Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

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FYSE1436A-F15

Mystics, Saints, and Shamans

Mystics, Saints, and Shamans
What is the nature of a mystical experience? Are “mysticism” or “sainthood” phenomena with a universal core found equally across cultures? What is the role of cultural and social contexts in the formation of such experiences and phenomena? How exactly do we define who is a saint or a shaman? This course will be a comparative study of extraordinary experiences and manipulations of reality claimed by charismatic religious figures across time and space. We will discuss a wide variety of examples from traditionally renowned saints of the medieval Islamic world to contemporary New Age leaders in America. 3 hrs. sem.
Course Reference Number (CRN):
92570
Subject Code:
FYSE
Course Number:
1436
Section Identifier:
A

Course

FYSE 1436

All Sections in Fall 2015

Fall 2015

FYSE1436A-F15 Seminar (Anzali)