Agora Course Schedule

FA 214 The Art of the Silk Road

• Offered Periodically
  

The seminar is intended to introduce students to the transcontinental ideas that occurred between China and the Mediterranean from pre-historic to modern times. The course encompasses a vast subject, both chronologically and geographically, treating the arts produced over some four millenia and one-quarter of the globe.

Sheila Blair

FA 280 Masterpieces of Islamic Art

• Offered Periodically

A detailid examination of a dozen masterpieces of Islamic art ranging from architecture to ceramics, the seventh century to the present, and Spain to India. Emphasis on placing the works in their historical, social, craft, and visual contexts.

Jonathan Bloom

FA 314 The Art and Archeology of Egypt and the Ancient Near East

This course will examine two of the world's oldest civilizations. We will concentrate on the architecture, sculpture, and painting of Egypt and on the early cultures of Mesopotamia with frequent reference to the broader archaeological contexts of the material. While the class will focus on the physical remains of these civilizatons, ancient literary sources--read in translation--will be employed to enrich our understanding.

Kenneth Craig

FM 312 World Cinema

• Offered Periodically

This course provides the opportunity for students to explore films from regions other than Europe and North America. Films of Asia, Africa or the Middle East, will serve as a focus for the course. Special attention is given to the social, economic, cultural and political contexts from which these films arise, both in the country of origin and in the West.

Department

HS 059/60 Islam and Global Modernities I/II - Spring/Fall:3

This course surveys the making of the modern world from the perspective of Eurasia, from the long-distance links formed by medieval Islam to the global context of the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century and beyond. Along the way, we will challenge common geographical (mis)coneptions of East versus West in historical narratives and find out where they came from and how they have changed. Topics to be examined include trade, religion, ecological change, migration, and warfare.

Prasannan Parthasarathi

HS 208 Middle East in the Twentieth Century

• Satisfies Cultural Diversity Core requirement

Through the last eigthy years the Middle East has been the site of many wars and conflicts. Mrre recently it has become the most important source of the world's energy. This combination of strife and economic power has made it a vital and sensitive areas for the entire globe.

Benjamin Braude

HS300.62 Study and Writing of History: Christians, Jews & Ottoman Rule - Fall 2011-2012: 4

More than Christendom, Islamic states have ruled in the course of their long and varied histories diverse religious communties. More than Christendom, Islamic states have developed religious and political means for accommodating, for better or worse, this diversity. This course offers students the opportunity to pursue primary source based case studies of this important topic.

Benjamin Braude

HS 326 Modern Iran - Fall:3

• Cross Listed with PO 420
• Satisfies Cultural Diversity Core requirement

The objective of this course is to analyze the trends and transformations in the political, social, and cultural history of Iran from the late nineteenth century to the present. Particular emphasis will be placed on the following topics: Iran's encounter with the West in the 19th century and its impact on the country's economy and society; social and religious movements in the 19th century; causes and consequences of the Constitutional revolution of 1905-1909; Iran's modernization and political development under the Pahlavis (1925-1979); the causes and consequences of the Iranian Revoluition of 1979; Iran's post-revolutionary experience as an Islamic Republic.

Ali Banuazizi

HS 343 Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire- Spring: 3

• Satisfies Cultural Diversity Core requirement
  

The Ottoman Turks founded an empire spanning the three continents of the eastern hemisphere and enduring for nearly three-quarters of a millennium. Despite nomadic origins they established a stable political structure, which grafted the high traditions of Islamic culture onto an ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse society. This course explores the evolution of this remarkable enterprise from its origins on the frontiers of Byzantium and Islam through its heyday under Suleyman the Magnificent to its military decline and first steps toward reform.

Benjamin Braude

HS 344 History and Historiography of the Arab-Israeli Conflict - Spring: 3

This course introduces students to the history of the Arab-Israeli conduct from the inception of the Zionist movement in the 19th century until the end of the 20th century. Given that history itself is a site of contestation in this conflict, the course will focus equally on the various and conflicting historical narratives and will explore fundamental issues in the relationship between history writing and ideology, especially the use of history as a tool for the shaping of collective identities and for legitimizing and justifying nationalist claims.

Dana Sajdi

HS 575 Terror and the American Century - Spring: 3

The aim of this course is to show how terror and violence have affected the United States from the late 19th century up to 9/11 and through the current U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It aims to show that while differing in scope and human loss, the latter events, including the so-called Global War on Terror, have certain antecedents in the U.S. experience. The course will concentrate on the theme of terror, both domestic and foreign, and examine the government response to terror and subversive groups aiming to overthrow the government or inflict harm upon its citizens.

Charles Gallagher, S.J.

PL 407 Medieval Philosophy - Spring: 3

Far from being repetitive, the Middle Ages were a period during which multiple solutions tried to make sense of the world by combining philosophic and scientific knowledge with religious views. The aim of the course is to provide an accurate image of this diversity of thoughts. We will study a wide range of Christian authors, from St. Augustine to Ockham, as well as Islamic and Jewish thinkers. The course will highlight the essential concepts that were formed in the Middle Ages and have been transmitted to modern philosophy in metaphysics and ontology, theory of knowledge and consciousness, ethics, etc.

Jean-Luc Solere

PO 363 Muslims in U.S. Society and Politics - Spring:3

An examination of the demographic, social, cultural, religious, and political forces that are shaping the emergent American Muslim community. Intergenerational family dynamics, Muslim schools, mosque governance, civil religion in America, advocacy group politics, and voting patters will be examined. So will ethnic, linguistic, national-origin, and sectarian differences among immigrant-origin Muslims, particularly their political implications. African-American Muslims will also be considered, especially their relations with immigrant-origin Muslims. Attention will be paid both the impact of Muslims on American society and to the impact of American institutions and policies, especially post-9/11 initiatives such as the Patriot Act, on Muslims

Peter Skerry

PO 414 Politics & Society in Central Eurasia - Spring: 3

This course explores political systems and contemporary society in Central Eurasia and devotes special attention to ethnic relations among the various peoples of the region. Greater Central Asia constitutes the western part of Inner Asia, stretching from the Caspian Sea to Xinjiang Province in China and from Chechnya in the north to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the south. It belongs culturally to the Islamic world. The region has been impacted by the imperial policies of the Soviet Union and China, the rise of nationalism, and religious radicalism, terrorism, and war. Reform strategies and models will be discussed.

Kathleen Bailey

PO 444 Intellectuals and Politics in the Middle East - Spring: 3

This course examines the role of intellectuals, both religious and secular, in several Middle Eastern countries in analyzing the key problems of their societies, articulating visions for change, supporting or challenging the political status quo, and at times acting directly as agents of social change. The main themes to be explored in the words of a number of prominent Middle Eastern intellectuals include: the conflict between tradition and modernity; the encounter with the West and the quest for authenticity; secularism, human rights, minority rights, and democracy; and refomrist versus radical strategies for political, social, and cultural change.

Ali Banuazizi

PO 502 U.S.-Iran Relations since World War II - Spring: 3

This course examines the domestic, ideological, and strategic dimensions of the troubled relationships between the United States and Iran since the Second World War. After a brief overview of the relationships in the pre-war period, it will focus on the war-time occupation of Iran by the Allied powers and the subsequent onset of the Cold War; Iran's oil nationalization crisis and the 1953 CIA-sponsored coup; U.S.'s unstinting support for the Pahlavi monarch after the coup until his fall in 1979; and the state of mutual distrust, tension, and hostility between the two countries since the Islamic Revolution.

Ali Banuazizi

PO 518 Liberalism, Nation Building, and American Foreign Policy - Spring: 3

What are the historical roots and contemporary implications of liberalism and nation-building in American foreign policy? In what ways have liberalism and nation-building shaped presidential foreign policy doctrines and priorities? How have U.S. foreign policy leaders attempted to spread core ideas and institutions to thier countries? In particular, how have key American officials understood the relationship between markets and democracy? To what extent might US policies and decisions be expected to spread liberalism to countries in the Middle East? Finally, what can be learned from the continuing cases of Afghanistan and Iraq?

David A. Deese

PO 638 Seminar: Islamic Political Philosophy - Spring: 3

What is the relationship between philosophy and Islam? Does the divine law (Shari'a) need to be supplemented with purely rational reflections on the nature and purpose of political life? What is the place of toleration and individual rights in the Islamic legal and philosophic tradition? We will explore these and similar questions by focusing on two particularly fertile periods of Islamic thought: the encounter of Islam with Greek philosophy in the classical period and its encounter with the modern secular west in late modernity.

David Di Pasquale

SC 150 States and Minorities in the Middle East - Spring:3

• Cross Listed with SL 150 and PS 153
• Offered Periodically

A broad-based overview of the role of language choice plays in the construction of national and cultural identity in the Middle East. We will examine the role of Modern Standard Arabid (or Fus-ha) in the elaboration of Arab Nationalism, and the role of local dialects in the conceptualization of competing national identities and territorial nationalisms. In particular, and in addition to Arab Nationalism and Zionism, we will examine the ideas of Greater Syria, the Egyptian Pharaonic idea, Lebanonism, Mesopotamianism, and the Canaanite movement in Israel.

Fanck Salameh

 

Slavic and Eastern Langauge Course descriptions may be found by following the Agora Course Schedule Link above...

 

TH 001/002 Biblical Heritage I/II - Spring/Fall:3

The Bible has been an influential and often fundamental source for many modern, Western Views of God, nature, human beings, a just society, and the origin and destiny of humanity and the world. An intelligent, serious reading of the Bible raises most of the perennial questions that have traditionally stood at the center of philosophical and theological debate. Thus, a thorough analysis of Biblical texts in terms of the central concerns of the Core curriculum will be the primary goal of Biblical Heritage.

The Department

TH 116 / PL 116 Medieval Religions and Thought

The medieval world of philosophy and theology was a multicultural world: Arabian, Jewish and Christian thinkers from the three great religious traditions adopted, adapted and shared the philosophical riches of the classical world and the religious resources of the biblical heritage. This course introduces students to the great Arabian thinkers: Alfarabi, Avicenna, Algazel and Averroes, the respected Jewish authors: Saadiah Gaon, Moses Maimonides and Gersonides, and the famous Christian writers: Anselm, Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas and the intellectual challenges from the Greek intellectual world that they met and faced in the Middle Ages.
Stephen F. Brown

TH 161 The Religious Quest: Comparative Perspectives I - Fall: 3

• Satisfies Theology Core requirement
• Satisfies Cultural Diversity Core requirement
• You must take both sections of the Religious Quest I and II (TH 161 and TH 162) to receive Core credit. There are no exceptions. Please see specific instructor’s section for additional information.

The Religious Quest explores the individual and communal search for wisdom about human nature, the world, ultimate realities and God, secrets of love and death, also enduring values to live by and paths to spiritual maturity. Although each section is different, likely themes include symbols, myths, doctrines, rituals, holy texts, saints, comparisons and contrasts among traditions, relevance of classical religious traditions to issues in today’s world, interreligious dialogue today, and religious diversity in the Boston area. Each section brings the Biblical and Christian tradition into conversation with at least one other religious tradition.
Catherine Cornille--Hinduism; Natana DeLong-Bas--Islam; Audrey Doetzel--Judaism; Ruth Langer--Judaism and Catholicism; Aloysius Lugira--African Religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism; John Makransky--Buddhism; H. John McDargh--Judaism, Buddhism; James Morris--Islam and Judaism; Daniel Scheid--Hinduism

TH 162 The Religious Quest: Comparative Perspectives II - Spring: 3

• Prerequisite: TH 161 Religious Quest I
• Satisfies Theology Core requirement
• Satisfies Cultural Diversity Core requirement
• You must take both sections of the Religious Quest I and II (TH 161 and TH 162) to receive Core credit. There are no exceptions. Please see specific instructor’s section for additional information.

The Religious Quest explores the individual and communal search for wisdom about human nature, the world, ultimate realities and God, secrets of love and death, also enduring values to live by and paths to spiritual maturity. Although each section is different, likely themes include: symbols, myths, doctrines, rituals; holy texts; saints; comparisons and contrasts among traditions; relevance of classical religious traditions to issues in today's world; interreligious dialogue today; religious diversity in the Boston area. Each section brings the Biblical and Christian tradition into conversation with at least one other religious tradition.
Catherine Cornille--Hinduism; Natana DeLong-Bas--Islam; Audrey Doetzel--Judaism
Ruth Langer--Judaism and Catholicism; Aloysius Lugira--African Religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism; John Makransky--Buddhism; H. John McDargh--Judaism, Buddhism; James Morris--Islam and Judaism; Daniel Scheid--Hinduism

TH 351 Faith Elements in Conflicts: The Role of Theological Positions in the Fomenting or Resolution of Conflict - Spring: 3

Religious differences appear often to figure in the dehumanization of enemies and rationalization of violence. This course will look at the way key concepts such as revelation, election, and universality in various religions, especially in sectarian guise, affect the origins and progress of violent conflicts, and will ask to what extent such employment of these concepts betrays the religions themselves. It will also examine how far the institutional interests of religious bodies make them vulnerable to manipulation by other parties engaged in any given conflict, and how the religious elements and loyalties relate to other interests that figure in such conflicts.
Raymond Helmick, S.J.

TH 352 Israelis and Palestinians: Two Peoples, Three Faiths - Fall: 3

The parties in the Middle Eastern Conflict came, in 1993, to a watershed agreement, which had eluded them earlier, to recognize one another’s legitimacy as peoples. The agreement has been difficult to maintain and to withdraw, and has figured massively in the turbulent events in the region since that time. This course examines how, in the whole history of the conflict, the elements of ethnicity and faith have contributed to the hatreds and resentments of these peoples, and the extent to which mutual acceptance and respect at these levels of faith and ethnicity can contribute to healing the conflict.
Raymond Helmick, S.J.

TH 544 Prophetic Tradition: Exploring the Hadith - Fall: 3

• For Advanced Undergraduates and Graduates

Using English translations, this seminar surveys the ways the corpus of Prophetic hadith has inspired every area of Islamic life, including spiritual devotions and practices; theology, cosmology and eschatology; family, social and economic life; models of proper behavior (adab); the interpretation of the Qur'an and sacred history; and later disciplines of Arabic learning. Focuses on acquiring familiarity with the structure, contents, and uses of major Sunni hadith collections (but including representative Shiite sources), as well as later influential short collections (Nawawi, Ibn `Arabi).
James Morris

TH 585 Introduction to the Dead Sea Scrolls - Fall:3

The discovery of nearly 800 manuscripts stashed in 11 caves near the Dead Sea and a ruined settlement and large cemetery nearby is one of the greatest archaeological finds of the twentieth century. This course will explore the relation between the texts, settlement, and cemetery, and introduce students to the basic problems in interpreting these artifacts. Our primary focus, however, will be on the texts, many of which are contemporaneous with those of early Christian literature and shed light upon ideas in the New Testament about the Messiah, law and God's actions in history on behalf of the righteous.

Yonder Gillihan

Summer Abroad Courses

HS 135 The Jordan Connection: The History and Culture of the Middle East from Ancient to Modern Times - Summer 2009

Jordan (officially, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan) came into existence in the 1920s. While it is a relatively young country whose borders were drawn by the colonial pen in the aftermath of World War I, it has historically "housed" many civilizations and political entities. Situated strategically near the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the rivers of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Jordan was a crossroad for trading and pilgrim caravans in pre-modern times and a safe haven for various war-torn communities in modernity (e.g., Circassians, Chechens, Bosnians, Armenians, Palestinians, and Iraqis). Jordan, then, has always been a connection point and a gateway for various cultures and communities, each of which left an indelible mark not only on local culture but also on the country’s very topography. Taking advantage of the abundance of important historical and archeological sites, this course will offer a sweeping "eyes-on" multi-century history tour of the Middle East. We will visit Mount Nebo, where the prophet Moses was first shown the "Promised Land"; Jerash, one of the most complete extant examples of a Greco-Roman city; Petra (recently officially pronounced as one of the Seven Wonders of the World), a Nabatean city carved in rose-red stone; Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John the Baptist lived and baptized; the Madaba Mosaic, a unique Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land; the Early Islamic Palaces of Amra and Hallabat (known as the Desert Palaces); and the Crusader castles of Karak, Shawbak, and Rabad. But between the historical sites where Roman legionaries, Nabatean traders, Byzantine ladies, Templar Knights, Umayyad Caliphs, and even Jesus himself treaded there are breathtaking deserts, forests, natural terrains, and an unusually salty lake (The Dead Sea, where it is impossible to drown).  Throughout our visit, we will stay in a series of well-equipped and comfortable eco-lodges and campsites situated in natural reserves throughout the country.
Dana Sajdi

PO / IS Politics and Oil in the Gulf States - Summer 2009: 3

This course addresses the problems of state formation, state-society relations, democratization, the rise of Islamism and regime stability in Kuwait and other oil-rich Arab Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia. It also assesses the implications for foreign policy, oil export levels, and regional balancing of the GCC states. The impact of oil on domestic politics and foreign policy are examined--in particular, the ruling family’s success in the trade-off of wealth for regional power and political continuity. Despite this pact, pressures for political liberalization and civil society formation are growing, and have resulted in an independent National Assembly as well as an increased number of groups (Islamist, women’s, professional, human rights) outside of state control.
Kathleen Bailey, David Deese

TH Exploring the Religious Worlds of Istanbul and Anatolia - Summer 2009: 3

This summer course will provide a firsthand acquaintance with many of the central features of Islamic religious and devotional life (pilgrimage, sainthood, poetry, music, architecture, iconography and ritual), along with an initial introduction to key sites and institutions of Eastern Orthodox Christianity--with readings focusing on the fascinating mosques, shrines, Sufi tekkes, and churches of historic Istanbul/Constantinople. We will also travel to major religious shrines, monuments, places of worship and centers of pilgrimage--often shared by Muslims and Eastern Christians--in Konya, Ephesus (Mary's house), Bursa, Edirne, and Cappadocia.
James Morris