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RELIG ST 101Religion in Global PerspectiveFoundational and thematic approaches in the academic study of religion applied across global religious systems.

Mon•Wed 11:00–11:50 am cr: 3Instructor: Corrie Normanlevel: Elementary • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.

ANTHRO 104Cultural Anthropology and Human DiversityIntroduction to cultural anthropology for non-majors; comparative cross-cultural consideration of social orga-nization, economics, politics, language, religion, ecology, gender, and cultural change. Includes 25% coverage of U.S. ethnic and racial minorities.

Tue•Thu 9:55–10:45 am cr: 3level: Elementary • breadth:  Social Science  • ethnic: YesOpen to first-year students.pre-reqs: Not for credit for those who have taken Anthro 204.

HISTORY 130An Introduction to World HistoryIntroduction to major themes in world history. Such themes might include: empire and imperialism, envi-ronmental impacts, global trade and globalization, war, migration, gender, race, religion, nationalism, class, and the like.

Tue•Thu 4:00–5:15 pm cr: 4Instructor: Andre Winkbreadth:  Humanities,  Social Science 

HIST SCI 201The Origins of Scientific ThoughtEmergence of scientific method and scientific modes of thought out of ancient philosophical and religious traditions; the impact of ancient science on medieval Christendom; the origins and development of the Coper-nican-Newtonian world view.

Mon•Wed•Fri 9:55–10:45 am cr: 3Instructor: Michael Shanklevel: Elementary • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.pre-reqs: Not open to students who have taken ILS 201 or Hist Sci 323, except by consent of instructor.

COMP LIT 203Tolkien and Medieval LiteratureIntroduction to the critical study of specific literary forms (e.g., comedy, short story) and the connections be-tween literary forms and other cultural and artistic phe-nomena (e.g., cinema, TV, music, visual arts). We will read the major works of J.R.R. Tolkien and several of the me-dieval texts from which he drew inspiration. The course will examine how Tolkien used medieval source material to give modern perspectives on topics such as war, ecolo-gy and the nature of power. The class will discuss recent scholarship on Tolkien’s experiences in the First World War, and his decision to use the genre of fantasy to find new ways of conveying the realities of war. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which Tolkien translated, we will discuss how the hostile and beneficial aspects of nature are depicted differently in the text and in Tolkien’s own writings. In The Saga of the Volsungs, we will study topics such as a cursed ring, dragons, and the idea of some crimes being so monstrous that they cause the transgres-sor to lose their very humanity (as happened to Gollum). In The Silmarillion we will study the story of the creation

mini-catalog of67 UW–Madison Spring 2014 courseswhich include a component of religion or spirituality

Course information lifted from the  UW Course Guide  on November 1, 2013. Information on each class may not be complete, or may have changed. Please check the Course Guide for accurate information.

Click on the title of each course to be linked to its entry in the UW Course Guide.

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of the world and discuss how Tolkien introduces notions that are unprecedented in mythology and quite different from the teachings of his own Christian religion. In the final week of the course we will study the work of medie-valist and Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey, concentrating on Shippey’s discussion of Tolkien’s representation of dif-ferent languages and dialects within the broader context of linguistic experiments undertaken by other important novelists of Tolkien’s time.

Mon•Wed 12:05–12:55 pm cr: 3Instructor: Christopher Livanoslevel: Elementary • breadth:  Literature Open to first-year students.

ART HIST 203Survey of Asian ArtIntroduction to the artistic traditions of China and Japan from neolithic times to the nineteenth century and the Buddhist art of India with its subsequent East Asia em-bodiments.

Tue•Thu 9:30–10:45 am cr: 3–4Instructor: Quitman Phillipslevel: Elementary • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.

LCA • RELIG ST 206Introduction to the Qur’anAn introduction to the Qur’an, the sacred scripture of the Islamic religious tradition, focused on Muslim approach-es to reading the text, its themes and history, and its use as a source of law, theology, aesthetics, politics, and practices of piety.

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm; Fri 1:20–2:10 pm cr: 4Instructor: Anna Gadelevel: Elementary • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.

HISTORY • RELIG ST 208Western Intellectual and Religious History to 1500Survey of key themes in Western intellectual history and religious thought from ancient Greece through the Renaissance, focusing on relationships among classical, Jewish, and Christian traditions.

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm cr: 4Instructor: Eric Carlssonlevel: Elementary • breadth:  Humanities,  Social Science Open to first-year students.

ENGLISH 215British Literature Before 1750This course provides an introduction to literature in En-glish from the Middle Ages to the early eighteenth centu-ry. Together with English 216, it provides an introduction to British literary history, and its primary goals include familiarizing students with the canon of English litera-ture and preparing students for more specialized study in advanced courses in the major. The course spans roughly 1000 years, from the origins of English literature to the rise of the novel. Along the way, we will examine how literature engaged with topics as disparate as love, religion, and science. To focus our discussions, we will concentrate on questions of form and genre, includ-ing the epic, fabliau, romance, sonnet, lyric, and novel. Emphasis will be on close reading and literary analysis, but we will also pay close attention to the social, cultural, and political contexts from which each text emerged. This course also develops skills for writing clearly and critically that are essential to majors and non-majors alike.

Mon•Wed•Fri 11:00–11:50 am cr: 3–4Instructor: Jordan Zwecklevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: 6 credits of intro lit.

HISTORY 221 • JEWISH 231Jews and American Popular Culture

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: Anthony Michelslevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities 

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HISTORY 223Europeans and Muslims in the Modern Mediterranean, 1800 to presentIn recent years, the notion of a “clash of civilizations” between Islam and the West has gained increasing trac-tion in popular culture. But the histories of Europe and the ‘Muslim world’ in the past two centuries and beyond are difficult, if impossible, to disentangle. How have the shared histories of Muslims and Europeans across the Mediterranean shaped the idea of civilizational incom-patibility? And how do they undermine it? This course will explore these questions and others through the his-tory of travel, colonialism, nationalism, and migration in Mediterranean spaces like France, Morocco, and Turkey.

Mon•Wed•Fri 1:20–2:10 pm cr: 3Instructor: Terrence Petersonlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Sophomore standing.

FOLKLORE 230Introduction to American FolkloreFolklore of ethnic, regional, religious, and occupational cultures, emphasizing how diverse peoples (African Americans, American Indians, Appalachians, Chicanos, Germans, Irish, Jews, Mormons, miners, service workers, etc.) use traditional festivals, artifacts, songs and stories to express their experiences within American life.

Tue•Thu 9:30–10:45 am cr: 3Instructor: Ruth Olsonlevel: Elementary • breadth:  Humanities  • ethnic: YesOpen to first-year students.

CHICLA • POLI SCI 231Politics in Multi-Cultural SocietiesRace, ethnicity, and religion as political factors; cultural pluralism, politics, and policy in the United States and selected other multi-cultural politics.

Mon•Wed•Fri 9:55–10:45 am cr: 3–4Instructor: Benjamin Marquezlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Social Science  • ethnic: YesOpen to first-year students.pre-reqs: Freshman or sophomore standing only.

ILS • RELIG ST 234Genres of Western Religious WritingOn January 16, 2013, the headlines of Religion News, the central religious news service on the web, included dispatches about the shortage of imams in the United States, humanists’ efforts to promote a Bible cleansed of miracles, the inauguration of Barack Obama on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, kosher food pantries, gay marriage, and interreligious cooperations in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Though this snapshot of headlines in January might look-like a big religious smorgasbord, it is also indicative of the situation of religion in today’s America and “the West.” Religion in “the West” resembles more and more a confusing patchwork of ideas, cultures, and identities. “The West” is no longer dominated by one distinct tradition (i.e., mainline Protestantism or Roman Catholicism), nor by one exclusive organizational form (i.e., the Church). Instead, in and outside the academy, a comparative approach to religious ideas and their social manifestations has taken hold. The class “Genres of Western Religious Writing” has been developed with this comparative approach as its methodological guide. It offers an introduction to some of the main genres of Western religious writing as well as their histories, lega-cies, and challenges. It is based on the premise that closer study of certain genres across culture and tradition can offer a fresh look onto “the West’s” religious economy and imagination.

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Ulrich Rosenhagenlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.

E ASIAN • LCA 235Genres of Asian Religious WritingWriting intensive course based on the conventions in which Asian writers have expressed religious ideas. Readings introduce major Asian religious traditions and expressive genres.

Mon•Wed 1:20–2:10 pm cr: 3Instructor: Mark Meulenbeldlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.

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JEWISH • MUSIC 236Jewish Composers: Early Modern to ModernA low-enrollment course developing skills in critical reading, logical thinking, use of evidence, and use of li-brary resources. Emphasis on writing in the conventions of specific fields.

Mon•Wed•Fri 2:25–3:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Jeanne Swacklevel:  ElementaryOpen to first-year students.pre-reqs: Successful completion of or exemption from Com A requirement.

LITTRANS • MEDIEVAL • RELIG ST 253Literature in Translation: Dante’s Divine Comedy

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Jelena Todoroviclevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.

LITTRANS • RELIG ST 257Literatures of Muslim Societies in Translation

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3level: Intermediate • breadth:  Literature Open to first-year students.pre-reqs: LCA majors and all Grads register for LCA 357.

HISTORY • LCA 265An Introduction to Central Asia: From the Silk Route to AfghanistanExamination of human geography, ethnicity, nomadism and pastoralism, oases cultures, religion and internation-al politics of the silk routes of central Asia.

Mon•Wed 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: Uli Schamiloglulevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.

LCA 266Introduction to the Middle EastAn interdisciplinary introduction to the diverse cultures, geography, history, modern states, politics, societies, and economies of the Middle East. Since the Middle East is predominantly Muslim, there will be a special emphasis on Islam as a religion and Muslim peoples.

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: Jennifer Loewensteinlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities,  Social Science Open to first-year students.

JEWISH • LITTRANS 269Yiddish Literature in Eastern Europe (in Translation), 1850–1930Yiddish literature, music, art and theatre in Eastern Eu-rope in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: Philip Hollanderlevel: Elementary • breadth:  Literature Open to first-year students.

GERMAN 272Nazi CultureExamines how ideology and new policies influenced cultural life in the Third Reich. Topics include propa-ganda and entertainment films, music, literature and theater, visual arts and architecture, youth education, and consumer culture specifically in its appeal to wom-en. Was Nazi Germany the incarnation of evil in the modern world? Did its culture consist only of propagan-da? Why did the Nazi leadership consider art and culture so central to the political goals? Such perceptions arose after World War II, colored by a Cold War tendency to see similarities between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, as well as by the hasty, controversial program of denazification conducted under Allied occupation. In the past 25 years scholars have taken a serious look at Nazi culture and revealed a much more complex set of factors at work in all areas of cultural life. This course intro-duces students to the contradictory conditions that led to cultural shifts when the Nazis came to power in 1933 and then examines how Nazi policies influenced cultural

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life. We will consider propaganda and entertainment films, music and theater, art and architecture, literature and consumer culture, religion and youth education, the “camp system and fascist environmentalism. This is a lecture course with opportunities for students to ask questions and engage in dialogue at the end of each lecture. All readings—short texts from the Third Reich—are in English translation. There will be several quizzes (identifications) as well as a mid-term and final examina-tion with essay questions.

Tue•Thu 4:00–5:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Jost Hermand and Marc Silbermanlevel: Elementary • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.

HISTORY 278Africans in the Americas, 1492–1808Topics include demography and structure of the slave trade, but major focus on continuities and transforma-tions of African cultures and social structures in the Americas—ethnicity, religion, kinship, gender, oral tradi-tion, creolization, etc.

Tue•Thu 9:30–10:45 am cr: 3–4Instructor: James Sweetlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities  • ethnic: Yespre-reqs: Sophomore standing.

HEBR ST • JEWISH • RELIG ST 278Food in Rabbinic JudaismRabbinic literature frames the fundamental attitudes for how Judaism relates to food. Students will examine the history of food in rabbinic Judaism. In addition, theories from the field of food studies will be applied to rabbinic texts.

Mon•Wed 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3–4Instructor: Jordan Rosenblumlevel:  ElementaryOpen to first-year students.

HEBR ST • JEWISH 302Introduction to Hebrew LiteratureContinuation of HEBR ST/JEWISH 301.

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Bilha Mirkinlevel: Advanced • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: Hebrew 301 or consent of instructor.

ART HIST 305History of Islamic Art and ArchitectureThis course surveys the architecture, landscape, book arts, and luxury objects produced in Islamic contexts from Spain to India from the 7th through the 21st cen-turies. Attention will be focused upon the relationships between Islamic visual idioms and localized religious, political, and socioeconomic circumstances. In partic-ular, lectures and readings will examine the vital roles played by theology, royal patronage, ceremonies, gift exchange, trade, and workshop practices in the formula-tion of visual traditions.

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Jennifer Pruittlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities 

pre-reqs: Sophomore standing.

HEBR ST • JEWISH • LITTRANS 318Modern Jewish LiteraturePre-modern Jewish society’s breakdown, immigration, the challenges of integration and exclusion, and the establishment of new communities will serve as a back-drop for the analysis and comparison of Jewish literary texts written in Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Russian, and English.

Tue•Thu 4:00–5:15 pm cr: 3–4Instructor: Philip Hollanderlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Literature Open to first-year students.

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MUSIC • JEWISH 319Yiddish Song and the Jewish ExperienceExplores music of ethnic groups in the U.S., including that of marginalized minorities, in its cultural context. Topics may include the music of African American, Asian American, Native American and Jewish communities.

Mon•Wed 12:05–12:55 pm cr: 3Instructor: Pamela Potterlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities  • ethnic: Yes

GEN BUS • INTL BUS 320Intercultural Communication in BusinessDevelops awareness and knowledge of cultural influ-ences on business. Focuses on various attitudes toward work, time, material possession, business, and the rela-tionship of these attitudes to different social, religious, philosophical, and educational backgrounds of business people from cultures around the world.

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: David Wardpre-reqs: Sophomore standing

HEBR ST • JEWISH • LITTRANS • RELIG ST 328Classical Rabbinic Literature in TranslationIntroduction to the literature of the Classical Rabbinic or Talmudic period of Judaism (2nd to 7th centuries CE). Historical and intellectual background; the interrelation of liturgy, legal and non-legal literature.

Mon•Wed 4:00–5:15 pm cr: 3–4Instructor: Jordan Rosenblumlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Literature Open to first-year students.

HEBR ST • JEWISH • LITTRANS • RELIG ST 332Prophets of the BibleAn introduction to the thought, literature, and history of the prophets of ancient Israel (in English).

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 4level: Intermediate • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: Hebrew 217 which meets with Jewish/Relig St/Lit Trans 227 or Sophomore standing.

FOLKLORE • LITTRANS • MEDIEVAL • RELIG ST 342In Translation: Mythology of Scandinavia

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3–4Instructor: Scott Mellorlevel: Advanced • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

GERMAN 352The German Language in AmericaHands-on introduction to a topic in German language study. Course topics are designed to be relevant to future teachers of German as well as to those inclined to pursue graduate study in German philology/linguistics. This course focuses on structural, historical, and cultural aspects of German as a heritage language in the United States, that is, as a language maintained by the descen-dants of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century immigrants to this country. In terms of the actual structures of heri-tage varieties of German, we will consider both dialectal and standard-like features and examine the influence of English on these varieties and vice versa. Sociolinguistic themes we will explore include factors that promote or hinder language maintenance, as well as domains of use, including education, print media, and religion. We will also reflect on the ways that American and European speakers of German have viewed each other, specifical-ly in terms of linguistic differences. The data for this course will be drawn mainly from audio materials and writings produced by heritage speakers of German from three major areas: Pennsylvania (and other Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking regions), Texas, and Wisconsin. We will

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also learn to read the old German typeface (Fraktur) and write in Kurrent, both of which were once widespread among German-speaking Americans.

Mon•Wed•Fri 9:55–10:45 am cr: 3Instructor: Mark Loudenlevel: Advanced • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: German 351 or consent of instructor.

LCA • RELIG ST 357Literatures of Muslim SocietiesSurvey in English of the literatures of the Islamic Middle East and South West Asia in Turkish, Persian and Arabic. Emphasis on comparative approaches within an Islamic cultural continuum and reactions to this heritage in the modern and post-modern periods.

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: Funda Derinlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Literature Open to first-year students.

RELIG ST 361Early Christian Literature: Pauline ChristianityBy conventional reckoning, Paul was a major contributor to the development of Christianity. This course analyzes both Paul’s and other contemporary writings to assess the extent to which he contributed to the development of the early church.

Mon•Wed 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: Corrie Normanlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Literature Open to first-year students.

E ASIAN • RELIG ST 363Introduction to ConfucianismThe development of Confucianism in pre-Buddhist China emphasizing interactions with competing viewpoints. Particular attention to issues of morality and human na-ture, stressing the roots of Confucianism in more general theories of value. All readings in translation.

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3level: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Sophomore standing.

E ASIAN • LCA • RELIG ST 364Introduction to BuddhismThe basic thought, practices and history of Buddhism, including selflessness and relativity, practices of medita-tion, merit-making and compassion from both local and translocal perspectives. Includes a discussion of Bud-dhism as a contemporary, North American religion.

Mon•Wed 12:05–12:55 pm cr: 3Instructor: Anne Hansenlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities Open to first-year students.

ENGLISH • MEDIEVAL 367Chaucer’s Canterbury TalesThis course is an introduction to the most famous and influential English poet of the Middle Ages, Geoffrey Chaucer, to Middle English, the language in which he wrote, and to his most famous and influential poem, The Canterbury Tales. Through close readings of many (though not quite all) of the varied tales uproarious and tragic, lewd and learned that make up this immensely rich and complex work, we will explore Chaucer’s play-ful and profound responses to some of the most pressing literary, social, political, and spiritual issues of his rather tumultuous day. Over the course of the term, we will locate Chaucer’s poetry in a range of literary and cultur-al frameworks: the rise of vernacular English writing in the fourteenth century; the impact of increasing social stratification, intensifying class antagonism, expand-ing political rivalry, and burgeoning religious dissent upon late-medieval literary production; the politics of authorship and medieval views of the social function of literature; the influence of classical texts, recent Euro-pean literature, and Christian modes of reading on the development of English poetry; and last but not certainly not least, manuscript culture (that is, the ways of reading and writing before the age of print). We will also look at how Chaucer deploys the genres available to him epic, romance, lyric, fabliau, saint’s life, sermon, beast fable and, in the process, makes something wholly new; and we will pay particular attention to his representation of individuals as both historically contingent “types and highly subjective selves caught between but nevertheless making very good use of the manifold tensions between word and deed, language and intention, experience and

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authority. Requirements (in addition to the reading) will include regular postings to the Learn@UW discussion board, some memorization and recitation of Chaucer’s poetry, and two papers, or, alternately, one paper and one final project, to be determined in consultation with the instructor. Digital and other kinds of multi-media final projects will be especially encouraged!

Tue•Thu 9:30–10:45 am cr: 3Instructor: Lisa Cooperlevel:  Intermediate, Advanced  • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: 6 cr of intro lit

CLASSICS 370Classical MythologyClassical myths and their influence on later literature and art.

Mon•Wed 12:05–12:55 pm cr: 3Instructor: Jeffery Benekerlevel: Elementary • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: Sophomore standing.

COM ARTS • RELIG ST 374The Rhetoric of ReligionRhetorical character of religious controversy and sectar-ian persuasion in Western religion. Course objectives: (1) to gain a sense of the breadth and impact of classical rhetorical theory on Western religious thought; (2) to establish a general model of the historical progression of Western rhetorical traditions; (3) to explore the diversity of the rhetorical analysis; and (4) to apply those analyti-cal methods to specific examples of contemporary religious expression.

Tue•Thu 11:00–11:50 am cr: 3level: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Sophomore standing.

RELIG ST 400Biblical Hermeneutics in PerspectiveTopics may include religion in specific societies or regions; religion in the arts; contemporary themes in religion.

Tue•Thu 3:00–4:30 pm cr: 3level: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.

RELIG ST 400American Indian ReligionTopics may include religion in specific societies or regions; religion in the arts; contemporary themes in religion.

Instructor: Theresa Schenk cr: 3–4level: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.

RELIG ST 400Introduction to the Qur’anTopics may include religion in specific societies or regions; religion in the arts; contemporary themes in religion.

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm, Fri 1:20–2:10 pm cr: 3–4Instructor: Anna Gadelevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.

RELIG ST 400 • LEGAL ST 450Intro to Islamic LawTopics courses will address a variety of issues linking various humanities perspectives to the central themes of law and legal institutions.

Tue•Thu 11:00 am–12:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Asifa QuraishiLevel: Advanced • Breadth:  Humanities Pre-Reqs: Junior standing.

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LCA • RELIG ST 402Thought of GandhiCritical analysis of Gandhi’s social, political, and reli-gious thought, tracing his experiences in South Africa and India, noting links between his concepts and classi-cal Hinduism, examining criticisms raised against Gand-hi’s thought, and identifying contemporary continuities of Gandhi’s thought in India, Europe, and the U.S.

Mon•Wed 3:30–4:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: Joseph Elderlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.

HEBR ST • JEWISH 402Topics in Modern Hebrew/Israeli Literature and Culture IIContinuation of Hebr St/Jewish 401.

Mon•Wed•Fri 9:55–10:45 am cr: 3Instructor: Rachel Brennerlevel: Advanced • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: Hebrew 401 or consent of instructor.

SCAND ST 429Mythology of ScandinaviaFirst: an introduction to the pagan religion of Scandina-via, with readings in some of the primary sources (eddaic and skaldic poetry, Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, etc.) Second: broadens the definition of mythology to embrace concepts applicable to more recent literature and literary criticism.

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 4Instructor: Scott Mellorlevel: Advanced • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: Junior standing and 2 years of a Scandinavian language

JEWISH 431Anti-Semitism Through the AgesIntermediate-level topics course in Jewish history.

Tue•Thu 9:30-10:45 am cr: 3Instructor: Timothy Crainlevel:  Intermediate  • breadth:  Humanities 

ENGLISH • RELIG ST 434MiltonMajor poems and selected prose.

Mon•Wed 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: David Loewensteinlevel:  Intermediate, Advanced  • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: 6 credits of intro lit

HISTORY • LCA • RELIG ST 438Buddhism and Society in Southeast Asian HistoryTherevada Buddhism in Southeast Asia; ideas and basic tenets; history and its impact on social and political institutions; the monastic order and relations with the states; roles in the early history up to the present; focus on Thailand and Burma. For more than a thousand years, the mainland Southeast Asia (Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand today) have been the homeland of Theravada Buddhism, an “order of Buddhism distinctive from the Mahayana and the Tibetan ones. Despite Westernization and secularization since the nineteenth century, this religious tradition remains strong among nearly 150 million people today. We cannot understand the peoples and cultures of the region without understanding their strong religious tradition. The course is not for a study of Theravada Buddhism. Rather, it is a cultural history of the Theravada Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia. The main subjects of the course are: 1) a history of Therava-da Buddhism and its coming to Southeast Asia; 2) basic tenets of Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism as a civic religion in popular culture; 3) Buddhist political culture in history; 4) the transition during the colonial and “modernizing” period in the 19th century; 5) Buddhism in the age of modern nations and economies. The focus is on Thailand and Burma, the major Buddhist countries in the region.

Tue•Thu 11:00 am-12:15 pm cr: 3–4Instructor: Thongchai Winichakullevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities,  Social Science pre-reqs: Sophomore standing.

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HISTORY • RELIG ST 439Islamic History from the Origin of Islam to the Ottoman EmpirePolitical action and organization in medieval Islam (c. 600–1500), with focus on selected states.

Mon•Wed•Fri 2:25–3:15 pm cr: 3–4Instructor: Michael Chamberlainlevel: Intermediate • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Sophomore standing.

Jewish 450Undergraduate Seminar in Judaism and the ArtsThis course provides an understanding of Jewish art and artists in the shaping of culture both historically and today through lectures and discussions; guest scholars, artists and critics; and performances, exhibitions and screenings.

Wed 1:20–3:50 pm cr: 3Instructor: Douglas Rosenberglevel: Advanced • breadth:  Humanities 

ECON 451The Economic Approach to Human BehaviorThe economic analysis of “non-economic” topics such as the family, crime, politics and religion.

Tue•Thu 8:25–9:40 am cr: 3Instructor: James Montgomerylevel:  Advancedpre-reqs: Econ 301.

AFRICAN 500Language and Society in AfricaLanguage use in African societies; multilingualism; lan-guage in politics, religion, socialization.

Mon•Wed 4:20–5:35 pm cr: 3–4level:  Intermediate, Advanced  • breadth:  Humanities 

HISTORY • LEGAL ST 510Legal PluralismHistorical and anthropological perspectives on non-state “law,” or systems of rules generated by normative orders that lay beyond the state; case studies include the mafia, Tokyo tuna traders’ court, orthodox Jewish diamond merchants, California gold miners’ courts, Inuit song dueling.

Tue•Thu 9:30–10:45 am cr: 3level: Advanced • breadth:  Social Science pre-reqs: Previous law-related course.

ART HIST 515Cross-Cultural Encounters in Islamic ArtThis course analyzes east-west exchange in the history of Islamic art.

Thu 4:00–6:00 pm cr: 3Instructor: Jennifer Pruittlevel: Intermediate, Advanced • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Junior standing and consent of instructor.

HIST SCI•HISTORY•MED HIST•MEDIEVAL•S&A PHM 562Byzantine Medicine and PharmacyByzantine and Islamic medicine and drug lore from Oribasius to the beginnings of the Italian Renaissance (c. 350–c. 1400 AD).

Tue•Thu 2:30–3:45 pm cr: 3Instructor: John Scarboroughlevel:  Intermediate, Advanced  • breadth:  Humanities pre-reqs: Junior or senior standing or consent of instructor.

HISTORY 600Foundations of Modern Political ThoughtThis course will survey the development of European political and social ideas from the end of the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. These centuries were a crucial period in the evolution of atti-tudes that have shaped the modern world, and that still exercise a profound influence on our lives. Amongst the

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broad themes which the course surveys are the develop-ment of the idea of state sovereignty, the growth of the notion of international law, the links between attitudes towards the family and gender on the one hand and state power on the other, the history of the notion that individuals or groups may legitimately resist or even de-pose tyrannical rulers, and the arguments used for and against toleration in an age of bitter religious disputes. The course has two main aims:(1) to introduce students to the most important and influ-

ential ideas about the nature, purposes, and objectives of the state and society which were current in Europe from about 1500 to 1800 (and which have decisively shaped how people have thought about these ques-tions ever since), and to show how these ideas devel-oped in response to social, economic and political forces (and not just as attempts to give detached and objective answers to timeless and abstract questions);

(2) to improve students’ skills in analyzing and criticizing political arguments and theories, both in discussion and on paper.

Mon 1:20–3:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Johann Sommervillelevel: Advanced • breadth:  Humanities,  Social Science 

pre-reqs: Junior or Senior standing and consent of instructor.

HISTORY 600 • JEWISH 631Jewish Life in the Age of SecularizationDevelopment and application of advanced research skills to a specific historical topic. Intensive writing and small group discussion results in a project demonstrating original or creative analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Mon 11:00 am-12:55 pm cr: 3Instructor: Sarah Wobicklevel: Advanced • breadth:  Humanities,  Social Science pre-reqs: Junior or Senior standing and consent of instructor.

RELIG ST 600Religion in Critical PerspectiveReadings in the analysis of religion as a human phenom-enon from various perspectives, such as: skeptical and sympathetic views toward religion; theories of religion’s origins and functions; and examinations of religious awe. Should be taken junior year. Seminar format.

Tue 3:30–5:30 pm cr: 3level:  Advancedpre-reqs: Junior standing and consent of instructor. Preference given to Religious Studies majors.

ENGLISH 619American ModernsThis course explores American modernism by focusing on three major novelists from the first half of the twen-tieth century: Theodore Dreiser, Willa Cather, and Ralph Ellison. Spanning three phases of literary modernism, evoking a range of geographies (from Gilded-Age Chicago to the open spaces of the American West to the streets of Harlem), and embodying diverse experiences of race, gender, ethnicity, and religion, these writers help us understand modern art as a cultural project, as well as the broader social, economic, and philosophical contexts from which it emerged: “American modernity” writ large. Because vision has long been understood as a defining trope of the modern, we’ll complement our readings by surveying contemporary developments in the visual arts, including urban “Ashcan school” painting, regionalist art from the Midwest and Southwest, and documentary photography. We may also sample the work of other im-portant modernists including Gwendolyn Brooks, John Dos Passos, T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, William Carlos Williams, and Richard Wright. Classes will consist of discussions and occasional lectures. As-signments include two papers and an exam.

Tue•Thu 9:30–10:45 am cr: 3Instructor: Jerome Tharaudlevel:  Intermediate, Advanced  • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: 6 credits of intro lit.

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GERMAN 625Travel and Dutch LiteratureTopics vary. May include: medieval literature; Golden Age literature; texts from Europe, South Africa, Indonesia, the Caribbean; memory in post-war literature; women writers; twentieth-century movements; Dutch-Jewish literature. Taught primarily in Dutch.

Mon•Wed 1:00–2:15 pm cr: 3–4Instructor: Jolanda Taylorlevel: Advanced • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: German 314 or consent of instructor.

ENGLISH 631Toni MorrisonThe author of eight novels and winner of a Nobel Prize, Toni Morrison is one of the most celebrated and signifi-cant authors of the twentieth-century. In this course we will read several of her novels and essays with the goal of understanding the depth and artistry with which she has captured the American cultural landscape. Her novels take myriad subjects and themes including, slavery, reli-gion, incest, infanticide, the Harlem Renaissance, ghosts, the Great Migration, beauty, and patriarchy, to name a just a few. Her Pulitzer prize-winning novel Beloved has been made into a major motion picture and an opera. Few writers are as well read as Morrison and one of the pleasures of reading her work is locating the sources from which she draws inspiration. To this end, one of our goals in this course will be to hone our close reading and interpretive skills while situating each novel in its literary, cultural and historical context.

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Cherene Sherrardlevel:  Intermediate, Advanced  • breadth:  Literature pre-reqs: 6 credits of intro lit.

JEWISH 633Sociology of PersecutionAdvanced-level course in Jewish Studies; topics drawn from the social sciences and vary by semester.

Wed 4:00–6:30 pm cr: 3Instructor: Ivan Ermakofflevel: Advanced • breadth:  Social Science 

E ASIAN 661History of Chinese Thought, Part 1The first half of a two-course sequence promoting a familiarity with the fundamentals of Chinese thought, philosophical and religious. The focus is on the pre-Qin period, paying particular attention to competing theories of value.

Mon•Wed 4:00–5:15 pm cr: 3Instructor: Mark Meulenbeldlevel:  Advancedpre-reqs: Consent of instructor.

AFRICAN 669Language, Gender, and Sexuality in African ContextsAn exploration of how gender and sexuality are con-strained, constructed, performed, and resisted in and through language. Readings will include theories of language and gender, queer linguistics, and feminist dis-course analysis, followed by case studies in sociolinguis-tics and linguistic anthropology from Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, and the Swahili Coast. The final paper will be a field work funding proposal. Students working in other linguistic areas are also welcome and may write the final paper in relation to any language.

Tue 2:30–4:30 pm cr: 3Instructor: Katrina Thompsonlevel:  Advancedpre-reqs: Consent of the chair.

ANTHRO 690Anthropology of IslamIndependent research in specific problems in physical anthropology, archaeology, or cultural anthropology; under supervision.

Tue•Thu 1:00–2:15 pm cr: 3–4level:  Intermediatepre-reqs: Consent of instructor, or Junior or senior major or grad student.