REL 394-01 - Advanced Topics: Comparing Saints (Spring)

4 credits (Spring)

Comparing Saints. This seminar focuses on Indian holy men and women, past and present. We will critically examine the assumptions and categories that affect how gurus, godmen and saints appear to us and to others. How do religious commitments, Christian models, secular sensibilities and social location shape what we see in such figures and their devotees? Are saints or other exemplars still possible in the modern world? We will highlight methods of comparison, performance and history, including the history of the field of religious studies.

Prerequisite: REL 311.
Instructor: Dobe