Harvard University launches short term Sikhism studies through scriptures

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The School of Humanities and South Asian Studies at Harvard University launches short term studies in Sikhism, which will go online on 6 August and will be available online and on iPad and iPhone.

CELEBRATING 550 years of Guru Nanak Sahib -the founder of Sikhism, Harvard University is launching an online course on fundamentals of the Sikh way of life.

Sikhism -a monotheistic religious tradition with twenty-five to thirty million adherents across the globe, as one of the six major religions of the world, encompasses encompasses a number of religious, social, economic and political institutions, most of which were established and nurtured by Guru Nanak and his nine successors, known as Sikh Gurus.

HarvardFor the 4-week free self-paced course in the English language, with the coaching of 5-10 hours per week and verified certificate learners can enrol at https://www.edx.org/course/sikhism-through-its-scriptures.

The course will teach aspirants:

  • Exploration of a foundational Sikh text, the Japji, which was composed by Guru Nanak and is recited by Sikhs as part of their morning prayers.
  • The place of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, in Sikh life.
  • Interpretative skills to engage in a nuanced reading of Guru Granth Sahib.
  • Gurmat Sangeet, the Sikh musical tradition, as represented in the Sikh scripture and its cultural context.
  • The aesthetics of Sikhi, including literature, art, and music.
  • The political dimensions of Sikh scripture and its impact on the evolution of Sikhs as a Panth or community.


As per the course details available on the website, the course “examines the Sikh scripture from a doctrinal and historical perspective by providing an overview of Sikh teachings as well as the historical context within which the scripture evolved and became canonized. It also examines the musical and aesthetic dimensions of the Sikh scripture, as well as ways in which the voluminous text has provided Sikhs with a social, ethical, spiritual and political message to help them respond to and shape the world around them.”

 

Harpreet Singh
Ravinder Singh
Damanpreet Singh

 

 

 

 

Harpreet Singh of South Asian Studies at the Harvard University and  Ravinder Singh and Damanpreet Singh as Teaching Assistants, will be three guides and instructors running the course. The course will be in association with the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

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