Taught in English
Religion and Culture: The Sikh Experience
Not currently running · last taught Fall 2023
This course explores the conceptual foundations of both religion and culture. Do religions emerge out of culture, or, do they influence and shape cultural conventions? The course will begin with an analysis of the universalism associated with the conceptual formations of both religion and culture. After developing a perspective on the conceptual formations, the course will largely elaborate upon the Sikh experience with both religion and culture before and after the advent of modernity in Punjab.
This course explores the conceptual foundations of both religion and culture. Do religions emerge out of cultures, or, do they influence and shape cultural conventions? The course will begin with an analysis of the universalism associated with the conceptual formations of both religion and culture. After developing a perspective on the conceptual formations, the course will largely elaborate upon the Sikh experience with both religion and culture before and after the advent of modernity in Punjab.
- Origin and development of religion and culture as conceptual formations
- Locating religion and culture outside their conceptual foundations in the West
- Mapping out the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh origins of Punjabi cultural conventions
- Colonialism, politics, and the emergence of the nationalist identities
- Secular narratives and ethnic foundations of identity
- Displacement, diaspora, and the desire to discover the roots
- Engaging with the lived experiences of religion and culture
From students of this course
“I got to learn a lot from this course. Like how religion shapes people's culture, influencing their thinking and choices, and got the opportunity to read the ideas of great scholars whom I had never read. This course also changed my view of seeing many things because I learned a lot about history and many things about which I was not clear became clearer. Overall, this course has changed a lot in thinking and life. At the end, i say Prof. Prabhsharandeep…”
“The course "Religion and Culture: The Sikh Experience" was an enlightening journey that deepened my understanding of the complex and multifaceted relationship between Punjabiyat and Sikhi.”
“It was a great journey being a student of Paaji Prabhsharandeep Singh in Culture and Religion course. He has highly intellectual knowledge about depth of Sikh history and world view. This course really helps me to understand what is going on today with Sikhs and what historical events have happened. During this course we have gone through with some theoretical analysis published in the context of Religion and Culture. These online courses provide…”