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Course level:
100
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| 300
| 400
REL-101 Introduction to Religion
Introduction to basic elements entailed in the study of religion such as sacred space, sacred time, ritual, pilgrimage, cosmoloy, ritual, scripture, and the afterlife. Course explores case studies from various cultlural traditions throughout the world.
REL-105 The Bible and Modern Moral Issues
Investigation of the relevance of the Bible for life in the twentieth century. Some issues studied from a biblical perspective include sex roles and sexual relations, economic inequities, and legal injustices. Among topics to be covered are marriage and divorce, homosexuality, women's rights, poverty, war, and peace. Three class hours. No prerequisites. Open to first-year students and sophomores only. Offered every year.
REL-127 Topics in History of Religions
Intensive study of a religious topic, problem, writer, or theme in the field of the history of religions. Offered at the discretion of the department.
REL-137 Topics in Religious Thought
Intensive study of a religious topic, problem, writer, or theme in the field of religious thought. Offered at the discretion of the department.
REL-138 Topics in Religious Thought
Intensive study of a religious nonwestern topic, problem, writer, or theme in the field of religious thought.
REL-204 History, Literature and Religion of the Hebrew Scriptures
Study of the history, literature, and religion of the Hebrews, from the time of Abraham to about 500 B.C.E. History and culture of Israel are related to those of surrounding nations, with special emphasis on the relevancy of archeological data.
REL-205 Hist,Lit,Rel of New Testament
Introduction to writings of the New Testament as they originated in their Greco-Roman milieu. Emphasis is on the distinctive purposes and main content of each writing. Use of source, form, and redaction criticism as tools for the academic study of the New Testament is demonstrated.
REL-209 Topics in Religion
Intensive study of a religious topic, problem, writer, or theme.
REL-210 Topics in Religion
Intensive study of a nonwestern religious topic, problem, writer, or theme.
REL-214 Introduction to Judaism
Overview of ancient and contemporary Jewish belief and practice through an examination of sacred texts, theology, and history. Special attention is given to Jewish theology, holidays, and life-cycle.
REL-226 Native American Religions
An introduction to the religious traditions of the Native American peoples. This course considers various Native American "ways of life" as fundamentally religious. Ethnographic case studies and contemporary issues are focused upon to reveal the religious importance of land, language, and community to otherwise diverse Native American peoples. Special attention is paid to the ongoing struggle these same peoples face for religious freedom in a country where religion is often thought of as a matter of individual belief rather than communal practice.
REL-227 Religion and Society
Critical examination of relationship between society and religion. Course relies upon theories offered by key thinkers in the study of religion to reveal religious phenomena in the contemporary world as inherently social and as having tremendous impact upon all social structures. Critical reading and writing is emphasized.
REL-234 Religion in America
Critical survey of various religious groups and phenomena in the United States. This course will examine the traditional religions whose adherents played significant roles in founding the United States, while also paying attention to the religious traditions of the historically enslaved, colonized, and otherwise oppressed. Special attention will be paid to alternative religious movements and to those religious groups whose members seek greater visibility, freedom, or influence upon the religious character of the United States today.
REL-237 Twentieth Century Jewish Thought
An exploration of how 20th century Jewish thinkers critically address many of the religious, spiritual, existential, social and ethical issues that face contemporary, Western society. Their insights are used to help us understand the world in which we live. Discussion is an important part of this course.
REL-238 The Holocaust and Jewish Thought
Exploration of Jewish religious, literary, ethical, and philosophical responses to the Holocaust. The theme of the course will be how the Holocaust threatens traditional understandings of Judaism, and monotheism, social ethics, spirituality, and community.
REL-240 Relgn & Politics Middle East
Religion and Politics in the Middle East is a course designed to introduce students to the variety of ways that Muslims, Christians and Jews in the contemporary Middle East have struggled to define their religious traditions and national aspirations in light of the changes brought about by modernity.
REL-241 Introduction to Hinduism
Survey of the Hindu religious traditions from its origins in the Vedas to contemporary Indian political thought and philosophy. Course will focus on ideas of sacrifice, liberation, devotion to the deities, and social structure through an examination of core texts from the Hindu tradition.
REL-243 Mythology and Religion
Mythology and religion have always been companions. Course aims at understanding this friendship. Students familiarize themselves with certain mythological artifacts, as well as current 'surrogate myths.' Primary focus is an appreciation of the process of 'mythmaking,' which is approached from several critical viewpoints. Not offered every year.
REL-244 Introduction to Buddhism
Introduction to the beliefs and practices of the Buddhist tradition, from their origins in ancient India to modern times. Course surveys major texts of the Buddhist tradition and explores their interpretations in the countries of South Asia and East Asia.
REL-247 Introduction to Religions of South Asia
A thematic and conceptual introduction to the religious traditions of South Asia (the geographic region comprised of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh) through a close examination of some of the primary texts, practices, and major figures of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity. The course focuses on what adherents of these religions have believed and practiced historically and in the present, and engages the worldviews and claims of these religions in various reflective, critical ways.
REL-248 Religions of China
General introduction to major religious traditions of China through textual, historical, and social studies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Attention is also given to an assessment of their contemporary viability.
REL-249 Religions of Japan
Special emphasis on understanding the religious thinking of the Japanese, ancient and modern, through textual, historical, and cultural study of religious traditions: Shinto and folk beliefs, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
REL-251 Looking For the Tao
Introduction to the major texts of classical Chinese thought. Course surveys the works, in English translation, of the most important thinkers of the Confucian, Taoist, Legalist, and Mohist schools of the fifth to the third centuries B.C.E. and explores their significance for social, educational, and environmental concerns in modern East Asia.
REL-254 Confucianism
Survey of the religious and philosophical traditions of Confucianism in East Asia from ancient to modern times. Course explores such notions as ritual, education, human nature, self-cultivation, and quiet sitting. Attention is also given to women's learning and women's education in ancient and later imperial times.
REL-270 Introduction to Islam
Survey of the origins and development of Islamic beliefs and practices from inception to the present. Course examines the growth and development of the cultural, political, legal, theological, and mystical aspects of Islam from the early to the modern periods. Course readings emphasize primary source material.
REL-271 Sufism: The Mystic Path in Islam
Survey of the mystical tradition in Islam known as Sufism, from its origins in medieval Iraq to its role in contemporary Islamic societies. Course focuses on how the Sufi pursuit of unity with, or annihilation in, God relates to the core monotheistic beliefs of Islam. Sufi theories and practices are studies through primary source materials and special attention will be paid to issues of orthodoxy, heresy, and anti-social behavior in the history of Sufism.
REL-272 Islam in the Modern World
Explores the relationships between “Islam” and “the Modern World” and how these categories have been variously understood and defined from the late 18th century to the present. Through autobiographies, religious texts, films, literature, historical writings, art and architecture and other forms of expression, the course focuses on key issues within the diverse world of global Islam such as gender, justice, colonialism, orientalism, Islamic law, violence, reform and piety movements, and human rights.
REL-311 Jesus in First Three Gospels
Examination of the Jesus tradition, as interpreted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, using techniques of source, form, redaction, and literary criticism. Special attention is given to the distinctive perspective of each Gospel. Not offered every year.
REL-312 The Gospel of John
Exploration of the thought and content of the Fourth Gospel. Effort is made to determine the background purposes for writing, and the community addressed by John's Gospel. The question of its relationship to the Synoptic Gospels and the Epistles of John is included. Not offered every year.
REL-314 The Apostle Paul
Study of the life, letters, and legacy of the early Christian, Paul, through a careful consideration of primary and selected secondary sources. Particular attention is given to understanding the Pauline literature in its historical context. Ancient and modern interpretations of Paul's life and work are also treated. Not offered every year.
REL-320 Religion and Colonialism
Critical examination of the relationship between religion and colonialism. The use of religion by some peoples as a colonizing tool is considered alongside the use of religion by other peoples as a tool that facilitates freedom from colonialism. Case studies of colonialism and indigenous resistance against colonialism are drawn from the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Theoretical constructions of religion, colonialism, and postcolonialism are considered, as well.
REL-327 Monks, Nuns, and Friars
REL-331 Religion and Technology
An exploration of how modern Jewish thinkers critically address the question of technology and its effect on Western attitudes concerning religion, ethics and community. The course uses the readings as springboards to discuss such issues as alienation, labor, abortion, cloning and more. The insights of these thinkers help to better understand the world in which we live.
REL-340 Cosmology of the Body
Exploration of the religious, symbolic, and magical dimensions of cross-cultural concepts of the human body. Course surveys religious attitudes toward such topics as resurrection, reincarnation, mutilation, cannibalism, fasting and body decoration. Not offered every year
REL-343 Mythology and Religion
Mythology and religion have always been companions. Course aims at understanding this friendship. Students familiarize themselves with certain mythological artifacts, as well as current 'surrogate myths.' Primary focus is an appreciation of the process of 'mythmaking,' which is approached from several critical viewpoints. Not offered every year.
REL-351 Buddhist Scriptures
Course explores major Buddhist scriptures in English translation. Readings include texts from the time of the Buddha (500 BCE) to approximately 1000CE and include selections from South and North Asian traditions. Emphasis is on the scriptures' religious and philosophical content, but consideration is also given to the ritual use of texts. Prerequisite: prior course in Buddhism or permission of the instructor.
REL-352 The Tao of Tradition Chinese Medicine
Introduction to the philosophical and religious aspects of traditional Chinese healing practices. Course surveys such topics as the composition of the human body and its relationship with the larger cosmos, the diagnosis of ailments caused by material and spiritual pathogens, the medical and ritual treatment of conditions, and preventative practices such as meditation and exercise. Emphasis is on pre-modern traditions, but some attention is given to their modern applications.
REL-355 Muhammad and the Qur'an
Examination of the foundations of Islam in the life of the Prophet Muhammad and in the text of the Qur'an. Course examines the content and style of the Qur'an and of the traditional biography of Muhammad. Focus on the roles of the Qur'an and Muhammad's life as the sources for Islamic law and practice as well as objects of veneration. Special attention is paid to the historical problems raised by the study of early Islam, particularly with regard to the dating of the Qur'an and Muhammad's career.
REL-358 Islam in South Asia
Examines Islam in its diverse forms within South Asia—a region that is home to more Muslims than any other region of the world. The course explores various individual and collective expressions of Muslim belief and practice (Sunni, Shi`i, and Sufi) from our earliest records to the present day. Attention will be given to the historical development of Islam in the region, religio-political movements, popular ritual and devotion, and Islamic mysticism through the study of religious and historical texts, biographies, visual art, and novels.
REL-360 Religious Diversity and Conflict in South Asia
Examination of the history of religious diversity and conflict in South Asia. Course explores the way in which numerous religious traditions, including the many forms of Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Christianity, have co-existed and flourished in the Indian sub-continent. Particular attention is paid to moments of inter-religious cooperation and dialogue and moments of inter-communal conflict.
REL-450 Individualized Study-Tutorial
Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
REL-452 Individualized Study-Tutorial
Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
REL-460 Individualized Study-Research
Senior Project must be approved by department.
REL-461 Individualized Study-Research
Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U
REL-470 Individualized Study-Internship
Internship counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
REL-474 Summer Internship
Summer Internship graded A-F, counting in the mimimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office.
REL-475 Summer Internship
Summer Internship graded S/U, counting in the mimimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office
REL-101 Introduction to Religion
Introduction to basic elements entailed in the study of religion such as sacred space, sacred time, ritual, pilgrimage, cosmoloy, ritual, scripture, and the afterlife. Course explores case studies from various cultlural traditions throughout the world.
REL-105 The Bible and Modern Moral Issues
Investigation of the relevance of the Bible for life in the twentieth century. Some issues studied from a biblical perspective include sex roles and sexual relations, economic inequities, and legal injustices. Among topics to be covered are marriage and divorce, homosexuality, women's rights, poverty, war, and peace. Three class hours. No prerequisites. Open to first-year students and sophomores only. Offered every year.
REL-127 Topics in History of Religions
Intensive study of a religious topic, problem, writer, or theme in the field of the history of religions. Offered at the discretion of the department.
REL-137 Topics in Religious Thought
Intensive study of a religious topic, problem, writer, or theme in the field of religious thought. Offered at the discretion of the department.
REL-138 Topics in Religious Thought
Intensive study of a religious nonwestern topic, problem, writer, or theme in the field of religious thought.
REL-204 History, Literature and Religion of the Hebrew Scriptures
Study of the history, literature, and religion of the Hebrews, from the time of Abraham to about 500 B.C.E. History and culture of Israel are related to those of surrounding nations, with special emphasis on the relevancy of archeological data.
REL-205 Hist,Lit,Rel of New Testament
Introduction to writings of the New Testament as they originated in their Greco-Roman milieu. Emphasis is on the distinctive purposes and main content of each writing. Use of source, form, and redaction criticism as tools for the academic study of the New Testament is demonstrated.
REL-209 Topics in Religion
Intensive study of a religious topic, problem, writer, or theme.
REL-210 Topics in Religion
Intensive study of a nonwestern religious topic, problem, writer, or theme.
REL-214 Introduction to Judaism
Overview of ancient and contemporary Jewish belief and practice through an examination of sacred texts, theology, and history. Special attention is given to Jewish theology, holidays, and life-cycle.
REL-226 Native American Religions
An introduction to the religious traditions of the Native American peoples. This course considers various Native American "ways of life" as fundamentally religious. Ethnographic case studies and contemporary issues are focused upon to reveal the religious importance of land, language, and community to otherwise diverse Native American peoples. Special attention is paid to the ongoing struggle these same peoples face for religious freedom in a country where religion is often thought of as a matter of individual belief rather than communal practice.
REL-227 Religion and Society
Critical examination of relationship between society and religion. Course relies upon theories offered by key thinkers in the study of religion to reveal religious phenomena in the contemporary world as inherently social and as having tremendous impact upon all social structures. Critical reading and writing is emphasized.
REL-234 Religion in America
Critical survey of various religious groups and phenomena in the United States. This course will examine the traditional religions whose adherents played significant roles in founding the United States, while also paying attention to the religious traditions of the historically enslaved, colonized, and otherwise oppressed. Special attention will be paid to alternative religious movements and to those religious groups whose members seek greater visibility, freedom, or influence upon the religious character of the United States today.
REL-237 Twentieth Century Jewish Thought
An exploration of how 20th century Jewish thinkers critically address many of the religious, spiritual, existential, social and ethical issues that face contemporary, Western society. Their insights are used to help us understand the world in which we live. Discussion is an important part of this course.
REL-238 The Holocaust and Jewish Thought
Exploration of Jewish religious, literary, ethical, and philosophical responses to the Holocaust. The theme of the course will be how the Holocaust threatens traditional understandings of Judaism, and monotheism, social ethics, spirituality, and community.
REL-240 Relgn & Politics Middle East
Religion and Politics in the Middle East is a course designed to introduce students to the variety of ways that Muslims, Christians and Jews in the contemporary Middle East have struggled to define their religious traditions and national aspirations in light of the changes brought about by modernity.
REL-241 Introduction to Hinduism
Survey of the Hindu religious traditions from its origins in the Vedas to contemporary Indian political thought and philosophy. Course will focus on ideas of sacrifice, liberation, devotion to the deities, and social structure through an examination of core texts from the Hindu tradition.
REL-243 Mythology and Religion
Mythology and religion have always been companions. Course aims at understanding this friendship. Students familiarize themselves with certain mythological artifacts, as well as current 'surrogate myths.' Primary focus is an appreciation of the process of 'mythmaking,' which is approached from several critical viewpoints. Not offered every year.
REL-244 Introduction to Buddhism
Introduction to the beliefs and practices of the Buddhist tradition, from their origins in ancient India to modern times. Course surveys major texts of the Buddhist tradition and explores their interpretations in the countries of South Asia and East Asia.
REL-247 Introduction to Religions of South Asia
A thematic and conceptual introduction to the religious traditions of South Asia (the geographic region comprised of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh) through a close examination of some of the primary texts, practices, and major figures of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity. The course focuses on what adherents of these religions have believed and practiced historically and in the present, and engages the worldviews and claims of these religions in various reflective, critical ways.
REL-248 Religions of China
General introduction to major religious traditions of China through textual, historical, and social studies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Attention is also given to an assessment of their contemporary viability.
REL-249 Religions of Japan
Special emphasis on understanding the religious thinking of the Japanese, ancient and modern, through textual, historical, and cultural study of religious traditions: Shinto and folk beliefs, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
REL-251 Looking For the Tao
Introduction to the major texts of classical Chinese thought. Course surveys the works, in English translation, of the most important thinkers of the Confucian, Taoist, Legalist, and Mohist schools of the fifth to the third centuries B.C.E. and explores their significance for social, educational, and environmental concerns in modern East Asia.
REL-254 Confucianism
Survey of the religious and philosophical traditions of Confucianism in East Asia from ancient to modern times. Course explores such notions as ritual, education, human nature, self-cultivation, and quiet sitting. Attention is also given to women's learning and women's education in ancient and later imperial times.
REL-270 Introduction to Islam
Survey of the origins and development of Islamic beliefs and practices from inception to the present. Course examines the growth and development of the cultural, political, legal, theological, and mystical aspects of Islam from the early to the modern periods. Course readings emphasize primary source material.
REL-271 Sufism: The Mystic Path in Islam
Survey of the mystical tradition in Islam known as Sufism, from its origins in medieval Iraq to its role in contemporary Islamic societies. Course focuses on how the Sufi pursuit of unity with, or annihilation in, God relates to the core monotheistic beliefs of Islam. Sufi theories and practices are studies through primary source materials and special attention will be paid to issues of orthodoxy, heresy, and anti-social behavior in the history of Sufism.
REL-272 Islam in the Modern World
Explores the relationships between “Islam” and “the Modern World” and how these categories have been variously understood and defined from the late 18th century to the present. Through autobiographies, religious texts, films, literature, historical writings, art and architecture and other forms of expression, the course focuses on key issues within the diverse world of global Islam such as gender, justice, colonialism, orientalism, Islamic law, violence, reform and piety movements, and human rights.
REL-311 Jesus in First Three Gospels
Examination of the Jesus tradition, as interpreted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, using techniques of source, form, redaction, and literary criticism. Special attention is given to the distinctive perspective of each Gospel. Not offered every year.
REL-312 The Gospel of John
Exploration of the thought and content of the Fourth Gospel. Effort is made to determine the background purposes for writing, and the community addressed by John's Gospel. The question of its relationship to the Synoptic Gospels and the Epistles of John is included. Not offered every year.
REL-314 The Apostle Paul
Study of the life, letters, and legacy of the early Christian, Paul, through a careful consideration of primary and selected secondary sources. Particular attention is given to understanding the Pauline literature in its historical context. Ancient and modern interpretations of Paul's life and work are also treated. Not offered every year.
REL-320 Religion and Colonialism
Critical examination of the relationship between religion and colonialism. The use of religion by some peoples as a colonizing tool is considered alongside the use of religion by other peoples as a tool that facilitates freedom from colonialism. Case studies of colonialism and indigenous resistance against colonialism are drawn from the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Theoretical constructions of religion, colonialism, and postcolonialism are considered, as well.
REL-327 Monks, Nuns, and Friars
REL-331 Religion and Technology
An exploration of how modern Jewish thinkers critically address the question of technology and its effect on Western attitudes concerning religion, ethics and community. The course uses the readings as springboards to discuss such issues as alienation, labor, abortion, cloning and more. The insights of these thinkers help to better understand the world in which we live.
REL-340 Cosmology of the Body
Exploration of the religious, symbolic, and magical dimensions of cross-cultural concepts of the human body. Course surveys religious attitudes toward such topics as resurrection, reincarnation, mutilation, cannibalism, fasting and body decoration. Not offered every year
REL-343 Mythology and Religion
Mythology and religion have always been companions. Course aims at understanding this friendship. Students familiarize themselves with certain mythological artifacts, as well as current 'surrogate myths.' Primary focus is an appreciation of the process of 'mythmaking,' which is approached from several critical viewpoints. Not offered every year.
REL-351 Buddhist Scriptures
Course explores major Buddhist scriptures in English translation. Readings include texts from the time of the Buddha (500 BCE) to approximately 1000CE and include selections from South and North Asian traditions. Emphasis is on the scriptures' religious and philosophical content, but consideration is also given to the ritual use of texts. Prerequisite: prior course in Buddhism or permission of the instructor.
REL-352 The Tao of Tradition Chinese Medicine
Introduction to the philosophical and religious aspects of traditional Chinese healing practices. Course surveys such topics as the composition of the human body and its relationship with the larger cosmos, the diagnosis of ailments caused by material and spiritual pathogens, the medical and ritual treatment of conditions, and preventative practices such as meditation and exercise. Emphasis is on pre-modern traditions, but some attention is given to their modern applications.
REL-355 Muhammad and the Qur'an
Examination of the foundations of Islam in the life of the Prophet Muhammad and in the text of the Qur'an. Course examines the content and style of the Qur'an and of the traditional biography of Muhammad. Focus on the roles of the Qur'an and Muhammad's life as the sources for Islamic law and practice as well as objects of veneration. Special attention is paid to the historical problems raised by the study of early Islam, particularly with regard to the dating of the Qur'an and Muhammad's career.
REL-358 Islam in South Asia
Examines Islam in its diverse forms within South Asia—a region that is home to more Muslims than any other region of the world. The course explores various individual and collective expressions of Muslim belief and practice (Sunni, Shi`i, and Sufi) from our earliest records to the present day. Attention will be given to the historical development of Islam in the region, religio-political movements, popular ritual and devotion, and Islamic mysticism through the study of religious and historical texts, biographies, visual art, and novels.
REL-360 Religious Diversity and Conflict in South Asia
Examination of the history of religious diversity and conflict in South Asia. Course explores the way in which numerous religious traditions, including the many forms of Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Christianity, have co-existed and flourished in the Indian sub-continent. Particular attention is paid to moments of inter-religious cooperation and dialogue and moments of inter-communal conflict.
REL-450 Individualized Study-Tutorial
Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
REL-452 Individualized Study-Tutorial
Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
REL-460 Individualized Study-Research
Senior Project must be approved by department.
REL-461 Individualized Study-Research
Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U
REL-470 Individualized Study-Internship
Internship counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
REL-474 Summer Internship
Summer Internship graded A-F, counting in the mimimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office.
REL-475 Summer Internship
Summer Internship graded S/U, counting in the mimimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office
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