Dartmouth Events

A seminar in the Religion Department curriculum is devoted to reading and analyzing the works of a scholar in the field of the study of religion who has made a significant impact upon a particular area of study. Near the end of the term, this scholar is then brought to Dartmouth; and the seminar concludes with several days of intense meetings, during the course of which the visiting scholar reads and responds to students' critiques of his or her own work.

In 12F, Professor Susannah Heschel will offer JWST 70.3 (Identical to REL 81), "Orientalism and the Origins of Religion." The textbook for the course will be Suzanne Marchand's recent magnum opus, German Orientalism in an Age of Empire, which provides a superb survey of the study of each religion within "Germany" in its largest sense: German-oriented scholarship encompassed Hungary, the Netherlands, France, Russia, and Britain during the long nineteenth century, that is, from the late eighteenth century until World War I. The study of Marchand's book will be supplemented with readings drawn from both primary and secondary sources. Students will read and discuss Professor Marchand's books and articles on the topic of Orientalism and prepare papers for discussion with Professor Marchand in person during her visit to campus November 6-8, 2012.