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Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism 1 Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism 1 GNOSTICISM, ESOTERICISM William B. Parsons Associate Professors AND MYSTICISM Claire Fanger Brian Ogren Contact Information Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism Assistant Professor https://reli.rice.edu/ Niki Clements 225 Humanities Building 713-348-2092 For Rice University degree-granting programs: To view the list of official course offerings, please see Rice’s Elias K. Bongmba Course Catalog (https://courses.rice.edu/admweb/!SWKSCAT.cat? Department Chair p_action=cata) [email protected] To view the most recent semester’s course schedule, please see Rice's Course Schedule (https://courses.rice.edu/admweb/!SWKSCAT.cat) The Department of Religion offers the Certificate in Gnosticism, Religion (RELI) Esotericism and Mysticism (GEM). The GEM certificate provides graduate RELI 101 - INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF RELIGION students with a theoretical orientation, which they then can apply to Short Title: WHAT IS RELIGION? their chosen concentrations (i.e., African-American religions; African Department: Religion religions; Bible and Beyond; Buddhism; Christianity; Hinduism; Islam; Grade Mode: Standard Letter Judaism; American Religion; New Age and New Religious Movements, Course Type: Lecture New Testament and Early Christianity; etc.). Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Credit Hours: 3 Traditionally the study of religion has privileged the authoritative voices Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate of the religious experts and the scriptural texts that uphold orthodox faith Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. traditions. GEM is a new approach to the study of religion that does not Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level privilege the public orthodox framings but takes seriously the heterodox Description: Comparative and interdisciplinary analysis of key elements and esoteric currents that have been actively repressed, censored, or (including scripture, religious experience, ideas of the divine, religious marginalized in a variety of sociological, psychological, philosophical, art and practices) of two Western and two non-Western religions, of the and political ways. GEM takes into account the plurality of religious scholarly study of religion, and of the role of religion in the contemporary voices and expressions, including the neglected currents, in order to world. reconceive religion. This approach also engages the psychology and the phenomenology of religious experience, rather than relying exclusively on RELI 104 - INTRODUCTION TO JEWISH MYSTICISM the authorial framings taught by the faith traditions and transmitted in Short Title: INTRO TO JEWISH MYSTICISM their scriptural texts, interpretations and rituals. Department: Religion Grade Mode: Standard Letter Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism does not currently offer an Course Type: Lecture academic program at the undergraduate level. Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Credit Hours: 3 Certificate Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate • Certificate in Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism (https:// Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. ga.rice.edu/programs-study/departments-programs/humanities/ Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level gnosticism-esotericism-mysticism/gnosticism-esotericism- Description: Surveys the historical development and central themes mysticism-certificate/) of Jewish mysticism. From the bible to ancient mysticism to medieval Kabbalah to modern expressions, we will critically reflection the ideas such as divine presence in the world, the cultivation of insight and Chair, Department of Religion magical powers, contemplative and restorative practices, and charismatic Elias K. Bongmba authority. Cross-list: MDEM 103. Advisors April D. DeConick Jeffrey J. Kripal Professors Marcia Brennan David Cook April D. DeConick Anne C. Klein Jeffrey J. Kripal 2021-2022 General Announcements PDF Generated 09/23/21 2 Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism RELI 105 - INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL CHRISTIAN THOUGHT RELI 111 - INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN RELIGIONS Short Title: MEDIEVAL CHRISTIAN THOUGHT Short Title: INTRO AFRICAN RELIGIONS Department: Religion Department: Religion Grade Mode: Standard Letter Grade Mode: Standard Letter Course Type: Lecture Course Type: Lecture Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours: 3 Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level Description: Survey of major medieval Christian thinkers. Primary focus Description: Introduction to the structures of African religions through on high and late middle ages (12th-15th century), with some attention to readings. Topics include community, cosmology, ritual, ethical values, spiritual and apocalyptic writings and dissenting thought in this period. magic, witchcraft, spirit possession, contribution to nationalism, social Cross-list: MDEM 105. change, religion and art, and transplantation of African Religions in the RELI 108 - INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM Americas. Short Title: INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM RELI 112 - COMPARING CHRISTIANITIES Department: Religion Short Title: COMPARING CHRISTIANITIES Grade Mode: Standard Letter Department: Religion Course Type: Lecture Grade Mode: Standard Letter Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Course Type: Lecture Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours: 3 Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level Description: Survey of post-biblical Judaism as reflected in the Description: This course maps the pluralistic nature of early Christianity literature of the classical rabbinic tradition, mysticism, medieval biblical from its grassroots beginnings in a commune in Jerusalem to Rome and commentary, legal codes and philosophy, and modern movements such the conversion of Emperor Constantine, Different Christian movements as Hasidism, denominational Judaism, Zionism, and feminist Judaism. include the Apostolic Christians, Ebionites, Marcionites, Thomasians, Jewish material culture such as synagogue architecture, illuminated Montanists, Monarchians, Modalists, Arians, and a variety of Gnostic manuscripts and ritual artifacts will be included. Students will not receive Christians will be studied comparatively as well as historically. credit for both RELI 108 and RELI 209. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot RELI 113 - INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIANITY IN AFRICA register for RELI 108 if student has credit for RELI 209. Short Title: INTRO TO CHRISTIANITY AFRICA RELI 109 - RELIGION AND LAW Department: Religion Short Title: RELIGION AND LAW Grade Mode: Standard Letter Department: Religion Course Type: Lecture Grade Mode: Standard Letter Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Course Type: Seminar Credit Hours: 3 Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Credit Hours: 3 Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. Description: An introductory reading course examining the dynamics Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level of African Christianity from the early church to the present. Course will Description: Law and religion: origins, differentiation, relation to include studying the African church during the Patristic era, the Colonial legitimacy and stability of basic institutions. Law school, professional period, Prophetic Movements, nationalism, racial tensions, the role of life, quest for a fitting career in the search for meaning and authentic women, and the emergence of a distinct theological voice. selfhood. Required: willingness to share the personal roots of your interest in law and your take on the Big Picture. 2021-2022 General Announcements PDF Generated 09/23/21 Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism 3 RELI 116 - MYSTICISM THROUGHOUT THE AGES RELI 124 - RELIGION AND THE ART OF HAPPINESS Short Title: MYSTICISM THROUGHOUT THE AGES Short Title: RELIGION & ART OF HAPPINESS Department: Religion Department: Religion Grade Mode: Standard Letter Grade Mode: Standard Letter Course Type: Lecture Course Type: Lecture Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Distribution Group: Distribution Group I Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours: 3 Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students. Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level Description: This course examines the historical development of Description: Students at Rice University consistently self-report as mysticism in Western thought, placing the Christian experiential "happiest" by rankings like the Princeton Review. Course analyzes traditions in comparison with Jewish developments. Through mystical what we mean when we talk about "happiness" in the
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