Religious Studies

Religion is prominent in public debates, in the media, and in the cultural imaginary of people's daily life, no matter whether they see themselves as believers or not. In turn, religions also “make use” of media and mediation, creating symbolic representations and special experiences, be it through architecture and music, images and narratives, or through clothes and body practices. The course focuses on how the relationship between religion and media can be studied, and how this can help to better understand the role of religion in the public sphere. Our understanding of media reaches beyond TV and the internet – scripture and dance, money, and microphones are means of mediating religion as well. The course explores what a medium is; how religions are depicted in the media; how religions act on and react to new media; and how religions can be understood as mediation while often claiming to provide “immediate” and direct access to divine spheres.

This course covers the journey of Buddhist monasticism from ancient India to modern Europe and America through a range of texts, including canonical literature and poems and autobiographies of monks and nuns. The course discusses how a disciplined life and living in a community can enable ethical transformations. Although some of the earliest Buddhist texts advocated strict celibacy, most of the Buddhist communities in subsequent centuries adopted a form of monasticism and priesthood that allowed for families. The course explores the social changes, ethical and philosophical ideas that led to the acceptance of families in Buddhist monasticism. Additionally, the course examines how monasticism, with or without celibacy, influences the ethical development of individuals who choose one or the other form of life.

Some understanding of theoretical, ethical, and practical aspects of field work is essential for students engaging in research with people. This course teaches students, especially but not only from religious studies and practical theology, the necessary competence and confidence in this field. This methodology course  investigates how fieldwork plays an important role in the study of religion. The course combines strong theoretical and practical discussion ranging from insider/outsider issues in the study of religion, alongside detailed classwork on participant observation, interview techniques, and writing up fieldwork notes. 

This course introduces students to the world of magic in the Islamic world. Dismissed as anti-rational by European colonialism and Islamic reformism, magic and other occult pursuits often played an important role in the religious, political, and intellectual lives of Muslims. Making extensive use of both literary and visual sources, this course examines how past and present scholars have attempted to define the occult and esoteric. It outlines several themes such as the role of sorcery in everyday life, politics, and the investigation of science. Surveyed topics include astrology, geomancy, treasure hunting, demonology, alchemy, and necromancy.

This course examines the East Asian philosophical and religious traditions of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism both from an internal perspective – how did each tradition represent its own values, goals, practices and methods of devotion – and external perspectives – how did the traditions spread across the East Asian subcontinent, assimilate with traditional cultural norms, and influence art and architecture. In addition to these so-called “three teachings,” we also discuss popular religion in South-east Asia, new combinatory religions such as Aum Shinrikyo and Cao Đài, and the impact of East Asian religious ideas on the West. We will also address religion in modern times, understanding how traditions continue to carve out roles for themselves in a secular world.

This course introduces students to the relations between philosophy and theology in thought about God, with particular attention to the Western tradition from Plato to the present, including themes in metaphysics and epistemology. It examines traditional and revisionary approaches to thinking about the reality of God, and the interplay of claims that God is both knowable and ultimately beyond comprehension.

The New Testament Book of Revelation has exerted an exceptional theological and cultural influence. Students study this important text in its historical context, but also to explore its later reception in theology, art, politics, and film. The course begins with a close reading of the text, locating it within its ancient Jewish and Roman imperial context, and drawing on ancient literary and archaeological evidence to explore questions of genre, identity, and response to colonialism. Recent scholarship, including historical-critical, postcolonial, rhetorical, and feminist interpretations, enable students to engage critically with a variety of approaches to the text. Students then draw on reception studies to explore some of the many ways Revelation has been interpreted in later theology, politics, and culture.

This course offers an introduction to the religion of Islam. It explores the key texts, central beliefs, and rituals, as well as the main branches and traditions of religious thought and practice, which developed over the centuries following the rise of Islam up to the modern period. It covers central elements and concepts of the religion of Islam. These include the central texts of Islam, the Qur'an and Hadith, as well as the role and significance of the prophet Muhammad, the central beliefs and the major ritual duties. The course also explores the main divisions of Islam and various aspects of Islamic thought, such as law, theology, Sufism, and political thought.

This is a beginners' course in the Sanskrit language. It introduces the most important Sanskrit grammar in one year by using M. Deshpande's Samskrta-Subodhini's A Sanskrit Primer as the textbook. The course also begins by reading Sanskrit verses from the story of Nala and Damayant in Charles Lanman's A Sanskrit Reader. The course then reviews major Indian religions and philosophical texts in Chinese translations to know the basics about Indian culture. Students are expected to memorize basic Sanskrit grammar, to start reading sentences from primary texts, and to know the basics about classical Indian religions and culture. 

This course introduces students to the history and theology of Christian worship. It provides an understanding of the development of current forms of Christian worship, the nature of sacramental distinctions, and new sources and ecumenical confluences in 20th- and 21st-century worship. It provides perspectives which will underpin future study of worship practice and the development of advanced worship leading skills.