Religion 329 - Dreams, Visions, and Otherworldly Encounters

Dreams and visions play a variety of roles in religion: they are a mode of divine communication; they reveal the future, the past, and the esoteric; they are spaces of encounter with deities, angels, demons, and other non- or trans-human entities. This course approaches dreaming and states of altered consciousness from the perspective of the academic study of religion in conversation with theories from other disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, and psychology. Our work will focus largely on understandings of dreams and visions in predominately Christian cultures from antiquity to the present, although students are welcome to explore other geographical and cultural contexts in their papers and discussions. Special attention will be given to developing critical writing. No prior study of religion is required.

Spring semester. Professor Falcasantos.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference given to Religion majors.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Close reading and analysis of primary texts and previous scholarship; visual analysis; independent research; group work; active participation in seminar discussion; oral presentations; informal in-class writing; formal written papers and revision.