The History of Emotions & Religion: Feeling One's Way to the Past
RELI 265
Fall 2025
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01
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When examining the lives of communities, societies, and religions, scholars tend to focus on ideas and practices such as "justice" and "salvation" or fair elections and religious discipline. But what about emotions? For reasons we will examine, Western scholars -- and, thus, students -- have often overlooked the centrality of emotions in the social interactions of and between various cultures. This seminar will consider various historical (and a few contemporary) references to emotion in written texts. It will take into account the variability of the language about emotions (indeed, does the category of "emotion" even translate into all languages?). Emotions examined in American, European, South Asian, and Middle Eastern contexts include those that might be translated into current American English as fear, love, awe, submission, dispassion, pride, and loyalty. Each will be considered in their historical context with reference to the contemporary terms used and their linguistic register. Papers will involve the use of historical dictionaries and encyclopedias in order to understand period uses of terms we might now described as "emotive." Seminar members will visit with Wesleyan's Rare Books staff in preparation for a final project that will require use of the archives of either Wesleyan or the Middlesex Historical Society. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Religion Minor)(Religion) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Jason C. Bivins, RELIGION OF FEAR
Th. Emil Homerin (trans.), AISHA AL-BA`UNIYYA: A LIFE IN PRAISE OF LOVE
Ignatius Loyola, THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF ST. IGNATIUS
Mirabai, FOR LOVE OF THE DARK ONE
James Noggle, UNFELT: THE LANGUAGE OF AFFECT IN THE BRITISH ENLIGHTENMENT
Laurie Patton (trans.), THE BHAGAVAD GITA
Rabindranath Tagore, NATIONALISM
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Examinations and Assignments:
Midterm, final, and a final research paper
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Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Attendance and participation is mandatory. This course fulfills a "Method and Theory" requirement for the Religion major.
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| Instructor(s): Gottschalk,Peter Times: ..T.R.. 02:50PM-04:10PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 3 | JR major: 3 | | |
| Seats Available: 19 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 4 | JR non-major: 5 | SO: 4 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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