INST 3028 - Art, Religion, and Liberation

Hours: 3
What does it mean to be free? What role has art played in justifying the oppression of and cultivating a sense of freedom in people? How has religion been used to liberate or subjugate individuals and societies? And how do these processes intersect? In order to explore these questions, in this class we will examine three pivotal movements for liberation and against racism in the United States-the anti-slavery movement, the Black Power Movement, and contemporary movements to abolish prisons and policing-using the disciplines of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Art and Art History. For each of these movements, we look at the specific and intersecting roles of both religion and art, including paintings, statues, textiles, literature, music, film, in allowing people to imagine alternative futures. We will think through the ways in which Black political theology and Africana philosophy and art/craft have been frameworks through which people have conceptualized and put into practice radical changes to the structure of society.
Prerequisites: Jr standing or above, and a minimum of one course from at least four of the following INST threads: 2000, 2200, 2400, 2600, and 2800. Not open to students with credit for any INST 3000-level course.

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INST 3028 - Art, Religion, and Liberation