REL - Religion

An exploration of religion and religions in their various dimensions. Covers important myths and rituals and how they guide us in daily living. Special attention will be given to personal and communal religious change, reconciliation, alienation and spiritual/mystical practices and experiences

A critical study of the history, literature and religion of ancient Israel and the significance of the Hebrew Scriptures for Judaism and Christianity.

A critical study of the New Testament literature and its theological significance.

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of Greco-Roman religion and philosophy. Students are introduced to the ancient world first via its public and private religious practices and then via its philosophical perspectives on issues such as free will, ethical conflicts and the nature of the just person and the just state.

History of religion in America from the Puritans to the present day. Special attention will be given to certain themes (e.g., this nation as God’s New Israel) that are especially characteristic of the American religious experience.

Ethics and leadership in key areas of society: e.g., education, religion, the military, corporations, and politics. The focus is on key principles of conduct and relevant virtues, such as courage, faith, humility, fortitude, and prudence. Theory and practice will be analyzed together, as examples will be drawn from important historical episodes.

This course surveys the history, doctrines, and practices of Eastern religious traditions. The traditions typically covered include Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and Shinto. This course is recommended for students looking for a broad introduction to the study of religion and who wish to take 300-level courses covering Eastern religions.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Philosophical Inquiry section of the Core. An introduction to the religious and philosophical traditions of India. Special emphasis will be given to the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, the classical philosophical systems and the mythologies of Hinduism and to the Buddhist traditions of South Asia.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Philosophical Inquiry section of the Core An introduction to Islam covering formative figures, significant texts, major historical events, central teachings, and influential movements.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Philosophical Inquiry section of the Core. An introduction to the religious and philosophical traditions of China from the Shang dynasty to the modern era. Special emphasis is given to the role of ancestor veneration, ritual, social and political ethics, the development of the Confucian and Daoist traditions, the global diaspora of Confucianism, and the encounter of Confucianism with modernity (including the modern West).

Prerequisite: 3 credits of history, religion, political science, or African-American Studies at the 200 level, or permission of the instructor. This course introduces students to the core of black Christian theological thought: black liberation theology. We will explore the historical roots of black Christian theology and focus on some of its key tenets, like the physical depiction of Christ, the depiction of the Christian community/communities and the role of Christianity. We will identify the major points of convergence and divergence between black liberation theology and other liberation theologies such as womanist theology and Latin American liberation theology.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Composition and Philosophical Inquiry areas of the core. Rather than accessing religious belief through written texts and official doctrines, this course accesses it through the vibrant sounds, movements, sights, and physical sensations of holidays and festivals. Diverse global examples will be considered.

Prerequisites: 3 credits in religion or permission of the instructor. A variety of approaches to the holy in Western spiritualities. Texts from Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Native American sources. In-depth study of Christian spirituality. Themes such as humans’ knowledge of God, the connection between faith and practice, the relation between spirituality and institutional religion.

Prerequisites: Open to religion majors or with permission of the instructor. An analysis of the fiction and nonfiction of the twentieth-century British writer C. S. Lewis. This course will also examine selected writings by other members of the group known as the Oxford Christians: e.g., Charles Williams, Austin Farrer, and Dorothy L. Sayers.

Prerequisites: ART 220 or HIST 264 or permission of the instructor Examines archaeology in and around the modern country of Israel, from the Neolithic Age through the Iron Age (c. 12,000-586 B.C.), with focus on how scholars reconstruct social, economic, religious and political institutions. Evidence from archaeological sites and surveys, written documents from Israel.

Prerequisite: Invitation of the department. (May be repeated for a maximum of 4 credits)

Prerequisites: Completion of the Philosophical Inquiry and Historical Analysis areas of the Core or permission of the instructor. An exploration of the religious and political motivations British abolitionists had for changing the social, economic, and legal structures that supported slavery. What impact British abolitionism had on the evolution of human rights law will also be assessed.

Prerequisites: 6 credits in religion and permission of the instructor. Students work independently on some religious subject matter selected in consultation with the department. Reports and papers are given during the semester.

An upper-level special topics course offered at the discretion of the department. The content and methods vary with the interest of students and faculty members

Prerequisites: 18 credits in religion and permission of the instructor. Supervised off-campus educational project with an organization or institution approved by the department. Grading is on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisites: 9 credits in religion and/or philosophy or permission of the instructor. Advanced study of special topics in religion or philosophy.

Prerequisites: 21 credits in religion or philosophy, junior or senior standing and permission of the instructor. Credit for a critical paper is earned by substantially expanding and revising a paper the student has written for a previous course in Philosophy or Religious Studies. The final critical paper of 15 to 20 pages is to be revised under the supervision of a departmental faculty member and defended before departmental faculty and students.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the department.  The departmental honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects in close coordination with faculty advisers. Departmental honors students are known as the Christine P. Tischer Scholars and receive 6 credits for this work.