SPAN 3795 - Sin:Theory and Practice

(crosslisted) RELST 3795
(HA-AS) Satisfies Option 1.

Fall. 4 credits. Student option grading.

Prerequisite: SPAN 2140, SPAN 2150, SPAN 2170, or CASE Q++, or permission of instructor.

S. Pinet.

What place does sin have in contemporary culture, from ethics to aesthetics? How do we consider sin, as a condition, an act, a choice? How does a particular community-religious, literary, ethnic-consider and use sin, for itself and against others? What are the limits that sin establishes between different notions of the divine, of the self, and of the other? How is sin used in literature or art to emphasize or condition behavior and interpretation? As a brief historical and philosophical exploration of the concept of sin, we will trace the development of the list of seven deadly sins from Evagrius and Cassian to Gregory. We will then explore the sins in a global Hispanic context through critical essays, works of art, literature, and film, and perhaps include a brief digression into music.