Religious Studies 408 Colloquium: Buddhism and Women

This is an interdisiciplinary course that examines women's cross-cultural perspectives on religion and spirituality East and West. We will read works that contain theoretical reflections on gender, sexuality, culture, and religion as well as personal accounts of women's spiritual journeys in the form of journals, stories, fiction, and first-hand narratives; a number of works contain both theoretical and personal elements. Theory will be used to examine concrete narrative, and narratives will be used to test theory.

Requirements

  1. Response papers: Students will write two response papers on the readings. They offer thoughtful reflections on the readings rather than merely personal reactions. These will be handed in bi-weekly except when other assignments are due.
  2. Presentation: Students will make a presentation on the readings for one of the meetings. The presenter should not summarize the reading but should use the presentation to discuss why the particular ideas/passages in question are important for understanding the reading and proceed to explain as well as raise questions about these ideas/passages.
  3. The primary purpose of these presentations is to launch the discussion, not to demonstrate breadth of knowledge or to lead the discussion. More detailed instructions will be provided separately. Students will highlight 2-3 key points from among the selections for that meeting and raise 2-3 critical questions for discussion.
  4. Short exam: There will be a short exam on basic writing issues and on some of the readings
  5. Medium-length paper based on Presentation: Each student will hand in a medium length paper of 4-6 pages double-spaced one week following their presentation. Drawing on your presentation, identify one key theme or problem and examine it from two or three perspectives. Notify the instructor of the topic you wish to write on by submitting a one-paragraph description by email before composing your paper.
  6. Final paper: 9-11 pages, double-spaced, with drafts. For the final paper, drafts will be due for peer review before the final draft. The instructor will evaluate the peer review comments as well as the papers. Procedures for peer review will be explained.
  7. Final project: After you have completed your final paper, I will grade and return them at the beginning of spring term. You will have one week to make any further revisions you like and resubmit the paper on diskette. (You do not have to make any changes to you r final paper if you wish to leave it as is.) The papers will be reformatted, printed, and bound, and copies will be available for the cost of printing.
  8. Attendance: Required. Students can have one unexcused absence without penalty. Each class missed thereafter without prior permission will result in a two-point penalty (out of 100 pts) for the course grade.
  9. Late policy on written assignments: Three grace days total will be allotted excluding the final paper for which no extensions will be given. For all other assignments, a cumulative total of three late days will be allowed without penalty. Thereafter, each late day will result in a two-point deduction from the course grade. Weekends are not counted against the grace days.

More detailed information on these requirements will be posted on the course web page which can be found on the instructor's web page address given above.

 

Grades

(All readings are listed in footnote/endnote format.)

Required Texts

 

Required Readings on Reserve

(All three readings listed below are in one packet)

 

Recommended Reading

 

Additional Information

Suggestions on the Readings and Schedule (see below):

We will be reading one longer work per week together with briefer selections from secondary readings. Most of the secondary readings are from the edited collection, Weaving the Visions. The rest are in packets on reserve. The secondary readings are designed to provide a theoretical framework and conceptual points of reference for reflecting on the longer readings. The first week has relatively few readings. If you read as much as possible from the required selections from Weaving the Visions during the first week, then you can come back to them just to refresh your memory during the assigned weeks. The longer readings are assigned so that you will have them finished by the section meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays. Some of you may not finish the readings until Friday, but this way, we will be able to discuss the whole text in the section meetings.

Note about information technologies:

1. "The computer ate my diskette" is not a good excuse. You are responsible for keeping a back-up of your own work. Responsible use of technology comes with enjoying its benefits. (Think of those who used to type their papers on typewriters!)

2. You can print on-line materials from any network printer. If you have difficulty doing this and wish to have a hard copy, ask me, and I will obtain some help for you.

Schedule: Themes and Readings for Women's Spiritual Journeys

(readings to be completed by class meeting)

Week 1: January 4-8 Introduction and Historical Context

Week 2: January 11-15 Dakota: A Vision of Christian Spirituality in the Plains

Week 3: January 18-22 Thinking in Pictures:Thinking, Feeling, and Acting

Week 4: January 25-29 Aama in America: Inner and Outer Pilgrimage

Week 5: February 1-5 Higan-Compassionate Vow: Compassion on the Other Shore

Week 6: February 10-12 Reflections in Mid-Winter

Week 7: February 15-19 Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind: From West to East

Week 8: February 22-26 An Interrupted Life: Death in Life, Life in Death

Week 9: March 1-5 The Color Purple: Purple is to Lavendar . . .

Week 10: March 8-12 Borderlands/ La Frontera: Periphery and Center

Drafts due in class.

Week 11: March 16 Final Papers due at 5:00 p.m. Leighton 318.