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Women and World Religions: Historical Perspectives

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Women and World Religions: Historical Perspectives WOMEN’S SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM WOMEN AND WORLD RELIGIONS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES Semester and Year: Fall 2011. September 10-11 and weekly September 21-November 23 on Wednesdays 3-6pm Course Number: PARW 6548-02 Course Title: Women and World Religions: Historical Perspectives Units: 1 or 3 Residential Grading Option: Letter Grade for Women’s Spirituality students OR Student Option Instructors: Mara Lynn Keller and Alka Aurora E-mail Address: [email protected]; [email protected] Phone Number: Mara: 415-575-6268; Alka: 415-575-6172 Mailing Address: CIIS, 1453 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 Office Hours: Mara: T TH 2-5 and by appointment and email; Alka: COURSE DESCRIPTION: Our human past—and hopefully our future—includes a profound sense of the sacredness of women and men, diverse genders and sexual identities, and includes an abiding reverence for Nature. Beginning with the spiritual traditions of Mother Africa, we trace the cultural evolution of religions and the roles of women in various regions of the Near, Middle, and Far East; Old Europe and ancient Crete, Greece, and Rome; India, China, Japan; and the New World. We explore teachings about women’s experiences and the relations of women, men, and children in nature based tribal, Goddess/God and neo-Pagan religions; the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam; the Asian religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto -- with an emphasis on the rites of passage of birth, marriage, death/rebirth/resurrection. The course is designed with three modules: I. Overview of Women and World Religions in Historical Perspective; Nature-embedded Tribal and Goddess/God ancient religions and neo-pagan traditions. II. Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. III. Asian Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto. Each module provides 1 unit of credit. PREREQUISITES: none CO-REQUISITES: none Note: The 3 units of this course are required for new PhD students in Women’s Spirituality. Other students are welcome to take the course for 1 OR 3 units of credit. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: When this course is complete, the student will be able to: 1. Identify key beliefs and rituals in the major religions of the world regarding ultimate reality 2. Understand the status of women and gender roles in several of the world’s religions 3. Understand the relationships of Goddess and God in several of the world’s religions 4. Describe with insight the rites of passage in several of the world’s religions regarding birth, marriage, death, rebirth or resurrection 5. Be familiar with the biographies of several key holy women in diverse religions 6. Be able to design a ritual for personal, family, or public use PERCENTAGE OF COURSE COMPOSED OF: Lecture: 50% Discussion: 30% Experiential: 20% ASSIGNMENTS Due Date Percentage of Final Grade Attendance is required, along with timely presentations; more than 2 absences will diminish your grade or jeopardize passing the course. 10% For each module I, II, and/or III: 1. Class presentation on one sacred text in synch w/ schedule 10% from Sacred Texts for each module 2. Class presentation on one biography in synch w/ schedule 10% In Ferguson, Young or Ferguson 3. Class presentation on one rite of passage in synch w/ schedule 10% (birth, marriage/sacred union, death/rebirth/resurrection) These are to be from different religions. 4. Final paper: a comparative study of women December 5 60% and rites of passage in two religions and may include your own ritual design OR, an interpretation of a field site visit to a religious rite of your choice OR an interview of a person of a faith tradition other than your own. BAs: 4 pages; MAs: 6 pages; PhDs: 8 pages. REQUIRED TEXTS AND/OR COURSE READER: 1. Mary Pat Fisher, Women in Religion (New Jersey: Pearson Longman, 2006). 2. Marianne Ferguson, Women and Religion (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1994). 3. Serinity Young, ed. An Anthology of Sacred Texts by and about Women (New York: Crossroads, 1994). 4. Spretnak, States of Grace: The Recovery of Meaning in the Postmodern Age: Reclaiming the Core Teachings and Practices of the Great Wisdom Traditions for the Well-Being of the Earth Community (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991). 5. Selected articles (to be provided) RECOMMENDED TEXTS: 1. Huston Smith, The World’s Religions. Revised edn. (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991). COURSE SCHEDULE: OVERVIEW. WOMEN AND WORLD RELIGIONS MODULE I. OVERVIEW OF WOMEN AND RELIGIONS IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE; NATURE-EMBEDDED TRIBAL RELIGIONS AND GODDESS / GOD RELIGIONS September 10-11 Overview: Women and World Religions in Historical Perspective Nature-embedded Tribal Religions Goddess and God Religions, ancient and contemporary neo-pagan traditions. Women and rites of passage and blood mysteries: birth, blood menarche/menses/menopause, sexual union, death/rebirth MODULE II. ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS: JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM 5 weeks -- September 19-0ctober 21 1. Introduction to Women and the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. 2. Judaism 3. Christianity 4. Islam 5. Women and rites of passage in Judaism, Christianity, Islam MODULE III. ASIAN RELIGIONS: HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, TAOISM, CONFUCIANISM, SHINTO 5 weeks -- October 31-December 2 1. Introduction to Women and Asian religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto 2. Hinduism 3. Buddhism 4. Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto 5. Women and rites of passage in Asian religions COURSE SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNED READINGS: MODULE I. OVERVIEW OF WOMEN AND RELIGIONS IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE; NATURE-EMBEDDED TRIBAL RELIGIONS AND GODDESS / GOD RELIGIONS September 10-11 Sign up for presentations in advance of meeting on Saturday. Please select one important woman (featured in Ferguson, Young, or Fisher) and one scriptural passage and one ritual for three different traditions studied this weekend, to present in class, in synch with the schedule September 10. Overview: Women and World Religions in Historical Perspective Co-creating a central altar with sacred symbols, opening ritual of movement and meditation and prayers Women and Rites of Passage: Birth, Menarche/Menses/Menopause, Sexual Union, Death/Rebirth Nature-embedded Tribal Religions Readings: Campra, Angeleen. “Sophia: Divine Regenerative Force: A Gnostic Representation of Divine Image.” (tbp) Ferguson: Preface, Introduction, chs. 6, 8 Young: Introduction, Shamanism and Tribal Religions Spretnak: ch. 3, “Participation in the Mystery: On an intimate relationship with nature: the wisdom of Native American Spirituality” “The Nature of Revelatory experience….” Pp. 207-232 Student presentations on an important woman, scripture, and/or ritual September 11. Goddess and God Religions, Ancient and Contemporary Neo-Pagan and Goddess-God traditions. Co-creating a central altar with sacred symbols, opening ritual of movement and meditation and prayers Readings: Keller, “Goddesses around the World,” “Sacred Arts and Rituals of Ancient Crete,” “The Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone” (tbp/to be provided) Ferguson: chs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, Young: Ancient Near East, Greece and Rome; Northern European Paganism; Neopaganism (selections) Spretnak: ch. 4, “Embracing the Body: On honoring the personal body and the Earth body: the wisdom of Goddess Spirituality” Fisher, ch. 9, pp. 286-309 Slideshow: Goddesses around the World Student presentations on an important woman, scripture, and/or ritual MODULE II. ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS: JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM 5 weeks -- September 21-0ctober 21 September 21: Introduction to Women and the Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Readings: Fisher, Preface, ch. 1 Spretnak: ch. 5, “Who is the Other? On Social justice and community: the wisdom of the Semitic traditions” Ferguson: ch. 5. Competent Women Who Helped Shape Their Religious Traditions, pp. 130-152 Keller, “Violence against Women and Children in Religious Scriptures and in the Home” (tbp) Recommended: Smith: Judaism, Christianity, Islam Sign up for presentations: Please select one important woman (featured in Ferguson, Young, or Fisher) and one scriptural passage and one ritual, from the different traditions studied this weekend--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-- to present in class, in synch with the schedule. September 28. Judaism Readings: Fisher: ch. 6, Women in Judaism Young: Judaism (selections) Spretnak: ch. 5, Who is the Other? Student presentations on an important woman, scripture, and/or ritual October 5. Christianity Readings: Fisher: ch. 7, Women in Christianity Young: Christianity (selections) Student presentations on an important woman, scripture, and/or ritual October 12: Islam Readings: Fisher: ch. 8, Women in Islam Young: Islam (selections) Student presentations on an important woman, scripture, and/or ritual October 19. Women and Rites of Passage in Judaism, Christianity, Islam Discussion of women’s rites of passage—birth, menstrual mysteries, sexual union, death/rebirth. MODULE III. ASIAN RELIGIONS: HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, TAOISM, CONFUCIANISM, SHINTO 5 weeks online in Caucus: October 31-December 2 October 26. Introduction to Women and Asian religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto Readings: Ferguson: ch. 5. Competent Women Who Helped Shape Their Religious Traditions, pp. 121-129. Recommended: Smith: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam Sign up for presentations: Please select one important woman (featured in Ferguson, Fisher or Young) and one scriptural passage from among the different traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism,
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