Department of Religion Spring 2021 Course Offerings
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Department of Religion
Spring 2021 Course Offerings
CAS RN100 A1
Introduction to Religion
Anthony Petro TR 9:30AM-10:45PM
Religion matters. It makes meaning and provides structure to life, addressing fundamental
questions about body, spirit, community, and time. But what is it? How does it work in our
world? This course explores religion in ritual, philosophical, experiential, and ethical
dimensions. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and
Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN100 C1
Introduction to Religion
Yair Lior MWF 10:10AM-11:00AM
Religion matters. It makes meaning and provides structure to life, addressing fundamental
questions about body, spirit, community, and time. But what is it? How does it work in our
world? This course explores religion in ritual, philosophical, experiential, and ethical
dimensions. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and
Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN103
Religions of Asia
David Eckel MWF 9:05AM-9:55AM
Study of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Focus on the world view of
each tradition and the historical development of that world view. Carries humanities divisional
credit in CAS.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness,
Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN105
Introduction to the World’s Religions
Stephen Prothero TR 11:00AM-12:15PM
Explores the symbols, beliefs, stories, and practices of the world's religions with attention to
both ancient history and contemporary practices, including spiritual autobiographies and online
communities. Possible traditions include: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and
African/African diaspora religions.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia
Expression, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
http://www.bu.edu/religion/ 1CAS RN106 Death and Immortality Laura Harrington MWF 11:15AM-12:05PM Examines death as religious traditions have attempted to accept, defeat, deny, or transcend it. Do we have souls? Do they reincarnate? What to do with a corpse? Other topics include mourning, burial, cremation, martyrdom, resurrection, near-death experiences. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation. CAS RN203/CI268/XL270 Religion and Film Laura Harrington MWF 1:25PM-2:15PM Films from around the world, which depict religious heroes and communities and the quest for religiosity. Supplementary readings from cinema studies and diverse religious traditions. Writing assignments include academic essays, film reviews, and a film journal. CAS RN206 Scriptures in World Religions Diana Lobel MWF 1:25PM-2:15PM Introduction to scriptures in world religions, investigating the ways sacred books express, interpret, and make possible religious experience and ethical reflection. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course. Prereq: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. CAS RN210 Buddhism David Eckel MWF 12:20PM-1:10PM A historical and critical introduction to the major themes of Buddhist thought and practice in India and Southeast Asia, with special attention to the transmission of Buddhism to Tibet and the modern West. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking. http://www.bu.edu/religion/ 2
CAS RN216/JS110 Judaism Jonathan Klawans MWF 11:15PM-12:05PM Systematic and historical introduction to doctrines, customs, literature, and movements of Judaism; biblical religion and literature; rabbinic life and thought; medieval mysticism and philosophy; modern movement and developments. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking. CAS RN220/JS250 Holy City: Jerusalem in Time, Space, and Imagination Michael Zank TR 2:00-3:15 Transformation of an ordinary ancient city into the holy city of Jews, Christians, and Muslims; and development of modern Jerusalem, as shaped by British rule, Zionism, and Palestinian nationalism. Jerusalem's past, present, and meanings considered through analyses of religious and secular rhetoric. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking. CAS RN248 Food and Religion Deeana Klepper MWF 9:05-9:55 Explores the intersection of religion and food, using food to learn about religion and religion to study the role of food in human societies. Topics include feasting; fasting; feeding God(s), spirits, ancestors; eating/not eating animals; ingesting alcohol and psychoactive plants. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration. CAS RN249/JS379 Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism Keica Ali/Adam Seligman MWF 10:10AM-11:00AM Exploration of historical and contemporary manifestations of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Students use various theoretical approaches to examine a wide range of relevant texts (written and visual) from late antiquity to modern America. Includes active learning and fieldwork. CAS RN316/GRS RN616/STH TX856 Modern Islam Teena Purohit TR 9:30AM-10:45AM Focuses on formations of Islam in colonial and postcolonial periods. How modernist and Islamist thinkers have negotiated the encounter between tradition and modernity. Prereq: one course in RN or PH, or CC101/102, or consent of instructor. http://www.bu.edu/religion/ 3
CAS RN322/JS352/GRS RN622/STH TX822 History of Judaism Steven Katz TR 12:30PM-1:45PM Surveys Jewish history from the classical period to modern times. It covers: the destruction of the 1st Temple; the encounter with Hellenism; the Roman period; the destruction of the 2nd Temple; the rise and influence of rabbinic Judaism; the medieval era under Muslim and Christian rule; medieval antisemitism; Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah); and philosophy (Maimonides). For the modern era we discuss: the Renaissance; the Reformation; the complex issue of Emancipation; coming to America; the growth of American Judaism; religious reform; modern antisemitism; and Zionism. CAS RN326/JS246/GRS RN626/STH TX818 The Kabbalah Yair Lior MWF 12:20PM-1:10PM Major trends of Jewish mystical thought and practice from late antiquity to today, including Kabbalah, Hasidism, and modern messianic movements. Includes close readings of Zohar. Covers theories and practices of mystical ascent, neo-Platonic trends in religious thought, and messianic speculation. CAS RN355 Religion and Violence Teena Purohit TR 12:30PM-1:45PM What is the relationship between religious belief and violence enacted in the name of religion? This course will explore historical, social, ideological, and political contexts from which violent acts, conducted in the name of religion, emerge through studies of sacred texts, religious activists' writings, and recent case studies in multiple traditions and geographic contexts. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy. CAS RN365/GRS RN665/STH TX811 Art, Media, and Buddhism TR 3:30PM-4:45PM April Hughes Examines how textual, visual, and material forms of religious expressions have been conceptualized by Buddhists as well as how Buddhist objects are understood and re- contextualized in the West. Topics include: self- immolation; museums; war propaganda, and pop culture. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration. http://www.bu.edu/religion/ 4
CAS RN382/HI349/AA382 History of Religion in Pre-Colonial Africa TR 9:30AM-10:45AM John Thornton The study of the development of religious traditions in Africa during the period prior to European colonialism. An emphasis on both indigenous religions and the growth and spread of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the continent as a whole. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness. CAS RN387/AN384/GRS RN687/AN784/STH TX887 Anthropology of Religion Frank Korom TR 11:00AM-12:15PM Myth, ritual, and religious experience across cultures. Special attention to the problem of religious symbolism and meaning, religious conversion and revitalization, contrasts between traditional and world religions, and the relation of religious knowledge to science, magic, and ideology. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I. CAS RN388/AN326/GRS RN688/AN726/STH TX858 Oral Tradition as Verbal Art Frank Korom TR 2:00PM-3:15PM Exploration of religious and secular poetry worldwide with emphasis on the ethnography of communication. A focus on performance in oral tradition and its consequences for literary form, as well as the impact of mass media and literacy on orality. CAS RN390/GRS RN690/AR342/GRS AR742/STH TX815 Archaeology in the Holy Land TR 11:00AM-12:15PM Andrea Berlin In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. The study of remains from the Israelite to the Muslim conquests (c. 1200 BCE -- 640 CE) to learn how material evidence created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama. Also offered as CAS RN 390. Effective This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration. http://www.bu.edu/religion/ 5
CAS RN400 Writing Religion Stephen Prothero T 3:30PM-6:15PM A writing-intensive seminar focused on the close reading and careful writing on spirituality and religion in various non-fiction genres (memoir, Instagram essays, op-eds, academic articles). Possible authors: Ann Lamott, Jeff Sharlet, J. Z. Smith, Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Annie Dillard. Prereq: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course. CAS RN406/JS416/GRS RN706/STH TN849 Biblical Fakes and Forgeries Jonathan Klawans M 1:25PM-2:15PM; W 1:25PM-3:05PM Examines issues regarding forged documents and artifacts relating to the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Examples of forgeries (alleged and certain) include: book of Daniel, Letter of Aristeas, Gnostic Gospels, Secret Gospel of Mark; forged Scrolls in museum collections. Proposed Edit: Examines forged documents and artifacts relating to Hebrew Bible and New Testament, probing historical and ethical questions they raise. Examples (alleged and certain forgeries) include: book of Daniel, Gnostic Gospels, Secret Gospel of Mark, and forged Dead Sea Scroll fragments. Prereq: Religion, philosophy, or archaeology majors or minors with junior or senior standing, or consent of instructor. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking. CAS RN420/PH409/GRS RN720/PH609/STH TX879 Maimonides Michael Zank M 6:30PM-9:15PM A study of major aspects of the thought of Maimonides. Primary focus on the Guide of the Perplexed, with attention to its modern reception in works by Baruch Spinoza, Hermann Cohen, Leo Strauss, and others. Also offered as CAS PH 409. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Oral and/or Signed Communication. CAS RN452/GRS RN752/PH485/TT838 Topics in South Asian Religion Diana Lobel TR 2:00PM-3:15PM Topic for Spring 2021: What is happiness? How can we achieve a balanced, healthy, fulfilling life? Classical thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, Chuang Tzu; Stoic, Confucian, Buddhist, Taoist paths; comparison with contemporary studies of happiness and mindfulness. http://www.bu.edu/religion/ 6
CAS RN460/JS460/GRS RN760/STH TX805 Seminar on the Holocaust Steven Katz TR 9:30AM-10:45AM This course will examine historical, ethical and religious issues arising from the Holocaust. We will discuss antisemitism and ideology; what communities were considered "other"; human motivation regarding collaborators, perpetrators and bystanders; the role of individuals, organizations and governments; the treatment of women; the ethics of resistance; the behavior of the Jewish Councils; and attitudes to the existence of God during and after the Holocaust. We will also compare the Holocaust to contemporary crises now occurring around the world. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness. RN470/770/HI407/TX871 Topics in Medieval Religious Culture Deeana Klepper M 2:30PM-5:15PM Topic for Spring 2021: Magic, Witchcraft, and the Demonic in Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean. Magic, witchcraft, and the demonic as understood, employed, and feared in medieval Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities. Exploration of religious world views; visual culture; healing and medical practices; matters of gender, power, and social control, including counter-magic, legal prohibitions, and inquisition. Prereq: junior standing or consent of instructor. Because it will now carry Hub credits in Writing Intensive and Research and Information Literacy (as well as Historical Consciousness), it now needs this prerequisite: "Students must have already completed First Year Writing Seminar AND Writing, Research, and Inquiry to enroll in this course.” CAS RN471/GRS RN771/STH TX841 Topics in Ancient Christianity David Frankfurter TR 5:00PM-6:15PM Topic for Spring 2021: The Book of Revelation: Contexts and Meanings: Close study of the Apocalypse, its historical context, imagery, and influence through modernity. Attention given to constructions of Judaism, depictions of gender, and visionary performance, while emphasizing an historical-critical approach to this ancient text. Prior coursework in New Testament preferred. GRS RN792 Approaches to Religion II: Religion and Contemporary Theory T 12:30-3:15 David Frankfurter Prereq: Admission to the GDRS PhD program, or permission of the instructor. *Surveys contemporary theoretical and methodological works in religious studies. Topics might include the category of experience; ritual; modernism and postmodernism; sexual, racial, and cultural difference; postcolonial theory; historicism; narrative theory; gender and sexuality studies; secularism; and the politics of interpretation. http://www.bu.edu/religion/ 7
http://www.bu.edu/religion/ 8
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