Courses

:: REGULARLY OFFERED COURSES ::

Please Note: Linked syllabi are representative of courses listed.
Contact professors within the Religious Studies Department with specific questions.

1000 Introduction to Religious Studies

"Religion." What is it? As the word "religion" has many meanings, so also phenomena labeled "religious" are complex and innumerable. Religion can be deeply personal but also political, impersonal, or businesslike. Using a variety of effective methods (discussion, site visits, film, guests, interviews), this course is designed to engage with a multiplicity of religions, with multiple ways of studying religion, and with the multifaceted nature of religious systems.

There is no prerequisite. Offered yearly. 

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

2010 Ethics and Religion

Stanley Hauerwas

This course studies intersections of various kinds between moral and religious life. It might take up a particular set of moral and religious concerns, such as biomedical ethics or social justice. Or it might compare the ethical programs belonging to the world's major religious traditions, or the ethical dimensions of other fields -- for example, business, anthropological study, law, and literature. Whatever its focus, the aim of the course will be to broaden and enrich the contexts in which we assess significant human choices. Some questions guiding the inquiry will be: How can we talk seriously and responsibly about right and wrong? What are the sources of moral authority? Are these sacred and immutable, or contingent and historical? On and for whom are they binding, and why? At what points do moral evaluations correspond to religious evaluations? At what points do they come into conflict?

There is no prerequisite. Offered alternative years.

Current or Recent Syllabus

2110 Judaism, Christianity, Islam

The Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions are grouped in a family unit, "the religions of Abraham." What kind of family do they really form? All three share a commitment to monotheism, but their different experiences and emphases in these faith communities have led them to oppose and often to fight each other. Is this necessary? Or can these communities affirm one another while remaining true to their inspirations?

In search of insightful answers to such questions, this course examines the chief historical sources of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faith and some of the most important historical developments in the three traditions, especially those triggered by their relations with each other--for example, the Crusades, the recent upsurge of anti-Western Islamism, and post-Holocaust Jewish-Christian dialogue. In addition to the more usual sorts of classwork, students take field trips to local places of worship.

There is no prerequisite. A TRADITIONS (A) course. Offered alternate years. 

Current or Recent Syllabus

2120 Introduction to Hinduism

This course explores how Hinduism—the oldest continuously practiced religion in the world— circulates symbols and transmits its tradition through scriptures, stories, dance, painting, sculpture, and new communication media. It examines the texts and images Hindus have turned to for inspiration over the years—from the ancient Vedas to the Puranas ("old stories") to contemporary comic books, films, and television series. The course also looks at the interaction of Hinduism with Christianity and western culture, first through the British Raj and then through immigration and missionary efforts of Hindus to the west.

Previous work in religious studies or anthropology will be helpful but is not required. A TRADITIONS (B) course. Offered in alternate years.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

2130 East Asian Religions

This course provides a historical and theoretical introduction to the religious and cultural traditions of China and Japan with special attention to Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Shinto, and popular religions.  Our goal is to do more than study traditions in isolation; we will also study the religious and cultural lives of East Asians in their complex multiplicity.  This means that we will focus especially on the reality of multiple religious participation.  Many Chinese and Japanese do not think of themselves as adhering exclusively to a single tradition.  Therefore, a reexamination of traditional Western notions regarding religion and religious belonging will be a crucial component of this course.

We will also attend to the ways in which notions about "East" and "West" have been shaped by the history of colonialism.  Whereas in the past Western representations of the East were shaped by missionary and colonial interests, recently Western notions of East Asia linger under the influence of "nativist" ideas in which East Asian traditions often are regarded as intrinsically superior to Western traditions.  East Asia is considered spontaneous, natural, nondualistic and organic whereas Western thought is characterized as calculating, artificial, and dualistic.  We will attempt to explore the reasons behind this dichotomizing perspective and the challenges it poses for East-West understanding.

Previous work in anthropology or religious studies will be helpful but is not required. A TRADITIONS (B) course. Offered alternate years. 

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

2140 Introduction to Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) recognized the human condition of suffering and thus developed a path that would lead to an enlightened state of equanimity. His experiences and teachings form the basis of the Buddhist tradition. This course explores the various forms Buddhism took as it integrated with the established cultures and religious traditions of Sri Lanka, Tibet, China, Japan, and America, to name just some of the countries impacted by the Buddha’s teachings. We will encounter Buddhist beliefs ranging from a heaven in which trees are laden with brilliant jewels to the “emptiness” of all phenomena. We will encounter practices ranging from austere meditation to regal ceremonies surrounding the worship of a tooth. We will learn why for two-and-a-half millennia people have followed this major world religion.

No prerequisite. A TRADITIONS (B) course. Offered in alternate years.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

2150 Introduction to Islam

Islam is the youngest of the so-called Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and in important ways is the most modern and universalistic of the three. To understand Islam it is necessary to see how, from its own point of view, revelations transmitted by Muhammad clarify the basic truth of the faith of Abraham--a truth that may have been somewhat obscured at times by special claims made by Jews and Christians--the truth, namely, that the unique holy creator, provider, judge, and redeemer of the world, the one called God, has equipped all human beings for partnership with God and calls them to happiness in that partnership. Islam proposes a way in which the divine purpose can be fulfilled, a charter for a universal community of peace and justice. But while Muslims massively agree with each other about the basic aim of their faith, they debate with each other the exact nature of the goal and how best to progress toward it. To understand Islam it is also necessary to understand these debates.

There is no prerequisite. A TRADITIONS (A) course. Offered in alternate years.

Current or Recent Syllabus

2160 Introduction to Judaism

So what's with Jewish kids getting eight nights of presents for Hanukkah, anyway? What do Jews really believe about Heaven and Hell? Does Jewish tradition have anything to say about Jesus? How do Jews pray, and what does Judaism teach us about monotheism? And what is Judaism, anyway? Ethnicity? Religion? If you've ever wondered about such things, this course is for you.

There is no prerequisite. A TRADITIONS (A) course. Offered in alternate years.

2210 Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament)

The large and diverse body of ancient Hebrew literature that Jews and Christians include in their scriptures is immeasurably important for a historical understanding of Western and Muslim cultures. In addition, it remains a powerful stimulus for thinking freshly today about divinity, humanity, and the universe. The primary goals of this course are, accordingly, to (a) learn about the distinctive characteristics of the Hebrew texts and the historical process in which they came to be written and finally adopted as "scripture," and (b) promote an intelligent conversation with these texts about issues of ultimate concern.

There is no prerequisite. Offered alternate years.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

2220 New Testament and Early Christianity

What was the cultural and religious background of the New Testament writers? What sources and traditions were they working with? What aims and interests are evident in their work? What different ways of thinking about God, Israel, the Messiah, Jesus, sin, salvation, and life in this world are represented in the New Testament, and how do they fit together? How do the New Testament writings reflect institutional developments in the early Christian church?

This course involves careful reading and discussion of New Testament texts as well as exposure to many of the chief findings of scholarly work on the New Testament.

There is no prerequisite, although Religious Studies 2210, Hebrew Scriptures, makes an excellent preparation.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

2300 African-American Religions

A study of varieties of religious expression, belief, and organization in African-American spiritual existence since the 18th century, with consideration of slave religion, racism and religion, religious colonization, independent black churches, black protest and liberation theology, womanist thought, and heterodox religious groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Nation of Islam, Santeria, and Voodoo.

There is no prerequisite. Offered occasionally.

2350 Fundamentalism

The term “fundamentalism” was coined in 1920 when the editor of a Northern Baptist periodical argued that the “fundamentals” of the Christian faith must be preserved in order to oppose evolutionary theory and “higher criticism” of the Bible. Today there are fundamentalist groups in every major world religion, each seeking to preserve and propagate the “fundamentals” of truth as they see it. This course explores the characteristics, historical development, and social ramifications of fundamentalism, focusing particularly on contemporary manifestations in Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism.

Previous work in religious studies or sociology will be helpful but is not required. Offered occasionally.

2400 The Meaning of Work

An investigation into the phenomenon that is arguably at the foundation of human civilization and the human psyche: work. Is work a primal curse, a saving grace, a human necessity? Which activities should count as work, and how should they be counted? Are certain kinds of work or ways of working better or more meaningful than others? Who should benefit from work? This course will explore issues of value, purpose, function, organization, and justice in relation to the meaning of work from a variety of perspectives, including philosophy, theology, sociology, psychology, and management.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

2610 Rethinking Jesus

Jesus is the central figure of the Christian religion. Most Christians agree that Jesus constitutes "good news" to all peoples, but there is much disagreement over who Jesus was/is (e.g., prophet, guru, magician, priest, king, savior, God), what his mission was/is (e.g., remission of sins, defeat of Satan, revelation of God's loving essence, embodiment of genuine humanity, harbinger of God's reign of peace and justice), for whom that news is "good." The course traces Christological ideas and innovations from the canonical gospels of the New Testament (Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John) into the present.

There is no prerequisite. A TEXTS and TRADITIONS (A) course. Offered occasionally.

2710 Seven Deadly Sins

The tradition of the seven deadly sins has left a profound mark on Western literature, art, and religion, and continues to inspire diverse cultural creations today. This course traces the tradition from its sixth-century articulation by Pope Gregory the Great through medieval and Renaissance literature, theology, and art, and into the contemporary world via authors like Faulkner, Wharton, and Chekhov, the music of Bob Dylan, and the film [italicize] Se7en.

There is no prerequisite. A TRADITIONS (A) course. Offered occasionally.

The Seven Deadly Sins (PDF)

2790 Religion, Peace, and Justice

At the beginning of the new millennium the United Nations declared the decade of 2001-2010 to be the "International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World." A UN manifesto, with over 75 million signatures, requests people to rally together "to transform altogether the culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and nonviolence."

The purpose of this class is to do our part in bringing this optimistic vision to fulfillment by learning about different approaches to cultivating peace and then applying these concepts as we encounter various interpersonal, social, and political challenges. Although we will explore some humanist and political approaches to cultivating peace, our main focus will be on religious perspectives. It is lamentable that religion, which could be a tremendous force for peace, has instead been a source of oppression and violence throughout history. In this course, however, we will examine religion as a positive force for cultivating peace.

There is no prerequisite. An ARGUMENTS course.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

3000 Myth (Cross-listed in Classics)

The study of mythology is, in a very basic way, a journey into one's self and what it means to be human. The specific objectives of this course are (1) to outline the major symbols and motifs of mythological thought throughout the world, using the tools of comparative mythology; (2) to acquire a working frame of reference of Classical and Norse mythology; (3) to become familiar with the impact of Classical and Norse mythology on literature and art; and (4) to examine gender roles as reflected in mythology. Plays and films are integral parts of the course along with written texts. 

Each student designs and carries out a project, in some form of collaboration with other students, that will be shared with the class. A project is not necessarily a paper. Students in the past have made films, painted pictures, produced ceramics and woodcuts, written and performed plays, and choreographed dances. 

Prior work in religious studies, literature, or anthropology may be useful, but there is no prerequisite. 

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

3110 History of Christian Thought

A survey of Christian thought and practice from the end of the New Testament period (2nd century) to the beginning of the modern period (17th century). We will look closely at thinkers with great influence on Western Christian history such as Origen, Augustine, Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, and Teresa of Avila.

Religious Studies 2220, New Testament and Early Christianity, may be helpful preparation, but no prior course is required. A TRADITIONS (A) and ARGUMENTS course.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

3120 Modern and Contemporary Theology

Sallie McFague

Modern and Contemporary Theology examines some of the efforts of post-Enlightenment Western thinkers, primarily but not exclusively Christian theologians, to engage in theology in a responsible way. Among the thinkers who may be studied are Kant and Schleiermacher; Kierkegaard and Newman; Barth, Tillich, Rahner, and the Niebuhrs; Gutierrez, Cone, Ruether, and McFague; and representatives of interreligious dialogue and global theology.

This course offers ample opportunity for students to develop their own views of theological issues through discussion and writing. Previous work in philosophy, biblical studies, or the history of Christianity may be helpful but is not required. Offered alternate years.  A TRADITIONS (A) and ARGUMENTS course.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

3150  Religion, Science, and Nature

What are religion and science?  Are they rival belief systems that can argue with each other about the truth?  Are they different ways of seeing the world and managing our affairs, pulling us in opposite directions?  Or are they complementary?  Can their benefits be compared and weighed against each other?  Could religion and science as we know them today be superseded in the future by different pursuits and different attitudes? 

What is nature?  Must it be perceptible by our bodily senses?  Must it be predictable?  Are there good reasons to believe in supernatural realities?  Is nature good in itself?  Is it "home"?  Is technology alien to nature?

These questions are difficult and many-sided.  They have shaped up over a long history in diverse cultural contexts.  In this course we may study historical revolutions and cultural and philosophical differences in understanding religion, science, and nature; creationism and environmental ethics controversies; the role of symbols, metaphors, models, and paradigms in religion and science; the creationism, "intelligent design," and environmental ethics controversies; and contemporary efforts to redefine the religion-science relationship.

Prior work in Religious Studies or in the natural sciences may be helpful, but there is no prerequisite.  Offered occasionally. 

Current or Recent Syllabus

3160  Religion and Literature

How do people find themselves?  How do people find the most meaningful kinds of  community?  How do people come to recognize the things they do and the things that happen to them as good and evil?  How do people find redemption or some other form of ultimate meaning?  This course looks at these and other religious themes in various forms of literature, usually with an emphasis on modern and contemporary works.  The literary structure of religious writings may also be studied. 

Prior work in Religious Studies or literary studies may be helpful, but there is no prerequisite.  Offered occasionally.

Current or Recent Syllabus

3170  Religion and Society

How do the practices and beliefs of a religious community relate to structures and events in the larger society in which it is embedded?  What is the impact of religious movements on the life of mainstream society?  How has the relationship between religion and politics changed over time?    This course may feature topics as diverse as American religious history, the politics of the Religious Right, and "The Sacred in Everyday Life."

Prior work in Religious Studies or in the social sciences may be helpful, but there is no prerequisite. 

Offered occasionally.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

3200 Religion, Society, and Culture

Religion has always been a central focus of study for anthropology and sociology as well as other disciplines. Religious forms and practices are incredibly diverse and varied, but nearly every human society or culture seems to present some type of religion. Different theorists propose different understandings of the essence of religion and build their theoretical frameworks based on these understandings.

This course explores many of these frameworks in relation to specific ethnographic examples. It focuses on how religion fits into larger social and cultural systems. How do religious rituals help to produce group cohesion as well as culturally and socially-skilled individuals? What is the relationship between religion and politics as well as social structure? Is religion representative of inherent social tensions? What is the cultural function of religious symbols? And, most fundamentally: What is religion and what does it mean to be "religious"?

There is no prerequisite. Offered alternate years.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

3310 Philosophy of Religion (Cross-listed in Philosophy) 

Religion typically claims to offer insight into the real nature of the world, human beings, and good and evil; and philosophical truth-seekers are bound to consider such claims. Religion describes our life using powerful but problematic ideas like "God," the "soul," "holiness," "faith," and "sin" that need careful study. What different meanings can be found in these ideas? How are religious descriptions supposed to match up with common-sense and scientific descriptions? Or do they?

What about the disagreements between the various religious traditions? Do different religious perspectives offer rival answers to the same questions or do they ask fundamentally different questions?  How do they converge or diverge in their ultimate goals?

Readings in this course are drawn from a variety of sources and may include (for example) Buddhist and Platonic discussions of the soul, arguments for God's existence by Anselm and Thomas Aquinas, arguments against theism by Marx and Freud, contemporary debates about how, if at all, religious beliefs are verifiable, and feminist criticisms and revisions of religious meaning. The class is discussion-oriented. Writing assignments are primarily designed to allow students to develop their own philosophical assessment of religious issues. Prior work in philosophy or religious studies may be helpful but is not necessary. Offered alternate years.

Current or Recent Syllabus

For Philosophy of Religion in Fall 2005 see The Concept of God and Creation and Evolution.

3320 Creation and Evolution

On what grounds do people speak of "creation"? Is it a phenomenon, an experience, an explanatory principle? Is it an essentially religious idea, and if so, what exactly is the sort of validity it can have? Is it a metaphysical idea? Can it be a scientific idea? On what grounds do people speak of "evolution"? Is it a phenomenon, an experience, an explanatory principle? Is it an essentially scientific idea, and if so, what exactly is the sort of validity it can have? Is it a metaphysical idea? Can it be a religious idea? Under what conditions, if any, are the principles of creation and evolution compatible? This course analyzes the ideas of creation and evolution to gain insight into how they can be applied to our experience and related to each other.

Prior work in philosophy, religious studies, geology, or biology may be helpful but is not necessary. Offered occasionally. An ARGUMENTS course.

Current or Recent Syllabus

3400 Evil

A study of the reality, nature, origin, and consequences of evil, focusing on the distinctive shape and logic of what is most ignoble, destructive, callous, and dysfunctional in human history and existence.

There is no prerequisite. Offered occasionally.

3460 Biblical Poetry

This is a poetry class, an ancient poetry class, an ancient Hebrew/Jewish poetry class about passion. The ancient poetic passions that this class explores are four classic Hebrew scrolls of Bible: Psalms, Lamentations, Job, and Song of Songs, all of which appeal to deeply human emotions. How did the ancient poets express their passions in their time? How do we relate to them in ours?

There is no prerequisite. A TEXTS course. Offered occasionally.

3500 Religious Comparisons

[Course description of a recent offering on the theme of "salvation":] What does it mean to "get" or be "saved" from a religious standpoint? What is it that we are to be saved from? Is there only one understanding of salvation within Christianity? Can one be saved outside of Christianity? How is salvation understood in other religions? Is there life after death? This course will study these key questions as well as address the problem of constructing a "theology of religions," that is, asking how one can be authentic to one's own religious tradition while also being in relationship with the historical and social existence of other religious traditions. Religious traditions that we will examine include Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Chinese traditions. In-depth attention will be given to Advaita Vedanta philosophy in Hinduism, the bodhisattva-savior tradition of Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism, and the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, Grace and Compassion, Kuan-yin.

Current or Recent Syllabus

3600  The Educational Ministry of the Church

This course, taught by a religious education specialist, emphasizes practice in using selected materials in local church education programs. Offered by special arrangement, without prerequisite.

3750 Special Topics

Special topics courses are offered occasionally based upon student and faculty interest. Recent examples include "Zen and Phenomenology," "Many Paths? Christian Approaches to Religious Pluralism," "Women and Biblical Liberature," "Sports and Christianity," and "Religion on the Internet."

Religion on the Internet (PDF)

4850 Religion Internship

The Religion Internship is an off-campus learning experience designed in consultation with a religious professional and a Religious Studies Department faculty member. The student will be given specific responsibilities in a religion-related work setting and an appropriate program of independent study to inform and interpret the experience.

Offered by request, contingent on a faculty member's approval. Normally a student will take at least two courses in the Religious Studies Department before proposing an Internship. 

Methodism

With the support of the Center for Ministry, the department regularly sponsors an introductory course on Methodism taught by a Methodist professional.

3900, 4900 Religious Studies Seminar

The departmental Seminar, devoted to changing topics of interest in contemporary religious studies, involves all majors in the department; given the interdisciplinary character of religious studies, however, many topics will be of interest to students in other programs as well. 

Recent seminar topics have included "Mysticism" (2000), "Orthodox Theology and Spirituality" (2001), "Religion and Postmodernism" (2002), "Disturbing [the Category of] Religion" (2003), "What Is Scripture?" (2004), and "Religion and Film" (2005).

In Spring 2006, Darby Ray led the seminar on "Religion and American Culture." This seminar explored the myriad ways in which religion is understood and practiced in contemporary America. Academic theories of religion, roadside billboards, presidential speeches, and slick marketing campaigns were considered in an attempt to grasp the shape and function of religion in today's complex, diverse society.

A seminar is a discussion class in which students share responsibility for bringing materials and issues before the group.  Previous work in religious studies or in the topic area is desirable but not required.  Offered every spring semester.  Sophomores and juniors enroll in 3900, seniors in 4900.

Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

:: ADDITIONAL COURSES ::

1010-1020 Introduction to Classical Hebrew

This yearlong study of Classical (ancient, biblical) Hebrew will focus on mastery of grammar, vocabulary, and syntax in order to lay the foundation for proficient reading of Hebrew texts. Current or Recent Syllabus (PDF)

2020 Classical Hebrew Readings

This semester course will focus on a wide selection of reading in Classical Hebrew, with some attention to later forms of Hebrew, including Qumran and Rabbinic. (Completion of all three Hebrew courses satisfies the language requirement for the B.A. degree).