New Class for Global Studies majors and minors. This class can count towards Region: Middle East and Africa or Theme: identity, Culture and Society, and is an ACE 5.
In this class, we take the "global history" framing seriously and specifically. We study the cultural and political contexts of the First Century (CE) Middle East from which the "historical Jesus" emerged--and the challenges to these contexts that the "historical Jesus's" movement developed. We also study the cultural and political contexts of the Seventh Century (CE) Middle East from which the Muslim movement emerged--and offered challenges to Christian concepts of Jesus. We look at how some leaders from the Indian-subcontinent viewed Jesus as part of a capacious pantheon of divine figures. We end the course in the Americas, tracing the roots of Jesus-centric Liberation Theology from its roots in Latin America to its adoption in North America by Black Liberation and Womanist theologians. In all these cases, our assignments invite students to understand how Christians--from the first community in Palestine to contemporary black churches in America--and non-Christians alike--from Arabia, India, and Africa--have formed their collective identities in part by expressing their views about Jesus.