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Academic Year 2000/2001

Religion and the Feminine: Spirituality and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
RELI 300 FA
Crosslistings:
WMST 293

This course critically examines the relationships between the divine, the feminine and power in various societies. How are religious traditions gendered? How are religious traditions oppressive to women? How do women use religion as sources and sites for empowerment? We will examine how these questions can be approached through the study of anthropology, paying attention to the recent writings on feminist theologies, womanist spiritualities, queer studies, and feminisms in the Third World.

MAJOR READINGS

Margot Adler, DRAWING DOWN THE MOON
Karen McCarthy Brown, MAMA LOLA, A VODOU PRIESTESS IN BROOKLYN
Mary Daly, GYN/ECOLOGY: THE METAETHICS OF RADICAL FEMINISM
Lis Harris, HOLY DAYS: THE WORLD OF A HASIDIC FAMILY
Robert Orsi, THE MADONNA OF 115TH STREET
Margery Wolf, A THRICE-TOLD TALE

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Three 6-8 page papers and one weekly response paper.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Attendance and participation in discussion.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS RELI    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-26-2001

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