Prob of Suffering:Relig Persp

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Bad things happen—even to “good” people. Suffering is a universal experience which can “make” or “break” humans. Traditionally humankind has turned to various religious systems to find meaning in the mystery of suffering. In this course, faculty, guest lecturers, and students examine human suffering as viewed by the world’s major religious traditions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism) and contemporary secular society. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to these traditional sources and to encourage them to give contemporary expression to the wisdom they contain. Emphasis is placed on the narratives of individuals who are suffering and the depiction of suffering in the arts (particularly cinema) and literature and on the positive benefits which can be obtained from this complex experience.