840:426 Majors Seminar in Religion
Spring 2003: Fundamentalisms
James T. Johnson and department faculty
Johnson Office Hours: Thursdays 9-12
Loree 102, (732)932-9637,
FUNDAMENTALISMS
The idea behind this seminar is to provide an intellectual experience that will integrate study of the major world religious traditions around a focus on a particular phenomenon common to them. The focal phenomenon for the seminar this semester is “fundamentalisms” in various forms they have taken in these traditions. We will examine this phenomenon by working through two contemporary texts: Karen Armstrong’s The Battle for God (the first six chapters only) and Martin Marty and Scott Appleby’s Fundamentalisms Observed (the overview volume of The Fundamentalisms Project, a major scholarly investigation of fundamentalisms in the world’s major religions). Members of the seminar should buy personal copies of both books. We will work through them according to the schedule below.
Because this is a seminar, each meeting will be structured as a general discussion of the topic for the day and the reading assigned for it. Specific questions, intended to guide the reading and reflection on it, will be asked for each reading. All members of the seminar should write brief answers to these questions for their own record. One student will be asked, for each meeting of the seminar, to introduce the discussion by reading his/her responses to the questions for that meeting.
Student obligations will include regular attendance and participation in discussions, assistance in introducing discussion on particular topics as described above, and a term paper of 15-20 pages on some topic from within the general scope of the seminar, that is, “fundamentalisms” as manifested in the major religions of the world. A one-paragraph statement of the topic you wish to treat, plus a an introductory bibliography of sources you will consult, is due on Tuesday, February 11. The paper itself will be due the day the final exam for this course is scheduled, in lieu of a final exam. Further directions for the paper will be given out in February. Grading for the course will be based on the class discussions (including the quality of the introductions given on particular topics) and the term papers.
As this seminar has been conceived as a departmental course aimed at integrating the study of religion for majors in religion, members of the department faculty will participate in the seminar as resource persons for the more focused look given to variations of the fundamentalism phenomenon related to their own special expertise. They will also serve as co-readers of student term papers on topics within their area of special expertise.
The plan for meetings of the seminar throughout the semester is given on the following page.
Schedule of topics and readings:
Tuesday 1/21: First day of class. Reading: Armstrong, The Battle for God (BG below), Introduction.
Thursday 1/23: BG Chapter 1, “Jews: The Precursors.”
Tuesday 1/28: BG Chapter 2, “Muslims: The Conservative Spirit.”
Thursday 1/30: BG Chapter 3, “Christians: Brave New World.”
Tuesday 2/4: BG Chapter 4, “Jews and Muslims Modernize.”
Thursday 2/6: No class. Work on planning for your term paper and preparing the page-length statement of your research topic and introductory bibliography.
Tuesday 2/11: BG Chapter 5, “Battle Lines.” One-page statement of topic and introductory bibliography for your term paper due.
Thursday 2/13: BG 6, “Fundamentals.”
Tuesday 2/18: Alberto Green, resource person: fundamentalist use of the Old Testament. Readings to be provided.
Thursday 2/20: Mahlon Smith, resource person: fundamentalist use of the New Testament.
Readings to be provided.
Tuesday 2/25-Thursday 2/27: James Jones, resource person: the psychology of fundamentalism. Readings to be provded.
Tuesday 3/4: Marty and Appleby, Fundamentalisms Observed (FO below), Chapter 1, “North American Protestant Fundamentalism.” Henry Bowden, resource person.
Thursday 3/6: FO Chapter 2, “Roman Catholic Traditionalism and Activist Conservatism in the United States.”
Tuesday 3/11: FO Chapter 3, “Protestant Fundamentalism in Latin America.” Alberto Green, resource person.
Thursday 3/13: FO Chapter 11, “Fundamentalistic Movements in Theravada Buddhism.” Chun-Fang Yu, resource person.
Tuesday 3/18-Thursday 3/20: No classes due to spring break. A good time to work on your term papers.
Tuesday 3/25: FO Chapter 13, “The Search for Roots in Industrial East Asia: The Case of the Confucian Revival.” Chun-Fang Yu, resource person.
Thursday 3/27: No class. Work on your term papers.
Tuesday 4/1: FO Chapter 4, “Religious Fundamentalism and Religious Jews: The Case of the Haredim.”
Thursday 4/3: FO chapter 5, “Jewish Zionist Fundamentalism: The Bloc of the Faithful in Israel (Gush Emunim).”
Tuesday 4/8: FO Chapter 6, “Fundamentalism in the Sunni Arab World: Egypt and the Sudan.” James Pavlin, resource person.
Thursday 4/10: FO Chapter 7, “Activist Shi`ism in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon.” Parviz Morewedge, resource person.
Tuesday 4/15: FO Chapter 8, “Islamic Fundamentalism in South Asia.”
Thursday 4/17: FO Chapter 12, “Islamic Resurgence in Malaysia and Indonesia.”
Tuesday 4/22: FO Chapter 9, “Organized Hinduisms: From Vedic Truth to Hindu Nation.” Edwin Bryant, resource person.
Thursday 4/24: FO Chapter 10, “The Double-Edged Sword: Fundamentalism and the Sikh Religious Tradition.”
Tuesday 4/29: FO Chapter 14, “Fundamentalism in Japan: Religious and Political.” Hiroshi Obayashi, resource person.
Thursday 5/1: Last meeting of the seminar: reflections on the phenomenon of fundamentalism in the major world religions.
Term paper due: Wednesday 5/14, 4:00 PM, in the Department of Religion Main Office.