Courses

DESR students are required to take three courses. Two of these comprise the core curriculum, and one is an elective selected from a list of courses offered by the DESR faculty.

Course Archive

Fall 2025

Core Courses

Advanced Studies: Sources/General Literature of the Several Fields: Europe,  STRELIG 201

]onathan Sheehan
Wednesdays 2 – 5 PM
Class # 33620

This course will examine the afterlives of ancient law in the seventeenth century. Greek and Roman Law, canon law, the laws of Moses, Rabbinic law: these were a few of the legal traditions reinvented, rediscovered, and revived during Europe’s long seventeenth century (ca. 1580 –1700). These afterlives in turn shaped the most urgent political and religious issues of the time: the nature of sovereignty, the function of kingship, the project of republicanism, the legality of European empires, the relation of law and privilege, the normativity of law, the nature and value of religious ceremonies, the problem of religious pluralism, and so on. Readings for the course will include materials from several legal traditions (Greek, Roman, Jewish, Catholic), as well as authors from the period including: Jean Bodin, Alberico Gentili, Justus Lipsius, Leone Modena, the Maharal of Prague, François Hottman, Francisco Suárez, Hugo Grotius, Hermann Conring, and others.

Elective Courses

The Enigma of Authority , STRELIG 290

Daena Funahashi
Thursdays 9-11 AM 
Class # 33602

What grounds authority? The notion of authority – whether it be epistemological, scientific, political, religious, or divine – is in some ways linked to questions of power, specifically, the power to author and to authorize. But on what basis do we give this power credit? Moreover, are we always conscious participants of such an exchange in which credit is given and taken?  

In this seminar, we build upon classic texts in anthropology on mana, fetish, and political theology to explore how our submission to the authoritative voice takes place at a level beyond reason.

Spring 2025

Core Courses

Coming Soon

Elective Courses

Readings in Indian Buddhist Texts

Alexander Von Rospatt
Wednesdays 2 PM – 5 PM
Class # 26639

This graduate seminar focuses on reading a wide spectrum of Indian Buddhist texts in the Sanskrit (or Pali) original introducing the students to different genres, and different aspects of Indian Buddhism. The students taking the course for two units (rather than four) will be expected to prepare thoroughly every week for the reading of Buddhist texts in the original. They will also be expected to read all related secondary literature that is assigned to supplement the study of the primary source material. In contrast to the students taking the course for four units, they will not be expected to write a term paper or to prepare special presentations for class. Course must be taken for 4 units.

Additional elective courses will be listed soon.