GETR 345 | RELG 374
TR 11:00-12:15
Cabell 320


Religious Studies, New Cabell Hall 449
Office hours: Tuesday, 12:15-2:15 p.m. and by appointment
Teaching Resource Center, 24 East Range
Office hours: Thursday, 2:00-3:30 p.m. and by appointment

Course Description

This comparative inquiry into young adult literature explores the topic of the spiritual journey. Drawing from different approaches such as religious studies, gender studies, history, pedagogy, psychology, and literary studies we will discuss selected works and analyze their underlying values and assumptions. Our exploration will focus on such themes as: religiosity vs. spirituality, experiencing divine presence and absence, becoming a hero, confronting evil, being different, achieving autonomy, faith and doubt, and the magical and the miraculous.

This discussion based, reading-intensive seminar is cross-listed in the Religious Studies and German departments and most texts come from the Western tradition. The sessions will be held in English. German majors are encouraged to read German texts in the original and to write their papers in German. All students must be prepared to participate actively in discussion, critically engage the readings and each other, to write regularly, to develop their independent thoughts, and to work together on a team project.

Readings will include among others: Grimm's Fairy Tales; C.S. Lewis, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe; Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha; Madeleine D'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time; Michael Ende, The Neverending Story; Chaim Potok, The Chosen; Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials; and R. K. Rowling, Harry Potter.
Secondary works include among others: Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantments; Gilbert and Gubar, Snow White and her Wicked Stepmother; Kleist, The Puppet Theater.

Poster
Letter to Prospective Students