RELGST 1575 - LAW AND MEDICINE IN ASIAN RELIGIONS

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course introduces the intersections between law, religion, and medicine in East Asia. It will start with a theoretical orientation on the interaction between law and religion. In order to engage in these discussions in a global context, we will examine the manifestation of legal orientalism in China, Buddhist jurisdiction in Sri Lanka and Burma, religious governance in Tibet, as well as clerical immunity and sanctuary in medieval Europe. Next, students will learn to analyze cases illustrating the roles law has played in regulating religious and medical practices in East Asia. The cases we will examine span a long historical period ranging from the medieval to modern and the contemporary. For medicine and medical practices, the topics we will cover range from acupuncture, the use of wild animal in traditional medicine, the commercialization and regulation of caterpillar fungus, and the social, economic, and religious implications of the circulation of generic drug. To understand how law has shaped religious practices in East Asia, we will examine the infrastructure of legal practices and their applications in dealing with religious offenders. In particular, we will discuss underground jurisdiction, the history of forensic practices, criminal procedures, capital punishment, as well as prosecution of religious practitioners in the imperial and contemporary times. By the end of this course, students are expected to become competent in critically analyzing complex issues on law, medicine, and religion in East Asia for a more balanced understanding of these issues in the global context for personal and professional growth.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SU3 Elective Basis
Course Attributes: DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

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