Department of
Religious Studies University of California, Riverside |
Course Syllabus |
Professor Ivan Strenski Winter
1998
University of California, Riverside Ethnic Studies/Religious
Studies 12
Required Texts: Achebe -- Arrow of God Gill -- Native American Religions Kellerman -- The Ritual Bath Strenski -- Course Reader Office hours: Tu Th 1030-1200 HMNSS 2621, X5986 or Chair's Office, HMNSS, RLST Dept Suite X5111 Course requirements 1. Total of three in-class 15 minute Scantron and short answer quizzes and two 3 page take-home essays = (2/3 course total) 2. Final examination = (1/3 course total)--Scantron and short essays 3. Attendance and participation in sections. Failure to attend and participate in section discussions will result in a significant reduction of the final grade. Schedule of Class Meetings: all items are included in class reader or in required books
8 Jan Introduction 13 Jan What Is Religion? And How Should We Study It? (Ninian Smart), "Introduction" 15 Jan Racism and the Burden of (Colonial) History (Orwell), "Shooting an Elephant". ( Horsman), 6. "The Other Americans", 7. "Superior and Inferior Races" 20 Jan Racism Is Everybody's Problem: The Ethical Dimension of Religion Khalid Mohammad, Hitler, Mein Kampf. Robert Girardi, "Nose Job"; Afghan Hospitals; Slavery in Sudan; Henry Louis Gates, "The Charmer". Cornel West, "On Black-Jewish Relations". Malcolm X, Autobiography of Malcolm X,
22 Jan At Home and the World: What Is Ritual? Kellerman, The Ritual Bath. Jacob Neusner, "Back to the Fold, Not to the Faith". Mud People 27 Jan Indigenous Peoples, Christopher Columbus and their Religions: Doctrinal Dimension Gill, Native American Religions, ch 1-2, 4 (pp 83-97) QUIZ TODAY IN CLASS covering materal from 8 to 22 Jan 29 Jan Film: "Black Robe": Seeing All the Dimensions of Religion Together Brian Moore, Black Robe, excerpts Take-home review essay assignment on "Black Robe" (3 pages, double-spaced. due 5 Feb in class): Comment critically, with explicit reference (page numbers) to Gill and/or Smart to support your thesis. Theme: "According to what Gill and Smart say about religion how does Black Robe inform us both about religion in general and about Native American religion? What does Black Robe leave out?" Warning: no page numbers cited from reading, no credit.. Cite specific pages, not just general vicinity of your source. 3 Feb Religion of "Natural Man": Irrational, Magical, and Just Like Us? (Marcel Mauss), The Gift. (Claude Lévi-Strauss), ch IX, "The Sorcerer and His Magic". Gill, Native American Religions, ch 3, 4 (pp. 97-113) and ch 5. 5 Feb Mexico as Mirror: So Near to God, So Far from the United States Take-home review essay assignment on "Black Robe" is due today in class (Octavio Paz), "Mexico and the United States", Labyrinth of Solitude. (Alan Riding), ch 1. "The Mexicans", ch 2 "The Roots of the Nation". (Oscar Lewis), "Manuel"; Patrick Oster, ch 14. "The Evangelista" 10 Feb Living the Day of the Dead: The Ritual Dimension (Octavio Paz), ch 3. "The Day of the Dead", The Labyrinth of Solitude.Octavio Pax, ch 5. "The Conquest and Colonialism", The Labyrinth of Solitude. Yugoslavian Day of the Dead; Slides: Patzcuaro, Janitzio, Tzintzunzan "Amistad" Special Assignment Due (See Below) 12 Feb Mexico as the Indianation: The Old Myths Do Not Die Jacques Soustelle, from The Daily Life of the Aztecs; Richard Rodriguez, "The New Native Americans". B. Traven, "When the Priest Is Not at Home" B. Traven, "Conversion of Some Indians" Slides: Yucatan, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guadalajara 17 Feb Religion and Politics: What Was, What Was Lost, and What Might Yet Be Film: "The Mission" Take home review essay assignment on "The Mission" (3 pages, double-spaced. due 24 Feb): Theme: "Do the Guarani use Christianity and/or does it use them?" Tell me precisely how in terms of specific incidents in the film. 19 Feb La Virgen de Guadalupe's Religion: National Identity through Political Myth (Victor Turner), ch 3. "Hidalgo: History as Social Drama". Richard Rodriguez, "Mexican Food...." Richard Rodriguez, "Credo", Hunger of Memory. Richard Rodriguez, ch. 5. "The Missions" QUIZ TODAY IN CLASS covering materal from 27 Jan to 17 Feb 24 Feb Religion in West Africa take home review essay assignment on The Mission is due today in class. Achebe, Arrow of God, Tom Lawson, "Yoruba Worldview" 26 Feb Religious Experience in Africa: The ways of the gods are not our ways Achebe, Arrow of God African masks (slides) Jed Perl on Art. "Formal Africa" 3 Mar African Religion as Art and Intelligence Achebe, Arrow of God. Victor Turner, "Muchona, the Hornet" 5 Mar Film: "The Long Search" -- "Zulu Zion"
10 Mar Religion in the New Africa ( Ninian Smart), ch 6. "Africa and Beyond". "Missa Luba" (audio). 12 Mar Religion in the New Africa continued QUIZ TODAY IN CLASS covering materal from 19 Feb to 10 Mar 17 Mar Review: The Future of Religion and Ethnicity
"Amistad" Special Assignment Date due: 10 Feb
Students are offered a chance to do an EXTRA short paper on "Amistad" based on the following question. "Specify cases in 'Amistad' in which religion figures. As specified in these cases, evaluate the role religion a plays in the action of the film." By 'evaluate' I mean for you to spell out what significance these instances of religion have concerning the role and nature of religion as depicted or suggested by the film. The grade given on this paper can then be used to replace the LOWER grade of the other two required papers. THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE OTHER TWO PAPERS. Thus, if the "Amistad" option is chosen, three papers are done, and the lowest grade of the three dropped.
Religious Myths and Rituals
READER
Table of Contents
The New Yorker cover/image
Ninian Smart, "Introduction"
George Orwell, "Shooting and Elephant"
Reginald Horsman, 6. "The Other Americans", 7. "Superior and
Inferior Races"
Dr. Khalid Mohammad
Hitler, Mein Kampf
Cornel West, "On Black-Jewish Relations"
Robert Girardi, "Nose Job"
Afghan Hospitals
Slavery in Sudan
Henry Louis Gates, "The Charmer"
Malcolm X, Autobiography of Malcolm X,
Mud People
Jacob Neusner, "Back to the Fold, Not to the Faith"
Brian Moore, Black Robe
Marcel Mauss, The Gift
Claude Lévi-Strauss, ch IX, "The Sorcerer and His Magic"
Octavio Paz, "Mexico and the United States", The Labyrinth of Solitude
Alan Riding, ch 1. "The Mexicans", Distant Neighbors
ch 2 "The Roots of the Nation", Distant Neighbors
Oscar Lewis, "Manuel"
Patrick Oster, ch 14. "The Evangelista"
Octavio Paz ch 3. "The Day of the Dead", The Labyrinth of Solitude
Octavio Paz ch 5. "The Conquest and Colonialism", The Labyrinth of Solitude
Yugoslavian Day of the Dead
Jacques Soustelle, from The Daily Life of the Aztecs
Richard Rodriguez, "The New Native Americans"
B. Traven, "When the Priest Is Not at Home"
B. Traven, "Conversion of Some Indians"
Victor Turner, ch 3. "Hidalgo: History as Social Drama"
Richard Rodriguez, "Mexican Food...."
Richard Rodriguez, "Credo", Hunger of Memory--"The steps of the church
defined the..."
Richard Rodriguez, ch. 5. "The Missions"
Tom Lawson, "Yoruba Worldview"
Viictor Turner, "Muchona, the Hornet"
Jed Perl on Art. "Formal Africa"
Victor Turner, "Muchona, the Hornet"
Ninian Smart, ch 6. "Africa and Beyond"
Other syllabi of the Department of Religious Studies at UC Riverside are avaiable at their web page.
Latest update: August 02, 2002
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