JWST 201 - Jewish Textuality: Queering Judaism

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

This course addresses characteristic forms of Jewish texts and related theoretical issues concerning transmission and interpretation. On the one hand, canonical texts–Bible, Midrash, Talmud–are considered, including some modern (and postmodern) reactivations of these classical modes. On the other hand, special attention is given to modern problems of transmission in a post-canonical world.

Topic for 2016/17a: Queering Judaism. (Same as RELI 201 ) Jews in postmodernity encounter myriad challenges to traditional religious structures in the areas of sex and gender, family life, social life and political power-to name just a few. We explore how these challenges were dealt with by a variety of strata of contemporary Jewish society in Europe, Israel and America, charting the various negotiations between religious observance and openness to changing social values among a variety of Jewish groups. The term “queering” will be used in the broadest way to refer to queer sexuality and also to other challenges to stable notions of identity touching upon gender and race. Agnes Veto.

Prerequisite(s): JWST 101 or permission of the instructor.