RS 344 The Extremes of Religion
What is the nature of “religious extremism”? When do religious beliefs, practices, and actions become “extreme”? How far should one go for one’s beliefs? When does passion transform into fanaticism? Doesn’t real conviction require going to extremes? Or alternatively, isn’t this when religion, or any belief system, becomes dangerous? This course offers an investigation of these questions, drawing upon a series of episodes from a wide range of historical and cultural contexts. These case studies may include: the binding of Isaac episode, Hindu and/or Buddhist asceticism, religious persecution in the history of Christianity, recent cult activity in America, and the contemporary challenge of Islamic terrorism.