lucia's current classes

Spring 2005. PARW 7538. 3 units

Women's Spirituality at CIIS. "She is everywhere! Dark mother rising! "

A weekend intensive course co-taught by Dr. Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum and Dr. Luisah Teish. The course is based on the anthology She is Everywhere. Anthology in writing in Womanist/Feminist spirituality gathered by Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum (iUniverse, spring 2005) and the anthology in progress in the darkmother series being gathered by Luisah Teish, Dark Mother Rising! Many of the contributors to this series are guest lecturers in this course.

Fall 2005. PARW. 7390. 3 units

Women's Spirituality at CIIS, "Heresies, Folklore, and Other Submerged Beliefs, nonviolent and revolutionary."

Exploring the relationship of subaltern to dominant cultures, students study writings of Antonio Gramsci, major major theorist of the 20th century, who stressed the significance of bringing to consciousness submerged or heretical beliefs, a cultural revolution that precedes and/or accompanies authentic nonviolent political revolution. Among heretical beliefs to be studied: (1) African origins of world civilization, studying african and other scientists. (2) Matriarchal - - in the sense "woman in the beginning" and other womanist/feminist beliefs. (3) Peasant beliefs (Carlo Ginzburg), notably the Cathar heresy. Comparison of (4) Karl Marx and (5) the Gift Economy (Genevieve Vaughan).