Religious Studies

This course examines the relationship between Buddhism and gender in a broad variety of historical and Buddhist thematic contexts. To accomplish this, we will immerse ourselves in Buddhist texts and teachings, analyze material and visual culture, and delve into the lived experiences of Buddhist practitioners spanning from Early Buddhism to the present day, across a range of Buddhist traditions, cultures, and geographical settings. In so doing, we will explore topics including the role and status of women, the construction of Buddhist masculinities and femininities, the gendering of religious roles, institutions and practices, and activism towards gender equality in Buddhist communities. 

This course explores some of the historical roots and key debates of different religions and some of the contemporary issues they face. The course provides introductory groundings to various religious traditions, which may include Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Students explore ways in which these traditions have been defined and understood, both internally and externally, and how they have interacted in key historical moments and present-day contexts. This course may include a trip to a London religious site or other relevant neighborhood setting, a museum, gallery, or library. 

This course examines the thought, values and practices of Buddhism through the application of its fundamentals of philosophical theories and principles. In this course, the basic Buddhist teachings of dependent arising, the relationship of mind and body, human behaviors and their consequences, the human condition and its causes, the concept of happiness, etc. will be investigated on the basis of the earliest Buddhist literatures namely the Pali Nikayas and Chinese Agamas.

This course examines the sweeping changes in religious life in Europe between the late Middle Ages and the 17th century. It concentrates on the upheavals associated with the Protestant and Catholic Reformations (the latter known also as the Counter-Reformation), but places these in a much broader context, examining the role of religion in the social, cultural, and political world of early modern Europe. The course does not treat religious issues solely in theological or ecclesiastic terms, but also in terms of piety – the "varieties of religious experience" Europeans had, and community – the social and spiritual bonds formed by religion. It pays attention to the "common folk" as much as to famous leaders, and looks for long-term shifts behind the era’s revolutionary events

This course examines the relationship between colonialism, decolonization, and religion globally from both historical and contemporary perspectives. This includes the ways in which secularism and colonial modernity provided a context for the remaking of religion, as well as the many different forms of colonial power and anti-colonial resistance across the world. Special attention is paid to questions around gender, class, racialization, and religious minorities. Students critically examine formative concepts, theories, and texts related to the post-colonial study of religion, as well as historical arguments from anti- and decolonial perspectives. Examples may be drawn from a variety of contexts and religious traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, as well as indigenous religious traditions. 

This introductory course explores the most important aspects of Islam as a religious and cultural tradition, with special emphasis on the formative period. In addition to studying the sources of Islam, it also focuses on the emergence and development of its main rituals and doctrines.  

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and thought of major Indian Buddhist philosophical schools. It surveys four key traditions of Buddhist philosophy in India, including Abhidharma, Madhyamika, Yogacara, and Buddhist epistemology and logic. No background in Buddhist thought is presumed on the part of the participants. 

Reading assignments will balance primary sources from key moments of Buddhist thought with recent introductory texts. Primary texts covered or sampled in the course include: Treasury of Metaphysics with its auto commentary; Treatise on the Middle Way, Introduction to the Middle Way and its auto commentary; Twenty Verses and its auto commentary; Thirty Verses, Demonstration of the Three Natures, A Compendium of Means of Knowledge, and its auto commentary. Lectures will be combined with in-class discussions, with particular attention paid to the close reading of primary texts.  

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. 

This course uses a thematic approach to select relevant original texts from the Confucian classics (including the Four Books, the Five Classics, the Analects of Confucius, and Mencius, and when necessary, the broader classics - the Thirteen Classics). The course aims to gain an appreciation for the beauty of Chinese characters and a deeper understanding of Confucianism and Chinese culture through reading these works.  

The teaching and discussion scope of this course starts from the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties and then proceeds to the Tang and Song Dynasties. The discussion of this course starts with the concepts of body and mind and essence, energy and spirit in Taoism and Taoist thought as the main axis. Mainly through the reading of secondary materials studied by scholars, the course conducts thematic discussions and reflects on the relevant issues involved.