T5800 Sacred Texts
Instructor: Jeffrey Kupperman, Ph.D.
Class Description: The course will survey sacred texts of the world religions, including the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Quran, the Upanishads, and more. Students will study the historical and cultural contexts in which sacred texts developed, the canonical content of those texts, and the strategies for interpretation of and religious interaction with sacred texts. Students will also problematize the role of text within modern Paganisms.
Required Reading*:
The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised and Updated. HarperOne, 2006 ($27.18 – $17.99); Stephany, Timothy. Enuma Elisha: The Babylonian Creation Epic includes “Atrhasis,” the first Great Flood myth (6.99). Create Space, 2013;
Hart, David Bentley, The New Testament: A Translation ($19.89 – $10.99). Yale University Press, 2019;
Cook, Michael, The Koran: A Very Short Introduction $9.30 – $6.99). Oxford University Press, 2000;
Khalidi, Tarif, trans. The Qur’a ($19.53 – $8.99)n. Penguin Classics, 2009;
Tanahashi, Kazuaki, The Heart Sutra: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic of Mahayana Buddhism ($17.95 – $14.99), Shambala, 2016;
Hirose, Nobuko, trans. Immoveable Wisdom: The Art of Zen Strategy – The Teachings of Takuan Sooh ($24.95) o, Floating World Editions, 2014;
Dogen, Eihei, Moon In A Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen ($14.95) , North Point Press, 1995;
Henricks, Robert G., trans. Lao Tzu;Te-Tao Ching – A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui Texts ($15.88 – $12.99). Ballantine Books, 1992;
Legge, James, trans. Confucian Analects, The Great Learning & the Doctrine of the Mean ($6.43 – $6.11). Dover Publications, Inc., 1972;
Feurstein, Georg. Introduction to the Bhagavad-Gita: Its Philosophy and Cultural Setting ($17.43). Rider and Company, 1974;
Pravrajika Vrajaprana, Vedanta: A Simple Introduction ($6.95 – $6.60). Vedanta press, 1999;
Easwaran, Eknath, trans. The Bhagavad Gita ($5.79 – $5.43). Nilgiri Press, 2007; easwaran, Eknath, trans. The Upanishads ($6.79 – $5.60). Night Press, 2007.
*Note: Books are not needed all at once – may be spread out over the semester. Prices listed are Amazon prices as listed in November (they may change) – the lower price is for an E-Book. Used books are also available.
Class Meeting: Wednesdays, 8:00 PM EST
Class Begins: January 20, 2020
