HUAS95201 - Nature, Spirituality, and Materiality in Japanese Culture

Course Description

Japanese culture offers many examples where the spiritual and the material are considered as intersecting: from sacred mountains and android-Buddhas, to rituals for the disposal of used working tools and toys. In this course we will question views of religion that privilege belief and confine the sacred to a different world, but we will also take a critical stance toward easy stereotypes of Japanese culture.In the course, we will use a variety of sources to discuss both the history and contemporary forms of Japanese religion and spirituality: from Buddhist images, pilgrimage accounts, and documentaries on sacred mountains, to news articles and excerpts from recent films.

Course Outline

Notes

Deadline for Online Registration: Thursday, June 17 at 5 pm CT.

Remote courses require you to login to Canvas to access the Zoom Classroom. You will receive an invitation to join Canvas about a week before your course begins. Please visit the Liberal Arts Student Resources page to sign up for Student Remote Learning Training session and to find step by step instructions for Canvas and Zoom: Online Learning Resources