First-Year Courses in Buddhist Studies (Division 332)

Fall Term, 1999 (September 8 - December 22, 1999)

Note: The Department Waitlist policy for all courses is 2 – Go to the department office to get on a waitlist, and then attend the first class meeting. Policies and procedures for handling the waitlist will be explained there.

Students wanting to begin language study, at a level other than first year, must take a placement exam to be held on Tuesday, September 7, 1-3 p.m.

Section 001.

Instructor(s): Robert Sharf (rsharf@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: https://coursetools.ummu.umich.edu/1999/fall/lsa/asis/220/001.nsf

This course is an introduction to the study of Asian religions. We will consider representative material drawn from some of the major Asian traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, etc.), from ancient times down to the present day. However, the course is not intended to be a comprehensive or systematic survey; rather than aiming at breadth, the course is designed around major conceptual themes, such as ritual, death, image veneration, mysticism, meditation, ancestor worship, religious violence, and so on. The overarching emphasis throughout the course will be on the hermeneutic difficulties attendant upon the study of religion in general, and Asian religious traditions in particular.