I. ASCRC General Education Form (revised 2/8/13)
Use to propose new general education courses (except writing courses), to change or
renew existing gen ed courses and to remove designations for existing gen ed courses.
Note: One-time-only general education designation may be requested for experimental courses
(X91-previously X95), granted only for the semester taught. A NEW request must be
submitted for the course to receive subsequent general education status.
Group
II. Mathematics
VII: Social Sciences
(submit
III. Language
VIII: Ethics & Human Values
separate forms
III Exception: Symbolic Systems * IX: American & European
if requesting
IV: Expressive Arts
X: Indigenous & Global
x
more than one
V: Literary & Artistic Studies
XI: Natural Sciences
general
w/ lab  w/out lab 
education
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies
group
*Courses proposed for this designation must be standing requirements of
designation)
majors that qualify for exceptions to the modern and classical language
requirement
Dept/Program
Liberal Studies
Course #
Course Title
Prerequisite
Hinduism
none
Credits
RLST 234
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Phone / Email
Bradley Clough
ext.
2837/bradley.clough@mos.umt.edu
Program Chair Stewart Justman
Dean
Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only
Renew x
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion
Description of change
3
Date
2/18/14
Change
Remove
India has historically been one of
the world’s longest living, rich, and
diverse civilizations. It is also a
rising giant on many front in
today’s world. Hinduism is the
majority religion of India. It also
has a large diaspora. By being
exposed to the worldviews of one
of the world’s most diverse and
profound religious cultures,
students are bound to become more
informed and better global citizens.
IV. Description and purpose of the general education course: General Education courses
must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General
Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/archives/minutes/gened/GE_preamble.aspx
The purpose of this course is to provide an historical overview of the many different indigenous
religious movements in India that we now call “Hinduism.” Through the reading of
mythological, philosophical, ethical, meditative, and devotional primary texts, as well as
historical and anthropological studies, we will show how Hindu traditions were constructed
through a set of ongoing tensions: Between ascetic/contemplative and sacrificer/priest, villager
and city-dweller, low caste and high caste, poet and philosopher, colonized and colonizer, and
“secular” citizen and “religious” citizen. In tracing these tensions and the developments they
brought about throughout Indian history, we will: 1) examine the roots of Indian tradition; 2)
master the basic vocabulary of Indian thought; 3) use that terminology to study developments
in Hindu doctrine and popular practice; and 4) examine the religio-political significance of
contemporary beliefs and rituals.
Students future lives will benefit, as this course will make them better global citizens, after
having learned about the Hindu traditions of over one billion of the world’s people.
V. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
Indigenous and/or global courses will familiarize
The course deals with Hindu values,
students with the values, histories, and institutions institutions, and histories both in the
of two or more societies through the uses of
religions native home in India as well as in
comparative approaches.
Hindu diaspora communities around the
globe.
Indigenous perspective courses address the
longstanding tenure of a particular people in a
particular geographical region, their histories,
cultures, and ways of living as well as their
interaction with other groups, indigenous and nonindigenous.
Global perspective courses adopt a broad focus
with respect to time, place, and subject matter and
one that is transnational and/or multicultural/ethnic in nature. Whether the cultures or
societies under study are primarily historical or
contemporary, courses investigate significant
linkages or interactions that range across time and
space.
This course covers in detail the history,
culture,and ways of life of the Hindus, and
also looks at Hindu interactions with
Muslim, Jain, and Sikh communities in
India.
The course is transnational in that, as stated
above, we look at Hinduism both in India
and in Hindu diaspora communities. The
course traces Hindu developments and their
interconnectedness from ancient to
contemporary times.
VI. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
place human behavior and cultural ideas into a
wider (global/indigenous) framework, and enhance
their understanding of the complex
interdependence of nations and societies and their
physical environments;
One of the course’s topics is the reception
of Hinduism in the West. This allows us to
address how Westerners interpret
Hinduism and how Hindus wish to be
understood. The course also looks at how
Western studies of Hinduism have been
received by Hindus in India and the
diaspora.
demonstrate an awareness of the diverse ways
humans structure their social, political, and cultural
lives; and
The academic study of any religion involves an
in-depth examination of how humans structure
their lives. This is one of the main areas that
religions address.
analyze and compare the rights and responsibilities
of citizenship in the 21st century including those of
their own societies and cultures.
We treat contemporary Hindu moral
issues, and this treatment involves such
issues as right s and responsibilities.
VII. Justification: Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry
at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than one
pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered above the 200
level), provide rationale for exception(s).
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
RLST 234-01A/SSEA 234 01B
Hinduism
Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:10 AM-12:30 PM
Liberal Arts 335
Bradley Clough
Office: LA 158
Office Phone: (406)-243-2827
bradley.clough@mso.umt.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00-6:00
The purpose of this course is to provide an historical overview of the many different indigenous
religious movements in India that we now call “Hinduism.” Through the reading of
mythological, philosophical, ethical, meditative, and devotional primary texts, as well as
historical and anthropological studies, we will show how Hindu traditions were constructed
through a set of ongoing tensions: Between ascetic/contemplative and sacrificer/priest, villager
and city-dweller, low caste and high caste, poet and philosopher, colonized and colonizer, and
“secular” citizen and “religious” citizen. In tracing these tensions and the developments they
brought about throughout Indian history, we will: 1) examine the roots of Indian tradition; 2)
master the basic vocabulary of Indian thought; 3) use that terminology to study developments
in Hindu doctrine and popular practice; and 4) examine the religio-political significance of
contemporary beliefs and rituals.
Required Readings (all are available for purchase at the campus bookstore):
Eck, Diana. Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India
Embree, Ainslie, editor. The Hindu Tradition: Readings in Oriental Thought
Klostermaier, Klaus. A Survey of Hinduism (3rd Edition)
Levi, Louise Landes, translator. Sweet on My Lips: The Love Poems of Mirabai
Miller, Barbara Stoler, translator. The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna’s Counsel in Time of War
Miller, Barbara Stoler, translator. Yoga, Discipline of Freedom: The Yoga Sutra Attributed to
Patanjali
Narayan, R.K. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic
Grading
1. Class Preparation and Participation: completion of and reflection upon the reading
assignment for the day, as well as consistent attendance and oral participation in regular
discussions. No more than two absences will be accepted without written
authorization from the Health Service or an advisor, counselor, or administrator Any
unexcused absences beyond two will begin to negatively affect one’s grade. Conversely,
consistent preparation, attendance, and participation will positively affect one’s grade
(20% of the final grade).
2. One 10-12 page research paper. I will be handing out a list of suggested topics, but
ultimately the choice of topic is yours (20% of the final grade).
3. Mid-Term and Final Exams (each is worth 30% of the final grade, making the two equal
60% total).
Class Meetings and Assignments
I. Roots of Hindu Tradition: Indus Valley Civilization & Vedic Religious Traditions
(“Brahmanism”)
Tues. 8/28
Introduction to the Course
Documentary: “Hinduism: 330 Million Gods”
Thurs. 8/30
The Indus Valley Civilization
Klostermaier: pp. 17-29
Tues. 9/4
The Worldview and Ritual of the Vedas
Klostermaier: pp. 45-50; 56-58; 86-90; 101-108; and 122-133.
Embree: pp. 3-47
Thurs. 9/6
Vedic Innovation: The Upanishads
Klostermaier: pp. 156-180
Embree: pp. 48-65
Tues. 9/11
II. Challenges to Brahmanism: The Shramanic Traditions
The Rise of Buddhism and Jainism
Handout: Thomas Hopkins: “Challenges and Changes” (from Hindu Religious
Traditions)
Handout: Selections from Buddhist and Jain Scriptures (from Sources of Indian
Tradition, Volume I)
I
II. Smriti Literature: Formative Hindu Responses to Shramanic Traditions
Thurs. 9/13 Class/Caste Duty and Life’s Stages: The Treatises on Dharma, Part I
Klostermaier: pp. 30-36; 50-52; Chapter 20; 298-302; 308-310
Embree: 69-96
Tues. 9/18
The Role of Caste in Hindu Society
Handouts: Donald Johnson, “What is Caste?” and “Ler Every Caste Be
Touchable”; Arvind Sharma, “Seven Prevalent Misconceptions About India’s
Caste System”; and “Jati and Village,” from Alan Beals, Gopalpur: A South
Indian Village
Thurs. 9/20
The Aims of Life and Householder’s Dharma: The Treatises on Dharma, Part II
Handout: pp. 203-212; 254-264; 234-244; and 213-231 from Sources of Indian
Tradition, Vol. I
Handout: pp. 226-229 from Sources of Indian Tradition, Vol. I
Handout: Susan S. Wadley, “One Straw from a Broom Cannot Sweep: The
Ideology & Practice of the Joint Family in Rural North India”
Handout: John Lancaster, “Women on the Rise in India Feel the Riptide of
Tradition”
Klostermaier: 320-324
Tues. 9/25
The Three “Yogas” and the Rise of Devotionalism: The Bhagavad-Gita
Klostermaier: Chapter 5
Bhagavad-Gita: Chapters 1-11
Thurs. 9/27
The Bhagavad-Gita (continued)
Bhagavad-Gita: Chapters 12-18.
IV. “Classical” Hinduism: Epic (Itihasa), Myth (Purana), Philosophy (Darshana),
Meditation (Yoga) & Esoteric Practice (Tantra)
Tues. 10/2
The Epics
Klostermaier: pp. 59-60; 66-70
Embree: 136-138
Ramayana: Both Introductions, Prologue, and Chapters 1-5
Thurs. 10/4
Epic (continued)
Ramayana: Chapters 6-14 and Epilogue
Tues. 10/9
**Mid-Term Exam**
Thurs 10/11
Major Trends in Indian Philosophy: Overview and the Nyaya & Vaisheskika
Schools
Klostermaier: Chapters 23 and 24
Embree: 180-186
Tues. 10/16
Major Trends in Hindu Philosophy: The Mimamsa and Vedanta Schools
Klostermaier: Chapter 26
Embree: 186-189; and 197-207
Thurs. 10/18 Hindu Philosophy Applied to Hindu Meditation: The Samkhya and Yoga
Schools
Klostermaier, Chapter 24
Embree: 189-194
Yoga Sutra: Introduction and Part I
**Research Paper Proposal and Bibliography Due**
Tues. 10/23
Hindu Meditation (continued)
Yoga Sutra: Parts II & III
Thurs. 10/25 Hindu Tantra
Handout: Georg Feuerstein, “The Esotericism of Medieval Tantra-Yoga”
Handout: selections from Tantric literature: pp. 131-138 from Textual Sources
for the Study of Hinduism
pp. 204-207 from Indian Religions: A Historical Reader of Spiritual Expression
& Experience
V. Popular Hinduism: Devotional Theism (Bhakti)
Tues. 10/30
The Rise of Devotional Theism (Bhakti): The Myths of the Puranas and the
“The One Lord and the Many Gods”
Embree 153-156; and 227-231
Klostermaier: 70-73; and Chapter 14
Thurs. 11/1
Popular Hinduism: Devotional Theism (Bhakti): Ways of Worship (puja)
Klostermaier: pp. 108-117
Eck: Preface to the Second Edition, and pp. 3-44.
Tues. 11/6
No Classes: Election Day
Thurs. 11/8
Ways of Devotional Worship (puja) (continued)
Eck: pp. 44-75
Tues. 11/13
Major Gods I: Vishnu and His Incarnations (avataras)
Klostermaier: Chapter 15
Handout: selection of Puranic myths on Vishnu
Embree: 246-260
Thurs. 11/15
Devotion to Vishnu as Krishna: The Life and Songs of Mirabai, Female PoetSaint
Klostermaier: 317-319
Handout on the life of Mirabai
Levi: pp. 7-11; 18-41
Tues. 11/20
No class: Instructor away at a conference.
Thurs. 11/22 No class: Thanksgiving Holiday.
Tues. 11/27
Major Gods II: Shiva
Klostermaier: Chapter 16
Handout: selections of Puranic myths on Shiva
Embree: 232-245
Thurs. 11/29 Major Gods III: The Goddess (Devi or Shakti)
Klostermaier: Chapter 17; pp. 314-317; and 319-320
Handout: selections of Puranic myths on and devotional poems to the Goddess
**Monday 12/3: Research Papers Due**
Tues. 12/4
Documentary Presentations on bhakti
VI. Major Movements and Figures in Modern Hinduism
Tues. 5/3
Hindu Revival & Reform in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Klostermaier: Chapters 30-32
Embree: 299-322; and 325-348
**Final Exam: TBA**
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.
General education instructors will be expected to provide sample assessment items and
corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.