MTH740

Women and Religion in Asian Traditions

Strand: n/a

Module Director: Alice Collett

Offered: at York campus, please check availability with the Theology Office theology@yorksj.ac.uk

Timetable: tbc

Prerequisites: None

Module Description

This module aims to enable students to examine the relationship between religion and gender in Asian contexts. The module will focus on both historical examples of prominent women in Asian religions, and also address broad theoretical issues; such are orientalism, colonialism and questions concerning the applicability of the term ‘feminism’ to non-western contexts. Students will also be introduced to the range of methodologies employed in the study of gender in Asian religions.

Set Texts

Indicative essential book provision (examples):

Davids C. R. & Norman K. R. (trs.) (1998) Poems of Elder Nuns
Erndl K. & Hietlebeital, A. (2000) Is the Goddess a Feminist? The Politics of the South Asian Goddess
Kumar R. (1993) A History of Doing: An Illustrated Account of Movements for Women’s Rights and Feminism in India 1800-1999
Simmer-Brown J. (1997) Dakini’s Warm Breath
Tsai K. A. (tr.), (1994) Lives of the Nuns: Biographies of Chinese Buddhist Nuns from the Fourth to Sixth Centuries – A Translation of the Pi-ch’iu-ni chuan

Indicative Journals/ Periodicals (examples):

Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion
Journal of the American Academy of Religion
Modern Asian Studies

Assessment

One 6,000 word piece of written work (100% of the mark)