Time Schedule:
Terry J Ellingson
RELIG 590
Seattle Campus
Offered occasionally by visitors or resident faculty. Course content varies.
Class description
Spirit Possession in Asia and Africa
Spring 2009
The class will examine readings in the theory and practice of spirit possession and consciousness-transformation together with audiovisual documentation of cases from Inner/North Asian Shamanism, Tibetan and Newar Tantric Buddhism, Tumbuka Nchimi healers, Asante Abosom priests and priestesses, Songhay Hauka colonial power spirit hosts, Ewe Brekete Tro spirit wives, and others. Students will write research papers related to possession and transformation in areas of their choice, from the perspective of their own disciplinary and research interests. Students taking this class typically come from majors in anthropology, religion, comparative history of ideas, area studies, ethnomusicology, and a wide range of fields in the humanities and social sciences.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
