Narrative and Religion: The World of Religious Narrative in New York

"The fieldtrips and perspectives were very enlightening."  

                                                                                        –Emily Gerdin, 2009

"We covered so much in three weeks and it was great." 

                                                                                  –Rebecca Haque, 2009

Course Description

This course considers the importance of narrative in religious articulation and the influence of religion on literary and artistic narrative expression. Placing foundational sacred narratives in conversation with their literary, cinematic, and artistic representations, students trace the historical contours of religious practice and examine the phenomenon of religion, broadly defined. They investigate how religion, as variously defined across a spectrum of traditions, pervades literature, drama, and film, and how narrative, in turn, has shaped religious tradition.

Using New York City as a laboratory, students engage in active dialogue with representatives of a wide spectrum of religious communities in visits to temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues. They explore visual representations of religious narrative in artistic installations at area museums. In classroom sessions, students encounter narrative in its more traditional guises of text and film. Synthesizing the immediate learning of this course with their experiences in the broader public milieu, students collaboratively address the interface between narrative representation and religious identification through ongoing discussion, written assignments and formal presentation.

Note:  tuition fees do not cover costs of text books and field trips. Students should budget approximately $150 for course related expenses.

Appropriate clothing for visits to houses of worship is required. Jeans, t-shirts and shorts are not appropriate. Appropriate clothing for female students includes dress pants, skirts or dresses that cover below the knee, and shirts with sleeves below the elbow.  Appropriate clothing for male students includes dress pants and collared shirts.

Instructor(s)