Drudgery Divine: On the History of Religion
RELI 301
Spring 2016
| Section:
01
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| Certificates: International Relations |
Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States, described Christianity as "the most sublime and benevolent, but most perverted system that ever shone on man." Since Jesus' "pure principles" had been "muffled by priests," he said, we must return to the "simple evangelists," the "unlettered apostles," the "Christians of the first century," indeed, to "the very words only of Jesus," in order to restore Christianity to "the primitive simplicity of its founder."
Taking the "Jefferson Bible" as our stimulus and starting point, this course will explore the way religion has been constructed and construed since the beginnings of the common era. Select myths and practices from ancient Israel, Greece, and Rome, and early Christianities will be the subject of comparative, historical investigation. Special attention will be given to how these traditions, taken together, produce religion as a discrete category of human experience. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (CGST-MN)(RELI-MN)(RELI)(STS) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Possible readings:
Jonathan Z. Smith, DRUDGERY DIVINE: ON THE COMPARISON OF EARLY CHRISTIANITIES AND THE RELIGIONS OF LATE ANTIQUITY
Valerie M. Warrior, ROMAN RELIGION
Christopher P. Jones, BETWEEN PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN
selections from James B. Pritchard, THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST: AN ANTHOLOGY OF TEXTS AND PICTURES
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Examinations and Assignments:
Three short papers. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course fulfills the "Method & Theory" requirement for the Religion Department major. |
| Instructor(s): Cameron,Ron Times: .M.W... 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: RSCSEM; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 2 | JR major: 5 | | |
| Seats Available: 9 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 5 | SO: 5 | FR: X |
| Web Resources: Syllabus |
| 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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