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Religion and Genocide (WREL 375x) Instructor: Dr. Richard L. Rubenstein Office: 510 Wahlstrom Library e-mail address: rlr@bridgeport.edu Web page: http://www.bridgeport.edu/~rlr Class hours: Wednesday evenings, Office hours: By appointment only The purpose of this course is to explore the connection between religion
and genocide primarily through a study of the destruction of European
Jews during World War II and contemporary reflections on the problem
of genocide in the post-World War II era. Required readings: 1. Richard L. Rubenstein and John K. Roth, Approaches to Auschwitz,
revised edition (Westminster/John Knox: 2003). Please note that there
is an earlier edition of this book published in 1987 that is unsuitable
for the class. In the ensuing 16 years, there has been much new scholarship
in the field that is included in the new edition. 2. Carol Rittner, John K. Roth and James M. Smith, Will Genocide
Ever End? (Paragon House: 2003) In addition, essays on the Armenian genocide, the Balkan wars of 1993,
and the Class schedule and Syllabus September 3: Approaches, pp. 1-22, Prologue: What is the Holocaust? Holocaust Origins September 10: Approaches, pp. 25-48, The Jew as Outsider: The
Greco-Roman and Early Christian Worlds September 17: Approaches, pp. 49-70, The Triumph of Christianity
and the Teaching of Contempt September 24: Approaches, pp. 71-96, The Irony of Emancipation:
France and the Dreyfus Affair October 1: Approaches, pp. 97-118, Toward Total Domination The Nazis in Power October 8: Approaches, pp. 121-142, Rational Anti-Semitism October 15: Lecture: October 22: Approaches, pp. 185-213, More Important than winning
the war: Priority over All Other Matters. Responses to the Holocaust October 29: Approaches, pp. 217-248, Victims and Survivors November 5: Approaches, pp. 249-290, Their Brothers Keepers?
Christians, Churches, and Jews November 12: Approaches, pp. 327-354, God and History: Philosophical
and Religious Responses to the Holocaust November 19: (a) The Armenian Genocide* (b) The Balkan wars and genocide
1992-1995.* November 26: No class, Thanksgiving holiday. December 3: (c) Rwanda 1994;* Will Genocide Ever End, pp. 1-109 December 10: Will Genocide Ever End, pp. 111-205 December 17: Final examination * |