Sacred Space in Global Religious Traditions

Catalog description

This course uses sacred space to explore global religious diversity. Architectural and artistic decisions about the location, internal layout, orientation, and other features of sacred spaces reflect deep presuppositions within religious traditions about the divine, the nature of community, religious authority, and the purposes of ritual. In what ways do these spaces inspire awe, demand obedience, offer comfort, or teach lessons? How have these spaces inherited features from other times and places? How do sacred spaces reflect immigration histories, economic imperatives, and racial and gendered dynamics? How do the functions and meanings of sacred spaces change over time? Students will visit a variety of Cleveland-area religious institutions, including Hindu, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities, in order to examine common and distinct features of sacred spaces and what they reveal about the nature of religious communities. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.