Hinduism

Catalog description

We will survey the basic beliefs and practices of Hinduism(s) as found in India and across the world, with an emphasis on primary sources and contemporary complexities. The class will focus on the religion(s) of cultures outside the United States. It will address in a substantive way ethnic, gender, sexual, religious, or other cultural practices outside the United States, so as to provide students with fresh perspectives on their own cultural assumptions, traditions, and experiences. Our study will range from close readings of classical texts, to observing and reflecting on contemporary practices and movies, to careful study of images and artifacts on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art. We will apply a variety of methods and tools to investigate class materials, from a number of different disciplines, including sociology, history, theology, anthropology, and psychology. Students will build a very strong foundation in the primary sources in this class. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.