Same as REL 242. As devotional object, political symbol and art commodity, the Russian icon has been revered as sacred, vilified as reactionary, and displayed and sold as masterpiece. This course examines the complex and multifaceted world of the Russian icon from its Byzantine roots to its contemporary re-emergence in the public sphere of post-Soviet Russia.

Topics course. Buddhists the world over understand the Buddha as an enlightened being and Buddhahood as the highest goal of Buddhist practice, but there is little agreement beyond this. What do Buddhas know? Is enlightenment our innate nature or a nurtured quality? Is nirvana a state of joyous ecstasy or the elimination of all passions and pleasures? Can women be Buddhas? How can a Buddha simultaneously be free from all desire yet want to save all beings? Can Buddhas be found in the world today? Does this ideal still make sense in light of contemporary psychology?

Topics course. A critical examination of the impact of contemporary feminism upon Jews across the spectrum-traditional, modern and radical. We explore new approaches to the Jewish tradition evident in the study of Jewish women's history and experience; the critique and reinterpretation of classical texts; changing conceptions of God, Torah, community, ritual and sexuality; and new roles for women as religious leaders, scholars and activists.

This course considers the role of religion in the construction of male identities in South Asia, and how these identities function in the South Asian public sphere. Topics to be considered include: Krishna devotion and transgender performance; the cinematic phenomenon of the "angry young man"; hijras and the construction of gender; wrestling and the politics of semen retention; and the connection between Lord Ram and the rise of militant Hindu nationalism.

An introduction to the ideas and practices of South Asian Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis and Jews, with an emphasis on how these religious identities are constructed and contested. Materials to be considered include philosophical writings, ritual texts, devotional poetry, comic books, legal treatises, newspaper clippings, personal memoirs, as well as ethnographic and popular films.

The development of Buddhism and other religious traditions in Japan from prehistory through the 19th century. Topics include doctrinal development, church/state relations, and the diffusion of religious values in Japanese culture, particularly in the aesthetic realm (literature, gardens, tea, the martial arts, etc.)

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of Buddhist religious practice and philosophy from the standpoint of the Tibetan tradition, a tradition that endeavors to preserve the Mahayana tradition transmitted to Tibet from India. Among the topics to be addressed are the distinction between the Mayahaya and Hinayana vehicles, the difference between sutra and tantra, teachings on emptiness and the two truths according to different Tibetan schools, and the intersections of Tibetan religion and politics.

Topics course. The persistence of the ideology of jihad in modern Islam drives revivalists and apologists to disagree over the meaning of "jihad" and whether it should be understood to necessitate violence or as an interpersonal spiritual struggle. This course examines the most important modern debates about Jihad and how each position engages and appeals to the foundational Islamic sources (e.g. Qur'an, Muhammad, Sharia/Islamic Law) and Islamic history for legitimacy.

Same as RES 242. As devotional object, political symbol and art commodity, the Russian icon has been revered as sacred, vilified as reactionary, and displayed and sold as masterpiece. This course examines the complex and multifaceted world of the Russian icon from its Byzantine roots to its contemporary re-emergence in the public sphere of post-Soviet Russia.

Faith and reason, worship and the intellectual life, the meaning of redemption and the nature of Catholicism according to major thinkers in the Catholic tradition. Readings from Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Pascal, John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton, Simone Weil, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II), Elizabeth Anscombe, Alasdair MacIntyre and others.