REL 311 Holy Lands: Sacred Realities and Political Stories
This course seeks to place the current religious and political climate and conflict in Israel and Palestine into an historical context. Students will travel throughout the region, visiting ancient and modern religious and cultural sites and meeting with a range of people. The course seeks to expose students to a diversity of perspectives—Palestinian, Israeli, Arab-Israeli, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sufi, Mizrahi, Sephardi, Ashkenazi, Left and Right, Religiously Orthodox and Progressive, Secular and Nationalist—within the region and to help them to consider the ways in which history and memory, place and symbol, practices, and poetic-theological traditions have cultivated sentiments (political, social, cultural and religious). Course readings and assignments will draw upon history, scripture, poetry, memoirs, graphic novels, film, and television.