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Academic Bulletin Religion - 2006-07

Currently viewing 2006-07 bulletin

Faculty: G. Helman (chair), J. Baer, D. Blix*, W. Chen, K. Ngwa, W. Placher, R. Royalty**, S. Webb

*Sabbatical leave, full year
** Sabbatical leave, fall semester

While most of its courses focus on the Christian tradition, the Wabash religion department also has particular strengths in Asian religions, and in recent years we have had Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu religion majors as well as majors from a Christian background and students with an intellectual interest in religion who are themselves skeptics. The department seeks to expose students to a variety of religious traditions and to help them employ a number of methods that are used to study religion, while helping students from religious backgrounds to come to a deeper understanding of them. Indeed, a religion major often provides undergraduates a useful way of developing, in effect, an interdisciplinary major with work in everything from anthropology to biblical studies.

We try to provide a large number of “entry points” for interested students. Courses numbered in the 100's are typically lecture courses and are appropriate to take as a first course in religion. Courses numbered in the 200's without a prerequisite listed are also appropriate to take as a first course but will be smaller discussion classes. Courses numbered in the 300's are more advanced and have prerequisites as indicated. Religion 490 is usually taken by majors in their senior year.

Comprehensive Examinations: Students write for two days, three hours each day. The usual pattern has been to write on two questions the first day. There is a wide range of questions from which to choose, and questions characteristically draw on material from more than one course. The second day has usually involved writing on one question, which invites reflection on the shape of the major as a whole.

Requirements for the Major: A minimum of nine course credits including:

A. The history of Christianity, Religion 171 and 172

B. A total of two course credits from the following:

•  Hebrew Bible—Religion 141, 240, or 340
•  New Testament—Religion 162, 260, or 360
•  History of Christianity—Religion 272 or 372
•  Theology—Religion 173, 273, 370, or 373
•  Ethics—Religion 270, 274, or 374
•  American religion—Religion 181, 280, or 380
•  Judaism—Religion 150, 250, or 350
•  Independent Study—Religion 287 or 387

C. A total of two course credits from the following:

•  Islam and South-Asian religions—Religion 103, 210, 220, 310, or 320
•  East-Asian religions—Religion 104, 230, or 330
•  Judaism—Religion 151, 251, or 351
•  Independent Study—Religion 288 or 388

D. Religion 297, 298, or 370 taken before the senior year

E. Senior Seminar, Religion 490

F. At least one course at the 200 level or above, apart from those listed under D and E

Requirements for the Minor: a minimum of five course credits, including at least one of the following sequences:

Religion 103 and 104
Religion 141 and 162
Religion 171 and 172
And at least one credit from Religion courses numbered 200 or above.
 


Course Title Credits Prerequisites
 
REL 103 Islam and The Religions of India 1  
REL 104 The Religions of China and Japan 1  
REL 141 Hebrew Bible 1  
REL 150 Studies in Judaism 1 or 1/2  
REL 151 Studies in Judaism 1 or 1/2  
REL 162 History and Literature of the New Testament 1  
REL 171 History of Christianity to the Reformation 1  
REL 172 The Christian Church in the Modern Era 1  
REL 173 Introductory Topics in Theology 1 or 1/2  
REL 181 Religion in America 1  
REL 195 Religions and the Arts 1 or 1/2  
REL 196 Religion and Literature (HUM 196/ENG 196) 1 or 1/2  
REL 210 Topics in Islam 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 103 
REL 220 Topics in South Asian Religions 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 103. 
REL 230 Topics in East Asian Religions 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 104. 
REL 240 Topics in Hebrew Bible 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 141. 
REL 250 Topics in Judaism 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite, if any, will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 251 Topics in Judaism 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite, if any, will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 260 Topics in New Testament and Early Christianity 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite, if any, will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 270 Theological Ethics 1  
REL 272 Topics in History of Christianity 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: either Religion 171 or Religion 172 depending on the topic. 
REL 273 Topics in Theology 1 or 1/2  
REL 274 Topics in Ethics 1 or 1/2  
REL 280 Topics in American Religion 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite, if any, will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 287 Independent Study 1 or 1/2  
REL 288 Independent Study 1 or 1/2  
REL 295 Religion and the Arts 1 or 1/2  
REL 296 Religion and Literature (HUM 296/ENG 296) 1 or 1/2  
REL 297 Anthropology of Religion 1  
REL 298 Sociology of Religion 1  
REL 310 Seminar in Islam 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 103. 
REL 320 Seminar in South Asian Religions 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 103. 
REL 330 Seminar in East Asian Religions 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 104. 
REL 340 Seminar in Hebrew Bible 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 141. 
REL 350 Seminar in Judaism 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 351 Seminar in Judaism 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 360 Seminar in New Testament and Early Christianity 1 Prerequisite will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 370 Contemporary Theology 1 Prerequisite: Religion 172 or Philosophy 242 (old 142) or consent of the instructor. 
REL 372 Seminar in the History of Christianity 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 171 or 172, depending on the nature of the topic. 
REL 373 Seminar in Theology 1 or 1/2 Prerequisites will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 374 Seminar in Ethics 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite: Religion 270 (Theological Ethics) or permission of instructor. 
REL 380 Seminar in American Religion 1 or 1/2 Prerequisite will vary depending on the topic. 
REL 387 Independent Study 1 or 1/2  
REL 388 Independent Study 1 or 1/2  
REL 490 Seminar: The Study of Religion 1  
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