Course Syllabus

IST2086-1

Autumn Quarter 2014

Jacob N. Kinnard 

Office: I-303, ext. 164

Office Hours: By appointment 

Course Description

A common term in religious discourse is “sacred space.” One hears it used both in casual discussions and scholarly analysis. But what does this term actually mean? What constitutes the “sacred” as it relates to places and spaces? How does a place or space become and continue to be sacred? What sorts of rituals and religious practices are performed there? What are the mythological and social and historical particularities of a particular space or place? Are sacred spaces and places fundamentally the same, or different, from one another, and how do we compare them? These are only some of the questions we will be interested in asking this quarter. They will inform our analysis and discussion of sacred space and place as we pursue these ideas and topics. Through close readings and discussions of primary and secondary texts, we will attempt to articulate a comparative approach to sacred space and place. We also will attempt to map out a basic theoretical and methodological approach to sacred space and place. Finally, we will consider what sorts of results we achieve if we undertake a comparative analysis of sacred space and place.

Course Objectives

The aims and objectives for this course are three-fold. First, class members will gain the ability to pursue, in greater depth, critical study and research into sacred space and sacred place, two concepts that are emerging areas of study in both religious and biblical studies. Second, class members will develop skills in comparative study, both through a more sophisticated theoretical framework for such study, and by working with specific religious sites that require critical spatial and social analysis. Third, class members will engage in interdisciplinary studies, as we attempt to overcome disciplinary-bound ways of examining sacred space and place in order to enrich the discourses about space within our respective fields of study.

Required Texts 

- Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction (London: Blackwell, 2004).

- Kinnard, Jacob N., Places in Motion: The Fluid Identities of Temples, Images, and Pilgrims (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014)

- Smith, Jonathan Z. To Take Place: Toward Theory in Ritual (Chicago: University of Chciago Press, 1987).

Assignments 

• Weekly reading and class participation. All readings must be completed before class with sufficient time to allow each student to be prepared to discuss and engage the materials in class. In weeks 2-8, specific readings will be assigned to class members, who then will have responsibility for creating no more than a one-page summary of the reading, including identifying the central argument, methodology, evidence, and conclusions.
• Final papers. This class is a seminar. For this reason, the final papers will involve two steps:

1.  First, each student will present their final paper topic. The class presentation of the paper thus will begin with a few minutes for reflections and comments by the author, followed by the formal response. After this, the rest of the class will ask clarifying questions, provide constructive criticism, and the like.

2.  Second, these papers are to be revised in light of the formal response and the rest of the comments and suggestions by the class. For Master’s level students, the final paper should be 3600-4500 words (12-15 pages). For doctoral students, papers should be 4500-5400 words in length (15-18 pages). The word count includes footnotes, but not a bibliography. All papers must follow the guidelines of standard style sheets, such as the Chicago Manual of Style.

Evaluation and Grading 

Class participation and discussion............................................................................ 25% 

Readings Summary.................................................................................................. 15% 

Presentation...............................................................................................................20%

Final paper................................................................................................................. 40% 

Schedule