Department of Religious Studies

No one, not even God, is free from the tolls of labor. And yet, from the Christian Garden of Eden to the Greco-Roman ideal of the Golden Age, human imaginings of perfect happiness emphasize a utopic world where human survival is assured and not dependent on our toils and troubles. We will consider questions such as: to what extent is our humanity linked to our capacity for work: are we homo sapiens (“knowing men”) or homo laborans (“working men”)? Is labor gendered? Must labor be productive and produce a profit or can there be leisurely labor? Can labor heal? Why do we call artistic creations works of art? How do ideas of labor as punishment and labor as creation affect the social acceptance of art and artists?

Credits: Gen Ed A&H, CASE A&H, CASE CAPP

• A&H
• CAPP
• What are CASE requirements?