener is of crucial importance when I meet Thou and we both get involved in the dialog. According to Buber, the mutual attention is always possible. Buber studies are directed mainly to elucidate how the dialogical principle works even in the modern and contemporary life, where the instrumental reason dominates. The core part of the course is devoted to the reading of Buber's texts. Students are expected to learn to interpret Buber's impact in both Jewish and Christian cultures.
Texts: Texts will include:
M. Buber. I and Thou. Charles Scribner's Sons, N.Y, 1970.
M. Buber. Between Man and Man. Beacon Press, Boston, 1959
M. Buber. The Knowledge of Man. Harper & Row, N.Y., 1965
M. Buber. On the Bible. Schoken Books, N.Y., 1968
The Library of Living Philosophers. The Philosophy of Martin Buber. Cambridge University Press, Volume.12, 1967
Gabriel Marcel: "I and Thou"
E. Levinas: "Martin Buber and the Theory of Knowledge"
Robert Welttsch: "Buber's Political Philosophy"
Jean Wahl: "M. Buber and the philosophies of existence"
Particulars: Class Attendance, 35%; Class Participation, 25%; Paper, 40%.
REL 387: Literature and Religion: Rethinking Religion and Welcoming Strangers
Holland, MWF 4:00-4:50, (same as CPLT 333), MAX: 10
Content: This course is designed to introduce students to the turn to religion in contemporary Theory. Why after a long period of dismissal of religion as a thing of the past is it back on the agenda of philosophers, cultural and literary critics? In order to think through the ethical and political responsibilities of European and North American nations in an age of migrancy, immigration, globalization, and cosmopolitanism, it appears vital to address the Jewish and Christian traditions and rethink them anew. This course will concentrate on the problem of the welcome of the stranger as a locus for contemporary ethico-political religious thinking in the West.
Texts: Required Texts:
The Bible (RSV)
H. Arendt, "We, Refugees," in Essays on Understanding
J. Caputo, On Religion
J. Derrida, Of Hospitality; "Faith and Knowledge," in Acts of Religion; Adieu to Emmanuel Levinas; "Hostipitality," in Acts of Religion; "On Cosmopolitanism," in On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness; "Globalization, Peace, Cosmopolitanism," in Negotiations; "Above All, No Journalists," in Religion and Media
D. Dummett, On Immigration and Refugees
J. Kristeva, Strangers to Ourselves
E. Levinas, "Substitution," in Basic Philosophical Writings
J.-L. Nancy, "The Deconstruction of Christianity," in Religion and Media
G. Vattimo, Belief; After Christianity
S. Zizek, On Belief; The Fragile Absolute, or, Why is the Christian legacy worth fighting for?
Particulars: In the fourth week of the course, in consultation with the instructor, the students will select a topic and texts (literary and theoretical) for a writing project (10-15 pages). Every week thereafter each student will hand in a page or two. The instructor will promptly return the work with comments. The students will then rewrite, refining and expanding the argument of their papers, week by week, until the due date at the end of the semester. At some point after Spring break, the students will share their written work with and receive feedback from their colleagues.
Class participation is important in this course. Students will prepare for each class by taking notes on the reading. The students will mark the passages that strike and / or perplex them. A conference center on learnlink will be set up so that each member of the class may make public their notes and questions. These notes and questions will guide us in class discussion as we read through the texts of the course.
Grade: 25% class participation, 25% presentations, and 50% paper.
REL 490WR: Senior Symposium: Writing Religion
Jordan, Wed 2:30-5:30, MAX: 30, Majors Only
Content: The symposium will be divided into two rather different parts. In the first part, we will read together some works that will help us think about the varieties of writing in and about religion. In the second part, you will be asked to carry forward ideas about writing religion into a single research project on a particular religious question or topic. The project can use any of the variety of methods or styles encompassed by the academic field “religious studies.”
Texts: The texts for the first part of the course will include at least
Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil
Leo Strauss, Persecution and the Art of Writing
Wendy Doniger, The Implied Spider
Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower
Gianni Vattimo, Belief
Particulars: Beyond their energetic attendance and informed participation, members of the symposium will be asked to write a series of short exercises in the first part of the semester, and then to propose and write a final essay of not less than 4000 words in the second. This course fulfills the Post-Freshman Writing Requirement.

REL 495R: Directed Reading (honors)
Faculty, (Permission of Instructor Required)
Content: Independent research for senior major and joint major students selected to participate in the department's Honors program. Readings on special topics in Religion as arranged between individual students and a specific member of the Department who consents to guide the student in her/his study, arrange requirements and appointments.

REL 497R: Directed Reading
Faculty, (Permission of Instructor Required)
Content: Readings on special topics in Religion as arranged between individual students and a specific member of the Department who consents to guide the student in her/his study, arrange requirements and appointments.
REL 497R: The Philosophy of Nagarjuna: The Dialectics of Emptiness
A Six Week Seminar offered by the Tibetan lama Geshe Palden Drakpa, translated and assisted by Geshe Lobsang Negi (2 credits)
Geshe Palden Drakpa, Th 5:30-7:30, Max: 20, (Permission of Instructor Required)
Content: In this seminar Geshe Palden Drakpa will present the key concepts of the Prasangika Madhyamaka School of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, a movement that is often said to represent the highest and most subtle interpretation of the Buddhist doctrine of reality/emptiness, and serves as the foundation of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He will lead students on an intellectual exploration of some of the quintessential Buddhists ideas that seem to harmonize with modern attitudes. Topics will include relativity and infinity, the nature of the self, the status of causality, an analysis of space and time, perception and its impact upon experience, and the characteristics of valid cognition.
In presenting these concepts Geshe Drakpa will utilize the Madhyamaka methodology of dialectics, or prasanga, a technique for deconstructing ideas and philosophical positions, such as those of materialists and idealists. He will base his presentation on the Mula-madhyamaka-karika-shastra, or Root Treatise on the Middle View, by the second century Indian master Acharya Nagurjuna, as elucidated by Nagarjuna's disciple Acharya Chandrakirti in his Madhyamaka-avatara, or Guide to the Middle View.
[Geshe Palden Drakpa is one of the greatest living Tibetan scholars of Madhyamaka Philosophy. He was born in the Tehor region of Kham, Eastern Tibet and became a monk of Drepung Loseling while in his early teens. He excelled in his studies, and eventually was awarded the Geshe Lharam, the highest academic degree offered in the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. He served as scholar in residence at Tibet House in New Delhi for many years, and has represented Tibet in the Mind and Life Conferences held at the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala bi-annually as an interface of western contemporary sciences with the Tibetan wisdom tradition. He has also served as Visiting Professor at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He currently lives and teaches at Drepung Loseling Monastery in India.]
Particulars: Requirements include regular attendance, active participation (50% of grade), and a final exam (this exam will be oral, conducted in the traditional Tibetan style of debate; students will be expected to prepare for this exam as rigorously as they would for a written exam).

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