Religion and Conflict in Battlestar Galactica
Coordinator: Charles Richter
This focus group will explore the many complicated relations between religion and conflict in modern times and throughout history, using the current television program "Battlestar Galactica" as an entry point. The contrasting theologies of the humans and Cylons, their mutually exclusive destinies, and the many moral and ethical issues raised provide us with an accessible point from which to delve into real problems. Some of the topics include: religion in government, suicide terrorism, monotheism vs. polytheism, and bio-ethical dilemmas.
We will view a selected episode every week and discuss the themes presented in accompanying readings. No prior knowledge of "Battlestar Galactica" is required, but we will be watching episodes from various points in the series. If you haven’t seen the show at all, watching the miniseries premiere before the quarter starts would be a good idea in order to get some of the basic premises.
However, I don’t think it would help me to make sense of this.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Seeing as that the religious motives and “what is really going on with the religions” is the central mystery of the show, I think a class now would be little different than reading the fan blogs and wikis.
If the show resolves and/or reveals these details intelligently, then the class could probably explore them in context.
September 19th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
WHERE DO I SIGN UP! ? ? ? ?
September 19th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Similarities between Battlestar Galactica and religion?
Both are full of holes and inconsistencies and stuff that doesn’t make any sense, but you can’t help yourself.
September 19th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
What concerns me most about this course is that it isn’t offered by Podunk Community College or even by Oklahoma State University but by the University of Washington.
September 19th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
They have a lot of catching up to do to compete with the International Journal of Buffy Studies.
September 19th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Note this isn’t a “real” course. It’s one of the non-faculty-run offerings. They had them at berkeley too under the “DeCal” aegis.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
I think “Sex + Coffee = ???” gives this course a serious run for its money…
Sadly, any sufficiently comprehensive read of the BSG story arc leads us to the disappointing conclusion that the writers are obviously winging it, even from episode to episode at times, and the religious overtones, which at first seemed so intriguing, have descended into muddle. Coherent study requires a reasonably coherent subject, I should think. I had high hopes after the first season, but a few retcons, glaring inconsistencies, Trekky technobabbly excesses, and love quadrangles later, and the best I can say is it’s better than your average space opera. Then again, what isn’t?
September 20th, 2007 at 5:09 am
lol Julianne, I wonder what Whoopy Goldberg and those other ‘ladies’ would have answered if one asked them whether they think the Universe is flat
Uh er yeah well, maybe in a round-about sort of way, – and the little round planets are like the tiny ball on the roulette table – place your bets now!
September 24th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Biosintegrumology?
A google search turns up no hits that don’t refer directly to this ‘focus group’. I would think that in order to have a class approved, you should at least make sure your not just pulling words out of your a**.
October 10th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
… Only if they begin with Glen A. Larson’s version from 1978 …
The course could then proceed with the classic “compare and contrast” theme, which by itself could last anywhere from one week to a month.
And, if they could include that cool “whirr-whirr” of the Cylon red-light with Knight Rider’s KITT, well, all’s the better.
October 16th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Guess what! I have a degree from this department. It kicks ass!!