Spring 2022

MELC C188 107 - DIS 107

Magic, Religion, and Science: The Ancient and Medieval Worlds

Robert John Iafolla

Jan 18, 2022 - May 06, 2022

04:00 pm - 04:59 pm

Dwinelle 106

Class #:33843

Units: 4

Instruction Mode: In-Person Instruction

Offered through Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

Current Enrollment

Total Open Seats: 2

Enrolled: 6

Waitlisted: 0

Capacity: 8

Waitlist Max: 10

No Reserved Seats

Also offered as: HISTORY C188C, MELC C188

Hours & Workload

0 to 1 hours of the exchange of opinions or questions on course material per week, 3 hours of instructor presentation of course materials per week, and 9 to 8 hours of outside work hours per week.

Other classes by Robert John Iafolla

This course will explore magic as an experimental science within the learned traditions of civilizations that we consider as fundamental for a modern Western identity: from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome to the medieval and early modern Middle East, Byzantium, and Europe. The primary sources used for this exploration will be texts on demons, magic, divination, and the sophisticated philosophical background to such beliefs. In addition, archeological remains pertinent to these practices such as talismans, amulets, and other magical objects will be discussed.