Tantric Visions of Sex, Death, and Madness

Using the esoteric realms of Tantric religion in India as our framework, we will explore how unconventional and secretive rituals shape religious experience and identity, and how our understandings of religious life may be challenged by such categories as madness, mysticism, and the supernatural. Readings will focus on Hindu hagiography, Tantric ritual texts, Buddhist narratives, and a range of secondary literature addressing gender, power, sex, and the subaltern. We will also learn how nontraditional religious practices allow for a diversity of meaningful religious expression, thereby fostering in us an enriched vision of religiosity while inviting us to examine the role of esotericism in our own lives. 3 hrs. lect./disc.