SPAN 3790

The Seven Deadly Sins

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2015-2016.

What place does sin have in contemporary culture, from ethics to aesthetics?  How do we consider sin, as a condition, an act, a choice?  How does a particular community-religious, literary, ethnic-consider and use sin, for itself and against others?  What are the limits that sin establishes between different notions of the divine, of the self, and of the other?  How is sin used in literature or art to emphasize or condition behavior and interpretation?  As a brief historical and philosophical exploration of the concept of sin, we will trace the development of the list of seven deadly sins from Evagrius and Cassian to Gregory.  We will then explore each of the sins in a global Hispanic context through works of art and literature, with emphasis in medieval and early modern works, but with a final section on contemporary expressions.

When Offered Fall.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisites: SPAN 2140, SPAN 2150, SPAN 2170, or CASE Q++, or permission of instructor.

Breadth Requirement (HB)
Distribution Category (LA-AS)
Language Requirement Satisfies Option 1.

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