Course Description

How do we conceptualize the divine? How does God/s function in religion? What if anything can we know about the Divine? This Winter seminar will explore a set of intriguing intellectual questions drawn from Judaism, American transcendentalism, and other philosophical, poetic, and religious traditions. No background in any religious tradition is necessary or required for this course. We will examine central theological questions in philosophy or religion, including knowledge of the divine, the nature of revelation, religious experience, and the relation between God, humans, and nature. Students will also examine critical philosophy of religion through readings drawn from critical race theory and feminist theology. We will read both Hebrew Biblical and philosophical texts in which these questions are central concerns, including excerpts from Book of Job, Genesis 22, and Isaiah; Philosophical texts will include work by Plato, Maimonides, Spinoza, David Hume, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and John Dewey. In addition to exploring theology in terms of philosophy, we will also examine broader methodological questions about how religion and religious texts are studied in a university.

Course Reviews

Reviews coming soon.