141 - 150 of 201 results for: RELIGST

Recent events have taught us that God is alive and well in the political imagination of modern people. But the entanglement of theology and politics has been there from the very beginning: it was Plato, after all, who first coined the term "theology," and that too in the most famous work of political theory: The Republic. In this seminar, we will attempt to unravel this knot through readings on two central themes: the Graeco-Roman and Christian underpinnings of modern politics and the central role desire and the construction of the self plays in the elaboration of this politics. Readings will primarily be taken from the philosophical and historical writings of thinkers like Kantorowitcz, Schmitt, Deleuze/Guattari, Foucault, Wynter, Weil, as well as some works of literature and films. Undergraduates register for 200-level for 5 units. Graduate students register for 300-level for 3-5 units

Readings in Aramaic/Syriac with special focus on grammar and syntax of ancient texts.

This seminar allows students and faculty to explore foundational concepts of Jewish mystical literature through immersion in primary sources. Together we will examine these texts from a wide range of philosophical, historical and theological perspectives, seeking to decode their historical importance and understand their contemporary significance. Ability to read sources in Hebrew is strongly recommended, and permission of the instructor is required. May be repeated for credit.

This seminar studies how practitioners throughout Asian religious traditions have utilized and theorized the senses in rituals. We will study primary sources, secondary literature, visual culture, and multimedia expressive forms. Undergraduates must enroll for 5 units; graduate students can enroll for 3-5 units. WIN '24: This course will be meeting in room 212 in the East Asia Library.

This seminar investigates the central role of the Christian Bible in European religion, culture, and society from ca. 1000-1700 CE. In the medieval and early modern periods, the Bible not only shaped religious attitudes, practices, and institutions, but also exercised profound influence over learning and education, politics, law, social relations, art, literature, and music. Students will obtain an overview of the role of the scripture as both a religious text and a cultural artifact, exploring the history of biblical interpretation in commentaries and sermons; textual criticism, study of biblical languages, and the translation of scripture; manufacturing of Bibles in manuscript and in print; the commercial dimensions of Bible production; illustrated Bibles, biblical maps, and biblically-inspired artwork; religious uses of scripture in monastic houses, public worship, and domestic settings; biblical foundations for political and legal traditions. Students will also have the opportunity to suggest topics consonant with their own fields of interest and use the seminar to workshop on-going projects related to the Bible in this period. All of the readings will be in English, though students with the ability to read German, French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Greek, or Hebrew will be encouraged to pursue projects that utilize their linguistic skills. Students will have the opportunity to utilize materials in Special Collections. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Send an email to pitkin@stanford.edu explaining your interests and background. Undergraduates register for 200-level for 5 units. Graduate students register for 300-level for 3-5 units.

"Political theology" is the name that academics give to a tradition of inquiry in which the distinction between these two terms is continuously troubled. In other words, like modern language and modern thought more generally, it is "woven into the very fabric it is unrolling" (to borrow a line from Foucault). In this class, however, we will attempt to weave them together, which will in turn allow us to recall what is always potentially good and beautiful in the encounter between politics and theology and not only what is evil and ugly (though this recognition will be of equal importance to our endeavor). Our collective pursuit will be facilitated through the slow, meticulous reading of texts along with the discussions that emerge from the threads which we unravel. The readings will consist of a range of dense philosophical treatises (Benjamin, Arendt, Derrida, Foucault, Kojeve, Agamben), literary creations (Shakespeare, Kafka, Baldwin), and films (Kurosawa, Gigineishvili, Malick). All students who are interested are welcome. Undergraduates register for 200-level for 5 units. Graduate students register for 300-level for 3-5 unit.

This seminar focuses on the emergence of second- and third-century Christianity. Together we'll explore a wide range of primary sources in English translation as well as recent scholarship in the field. For graduate students, regardless of their specialty, the focus will be on achieving a good knowledge and teaching competence of early Christianity. Undergraduates must already have strong background in the academic study of late antiquity and must obtain permission from the instructor. Undergraduates register for 200-level for 5 units. Graduate students register for 300-level for 3-5 units.

This advanced colloquium explores the transformed religious landscape of sixteenth-century Europe from an interdisciplinary perspective. Two professors, one from History and one from Religious Studies, contextualize the key theological and social aspects of the sixteenth-century reformations and provide a general introduction to the study of the reformation era. Students will read primary writings and documents from major reformers and reform movements and gain an overview of secondary scholarship in select classic studies of the period and in recent literature. Undergraduates register for HISTORY 231G or RELIGST 231 for 5 units; graduate students register for HISTORY 331G or RELIGST 331 for 3-5 units.

An exploration of the theory and practice of Buddhist meditation from the time of the Buddha to the modern mindfulness boom, with attention to the wide range of techniques developed and their diverse interpretation. Undergraduates register for 200-level for 5 units. Graduate students register for 300-level for 3-5 units.