Hauptseminar Religious Battlegrounds Literary Controversies

Religion (along with sex and violence) is one of the subject matters that are most likely to get artists into trouble and/or to render them instantly famous (or at least notorious). It frequently sparks controversy and hence tends to attract media attention. In this seminar, we will consider questions such as: Why is religion in fictional writing and in film such a controversial and touchy issue? Can literature be -blasphemous- or should the artist's freedom of expression (ideally) be limitless? Our starting point will be an extended discussion of Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses (1977) and of the violent controversy caused by the novel. We will also examine the dynamics behind somewhat less severe controversies, such as the ones sparked by Mel Gibson's -Passion of the Christ- (2004) or by Dan Brown's -The Da Vinci Code- (2003; film 2006). Later we will consider different (and apparently less scandalous) -religious battlegrounds- that are negotiated in two other novels, Tristan Egolf's, Lord of the Barnyard (1998) and James Wood's, The Book Against God (2003). Course materials may furthermore include comedy (Kevin Smith's -Dogma-, 1999; Monty Python's -Life of Brian-, 1979; -The Simpsons- (-Save me, Jeebus-!)), documentary (-Jesus Camp-, 2006; Bill Maher's -Religulous-, 2008), journalistic and essayistic texts as well as blog writing on the topic. Throughout the semester, we will aim to answer the following questions: Why are some works of art dealing with religious topics more controversial than others, and which role does religious controversy play in the arena of cultural production? Reading for this course: - Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses (1988) - Tristan Egolf, Lord of the Barnyard (1998) - James Wood, The Book Against God (2003) Please get hold of the novels before the beginning of the course and start reading. In addition, a reader including further (obligatory) material will be available at the copy shop in -Reckhammerweg- from early October. Please note: This is a course for students who are willing to read three novels AND additional material. The reading load will be considerable, and participants will have to pass -reading check-ups- in order to qualify for credit. Anglistik Universität Duisburg-Essen WS 2009/10 Bachelor, Bachelor Anglistik