The major genres of Islamic literature and its principle concepts, covering Qur'anic, hadith, legal and political literature, philosophy, theology, historiography, hagiography, and poetry, emphasizing the Medieval period and mystical prose and poetry primarily in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. The works will be in English translation. A writing intensive course.

An examination of Islam and Islamic culture in Morocco. The course covers basic Islamic beliefs and practices and the most significant aspects of Islamic culture in Morocco, such as music, art, and architecture.

This is a maymester summer abroad program and will thus entail, with the course work, extensive travel throughout Morocco and homestays with Moroccan families. The educational experience of this course will be of an on-going "immersion" type.

The nature of early primitive religions and the main outlines of the chief living religions of the world. The method will be both historical and analytical.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Examines facilitation of and active participation in intercultural dialogue during supervised discussions with students whose culture is non-American. Emphasis on using the principles of active listening and dialogue for cultivating hermeneutical understanding (of both self and others), while discussing topics of intercultural and interreligious interest.

Buddhism from its origin in the life and teachings of the Buddha through the period of philosophical ferment in India, and its thought and institutions in the East and the West up to the present.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

Confucianism and its place in traditional Chinese religion, thought, and culture. Emphasis on the teachings of foundational thinkers such as Confucius, Mencius, and Hsun-tzu.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

Religion in Japan from earliest times to the present, with emphasis upon Shinto, the domestication of Buddhism, and the relationship of religion to the Japanese state and "national identity." Particular attention given to the development of Zen in Japan.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

Taoism and its place in traditional Chinese religion, thought, and culture. Emphasis on the classical texts, Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu; the evolution of the later Taoist religion; and the many varieties of Taoist spirituality.

Offered every even-numbered year.

The variety of ritual practices employed by Buddhists around the world. An examination of both ritual studies generally and Buddhist rituals in specific.

An in-depth study of Hinduism. The philosophy, ritual, iconography, literature, architecture, and social theory of Hinduism, a form of religion and culture that have dramatically shaped the history of South Asia and beyond.