R474 Capstone Seminar in Religion: Religious Eroticism (3 Cr.) - Haberman
T 4:00-6:00  SY 105  *COAS Intensive Writing Course (requires registration
in W333)* Carries COAS AHTI Credit

Issues of desire are at the very heart of religion.  This course is a
capstone seminar for religious studies majors and is designed as an
opportunity for students to draw upon their accumulative knowledge and
experience from previous classes.  We will examine together cross-cultural
discourses concerning religion and eroticism.  (Or as Tina Turner asked:
"What's Love Got to do With It?") Specifically, the course will be an
exploration of desire within a comparative context.  What is desire?  How
has desire been represented by various religious traditions?  What are the
implications of the differing representations of desire for the religious
life?  What is the range of strategies designed to deal with the
tumultuous nature of desire?  How has desire been thought about by various
scholars?  What are we to think about the different ways desire has been
viewed within these various contexts, and what is at stake in the
differences?