hinduism vedas to today spelman s14 2

8/12/2019 Hinduism Vedas to Today Spelman S14 2

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Professor: Catherine Prueitt

Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Office: Cosby 433Phone: 404-270-5519

Cell (for urgent contact only): 678-358-1186

[email protected]

Hinduism: From the Vedas to Today

Overall Goals and Structur e of the Class:

This course is an introduction to the diverse traditions that, since the British

institutionalized the category in the 1800s, we call Hinduism. We will focus on thebeginnings and evolution of sacred texts, stories, ideas, practices, and political identitiesover a period spanning about 3,500 years, from the revelation of the Vedas to Hindu

politics in India today. Our class will proceed in six short units: 1) Vedas and Upaniads;

2) Epics and Puras; 3) Philosophy; 4) Ritual and Devotion; 5) Hinduism under theMughals and British; 6) Hindutva and Contemporary Politics. Our overall goal is todevelop a broad understanding of the content, evolution, and influence of Hindu

traditions.

Grading structure:

1) Weekly Presentations and Class Engagement: 60%Each class, one of you will present the readings and serve as a discussion leader. Please

come prepared with a 20-30 minute presentation and 3 discussion questions.

2) Midterm Reflection Paper: 15%

1000-1500 words (approximately 3.5-5 pages). This take-home paper will be due on

Friday, March 21st. In it, you will reflect on our readings and discussions in the class up

to this point. Sit back, take a breath, think about what youve learned, and tell me about it.

3) Final Reflection Paper: 25%.1000-1500 words (approximately 3.5-5 pages). This take-home paper will be due on our

exam date (~one week after the end of class). In it, you will reflect on the themes of the

class as a whole and your understanding of Hinduism. Sit back, take a breath, think about

what youve learned, and tell me about it.

The Honor Code is in effect at all times in this class, including for blog posts.

Office Hours:Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1pm or by appointment

Late Policy:

If you do not ask me for an extension, I will deduct 1% from your final grade on an essayfor each day it is late. This is a hard and fast policy. If you would like an extension,


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please send me a ridiculous excuse. It can be a story about how an alien in a blue

telephone booth whisked you away to the far corners of the universe, an account of how

mutant dinosaurs devoured your computer, or anything else you fancy. It can be short andyou can ask for the extension on midnight the day the essay is due if you need to. Just

talk to me and try not to worry.

Required Texts:Mittal and Thursby, eds, The Hindu World. New York: Routledge, 2004.

***Many of our readings will be selections from longer works. I will post these readingson Moodle as PDFs.***

Course Schedule

January 16th: Introduction to our class and each other

Part I: Vedas and Upanishads: AAAAAHHHH CONFUSION AND SNOW!

Week 1: Rg Veda and context

January 21st:Nicholson, Unifying Hinduism, Introduction: Contesting the

Unity of Hinduism, 1-5;Patton, Veda and Upaniad, from The Hindu World,

37-51, Holdredge, Dharma, from The Hindu World, 213-248

Blog Entry #1 due Wednesday, January 22nd

January 23rd: selections from theg Veda

Week 2: Upaniads and context

January 28th: Tull, Karma, from The Hindu World, 309-331; Ganeri, TheConcealed Art of the Soul, Hidden in the Cave: the Upaniadic Self, 13-38

Blog Entry #2 due Wednesday, January 29th

January 30th: Selections from the Upaniads

Week 3: Getting back on track!

February 4th: go over Holderdge and Tull

February 6th: readings from the g Veda and Upaniads

Part II: Epics and Puras

Week 4: RmyaaFebruary 11th: Film: Sita Sings the Blues (watch on your own; link on Moodle)

Goldman and Goldman, Rmyaa, from The Hindu World, 75-96; Selectionsfrom the VlmkiRmyana(ME!)

February 13th: A.K. Ramanujan, 300 Ramayanas; Shulman, Bhavabhti onCruelty and Compassion, 49-82. (TORI)


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Week 5: Mahbhrata and Bhagavd GtFebruary 18th:

February 20th:Fitzgerald, Mahbhrata, from The Hindu World, 52-74;

Selections from theMahbhrataselections from theBhagavd Gt(TAYLOR)

Week 6: PurasFebruary 25th:Narayana Rao, Purnas, from The Hindu World, 97-118,Klostermaier, Itihsa Pura: The Heart of Hinduism, fromA Survey ofHinduism: Third Edition, 59-73.

February 27th:Selections from the Puras.

Part III: Ritual and Devotion

Week 7: Theism and Devotionalism

March 4th:Flood, aiva, Erndl, kta, and Clooney, Vaiava, The HinduWorld, 119-184.

March 6th: Lorenzen, Bhakti, The Hindu World, 185-210; Smith, Impact ofGod Posters on Hindus and Their Devotional Traditions, in Media and theTransformation of Religion in South Asia

SPRING BREAK MARCH 10TH

-14TH

Week 8: Ritual

March 18th: McGee, Saskra, from The Hindu World, 332-356, McGee,Ritual Rights: The Gender Implications of Adhikra, Jewels of Authority, 32-50.

March 20th:Bharati, Pilgrimage in the Indian Tradition, 135-167; Sanderson,Meaning in Tantric Ritual, (selections: 24-29, 36-53, 76-87).

(M idterm Reflection Paper due Fr iday, March 21st by 11:59pm via Moodle)

Part IV: Philosophy

Week 9:Nyya/Vaieika; Skhya/YogaMarch 25th:Bartley, Chapter 8: Nyya and Vaieika,Introduction to IndianPhilosophy, 92-119; Ganeri, The Motive and Method of Rational Inquiry,Philosophy in Classical India, 7-41.


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March 27th:Bartley, Chapter 7: Skhya and Yoga, 82-91; Selections fromthe Yoga Stra; Nicholson, Chapter 7: Vednta and Skhya in the OrientalistImagination, Unifying Hinduism, 124-143.

Week 10: Mms; VedntaApril 1st: Bartley, Chapter 9: The Mms Vision,Introduction to IndianPhilosophy, 119-135; Ram-Prasad, Knowledge and Action: On How to Attainthe Highest Good,Indian Philosophy and the Consequences of Knowledge, 101-132.

April 3rd: Bartley, Chapter 10: Vednta, and Chapter 11: Advaita Vednta,Introduction to Indian Philosophy,134-168; Nicholson, Unifying Hinduism,Chapter 3: Vijnabhikus Difference and Non-difference Vednta, 39-66.

Part V: Mughals and British

Week 11: Mughals

April 8th:Talbot, Inscribing the Other, Inscribing the Self: Hindu-MuslimIdentities in Pre-colonial India,Indias Islamic Traditions, 83-117; Stein, EarlyModern India,A History of India, 155-176. Smith, Islam and Hinduism,Hinduism and Modernity, 49-64

April 10th:; NO CLASS

Week 12: British Raj

April 15th:Rocher, The Creation of Anglo-Hindu Law, inHinduism and Law,78-88; Khilani, Who is an Indian?, from The Idea of India, 150-195;

April 17th:Killingley, Modernity, Reform, and Revival, The BlackwellCompanion to Hinduism, 509-525; Faulk, By What Authority? Hindu Womenand the Legitimization of Reform in the Nineteenth Century,Jewels of Authority,139-156.

Part VI: Hindutva and Contemporary Politics

Week 13: Hindutva

April 22nd: Ram-Prasad, Contemporary Political Hinduism, The BlackwellCompanion to Hinduism, 526-550; Savarkar, Who is a Hindu?, fromHindutva:The Essence of Hinduism, 102-116.

April 24th:Narula, Law and Hindu Nationalist Movements,Hinduism andLaw, 234-251. Bacchetta, Hindu Nationalist Women: On the Use of the


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Feminine Symbolic to (Temporarily) Displace Male Authority,Jewels ofAuthority, 157-176.

Week 14: Hindu Politics Today

April 29th: Davis, Temples, dieties, and the law; Malik, In the divine court of

appeals: vows before the gods,; and Contemporary caste discrimination andaffirmative action,Hinduism and Law, 193-251.May 1st: ***Contemporary news items and context***

(ref lection paper due on our exam date)

hinduism vedas to today spelman s14 2

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