Transoceanic Entanglements: Afro-Asian Religious Encounters

Instructor:

Dr. Girim Jung ( gjung@iliff.edu )

Communication Preferences:

Please contact the instructor via email. The Canvas messaging function is a less helpful way to reach your instructors, and I may be slower to respond to those messages, but I will eventually see them. If you start with my Iliff email, I am happy to set up a phone call or Zoom conversation or other means of connection if that is preferable.

Course Synopsis:

This course will examine entanglements between the Black Atlantic and the Asian Pacific particularly in the United States. Specifically, it centers Black Atlantic encounters, adaptation, and practice of Asian Pacific religious, philosophical, political, and cultural traditions. Adopting comparative methods from philosophical and cultural studies lenses, this course examines topics such as the political history of Afro-Asian discourse, Afro-Orientalism, and contemporary Black/Womanist scholarship on Asian religions (particularly Buddhism). The first part of the course examines the historical and socioeconomic backdrop of Black Atlantic and Asian Pacific encounters. The second half examines Black adaptations of Asian religiocultural resources, particularly Buddhism.

Intro Video:

Course Mechanics Video:

Helpful Links:

Required Purchases

Please purchase (or borrow from the library) the following:

• Manuel, Zenju Earthlyn. The Way of Tenderness: Awakening Through Race, Sexuality, and Gender. (Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2015).
• Williams, Angel Kyodo. Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace. (New York Penguin Books, 2002).

Please Purchase One of the Three Novels Below:

• Butler, Octavia. Parable of the Sower.
• Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man.
• Walker, Alice. The Color Purple.

Other Readings

Excerpts from the following books/journals are available at the DU/Iliff library. Links to library database or PDFs will be provided.

Books

• Itagaki, Lynne Mie. Civil Racism: The 1992 Los Angeles Rebellion and the Crisis of Racial Burnout. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2016).
• Iwamura, Jane Naomi. Virtual Orientalism: Asian Religions and American Popular Culture. (New York, Oxford UP, 2011).
• Park, Andrew Sung. Racial Conflict and Healing: An Asian American Theological Perspective (Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2009).
• Yetunde, Pamela Ayo. Object Relations, Buddhism, and Relationality in Womanist Practical Theology. (New York: Palgrave Pivot, 20018).

Articles & Chapters

• Anderson, Crystal S. “Afro-Asian Cultural Production and the Rise of Global Culture.” In Beyond the Chinese Connection: Contemporary Afro-Asian Cultural Production. (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2013): 11-39.
• Chon-Smith, Chong. “The Asian American Writing Movement and Blackness: Race and Gender Politics in Asian American Anthologies.” In East Meets Black: Asian and Black Masculinities in the Post-Civil Rights Era. (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2015): 35-54.
• Crawford, Margo Natalie. 2007. “‘Perhaps Buddha is a woman’: Women’s Poetry in the Harlem Renaissance.” The Cambridge Companion to the Harlem Renaissance, edited by G.Hutchinson, 126–40. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CCOL052185699X.010.
• Day, Keri. “Freedom on My Mind: Buddhist-Womanist Dialogue,” Buddhist-Christian Studies, Vol. 36 (2016): 9 -15.
• Deslippe, Philip. “The Hindu in Hoodoo: fake Yogis, pseudo-Swamis, and the manufacture of African American folk magic,” Ameriasia Journal 40, no.1 (2014): 34-56. https://doi.org/10.17953/amer.40.1.a21442914234450w
• Frazier, Robeson Taj. “Introduction: March of the Volunteers.” In The East is Black: Cold War China in the Black Radical Imagination (Durham: Duke University Press, 2015): 1-21.
• Horne, Gerald. “Harlem, Addis Ababa—and Tokyo.” In Facing the Rising Sun: African Americans, Japan, and the Rise of Afro-Asian Solidarity. (New York: NYU Press, 2018): 41-56.
• Harris, Melanie. “Buddhist Meditation for the Recovery of the Womanist Self, or Sitting on the Mat Self-Love Realized,” Buddhist-Christian Studies, (2012): 67-72.
• Johnson, Ikea M. “Buddhist Recognition in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man,” Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics 42, no. 2 2019: 85-97.
• Johnson, Ikea M. “On Compassion and the Sublime Black Body: Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower” Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics 43, no. 2 2020: 94-103.
• Johnson, Ikea M. “Revisiting Recognition: Buddhist Philosophy in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.” Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics 43, no. 1 2020: 101-115.
• Manuel, Zenju Earthlyn. 2015. “What Does Buddhism Have to do with Black People?” Zenju Earthlyn Manuel: Exploring the Nature of Embodiment in a Boundless Life, June 6.
• McNicholl, Adeana. “Being Buddha, Staying Woke: Racial Formation in Black Buddhist Writing.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 86, Issue 4, December 2018, Pages 883–911, https://doi.org/10.1093/jaarel/lfy019.
• Mullen, Bill V. ““Philosophy Must Be Proletarian”: The Dialectical Humanism of Grace Lee and James Boggs.” in Afro-Orientalism. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2004).
• Onishi, Yuichiro. “W.E.B. Du Bois’s Afro-Asian Philosophy of World History.” In Transpacific Antiracism: Afro-Asian Solidarity in 20th-Century Black America, Japan, and Okinawa. (New York: NYU Press, 2013): 54-94.
• Prashad, Vijay. “Coolie Purana.” in Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting: Afro-Asian Connections and the Myth of Cultural Purity. (Boston: Beacon Press, 2007): 70-96.
• Selzer, Linda Furgerson. “Black American Buddhism: History and Representation.” In Writing as Enlightenment: Buddhist American Literature into the Twenty-First Century, edited by John Whalen-Bridge and Gary Storhoff. (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2011), 37–70.
• Shilliam, Robbie. “Black Power and Mana Motuhake.” In The Black Pacific: Anti-Colonial Struggles and Oceanic Connections. (London: Bloomsbury, 2015), 35-50.
• Thomas, Linda E. "Womanist Approaches to the Therigatha and the Therigatha's Influence on Womanism," Buddhist-Christian Studies 36 (2016):29-42.
• Watkins, Rychetta. “Translating Fanon: Black and Yellow Power as American Anticolonialisms.” In Black Power, Yellow Power, and the Making of Revolutionary Identities. (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2013), 21-42.

Course Overview

Weekly Rhythm

Sunday, 11:59pm (Mountain): classroom discussion leader videos due.

Monday: professor posts video lecture for week, discussion leader videos, and discussion questions.

Wednesday, 11:59pm (Mountain): threaded scholarly discussion initial post due.

Friday, 11:59pm (Mountain): threaded scholarly discussion response post due.

Course Objectives

At the completion of class, students will be able to:

• Discuss and apply knowledge of the history of Black Atlantic and Asian Pacific discourse.
• Apply comparative methodology to analyze the similarities and differences in the formation, development, and transmission of Buddhism in America by African Americans and Asian Americans.
• Relate the political and socioeconomic history and narratives of Afro-Asian encounter in the mutual shaping of religious, political, and socioeconomic practices.
• Assess the liberative dimensions of Afro-Asian religious and political discourse and the future of Afro-Asian solidarity in the 21^st Century.

Syllabus Quiz and Introduction Assignment (5%)

Students will take a syllabus quiz between the first and second weeks of the course that evaluates the student’s understanding of the course requirements.

Students will also be expected to complete a biographical introduction assignment to acquaint the instructor and classmate’s about their background, interest and prior knowledge of the subject area, and how the course relates to their vocational/academic aspirations.

Each component will be 2.5% of the final grade.

Threaded Scholarly Discussion (20%):

Students will engage weekly in a threaded scholarly discussion on Canvas. The assignment consists of two parts.

The first part requires the students to write a 300-500 word reflection on the week’s readings using the guiding questions provided on the forum. Guiding questions will be provided by both each week's presenters and the professor.

Students are required to (1) quote one passage from the reading, (2) pose one question, (3) and post directly into the forums (no attachments).

The second part requires students to read through the initial posts of their classmates and write one substantive 100-200 word response to any classmate’s post of their choosing. Examples of valid responses include (1) responding the question the classmate raised, (2) discuss whether you agree with their assessment of the topic, and (3) explain how your classmate’s post allowed you to view the topic or reading in a different way. Please make sure to type "Response" in bold for the response post you'd like me to grade.

Class Discussion Leadership (10%):

This assignment has been modified to fit the virtual format of the class.

Each student will lead class discussion on the assigned reading during the semester. Discussion leaders will prepare a brief (5-10 minute) video where you introduce the text that you signed up to lead discussion on.

Each video discussion should:

• Focus on one aspect of the text that was personally or intellectually compelling and present around the focus
• Offer a helpful overview of key points in the reading
• Pose several questions to the class to facilitate discussion.

Please upload these by Sunday evenings (11:59pm Mountain Time) through the assignments submission page.

Participation (15%):

Students are expected to keep up with weekly readings and participate in our weekly discussions and biweekly Zoom check-ins. Participation grade will be assigned based on:

1. Active engagement in the weekly discussions. (10%)
2. Participation during our biweekly Zoom check-ins. (5%)

Abstract and Final Project (50%):

Students are given the option to either write a traditional term paper or a creative project to fulfill this requirement. Either option requires that the project address an issue or concept that emerges in the intersection of Black Atlantic and Asian Pacific religious cultures. A rubric will be provided for either option to help students understand the requirements and evaluation criteria. 

Please see guidelines on how each option is understood below for both:

Term Paper:

Abstract: Each student will write an abstract on their paper topic of 300 words or less by week 6 of the course and post it on the Canvas forums. Students will read the abstracts and offer comments, questions, or suggestions. The instructor will also review the abstracts and indicate whether the paper topic is approved or requires further refinement for approval.

Term Paper: Masters students will write one term paper at ten to fifteen (10-15) pages that will an issue or concept that emerges in the intersection of Black Atlantic and Asian Pacific religious cultures, or which represents the unique departure of a particular thinker. Papers should include a grasp of issues and ideas being discussed, engagement of notable thinkers on the subject matter in question and a clear articulation of a well-supported point of view. Papers should be typed, double spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman typeface, 1” (one-inch) margins using Chicago/Turabian bibliographic format, with footnotes in 10-point font; page number on bottom left hand corner; no cover sheet.

JDP students are asked to write 30% longer (14-20 pages) term papers. Ideally the term paper would be on the level of a strong first draft for a conference paper or journal article.

Creative Project:

Creative projects use alternative mediums to the academic paper to examine the various topics and themes explored in this course. Each creative project will be accompanied by a brief 5 page essay that analyzes/interprets the project to demonstrate understanding of Black Atlantic and Asian Pacific religious cultures.

Examples of creative projects include (but are not limited to):

• A religious education unit and lessons for congregational use.
• A creative writing piece (poem, short story etc.) with accompanying analysis/interpretation.
• A podcast or vlog episode examining and analyzing Black Atlantic and Asian Pacific religious cultures.
• A musical or visual art piece with accompanying analysis/interpretation.

Additional examples for doctoral students (pending approval of proposal):

• Literature review on the research area of this course that may serve either as preparation for a relevant qualifying examination or preparation of dissertation proposal.
• An annotated syllabus for an undergraduate/graduate level course in Black Atlantic and Asian Pacific religious cultures. Syllabi should include description of instructional context, student learning objectives, assignments, evaluation process, and an annotated description of each text chosen. Student should also attach (1) a précis indicating why the particular approach was taken and (2) the text for the lecture/ activity for the first class session.

Project Proposals of less than 300 words are due on Week 6 and posted for peer feedback on our Discussion Forums. The Final Project is due on the same date as the term paper.

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (Links to an external site.) (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (Links to an external site.) (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook (Links to an external site.) for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructors by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook (Links to an external site.), or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook (Links to an external site.), as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant (Links to an external site.).

Core Values: As a community, Iliff strives to live by this set of Core Values (Links to an external site.).

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab (Links to an external site.), which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. Inclusive language refers to language that refers to God and humanity in terms that are not solely male, language that deals with color in ways that does not foster racism (i.e. equating “black” with “evil”, “white” with “purity or goodness”), and sensory language (“paralyzed,” “deaf,” “blind”) in ways that does not equate persons with disabilities and evil.

Instructions:

Please prepare a brief (5-10 minute) video where you introduce the text that you signed up to lead discussion on.

Each video discussion should:

• Focus on one aspect of the text that was personally or intellectually compelling and present around the focus
• Offer a helpful overview of key points in the reading
• Pose several questions to the class to facilitate discussion.

Please upload these by Sunday evenings (11:59pm Mountain Time) on Studio so that I can post it on the week's discussion forum for the class to engage.

• Ex. if you signed up to present on Week 2's readings, the video should be posted by Sunday, March 28th at 11:59pm Mountain Time.