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religious ideas and institutions taken in confrontation with the contemporary world? How has the phenomenon of alienation contributed to the development of religion and religious responses? How have specific groups that have suffered alienation – Jews, Blacks, American Indians, Rastafarians and women – coped with their situations through the appropriation and modification of religious tradition? This course explores these issues, as well as religious, HWS.EDU/CATALOGUE 359 2023 - 2024 CATALOGUE

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that question in two ways. One way is to work towards a definition of the terms in the title of this course: what is an “American”? What is “religion”? What does it mean to “imagine” these things? The other way we explore the question of American religion is to examine various attempts to make meaning in the United States. How do differ- ent social groups “imagine American religion”? Does that change and, if so, why and how? Why does it matter how people imagine American religion? (Salter, offered annually) REL 115 Imagining Asian Religion/s Is Buddhism a religion? What is religion? Does it entail a belief in God or refer- ence to the transcendent? Is it some kind of faith? But neither was the notion of a god significant, nor was that of faith central to, early Buddhism. One could make similar claims about Confucianism. What do we mean by “religion”? Until modern times, Asian cultures lacked the very concept of what Western scholars call “religion.” Or is what the Indians call dharma equivalent to “religion”? What about what the ancient Chinese (Buddhists, Confucians, and Daoists) called fo, jiao, and dao or the Japanese (Buddhists, Shintoists, and Confucians) called ho, kyo, and do “law,” “teaching,” and “way”? Are these terms equivalent to what we today mean by “religion”? How do we imagine “reli- gion” in these “Asian cultures”? What is “Asian religion/s”? REL 201 Trekking through Asia Welcome to the “Asian Century.” Asia has re-emerged as the center of the world, after a brief hiatus that started in the 18th century. With histories and religious traditions stretching back three millennia, today we see cultures across Asia have transformed in ways to meet the demands of our rapidly changing world. China, Japan, and India are three of the world’s top economies. Asia contains six of the world’s ten largest countries, and is home to over half of the world’s population and two of the world’s major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. For decades Asian countries have been leaders in global manufacturing, and Asian universities are now re- nowned centers for scientific and medical innovation. Fifty percent of the declared nuclear-weapon states are also in the region. Simply put, Asia matters a great deal! In this course, we trek through the Asian past and present, explor- ing this vast and vibrant region. Through writings and travelogues that documented the peoples and lands of places stretching from the Sea of Japan to Persia, and from Java to the Mediterranean Sea, we will learn about the cultural systems that helped shape Asian societies. We will consider how these traditions contributed to and were changed by historical interactions in Asia itself, and in relationship to the rest of the world. Join us on the journey! REL 211 Buddhism This course covers the rise and historical development of Buddhism in South Asia and its spread into Southeast, Central, and East Asia. Through regular writing exercises, extensive use of visual and audio materials, and some fieldwork, students will acquire a basic vocabulary for discussing the ritual practices, ethical systems, and scriptures of Buddhism (e.g., selections from the Pali Canon); situate the major branches of Buddhism in their histor- ical and geographical contexts (e.g., Theravada in Sri Lanka, Vajrayana in Tibet, Zen in Japan); and explore important concepts in each of the traditions and locations in view of significant sociohistorical processes, events, and institu- tions (e.g., the interaction of Buddhists with Daoists and Confucians in China and the associations of Shinto practi- tioners and Buddhists in Japan). No prior knowledge of Buddhism is required. (Offered annually)

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COURSES IN TRADITION-BASED CONCENTRATIONS

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entail. From the very moment that we are born we are faced with the possibility of death. Death then forms a real and essential component of our existence, our lives. We shall examine this topic through a variety of perspectives, including psychology, philosophy, literature/fiction (such as short stories and poetry), and religion. We will look at the various attitudes and postures towards death; how different people from different backgrounds, cultures, and fields have coped with this fact; the different interpretations of the meaningfulness of life people extract from it; and possible speculations and interpretations people have provided as to why we must die and where, if anywhere, it may possibly lead. REL 215 Japanese Religions The course examines the religious traditions of Japan by tracing their historical develop- ment and looking at the roles they have played and currently play in Japanese society. We will investigate the great variety of the indigenous folk religious beliefs and practices along with the Japanese appropriations of originally foreign religions. Our study will take us through shamanistic folk religion, Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism (and Neo- Confucianism), Christianity, the new and syncretic religions of modern Japan. Prerequisites: An introductory course in religious studies or Asian studies or permission of instructor. REL 219 Islam and Society: Then and Now This course is an historical study of the rise of Islam and the making of Muslim societies from seventh century Arabia to the current global contexts. It examines basic beliefs and their cultural, social, legal, and political manifestations in both majority and minority settings. It also analyses how Islam is HWS.EDU/CATALOGUE 360 2023 - 2024 CATALOGUE

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ophy and intellectual thought that emerge within and from out of the traditions of Shinto, Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, politics, the aesthetic and the military arts, and Western philosophy, from the ancient to the modern periods. We will read the primary texts of a variety of authors and will discuss their implications for understanding reality, knowledge, the self, society, ethics, and religion. Prerequisites: an Asian studies course, a reli- gious studies course, or a philosophy course. REL 226 Religion and Nature This course examines various religious traditions to see what they can contribute to a contemporary understanding of humanity’s healthy, sustainable relationship with the natural world. The ecological crises of our time have forced us to question the prevailing global modes of production and consumption. Some have faulted the tradition of Western enlightenment and the scientific-technological mindset it has created, while others have focused on monotheistic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and their alleged anthropocentric desacralization of nature as the roots of our present ills. In order to gain a critical insight into these debates, stu- dents read some of the religious works on ecology and environmental ethics along with ecofeminist literature that situates the debates within the context of global capitalism and patriarchal oppression of women. (Lee, offered annually) REL 228 Religion and Resistance In this course students explore the ways in which religion and resistance are relat- ed. Among other questions, students ask how the religious imagination helps us to see alternate realities and per- mits us to call into question our current realities. Students also explore the role of religion in legitimizing the status quo and oppression. They ask how religious communities identify and combat oppression. In combating oppression, the class also turns to questions of practice. Is it enough to talk about liberation? Is religion a “call to action?” If so, what is meant by “action?” (Salter, Staff, offered occasionally) REL 232 Rethinking Jesus Who is Jesus? The question is not as simple to answer as it might seem. This course ex- plores central ways the founding figure of Christianity has been conceived and rethought, especially in the last 100 years. Though students start with an inquiry into “the historical Jesus,” they move on to rethink Jesus from theologi- cal, cultural, and literary perspectives. (Salter, offered alternate years)

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SOC/URST 210 Gentrification

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sexuality are constructed within Muslim contexts. The emerging topics – such as consent, sexual violence, sexual orientation, the fluidity of masculinity and femininity, and reproductive rights – have gained currency, in addition to attracting hostility. This course explores how the change of gender roles and sexual mores corresponds with political, social, and cultural constructs. It evaluates the historical and contemporary narratives of the role of Islam in constructing gender and sexuality. Students will interpret religious, legal, ethical, political, and social texts within majority and minority Muslim contexts (Anwar, offered annually). REL 237 Christianity and Culture What is the relationship between what Christian groups do and how they under- stand themselves? This course uses case studies of a wide variety of Christian communities, from a Native American community in the contemporary U.S. to the Christian communities of the Apostle Paul, to examine the relation- ship between theory and practice in Christianity. Special emphasis is placed on the questions of whether or how Christian communities can produce significant social change. (Salter, offered alternate years) REL 238 Liberating Theology In the popular imagination we often associate Christianity with the elites, colonizers, or oppressors in history. But what happens when we rethink Christianity from the perspective of those marginalized from mainstream society? This course does that with the help of major 20th-century theologians who might in some way be considered part of the Liberation Theology movement. Key perspectives covered include Latin American liberation theology, feminist theology, black theology, and others. REL 239 Nihilism East and West This course examines the global manifestations of nihilism in the past two centuries, and responses to them, in philosophy, literature, religion, and art. Nihilism is the sense that there is no inherent val- ue, purpose, or meaning in life or the world. Many intellectual and artists during the nineteenth and twentieth cen- turies, not only in the West but in non-Western industrial nations such as Japan found themselves facing a looming nothingness, the nihility of nihilism. This despite the modern scientific and technological progress. How does one respond when faced with the utter meaninglessness of existence? Is there any answer to nihilism? How does one HWS.EDU/CATALOGUE 361 2023 - 2024 CATALOGUE

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specific context of the “New World,” where religions from various traditions collided under the rubrics of colonial conquest, slavery and, more recently, rapid social changes like migration, communications advances, and tourism. This course primarily explores the collision of West African religions with Christianity. Thus students focus on under- standing the emergence of religions like Rastafari, Vodou, Santeria, Shango, and other New World religions. (Salter, offered alternate years)

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suffering? And if suffering is inevitable, what is its meaning? Is it always fair or deserved? The major religions of the world were established and developed, partially in response to such questions about the human predicament. Each religion provides a variety of responses to this inevitable fact of human life. What is the picture of the meaning of life implied in such a response? In this course we shall investigate the major religious traditions from across the globe, East and West – Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Chinese religions – and look at their vari- ous attempts to answer that question of suffering and respond to it, including their prescription for salvation. At the same time the course aims to raise awareness concerning responsible ways of comparing religions, using “soteri- ology” (the study of salvation) as a comparative category. The course also raises the crucial question of whether it is possible to remain faithful to one’s own religious path while maintaining self-critique and openness to the claims of other traditions, a question that is of crucial importance with the increasing globalization of the world. (John Krummel, offered Fall annually).

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technical, the question of God is often given over to those who do not want to be bothered with the complexity of the question. In an attempt to ‘overhear some of the issues that are left out of specialized knowledge, this course examines Greek plays with special attention to the ways in which these texts raise the question of God. It also famil- iarizes students with representative ways of formulating the question of God in classical and contemporary thought. Students dramatize one contemporary play to show the transformation of images and issues. REL 255 Peace and Violence in the Qur’an This course explores Qur’anic views on peace and violence. It will discuss Qur’anic views regarding the meaning of Islam and its treatment of various forms of peace including liberation, justice, equality, freedom, and tolerance, as well as those of violence including war, self-defense, killing, suicide, sac- rifice, and punishment. To appreciate the meaning of Qur’anic verses on these issues, the course will pay attention to the horizon of the questions focusing on their specific circumstances. Throughout the semester, the class will discuss questions on Qur’anic support for peace and violence. The following list constitutes some of those questions: Does the Qur’an support peace or violence? How is peace to be achieved in a Qur’anic worldview? What kinds of violence does the Qur’an allow or disallow to take place? Since Qur’anic verses seem to suggest both peace and violence, to what extent does the Qur’an promote peace and to what extent does it allow violence? Does the Qur’an promote peace/violence as an end or as a means? What are the historical circumstances that students of the Qur’an should know in order to better understand the meaning of Qur’anic verses regarding peace and violence? (Kafrawi, offered

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present. Among the topics discussed are: the rise of Hasidism and reaction to it; the Enlightenment and modern va- rieties of Judaism; Zionist thought; and revolution and Jewish emancipation. The course also focuses on major Jewish thinkers and actors who have had a profound impact on shaping, defining, and transforming Jewish thought and praxis. This includes thinkers like the Baal Shem Tov, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Mordecai Kaplan, and Blu Greenberg. (Dobkowski, offered alternate years)

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Muslim responses to environmental catastrophes, and the link between local and global forces in Islamic societies and their impacts on environment. The course will begin with a comparative ethical approach on the relationship between humans and their environment by introducing the concept of the sacred. The foundations of Islamic ethics will follow. The course will also evaluate Muslims’ treatment of their environment, as well as their responses to cli- mate change and natural disasters using theological, ethical, textural, political, cultural, and civic approaches. Such discussions will be contextualized in the interplay between local factors that shape Muslims’ attitudes and behaviors toward their environment and global forces, such as colonialism and capitalism, that exacerbate the use and abuse of nature. Social justice, sustainability, Islamic socialism and anti-capitalism, and disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of tsunamis are also key topics in the course. REL 287 Asking Questions, Getting Answers This course introduces students to the idea that there are methods for doing research in the study of religion, and that choices need to be made about those methods. The faculty mem- ber will work with students to identify the methods appropriate for different types of questions, the types of choices that need to be made in undertaking research, and how to conduct different types of research. Methods covered may include historical, philosophical, ethnographic, sociological, anthropological, theological, literary, legal, femi- nist, or others. In addition to fulfilling a requirement for the major, this course could be useful for honors, embedded research courses in other disciplines and programs, independent studies, independent research, and senior seminar. REL 288 Religious Extremism Religious extremism takes shape and flourishes equally in both secular and religious communities. The rising phenomena of exclusionary religious sentiments and intolerance in the United States and across the globe puts into question the notion that a particular religion is immune from extremism while others are more prone to it. They challenge humanity’s most cherished values of peace, compassion, and justice that have been viewed as positive contributions of religions to peace. This course will study some basic concepts, examines some key theories, and scrutinize some illustrative cases of religious extremism across traditions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. It will also investigate the roots of religious extremism from historical, social, political, and theological vantage points. Of special interest is the connection between religious extremism and religious violence. Among the questions addressed in this course include: What is religious extremism? What so- cial conditions give birth to religious extremism? How does religious extremism interconnect with religious violence? REL 289 Material Culture and Islam Did you know that the Biscione (viper) of Milan is historically linked to the Crusades? Western and Islamic borrowings of things and ideas for good and bad reasons shape how Islam is cul- turally embodied. This course traces the embodiment of Islam in visual cultures. It will pay special attention to how Islam manifests in its geographical spaces, its cultural shapes, and its artistic forms. Islam’s encounters with various locations and cultures influence how the architectural designs are carved, dresses are shaped, poems are creative- ly crafted, and arts of calligraphy are expressed. While Islam’s encounters with new cultural practices invoke the question of what is Islamic and not Islamic, they merit an interdisciplinary examination ranging from anthropological, social, historical, artistic, and religious (studies) approaches. The course investigates various embodiments of Islam ranging from the architectural or landscaping environment (mosques and gardens), poem, fashion, and calligraphy. It also approaches the materiality of Islam by examining the contexts of things as cultural, historical, artistic, and religious artifacts, showing the relationship between Muslims and objects, and situating Muslims’ relationship with objects within its theological importance, colonial and post-colonial pursuits of capitalist accumulation, emerging customer cultures, and museum displays. The course will enhance students’ understanding of what embodies Islam and what constitutes Muslim material cultures. (offered alternate years) REL 290 Human Rights and Religion Does Religion provide helpful ideas and/or values to support the justification of human rights? Or have religions and religious reasoning done more harm than good in the history of human rights violations? How should we balance rights to religious freedoms of expression, assembly, and conscience, with other rights to human flourishing? When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was first passed, one of the committee members observed that “We agree on these rights, provided we are not asked why. With the `why’ the dispute be- gins.” In this class, we will confront the ‘why question’ directly and explicitly, beginning with an examination of how various religious traditions think about and advocate for human dignity and rights. We will also, however, situate these perspectives within their relevant historical contexts, and address the concrete events in which members of that tradition either perpetrated and/or suffered human rights abuses. In the second half of the course, we will dig into thematic tensions that are particularly relevant to the dialogue between religion and human rights. Significant topics include: the tensions between human rights and human freedom, as well as how religious practices and beliefs have shaped the rights of vulnerable groups like women, children, minorities, LGBTQ communities, and the environment. HWS.EDU/CATALOGUE 364 2023 - 2024 CATALOGUE

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COURSES IN THEMATIC CONCENTRATIONS History of Religions Courses

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Philosophy of Religions Courses

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ASIAN STUDIES COURSE DESCRIPTIONS ASN 101 Trekking through Asia Welcome to the “Asian Century.” Asia has re-emerged as the center of the world, after a brief hiatus that started in the 18th century. With histories and religious traditions stretching back three mil- lennia, today as we see cultures across Asia have transformed in ways to meet the demands of our rapidly changing world. China, Japan, and India are three of the world’s top economies. Asia contains six of the world’s ten largest countries, and is home to over half of the world’s population and two of the world’s major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. For decades Asian countries have been leaders in global manufacturing, and Asian universities are now re- nowned centers for scientific and medical innovation. Fifty percent of the declared nuclear-weapon states are also in the region. Simply put, Asia matters a great deal! In this course, we trek through the Asian past and present, explor- ing this vast and vibrant region. Through writings and travelogues that documented the peoples and lands of places stretching from the Sea of Japan to Persia, and from Java to the Mediterranean Sea, we will learn about the cultural systems that helped shape Asian societies. We will consider how these traditions contributed to and were changed by historical interactions in Asia itself and in relationship to the rest of the world. Join us on the journey! (Yoshikawa, offered annually) ASN 102 Ottoman Worlds The modern Middle East as it is configured today is the byproduct of the particular cir- cumstances and set of governing practices that characterized the Ottoman Empire. Far from a medieval monolith, HWS.EDU/CATALOGUE 112 2023 - 2024 CATALOGUE

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Religion, Gender, and Sexuality Courses

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minating in the Hasidic movements of the 18th and 19th centuries and neo-Hasidic trends in the 20th. These move- ments are viewed as religious and spiritual, as well as social and economic manifestations. The course operates from the premise that there is a continuing dialectic between an exoteric and subterranean tradition. The true history of a religion lies beneath the surface and often contradicts, energizes, and finally transforms the assumptions of the normative tradition. The course argues the central importance of the Kabbalistic-mystical tradition, not as a footnote of Jewish history, but as a motivating force. (Dobkowski, offered every three years) REL 371 Literary and Theological Responses to the Holocaust It is increasingly obvious that the Holocaust is a watershed event, a phenomenon that changes our perceptions of human nature, religion, morality, and the way we view reality. All that came before must be re-examined and all that follows is shaped by it. Yet, precisely because of HWS.EDU/CATALOGUE 366 2023 - 2024 CATALOGUE

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Religion and Violence Courses

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