INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF RELIGION

Aryeh Amihay
Details:
RGST 1, Summer 2018, session A
MTWR 9:30am–10:50am
Room: HSSB 2201

Office: HSSB 3048

Office Hours: by appointment
aamihay@ucsb.edu

Books

Smart, Ninian. Dimension of the Sacred (UC Press, 1996) (Henceforth: Smart, Dimensions)
Pals, Daniel L. Nine Theories of Religion (Oxford UP, 2015) (Henceforth: Pals, Theories)

Paradigm of the course

Topic Smart’s Religious Theories of Scriptures

Dimensions Traditions Religion
Esotericism vs. June 25 26 27 28
Evangelism Doctrinal Buddhism Smith + Taves Tao Te Ching

Deed vs. creed July 2 3 4 5

Ritual Christianity Frazer + Confucius’s
Evans-Pritchard Analects
Universality vs. 9 10 11 12
Particularity Mythological Islam Eliade + Popol Vuh
Lévi-Strauss
Vertical vs. 16 17 18 19
horizontal Experiential Sikhism James + Geertz Handbook of
Epictetus
Body vs. spirit 23 24 25 26
Ethical Hinduism Freud + Marx The Sermon
on the Mount
Community vs. 30 31 1 2
individual Social Judaism Durkheim + Baraka
Weber

Description and Rationale

This course explores the discipline of religious studies by intertwining four aspects relevant to the study of
religion: first, by exploring dimensions of the religious experience and the phenomenon of religion, as
delineated by Ninian Smart; second, by focusing on specific religious traditions (all of which are presented
as examples, with no discrimination of significance); third, by presenting students with major scholarly
theories about religion; and finally, by providing a platform in which to experience a spiritual journey through
an unmediated encounter with inspirational texts, broadly construed as scripture.
Each week is focused on a theme, presented as a tension between various forces. The tensions are proposed
as a way to reconsider Smart’s dimensions as dynamic and unstable in their nature, thus reaffirming the
multivalent manner in which he describes each of the aspects he identified while contesting their ostensibly
fixed labels.

Religious traditions will not be covered in a general survey, but will be studied in the context of the week’s
theme through the aid of related scholarly studies. Students, however, will prepare “fact sheets” for each
tradition, in order to familiarize themselves with basic concepts of each tradition, and more importantly, with
the method of orienting themselves and mapping the knowledge base needed to study a religious tradition.

The theories are presented primarily through Pals’ Nine Theories of Religion, to which I have supplemented
Lévi-Strauss as an important counterpart to Eliade. Prior to the scholars surveyed by Pals, students will begin
by considering the field of Religious Studies itself, in a meta-discursive manner, through papers by Jonathan
Z. Smith and Ann Taves.

The scriptures are intended to supplement further traditions that are not studied in the section of religious
traditions. The only exception is the inclusion of the New Testament in the Scripture section in addition to
Christianity being discussed in the Religious Traditions section. This reflects the prominence of Christianity
in the surrounding culture in which this course is taught. The Scripture Circle sessions will not be a critical-
historical examination of scriptures according to academic tradition, but rather an experience in reciting and
reflecting on inspirational texts in a setting of an ad hoc congregation. Selections will be read out loud jointly
in class, after which students will engage one another with reflections on the texts and their implications. The
inclusion of an inspirational film in this section not only broadens the definition of a text, but also invites
students to reflect on cultural activities (e.g. movie-going) as present-day rituals.

Tardiness and Attendance

Tardiness will not be tolerated. Students are allowed five absences during the course. Any further absence
will be penalized and students with more than eight absences will fail the course.

Assignments and Grading

Students must come to class having prepared the readings, and with questions or comments about
them.
For Tuesday classes, student must come to class with a “fact sheet” on the tradition (to be found on
GauchoSpace).

20% Participation and preparedness

30% Fact sheets
10% Film reflection
40% Final exam (take-home, three essay questions)

2 Amihay, Intro to Religious Studies

Class 1 (June 25) – Introduction and the doctrinal aspect of religion

Smart, Dimensions, 1-69

Pals, Theories, 1-13

Class 2 (June 26) – Religious Traditions: Buddhism

Cabezón, “Ineffability and the Silence of the Buddha”

Rambelli, “Secrecy in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism”

Class 3 (June 27) – Theories of Religion: Terminology, Taxonomy, Classification, Hierarchy

Smith, “Taxonomies of Religion”

Taves, “Religion in the Humanities”

Class 4 (June 28) – Scripture Circle: On Knowledge

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Class 5 (July 2) – Dimension of Religion: Ritual

Smart, Dimensions, 70-129

Class 6 (July 3) – Religious Traditions: Christianity

Jewett, “The Righteous Judgment of Greeks and Jews”

Schreiner, “A Historical Tour of Sola Fide”

Class 7 (July 4) – Theories of Religion: Frazer + Evans-Pritchard

Pals, Theories, 15-44, 263-290

Class 8 (July 5) – Scripture Circle: Deeds and Intentions

Confucius, The Analects, books 1, 3, 8, 12

Class 9 (July 9) – Dimension of Religion: Myth

Smart, Dimensions, 130-165

Class 10 (July 10) – Religious Traditions: Islam

Hoover, “A Muslim Conflict over Universal Salvation”

Moore, “Muslims in the United States: Pluralism under Exceptional Circumstances”

3 Amihay, Intro to Religious Studies

Class 11 (July 11) – Theories of Religion: Eliade + Lévi-Strauss

Pals, Theories, 227-259

Lévi-Strauss, “Magic and Religion”

Class 12 (July 12) – Scripture Circle: Myth

Popol Vuh, parts 1-3

Class 13 (July 16) – Dimension of Religion: Spiritual Experience, Revelation, Conversion

Smart, Dimensions, 166-195

Class 14 (July 17) – Religious Traditions: Sikhism

Singh, “The Place of Scripture in the Sikh Tradition”

Kaur Singh, “The Primal Paradox: Seeing the Transcendent”

Class 15 (July 18) – Theories of Religion: James + Geertz

Pals, Theories, 185-222, 293-321

Class 16 (July 19) – Scripture Circle: Living in the Present

Epictetus, The Enchiridion (Handbook)

Class 17 (July 23) – Dimension of Religion: Ethics and Law

Smart, Dimensions, 196-214

Class 18 (July 24) – Religious Traditions: Hinduism

Framarin, “Good and Bad Desires”

Michaels, “Immortality in Life”

Class 19 (July 25) – Theories of Religion: Freud + Marx

Pals, Theories, 49-76, 113-138

Class 20 (July 26) – Scripture Circle: Ethics

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

Class 21 (July 30) – Dimension of Religion: Societies, Communities, Leaders, Institutions

Smart, Dimensions, 215-274

4 Amihay, Intro to Religious Studies

Class 22 (July 31) – Religious Traditions: Judaism

Jacobs, “Self-Realization as a Religious Value; Communal Obligations”

Eisen, “The Politics of Jewish Ritual Observance”

Class 23 (August 1) – Theories of Religion: Durkheim + Weber

Pals, Theories, 81-109, 143-180

Class 24 (August 2) – Scripture Circle: Communities and Individuals

Note change of time: class will start at 9am
Note change of location: class will be held at TD-W 1701

Fricke, Baraka

5 Amihay, Intro to Religious Studies

Sources of Readings

Cabezón, José Igancio. Buddhism and Language. A Study of Indo-Tibetan Scholasticism. Albany: SUNY Press, 1994.
Dawson, Raymond, translator with introduction and notes. The Analects by Confucius, Oxford World’s Classics. New
York: Oxford University Press, [1993] 2000.
Eisen, Arnold M. Rethinking Modern Judaism. Ritual, Commandment, Community. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1998.
Framarin, Christopher G. “Good and Bad Desires: Implications of the Dialogue between Krsna and Arjuna.”
International Journal of Hindu Studies 11.2 (2007): 147-70.
Fricke, Ron, director. Baraka. Magidson Films, 1992.
Hard, Robin, translator. Epictetus: Discourses, Fragments, Handbook, Oxford World’s Classics. Introduction and notes by
Christopher Gill. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Hoover, Jon. “A Muslim Conflict over Universal Salvation.” In Alternative Salvations. Engaging the Sacred and the Secular,
edited by Hannah Bacon, Wendy Dossett, and Steve Knowles, 161-71. London: Bloomsbury Academic,
2015.
Jacobs, Louis. Religion and the Individual. A Jewish Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Jewett, Robert. Romans. A Commentary, Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007.
Kaur Singh, Nikky-Guninder. The Feminine Principle in the Sikh Vision of the Transcendent. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1993.
Lévi-Strauss, Claude. Structural Anthropology. Translated by Claire Jacobson and Brooke Grudfest Schoepf. New York:
Basic Books, 1963.
Michaels, Axel. Hinduism. Past and Present. Translated by Barbara Harshav. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004.
Moore, Kathleen M. The Unfamiliar Abode. Islamic Law in the United States and Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2010.
Ong, Yi-Ping, introduction and notes. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Barnes & Noble Classics. Translated by Charles Muller.
New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2005.
Pals, Daniel L. Nine Theories of Religion, 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Rambelli, Fabio. “Secrecy in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism.” In The Culture of Secrecy in Japanese Religion, edited by
Bernhard Scheid and Mark Teeuwen, 107-29. London: Routledge, 2006.
Schreiner, Thomas. Faith Alone. The Doctrine of Justification. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2015.
Singh, Pashaura. The Guru Granth Sahib. Canon, Meaning and Authority. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Smart, Ninian. Dimensions of the Sacred. An Anatomy of the World’s Beliefs. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996.
Smith, Jonathan Z. “A Matter of Class: Taxonomies of Religion.” Harvard Theological Review 89.4 (1996): 387-403.
Taves, Ann. “2010 Presidential Address: ‘Religion’ in the Humanities and the Humanities in the University.” Journal of
the American Academy of Religion 79.2 (2011): 287-314.
Tedlock, Dennis. Popol Vuh. The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985.

6 Amihay, Intro to Religious Studies