Fall 2018 Honors College 'Retro Readings' Courses to Focus on the Bible, Fulbright

Honors College Retro Readings focus on the classics viewed through a contemporary lens. Past and current offerings have invited close readings of Tolkien and Darwin, but the course isn't limited to great authors. Next fall, honors students will dig into the Bible and study Arkansas' own Sen. J. William Fulbright's game-changing approach to internationalism.

The weekly 75-minute, seminar-style discussions were designed to fit into even the busiest schedules. 

"Our 'Retro Readings' series provides students from all disciplines a 'Great Books' experience, the hallmark of a liberal arts education," said Honors College Dean Lynda Coon. Coon, a medieval church historian, will lead the course on the Bible next fall. 

Honors students must apply to participate in these courses, as seats are limited. The deadline to submit the  Retro Readings Application form is midnight Wednesday, March 28.

Retro Readings: Bible
HNRC 301VH-001
Wednesdays, 5-6:15 p.m., Fall 2018

In many ways, the Bible is the ultimate "retro reading." The Bible is a text of great antiquity and authority, lending its historical weight to a number of contemporary world religions. Equally, the Bible is a book of great controversy, prompting endless academic debate over its origins and historical meaning. "Bible" centers on this magisterial — yet frequently misunderstood — corpus of sacred scripture. 

Students in this course will learn to:

• Analyze Biblical texts from a variety of perspectives and with a variety of goals in mind.
• Compare multiple versions and adaptations of the scriptures, and locate them within history and culture.
• Participate in an optional fall-break field trip (Oct. 12-16) to Washington, D.C., where they will visit the new museum dedicated to the holy book.

The course will be led by Lynda Coon, whose research focuses on the history of Christianity from circa 300-900. Her first book, Sacred Fictions: Holy Women and Hagiography in Late Antiquity, explored the sacred biographies of holy women in late antiquity. Her second book, Dark Age Bodies: Gender and Monastic Practice in the Early Medieval West, focused on the ritual, spatial and gendered worlds of monks in the Carolingian period (ca. 750-987). She is currently researching a book on imagining Jesus in the Dark Ages.

Senator J. William Fulbright with President Lyndon Baines Johnson at the White House. Courtesy Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

Retro Readings: Fulbright
HNRC 301VH-002
Tuesdays, 4-5:15 p.m., Fall 2018

J. William Fulbright is probably best known for the international exchange program that bears his name, and for his opposition to the war in Vietnam. But he was also one of the Cold War era's most influential and original thinkers and a relentless critic of American foreign policy. This course will delve into Fulbright's dream of an association of nations where membership was based on judicial equality rather than ideological conformity. 

Students in this course will:

• Learn more about the legacy behind the namesake of our very own College of Arts and Sciences.
• Discover the intricacies of and possibilities for a peaceful internationalism, in Fulbright's era and our own.

This course will be led by Randall Bennett Woods, the John A. Cooper Professor of History/Distinguished Professor of History in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Professor Woods' research focuses on post-World-War-II American diplomacy, history of the presidency, African American history and internationalism. He has authored numerous books, including a study of the C.I.A. during the Vietnam War era, the "Great Society" under President Lyndon Baines Johnson, and a biography of J. William Fulbright.