New Lectures in History (300-0-22)

Topic

Jewish Environmental History

Instructors

David Shyovitz
847/467-1967
Harris Hall - Room 314

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L06: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

Topic: Jewish Environmental History

From biblical times until the present day, Jewish and non-Jewish theologians, worshipers, politicians, dissidents, scientists, and ethicists have vigorously debated the relationship between the Jewish tradition and the natural world. Indeed, they have frequently used Jewish texts as means of interrogating just what "nature" consists of in the first place. This course will undertake a thematic exploration of how Jews have thought about and interacted with the environment, the animal kingdom, shifts in climate, and the miraculous or "unnatural" elements of the Jewish tradition that might seem incompatible with the regular "laws of nature." We will pay particular attention to the interreligious settings in which Jewish texts and ideas were produced, and to the concrete political ends for which religious beliefs and scientific knowledge were often deployed. The course will begin by exploring the Hebrew Bible and its reception, and will proceed roughly chronologically, concluding in the modern era. As we shall see, an understanding of this long term history is vital for making sense of contemporary debates and innovations in Jewish religiosty, environmental activism, and various political movements in the United States and the State of Israel.

Learning Objectives

Consider what an environmental-focused approach to history reveals about the Jewish past, and vice versa

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): Americas, European, Asia/Middle East
History Minor Concentration(s): Europe, United States, Middle East, Environment

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is restricted to History Majors and Minors only until the end of pre-registration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites (if any)