REL 295-02 - Special Topic: Women, Goddesses, and Gurus: Hinduism and Gender

4 credits (Fall)

What is the relationship between religion and patriarchy? Do they reinforce each other? Where and how does change occur? Can powerful goddesses act as affirmative role models for women? In this course we will explore these and other questions by examining the characterization and distinction between the human and divine feminine in the Hindu tradition - that is female deities, ordinary women, and women who have been accorded a divine status, such as gurus or saints.

Prerequisite: REL 101, REL 102, REL 103, REL 104, REL 105, or second-year standing.
Instructor: Ferrario