Fall 2008 Courses

UC Berkeley



Fall 2008 Courses

Graduate Theological Union

Between Tradition and Modernity: American Jewish Literature of the 20th Century

HR-2060

W 9:40am-12:30pm ; GTU:HDCO

Shaina Hammerman, Newhall Fellow (Deena Aranoff, Supervisor)

This seminar will follow the progression of Jewish-American literary generations from the immigrant experience through the Holocaust, the great breakthroughs of the literary masters, culminating in the end of the century's postmodern redefinition of American Jewishness. Students will build an appreciation for the rich body of fiction produced by America's Jews, follow the history of the American Jew by means of his literature and question the impact of the Jewish-American literary "canon" on Jewish history and identity. Student presentations, short paper, research paper

Late Antique Judaism

HRHS-3707

M 2:10-5:00pm

Holger Zellentin

This class examines the dramatic development of Jewish societies from the end of the Second Temple period to the composition of the Babylonian Talmud. We will discuss topics like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the development of rabbinic and Christian Judaism, and early Jewish Mysticism. All texts in translation. Presentations and final research paper

Bible in Early Modern Europe

HSHR-4829

Th 2:10-5:00pm

Deena Aranoff; Christopher Ocker

This course will examine the production, translation and study of the Bible in early-modern Europe. We will explore themes such as the impact of humanist scholarship on the reading of the Bible, translations of the Bible, the impact of the printing press, Christian-Jewish intellectual interaction, and the meaning and use of the Bible in the Catholic and Protestant Reformations. Readings will include selections from Jewish, humanist, Catholic and Protestant writings. The course will conclude with readings from Spinoza and Puritan commentaries on the Bible. All readings will be in translation with opportunity to read sources in Hebrew and/or Latin.

A Short History of Hell

HRHS4960

Th 2:10-5:00pm

Holger Zellentin

The transformation of hell from a storehouse of deceased souls to a place of punishment gave rise to important strands of western thought. This class will locate the early history of hell in the ancient New East, and follow its development in Jewish, Greek, Christian and Islamic thought through the ages. All texts will be available in translation. Presentations and research paper.