Religion 276 - Imagination in Religion

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

Theology Dreams, visions, metaphors, and myths, the generative sources of religion, draw from the imagination to create, structure, and restructure "worlds." From shamanic journeys into mythicworlds to prophetic cries for reform, the roots of religious systems in imagination are evident. But what is imagination and how do societies and individuals conceptualize, utilize, manipulate, and attempt to regulate or contain its expressions and effects? Why is trance mediumship welcome in one society and dreaded in another? What is the relationship of imagination to conscious thought? Readings introduce the works of several contemporary theologians who engage these and related questions, including Henry Scott Holland, Matthew Fox, and Letty Russell. Readings are also drawn from anthropological and psychological literature, including works by William James, Clifford Geertz, Gregory Bateson, A. F. C.Wallace, and Michele Stephen.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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