REL 4933 (0311) Senior Seminar Spring 2007
Comparative Study of Religion: Ancient East and
West
Monday, 1:55-4:55 p.m. Flint 117
Course website: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/jneelis/classes/rel_4933.html
Vista: http://lss.at.ufl.edu/
Instructor: Dr. Jason Neelis
130
Office Hours: Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
392-1625, ext. 240
Course description: The
senior seminar for advanced religion
majors exposes students to comparative studies of various aspects of
ancient
eastern and western religious traditions. While focusing on classical
Course Goals:
Textbooks:
(available for purchase from Goerings Book Store,
Jean
Bottero,
Clarisse Herrenschmidt, and Jean-Pierre Vernant, Ancestor of the
West:
Writing, Reasoning, and Religion in
Walter
Burkert, Greek
Religion (Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge: 1985) [Simon Price, Religions
of the Ancient Greeks,
Valerie
Warrior, Roman
Religion (
Gananath
Obeyesekere, Imagining Karma: Ethical Transformation in Amerindian,
Buddhist,
and Greek Rebirth (
Maurice
Olender, The
Languages of Paradise: Aryans and Semites - A Match Made in Heaven,
translated by Arthur Goldhammer (Other Press,
Requirements:
Attendance and Participation: 20 %
Attendance and contributions to discussions will be carefully monitored. After the first unexcused absence, each additional absence will result in a letter grade penalty. Excessive tardiness of more than 10 minutes or repeatedly arriving late to class will also be unexcused. Leaving class early without the instructor's permission and disrespectful behavior will result in further deductions. Absences can be excused if written requests are submitted in advance or if written explanations are submitted with valid documentation. If it is necessary to miss class, meet with the instructor during office hours on Tuesday morning (or by appointment) to discuss the material covered in class.
Presentations: 20 %
Each class different students will “volunteer” ahead of time to lead a discussion based on reading assignments. The discussion leaders should coordinate with each other to coordinate their presentations, which should not merely summarize the material, but provoke questions and comments from other students. Prepare for the discussion by outlining the topics to be covered and generating critical questions (these materials must be handed in to the instructor after the session).
Writing assignments: 60%
1) 20% 5 short response papers (2-3 pages each) to
demonstrate
understanding of Ancestor of the West, Greek Religion, Roman
Religion, Imagining Karma, Languages of Paradise
2) 40% 10-15 page research paper and individual presentations (to be scheduled in April) on a comparative theme (suggestions are given in the course description, but other options can be considered in consultation with the instructor). Everyone is encouraged to consult with the instructor about viable topics as early as possible in the semester. The following deadlines are established to encourage and facilitate completion of the research project:
February 26 – submit a topic proposal with a preliminary bibliography
March 26 – submit a topic outline with a full bibliography
April 23 – final deadline for the complete research paper and individual presentation
Review Academic
Honesty guidelines at the
Basically, “An academic honesty offense is defined as the act of lying, cheating, or stealing academic information so that one gains academic advantage.” Any offense of plagiarism, misrepresentation of original work, or other violation in any assignment will be reported and will result in a failing grade for the course.
Students with Disabilities needing classroom accommodation must register with the office of the Dean of Students, who will provide documentation to the instructor: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/ (also see http://www.dso.ufl.edu/supportservices/campuscounseling.php for other support services)
Topics and reading assignments (details may be subject to change; readings in brackets will be available through Course Reserves):
Week 1 (January 8) Course Introduction: Challenges and Goals of Comparative Religious Studies
Read “Comparative Religion” in The HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion, 276-279 [available in Course Reserves and in the Reference section: BL 31 H37 1995]
January 15: No Class (MLK)
Week 2 (January
22) Eastern Precedents: Mesopotamian Religions and Societies
Read Ancestor of the West,
Part 1:
Religion and Reasoning in
Week 3 (January
29) Religion and Writing in
Read Ancestor
of the West,
Part 2:
Writing between Visible and Invisible Worlds (Clarisse Herrenschmidt),
pp.
69-146 [+ selections from Avestan Gāthās], and visit:
http://www.harappa.com/
(particularly “Indus Script”)
Week 4 (February 5) Greek Religious Life I: Traditional Sources and their Interpretation
Read Ancestor
of the West,
Part 3:
Writing and Civil Religion in
1st Response Paper on Ancestor
of the West
Week 5 (February
12) Greek Religious Life II: Rituals,
Read Greek Religion (Walter Burkert), pp. 54-189 [+ selections from Hesiod, Theogony], or Religions of the Ancient Greeks (Simon Price), 1-107
Week 6 (February 19) Greek Religious Life III: Worldviews and their Expressions
Read Greek Religion (Walter
Burkert),
pp. 190-337, or Religions of the Ancient Greeks (Simon Price),
108-185
2nd
Response Paper on Greek Religion or Religions of the
Ancient Greeks
Week 7 (February 26) Roman Religion I
Read Roman Religion (Valerie Warrior), pp. 1-66 [+ selections from Virgil, Aeneid]
Topic proposal and preliminary bibliography due
Week 8 (March 5) Roman Religion II
Read Roman Religion (Valerie Warrior), pp. 68-129 [+ Georges Dumézil, “From Mythology to History” in Archaic Roman Religion, vol. 1, pp. 60-78]
3rd Response Paper on Roman
Religion
March 12: No Class (Spring Break)
Week 9 (March 19) Indic Religions I: Karma and Rebirth
Read Imagining Karma (G.
Obeyesekere), pp.
1-18, 72-149 [+ selections from Upaniṣads]
Week 10 (March 26) Indic Religions II: Buddhist and Greek viewpoints on Rebirth
Read Imagining Karma (G. Obeyesekere), pp. 150-248 [+ selections of Buddhist previous-birth stories]
Topic outline and full bibliography due
Week 11 (April 2) Comparative Eschatology in East and West
Read Imagining Karma (G. Obeyesekere), pp. 249-360
4th Response Paper on Imagining
Karma
Week 12 (April 9) Comparative Linguistics and Religious Studies
Read Languages of Paradise (M. Olender), pp. vii-xiii, 1-81
Week 13 (April 16) Comparative Religion and Race
Read Languages of
5th Response Paper on Languages
of
Week 14 (April 23) Final papers due