WesMaps - Wesleyan University Catalog 2008-2009       Summer Session       Winter Session       Home       Archive       Search
CS92PROD
Chosen Peoples, Chosen Nation
RELI 275
Spring 2009
Section: 01  
Crosslisting: AMST 216

This course will examine a range of social, political, and philosophical issues surrounding the concept of chosenness--the belief that a particular community (usually one's own) has been singled out by God for some special favor or purpose. We will trace the roots of this concept in the Hebrew Bible and examine a number of religious communities (including Orthodox Jews, black Hebrew Israelites, Mormons, Puritans, and Rastafarians) who have claimed divine chosenness through narratives of Israelite descent. Above all, however, we will examine the role of chosenness in popular understandings of American national identity, tracing the history of U.S. claims to be a chosen nation.

Essential Capabilities: None
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS RELI
Course Format: DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST)(RELI)
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on DEC-04-2024
Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email ? Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459