Religions and gender [ LTHEO2430 ]

At the end of this activity, the student will be able - to explain the notion of gender, its origin, evolution and pertinence; - to understand what is at stake in this notion in the fields of anthropology, ethics, history, society and religion; - particularly, to understand and analyse the impact of gender on religions and of religions on gender.

The elements of evaluation are the regular and active participation, the writing of a short essay (maximum 5 pages on a subject that can be chosen among the topics of the course) and an oral exam.

There will be lectures and also important interactive moments based on texts that have to be read by all participants.

2013-2014
Bodies that matter
Religious traditions have to face the challenge of gender studies exploring a reality which attracts ' sometimes with a kind of obsession ' the special attention of religions. Human bodies are considered as the scenes of salvation and of sin; they are objects of rigid norms and of ecstasy. The myths of masculinity and femininity produce narratives, images and messages: beginning with the founding documents of religions until the most recent representations in the world of advertising and in pop music. The course will reconstruct some aspects of this strange and difficult proximity of gender studies (with the help of several books of Judith Butler, among others Bodies that Matter. On the Discursive Limits of 'Sex', London/New York: Routledge 1993) and religious studies which both have a hard time with finding a common ground. They still tell each other more often: Je t'aime' Moi non plus. The imagination of popular culture seems to have already evolved more quickly.

Selected texts will be available on iCampus.