Japanese Literature and Film.

Catalog description

This course explores the non-Western spiritual tradition and cultural identity of Japan within a global framework. We will engage with select texts of classical and modern Japanese literature along with contemporary Japanese films and popular culture. Our discussion will center on how each work manifests essential beliefs about the world and the meaning of human life, examining the ways tradition, culture, and religion shape the notions of divinity, fate, ethical values, and beauty. Students will practice literary and cultural analysis with an aim of illuminating not only the literature and culture, but also the students' own Christian theological understanding.