| Class Schedules Index | Course Catalogs Index | Class Search Page |
| Religion-African Religions | |
| RELA 1559 | New Course in African Religion (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of African Religions | |
| RELA 2559 | New Course in African Religions (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of African Religions. | |
| RELA 2750 | African Religions (3.00) |
| Introduces the mythology, ritual, philosophy, and religious art of the traditional religions of sub-Saharan Africa, also African versions of Christianity and African-American religions in the New World. | |
| RELA 2850 | Afro- Creole Religions in the Americas (3.00) |
| A survey course which familiarizes students with African-derived religions of the Caribbean and Latin America | |
| RELA 3000 | Women and Religion in Africa (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course examines women's religious activities, traditions and spirituality in a number of different African contexts. Drawing on ethnographic, historical, literary, and religious studies scholarship, we will explore a variety of themes and debates that have emerged in the study of gender and religion in Africa. Topics will include gendered images of sacred power; the construction of gender through ritual; sexuality and fertility; and women. |
| RELA 3351 | African Diaspora Religions (3.00) |
| This seminar examines changes in ethnographic accounts of African diaspora religions, with particular attention to the conceptions of religion, race, nation, and modernity found in different research paradigms. Prerequisite: previous course in one of the following: religious studies, anthropology, AAS, or Latin American studies Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2009 | |
| RELA 3559 | New Course in African Religions (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of African Religions. | |
| RELA 3890 | Christianity in Africa (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Historical and topical survey of Christianity in Africa from the second century c.e. to the present. Cross listed with RELC 3890. Prerequisite: A course in African religions or history, Christianity, or instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2010 |
| RELA 3900 | Islam in Africa (3.00) |
| Historical and topical introduction to Islam in Africa. Cross-listed as RELI 3900. Prerequisite: RELA 2750, RELI 2070, RELI 2080, or instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2011 | |
| RELA 4100 | Yoruba Religion (3.00) |
| Studies Yoruba traditional religion, ritual art, independent churches, and religious themes in contemporary literature in Africa and the Americas. Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELA 4559 | New Course in African Religions (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of African Religions. | |
| RELA 5559 | New Course in African Relgions (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of African Religions Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELA 7410 | Yoruba Religion (3.00) |
| The study Yoruba traditional religion, ritual art, independent churches, and religious themes in contemporary literature in both Africa and the Americas. | |
| RELA 7559 | New Course in African Religions (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of African Religions. Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELA 8559 | New Course in African Religions (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of African Religions. | |
| Religion-Buddhism | |
| RELB 1559 | New Course in Buddhism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. | |
| RELB 2054 | Tibetan Buddhism Introduction (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Provides a systematic introduction to Tibetan Buddhism with a strong emphasis on tantric traditions of Buddhism - philosophy, contemplation, ritual, monastic life, pilgrimage, deities & demons, ethics, society, history, and art. The course aims to understand how these various aspects of Tibetan religious life mutually shape each other to form the unique religious traditions that have pertained on the Tibetan plateau for over a thousand years. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELB 2100 | Buddhism (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantrayana Buddhist developments in India. Course was offered Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Summer 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Summer 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELB 2120 | Buddhist Literature (3.00) |
| Introduces Buddhist literature in translation, from India, Tibet, and East and South East Asia. | |
| RELB 2130 | Taoism and Confucianism (3.00) |
| Surveys the major religions of Chinese Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. | |
| RELB 2135 | Chinese Buddhism (3.00) |
| This course examines the ways in which Chinese Buddhism differs from the Buddhisms of other countries. The first half of the course introduces Buddhism with a focus on the historical development of the tradition.The second half of the course surveys several philosophical schools and forms of practice including Huayan, Chan, Pure Land, and Tantric Buddhism. Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELB 2165 | Buddhist Meditation (3.00) |
| Buddhist Meditation Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELB 2252 | Buddhism in Film (3.00) |
| This course is an introduction to Buddhism and an exploration of the place of Buddhism within contemporary Asian, European, and North American cultures through film. The goals are 1) to identify longstanding Buddhist narrative themes in contemporary films, 2) to consider how Buddhism is employed in films to address contemporary issues, and 3) to gain through film a vivid sense of Buddhism as a complex social and cultural phenomenon. Course was offered Summer 2012 | |
| RELB 2450 | Zen (3.00) |
| Studies the development and history of the thought, practice, and goals of Zen Buddhism. | |
| RELB 2559 | New Course in Buddhism (1.00 - 4.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. |
| RELB 2715 | Chinese Religions (3.00) |
| This course serves as a general introduction to the religions of China, including Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and popular religion. By emphasizing the reading of primary texts in translation, we will explore the major ideas and practices of these traditions, making special note of the cultural, historical, political and material contexts in which they were conceived and expressed.This course satisfies the Non-Western Perspectives Requirement, Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELB 2770 | Daoism (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Studies Daoist philosophy and religion within the context of Chinese society and history. |
| RELB 3000 | Buddhist Mysticism and Modernity (3.00) |
| Buddhist Mysticism and Modernity | |
| RELB 3150 | Seminar in Buddhism and Gender (3.00) |
| This seminar takes as its point of departure Carolyn Bynum's statements: "No scholar studying religion, no participant in ritual, is ever neuter. Religious experience is the experience of men and women, and in no known society is this experience the same." The unifying theme is gender and Buddhism, exploring historical, textual and social questions relevant to the status of women and men in the Buddhist world from its origins to the present day. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2010 | |
| RELB 3160 | The Religions of Japan (3.00) |
| Surveys the development of Japanese religions from pre-history to modern times. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELB 3190 | Buddhist Nirvana (3.00) |
| Buddhist Nirvana Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELB 3408 | Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Tibet possesses one of the great Buddhist philosophical traditions in the world. Tibetan Buddhist thinkers composed comprehensive and philosophically rigorous works on human growth according to classical Buddhism, works that surveyed ethics, meditation practice, the nature of personal identity, and enlightenment itself. In this seminar we will read and discuss famous Tibetan overviews of Buddhist philosophy. Pre-Requisites: One prior course in religion or philosophy recommended |
| RELB 3559 | New Course in Buddhism (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. | |
| RELB 3655 | Buddhism in America (3.00) |
| This course is a seminar that examines the development of Buddhism in America going from its earliest appearance to contemporary developments. Course was offered Fall 2012, Spring 2012 | |
| RELB 4559 | New Course in Buddhism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism | |
| RELB 5000 | Literary and Spoken Tibetan I (4.00) |
| Introduces the philosophical and spiritual texts of Tibet. Includes grammar, basic religious terminology, and structure. | |
| RELB 5001 | Readings in Japanese Buddhist Studies I, II (3.00) |
| Practice in reading and translating selected works of modern Japanese Buddhist scholarship. Introduction to research materials in Japanese. Prerequisite: JAPN 1020 or instructor permission. | |
| RELB 5002 | Readings in Japanese Buddhist Studies I, II (3.00) |
| Practice in reading and translating selected works of modern Japanese Buddhist scholarship. Introduction to research materials in Japanese. Prerequisite: JAPN 1020 or instructor permission. | |
| RELB 5010 | Literary and Spoken Tibetan II (4.00) |
| Introduces the philosophical and spiritual texts of Tibet. Includes grammar, basic religious terminology, and structure. | |
| RELB 5011 | Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts I, II (3.00) |
| Instruction in the reading and interpretation of Chinese Buddhist texts and the use of reference tools such as Chinese language dictionaries, bibliographies, encyclopedias, and indices. Course was offered Fall 2009 | |
| RELB 5012 | Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts I, II (3.00) |
| Instruction in the reading and interpretation of Chinese Buddhist texts and the use of reference tools such as Chinese language dictionaries, bibliographies, encyclopedias, and indices. | |
| RELB 5020 | Tibetan Perspectives on Tantra (3.00) |
| Tibetan presentations of the distinctive features of Tantric Buddhism. | |
| RELB 5055 | Buddhist Philosophy (3.00) |
| Study of the Pali and Sanskritic Buddhist philosophical traditions. Course was offered Spring 2012, Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 5170 | The Dalai Lamas of Tibet (3.00) |
| A seminar on the history, mythology, and Buddhist doctrinal basis of the Dalai Lamas, the most important religious and political leaders of traditional Tibet. Prerequisite: one course on Buddhism or Tibet Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELB 5250 | Seminar in Japanese Buddhism (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Examines selected topics in the major schools of Japanese Buddhism, Tendai, Shingon, Pure Land, Nichiren, and Zen. Prerequisite: RELB 2130 or 3160, or instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2011 |
| RELB 5260 | Seminar in Tibetan Buddhism II (3.00) |
| The theory and practice of Tibetan Buddhism. | |
| RELB 5270 | Seminar in Chinese Buddhism (3.00) |
| Selected doctrinal and historical issues in Chinese Buddhism. Course was offered Fall 2010 | |
| RELB 5350 | Literary and Spoken Tibetan III (4.00) |
| Intermediate course in the philosophical and spiritual language of Tibet, past and present. | |
| RELB 5360 | Literary and Spoken Tibetan IV (4.00) |
| Intermediate course in the philosophical and spiritual language of Tibet, past and present. | |
| RELB 5390 | Tibetan Buddhist Tantra Dzokchen (3.00) |
| Examines the Dzokchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhist Tantra focusing on its philosophical and contemplative systems and its historical and social contexts. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2009 | |
| RELB 5430 | Sanskrit Religious Texts (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Readings in Sanskrit religious and philosophical texts, their syntax, grammar, and translation. Prerequisite: SANS 5010, 5020, or equivalent and instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2012 |
| RELB 5440 | Sanskrit Religious Texts (3.00) |
| Readings in Sanskrit religious and philosophical texts, their syntax, grammar, and translation. Prerequisite: SANS 5010, 5020, or equivalent and instructor permission. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELB 5460 | Seminar in Mahayana Buddhism (3.00) |
| Studies the Middle Way School of Madhyamika, including Nagarjuna's reasoning and its intent and place in the spiritual path. | |
| RELB 5470 | Literary Tibetan V (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Advanced study in the philosophical and spiritual language of Tibet, past and present. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, or equivalent. |
| RELB 5480 | Literary Tibetan VI (3.00) |
| Advanced study in the philosophical and spiritual language of Tibet, past and present. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, or equivalent. | |
| RELB 5490 | Religious History of Tibet (3.00) |
| Surveys political, social, religious, and intellectual issues in Tibetan history from the fifth to fifteenth centuries, emphasizing the formation of the classical categories, practices, and ideals of Tibetan Buddhism. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELB 5520 | Seminar in Daoism (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Topics on the history, scripture, thought, and practice of religious Daoism, with an emphasis on the formative period (2nd-10th c.). Course was offered Fall 2012 |
| RELB 5559 | New Course in Buddhism (1.00 - 4.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. |
| RELB 5600 | Elementary Pali (3.00) |
| Studies Pali religious and philosophical works, including grammar and translation. Prerequisite: SANS 5010, 5020, or equivalent. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2010 | |
| RELB 5610 | Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (1.00 - 3.00) |
| Studies Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit works and their grammar and translation. Prerequisite: SANS 5010, 5020 or equivalent. | |
| RELB 5660 | Seminar on Indian Buddhism (3.00) |
| Investigates the techniques and presuppositions involved in the methods used to study Buddhism, including textual, historical, philosophical, and social scientific methods. | |
| RELB 5680 | Pure Land Buddhism (3.00) |
| Course focuses on religious doctrines and practices that surround several Buddhas and bodhisattvas that became the object of devotional cults. Developments in at least three countries are considered: India, China, and Japan. Among the issues considered are debates concerning the balance between mediation an recitation of the Buddha's name, the balance between faith and works, the influence of modern Japanese scholarship on our interpretations of Chinese Buddhism, and the influence of teachings about the decline or end of Buddhism. Prerequisite: once course in Buddhism. | |
| RELB 5715 | Seminar on Chinese Religion and Society (3.00) |
| Studies Chinese religion and society within the context of a specific period of Chinese history, or in terms of a specific theme. Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and popular religion will be covered (along with other forms of religion, as appropriate). Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2011 | |
| RELB 5800 | Literary Tibetan VII (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Examines the Yogachara-Svatantrika system as presented in Jang-kya's Presentation of Tenets, oral debate, and exercises in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, 5470, 5480 or equivalent. |
| RELB 5810 | Literary Tibetan VIII (3.00) |
| Examines the Yogachara-Svatantrika system as presented in Jang-kya's Presentation of Tenets, oral debate, and exercises in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, 5470, 5480 or equivalent Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2012 | |
| RELB 5870 | Colloquial Tibetan VII (2.00) |
| Advanced-level study of colloquial Tibetan. Prerequisite: for RELB 5880, RELB 5870. | |
| RELB 5880 | Colloquial Tibetan VIII (2.00) |
| Advanced-level study of colloquial Tibetan. Prerequisite: RELB 5870. | |
| RELB 5990 | South Asian and Inner Asian Buddhist Bibliography (3.00) |
| South Asian and Inner Asian Buddhist Bibliography | |
| RELB 5991 | Seminar in Chinese Buddhism (3.00) |
| Examines the major schools of Chinese Buddhism: T'ien-t'ai, Hua-yen, Pure Land, and Ch'an. | |
| RELB 7559 | New Course in Buddhism (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism Course was offered Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 8200 | Literary Tibetan VII (4.00) |
| Literary Tibetan VII | |
| RELB 8210 | Literary Tibetan VIII (4.00) |
| Literary Tibetan VIII Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELB 8230 | Advanced Literary and Spoken Tibetan (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Examines selected topics and techniques of Tibetan education. |
| RELB 8310 | Advanced Sanskrit/Pali I (1.00 - 3.00) |
| Advanced readings in poetry, psychology, or philosophy. Course was offered Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 8320 | Advanced Sanskrit/Pali II (1.00 - 3.00) |
| Advanced readings in poetry, psychology, or philosophy. | |
| RELB 8559 | New Course in Buddhism (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. Course was offered Fall 2009 | |
| Religion-Christianity | |
| RELC 1050 | Introduction to Christian Traditions (3.00) |
| Explore Christianity in its modern and historical contexts, combining an examination of current historical and theological scholarship, worship, and practice. The emphasis is on modern American Christianity. | |
| RELC 1210 | Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Studies the history, literature, and religion of ancient Israel in the light of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Emphasizes methods of contemporary biblical criticism. Cross listed as RELJ 1210. |
| RELC 1220 | New Testament and Early Christianity (3.00) |
| Studies the history, literature, and theology of earliest Christianity in light of the New Testament. Emphasizes the cultural milieu and methods of contemporary biblical criticism. | |
| RELC 1559 | New Course in Christianity (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Christianity | |
| RELC 2000 | The Bible and Its Interpreters (3.00) |
| Surveys Jewish and Christian interpretations of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). Examines how the Bible becomes sacred scripture for Jews and Christians. | |
| RELC 2050 | The Rise of Christianity (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course traces the rise of Christianity in the first millennium of the Common Era, covering the development of doctrine, the evolution of its institutional structures, and its impact on the cultures in which it flourished. Students will become acquainted with the key figures, issues, and events from this formative period, when Christianity evolved from marginal Jewish sect to the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. |
| RELC 2057 | Christian Theologies of Liberation (3.00) |
| An examination of recent theological statements about Christianity and political activity, with an emphasis on contemporary discussions of race, culture, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, poverty, wealth, and class. Course was offered January 2013, January 2012 | |
| RELC 2060 | The Reform and Global Expansion of Christianity (3.00) |
| How did Christianity become a global religion with hundreds of denominations and nearly two billion adherents? In this course, we will explore the reform and expansion of Christianity in the second millennium of the Common Era, from the high Middle Ages to the present day. | |
| RELC 2245 | Global Christianity (3.00) |
| The story of Christianity's emergence in the Middle East and its migration into Europe and then North America is just one aspect of Christian history, which also has a rich and long history in Africa, Asia and other parts of the global South. This course looks at the shape Christianity is taking in non-Western parts of the world and how this growth impacts Christianity in the West. | |
| RELC 2330 | History of Christian Social and Political Thought I (3.00) |
| Surveys the history of Christian social and political thought from the New Testament to 1850 including the relation of theological ideas to conceptions of state, family, and economic life. Course was offered Fall 2009 | |
| RELC 2340 | History of Christian Social and Political Thought II (3.00) |
| Surveys the history of Christian social and political thought from the rise of Social Gospel to the contemporary scene. Considers 'love' and 'justice' as central categories for analyzing different conceptions of what social existence is and ought to be. | |
| RELC 2360 | Elements of Christian Thought (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Examines the theological substance of Christian symbols, discourse, and action. |
| RELC 2401 | History of American Catholicism (3.00) |
| Historical survey of American Catholicism from its colonial beginnings to the present. | |
| RELC 2460 | Aspects of the Catholic Tradition (3.00) |
| Studies the distinctive theological aspects of the Catholic tradition, such as the sacramental system, the nature of the church, and the role of authority. | |
| RELC 2559 | New Course in Christianity (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Christianity Course was offered January 2013, Fall 2011 |
| RELC 3009 | Protestant Theology (3.00) |
| This course uses the category of protest to understand western Christian thought in the modern period. We examine the rise and development of Protestant thought, considering how Christians conceptualized challenges to established ideas, norms, and institutional structures during and after the Reformation. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2009 | |
| RELC 3030 | The Historical Jesus (3.00) |
| Topics include the problems of sources and methods; modern development of the issue of the historical Jesus; and the character of Jesus' teaching and activity. | |
| RELC 3040 | Paul: Letters and Theology (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Intensive study of the theological ideas and arguments of the Apostle Paul in relation to their historical and epistolary contexts. Course was offered Fall 2011, Spring 2011 |
| RELC 3043 | Themes in Eastern Orthodoxy: An Introduction (3.00) |
| This course is an introduction to the thematic core of the Orthodox Christian tradition. There is first reviewed the major elements of the Orthodox faith, its theology and doctrine, that developed over the course of the Byzantine era, This study is followed by an examination of writings on scripture and tradition, iconography. liturgy and sacrament, as well as the relationship of Orthodox Christianity to the culture. Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELC 3045 | History of the Bible (3.00) |
| The history of the formation, transmission, translation, forms and uses of the Christian Bible from the 1st to the 21st century. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2012 | |
| RELC 3055 | American Feminist Theology (3.00) |
| Contemporary theological models for American Christian feminists. The primary goal is to understand the various types of Christian feminism that exist in America today and how these theologies contribute to or challenge American feminism. Prerequisite: introductory religious studies and SWAG courses recommended. | |
| RELC 3056 | In Defense of Sin (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Exploration of transgression in Judaism and Christianity with a focus on the Ten Commandments and the seven deadly sins. Reflection on who determines what is sinful and why. Close reading of texts challenging the wrongfulness of acts and attitudes long considered sinful, with critical attention to the persuasiveness of religious rules. |
| RELC 3058 | The Christian Vision in Literature (3.00) |
| Studies selected classics of the Christian imaginative traditions; examines ways in which the Christian vision of time, space, self, and society emerges and changes as an ordering principle in literature and art up to the beginning of the modern era. | |
| RELC 3090 | Israelite Prophecy (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course examines the phenomenon of prophecy in ancient Israel. We will read in translation most of the stories from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament about prophets (Moses, Deborah, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha), as well as the books attributed to prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and The Twelve). Each primary text will be considered in its historical, cultural, and political contexts. |
| RELC 3150 | Salem Witch Trials (3.00) |
| Salem Witch Trials Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELC 3181 | Medieval Christianity (3.00) |
| Studies the development of Christianity in the Middle Ages and how it reflected upon itself in terms of theology, piety, and politics. Cross-listed as HIEU 3181. | |
| RELC 3200 | Medieval Church Law (3.00) |
| Surveys the origins and development of the law of the Christian Church, the canon law, from its origins to its full elaboration in the 'classical period', 1140-1348. Readings and exercises from original sources will focus on general principles of the law, using marriage law as the particular case. | |
| RELC 3211 | American Christian Autobiography (3.00) |
| This course examines Americans' self-perceptions and religious analysis in light of dominant American values, notable national and international events, cultural trends, and Christian doctrine. Among the autobiographers are Henri Nouwen and Anne Lamott. Course was offered Summer 2010 | |
| RELC 3222 | Protestants and Pragmatists (3.00) |
| An introductory seminar in American religious thought exploring the key ideas of two interrelated traditions in the United States, Protestant Christian theology and American pragmatic philosophy. The course includes reading from both classic and contemporary philosophical and religious texts in these traditions, highlighting both the interconnections and disputes among them. Course was offered Fall 2011 | |
| RELC 3231 | Reformation Europe (3.00) |
| Surveys the development of religious reform movements in continental Europe from c. 1450 to c. 1650 and their impact on politics, social life, science, and conceptions of the self. Cross-listed as HIEU 3261. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2011 | |
| RELC 3240 | Medieval Mysticism (3.00) |
| Introduces the major mystical traditions of the Middle Ages and the sources in which they are rooted. | |
| RELC 3270 | Salvation in the Middle Ages (3.00) |
| Studies four topics in medieval Christian thought: How can human beings know God? How does Jesus save? How does grace engage free will? How does posing such questions change language? Authors include Athanasius, Irenaeus, Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, Anslem, Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther, and some modern commentators. | |
| RELC 3280 | Eastern Christianity (3.00) |
| Surveys the history of Christianity in the Byzantine world and the Middle East from late antiquity (age of emperor Justinian) until the fall of Constantinople. | |
| RELC 3360 | Judaism and Christianity (3.00) |
| Studies the relationship between Judaism and Christianity from the origins of Christianity as a Jewish sect through the conflicts of the Middle Ages and modernity; and current views of the interrelationship. | |
| RELC 3447 | History of Christian Ethics (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Survey of development of Christian ethical thought and teaching from beginnings through Reformation era. Major ethical themes are traced through the centuries, as the church's scripture, evolving doctrine, and emerging tradition interact with secular society, politics, and philosophy. Readings will be taken mostly from primary texts, such as the Bible and the writings of selected Christian thinkers. |
| RELC 3470 | Christianity and Science (3.00) |
| Christian Europe gave rise to modern science, yet Christianity and science have long appeared mutual enemies. In this course we explore the encounter between two powerful cultural forces and study the intellectual struggle (especially in Galileo, Newton, Darwin, and Freud) about the place of God in the modern world. Course was offered Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| RELC 3480 | Dynamics of Faith (3.00) |
| Studies a variety of contrasting contemporary accounts of the character and status of 'religious faith.' | |
| RELC 3550 | Faith and Reason (3.00) |
| Studies approaches to the relation between reason, faith, doubt, and certainty in selected classical writings (e.g., Aquinas, Pascal, Kant, Kierkegaard, William James). Course was offered Summer 2010 | |
| RELC 3559 | New Course in Christianity (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject of Christianity. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 | |
| RELC 3610 | Female Saints in the Western Tradition (3.00) |
| This course is a study of the lives of female saints from the early Christianity through the present. The course focuses on the theological writings of female saints as well as exploring the cultural/historical importance of canonization. Prerequisite: one religious studies course. | |
| RELC 3620 | Modern Theology (3.00) |
| Who are the great modern Christian theologians? What do they have to say to us? What do they argue about? Who did they offend and why? In this seminar we shall read major works by four of the truly great modern theologians of the twentieth century. Two are Protestant (Karl Barth and Paul Tillich), and two are Catholic (Karl Rahner and Henri de Lubac). | |
| RELC 3650 | Systems of Theological Ethics (3.00) |
| Examines one or more contemporary systems of Christian ethics, alternating among such figures as Reinhold Niebuhr, C.S. Lewis, Jacques Ellul, and Jacques Maritain. | |
| RELC 3681 | Cultural Catholicism (3.00) |
| Exploration of Roman Catholic experience outside structure of the Holy See (for example, devotions, pilgrimages, shrines, art, fiction, cinema, television), particularly as committed Catholics argue over how to honor their spiritual tradition in day-to-day life. Study of current challenges wrought by women, Jews, and gays. Special attention paid to contemporary intellectuals and artists who criticize John Paul II while fiercely guarding their own. Course was offered Fall 2011 | |
| RELC 3690 | The Gospel of John and Its Interpretation (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | A close reading of the Gospel of John, this course considers literary, historical, and theological issues. Questions raised include: What is distinctive about the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospel of John in comparison with the synoptic gospels. Why was this gospel so important for the development of Christian theology? Some attention will also be given to the book's reception history, especially its role in the early centuries of the church. |
| RELC 3695 | Sex and Creation in Christianity (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | What is the origin of human sexuality and what are it's purposes? What do sexual identities as male and female have to do with the Christian doctrines of Creation, the imago Dei (image of God), original sin, and salvation? Are male and female complementary or incidental? What value does the Christian faith five to the body? How should we view the body with respect to our sexuality. Premarital sex, dating, cohabitation, and marriage. |
| RELC 3700 | The Revelation to John and Its Interpretation Throughout the Centuries (3.00) |
| Course considers both the book's meaning in the original first-century context and its reception through the ages in music, art, literature, film, politics, and theological works. | |
| RELC 3790 | Augustine of Hippo (3.00) |
| Examines the life and thinking of Augustine of Hippo, a major figure in Christian history and a formative influence on Christian thought to this day. Prerequisite: Any RELC course or instructor permission. | |
| RELC 3795 | Theology, Spirituality and Ethics of Sustainability (3.00) |
| Primarily through the readings of theologians from the Protestant, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, this course explores theological, spiritual and ethical perspectives on the environmental issues that are becoming increasingly important across the globe. | |
| RELC 3804 | American Catholic Social and Political Thought (3.00) |
| This seminar examines American Catholic social and political thought. Course was offered Fall 2012, Spring 2011 | |
| RELC 3835 | Christian Art (3.00) |
| Among other topics, this course explores the derogation of Jews as 'the people without art'; the theological implications of Augustine's renumbering of the commandments; the Protestant backlash against Catholic art in the Counter-Reformation; and the controversy surrounding the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which published twelve cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005. | |
| RELC 3880 | Religion in Children's Literature (3.00) |
| This course examines the great fairy tales and works of children's literature for their capacity to communicate moral norms and to instill virtue..The stories that are read raise a host of theological questions that touch on the meanings of faith, grace, good and evil, sin, forgiveness, and redemption. Stories included: Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Wind in the Willows, Narnia Chronicles, and fairy tales of Andersen, the Grimms, and MacDonlad Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELC 3890 | Christianity in Africa (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Historical and topical survey of Christianity in Africa from the second century c.e. to the present. Cross listed with RELA 389. Prerequisite: a course in African religions or history, Christianity, or instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2010 |
| RELC 3910 | Women and the Bible (3.00) |
| Surveys passages in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and the New Testament that focus specifically on women or use feminine imagery. Considers various readings of these passages, including traditional Jewish and Christian, historical-critical, and feminist interpretations. Cross-listed as RELJ 3910. Prerequisite: Any religious studies course or instructor permission. | |
| RELC 4044 | Religion and the American Courts (3.00) |
| What is the nature of religion and its role in American society? This seminar will explore the limits of spiritual convictions in a liberal democracy which guarantees religious freedom. This course will examine: 1) the First Amendment; 2) legal methodology; and 3) the contemporary debate over whether citizens and public officials have a duty to refrain from making political and legal decisions on the basis of their religious beliefs. | |
| RELC 4160 | Salem Essays (1.00) |
| An Opportunity for students to write a short essay based on the court records of the Salem Witch trials to be posted on the Salem Witch trials documentary archive. | |
| RELC 4559 | New Course in Christianity (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject of Christianity. Course was offered Spring 2012, Fall 2009 | |
| RELC 4610 | Sex and Morality (3.00) |
| A theological overview of Jewish and Christian reflection on proper sexual conduct in the United States, with specific emphasis on pre-marital sex, adoption, abortion, gay marriage, and the teaching of sex education in public schools. | |
| RELC 5006 | Augustine's City of God (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | An advanced graduate class that will read the entire City of God, using that work and several other of Augustine's texts (particularly letters and sermons) to attempt to understand that work's argument, paying attention to the various audiences to which it was addressed, and Augustine's larger vision. Course was offered Fall 2009 |
| RELC 5009 | Bonhoeffer and King: Resistance and Reconciliation (3.00) |
| The course has four goals: (1) to understand the theologies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King Jr.; (2) to explore the themes of resistance and reconciliation in their writings and actions; (3) to examine their ambivalent relationship with academic theology; and (4) to consider the promise of lived theology for contemporary religious thought. Course was offered Spring 2011, Fall 2009 | |
| RELC 5040 | The Apocalyptic Tradition (3.00) |
| The tradition of apocalyptic thought, as expressed in ancient Jewish and Christian literature and in selected contemporary literature. Emphasizes literary forms and features, historical and theological presuppositions, and primary themes. | |
| RELC 5048 | Philo of Alexandria and Hellenistic Judaism (3.00) |
| An indepth inquiry into the writings and thought of Philo of Alexandria (ca. 20 BCE-50 CE) Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELC 5052 | Seminar in American Catholic History (3.00) |
| Examines a selected movement, issue, or figure in the history of Catholicism in America. Prerequisite: Instructor permission. | |
| RELC 5077 | Pius XII, Hitler the US and WW II (3.00) |
| For the past forty years the role of Pius XII and the Vatican during World War II has been controversial. This seminar will look at that controversy and place it in the context of newly available archival material. The students will read several books on both sides of the question and then present their own research papers, the topics of which will be chosen in consultation with the professor. | |
| RELC 5090 | African-Americans and the Bible (3.00) |
| In this course, we will look at the ways African American scholars, clergy, laity, men, women, the free, and the enslaved, have read, interpreted, preached, and taught scripture. In examining these uses, we will also seek to sketch out a broader theology, history, and sociology of black people as they used the tool at hand, the Bible, to argue for their own humanity, create their own cultures, and establish their own societies. | |
| RELC 5100 | Natural Law in Judaism and Christianity (3.00) |
| Studies the concept of natural law in Jewish and Christian theology and how these respective religious traditions dealt with a concept that claims that all morality is not the direct result of specific religious prescription. Prerequisite: Courses in religious thought and/or philosophy. | |
| RELC 5110 | Phenomenology and Christology (3.00) |
| A systematic exposition of the phenomenon of selfhood on the basis of traditional materials from Christology and recent investigations in phenomenology. | |
| RELC 5120 | Development of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Catholic Liberalism (3.00) |
| Analyzes and interprets major currents in liberal catholic thought in the 19th and 20th centuries, from the Thomistic revival (1878), through the condemnation of Modernism (1907), to the emergency of the 'New Theology' with such theologians as Karl Rahner, Yves Congar, and Henri deLubac. | |
| RELC 5130 | Being and God (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | A constructive treatment of questions related to the possibility of the experience of being and God or of the being of God. Course was offered Spring 2012 |
| RELC 5141 | Theology of John Calvin (3.00) |
| This course examines a text that has shaped modern Christian thought: John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. The focus will be on close reading and a rigorous analysis of theological ideas. Prerequisite: Instructor permission for undergraduates. Course was offered Fall 2009 | |
| RELC 5155 | Ecology, Christianity, and Culture (3.00) |
| This seminar examines ancient through modern sources of an ecological vision within Christianity, including patristic and medieval writers, liturgy, hymnody and poetry, and contemporary writings on ecology and environmental ethics. The aim is to reach deeper than policy discussions; to canvas the theological and cultural resources that the Christian faith has furnished for adherence to and practice of a serious ecological ethos. Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELC 5158 | History of Christian Ethics (3.00) |
| This course is designed to provide a solid understanding of the historical roots, from the New Testament period to the Reformation, of Christian ethics, experience in working with historical source materials, and familiarity with some important interpreters of this history. In seminar discussions, we will primarily explore primary materials, but also consider the work of interpreters such as Ernst Troeltsch and Peter Brown. Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELC 5190 | Theology in the Nineteenth Century (3.00) |
| Analysis and interpretation of the theology of major thinkers in the 19th century, with special attention to Kant, Hegel, and Schleiermacher. | |
| RELC 5200 | Contemporary Theology (3.00) |
| A survey, analysis, and interpretation of major developments in philosophical theology in the 20th century, beginning with dialectical theology in the 1920s. | |
| RELC 5230 | Pentecostalism (3.00) |
| Examines the history, theology, and practices of Pentecostalism, the fastest growing Christian movement in the world, from its origins among poor whites and recently freed African Americans to its phenomenal expansion in places like South America, Asia, and Africa. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2010 | |
| RELC 5300 | Early Christianity and Classical Judaism (3.00) |
| Studies early Christian writings directed to Judaism; the role of Judaism in shaping the Christian intellectual tradition; and Christian interpretation of Jewish scripture. | |
| RELC 5310 | Early Christianity and Greco-Roman Culture (3.00) |
| Pagan criticism of Christianity and the response of Christian apologists; and Christianity and the Greek philosophical traditions, especially Stoicism and Platonism. Course was offered Fall 2009 | |
| RELC 5551 | Seminar in Early Christian Thought (3.00) |
| Intensive consideration of a selected issue, movement or figure in Christian thought of the second through fifth centuries. Prerequisite: RELC 2050 or instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2010, Spring 2010 | |
| RELC 5559 | New Course in Christianity (1.00 - 4.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject of Christianity Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELC 5640 | Seminar in Modern Christian Thought (3.00) |
| Examines a major modern Christian thinker or movement, or a major problem in modern Christian thought. | |
| RELC 5670 | Early Christian Ethics (3.00) |
| Studies the nature of ethical responsibility as seen by several New Testament figures and documents (Jesus, Matthew, Paul, John, James). | |
| RELC 5700 | Patristic Greek (3.00) |
| Readings of Greek fathers such as John Chrysoston and Gregory of Nazianzus, with emphasis on grammar, syntax and rhetoric. An intermediate to advanced level course. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELC 5795 | The Icon in Orthodox Christianity (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Course explores the history and theology of the icon. How is the icon itself a form of theology, and how does it function in liturgy and worship? Iconography understood as interpretation of Scripture and dogmatic teaching. Study of the theological aesthetics of the icon and of the images themselves, both traditional icons of the Byzantine and Russian type and gospel illuminations of the Armenian, Ethiopic and Coptic traditions. |
| RELC 5800 | Advanced Exegesis of the New Testament I (3.00) |
| Reading and interpretation of the Greek text of one of the Gospels. Prerequisite: Intermediate knowledge of Hellenistic Greek. | |
| RELC 5810 | Advanced Exegesis of the New Testament II (3.00) |
| Reading and interpretation of the Greek text of one or more of the Epistles. Prerequisite: Intermediate knowledge of Hellenistic Greek. | |
| RELC 5830 | Love and Justice in Christian Ethics (3.00) |
| Examines various conceptions of love and justice in selected Protestant and Catholic literature mainly from the last fifty years. Course was offered Fall 2012, Spring 2011 | |
| RELC 5910 | Religion, Race and Politics in American Society (3.00) |
| This course will examine the role of religion and race in politics in the US with an emphasis on elections from the 1960s to the present. Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELC 5976 | The Theology of Friedrich Schleiermacher (3.00) |
| An in-depth analysis of the major writings of Friedrich Schleiermacher, one of the most important European theologians of the nineteenth century. Texts studied include *On Religion*, *Hermeneutics*, *Brief Outline*, and *The Christian Faith* Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELC 5980 | The Theology of Karl Barth (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | A semester-long engagement with the writings of the most important Protestant theologian in the twentieth century. While we will read some of Barth's earlier work, our main focus will be the *Church Dogmatics*. |
| RELC 7110 | Seminar in Roman Catholic Moral Theology (3.00) |
| Reviews the Catholic tradition in moral theology, emphasizing the influence of historical consciousness on post-Vatican II ethics in natural law, the use of scripture, social ethics, and issues of authority. | |
| RELC 7241 | Popular Religion, 1300-1700 (3.00) |
| Analyzes various approaches to the study of western Christianity, focusing on the experience and practice of religion by the laity. Cross-listed as HIEU 7241. | |
| RELC 7559 | New Course Christianity (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Christianity. Course was offered Fall 2011 | |
| RELC 8315 | Trinity (3.00) |
| This seminar develops a systematic theology of the doctrine of the Trinity. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELC 8410 | Seminar on American Religious Thought I: Edwards to Emerson (3.00) |
| A historical and theological examination of seminal figures in the development of American religious thought from the Enlightenment through the 'American Renaissance.' Prerequisite: Instructor permission. | |
| RELC 8420 | Seminar on American Religious Thought II: Liberalism Through Neo-Orthodoxy (3.00) |
| A historical and theological examination of the work of major religious thinkers in American from 1860 to 1960. | |
| RELC 8440 | Seminar in Reformation Studies (3.00) |
| Intensive study of a selected movement, issue, or figure in the 16th century. | |
| RELC 8460 | Development of Catholic Social and Political Thought (3.00) |
| Studies papal encyclicals since Renum Novarium (1891), and American Catholic attitudes toward organized labor and social action. | |
| RELC 8470 | American Catholic Approaches to Religious Liberty (3.00) |
| Religious Liberty was the distinctive contribution of American Catholicism to the Second Vatican Council. Traces the development of this doctrine from the 17th to the 20th century in the United States. | |
| RELC 8559 | New Course in Christianity (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Christianity. Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELC 8590 | Topics in New Testament Studies (3.00) |
| Selected issues in the theory and methods of New Testament criticism. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELC 8890 | Seminar in New Testament Theology (3.00) |
| Considers the nature and scope of New Testament theology and of one central theme, such as Christology. | |
| RELC 8920 | Seminar in Early Christianity (3.00) |
| Studies selected topics in early Christian history and thought. Topic varies annually. | |
| Religion-General Religion | |
| RELG 1000 | First-Year Seminar (3.00) |
| Introduces a specific topic, research and study techniques, and use of the library. | |
| RELG 1005 | World Religions (3.00) |
| This course is a comparative study of the world's enduring religious traditions and their cultural expressions in architecture, art, and music. Among others, the course will examine Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and their expression in world culture. | |
| RELG 1010 | Introduction to Western Religious Traditions (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Studies the major religious traditions of the Western world; Judaism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. |
| RELG 1040 | Introduction to Eastern Religious Traditions (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Introduces various aspects of the religious traditions of India, China, and Japan. |
| RELG 1559 | New Course in Religious Studies (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Religious Studies. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012 | |
| RELG 2140 | Archaic Cult and Myth (3.00) |
| Surveys scientific and popular interpretations of prehistoric, ancient, and traditional religions. | |
| RELG 2150 | Religion in American Life and Thought to 1865 (3.00) |
| Topics include the influence of Puritanism, the character of American religious freedom, and the interaction between religion and social reform. | |
| RELG 2160 | Religion in American Life and Thought from 1865 to the Present (3.00) |
| Includes American religious pluralism, religious responses to social issues, and the character of contemporary American religious life. | |
| RELG 2190 | Religion and Modern Fiction (3.00) |
| Studies religious meanings in modern literature, emphasizing faith and doubt, evil and absurdity, and wholeness and transcendence in both secular fiction and fiction written from traditional religious perspectives. | |
| RELG 2210 | Religion, Ethics, and the Environment (3.00) |
| A comparative examination, across several religious and philosophical traditions, of moral beliefs., values, and practices that bear on the non-human environment and have implications for personal, communal, and public actions. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELG 2255 | Religion and Film (3.00) |
| This course will introduce students to the relationship between religion and film. We will watch several films in class and, after learning the basics of film analysis, we will be able to perceive and interpret how films portray religions, religious peoples, and religious categories, and even to consider what religion and film have in common as experiences. Viewing of the films will be supplemented by short lectures and class discussion. Course was offered Summer 2012, Summer 2011 | |
| RELG 2260 | Religion, Race, and Relationship in Film (3.00) |
| This course explores themes of religion, race, gender, and relationship to the religious or racial 'other' in films from the silent era to the present. It will consider film as a medium and engage students in analysis and discussion of cinematic images, with the goal of developing hermeneutic lenses through which these images can be interpreted. The films selected all ask "How should we treat one another?" Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2012 | |
| RELG 2285 | Religion, Politics, Society (3.00) |
| Politics and religion are links to the exploration to culture, history, and current events. This course seeks to understand what is meant by religion and the multiple ways in which it is politically important by examining the world views of various religious traditions and their political implications. | |
| RELG 2290 | Business Ethics (3.00) |
| Studies contemporary issues in business from a moral perspective, including philosophical and religious, as well as traditional and contemporary, views of business. Topics include international business, whistleblowing, discrimination, the environment, and marketing. | |
| RELG 2300 | Religious Ethics and Moral Problems (3.00) |
| Examines several contemporary moral problems from the perspective of ethical thought in the Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish traditions. | |
| RELG 2370 | Religion After Jefferson (3.00) |
| This course explores the history of the idea of "religion" as a distinct concept, and introduces students to a crucial topic of modern public life and helps them prepare to grapple with this problem from a global perspective. A Jefferson Public Citizens course. | |
| RELG 2380 | Faith and Doubt in the Modern Age (3.00) |
| Examines religious skepticism in the modern world. | |
| RELG 2390 | Theism and Humanism (3.00) |
| Studies contemporary understandings of religious faith in response to the challenge of humanism. | |
| RELG 2440 | Human Nature and Its Possibilities (3.00) |
| Examines psychological, literary, philosophical, and theological perspectives on human existence with a view to seeing what possibilities are contained in the linguistic, theoretical, practical, poetic, and ecstatic capacities of human beings. | |
| RELG 2455 | Christian America? (3.00) |
| This course aims to describe the historical development of religious diversity in the United States, and to grapple with its social, political, legal, cultural, and spiritual implications. We will chart the trends that led this nation, once characterized as a triple melting pot of Protestant-Catholic-Jew, to become, by the late twentieth century, one of the most religiously diverse societies in the history of the world. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELG 2475 | God (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | An introduction to the personality of God as portrayed in the sacred literatures, histories, and practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. (For the religious studies major, or minor, this counts as either RELC, RELI or RELJ) Course was offered Fall 2012, Spring 2011 |
| RELG 2559 | New Course in Religious Studies (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Religious Studies. | |
| RELG 2605 | Religion and Violence (3.00) |
| Our aim in this course is to analyze the 'religious' logic of certain acts of violence and terror that have come to dominate popular political discussions. We begin the course by surveying the positions that emphasize the 'religious' nature of these actions. We then explore the ambiguous nature of the terms 'terrorism' and 'religion' in general and through example. Finally we ask about the value of characterizing such violence as religious. Course was offered Summer 2011 | |
| RELG 2630 | Business, Ethics, and Society (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | A study of the philosophical and religious frameworks for interpreting and evaluating human activity in the marketplace. This includes major theoretical perspectives, contemporary issues within the marketplace, and corporate ethics. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELG 2650 | Theology, Ethics, and Medicine (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Analyzes various moral problems in science, medicine, and health care (e.g., abortion and euthanasia) as viewed by religious and philosophical traditions. |
| RELG 2660 | "Spiritual But Not Religious": Spirituality in America (3.00) |
| This course asks: what does "spiritual but not religious" mean, and why has it become such a pervasive idea in modern America? We'll study everything from AA to yoga to Zen meditation, with stops in Christian rock, Beat poetry, Abstract Expressionist painting and more. In the end, we'll come to see spirituality in America as a complex intermingling of the great world religions, modern psychology, and a crassly commercialized culture industry. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2012 | |
| RELG 2700 | Festivals of the Americas (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Readings will include contemporary ethnographies of religious festivals in the Caribbean ans South, Central, and North America, and increase their knowledge of the concepts of sacred time and space, ritual theory, and the relationships between religious celebration and changing accounts of ethnicity. |
| RELG 2713 | Sensing the Sacred: Sensory Perceptions and Religious Imagination (3.00) |
| Seeing is believing. Or is it? In this course, we will examine the role of sensory perception in religious imagination. We will consider how religious practitioners think about the senses, utilize the senses to experience the world, and assign meaning to the senses. We will also probe the ways in which religious traditions deploy sensory metaphors to describe human experience of the sacred. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELG 3050 | Religions of Western Antiquity (3.00) |
| Studies Greco-Roman religions and religious philosophies of the Hellenistic period, including official cults, mystery religions, gnosticism, astrology, stoicism; emphasizes religious syncretism and interactions with Judaism and Christianity. | |
| RELG 3051 | Religion and Society (3.00) |
| Critical appraisal of classical and contemporary approaches to the sociological study of religion and society. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELG 3053 | Religion and Psychology (3.00) |
| Major religious concepts studied from the perspective of various theories of psychology, including the psychoanalytic tradition and social psychology. | |
| RELG 3057 | Existentialism: Its Literary, Philosophical and Religious Expressions (3.00) |
| Studies Existentialist thought, its Hebraic-Christian sources, and 19th and 20th century representatives of the movement (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Buber, and Tillich). Course was offered Fall 2010 | |
| RELG 3200 | Martin, Malcolm, and America (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | An analysis of African-American social criticism centered upon, but not limited to, the life and thought of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X |
| RELG 3210 | Major Themes in American Religious History (3.00) |
| Examines a major religious movement or tradition in American history. | |
| RELG 3315 | Jefferson, Religion and the Secular University (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | The undergraduate seminar will explore as inter-related topics the religious formation and outlook of Thomas Jefferson, his conception of the proper relation of religion and the civil power, his idea of the university as a secular institution, ad the role of religion in the founding and subsequent history of the University of Virginia. |
| RELG 3360 | Religions in the New World (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | A historical examination of the effects of European colonization and the transatlantic slave trade upon the religious practices of indigenous peoples, African captives, creole residents and European settlers in colonial Latin America and the Caribbean. |
| RELG 3370 | God Since Cinema (3.00) |
| A survey of films about God and the effect these films (as opposed to books or paintings) have had on the Western understanding of God. | |
| RELG 3400 | Women and Religion (3.00) |
| Introduces the images of women in the major religious traditions, the past and present roles of women in these traditions, and women's accounts of their own religious experiences. | |
| RELG 3444 | Religious Conflict and Resolution Among the Abrahamic Religions (3.00) |
| What are the religions of Abraham? Are they bound for peace or conflict? This course introduces students to the scriptural sources and medieval to modern practices of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism including key historical narratives from the Qur'an, and the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. An examination of the role these scriptures play in people's lives is followed by focusing on the 'hot spots' of inter-Abrahamic conflict today. Course was offered Summer 2012, Summer 2011 | |
| RELG 3470 | Christianity and Science (3.00) |
| Christian Europe gave rise to modern science, yet Christianity and science have long appeared mutual enemies. Does science undermine religious belief? Can human life and striving really be explained in terms of physics and chemistry? In this course we explore the encounter between two powerful cultural forces and study the intellectual struggle to anchor God in the modern world. | |
| RELG 3485 | Moral Leadership (3.00) |
| This course introduces students to the moral frameworks of Aristotle, Maimonides, Machiavelli, and Jeff McMahon and then examines pressing moral issues in contemporary America. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELG 3559 | New Course in Religious Studies (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Religious Studies. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2012, January 2012, Fall 2011, Summer 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2009 |
| RELG 3600 | Religion and Modern Theatre (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Examines the works of several playwrights, some of whom dramatize explicitly religious themes or subjects, and others who are predominantly concerned with secular situations and contexts that imply religious questions and issues. Course was offered Fall 2009 |
| RELG 3640 | Religion, God, and Evil (3.00) |
| Studies the 'problem of evil,' using philosophical, literary, and various religious sources. | |
| RELG 3650 | Systems of Theological Ethics (3.00) |
| Examines one or more contemporary systems of Christian ethics, alternating among such figures as Reinhold Niebuhr, C. S. Lewis, Jacques Ellul, and Jacques Maritain. | |
| RELG 3660 | Issues in Theological Ethics (3.00) |
| Studies a moral problem or set of related problems (e.g., human experimentation, special moral relations, or warfare) in the context of recent work in theological ethics. | |
| RELG 3721 | Witchcraft (3.00) |
| Witchcraft | |
| RELG 3750 | Taoism and Confucianism (3.00) |
| Taoism and Confucianism | |
| RELG 3780 | Faulkner and the Bible (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This class is study of the influence of the Bible (both Hebrew and Christian canons) on the fiction of William Faulkner. We will also see how this ancient text and its heritage informed Faulkner's views on race, community, and personal identity as well. Course was offered Spring 2012 |
| RELG 3795 | Theology, Spirituality and Ethics of Sustainability (3.00) |
| Primarily through the readings of theologians from the Protestant, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, this course explores theological, spiritual and ethical perspectives on the environmental issues that are becoming increasingly important across the globe. | |
| RELG 3800 | African American Religious History (3.00) |
| This course will explore African American religious traditions in their modern and historical contexts, combining an examination of current scholarship, worship and praxis. It will examine the religious life and religious institutions of African Americans from their African antecedents to contemporary figures and movements in the US. Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELG 3860 | Human Bodies and Parts as Properties (3.00) |
| An analysis and assessment of theological, philosophical, and legal interpretations of rights holders and rights held in living and dead human bodies and their parts, in the context of organ and tissue transplantation, assisted reproduction, and research. Prerequisite: RELG 2650 | |
| RELG 3950 | Evil in Modernity: Banal or Demonic (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Investigates how modern thinkers have understood the character of evil and the challenge it poses to human existence. Evaluates the proposals made in response to that challenge. Prerequisite: Any course in religious studies. |
| RELG 4023 | Bioethics Internship Seminar (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | The course enables students to spend time in medical settings as 'participant-observers,' in order to gain first-hand experience of the subject matter that is the focus of the theory, teaching, and practice of bioethics. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELG 4220 | American Religious Autobiography (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Multidisciplinary examination of religious self-perception in relation to the dominant values of American life. Readings represent a variety of spiritual traditions and autobiographical forms. |
| RELG 4450 | Visions of the Apocalypse (3.00) |
| The course will introduce apocalypticism in Western religious traditions, but will soon focus on the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Explorations will take us from slave revolts to UFO cults to Dr. Strangelove, from Edward Bellamy to genetic engineering, from the space program to Left Behind, and from the Great Disappointment of the 1840s and the Ghost Dance of 1890 to the New Age of the present. Course was offered Fall 2010 | |
| RELG 4500 | Majors Seminar (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Introduces the study of religion as an interdisciplinary subject, utilizing methods in history of religions, theology, sociology, depth psychology, and literary criticism. The seminars are thematic and topics will vary according to the design of the instructor Limited to twenty religious studies majors. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELG 4559 | New Course in Religious Studies (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Religious Studies. Course was offered Spring 2011, Fall 2009 | |
| RELG 4810 | Poetry and Theology (3.00) |
| This seminar seeks to develop a close reading of major religious poetry by two major religious poets | |
| RELG 5030 | Readings in Chinese Religion (3.00) |
| Examines selected readings from a specific text, figure, or theme. Readings emphasize possible structures of religious language and their translation. | |
| RELG 5060 | Interpretation of Myth (3.00) |
| An interdisciplinary study of myth, focusing on structuralist, hermeneutical, and history of religion methodologies. | |
| RELG 5070 | Interpretation Theory (3.00) |
| Analyzes existentialist, phenomenological, structuralist, literary, historical, and psychological approaches to the interpretation of texts, especially narrative religious texts; and the interactions of language, history, and understanding. | |
| RELG 5080 | Seminar on Religion and American Culture I (3.00) |
| Historical examination of Americans' religious identities in relation to the dominant values of American social and intellectual life, with particular attention to the concept of community. Subjects include Puritanism, the Mennonites, the Shakers, Mormonism, and the growth of Evangelicalism. Prerequisite: A course in either American history or American religious history. Open to upper-level undergraduates. | |
| RELG 5140 | Seminar on a Major Religious Thinker (3.00) |
| Studies the relationship between philosophical and religious thought as seen in a selected philosopher or theologian. | |
| RELG 5170 | Seminar in History of Religions (3.00) |
| Introduces the basic thinkers in the field of history of religions and to fundamental problems in the study of religious sociology, mythology, and ritual. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELG 5180 | Seminar in Philosophical Theology (3.00) |
| Studies ideas of God in Western thought from Plato through Descartes. | |
| RELG 5240 | Problems in Philosophy of Religion (3.00) |
| Examines classic and contemporary discussions of problems in the philosophy of religion. | |
| RELG 5370 | Feasting, Fasting and Faith: Food in Jewish and Christian Traditions (3.00) |
| Feasting, Fasting and Faith: Food in Jewish and Christian Traditions | |
| RELG 5515 | Issues in Religious Ethics (3.00) |
| Studies selected issues such as mysticism and morality, conscience, natural law, nonviolence, and methodology in religious ethics. | |
| RELG 5541 | Seminar in Social and Political Thought (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | An examination of the social and political thought of selected religious thinkers. |
| RELG 5559 | New Course in Religion (1.00 - 4.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject of general religion. |
| RELG 5630 | Seminar: Issues in the Study of Religion and Literature (3.00) |
| Analyzes, in terms of fundamental theory, the purposes, problems, and possibilities of interdisciplinary work in religion and literary criticism. Course was offered Spring 2011, Fall 2009 | |
| RELG 5690 | Contemporary Religious Movements (3.00) |
| Studies the psychological, sociological, and political dimensions of conversion and ideological commitment in selected contemporary religious movements. | |
| RELG 5710 | The Victorian Crisis of Faith: Its Religious and Literary Expressions (3.00) |
| Studies the religious dilemmas at the center of English thought in the 19th century, from the time of Keble's Assize sermon and the advent of the Oxford Movement into the period of Thomas Hardy. The focal figures include Newman, Tennyson, Clough, Arnold, Carlyle, John Stuart Mill, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy. | |
| RELG 5730 | Theology of Culture (3.00) |
| Studies the relationship between religion and culture. Topics include a theological assessment of the value of culture; the impact of secularization; the critique of religion levied by various disciplines; and the problems of theology in a pluralistic context. | |
| RELG 5750 | Myth and Ritual (3.00) |
| Studies theories of myth and ritual from an interdisciplinary perspective, including selected mythological and ritual texts. | |
| RELG 5780 | Wallace Stevens and the Absolute (3.00) |
| A close reading of Wallace Steven's major poems and an evaluation of their theological significance. Prerequisite: Graduate seminar plus advanced undergraduates in approved. Course was offered Fall 2010 | |
| RELG 5835 | Ethnography and the Study of Religion (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course familiarizes students with a range of ways of studying practice in religions as it is evidenced in sacred texts, religious artifacts, images and locations; as it is chronicled in historical documents; as it is reflected in literary and artistic creations; and as it revealed in contemporary practice. |
| RELG 5850 | Narrative in Ethics and Theology (3.00) |
| Examines the nature of narrative modes of representation and argument, and how narrative theory has been employed in contemporary ethics and religious thought. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELG 5900 | Ethics, Politics, and Rhetoric (3.00) |
| Studies the perennial problems of politics and morals considered primarily by the reading of plays, novels, speeches, and historical documents. | |
| RELG 5920 | Theology and Politics (3.00) |
| Investigates the relationship between theological reflection and political thought, focusing on how theological positions may have implications for political theory and vice-versa. Prerequisite: Graduate status or instructor permission. | |
| RELG 5960 | What Is Scripture? (3.00) |
| 'What is Scripture?' That is the defining question for this introductory seminar in Scripture, Interpretation, and Practice - one of three entry courses for the SIP program. While SIP prides itself in not asking 'what is?' questions, this course risks the question but only as a source of context-specific, tradition-based reasonings. The goal is sampling: examining selected passages from each canon to answer the question, what is scripture? Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELG 7050 | Myth and Modern Drama (3.00) |
| Studies the religious and narrative elements of Greek, biblical, and other mythic traditions as they exist in the works of modern dramatists. | |
| RELG 7140 | Comparative Indo-European Mythology (1.00) |
| Studies structural parallels between myths of the Indo-European language family, based on the methods pioneered by Georges Dumezil. | |
| RELG 7200 | Wittgenstein and Philosophy of Religion (3.00) |
| Studies several major works of Ludwig Wittgenstein as they bear on the problems raised by the philosophical study of religion. | |
| RELG 7210 | Kant and Philosophy of Religion (3.00) |
| Examines Kant's Critique of Practical Reason and Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone, with special attention to Kant's view of the relation between the theoretical and practical employments of reason, and the implications for theistic belief. | |
| RELG 7220 | Rationality, Justification, and Religious Belief (3.00) |
| Examines several major contemporary approaches to the question of the justification of religious belief, involving issues of relativism and kinds of rationality. | |
| RELG 7250 | Kierkegaard and Philosophy of Religion (3.00) |
| Examines Søren Kierkegaard's contribution to the philosophy of religion through his major philosophical works, Philosophical Fragments and Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Their bearing on the philosophical study of religion is highlighted by a prefatory examination of some works by Hume or Kant which provide useful contrast. Course was offered Fall 2010 | |
| RELG 7360 | Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Given the multidisciplinary character of religious studies, it is imperative for new scholars to gain a basic sense of theoretical and methodological options in the field. By way of an examination of landmark texts, this course surveys the formation of religious studies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and considers some important contemporary approaches. |
| RELG 7450 | Phenomenology and Theology (3.00) |
| This seminar investigates the relations between phenomenology and theology. Course was offered Spring 2010 | |
| RELG 7528 | Topics in Modern Religious Thought (3.00) |
| Examination of a major topic in modern religious thought--e.g., religious imagination, ethical and religious subjectivity, metaphor and religious language, religious and ethical conceptions of love. Course was offered Fall 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| RELG 7559 | New Course in Religious Studies (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Religious Studies. | |
| RELG 8000 | Tragedy and the Religious Imagination (3.00) |
| Examines ways in which tragedy (and other forms of imaginative literature), scripture and theology, and hermeneutics and criticism portray and reflect on aspects of suffering and evil. Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELG 8055 | Seminar in the Thought of Martin Heidegger (3.00) |
| Examines the works of Heidegger (especially Being and Time) and their contribution to contemporary theology. | |
| RELG 8080 | Principles and Practice of Bioethics Services (2.00) |
| Reviews the underlying principles, existing models, and literature in the practice of ethics consultation in health care. | |
| RELG 8090 | Proseminar on Current Controversies in Bioethics (3.00) |
| Studies controversies regarding research with the embryo and fetus, issues in AIDS prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and requests for assistance with suicide or euthanasia. | |
| RELG 8100 | Proseminar in Clinical Ethics (3.00) |
| Explores ethical perspectives and clinical decisions, including situation ethics, casuistry, principlism, and feminist perspectives. | |
| RELG 8120 | Figures and Traditions in Philosophical and Religious Ethics (1.00 - 3.00) |
| A two-semester course that introduces the basic ethical works and theories of central figures in the Western tradition: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Bentham, Mill, Buber, Dewey, and Rawls. | |
| RELG 8130 | Figures and Traditions in Philosophical and Religious (1.00 - 3.00) |
| A two-semester course that introduces the basic ethical works and theories of central figures in the Western tradition: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Bentham, Mill, Buber, Dewey, and Rawls. Course was offered Spring 2010 | |
| RELG 8140 | History of Bioethics via the Great Cases (3.00) |
| Topics include Tuskegee, Jewish Hospital for Chronic Diseases, Philadelphia Head-Injury Studies, Quinlan and Cruzan, Jehovah's Witness, Bouvia, Quill and Freud, Baby Jane Doe, Baby Theresa, Angela Carder, Wanglie, the Oregon Plan, etc. Concentrates on analysis of cases and turning points in the field of bioethics. | |
| RELG 8330 | Comparative Religious Ethics (3.00) |
| Examines the theoretical and methodological questions underlying comparative studies of religious ethics. Tests several methods in relation to materials from different religious traditions. Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELG 8340 | Contemporary Theological Ethics (3.00) |
| Examines trends and controversies in contemporary theological ethics. Prerequisite: instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2010 | |
| RELG 8350 | Proseminar in Scripture Interpretation and Practice (1.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This one credit seminar introduces students the Scriptural Interpretation and Practice (SIP) program to recent approaches to the comparative study of scriptural sources and scriptural traditions. |
| RELG 8400 | Historiography Seminar in American Religion (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Examines current historiographical issues in the interpretation of religion in American history. Prerequisite: instructor permission. Course was offered Spring 2012 |
| RELG 8559 | New Course in Religious Studies (1.00 - 6.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject of general religion. | |
| RELG 8900 | Pedagogy (1.00) |
| This seminar introduces graduate students to practical issues in the teaching of religious studies courses: such as constructing syllabi, planning and composing lectures and class activities, facilitating discussions, and evaluating student writing and other work. | |
| Religion-Hinduism | |
| RELH 1559 | New Course in Hinduism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism | |
| RELH 2090 | Hinduism (3.00) |
| Surveys the Hindu religious heritage from pre-history to the 17th century; includes the Jain and Sikh protestant movements. | |
| RELH 2110 | Popular Hinduism (3.00) |
| Introduces Hinduism through the examination of the religious lives, practices, and experiences of ordinary Hindus in the modern world. | |
| RELH 2559 | New Course in Hinduism (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | his course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism Course was offered Fall 2012 |
| RELH 3140 | The Jain Tradition (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Examines Jain history, belief, and practice. Prerequisite: RELG 1040, RELH 2090, 2110, or instructor permission. |
| RELH 3440 | Gandhi to Terrorism: Religion and Violence in Modern India (3.00) |
| The purpose of this course is to study the phenomenon of religious violence in one geographic and cultural context. We will examine the roles of religion and violence in Indian political life from the British period until contemporary times, and through the Indian example, we will explore current questions and problems regarding the relationship between religion and politics. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELH 3559 | New Course in Hinduism (3.00) |
| his course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism Course was offered Fall 2012, Spring 2010 | |
| RELH 3710 | Hindu Traditions of Devotion (3.00) |
| Examines the history of Hindu devotionalism in three distinct geographical and cultural regions of India, focusing on the rise of vernacular literature and local traditions of worship. Prerequisite: Any course in Asian religions or instructor permission. | |
| RELH 3740 | Hinduism Through its Narrative Literatures (3.00) |
| Examines a major genre of Hindu religious narrative. Genre varies but may include the epics; the mythology of the Puranas; the 'didactic' Kathasaritsagara and Pancatantra; the hagiographies of the great Hindu saints; and the modern novel. Prerequisite: RELG 1040, RELH 2090, RELH 2110, or instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2011 | |
| RELH 4559 | New Course in Hinduism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism | |
| RELH 5053 | Hindu Philosophical Systems (3.00) |
| Introduces the classical systems of Hindu philosophical thought through careful examination of primary texts and recent secondary scholarship. Prerequisite: RELH 2090, RELH 2110, or instructor permission. | |
| RELH 5054 | Hindu Ethics (3.00) |
| Explores the place of ethics and moral reasoning in Hindu thought and practice. Selected materials emphasize the particularity of different Hindu visions of the ideal human life. | |
| RELH 5450 | Hindu-Buddhist Debates (3.00) |
| This course examines philosophical debates of Hindu and Buddhist authors from the time of the founding of Buddhism to the medieval period. Primary sources in translation and secondary, scholarly sources are examined in this course. | |
| RELH 5559 | New Course in Hinduism (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism. |
| RELH 5890 | Vedic Hinduism (3.00) |
| Investigates the interplay of myth, ritual, and society in ancient India, taking the Vedic textual tradition and the theories of Jan Heesterman as its dual starting point. | |
| RELH 7170 | Hindu Cosmology (3.00) |
| An intensive examination of Hindu conceptions of space and time. | |
| RELH 7559 | New Course in Hinduism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism. | |
| RELH 8559 | New Course in Hinduism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| Religion-Islam | |
| RELI 1559 | New Course in Islam (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Islam | |
| RELI 2070 | Classical Islam (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Studies the Irano-Semitic background, Arabia, Muhammad and the Qur'an, the Hadith, law and theology, duties and devotional practices, sectarian developments, and Sufism. |
| RELI 2080 | Islam in the Modern Age (3.00) |
| Studies the 19th and 20th centuries in the Arab world, Turkey, and the Sub-Continent of India, emphasizing reform movements, secularization, and social and cultural change. | |
| RELI 2559 | New Course in Islam (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Islam Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2011 | |
| RELI 3110 | Muhammad and the Qur'an (3.00) |
| Systematic reading of the Qur'an in English, with an examination of the prophet's life and work. Prerequisite: Instructor permission. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2011 | |
| RELI 3120 | Sufism: Islamic Mysticism (3.00) |
| This course will be a historical and topical survey of the development of Sufism from the classical Islamic period through the modern age, paying special attention to the interaction of ideas and the social and political contexts surrounding them. | |
| RELI 3559 | New Course in Islam (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Islam Course was offered Spring 2012, Fall 2010 | |
| RELI 3670 | Religion and Politics in Islam (3.00) |
| Historical and topical survey of the roots and genesis of the religion, and political conceptions operating in the Islamic world today. | |
| RELI 3900 | Islam in Africa (3.00) |
| Historical and topical introduction to Islam in Africa. Cross-listed as RELA 3900. Prerequisite: RELA 2750, RELI 2070, RELI 2080, or instructor permission. Course was offered Fall 2011 | |
| RELI 4559 | New Course in Islam (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Islam | |
| RELI 5380 | Islamic Biomedical Ethics (3.00) |
| Seminar will explore the foundations of religious ethics, ethical principles and rules developed by Muslim scholars to provide guidelines in medical practice and research in various cultural and political contexts. | |
| RELI 5400 | Muslim Comparative Theologies: Sunni-Shi'i Creeds (3.00) |
| The seminar will undertake to study the comparative Sunni and Shi'ite theologies to underscore a historical development of Muslim creeds in the context of social and political conditions. The course will cover the development of Muslim theology in general and the Sunni and Shi'ite creeds in particular. Prerequisites: RELI 2070 or 2080 Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELI 5410 | Islamic Theology: The Shi'ite Creed (3.00) |
| Studies Twelver Shi'ite religious thought in comparison with other Shi'ite and Sunni sects. | |
| RELI 5420 | War and Peace in Islam: A Comparative Ethics Approach (3.00) |
| Studies Islamic notions of holy war and peace as they relate to statecraft and political authority in Muslim history. | |
| RELI 5540 | Seminar in Islamic Theology (3.00) |
| Studies Islamic theology from its origins through the 14th century. The Sunni and Shi'ite traditions are discussed in alternate years. Prerequisite: RELI 2070 or instructor permission. Course was offered Spring 2011, Fall 2009 | |
| RELI 5559 | New Course in Islam (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Islam. |
| RELI 7100 | Islamic Religious Law (3.00) |
| Studies the sources and implications of the Islamic Religious Law (the Sharia). Prerequisite: RELI 2070 or RELC 5300. | |
| RELI 7559 | New Course in Islam (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Islam. | |
| RELI 8559 | New Course in Islam (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Islam. | |
| RELI 8600 | Seminar in Shi'ite Theology (3.00) |
| An in-depth study of Shi'ite Islamic Theology from its origin through the 14th century. Prerequisite: RELI 5400, two years of Persian or Arabic. | |
| Religion-Judaism | |
| RELJ 1210 | Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Studies the history, literature, and religion of ancient Israel in the light of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Emphasizes methods of contemporary biblical criticism. Cross listed as RELC 1210. |
| RELJ 1410 | Elementary Classical Hebrew I (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Studies the essentials of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Includes readings of narrative portions of the Hebrew Bible. |
| RELJ 1420 | Elementary Classical Hebrew II (3.00) |
| Studies the essentials of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Includes readings of narrative portions of the Hebrew Bible. Prerequisite: HEBR/RELJ 1410 or the equivalent. | |
| RELJ 1559 | New Course in Judaism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Judaism | |
| RELJ 1590 | Topics in Jewish Studies (3.00) |
| This course provides the student with an opportunity to explore a new topic in Jewish Studies | |
| RELJ 2030 | The Judaic Tradition (3.00) |
| Introduces the world view and way of life of classical Rabbinic Judaism. | |
| RELJ 2040 | American Judaism (3.00) |
| Description and explanation of the diverse forms of Jewish religious life in America. | |
| RELJ 2056 | Classical Sources in the Jewish Tradition (3.00) |
| Classical Sources in the Jewish Tradition/Judaism in Antiquity | |
| RELJ 2061 | Judaism, Modernity, and Secularization (3.00) |
| This course attempts to develop the history and intellectual underpinnings of the Jewish experience of modernity and secularization. It will explore the variety of Jewish responses and adjustments to the modern world and their implications for present day Judaism in its many forms. | |
| RELJ 2230 | Jewish Spiritual Journeys (3.00) |
| Jewish Spiritual Journeys | |
| RELJ 2240 | Jewish Ritual (3.00) |
| Jewish Ritual | |
| RELJ 2300 | Introduction to Israeli Literature in Translation (3.00) |
| This course explores Israeli culture and society through the lens of its literature. Beginning with the revival of modern Hebrew and following the formative events of the Israeli experience, we will study a range of fictional works (and poetry) that represent the diverse voices of Israeli self-expression. Readings include S.Y. Agnon, Aharon Appelfeld, Yoel Hoffmann, Etgar Keret, A.B. Yehoshua, Yehudit Hendel, and others. Course was offered Fall 2010 | |
| RELJ 2410 | Intermediate Classical Hebrew I (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Readings in the prose narratives of the Hebrew Bible. Emphasizes grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. Attention to issues of translation and interpretation. Prerequisite: HEBR/RELJ 1420 or the equivalent. |
| RELJ 2420 | Intermediate Classical Hebrew II (3.00) |
| Readings in the prose narratives and poetry of the Hebrew Bible. Emphasizes grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. Attention to issues of translation and interpretation. Prerequisite: HEBR/RELJ 2410 or the equivalent. | |
| RELJ 2521 | Special Topics in Judaism (3.00) |
| Special Topics In Judaism. | |
| RELJ 2559 | New Course in Judaism (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject of Judaisim. | |
| RELJ 2590 | Topics in Jewish Studies (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the student with an opportunity to explore a new topic in Jewish Studies |
| RELJ 3030 | Historical Jesus (3.00) |
| Historical Jesus | |
| RELJ 3052 | Responses to the Holocaust (3.00) |
| Responses to the Holocaust | |
| RELJ 3070 | Beliefs and Ethics after the Holocaust (3.00) |
| Examines how theologians and ethicists have responded to the human catastrophe of the Nazi Holocaust, 1933-45. Readings include twentieth-century reflections on the Holocaust, and previous Jewish and Christian responses to catastrophe from Biblical times through the nineteenth- and twentieth-century pogroms in eastern Europe. Prerequisite: Any religious studies, history, or philosophy course, or instructor permission. | |
| RELJ 3080 | Israeli Fiction in Translation (3.00) |
| Israeli Fiction in Translation | |
| RELJ 3085 | The Passover Haggadah: A Service Learning Course (3.00) |
| The Passover Haggadah cultivates sensitivity for the plight of the stranger, and we will study how it came about and how it has been used as a template for rituals of social activism on behalf of oppressed peoples, and in particular, of refugees. In volunteer placements in the community, UVA students will work with individuals who have have found refuge in Cville. Together, they will collaborate on designing haggadahs and community seders. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2011 | |
| RELJ 3090 | Israelite Prophecy (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Surveys Israelite prophecy based on the prophetic books of the Old Testament. |
| RELJ 3100 | Medieval Jewish Theology (3.00) |
| Medieval Jewish Theology | |
| RELJ 3170 | Modern Jewish Thought (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course offers an introduction into the major themes of Modern Jewish Thought. |
| RELJ 3220 | Judaism and Zionism (3.00) |
| Studies the complex relationship between Judaism the sacred tradition of the Jews and Zionism the modern ideology of Jewish national revival. | |
| RELJ 3300 | The Jewish Mystical Tradition (3.00) |
| Historical study of the Jewish mystical tradition, emphasizing the persistent themes of the tradition as represented in selected mystical texts. | |
| RELJ 3310 | Jewish Law (3.00) |
| Studies the structure and content of Jewish law in terms of its normative function, its historical background, its theological and philosophical principles, and its role in contemporary society both Jewish and general. | |
| RELJ 3320 | Judaism: Medicine and Healing (3.00) |
| Judaism: Medicine and Healing | |
| RELJ 3330 | Women and Judaism: Tradition and Change (3.00) |
| Women and Judaism: Tradition and Change | |
| RELJ 3340 | Jewish Medical Ethics (3.00) |
| Jewish Medical Ethics | |
| RELJ 3350 | Jewish Social Ethics (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Jewish Social Ethics |
| RELJ 3360 | Judaism and Christianity (3.00) |
| Studies the relationship between Judaism and Christianity from the origins of Christianity as a Jewish sect through the conflicts of the Middle Ages and modernity; and current views of the interrelationship. | |
| RELJ 3370 | Modern Movements in Judaism (3.00) |
| Studies the modern religious movements in Judaism including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, as well as Zionism, both secular and religious, with an emphasis on their theological and philosophical assertions and historical backgrounds. | |
| RELJ 3372 | German Jewish Culture and History (3.00) |
| This course provides a wide-ranging exploration of the culture, history & thought of German Jewry from 1750 to 1939. It focuses on the Jewish response to modernity in Central Europe and the lasting transformations in Jewish life in Europe and later North America. Readings of such figures as: Moses Mendelssohn, Heinrich Heine, Rahel Varnhagen, Franz Kafka, Gershom Scholem, Martin Buber, Karl Marx, Rosa Luxembourg, Walter Benjamin, and Freud. | |
| RELJ 3390 | Jewish Feminism (3.00) |
| Jewish Feminism | |
| RELJ 3430 | Women in Judaism (3.00) |
| Women in Judaism Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELJ 3559 | New Course in Judaism (1.00 - 4.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject of Judaism. Course was offered Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, January 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELJ 3590 | Topics in Jewish Studies (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This course provides the student with an opportunity to explore a new topic in Jewish Studies |
| RELJ 3615 | Joseph, Esther, Daniel: Biblical Novels (3.00) |
| The finest narratives in ancient Judaism - stories about Joseph, Esther, Daniel - describe an exiled hero, who delivers his or her people against all odds; related literature includes Ruth, Tobit, Judith, Joseph & Asenath. This course examines the literary, historical, theological significance of these works and common themes: exile, restoration, extraordinary women, coincidence, human agency, the remote deity, the vindication of the underdog. Course was offered Spring 2013 | |
| RELJ 3830 | Talmud (3.00) |
| Talmud Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELJ 3910 | Women and the Bible (3.00) |
| Surveys passages in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and the New Testament that focus specifically on women or use feminine imagery. Considers various readings of these passages, including traditional Jewish and Christian, historical-critical, and feminist interpretations. Cross-listed as RELC 3910. Prerequisite: Any religious studies course or instructor permission. | |
| RELJ 4559 | New Course in Judaism (1.00 - 4.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer new topics in the subject of Judaism. | |
| RELJ 4590 | Topics in Jewish Studies (3.00) |
| This course provides the student with an opportunity to explore a new topic in Jewish Studies | |
| RELJ 4591 | Topics Modern Jewish History (3.00) |
| This topical course will explore topics in modern Jewish history, from 1948 to the present day. Course was offered Fall 2009 | |
| RELJ 4950 | Senior Seminar in Jewish Studies (3.00) |
| This course introduces and examines the origins and development of Jewish Studies with emphasis on its interdisciplinary character. Requirements include active class participation and a significant research paper based on a topic of the student's choice.
| |
| RELJ 5048 | Philo of Alexandria and Hellenistic Judaism (3.00) |
| An indepth inquiry into the writings and thought of Philo of Alexandria (ca. 20 BCE-50 CE) Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELJ 5050 | Judaism in Antiquity (3.00) |
| Description and analysis of representative systems of Judaic religion which flourished in Palestine, Egypt, and Mesopotamia from 505 BCE to 600 CE. Course was offered Spring 2010 | |
| RELJ 5065 | Jewish History, Meta-History, Counter History (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | The course discusses models of history, meta-history, counter history, and anti-history in modern Jewish thought. Readings from Heinrich Graetz, Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, Walter Benjamin, A.J. Heschel, Leo Strauss, and others. |
| RELJ 5105 | Religion and Culture of the Rabbis (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | An examination of religion and culture of the rabbinic movement (c. 70-600 CE) in the social and cultural contexts of Greco-Roman antiquity. Among the issues to be examined: rituals and institutions of the rabbis, social organizations within the rabbinic movement, engagement with other sectors of Jewish and gentile society. |
| RELJ 5130 | Psalms (3.00) |
| Psalms | |
| RELJ 5220 | Literary Approaches to Rabbinic Literature (3.00) |
| Seminar investigating specific aspects of the pre-modern development of Rabbinic Judaism, e.g., 'the holy man, mysticism and society, canon and exegesis, and law as theology.' | |
| RELJ 5230 | Modern Jewish Thought: From Phenomenology to Scripture (3.00) |
| Studies postmodern trajectories in the Jewish philosophies of Rosenzweig and Levinas, with comparative readings in Derrida and Ricoeur. Includes supplementary studies of Descartes, Kant, Husserl, Cohen, Buber, and Lyotard. | |
| RELJ 5280 | Seminar in Israelite Religion (3.00) |
| Advanced study in a selected aspect of the religion of ancient Israel. | |
| RELJ 5290 | Seminar in Hebrew Bible (3.00) |
| In-depth study of a selected corpus of literature, specific book of the Hebrew Bible, or pervasive theme. | |
| RELJ 5291 | The Book of Genesis and Its Interpretation (3.00) |
| A seminar on the book of Genesis (with attention to its literary artistry, compositional history, and theological issues) and its subsequent interpretation. Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELJ 5300 | Early Christianity and Classical Judaism (3.00) |
| Early Christianity and Classical Judaism | |
| RELJ 5559 | New Course in Judaism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Judaism | |
| RELJ 5940 | Judaism and Kantian Philosophy (3.00) |
| The interaction of the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and Jewish theology in the 19th century and early 20th century, primarily concentrating on the thought of the German-Jewish thinker Hermann Cohen (1842-1918). Prerequisite: Courses in philosophy or Jewish thought, or instructor permission; reading knowledge of German helpful. | |
| RELJ 5950 | Midrashic Imagination (3.00) |
| Midrashic Imagination Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2009 | |
| RELJ 7559 | New Course in Judaism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Judaism. Course was offered Spring 2010 | |
| RELJ 8559 | New Course in Judaism (3.00) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Judaism. Course was offered Fall 2012 | |
| RELJ 8880 | Biblical and Jewish Palestinian Aramaic (3.00) |
| Introduces the Aramaic language, intended especially for New Testament graduate students. Emphasizes mastery of the grammar and syntax of Official or Imperial Aramaic and especially Middle Aramaic (second century b.c.e. to second century c.e.). | |
| Religion-Special Topic | |
| RELS 4980 | Senior Essay (3.00) |
| Studies selected topic in religious studies under detailed supervision. The writing of an essay constitutes a major portion of the work. Prerequisite: Permission of departmental advisor and instructor. | |
| RELS 4995 | Independent Research (1.00 - 6.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Systematic readings in a selected topic under detailed supervision. Prerequisite: Permission of departmental advisor and instructor. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELS 4998 | Distinguished Major Thesis I (0.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Thesis, directed by a member of the department, focusing on a specific problem in the theoretical, historical or philosophical study of religion or a specific religious tradition. The thesis is based in part on at least three hours of directed reading in the field of the thesis. Prerequisite: Selection by faculty for Distinguished Major Program. |
| RELS 4999 | Distinguished Major Thesis II (6.00) |
| Thesis, directed by a member of the department, focusing on a specific problem in the theoretical, historical or philosophical study of religion or a specific religious tradition. The thesis is based in part on at least three hours of directed reading in the field of the thesis. Prerequisite: Selection by faculty for Distinguished Major Program and RELS 4998. | |
| RELS 8500 | Topics for Supervised Study and Research (1.00 - 6.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | This topical course provides Master's and Doctoral students in Religious Studies an opportunity for advanced coursework in selected, established areas of the department's curriculum. |
| RELS 8960 | Thesis Research (3.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Research on problems leading to a master's thesis. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELS 8995 | Research (1.00 - 12.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | Systematic readings in a selected topic under detailed supervision. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Summer 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Summer 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELS 8998 | Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Research (1.00 - 12.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | For master's research, taken before a thesis director has been selected. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELS 8999 | Non-Topical Research (1.00 - 12.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | For master's thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELS 9998 | Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research (1.00 - 12.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | For doctoral research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Summer 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Summer 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELS 9999 | Non-Topical Research (1.00 - 12.00) |
| Offered Fall 2013 | For doctoral dissertation, taken under the supervision of a dissertation director. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |