Department of Religious Studies
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FOR FALL 08
REL 101.01, Introduction to Religious Studies
SOPPER, 9:30-10:45, TR
Credits: gl/gpr
This course introduces students to the academic study of religion through a survey of the major beliefs, values, ritual practices, sacred writings and historical developments of the major western religions, namely, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We approach these religions as things that humans do. In other words, we look at religion as an aspect of the societies, cultures and behavior of those human beings (past and present) who describe themselves as Jews, Christians and Muslims. Our main goal is to learn more about the different ways Jews, Christians and Muslims have thought, felt and acted over the course of their long histories. While we may have religious commitments and questions of our own, in this class we are not asked to “be religious.” Rather we are asked to be thorough investigators seeking to know, understand and appreciate our chosen subject matter. The course will consist mainly of regular lectures on relevant topics; regular assigned readings and periodic exams which require students to demonstrate detailed knowledge of the material presented in lectures and assigned readings.
Required Texts: weekly readings from text book chapters and scholarly articles and essays accessed from the library e-reserve system.
REL 101.02, Introduction to Religious Studies
HART, 11:00-11:50, MWF
Credits: gl/gpr
This course introduces students to the academic study of religion through a survey of the major beliefs, values, ritual practices, sacred writings and historical developments of the major western religions, namely, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We approach these religions as things that humans do. In other words, we look at religion as an aspect of the societies, cultures and behavior of those human beings (past and present) who describe themselves as Jews, Christians and Muslims. Our main goal is to learn more about the different ways Jews, Christians and Muslims have thought, felt and acted over the course of their long histories. While we may have religious commitments and questions of our own, in this class we are not asked to “be religious.” Rather we are asked to be thorough investigators seeking to know, understand and appreciate our chosen subject matter. The course will consist mainly of regular lectures on relevant topics; regular assigned readings and periodic exams which require students to demonstrate detailed knowledge of the material presented in lectures and assigned readings.
REL 104.01, Religion, Ritual & The Arts
GRIEVE, 2-3:15, MW
Credits: gl, gpr, cross w/RC
This course introduces students to the study of religion, art and visual culture. It asks: How do humans see the world? And what does it mean to see "religiously"? And, maybe more importantly, how does visual culture mediate the way religions are practiced? In this course we will concentrate on religion in Second Life, an Internet-based virtual world launched in 2003, and developed by Linden Research, Inc. We will use Second Life to critical explore "liquid" religion, and learn to creatively focus our intellectual curiosity.
REL 109.01. Religion and Contemporary Culture
MCKINNON, 12-12:50, MWF
REL 109.02. Religion and Contemporary Culture
MCKINNON, 10-10:50, MWF
Credits: gpr
This course is an attempt to address religious issues within our contemporary Western context. We will explore divergent voices and practices that have arisen between the religious and the secular, within certain “traditional” Western religions, as well as within “new age” religions. Specific issues in past semesters have included truth and relativity, language and reality, racism and religion, feminist religious thought, and the role of the Internet in contemporary religion. Classes are designed to include large-group lectures as well as small-group discussions and activities.
REL 111.01, Non Western Religions
STAFF, 10-10:50, MWF
REL 111.02, Non Western Religions
STAFF, 11-11:50, MWF
Credits: gn/gpr
This course is an introduction to three major religious traditions of Asia: the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and religions of China. This course offers a window to these religious traditions in a historical perspective. The basic ideas and practices of these traditions will be presented in a way that students will have the opportunity to learn about important facets of these traditions while gaining familiarity with some of the tools of the academic discipline of Religious Studies. Through the course of the semester, students will become more familiar with these traditions and be challenged to think about religion in different ways.
REL 190.01, Introduction to Scriptural Language: Hebrew (continuing)
NATKIN, 9:30-11, TR
Credits: Minor
The first of two courses, Hebrew 190-01, is intended for beginners, with little or no knowledge of Hebrew. The course is for students interested in reading the Hebrew Bible and liturgy and also for those wanting to develop skills in contemporary conversational Hebrew.
REL 202.01, Hebrew Scriptures: History, Theology, Ideology
HASKELL, 11-12:15, TR
REL 202.02, Hebrew Scriptures: History, Theology, Ideology
HASKELL, 2-3:15, TR
Credits: ghp/gpm
This course offers an introduction to the Hebrew Bible and the religion of ancient Israel.
Through critical reading of primary and secondary sources, as well as through group discussion, we will come to understand this complex text not only as a work of literature, but also as the product of distinct cultural and historical environments. We will not be reading the Bible in its entirety! Rather, we will be exploring a selection of the Bible’s key elements and themes. Central concerns of the course will be the relationship between history, theology and ideology in this diverse text, as well as topics in Biblical spirituality such as covenant, prayer, prophecy, doubt, and love.
REL 204.01, New Testament and Origins of Christianity
Marquis, MW, 3:30-4:45
REL 204.02, New Testament and Origins of Christianity
Marquis, M, 6-8:45
Credits: cpm/ghp/gl/gpm/hp
This course examines the origins of Christianity through its earliest literature, most of which is preserved in the New Testament. This examination will be geared toward asking historical questions about the nature of the diverse social groups which made up the earliest Jesus movement. Through close readings of the texts, we will attempt to extract details about the beliefs, social structures and practices of these groups. Our historical reconstructions will be illuminated by contextualizing them within their cultural milieu. By the end of the course, students will attain a general understanding of the types of literature produced by ancient Christian groups and a variety of issues and methods involved in the modern historical study of the New Testament.
REL 207.01, Modern Problem of Belief
RAMSEY, 10-10:50, MWF
Credits: gpr
A study of some of the new paradigms, worldviews and belief systems emerging in contemporary western culture with a focus on changing definitions of the human person, nature and supernature, and the relationship between spirituality and science. The course is designed as an online seminar, with an emphasis on discussion and close reading of primary texts.
REL 209.01, Elements of Christian Thought
ROGERS,MWF; 10-10:50
REL 209.02, Elements of Christian Thought
ROGERS,MWF; 11-11:50
Credits: gl/gpr
Investigates the coherence of Christian accounts of such topics as incarnation, trinity, creation, evil, sacraments, the body, and salvation. GPR, GL. Readings average 30-50 pages, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. Announced and unannounced quizzes, two tests.
REL 210.01, Christianity to Reformation
KRUEGER, 2:00-3:15, TR
Credits: ghp/gl/gpm
This course is a historical survey of Christian thought and practice from the second century to the dawn of the Protestant Reformation (around 1500). Through reading texts representative of Christian traditions, we will consider the variety and development of Christian theological teaching (on such topics as the incarnation and the Trinity), rituals and liturgy (including baptism, eucharist, and the Christian calendar), ethics, and modes of life (such as monasticism and Christian marriage). Particular attention will be given to expressions of Christianity in the ancient world, before the rise of Islam. We will then consider Christianity both in the Eastern Mediterranean (Byzantium) and in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Students will learn to read and understand classic Christian literary and theological texts.
REL 215.01, Judaism
BREGMAN, 12:30-1:45, TR
Credits: ghp/gl/gpm
This course provides an initial orientation to Judaism as a religion and as a culture. Students will be introduced to the development of basic Jewish practices, beliefs and institutions and to the major works of Jewish literature. The broad historical survey of Judaism from its beginnings until modern times will be concretized by focusing selectively on a number of specific texts, themes and topics.
REL 221.01, Non-Western Religions: Buddhism
ORZECH, 9:30-10:45, TR
REL 221.02, Non-Western Religion: Buddhism
ORZECH, 11-12:15, TR
Credits: gn/gpr WI
This course is an introduction to the family of religions we call Buddhism, both in the past and in the present. This semester we will focus on classical Buddhism in South Asia and China. The last third of the semester will be devoted to Buddhism in the modern West, the emergence of “Socially Engaged Buddhism” and the application of Buddhist ethical principles to contemporary issues of war, terrorism, and ecological degradation. As we will see, our exploration of Buddhism will inevitably involve inquiry into our own culture and its religious traditions as reflected in our understanding (or misunderstanding) of Buddhism. The course makes extensive use of on-line resources and images and is writing intensive. There will be a 15 minute mini-exam early in the term, and two comprehensive tests, the first halfway through the semester and the second on the last day of class. Each test will be part objective and part essay. The course includes a required online discussion forum.
REL 225.01, An Introduction to Islam: Concepts, Practices, and Debates
BUCAR, 9:30-10:45,TR
REL 225.02, An Introduction to Islam: Concepts, Practices, and Debates
BUCAR, 11-12:15, TR
Credits: gn/gpr, c/l w IGS
Since September 11th, interest in Islam has grown tremendously, especially in the United States where it has been the subject of much media commentary and political debate. This course seeks to prepare students to read these public discussions with a critical eye by providing an introduction to the major concepts and practices of Islam and the meta-narratives built into particular intra-Muslim debates. We will think about Islam in terms of its diversity by focusing on a series of key debates in Islamic thought and practice from its early history to the present day. Assuming satisfactory completion of the course, students will have an introductory knowledge of Islamic concepts, practices, and debates and exposure to Islam in its historical, geographic, and philosophical diversity. By grounding a number of intra-Muslim debates within Islamic history and politics, we explore the fundamentals of Islamic theology and practice not as timeless abstracts, but rather as dynamic forces that exist in conversation with the past, from which they emerge, the present, in which they are situated, and the diversity of futures, towards which they are directed.
REL 251.01, Topics in Religious Social Ethics:
SOPPER, 12:30-1:45, TR
Credits: gpr/WI/SVL
Inquiry into the social teachings of diverse religious traditions with respect to such current topics as economic development and social justice, human rights, democracy, freedom, human well-being, and the environment.
REL 298.01, Thinking About Religion
GRIEVE/RAMSEY, 1-1:50, MWF
Credits: WI, Majors
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Critical reflection on the academic study of religion. Evaluation of theories of religion drawn from the social sciences, humanities, and religious traditions themselves through their application to case studies.
TEACHING METHODS AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR ACHIEVING LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course takes an imaginative and critical approach to introducing Religious Studies by focusing on case studies that illustrate how diverse religious ideas and practices may be interpreted as ways of map-making. Additionally, this course investigates how Religious Studies "maps" religious phenomena. Cases studies will be used to demonstrate how religious life in different times and places has been shaped by the dynamic interplay of social, political, economic, environmental, aesthetic, and personal factors, and by peoples' efforts to represent or "map" this interplay in order to bring meaning, purpose, and order to their personal and collective lives. In considering these religious mappings, the course will also attend to the ways in which students of religion are themselves map-makers and users. The course introduces the methods and materials that scholars, as students of religion, use to make sense of the religious worlds of their and other cultures.
This course is, therefore, not a survey of religious traditions, but rather an extended reflection on how scholars of religion imagine "religion" as an object of study, and how we frame our studies in a self-conscious and responsible way. This course is not, in the first instance, about description, though this is an essential part of the enterprise. It is, rather, about responsible interpretation—about how to productively approach the raw data of religious phenomenon and how to locate our perspectives in the larger context of humanistic inquiry. In short, this course is designed to introduce the problem of interpretation through selected case studies that challenge our assumptions and illuminate our subjectivity.
This course is designed as a seminar and writing workshop. Student participation is essential, and while the professor will lead discussion and occasionally lecture, student-led discussion will drive the course. Students will also engage in library research, as well as study the craft of writing academic research papers.
REL 309.01, Spirituality and Culture in the West
ROGERS, 3:30-4:45, MW
Credits: WI
This course introduces students to Christian spiritual and mystical authors with an emphasis on medieval sources. Topics will include: 1) Religious experience. How is individual religious experience shaped by religious communities, practices, and texts? 2) Human growth. How do the authors think human beings change and develop? Where do they think human life leads and ends? 3) Grace and free will. Christian authors in the West have tended to raise the following chain of questions: If part of my salvation is up to me, and God can be relied upon to do God's part, then doesn't everything really hang on what I do, so that effectively I end up saving myself? Or if it is really God who saves me, am I left out of the process of my own salvation, so that it's hard to tell that it's really me getting saved? Or are those somehow false alternatives? 4) Social meaning. How do Christian texts and practices attempt to render time, suffering, misfortune, joy, anger, pathology, failure and other things socially useful? 5) Gender and sexuality. How do spiritual writers seek to use sexual and gendered images for God and for themselves? How do their images differ from modern ones? How do the authors seek to incorporate feelings of desire, longing, consummation, and union into spiritual growth?
REL 311.01, Topics in Biblical Studies: The Sacrifice of Isaac
BREGMAN, 6-9, R
Credits: WI
This course will survey the broad spectrum of interpretation of one biblical narrative, “the Sacrifice of Isaac” (Genesis 22:1-19), that is foundational for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Students will learn how the biblical text can be approached both objectively and subjectively through classroom discussion and guided writing assignments.
REL 323.01, Religious Movements and Communities: Kabbalah
HASKELL, 3:30-4:45, TR
Credits: WI
This course will provide a broad introduction to the history and theology of Jewish mystical thought, covering a range of traditions extending from the ancient world through the modern era. Special attention will be focused on the form of medieval mysticism known as Kabbalah. Through informational lecture, intensive discussion, and written explorations, we will become familiar with these traditions and their contexts. Key themes for the course will be the relationship between humanity and divinity, the role of mysticism in daily life, and the complex symbolic systems that guide the mystics in their search for divine encounter.
REL 324.01, Philosophical Issues in Religion
HART, 2-3:15, MW
Credits: WI
This course explores the concept of human sacrifice in religion, warfare, and criminal justice.
REL 325.01, Contemporary American Jewish Thought
LEVINSON, 6-9, M
Credits: WI
REL 332.01, Contemporary African American Religious Thought
HART, 2:00-3:15, W
Credits: WI
This course explores the spiritual journeys of four African Americans from Christianity to Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and “New World Yoruba,” respectively.
REL 333.01, Religion and Psychology
RAMSEY, 6-9, M
Credits: WI
Religious Studies 333 is designed as an upper level seminar on the topic of the relationship between psychology and religion. In the course we will be engaged in readings from a variety of disciplines: religious studies, depth psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, philosophy. The specific focus of the course is to begin to discern the differentiations in contemporary culture and academics between psychology, religion and spirituality. The objectives of the course are: to develop facility in reading on a specific topic from a variety of academic fields; to develop your writing (through weekly response papers and rewrites of those responses); to develop a critical perspective on contemporary American culture’s language about and understanding of psychology, religion, and spirituality.