*Religion 97. Tutorial — Sophomore Year
Catalog Number: 7608
Brian C. W. Palmer
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Note: Required of concentrators.
*Religion 98a. Tutorial — Junior Year
Catalog Number: 2832
Brian C. W. Palmer and assistants
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Required of concentrators.
*Religion 98b. Tutorial — Junior Year
Catalog Number: 2922
Brian C. W. Palmer and assistants
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Required of concentrators.
*Religion 99. Tutorial — Senior Year
Catalog Number: 6498
Brian Charles William Palmer and assistants
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
A required component of the senior year tutorial is a monthly seminar, led by the Assistant Head Tutor. Covers research methods and strategies in thesis writing in the fall, becoming an intensive review for general examinations in the spring.
Note: Required of concentrators.
[Religion 13. Scriptures and Classics]
Catalog Number: 1723
William A. Graham, Jr.
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An introduction to the history of religion based on selective reading in significant texts from diverse religious and cultural traditions. Considers important thematic issues (e.g., suffering, death, love, transcendence, community) as well as problems of method and definition as they present themselves in the sources. Readings from texts such as the Veda, Bhagavad Gita, Buddhacarita, Lotus Sutra, Confucian Analects, Chuang Tzu, Gilgamesh, Aeneid, Torah, New Testament and Qur’an.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3225.
[Religion 14. Comparative Religious Ethics: An Introduction to the Study of Religion]
Catalog Number: 7539
Charles Hallisey
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An introduction to the comparative and historical study of religion through an exploration of the role of morality and ethical reasoning in human and religious life, as well as the role of religious experiences, ideas, and practices in ethics. The course draws materials from four religious traditions—Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and Confucian—as well as non-religious sources to consider both the nature and diversity of human morality cross-culturally and the extent to which morality and ethics are universals in human life.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3100.
Religion 42. The Christian Bible and Its Interpretation
Catalog Number: 5870
Peter J. Gomes (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). W., F., at 11, and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Introduction to the Christian conception of scripture from the closing of the Canon to the Fundamentalist/Modernist controversy. Topics to be considered include the relationship of scripture to tradition, appropriation of Hebrew scripture, exegetical and hermeneutical theories, and scripture and culture. Particular attention paid to the development of theories of scriptural authority and their social consequences within the Western Christian experience and American Protestantism.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1210.
[Religion 45. Martyrs, Mystics, and Heretics: Alternative Christianities]
Catalog Number: 4735
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Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An introduction to the history of Christian traditions through individuals and groups whose claims to Christian identity were fiercely contested in their day. What kinds of issues have proved critical in determining Christian identity? Case studies include: martyrs and Gnostics in early Christianity; medieval mystics; 16th-century reformers; the so-called “witches” of the 17th century; and the American Shakers. In conclusion we consider controversial interpretations of Jesus Christ in 20th-century liberation and postmodern theologies. Along the way, we consider thematic concerns spanning the role of human bodies in religious life, the nature of women, attitudes towards sexuality and worldly pleasure, and the church as an institution in relation to personal faith and empowerment.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02.
[Religion 1551. For the Love of God and His Prophet: Literary and Artistic Expressions of Muslim Devotional Life: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 0110 Enrollment: Limited to 20. Limited to 20.
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Designed as an introduction to Islam, this course focuses on literature and the arts (poetry, calligraphy, dance, music, drama, and architecture) as expressions of Muslim devotion, as well as their role in worship and liturgy. Course material drawn from several regions beyond the Middle East, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3887.
[Religion 1600. An Introduction to Hinduism]
Catalog Number: 4479
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This course will attempt an Introduction to Hinduism(s) by a reading of some of the texts that have gained prominence amongst Hindus over the centuries. Readings will include extracts from the ancient Vedas, the philosophical Upanisads, the Dharma law books, psycho-meditational texts such as the Yoga Sutras, the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics, the famous Bhagavad Gita, the Siva Purana, the Devi Gita of the Goddess, devotional poetry, and modern religious writings that have become authoritative texts amongst various present–day religious groups.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3423.
Religion 1700. Introduction to Buddhism
Catalog Number: 3486 Enrollment: Limited to 30.
Karen Anne Derris
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
This course will consider the variety of ways that Buddhists have defined, and engaged with the “three jewels” of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teaching), and the Sangha (the Buddhist community). Using this framework we will examine doctrine, practice, and culture in different parts of the Buddhist world in a variety of historical periods and consider the many ways people have lived and continue to live as Buddhists.
Note: Only offered in the fall 2000. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3231.
[*Religion 1005. World Religions in Boston: Research Seminar ]
Catalog Number: 3289
Diana L. Eck
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An investigation of the religious traditions of the world in the dynamic context of the United States focusing on the presence of these traditions in the increasingly complex and diverse religious life of the Boston area today. This is a research seminar in which the class visits a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple or meditation center, and an Islamic center. Each student undertakes field research on a particular religious community.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3901.
[Religion 1007. Religion in Multicultural America]
Catalog Number: 3416
Diana L. Eck
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An exploration of the changing religious landscape of the United States, looking at the history and dynamic interaction of the various religious traditions that now compose the American religious scene. Looks briefly at Native American, Christian, and Jewish traditions, but focuses more on the religious life of Asian-Americans—Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Jain—and on the African-American and immigrant traditions of Islam. Throughout is a dual focus on how the various religious traditions are changing in the American environment and how America is changing in this new multireligious context.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3221.
Religion 1009. Designing a World Religion Museum
Catalog Number: 4290
Lawrence E. Sullivan (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 11 and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
If you could design a World Religion Museum, how would you do it? Impassioned public debates surround the treatment of religion in museums, where research, education, and entertainment are displayed in revealing ways. This course asks how we learn and teach about religion in a plural society. As leisure time and access to “other” cultures grow, museums crystallize questions about the relationship of: art to religion, education to entertainment, object to community, self-representation to representation of the “other.” How do you reconcile the authority of social institutions with the ongoing creativity of living communities? What context best discloses the meaning of religious art: patronage, patrimony, property, or performance? Drawing on existing models and new proposals, students will develop defensible intellectual concepts and cultural content for a museum. This course will be offered in collaboration with the School of Design, the School of Education, and other Harvard graduate programs to produce model museums, replete with content and educational programs.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 3323.
[Religion 1010. Religious Life Among Indigenous Cultures in the Americas]
Catalog Number: 4509
Lawrence E. Sullivan (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This course examines a selection of cultural cases in order to contextualize a variety of beliefs and practices such as religious cosmologies, myths, rites of passage, institutions, specialists, built forms, and historical movements.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3708.
[Religion 1011. Ritual Experience and Critical Perception: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 5624
Lawrence E. Sullivan (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This seminar examines perceptions associated with ritual experience and evaluates various disciplinary approaches to such elements as mimesis, mnemonics, gesture, music, and visual spectacle.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3915.
Prerequisite: Graduate introduction to methods in the study of religion, or equivalent.
Religion 1013. God: The Beginnings: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6377
Eugene McAfee
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
The deity known as “God” in western religions first appears as El in texts from ancient Syria-Palestine (Canaan) in the mid-second millennium B.C.E. This course will examine El as he is portrayed in mythological and cultic texts from the ancient kingdom of Ugarit and in ancient Semitic inscriptions. Readings will focus on El as divine patriarch of the Ugaritic pantheon, his relationships to other Ugaritic deities, and his relationships to humans. The course will also examine the incorporation of El into the sacred writings of ancient Israel and, through them, into the religions of the modern west.
Religion 1016. How to Understand Religion: Theory from Max Müller to Catherine Bell
Catalog Number: 5017
Lawrence E. Sullivan (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 11 and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Surveying modern methods, this basic course reviews prominent theorists and schools concerned with the nature and function of religion in order to ground key questions about religion and culture.
Is religion rooted primarily in a personal quest for meaning or in institutional control of society? Do the order and function of religion operate largely on an unconscious level, like the structures of spoken language? Do myth and symbol point to truth? How can such truths be known and expressed? Are religious texts the best guides to religious meaning, or do actions speak louder than words? Do the origins of religion still shape religious experience and practice today? Are religions similar or different? Is the human being fundamentally intrinsically religious?
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 3321.
Religion 1017. New Religious Movements and Society: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 8082
Helen Hardacre
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
This conference course examines the emergence and development of new religious movements (NRMs) from the 19th century to the present, based on case studies from Europe, Africa, the United States, and Japan. Topics include interpretations of the founding of NRMs, conflicts between NRMs and the media, and the contemporary millenarianism.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 3810.
[Religion 1025. Ritual and the Religious Life: A Thematic Introduction to Religion]
Catalog Number: 5239
Lawrence E. Sullivan (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An exploration of the nature, structure, and meaning of ritual act and ritual language in human religious life, drawing materials from the great religious traditions, especially the Native American, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian. Consideration of meditation, the yearly cycle of festivals; and the rites of the life cycle from birth to death.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3320.
[Religion 1030. Texts, Writers, and Readers]
Catalog Number: 1164 Enrollment: Limited to 20. Limited to 20.
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This readings and research colloquium studies the production and transmission of texts within different religious traditions (chiefly Christianity, but also Buddhism, Judaism, etc.); authority or authenticity in relation to the fluidity of transmission; and the meanings of “author” and of the mediating figure of “reader.” The primary focus is on written texts, though oral tradition will be considered as well.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered by the Divinity School as 2389.
[Religion 1045. Thinking About Thinking]
Catalog Number: 6190 Enrollment: Limited to 100. 100 total: 30 law students, 30 graduate students from other Harvard schools, 30 undergratuates, and 10 fellows.
Harvey G. Cox, Jr. (Divinity School), Alan Dershowitz (Law School), and Stephen J. Gould
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A discussion of selected topics with the aim of isolating, illustrating, and examining the distinctive modes of thinking in science, religion, philosophy and law. Topics vary from year to year and may include some of the following: line-drawing and classification; beginnings and endings of life; effects and side-effects; causality, evidence, explanation and contingency; free will; biological and genetic explanations of behavior; legal punishment; discrimination and affirmative action; race, ethnicity and nationality; parents and children; gender; contrast between religious and empirical beliefs; natural law; textual interpretation; realism and perspectivism; animal rights.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2480.
[Religion 1075. Jerusalem: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry]
Catalog Number: 3014
Harvey G. Cox, Jr. (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A holy city for three faiths, the focus of poetry, song, legend, and ideology, and a continuing political flashpoint, the city of Jerusalem provides a rich case study in religious history, art and architecture, eschatology and the phenomenology of sacred space. It also provides a critical test for inter-faith dialogue and peace-making. Utilizing a variety of disciplines, we will explore the meanings Jerusalem has had in the past and consider alternative solutions to current questions about its future.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2505.
*Religion 2002. Major Themes in the Study of Religion: Seminar
Catalog Number: 0803
Gary Anderson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
A consideration of the issue of comparison in the study of religion. Problems in comparing religious phenomena are discussed through the preparation and presentation of sample course syllabi on particular themes across diverse religious traditions.
Note: For all second-year doctoral students in the Study of Religion.
Religion 2005. Doctoral Colloquium in Religion, Gender, and Culture
Catalog Number: 8016
Leila Ahmed (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 5–7 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 9
Discussions will explore the critical feminist theories on religion and their significance for the emerging field of gender/ women’s/ feminist studies in religion and feminist theology. This colloquium is required for Th.D. and Ph.D. candidates in Religion, Gender, and Culture in preparation for the general examinations in this concentration. Participants may also include faculty in the area and, by permission, doctoral students in other areas and masters level students interested in the Religion, Gender, and Culture doctoral program.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2690.
Religion 2007hf. Religion and Society Colloquium
Catalog Number: 5355 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Ronald Thiemann (Divinity School)
Half course (throughout the year). M., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
A required year-long seminar for all pre-generals doctoral students in the Religion and Society department. Topic for 2000-01: Political Theory and Religious Reflection: A review of the interaction between political reflection on democratic government and theological reflection on the role of religion in public life. Attention will be given to the following topics: the separation of church and state, political liberalism and its critics, public reason and religious discourse, religion and human rights, religious diversity and democratic reform, democratic politics and inclusivity. Spring term will be devoted to presentations of papers, dissertation chapters, and articles by students and faculty.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School ast 2697.
[Religion 2010. Religions of the World and Ecology: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 3153
Lawrence E. Sullivan (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This course examines beliefs and practices associated with sustaining the environment in a selection of religious traditions. It aims to contextualize those beliefs and practices within the history and cosmologies of the traditions considered.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3916.
Prerequisite: Graduate introduction to methods in the study of religion or equivalent.
Religion 2040. Religion and Human Rights
Catalog Number: 8115
David Little (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 9:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 11, 12, 13
This course will consider the legal, historical, theoretical, and practical connections between religion and human rights. Debates over universality, particularly in relation to religious freedom and nondiscrimination, will be given special attention. Recent theoretical and empirical work, particularly in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, will be taken up.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2800.
[Religion 2041. Conscience and Its Freedom: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 7093
David Little (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A consideration of the meaning and significance of the concept of conscience. The seminar will examine the history of the idea in Western thought, and give some attention to its place in Islamic and other cultural settings. It will also touch on the role of conscience in contemporary human rights discourse. It will take up contemporary philosophical, theological, and legal problems associated with the term.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2810.
Religion 2042. Religion, Nationalism, and Peace
Catalog Number: 7857
David Little (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
This course will sample the literature on nationalism and ethnicity as it bears on conflict, with special focus on the role of religion. Specific cases will be examined, such as Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tibet, Northern Ireland, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and Bosnia. Attention will be paid to the ingredients of peace in such situations, and how religion has and may function constructively.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2812.
Religion 1212b. Judaism: The Liturgical Year
Catalog Number: 8074
Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
A continuation of Religion 1212a.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1667b/3667b.
Prerequisite: Religion 1212a.
[Religion 1260. Midrash: Jewish Biblical Interpretation in the Rabbinic Period]
Catalog Number: 2424
Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An introduction to the way the rabbis of the Talmudic period interpreted their Bible. Close reading in English of a range of midrashic literature, halakhic and aggadic, exegetical and homiletical, Tannaitic and Amoraic. Emphasis on literary assumptions and theological affirmations. Consideration of the affinities and contrasts of midrash with early Christian biblical interpretation and with contemporary literary theory.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3669.
Religion 1402. The New Testament: Texts and Context
Catalog Number: 9074
Helmut H. Koester (Divinity School) and Mimi Bonz
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–5 and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
This course will provide an introduction to both the literature of the New Testament and to the earliest history of the Christian churches and its diverse communities. Beginning in Palestine in the Hellenistic period, the course will discuss John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth, and the origin of the Jerusalem and Antioch churches. The creation of the gospels and the letters of the New Testament, as well as other early Christian literature, will then be studied in juxtaposition to the diverse historical, geographical, and literary contexts in which they developed: in Palestine, Syria, the Greek cities of Aegean, Rome, and Alexandria of Egypt.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 1205.
Religion 1414. Gospel Stories of Women
Catalog Number: 6902
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3 and group meetings at 12 and by arrangement. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
This course will introduce a critical feminist rhetorical reading of various gospel texts. Special attention will be given to the significance of social location, critical methods, and historical imagination for biblical interpretation. Discussions will focus on hermeneutical-theological questions and their consequence for contemporary religious self-understandings and ministerial praxis. Lectures, group discussions and group projects seek to foster a participatory democratic style of learning.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1503/ 2557.
Prerequisite: Religion 1415 or equivalent.
[Religion 1416. Feminist Biblical Interpretation]
Catalog Number: 3002
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This course will give a basic introduction to the emerging field of feminist biblical studies by discussing different hermeneutical approaches, methods of interpretation, and theoretical perspectives. Special attention will be given to historical interpretation and the significance of feminist hermeneutics for contemporary theological reflection and education for ministry. Lectures, group discussions, and presentations seek to foster a participatory style of learning.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1504/2558.
[Religion 1419. Jesus of Nazareth and the Gospels]
Catalog Number: 9164
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An investigation into the Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and apocryphal early Christian Gospels (Gospel of Thomas, Dialogue of the Savior). The development of these Gospels and their traditions will be discussed as well as the “Quest for the Historical Jesus.”
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 1500.
[Religion 1420. History of Ancient Christianity from the Beginnings to the 4th Century]
Catalog Number: 2397
Karen L. King (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This course is designed to introduce students to the full range of the historical materials of ancient Christianity from the first to 4th centuries. Special emphasis will be given to setting out the diversity of Christian ideas and practices, the invention of orthodoxy, and the processes of Christian identity formation within the social and political context of the Roman empire.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered by the Divinity School as 1260/2145.
[Religion 1421. The Gospel of Luke]
Catalog Number: 8662
François Bovon (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A literary, historical, and theological interpretation of some chapters of the Greek text of Luke’s Gospel. Exegetical discussion will focus on Luke’s style, art of composition, and sources, as well as his situation in the history of Christianity. Patristic and Reformation interpretations of Luke will be compared from time to time with the work of modern exegetes.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1511.
Prerequisite: One and one half years of Greek.
[Religion 1422. The Epistle to the Romans]
Catalog Number: 1796
François Bovon (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Historical and theological exegesis of the English text (with separate section reading the Greek text). Emphasis will be put on the historical situation of the author and of the addressees, on the theological structure of the epistle, and on the Jewish roots of Paul’s arguments. Some aspects of Paul’s reception in the life of the Christian churches will be integrated into the course.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1519.
Prerequisite: One and one half years of Greek.
Religion 1423. First Images of Christ—Earliest Christologies of the New Testament
Catalog Number: 8983
François Bovon (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 9–11 and one hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 11, 12
The course will discuss the earliest forms of christology and their history. Starting from the Jewish messianic expectations of the first century C.E., it will investigate the prophetic perspective of Jesus and christological concepts of the first Christian congregations.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1479.
Prerequisite: Introduction to the New Testament or equivalent.
Religion 1424. The First Epistle to the Corinthians
Catalog Number: 1514
François Bovon (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
This course will focus on Paul’s historical and theological argument through a careful reading of the Greek text. An attempt will be made to reconstruct the social setting of the first Christian community in Corinth. Course may be elected as the equivalent of the fourth semester of Greek.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 1521
Prerequisite: One and one–half years of Greek.
[Religion 1425. The Presence of God in the New Testament]
Catalog Number: 5275
François Bovon (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The variety and structural unity of early Christian faith as described particularly in Paul’s letters, the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John are considered in a historical perspective
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 1240.
Prerequisite: Introduction to the New Testament or the equivalent.
Religion 1426. The Apocryphal Jesus and the Noncanonical Apostles: Introduction to Ancient Christian Apocryphal Literature
Catalog Number: 8930
François Bovon (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Th., 1-3 and one hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
This course will begin by exploring the field of non-canonical gospels, particularly Greek fragments of lost Gospels, then devote a longer time to the apocryphal acts of the apostles, particularly to the Acts of Philip, and conclude by reading the Apocalypse of Peter and the Apocalypse of Paul. Course HDS 1874 is intended to act as a sequel to this course.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 1270/ 2130.
Religion 1427. The Origins of Gnosticism and the Identity of Christianity
Catalog Number: 3574
Karen L. King (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3 and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Over fifty years have passed since the discovery of the “Nag Hammadi Library” in 1945. Three years ago, publication of critical editions of the full corpus was completed. Now the task of assessing the meaning and significance of these and related materials is beginning in earnest. This course will introduce students to critical issues concerning the identity of Christianity, including the problem of the origins and definition of “Gnosticism” (if such a thing exists), describing the diversity of ancient Christianities, defining orthodoxy and heresy, and discussing practices of syncretism and discourse of anti-syncretism. It will also introduce students to the analysis of select primary literature, including The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Truth, The Apocryphon of John, and The Hypostasis of the Archons.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1700.
Prerequisite: Introduction to the New Testament or History of Ancient Christianity, or the equivalent.
Religion 1431. Introduction to Patristic Theology: The Cappadocians
Catalog Number: 4279
Nicholas P. Constas (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11:30 and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
This course is an introduction to patristic theology through the work of Basil of Caesarea, Gregory Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa. From the eastern province of Cappadocia, these fourth-century thinkers are among the most important theologians of Christian antiquity. Their major works will be studied in English translation and organized around the following themes: 1) Trinitarian theology and the ontology of personhood; 2) creation and cosmology; 3) anthropology, gender, and eschatology; and 4) asceticism and spirituality.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2581.
Religion 1432. Theology of the Icon
Catalog Number: 2091
Nicholas P. Constas (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11:30 and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
Historical and systematic introduction to the icon as both theological category and liturgical/devotional artifact through lectures, readings, slides, and museum visits. The history of the icon will be traced from Greco-Roman Egypt to the pop-icons of Andy Warhol, with special attention to medieval icons and their viewers. Theological themes include creation and incarnation, modes of presence and relation, the production of sacred space and perspective, and the role of women in the struggle against Byzantine Iconoclasm. Ancient sources range from John of Damascus, Theodore the Studite, and iconophile hagiography, to the proceedings of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Modern theologies of the icon will also be surveyed through the work of Florensky, Evdokimov, and Lossky, along with Levinas’ conceptualization of the face and Marion’s distinction between the icon and the idol.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2582.
Religion 1433. Holy Deserts and Sacred Mountains: The Spirituality of the Christian East: Seminar
Catalog Number: 3417 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Nicholas P. Constas (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
This course is an introduction to the spirituality of the Christian East from its beginnings in the deserts of Egypt and Syria, through its later development in late-antique Palestine and medieval Byzantium. The early modern revival of the contemplative life on Mt. Athos and its transmission to the Slavic world will also be explored. The history of asceticism and spirituality will be approached through study of the classical sources with attention to a range of modern social and cultural interpretations. Major themes include attitudes toward the body and sexuality, methods of prayer and devotional practices, and the nature of mystical experience.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2593.
Religion 1465. Liberalism and Orthodoxy, 1600–1870
Catalog Number: 0833
David Sumner Hall
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 9 and one hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 11
The emergence of Unitarianism, Universalism, and Transcendental Perfectionism in the context of 17th-century Puritanism, the impact of the Enlightenment, romanticism, moral and social reform and the meaning and uses of “domesticity.”
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2317.
[Religion 1466. Practices of Piety: Studies in the History of Devotion, Worship, and Spirituality]
Catalog Number: 1079
David Sumner Hall
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Encompassing Catholic and Protestant practice from the 15th to the 18th centuries, and dealing both with European and American materials, this readings and research colloquium addresses such topics as sacraments and sacramentals, asceticism and bodily mortification, mysticism and spirit possession, confraternities and youth groups, social discipline and religious instruction.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2388.
[Religion 1470. Introduction to Ethics]
Catalog Number: 2884
Arthur J. Dyck (Public Health and Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An introductory analysis of the major questions of ethics regarding the identification, justification, and attainment of what is moral for individuals and communities. Readings include classical and modern texts, both philosophical and theological, and acquaint the student with contemporary modes of moral reasoning.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2700.
Religion 1471. Human Rights
Catalog Number: 8564
Preston N. Williams (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
An examination of philosophical, theological, and political theories of human rights and their implementation by Christian churches and national governments. Emphasis will be placed upon the relation of theory to practice, the formations of action guidelines, and the ethical criteria for the evaluation of policy proposals. Case studies will be employed. Primarily constructive and comparative.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2740.
Religion 1472. The Ethical and Religious Thought of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Catalog Number: 8761
Preston N. Williams (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
A study of the life, thought, and actions of Martin Luther King, Jr. An ethical analysis of his primary concepts, ideas, and strategies based upon a reading and discussion of his writings and their sources.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2721.
Religion 1475. Christian Social Ethics: Seminar
Catalog Number: 2905
Ralph B. Potter (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Introduction to the major alternative modes of thought and action by which Christians have sought to express concerns for social and political issues. Stress put on the social dimension of Christian ethics with attention to the behavioral sciences and philosophy. Historical, descriptive, and normative in character.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2711.
[*Religion 1477. Pentecostalism]
Catalog Number: 5792
Harvey G. Cox, Jr. (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Through class discussion and field visits the course explores the fastest growing religious movement in the world today; its appeal to poor and marginalized people; the role of women; its history and theology; healing and glossalalia; and the emergence of a pentecostal social theology.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered with the Divinity School as 2495.
[Religion 1489. Contemporary Interpretations of Jesus]
Catalog Number: 6437
Harvey G. Cox, Jr. (Divinity School) and Allen D. Callahan (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Beginning with the narratives of the life of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), this course covers four current efforts to reclaim his significance: 1) the new search for the “historical Jesus,” especially the Jesus Seminar and its critics; 2) emerging Asian, African, and Latin-American Christian views of Jesus; 3) recent interpretations of Jesus in such non-Christian faiths as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism; and 4) images of Jesus in music, film, and literature.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2483.
[Religion 1490. Feminist Theology as Systematics: A Critical Survey]
Catalog Number: 3223
Sarah Coakley (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This course surveys some of the best work on feminism and Christianity to date, and analyzes its effect on the contemporary task of systematic theology. A course suitable for both those with no previous knowledge of feminist theology, and for those with a good background in this field, the early lectures give some telling examples of how feminist insights have shifted the ground of discussion in biblical exegesis, in patristics, and in medieval church history and spirituality. We shall also look briefly at the construction of ideas of “femininity” in Enlightenment philosophy and theology, which provides the historical backcloth against which a range of contemporary feminist theologies (both Christian and post-Christian) may be discussed and analyzed in later lectures.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2436.
[Religion 1491. Themes in Christian “Spirituality”: Theories of Prayer, Self and Gender]
Catalog Number: 3824
Sarah Coakley (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
“Spirituality” and “mysticism” are both relatively modern words; we shall start by peeling back some misunderstandings that may attend them. Thereafter, the course will be strongly text-based. We shall begin by comparing Jesus on “prayer” and Plato on “contemplation,” and move from there to a number of distinctive theories of “prayer,” “meditation,” and “contemplation” in the Christian tradition (both East and West), and analyze how the discussion of prayer-practice is interwoven with presumptions about the nature of the (gendered) self. We shall be especially concerned with the way the Platonic and neo-Platonic traditions have been assimilated into Christian “spirituality.”
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2439.
[Religion 1492. Introduction to Christian Theology]
Catalog Number: 2161
Sarah Coakley (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A basic course for beginning students which will analyze different approaches to Christian theology as evident in classic, modern, and contemporary theological texts.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2401.
[Religion 1493. Contemporary Roman Catholic Theology]
Catalog Number: 6926
Francis Fiorenza (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A survey of contemporary Roman Catholic theology that discusses issues in the interpretations of God, Jesus, and the church with reference to theological method. The broad spectrum of present-day Roman Catholic theology will be covered through an analysis of diverse theologians and approaches: existential, transcendental, liberationist, feminist, analytical, and hermeneutical.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2479.
Religion 1494. Feminist Theory and Theology: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1430 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
The seminar explores the intersections of feminist theory with feminist theologies and gender studies in religion. This semester’s discussions will focus on feminist political theories and their implications for the articulation of a critical feminist political theology and spirituality.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2689
[Religion 1495. Introduction to Theological Thinking]
Catalog Number: 5154
David Lamberth (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A basic survey of a variety of approaches to theology through considering major works of significant figures. We will ask such questions as: What is the nature of theology for each author? How does she or he ask and respond to theological questions? What is distinctive and influential about his or her view of theology? Through this examination we will also be concerned more generally with the question of what theological thinking is today and what its relation is to other fields of inquiry. Authors will be drawn from the early medieval to the to the contemporary periods.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2402.
Religion 1496. Light in the Darkness: Religious Faith and Secular Values in Contemporary Anglo-American Cinema
Catalog Number: 6783 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Eugene McAfee
Half course (spring term). Th., at 3; section 4–5; weekly screenings; Mon. 7:30–10:30. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
A systematic study of the representation of religion and values in contemporary Anglo-American film. The course will examine the cinematic depiction of (a) “religion,” a worldview held by individuals who feel increasingly marginalized in modern Anglo-American society, and (b) the values which currently occupy pride of place in public discourse: the distribution and exercise of power, socioeconomic class consciousness, ethnic identity, and relations within and between the sexes, including the family. Films screened in the past have included The Last Temptation of Christ, Romero, Chariots of Fire, Priest, Pulp Fiction, Boys N the Hood, and Taxi Driver.
[Religion 2464. Radical Religion in England and America, 1550–1750: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 5810 Enrollment: Limited to 20. Limited to 20.
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The history of the Puritan movement in the context of the Reformation and the Reformed tradition; mainstream and radical movements, including Quakerism. A reading seminar, using primary materials and the major historiography.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2270.
[Religion 2469. Ernst Troeltsch: Social Theorist, Philosopher of History, Theologian: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8632 Enrollment: Limited to 12. Limited to 12.
Sarah Coakley (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This seminar will discuss some of the major influential writings of Ernst Troeltsch (1865–1923), setting him in the context of his own day and assessing his relevance for contemporary theology.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Not open to undergraduates. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2648.
Prerequisite: Graduate work in theology or philosophy.
[Religion 2477. God]
Catalog Number: 8838 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Francis Fiorenza
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An analysis of select 20th-century theologians in their approach to the issue of the knowledge of God and in their intrepretations of the nature of God.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2634.
[Religion 2490. Philosophy, “Religious Experience,” and Feminist Critique: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 5297 Enrollment: Limited to 30.
Sarah Coakley (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This course will examine the notion of “religious experience” as it has been constructed and utilized in different schools of 20th-century philosophy of religion, and then subject the notion to feminist analysis. We shall ask to what philosophical purposes “religious experience” has been put: as a justificatory tool in evidential arguments for theism, as an organizing concept for certain intense psychological states, or as a means for counting theistic belief as “properly basic.” We shall also consider philosophical reasons for being suspicious of evidential appeals to discrete “religious experiences.” Drawing on recent work in feminist epistemology, as well as a number of test cases from the history of “female mysticism,” we shall expose the gender dimensions of these various philosophical accounts of intimacy with the divine.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2647.
Prerequisite: Graduate work in philosophy and theology.
[Religion 2492. Christology: Ancient, Modern, and Contemporary: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8450 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This seminar will offer: an examination of formative christological developments in the patristic period, focusing on interpretational problems with the Definition of Chalcedon (451); an analysis of the fate of Antiochene/Alexandrian emphases in christology including a discussion of various understandings of “communications of idiom” in Greek, Scholastic, and Protestant thought; consideration of post-Enlightenment and contemporary assessments of Chalcedonianism including recent feminist and liberationist reappraisals.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2643.
Prerequisite: Graduate work in theology or philosophy.
*Religion 3490hf (formerly *Religion 3490). Colloquium in Theology
Catalog Number: 6295
Nicholas P. Constas (Divinity School) 2352
Half course (throughout the year). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: Fall: 8, 9
This colloquium is a central vehicle of doctoral education in theology, and is composed of all faculty members, doctoral candidates and Th.M. students in the department. (Doctoral students in related fields should consult with the department chair concerning participation.) Central figures and recurrent issues in theology and philosophy of religion are considered. Participation in the colloquium is required of all theology doctoral candidates (including affiliated doctoral candidates) while in residence, with the exception of the semester in which they write General Examinations. Requirements for written work may differ for pre and post-Generals students. The colloquium meets weekly during the fall semester and approximately biweekly through the spring. During the 2000-01 academic year the colloquium will be conducted by Nicholas Contas. In the fall it will focus on central themes in Eastern Christian theology, including creation, anthropology, the theology of God, and the role of liturgy in the enactment of theological meaning.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2696.
[Religion 1503. Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche: Prophets of Postmodern Thought]
Catalog Number: 7738
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A close analysis of texts by three 19th-century writers in the modern West whose critiques of religion have animated 20th-century intellectual movements across a broad range of disciplines—philosophy, theology, art, literature, postmodern and feminist theory. This course examines each author’s assessment of the modern condition and the role of religion in causing and/or curing its characteristic forms of alienation from God, others, world and self. Specific texts may include: Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit and 1827 Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion, Kierkegaard’s Concluding Unscientific Postscript and Works of Love, Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals, Twilight of the Idols, and The Antichrist. Recommended: Religion 1500, or a course in philosophy, theology, political or social theory, or western intellectual thought.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2444.
[Religion 1504. Religion in America: From the Coming of the Europeans to the 1870s]
Catalog Number: 2509
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Encompassing both “mainstream” and insurgent, “popular” or “new” forms of religion (e.g., the Society of Friends, Mormonism, African-American Protestantism), this survey course deals with the history of Christian thought; changing patterns of religious practice in relation, especially to gender; and religion and society in the context of the regulating and/or liberating “reform” movements of the 19th century.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2303.
Religion 1508. New Approaches to American Religious History: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8669 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Ann D. Braude (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3 and hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Recent scholarship in the field will form the basis for this seminar considering new narrative strategies, interpretive departures, and current research methods in American Religious History. Students will compare new works with relevant precursors.
Note: Jointly offered with the Divinity School as 2323.
Religion 1509. Divining Imagination: Seminar
Catalog Number: 7918
Courtney Bickel Lamberth
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
With the early Romantics, the human imagination emerges as a locus for divine revelation and religious encounter. The poet especially becomes a prime agent of religious discovery and innovation. This course considers key conceptions of the imagination in relation to divine and human creativity and artistic genius. Authors may include: Novalis, Schelling, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Emerson, Goethe, Schleiermacher, and Kant.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2463.
Religion 1515. Religion and Culture in 19th-Century America and Europe: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4488 Enrollment: Limited to 20. Limited to 20.
David Sumner Hall
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Encompassing the “Victorian” period (c.1830–1890) and such themes or ideas as: liberalism (laissez faire) and its critics; the idea of culture; medievalism, agnosticism, and the renewal of orthodoxy; the origins of the social sciences; and the social history of intellectuals. Materials drawn from British and American sources.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2320.
[Religion 1517. The Spirit of American Religious Thought and Philosophy]
Catalog Number: 8858
David Lamberth (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Concentrates on such important authors in the formative development of American religious thought and philosophy as Jonathan Edwards, William Ellery Channing, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William James, and Josiah Royce.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2551.
Prerequisite: Graduate level work in Theology or Philosophy.
Religion 1520. Introduction to Hermeneutics and Theology
Catalog Number: 6184
Francis Fiorenza (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 10, and one hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 3
General introduction to hermeneutical theory. A survey of the development from classical to modern and contemporary hermeneutics. Examines the influence of contemporary hermeneutical theory upon the interpretation of biblical texts, the diverse conceptions of theology, and the explication of key theological categories such as revelation, experience, method, foundations, classics, community, and practice.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2410.
Religion 1525. Radical Movements in Modern America
Catalog Number: 3935
David Sumner Hall
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 12, and one hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 14
A survey and close analysis of radical movements in 20th-century America, with particular attention to the problem of means and ends as it has been posed within the Old Left (Socialist and Communist) and the New (Students for a Democratic Society), within movements to confront war and racism (pacifism, nonviolence, and SNCC), and within anarchist and Christian perfectionist communities (e.g., the Catholic Workers).
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2302.
Religion 1528. Globalization, Civil Religion and Human Values: Envisioning World Community
Catalog Number: 4705
Brian C. W. Palmer
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 3 and a discussion hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 8
Are we witnessing the emergence of a world community? How and by whom are pan-human solidarities imagined, symbolized, and contested? In this course, we look for the seedlings of a global civil religion in such practices as war-crimes tribunals, U.N. women’s conferences, human-rights declarations, Doctors Without Borders, interreligious dialogues, CNN broadcasts, Internet forums, McDonaldization, and Hollywood myth-making.The course draws upon ethnographic and cinematic accounts — as well as in-class interviews with relevant experts -- to understand the history of worldwide convergences, the rites and identities of today’s global citizens, and the possibilities for utopian or dystopian futures.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 3332.
[Religion 1530r. Religious Values and Cultural Conflict: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 6858
Harvey G. Cox, Jr. (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
By reading and reflecting on a number of recent novels, both their content and the reception they received, we will examine how conflicting theological, cultural, and ethical values are expressed in this medium. Among the works we will consider are Charming Billy by Alice McDermott, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, The Beauty of the Lilies by John Updike, The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman, Satanic Verses by Salmon Rushdie, This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, Demascus Gate by Robert Stone, The Jewish War by Tova Reich, and Amsterdam by Ian McEwan.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2504.
[Religion 1535. Theology and Power: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8857 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
An exploration of the diverse understandings of power within classical and recent social and theological thought. Transitions in the understanding of power with contemporary critical theory, feminist theology, and post-colonial theory will be discussed. Among the authors described: Weber, Lukes, Dahl, Foucault, Arendt, Habermas, Tillich, Rahner, Boff, West, Cobb, Butler, and Young.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered by the Divinity School as 2633. Offered fall 2002.
[Religion 1536. Theology and Culture]
Catalog Number: 1908 Enrollment: Limited to 30.
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This course will discuss the various modern theological interpretations of the relation between religion and culture in general and Christianity and culture in particular. The lectures and discussion will deal with the following authors: Weber, Troeltsch, Niebuhr, Barth, Tillich, Bellah, Berger, Habermas, Moltmann, Metz, Segundo, West.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered by the Divinity School as 2630. Offered fall 2002.
[Religion 1541. Kant and Kierkegaard]
Catalog Number: 7694 Enrollment: Limited to 12. Limited to 12.
David Lamberth (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A close reading of selected major works of Kant and Kierkegaard. The seminar will focus on issues such as the nature and limits of reason, the concepts of freedom and morality, and the relationship between reason and faith.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2670.
[Religion 1543. Modern Theology I: Modern Theology and the Critique of Religion]
Catalog Number: 6386
David Lamberth (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
In this course we will consider the formative development of modern theology (primarily continental) in the context of the principal philosophical and social critiques of religion in the 19th century. Topics will include human nature and society, the developing understanding of religion, the relationship of humanity to the divine, the possibility and character of religious knowledge, and the impact of developing understandings of the social, of history, and of historicity. Authors considered may include Kant, Schleiermacher, Hegel, Feuerbach, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Harnack, Troeltsch, and Rauschenbusch.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2431.
Prerequisite: Previous work in Theology or Philosophy.
[Religion 1546. Religion and the American Pragmatic Tradition: Seminar ]
Catalog Number: 6273 Enrollment: Limited to 12. Limited to 12.
David Lamberth (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The seminar will begin with a consideration of the formative contributions of Peirce, James and Dewey, moving on to look at the renaissance of pragmatism in such authors as Rorty, Putnam, West, Seigfried, Chopp, Davaney, and Anderson. We will focus especially on the distinctively American character of the project of pragmatism taken broadly, exploring its diversity and continuity in the context of American religion and culture.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2671.
[Religion 1547. Modern Theology II: Modern Theology and the Ends of Modernity]
Catalog Number: 7008
David Lamberth (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A thematic continuation of 1543, this course will consider developments within 20th century modern theology, focusing in particular on the internalization and development of forms of critique that were principally external to theology and religion in the 19th century. Beginning with the socially critical developments in kerygmatic theology, we will analyze and trace the influence of critical thought within theology through the 20th century, paying particular attention in the second half of the course to the emergence of feminist and black liberation theologies in the United States. In the final weeks we will evaluate selected developments in postmodern thought in light of this tradition of theological reflection.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2433.
Prerequisite: 2431 or the equivalent.
[Religion 1548. Religion and the Performing Arts: The Case of American Modern Dance: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 3603 Enrollment: Limited to 15. Limited to 15. Preference given to concentrators.
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Can categories of religious studies—such as ritual, practice, play, performance—help us understand the impact of contemporary performing arts on artists and audiences alike? What is the relationship between religion and art? Between the sacred and the beautiful? Beginning with an exploration of some theoretical perspectives on religion and the performing arts (e.g., Nietzsche, Kandinsky, Artaud; the Turners, Schechner, Blacking, and Hanna), this seminar will examine the case of American modern dance. We will examine claims made for dance by artists, critics, and scholars alike, and assess the usefulness of religious studies in explaining the power of nonverbal aesthetic experience.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Field trips dependent on local concert schedules. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2445.
Prerequisite: One course in the modern West.
[Religion 2515. Church and World: A Theological and Political Assessment: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 9233
J. Bryan Hehir (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
This seminar will analyze in ecumenical perspective the relationship of the church to the world in its biblical, theological and moral dimensions. Theological perspectives drawn from classical sources (Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin) and contemporary theologians (Congar, Rahner, R. Niebuhr, Hauerwas) will be considered in light of the historical-theological perspective of Troeltsch’s Social Teaching of the Christian Churches and in light of literature from political and social science.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2857.
[Religion 2540. Circumscribing a Discipline: Theology and the Philosophy of Religion: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 4141 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
David Lamberth (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
In the contemporary academy, philosophy of religion is regularly treated as a separate enterprise from theological study. This seminar will be concerned with two central questions, one genealogical and the other critical and conceptual: 1) What are the conditions (conceptual, academic, historical) under which the philosophy of religion emerged as its own field in the development of Western thought? and 2) To what extent is it justifiable and valuable from theological or philosophical perspectives to consider the philosophy of religion as separate from theology (and vice versa)? Readings will include pivotal primary texts as well as historical treatments, and will consider both European and American developments. Seminar participants will be expected to conduct primary research on some aspect of the seminar topic, and to present their work to the seminar at the end of the term.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered by the Divinity School as 2672.
Prerequisite: Advanced work in the theology or philosophy of religion.
[Religion 2545. Religion and Social Theory: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 2728
David Little (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The special focus of this course will be the writings of Max Weber together with the reactions of his critics and defenders. Relevance to current topics of concern, such as “secularization,” “religious nationalism,” and “cultural relativism” will be examined. Some attention will be devoted to the “theoretical reference points” of these thinkers, such as Marx, Nietzsche, and Dilthey.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered by the Divinity School as 2813.
Religion 2550. Women and Religion in Contemporary America: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8927 Enrollment: Limited.
Ann D. Braude (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Post World War II America has witnessed dramatic changes in the roles and experience of women, as well as significant shifts in the role of religion in shaping public values, personal identity, and group affiliations. This course will examine the points of intersection between these two fundamental shifts in American social life across a spectrum of religious communities. We will survey responses to the changing roles of women both among groups that have embraced feminism and among those that view feminism as antithetical to religious values. We will explore debates and concerns leading to the ordination of women, the revision of prayer books, liturgies, language and policies, as well as debates and initiatives leading to the reassertion of traditional gender roles or to new models of family based on male headship.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2328.
*Religion 3505hf. Colloquium in American Religious History
Catalog Number: 6445 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
David Sumner Hall and William R. Hutchison (Divinity School) 4061 (on leave fall term)
Half course (throughout the year). Alternate Tu., 7:30–9:30 p.m.
Presentation and discussion of the research of doctoral candidates in American religious history.
Note: Open, with instructor’s permission, to doctoral students in other fields of religious studies or American studies. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2390.
[*Religion 1585. Islam in South Asia: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 2741 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Ali S. Asani
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A survey of Islamic civilization in the Indian subcontinent focusing on an exploration of Islamic identity. Issues and themes salient to Islamic identity considered within religious and political contexts, as well as the broader context of South Asian culture as expressed in language, literature, and the arts. Also examines the uses of the term “Islamic” in various pre-modern and modern discourses in South Asia.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3884.
Prerequisite: Introductory course in Islam or or equivalent.
Religion 1590. Issues in Feminism and Islam: A Historical Overview
Catalog Number: 9891
Leila Ahmed (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Th., 12–3. EXAM GROUP: 14, 15, 16
This course will explore some of the major issues and debates in relation to feminism and women in Islam in historical overview from a post-colonial perspective. Thus, as we explore these issues and debates, we will also be examining the methods, tools and assumptions forming the grounds of our studies, including in particular issues of Orientalism, colonialism and feminism in the construction of the religions/cultures of Others. Subsequent topics include an examination of some contemporary feminist readings of early Islam and exploration of women in Sufism and lived religion.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 2562/3604.
[Religion 1615r. Philosophies of India]
Catalog Number: 9345
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Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This course will evaluate some of the principal philosophical schools of India. It will start with the earliest Vedic and Upanisadic texts, examine the six principal philosophical schools of Hindu orthodoxy—Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta—and consider the principal heterodox schools of Buddhism, Jainism, and Carvaka. The aim of the course is to overview the main categories of Indic thought over the centuries. Attention to the interaction and disagreements amongst these schools, as well as to their historical development. Focus on views God, the self, and the phenomenal world.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. No prior knowledge of Hinduism required. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3873.
[Religion 1617. Yoga and Ancient Indian Systems of Liberation]
Catalog Number: 9059
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This course will consist of a close reading of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the earliest comprehensive manual on yoga psychology and meditation in ancient India. Further readings will include classical soteriological texts from different schools that have appropriated such meditational techniques as a means towards their various goals of liberation. These will include both monistic and theistic Hindu schools such as Kashmir Saivism, Vaishnava bhakti and Tantric Shakta schools, as well as Buddhist practices. Additional readings will examine the systems of some of the more prominent practitioners of yoga in the modern period to consider issues of innovation and continuity.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02.
[Religion 1720. Buddhist Ethics: Proseminar]
Catalog Number: 3961
Charles Hallisey
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A systematic exploration of the place of ethics and moral reasoning in Buddhist thought and practice. The scope of the course is wide, with examples drawn from the whole Buddhist world, but emphasis is on the particularity of different Buddhist visions of the ideal human life. Attention given to the problems of the proper description of Buddhist ethics in a comparative perspective.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3503.
[Religion 1721. Buddhist Views of Suffering: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 9894 Enrollment: Limited to 12. Limited to 12, preference will be given to undergraduates.
Charles Hallisey
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The Buddha said, “I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the ending of suffering.” This seminar will consider Buddhist views of suffering from a variety of angles in Buddhist thought and practice with an aim of exploring not only what can be learned about Buddhist views of suffering but also what can be learned from them.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3861.
Prerequisite: At least one course in the study of Buddhism or instructor’s permission.
Religion 1724. The Genre of Biographical Narrative in Buddhist South and Southeast Asia: Seminar
Catalog Number: 2219 Enrollment: Limited to 15. Limited to 15. Preference to undergraduate concentrators.
Karen Anne Derris
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
The genre of biographical narrative is central to the ritual, didactic, and ethical life of Buddhists. These compelling stories offer their audiences—both historical and present day readers—critical resources for understanding and interpreting the Buddhist world. This seminar will consist of a close reading of a broad range of biographical literature from South and Southeast Asia, including biographies of the Buddha and bodhisattvas, of monks, nuns, laity, even biographies of images and relics. How do the representations of life stories figure in conceptions of ethical and historical ideals? What is the relationship between the biographical genre and Buddhist notions of history as exemplified in Buddhist chronicles? How have the responses of diverse readers of these texts shaped their sense of self and their relationships to others?
Prerequisite: Prior coursework in Buddhist studies recommended.
Religion 1725. Buddhism and Social Change: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4517 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Christopher S. Queen
Half course (fall term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
A survey of Buddhist social teachings, this course examines the evolution of central concepts (impermanence, selflessness, suffering), ethical styles (discipline, virtue, altruism, engagement), and themes (peace, justice, gender, ecology) in Asia and the West. Representative figures and movements in the rise of socially engaged Buddhism since the 19th century will be considered.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3853.
Prerequisite: Previous study of Buddhism desirable.
[Religion 1726. Buddhism in America: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 4292 Enrollment: Limited to 15. Limited to 15.
Christopher S. Queen
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The transmission of Buddhist teachings and institutions to the West. A survey of Buddist thinkers and movements since the 19th century, with primary attention to America: immigrant Buddhist communities, Transcendentalists and Theosophists, Pragmatist and Process philosophers, the “beat” generation, and recent Zen, Tibetan, and Theravada developments. Topics for discussion and research include tradition and transformation, socially engaged Buddhism and environmentalism, feminism, peace activism, and the dialogue with other faiths.
Note: Expected to be given in 2001–02. Separate requirements for undergraduate and graduate students. Knowledge of Asian Buddhism is desirable. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3851.
*Religion 3001. Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 7954
Margaret Alexiou 1214, Ali S. Asani 7739 (on leave 2000-01), Clarissa W. Atkinson (Divinity School) 3101, François Bovon (Divinity School) 3551, Edwin Bryant 3610 (on leave 2000-2001), John B. Carman (Divinity School) 1284, Sarah Coakley (Divinity School) 1873 (spring term only), Nicholas P. Constas (Divinity School) 2352 (spring term only), Harvey G. Cox, Jr. (Divinity School) 3479, Arthur J. Dyck (Public Health and Divinity School) 1670, Diana L. Eck 4514, James Engell 8076, Francis Fiorenza (Divinity School) 2735 (on leave fall term), Robert M. Gimello 9240, William A. Graham, Jr. 4156, David Sumner Hall, Charles Hallisey 3032 (on leave 2000-01), Paul D. Hanson (Divinity School) 1394, Jay M. Harris 2266, Albert Henrichs 4085 (on leave fall term), William R. Hutchison (Divinity School) 4061 (on leave fall term), Helmut H. Koester (Divinity School) 3477, James L. Kugel 7575 (on leave spring term), David Lamberth (Divinity School) 3714, Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School) 2264, David Little (Divinity School) 2793, Peter Machinist 2812 (on leave fall term), Francisco Márquez 5064, Everett I. Mendelsohn 2700, David Gordon Mitten 1290, Roy Mottahedeh 1454 (on leave fall term), Richard R. Niebuhr (Divinity School) 2183, Kimberley C. Patton (Divinity School) 3306 (on leave 2001-02), Ralph B. Potter (Divinity School) 1046, Hilary Putnam 2838, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (Divinity School) 3193, Lawrence E. Sullivan (Divinity School) 2653, Stanley J. Tambiah 4692, Ronald Thiemann (Divinity School) 3395, Wei-Ming Tu 7233, Cornel West 1212 (on leave 2000-01), and Preston N. Williams (Divinity School) 3153
Note: and others authorized by the Chair.
*Religion 3002. Foreign Language Certification
Catalog Number: 4791
Members of the Committee
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Reading and research conducted in a specific foreign language, normally French or German, to satisfy the modern language reading proficiency requirement for Ph.D. students in the Study of Religion.
Note: Limited to Ph.D. candidates who receive written permission from the Committee’s Director of Ph.D. Studies.