Global Arc

Aging is a fascinating biological phenomenon because it seems inevitable, yet recent research suggests that longevity can be manipulated through genetics and environment. Moreover, aging is the major risk factor for a host of chronic and neurological diseases; thus, understanding the molecular regulation of aging will be critical in addressing these health issues in the future. We will explore the current state of the field, including genetic discoveries of longevity mutants, cell biological and metabolic characterization of aging animals, and genomic and computational analyses used to uncover molecular mechanisms that control longevity.

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary study of religion and its engagement with society and culture. We will identify where and how religion operates in the public conversation, especially in, but not limited to, the United States. Classes will be focused around topics that intersect with religion in the public conversation such as place, media, race, body, art, and ethics. Students will develop recognition of the different ways people use religion to construct meaning, boundaries, and identity and will demonstrate the ability to engage in informed dialogue around issues of religion.

When the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. took inspiration from Gandhi's Hindu doctrine of [ahimsa], he was drawing upon many centuries of "East-West" dialogue. Gandhi himself owed the idea in large part to Tolstoy, who for his part had found his Christian beliefs reshaped through studying Asian religions. This course traces an intellectual history of the modern doctrine of nonviolence, emphasizing its emergence through transnational, multi-religious dialogue. Topics include nonviolence in Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism; Hume and Spinoza; Max Müller; Theosophy and South Asian religious reformers; Transcendentalism; Tolstoy, Gandhi, and King.

This course surveys the development of Buddhism from its beginnings in India through some of its later forms in East Asia, Tibet, and the West. Attention will be given to continuity and diversity within Buddhism, its modes of self-definition as a religious tradition, the interplay of its practical and trans-worldly concerns, and its transformations in specific historical and cultural settings. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

Throughout Chinese history, how have people navigated the spirit world, cultivated supernatural abilities, sought to stabilize (or destabilize) worldly power, and approached the mysteries of death? We'll use a wide array of media, from oracle bones to TikToks, to explore the extreme diversity of Chinese religious cultures, spanning ancient ancestral cults, Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist traditions, Islam and Christianity, and new religious movements. We conclude by considering the future of religion in China. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

This course is a survey of the Buddhist traditions of Tibet, focusing on the doctrines and practices associated with the main schools of tantric ritual and meditation. Topics covered will include: the origins of the distinct forms of Buddhism in Tibet; Buddhist responses to historical challenges; the special relationship between politics and religion in Tibet; the role of Tibetan Buddhist scholars and scholasticism; Tibet through the lenses of the Chinese and the West; and Tibetan Buddhist art. Two 90-minute classes

What does religion mean for a culture in which the majority of people identify as nonbelievers but still regularly engage in seemingly religious acts? By looking at Japanese religions within their cultural contexts, we will question the supposed binary between religious and secular spheres. The course examines Buddhist, Shinto, and Christian traditions, as well as topics such as myth and politics; indigeneity and identity; and secularism and law from ancient to modern times. We also consider groups that have historically been marginalized, such as Ainu, Ryukyuan, and immigrant communities in Japan. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

How do we know what the Buddha said? What brings the Buddha's words to life, 2500 years after his nirvana? Through close readings of four great works of Buddhist literature, we'll critically consider "the Buddha's word," its powers, how it came to be written down, and the rich worlds of ritual, artistry, and debate that it's embedded in. We want to figure out how media such as books, storytelling, and performance influence how we experience the Buddha's message. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

This course introduces the Hebrew Bible, a complex anthology written by many people over nearly a thousand years. In this class, we will ask questions about the Hebrew Bible's historical context and ancient meaning, as well as its literary profile and early reception. Who wrote the Bible? When and how was it written? What sources did its authors draw on to write these stories? And to what circumstances were they responding? Students will develop the skills to critically analyze written sources, and to understand, contextualize, and critique the assumptions inherent in modern treatments of the Bible. Two lectures, one preceptorial

This course offers students philosophical and historical foundations for participating in contemporary debates about higher education. The first half of the course surveys the history of thought about learning, education, and scholarship as well as the emergence of academic institutions in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States; the second half examines a series of contemporary issues and debates in and on higher education. Throughout the course, we will pay special attention to Princeton's past, present, and future.