nava

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nava@arizona.edu
Phone
520-626-8149
Office
Harvill
Office Hours
Please email professor to schedule a meeting or refer to class syllabus.
Nava, Alejandro E
Professor

Alex Nava received his MA and PhD from the University of Chicago in Religious Studies.  His first teaching position was at Seattle University before joining the University of Arizona faculty in 1999. Since arriving at the UA, he has created several courses, including 'Love and World Religions,' 'The Question of God,' 'Religion and Culture in the Southwest,' 'Rap, Culture, and God' and 'Religion in Latin America.'  He is the author of The Mystical and Prophetic Thought of Simone Weil and Gustavo Gutiérrez: Reflections on the Mystery and Hiddenness of God (SUNY Press), Wonder and Exile in the New World (Penn State University Press) and In Search of Soul: Hip-Hop, Literature and Religion (University of California  Press).

Currently Teaching

RELI 315 – Saints and Superheroes

This course is a study of religion, mythology, and popular culture in North American culture, with a focus on the role of saints in the Catholic tradition, on the one hand, and the role of the hero in ancient Greco-Roman traditions, as well as contemporary Marvel and DC universes. Admired and revered in their respective cultures, the saint and the superhero are otherworldly figures for their devotees, capable of miraculous, amazing, and superhuman feats. Neither the laws of nature nor the conventions and norms of society circumscribe the actions and powers of such figures; they overturn common standards of reason and science, and operate in a region of reality that is filled with wonder and marvel, a deeper and more expansive universe than meets the eye. Both figures, too, are capable of extraordinary acts of selflessness and compassion, acts that exceed everyday ethical norms. In addition to exploring the points of contact between the two, this class will consider the phenomena and traits that are distinctive to each one, with the saint belonging to a Christian universe and the hero to Greco-Roman and non-Christian worlds. Ultimately, the class is interested in what the saint and superhero can tell us about fundamental existential questions: What does it mean to be human? What can we know about the universe? What ethical principles should we live by, and why should we embrace ethics in the first place? How does the figure of saint or superhero articulate, address, and respond to perceived injustices and wrongs in the world? How does the representation of the superheroes' gender, class, and race influence the identity and purpose of the superhero? Can the examples of saints and superheroes inspire or thwart human development? How is God, and the Gods, understood in these traditions?

RELI 335 – Rap, Culture and God

This course is a study of popular culture and religion in African-American and Latin@ communities, with a focus on the place of rap music in the cultural identity of these traditions. The class will begin with a study of some major themes in cultural studies concerning identity, class, race, and gender in addition to a study of the role of religion in Black and Latin@ communities. We will consider the approaches and self-understandings of identity and culture in rap music with special attention to the voices of protest, resistance, and spirituality among rap artists.

This course is a study of popular culture and religion in African-American and Latin@ communities, with a focus on the place of rap music in the cultural identity of these traditions. The class will begin with a study of some major themes in cultural studies concerning identity, class, race, and gender in addition to a study of the role of religion in Black and Latin@ communities. We will consider the approaches and self-understandings of identity and culture in rap music with special attention to the voices of protest, resistance, and spirituality among rap artists.

This course is a study of popular culture and religion in African-American and Latin@ communities, with a focus on the place of rap music in the cultural identity of these traditions. The class will begin with a study of some major themes in cultural studies concerning identity, class, race, and gender in addition to a study of the role of religion in Black and Latin@ communities. We will consider the approaches and self-understandings of identity and culture in rap music with special attention to the voices of protest, resistance, and spirituality among rap artists.

This course is a study of popular culture and religion in African-American and Latin@ communities, with a focus on the place of rap music in the cultural identity of these traditions. The class will begin with a study of some major themes in cultural studies concerning identity, class, race, and gender in addition to a study of the role of religion in Black and Latin@ communities. We will consider the approaches and self-understandings of identity and culture in rap music with special attention to the voices of protest, resistance, and spirituality among rap artists.

This course is a study of popular culture and religion in African-American and Latin@ communities, with a focus on the place of rap music in the cultural identity of these traditions. The class will begin with a study of some major themes in cultural studies concerning identity, class, race, and gender in addition to a study of the role of religion in Black and Latin@ communities. We will consider the approaches and self-understandings of identity and culture in rap music with special attention to the voices of protest, resistance, and spirituality among rap artists.

RELI 498H – Honors Thesis

An honors thesis is required of all the students graduating with honors. Students ordinarily sign up for this course as a two-semester sequence. The first semester the student performs research under the supervision of a faculty member; the second semester the student writes an honors thesis.

An honors thesis is required of all the students graduating with honors. Students ordinarily sign up for this course as a two-semester sequence. The first semester the student performs research under the supervision of a faculty member; the second semester the student writes an honors thesis.

RELI 304 – The Question of God

Study of the question of God from a theological, philosophical, and literary perspective.

Study of the question of God from a theological, philosophical, and literary perspective.

Study of the question of God from a theological, philosophical, and literary perspective.

RELI 498 – Senior Capstone

A culminating experience for majors involving a substantive project that demonstrates a synthesis of learning accumulated in the major, including broadly comprehensive knowledge of the discipline and its methodologies. Senior standing required.