A comparative and theoretical exploration of the, various manifestations of mysticism and religious, experience in different contexts and traditions., Includes classical and current theories of the, nature of mysticism and its relation to asceticism, and other aspects of religious belief and, practice, drawing on sociology, anthropology,, psychology, philosophy, and cognitive science., Interrogation of the nature and epistemological, status of experience. Numerous case studies,, including sustained attention to Sufism, the, Islamic mystical tradition. This course is, cross-listed with RELS 458. Students taking the, 300-level version of this course will complete a, guided research project, identifying and mastering, the range of scholarly positions on a theme,, critical issue, or essential primary text, and, will produce a technically sound research paper., The course can only be taken once and cannot be, repeated at the 400 level.
- Teacher: Paul Powers