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Territorial Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the

Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The

University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six

Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.

For more information about the purpose of territorial acknowledgements, please see the CAUT

Guide to Acknowledging Traditional Territory (PDF).

CGUC, University of Waterloo – Fall 2019 RS 327/CLAS 326/GSJ 327 – THE BODY, DRESS, AND RELIGION

Augustus of Prima Porta (1st century, Vatican Museum)

Class Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00-11:20 am

Location: CGUC 1300

Instructor: Dr. Alicia Batten

Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:30 - 4 pm and by appointment Office Location: CGUC 2116

Phone: 519-885-0220 x24246

Email: abatten@uwaterloo.ca (please allow up to 24 hours response time)

Course Description

From clothing to hairstyles to tattoos, dress can express beliefs, aspects of identity, and power.

This course examines dress in a variety of religions from ancient Greece to the modern era. The

course includes attention to the look and feel of dress on the body, conflicts that can arise over

dress and religion, as well as the role of dress in the formation and maintenance of religious

communities.

Learning Goals

1. To understand the significance of the body and dress for the study religion, with a focus

on “western” (Greek and Roman religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam) traditions in

antiquity, and during the medieval and contemporary periods.

2. To gain the ability to analyse why dress can be the centre of conflict both historically

and in the contemporary world.

3. To further develop research, writing and critical thinking skills.

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Prerequisite: At least level 2A

Course Requirements:

1. Attendance and Participation – 10%

Participation means that you attend all classes (exceptions made for illness and family

emergency but please let the instructor know), read the assigned readings for each class

and offer comments, questions, and listen to others while in class. It also includes

bringing a question about the reading to class each day (these can be factual or more

abstract). I will ask you to share these questions on a regular basis. More than one

unexcused absence results in a reduction of 1% to the final course grade per absence.

2. In-class writing – 10%

Throughout the semester, I will ask you to write responses to general questions about

the reading on a given day. This writing will be submitted and marked on a pass/fail

basis (you need to demonstrate that you did the reading). It assists in focusing the

discussion and students have less likelihood of falling behind in the reading. You cannot

make this up if you miss class and such writing will not be accepted through email.

Again, exceptions are only in the case of illness or family emergency.

3. Mid-term Test – October 8th - 20%

This will be an essay test. I will give you the questions ahead of time.

4. Annotated Bibliography and Paper Topic – due in class on October 24th - 15%

Students will submit a bibliography and paper topic in class (hard copy please) on

October 24th of no less than 10 sources (books, articles, chapters – please do not use

online sources unless it is a peer-reviewed, online journal). This bibliography will be in

Chicago format, and will contain two or three sentences beneath each source indicating

the value of the source for the paper. Please see me at any time to discuss your paper.

5. Paper – due in the Dropbox on November 26th by 5 pm - 25%

This paper should be 2000-2500 words long (including footnotes or endnotes) plus a

separate bibliography in Chicago format. Please provide a word count at the end of the

paper. I am glad to review outlines and drafts in person with students. Students will

briefly share the results (thesis and evidence) of their research in class on November

19th. These presentations are not marked, but failure to present would decrease the

overall course mark by 5%.

6. Final Take-Home Exam – 20%

This will consist of essay questions that I will distribute ahead of time. The final take-

home should be submitted in the LEARN Dropbox on December 16th by 4 pm.

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Late Assignment Policy:

Bibliographies and papers submitted late will lose 2% per day late. The final take-home will not

be accepted past 4 pm on December 16th.

Required Reading Materials:

1) A course reader (CW) is available in the bookstore.

2) Various other readings are posted on the LEARN page.

Schedule (readings are in the courseware reader [CW] except as noted)

Sept 4

Introduction to the course

Sept 10

Topic: Theorizing the body, dress, and religion

Reading: Umberto Eco, “Lumbar Thought” in Fashion Theory Reader, edited by Malcolm

Barnard, 315-317. Oxford: Routledge, 2007 (CW: 140-42); Joanne Entwistle, “Fashion and the

Fleshly Body: Dress as Embodied Practice,” Fashion Theory. A Journal of Dress, Body and Culture

4/3 (2000): 323-348 (CW: 154-78).

Sept 12

Topic: Clothing and Adornment in Antiquity

Reading: Alicia J. Batten, “Clothing and Adornment.” Biblical Theology Bulletin 40 (2010): 148-

159 (CW: 25-36). We will look at a variety of primary texts in class.

Sept 17

Topic: Greek and Roman Religious Contexts

Reading: Carly Daniel-Hughes, “Belief” in A Cultural History of Dress and Fashion in Antiquity,

edited by Mary Harlow, 71-85. London: Bloomsbury, 2017 (CW: 84-91).

Sept 19

Topic: Greek and Roman Religious Contexts: Hair

Reading: Mary Harlow and Lena Larsson Lovén, “Religion and Ritualized Belief” in A Cultural

History of Hair in Antiquity, edited by Mary Harlow, 15-30. London: Bloomsbury, 2019 (CW:

268-77).

Sept 24

Topic: Greek and Roman Contexts – Focus on the Mysteries of Andania

Reading: The Andanian Mysteries of Messenia (on LEARN); Laura Gawlinski , “`Fashioning’

Initiates: Dress at the Mysteries,” in Reading a Dynamic Canvas, edited by Cynthia S. Colburn

and Maura K. Heyn, 146-169. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2008 (CW: 244-55).

Sept 26

Topic: Greek and Roman Contexts - Tatooing and Branding

Reading: C.P. Jones, “Stigma: Tattooing and Branding in Graeco-Roman Antiquity,” Journal of

Roman Studies 77 (1987): 139-155 (CW: 311-27).

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Optional: Mark Gustafson, “The Tattoo in the Later Roman Empire and Beyond,” in Written on

the Body: The Tattoo in European and American History, edited by Jane Caplan, 17-31.

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000 (CW: 257-66).

October 1

Topic: Ancient Judaism

Reading: Dafna Schlezinger-Katsman, “Clothing” in The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Daily Life in

Roman Palestine, edited by Catherine Hezser, 362-381. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010

(CW: 418-37). Selections from the Qumran Scrolls and Josephus (on LEARN).

October 3

Topic: Ancient Judaism

Reading: Selections from the Mishnah (on LEARN); David Kraemer, “Adornment and Gender in

Rabbinic Judaism,” in Envisioning Judaism, Volume One, edited by Raʿanan S. Boustan, Klaus

Herrman, Reimund Leicht, Annette Yoshiko Reed, and Giuseppe Veltri, 217-234. Tübingen:

Mohr Siebeck, 2013 (CW: 341-50).

October 8 – Mid-term test

October 10

Topic: Ancient Christianity

Reading: Portions of the New Testament (on LEARN); Tertullian, On the Veiling of Virgins (on

LEARN); Carly Daniel-Hughes, “’Wear the Armour of Your Shame!’: Debating Veiling and the

Salvation of the Flesh in Tertullian of Carthage.” Studies in Religion/Sciences religieuses 39

(2010): 179-201 (CW: 59-81).

October 15, 17 – Fall Break

October 22

Topic: Cross-Dressing Christians in Late Antiquity

Reading: Maria Doerfler, “Coming Apart at the Seams: Cross-dressing, Masculinity, and the

Social Body in Late Antiquity,” in Dressing Judeans and Christians in Antiquity, edited by Kristi

Upson-Saia, Carly Daniel-Hughes, and Alicia J. Batten, 37-51. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2014 (CW:

131-38).

Optional: Chiara Tommasi, “Cross-Dressing as Discourse and Symbol in Late Antique Religion

and Literature,” in TransAntiquity. Cross-Dressing and Transgender Dynamics in the Ancient

World, edited by Domitilla Campanile, Filippo Carlà-Uhink, and Margherita Facella, 121-33.

London and New York: Routledge, 2017 (CW: 439-45).

October 24 – Annotated Bibliography and Topic due at the beginning of class.

Topic: Dress and Early Christian Ritual – Examples from Coptic Christianity

Reading: Stephen J. Davis, “Fashioning a Divine Body: Coptic Christology and Ritualized Dress.”

Harvard Theological Review 98 (2005): 335-362 (CW: 93-120).

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October 29

Topic: Medieval Europe

Reading: Andrea Denny-Brown, “Belief,” in A Cultural History of Dress and Fashion in the

Medieval Age, edited by Sarah-Grace Heller, 71-83. London: Bloomsbury, 2017 (CW: 122-29 –

please note that the notes to this chapter are in the LEARN contents).

Optional: Allison D. Fizzard, “Shoes, Boots, Leggings, and Cloaks: The Augustinian Canons and

Dress in Later Medieval England.” Journal of British Studies 46 (2007): 245-262 (CW: 204-21).

October 31

Topic: Female Transvestism in Medieval Europe

Reading: Valerie R. Hotchkiss, “Transvestism on Trial: The Case of Jeanne D’Arc,” in Clothes

Make the Man: Female Cross-Dressing in Medieval Europe, 49-68. New York and London:

Routledge, 2012 (CW: 279-93).

Nov 5

Topic: Islam – Overview (with more discussion of Judaism) and the Sufi Robe

Reading: Reading: Lynne Hume, “Fashioning Faith,” in The Religious Life of Dress, 50-76.

London: Bloomsbury, 2013 (CW: 296-309); Jamal J. Elias, “The Sufi Robe (Khirqa) as a Vehicle of

Spiritual Authority,” in Robes and Honor. The Medieval World of Investiture, edited by Stewart

Gordon, 275-89. New York: Palgrave, 2001 (CW: 145-52).

Nov 7

Topic: Veiling and Islam

Reading: Saher Amer, “Understanding Veiling in Islamic Sacred Texts,” in What is Veiling?, 21-

37. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2014 (CW: 1-9); Mohja Kahf, “From Her Royal

Body the Robe was Removed,” in The Veil, edited by Jennifer Heath, 27-43. Berkeley: University

of California Press, 2008 (CW: 330-38).

Optional: Beverly Chico, “Gender Headwear Traditions in Judaism and Islam.” Dress 27 (2000):

18-36 (CW: 38-56)

Nov 12

Topic: Contemporary issues

Reading: Choose one of the following articles (read all three if you can, but read at least one of

them carefully). 1) Daniel Miller, “Denim. The Modesty of Clothing and Immodesty of Religion,”

in Modest Fashion. Styling Bodies, Mediating Faith, edited by Reina Lewis, 121-36. London:

Tauris, 2013 (CW: 361-69); 2) Karen M. Morin, “Men’s Modesty, Religion, and the State: Spaces

of Collision.” Men and Masculinities 16 (2013): 307-28 (CW: 372-93); 3) Lynn S. Neal, “OMG:

Authenticity, Parody, and Evangelical Christian Fashion.” Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress,

Body, and Culture 21 (2017): 223-44 (CW: 395-416).

Nov 14

Topic: Adopting or Leaving Behind Religious Dress

Reading: Sally Campbell Galman, “Un/Covering: Female Religious Converts Learning the

Problems and Pragmatics of Physical Observance in the Secular World.” Anthropology and

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Education Quarterly 44 (2013): 423-441 (CW: 223-41); Susan O. Michelman, “Fashion and

Identity of Women Religious,” in Religion, Dress, and the Body, edited by Linda Arthur, 135-46.

Oxford: Berg, 1999 (CW: 352-58).

Nov 19

Students share preliminary research (thesis and main evidence).

Nov 21 – Guest lecture by Dr. Laura Morlock

Topic: Dress, Religion, and Human Rights in Canada

Reading: Laura Morlock, “Quebec’s Controversial Secularism Bill Creates and Reinforces

Division,” (this op-ed from the Waterloo Record is linked on LEARN). A. Brenda Anderson and F.

Volker Greifenhagen, “Covering Up on the Prairies: Perceptions of Muslim Identity,

Multiculturalism and Security in Canada,” in Islamic Fashion and Anti-Fashion, edited by Emma

Tarlo and Annalies Moors, 55-72. London: Bloomsbury, 2013 (CW: 12-22).

Nov 26 – No class (instructor away)

Hand in research papers in the LEARN Dropbox by 5 pm.

Nov 28 – Guest lecture by Dr. Marlene Epp

Topic: Contemporary Issues – Ontario Mennonites and Dress

Guest lecture by Dr. Marlene Epp

Reading: Marlene G. Epp, “Carrying the Banner of Nonconformity: Ontario Mennonite Women

and the Dress Question.” Conrad Grebel Review 8 (1990): 237-257 (in CW: 181-201)

Dec 3 – Extra time for student presentations (if needed)

Conclusion of the course, review

Final Take-Home Due in the LEARN Dropbox by 4pm on December 16th.

Additional Books on One Day Reserve at the Milton Good Library (3rd floor of Grebel)

Arthur, Linda B., ed., Religion, Dress, and the Body (1999)

Arthur, Linda B., ed., Undressing Religion. Commitment and Conversion from a Cross-Cultural

Perspective

(2000)

Caplan, Jane, ed., Written on the Body: The Tattoo in European and American History (2000)

Carroll, Maureen, ed., Dressing the Dead in Classical Antiquity (2012)

Cleland, Liza, Glenys Davies and Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Greek and Roman Dress from A to Z

(2007)

Daniel-Hughes, Carly, The Salvation of the Flesh in Tertullian of Carthage: Dressing for the

Resurrection (2011)

Edmondson, J.C., Alison M. Keith, eds., Roman Dress and the Fabrics of Roman Culture (2008)

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Finitsis, Antonios, ed., Dress and Clothing in the Hebrew Bible: “For All Her Household Are

Clothed in Crimson” (2019)

Gordon, Stewart, ed., Robes and Honor: The Medieval World of Investiture (2001)

Heath, Jennifer, ed., The Veil: Women Writers on its History, Lore, and Politics (2008)

Hume, Lynne, The Religious Life of Dress. Global Fashion and Faith (2013)

Lee, Mireille, Body, Dress, and Identity in Ancient Greece (2015)

Lewis, Reina, ed., Modest Fashion: Styling Bodies, Mediating Faith (2013)

Olson, Kelly, Dress and the Roman Woman: Self-Presentation and Society (2008)

Olson, Kelly, Masculinity and Dress in Roman Antiquity (2017)

Tarlo, Emma, Clothing Matters: Dress and Identity in India (1996)

Tarlo, Emma, Visibly Muslim: Fashion, Politics, Faith (2010)

Tarlo, Emma, ed., Islamic Fashion and Anti-Fashion: New Perspectives from Europe and America

(2013)

Upson-Saia, Kristi, Carly Daniel-Hughes, Alicia J. Batten, eds., Dressing Judeans and Christians in

Antiquity (2014)

Cross-listed course

Please note that a cross-listed course will count in all respective averages no matter under

which rubric it has been taken. For example, a PHIL/PSCI cross-list will count in a

Philosophy major average, even if the course was taken under the Political Science rubric.

UWaterloo Policies

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the

University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and

responsibility. See the UWaterloo Academic Integrity webpage for more information.

Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid

committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. Check the

Office of Academic Integrity for more information. A student who is unsure whether an

action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g.,

plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance

from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean.

When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed

under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types

of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. For typical penalties

check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her

university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a

grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt,

please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide

further assistance.

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Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and

Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline may be appealed if

there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer

to Policy 72 - Student Appeals.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities

Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services office, located on the first

floor of the Needles Hall extension (1401), collaborates with all academic departments to

arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising

the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to

lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of

each academic term.

Mental Health Support

All of us need a support system. The faculty and staff in Arts encourage students to seek out

mental health support if they are needed.

On Campus

Counselling Services: counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca / 519-888-4567 ext. 32655

MATES: one-to-one peer support program offered by Federation of Students (FEDS) and Counselling Services

Health Services Emergency service: located across the creek form Student Life Centre

Off campus, 24/7

Good2Talk: Free confidential help line for post-secondary students. Phone: 1-866-925-5454

Grand River Hospital: Emergency care for mental health crisis. Phone: 519-749-4300 ext. 6880

Here 24/7: Mental Health and Crisis Service Team. Phone: 1-844-437-3247

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Full details can be found online on the Faculty of Arts website

Download UWaterloo and regional mental health resources (PDF)

Download the WatSafe app to your phone to quickly access mental health support information

The Writing Centre: Writing Centre staff offer one-on-one support in planning assignments and

presentations, using and documenting research, organizing and structuring papers, and revising

for clarity and coherence. Make an appointment or drop in at the Library for quick questions or

feedback. To book a 50-minute appointment and to see drop-in hours, visit

www.uwaterloo.ca/writing-centre

Academic freedom at the University of Waterloo

Policy 33, Ethical Behaviour states, as one of its general principles (Section 1), “The University

supports academic freedom for all members of the University community. Academic freedom

carries with it the duty to use that freedom in a manner consistent with the scholarly obligation

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to base teaching and research on an honest and ethical quest for knowledge. In the context of

this policy, 'academic freedom' refers to academic activities, including teaching and scholarship,

as is articulated in the principles set out in the Memorandum of Agreement between the FAUW

and the University of Waterloo, 1998 (Article 6). The academic environment which fosters free

debate may from time to time include the presentation or discussion of unpopular opinions or

controversial material. Such material shall be dealt with as openly, respectfully and sensitively

as possible.” This definition is repeated in Policies 70 and 71, and in the Memorandum of

Agreement, Section 6.