RS 348 GQR - Mystics & Gender

Minimum Credit(s) Awarded: 4
Maximum Credit(s) Awarded: 4

What does religion have to do with sex and gender? Surprisingly, quite a lot.In this course we study the work of mystics, people who have experienced profound spiritual union, across several religious traditions i.e. Christian, Islamic (Sufi), Buddhist and Hindu. We examine the ways individual mystics both conform to and undermine the sexual and gender boundaries of their religious and social contexts i.e. through affectivity, eroticism and spiritual gender-bending. Finally, we explore implications of mystical literature on the contemporary study of religion and gender.

Prerequisite(s): COR 1 and COR 199