REL 327 - Erasure and Location of Muslims in Western Humanities

This course inquires into how the erasure and forgetting of the connections Muslims have historically created between Europe, Africa, and Asia have been central to the making of the idea of the West. Using Reed’s iconic humanities program as a case study, in the first half of the course we explore the making of racialized and civilizational humanities “general education” courses as a framing mechanism for understanding and explaining the modern era. Here we work to theorize the concept of erasure and understand its significance in shaping contemporary conceptions of religious, racial, and cultural differences. In the second half of the course, we aim to locate Muslims within the context of the exchanges and rivalries that have historically and genealogically connected Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Drawing on recent advances made in the study of religion, we work to conceptualize a more cross-cultural and global approach to the humanities. Students who have previously taken REL 227 should not enroll in this course.

Unit(s): 1
Group Distribution Requirement(s): Distribution Group II
Prerequisite(s): HUM 110 and sophomore standing
Instructional Method: Conference
Grading Mode: Letter grading (A-F)
Cross-listing(s): CRES 327
Group Distribution Learning Outcome(s):

Evaluate data and/or sources.
Analyze institutions, formations, languages, structures, or processes, whether social, political, religious, economic, cultural, intellectual or other.
Think in sophisticated ways about causation, social and/or historical change, human cognition, or the relationship between individuals and society, or engage with social, political, religious or economic theory in other areas.