Fall 2017

Religious Studies 001G. Myth, Ritual, and Symbolism (4 units)
Naomi Janowitz

Lecture:
TR 1:40-3:00P
6 Olson Hall

Discussion Sections:

Course Description: Two religious taboos outline the basis of culture: taboos against incest and cannibalism. Different religious traditions have enacted these taboos in a stunning variety of ways.  This course will examine the history of food and sexual taboos as expressed in religious myths and rituals. No prerequisites.

Prerequisite: None.

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities, Social-Cultural Diversity and Writing Experience.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, Oral Literacy, Visual Literacy, World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Discussion - 1 hour.

Textbooks:

• Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, translated by Carol Cosman  (Oxford University Press, 2008)
• Euripides, Bacchae, translated by Paul Woodruff  (Hackett Publishing, 1998)
• Sigmund Freud, The Schreber Case, translated by Andrew Webber  (Penguin Classics, 2002)

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Religious Studies 010. Crime and Punishment in the Contemporary United States (2 units)
Allison Coudert

TR 3:10-4:00P
3 Kleiber Hall
CRN 62350

Course Description: This class will explore the myths, misconceptions, and half-truths that pervade our view of the criminal justice system and riddle the so-called “war on crime.” Can we build our way out of crime by constructing more and more prisons? Do harsh sentencing and an emphasis on deterrence in such programs as “Three Strikes and You’re Out” actually reduce crime? Why are more people of color imprisoned for drug offenses when white Americans are more likely than black Americans or Hispanics to have used most kinds of illegal drugs, including cocaine, marijuana and LSD? Why are 2/3 of those serving life sentences African-Americans and Hispanics? And why is white-collar crime much less likely to be prosecuted than blue-collar crime? How is it possible that the US has the world’s highest rate of incarceration but the industrial world’s highest levels of deadly violence? In 2013 14,827 people were murdered in the US. This is 5 times the homicide rate in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark, 10 times that of Australia and 11 times that of Japan. Are guns the problem? These are just some of the contentious and very complex issues that have polarized and continue to polarize Americans over the issue of crime and punishment. 

Prerequisite: None.

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities and Writing Experience.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture - 2 hours.

Textbooks:

• All readings will be provided online.

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Religious Studies 042. Religion and Science Fiction (4 units)
Wendy Terry

MWF 9:00-9:50A
176 Chemistry Building
CRN 62351

Course Description: Isaac Asimov wrote, “Modern science fiction is the only form of literature that consistently considers the nature of the changes that face us, the possible consequences, and the possible solutions.” It will be our pleasure during this quarter to explore several of these ‘changes,’ ‘consequences,’ and ‘solutions’ through the reading of four novels set in America, a handful of short stories, and through our discussions of the material. We will ask questions like: What is the origin of religion? What are the differences between sacrifice and suicide, martyrdom and murder? What is the value of life, of human life? What is purity and desecration? What is or should be the connection between religion and politics, between religion and science? Students will also have the opportunity to write their own short fiction inspired by themes in the class (the grading for which will be based on participation in the process, not on the ‘quality’ of the story produced). We welcome your participation in these exciting conversations as we explore our world through science fiction.

Prerequisite:  None.

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities, Social-Cultural Diversity and Writing Experience.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, Visual Literacy and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbooks:

• Walter M. Miller, Jr., A Canticle for Leibowitz  (Bantam Spectra, 1984)
• Neil Gaiman, American Gods  (HarperTorch, 2002)
• Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale  (Anchor, 1998)
• Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead  (Tor Books, 1992)

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Religious Studies 070. Religion and Language (4 units)
Flagg Miller

MWF 11:00-11:50A
207 Olson Hall
CRN 62352

Course Description: How does language shape the understanding and practice of religion?  Do our own culturally specific vocabularies provide insight into the nature of the divine?  Alternatively, does religion require us to expand our linguistic repertoires, both modern and classical, in order to appreciate the rich historical legacies of spiritual thought and practice?  This course is designed to provide students with a basic toolkit for analyzing religious discourse in a variety of traditions.  Special attention will be given to the embedding of verbal form in social contexts ranging from the sacred to the mundane, the mystical to the reasonable, the wondrous to the ordinary.  Studies of ritual, symbolic practice and the use of media technologies will help us consider the relation of language to non-linguistic practice; they will also allow us to explore the complexities of religious language as a form of self-expression.  As we will discover, religious selfhood is highly mediated by hierarchies of class, ethnicity, race, and gender.  Throughout the course we will focus specifically on the legacies of Western colonialism on ideas about religious discourse and its most eloquent exponents.  Material covered will include not only canonical sacred texts but also magical spells, prayers, songs, grammar primers, legal documents, lectures at militant training camps, and collective study groups.

Prerequisite: None.

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities, Social-Cultural Diversity and Writing Experience.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture/Discussion - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbooks:

• Niloofar Haeri, Sacred Language, Ordinary People: Dilemmas of Culture and Politics in Egypt  (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003)
• Joseph Errington, Linguistics in a Colonial World: A Story of Language, Meaning, and Power  (Wiley-Blackwell Books, 2007)
• Ras Steven Amirault, Rastafarian Mysticism: An Introduction to the Mysteries of Nyahbinghi  (Infinity Publishing, 2004)

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Religious Studies 105. Christianity and Modernity, 1700-1920 (4 units)
Allison Coudert

TR 9:00-10:20A
1038 Wickson Hall
CRN 63236

Course Description: This course investigates the reaction of Christian critics and apologists to the profound scientific, philosophical, and cultural transformations marking the period from the Enlightenment to the Scopes Trial (1926) and its aftermath. This period witnessed the most serious intellectual assaults on Christianity (and religion in general) in western history, but as we shall see, these assaults were met with quite extraordinary resilience. Not only was the existence of God questioned, but so too were the historical authorship and veracity of Christian Scriptures, the reality and identity of Jesus, and the existence of the soul and life after death. In many cases the authority of institutional Churches was rejected in favor of individual conscience, and the uniqueness and superiority of the Christian revelation was denied in favor of a “natural religion” available to all men at all times. The period covered by the class witnessed the creation of a world in which change, progress, an appreciation of science, commitment to tolerance, and respect for the individual came to the fore. At the same time, however, the excesses of the French Revolution and subsequent “Terror” created a conservative backlash and intensified the fear that unrestrained criticism of society and religion was bound to lead to atheism, fatalism, and nihilism, in short, to secularization and the “disenchantment of the world.” In addition, while some social critics deplored the increasing materialism, consumerism, and utilitarian spirit characteristic of modern urban and industrial society and the effect these had in undermining religious beliefs, others heralded these developments as sources of individual freedom moral enlightenment. For reasons we shall investigate Jews became special targets of resentment for conservatives and conservative Christians alike and antisemitism escalated. For many people, however, the most severe blow to religion and traditional ways of thinking came in the form of Darwin’s theory of evolution and the Social Darwinism that emerged from it. It is no coincidence that out of this cauldron of new and contentious ideas a new form of biblical fundamentalism and the apocalyptic thought that often accompanies it developed. These divisive issues, which were at the heart of the conflict between religious liberals and conservatives in the years under review, anticipated our own era’s conflicts, and they were no less contentious then than they are today. Such conflict is, perhaps, an aspect of modernity itself.

Prerequisite: None.

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities, Social-Cultural Diversity and Writing Experience.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, Oral Literacy, Visual Literacy, World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbooks:

• All readings will be provided online.

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Religious Studies 122. Studies in Biblical Texts (4 units)
Seth Sanders

TR 10:30-11:50A
148 Physics Building
CRN 62355

Course Description: Study of a book from the Prophets or writings from critical, historical, and religious perspectives. May be repeated once for credit in different subject area. May be repeated for credit up to one time.

Prerequisite: Religious Studies 021. 

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbooks:

• TBA

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Religious Studies 130

Section 001. Doom: The End of the World and Afterward (4 units)
Seth Sanders

TR 4:40-6:00P
1134 Bainer Hall
CRN 59279

Course Description: When did we start worrying that the world would end? Is there a connection between the apocalyptic visions of religion and the political and ecological collapses societies undergo? We'll find out by investigating apocalypses, from ancient revelations to modern eco-disasters and battles in the future ruins, and the adventure of resistance and survival. This will let us explore a deep pattern that runs through religion (the Apocalypse), politics (the failure of states and social orders), and science (ecological collapse). Readings will range from 70s sci-fi movies to post-apocalypse novels, and from the Book of Revelation to medieval religious visionary texts.

Prerequisite: Contact Seth Sanders at ssanders@ucdavis.edu.

GE credit (Old): None.
GE credit (New): World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture/Discussion - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbooks:

• TBA

 

Section 002. Introduction to East Asian Religions (4 units)
Thorian Harris

MWF 3:10-4:00P
101 Olson Hall
CRN 59280

Course Description: Thematic study of a phenomenon in more than one religious tradition or of the relationship between religion and another cultural phenomenon. Topics may include archeology and the Bible, women and religion, religion and violence. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisite: Contact Thorian Harris at thorr@ucdavis.edu.

GE credit (Old): None.
GE credit (New): World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture/Discussion - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbooks:

• TBA

 

Section 003. History of Yoga (4 units)
Layne Little

W 5:10-8:00P
168 Hoagland Hall
CRN 63590

Course Description: This course explores the history of yoga from antiquity to its most recent formulation in American popular and consumer culture. It seeks to make students conversant in the key texts and philosophical innovations of yoga across time. We will approach the topic in three parts: The first explores theories of origin leading up to the formation of yoga as a classical philosophical school. The second portion focuses on specialists and medieval innovators as it examines sects, sadhus and transgressive modes of practice. The final section explores the contemporary context and investigates modern yoga’s place in both popular imagination and the marketplace.

Prerequisite: Contact Layne Little at lrlittle@ucdavis.edu.

GE credit (Old): None.
GE credit (New): World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture/Discussion - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbooks:

• TBA

 

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Religious Studies 134. Human Rights (4 units)      [Cross-listed with HMR 134]
Keith Watenpaugh

MW 12:10-2:00P
119 Wellman Hall
CRN 59281

Course Description: This upper division course introduces students to the comparative and critical study of Human Rights. Students will study the theoretical, historical and practical foundations of human rights in various civilizations, cultures and religions, evaluate the role of Human Rights within western and non-western societies, and examine the role of human rights thinking, policy and institutions in the contemporary world. Of particular interest will be the intersection of the question of human rights and religious difference and the role religious institutions and movements have in the protection/violation of human rights.

Prerequisite: None. (Students who have completed Religious Studies 090 are ineligible to receive credit for Religious Studies 134)

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities or Social Sciences; Social-Cultural Diversity and Writing Experience.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities or Social Sciences; World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture/Discussion - 3 hours; Term Paper or Discussion.

Textbooks:

• Readings will be provided online

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Religious Studies 138. Human Rights, Gender and Sexuality (4 units)      [Cross-listed with HMR 138]
Meaghan O'Keefe

TR 10:30-11:50A
290 Hickey Gym
CRN 63310

Course Description: Gender and sexuality in the context of human rights. Topics include women's participation in the public sphere, the right to change gender, the right for family privacy, and the right to marriage.

Prerequisite: None.

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture/Discussion - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbooks:

• TBA

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Religious Studies 150. Religious Ethics (4 units)
Meaghan O'Keefe

TR 3:10-4:30P
290 Hickey Gym
CRN 59285

Course Description: This course examines religious perspectives on ethical dilemmas that arise in pluralistic societies. Because the United States, and particularly California, has become increasingly diverse in terms of religious practice this means that as citizens affected by and interested in public policy we have to figure out how to straddle the line between respecting religious ethics and creating fair and equitable public policy.  Part of this process is learning about and understanding religious traditions outside of our own as well as deepening our understanding of those that are more familiar. Guided by these concerns, in this course you will become familiar with various ethical traditions, research their histories, and formulate academic arguments about religious ethics.

Prerequisite: Religious Studies 010 recommended.

GE credit (Old): Arts & Humanities, Social-Cultural Diversity and Writing Experience.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, World Cultures and Writing Experience.

Format: Lecture/Discussion - 3 hours; Term Paper or Discussion.

Textbook:

• Charles Mathewes, Understanding Religious Ethics  (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010)
   

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Religious Studies 190. Spiritual or Religious? (4 units)
Flagg Miller

M 3:10-6:00P
80 Social Sciences Building
CRN 62356

Course Description: Raised in often religious households and frustrated by the rigid expectations of organized faiths, those who identify as “spiritual but not religious” have grown over the past several decades to approximately one sixth of America’s population under the age of thirty.  Why is this idea so popular and how did it arise?  Do other religious traditions and cultures share this distinction?  How complete is the SBNR community's emancipation from social hierarchies including gender, class, race, ethnicity, and nationality?  This course examines the SBNR phenomenon as a dynamic and historical process.  We consider key theories and methods in the study of religion. We also explore they ways in which our own commitments implicate us in worlds of plurality that, despite an emphasis on freedom and experience, are not necessarily shared by everyone.  How, in particular, have Californians pursued spiritual awakening even as they confront the ongoing challenges of global capitalism and a liberal nation-state system?

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor (fmiller@ucdavis.edu). Required of all Religious Studies majors.

GE credit (Old): None.
GE credit (New): None.

Format: Seminar - 3 hours; Term Paper.

Textbook:

• Tisa Wenger, We Have a Religion: The 1920s Pueblo Indian Dance Controversy and American Religious Freedom  (University of North Carolina Press, 2009)