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Individual Course

Sikhism Through Its Scriptures

Course Length

4 weeks

5-10 hours a week

Featuring faculty from:

Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences LogoHarvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Enroll as Individual

Certificate Price:

$ 99

Enroll as Individual

Certificate Price:

$ 99

Join Harvard University faculty to examine the Sikh scripture and teachings from a historical perspective and discover how the text evolved and was canonized.

Sikhi, commonly known as Sikhism, is a monotheistic religious tradition that was founded by Guru Nanak in late fifteenth-century Panjab in South Asia. Today, Sikhi’s approximately twenty-five to thirty million adherents can be found all over the globe, making it one of the six major religions of the world. Sikhi encompasses several religious, social, economic and political institutions, most of which were established and nurtured by Guru Nanak and his nine successors, known as Sikh Gurus.

For over five hundred years, Sikhs in the Panjab and all over the world have engaged with their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, through the devotional practices of exegesis, singing, recitation, memorization, and calligraphy.

This 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.

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Faculty

Your Instructor

Damanpreet Singh

Teaching Assistant at Harvard University

Instructor of Sikhism Through Its Scriptures Harvard X Read full bio.

Your Instructor

Ravinder Singh

Teaching Assistant at Harvard University

Instructor of Sikhism Through Its Scriptures Harvard X Read full bio.

Your Instructor

Harpreet Singh

Scholar of Sikhism and South Asian Religions Traditions at Harvard University Read full bio.

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Ways to take this course

Audit or Pursue a Verified Certificate

A Verified Certificate costs $99 and provides unlimited access to full course materials, activities, tests, and forums. At the end of the course, learners who earn a passing grade can receive a certificate.

⁠Alternatively, learners can Audit the course for free and have access to select course material, activities, tests, and forums. Please note that this track does not offer a certificate for learners who earn a passing grade.

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