Course Descriptions
REL 103 Islam and the Religions of India
This course is an introduction to Islam, and the indigenous religions of India. The first part of the course studies the history, beliefs, and practices of Islam in the Middle East from Muhammad to the present day. The second part studies the history, beliefs, and practices of the religions of India (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism), down to the coming of Islam in the 8th century. The third part deals with the religious developments in India that have resulted from the interactions between Islam and Hinduism in the modern period. Emphasis is placed upon readings in primary texts of these religions. This course is offered fall semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 104 The Religions of China and Japan
This is an introduction to the indigenous traditions of East Asia (Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto), and the development of Buddhism in China and Japan. There will also be some coverage of Christianity, Islam, and popular religion. Special attention will be given to the ways these various traditions have changed and interacted with one another in different historical contexts, especially the modern period. Readings will be from the works of Confucius, Laozi, and other Chinese and Japanese philosophers and religious figures. This course is offered in the spring semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 141 Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
This is an introduction to the part of the Bible called “Tanakh” in Judaism and the “Old Testament” in Christianity. The primary focus of the course is reading and discussion of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. The emphasis is on reading for literary themes, narrative style, and theological issues with attention to the historical context of ancient Israel. This course is offered in the fall semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 150 History of Judaism
This course will address, at the introductory level, various topics in Jewish history, such as Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinics, or medieval Jewish thought. Topics will vary from year to year. (REL 150 applies to requirement B for the major.)
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 151 Studies in Judaism
This course will address, at the introductory level, various aspects of Jewish thought and theology, such as contemporary Jewish thought, Jewish-Christian dialogue, and responses to the Holocaust. Topics will
vary from year to year. (REL 151 applies to requirement C for the major.)
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 162 History and Literature of the New Testament (CLA 162)
This course is an introduction to the social-historical study of the writings that came to be the New
Testament of the Christian churches. We will survey the social, political, and religious contexts of the Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds of the first century, the actions and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, and the missionary activity and theology of Paul of Tarsus. We will study most of the texts included in the New Testament as well as other ancient Jewish and early Christian writings to learn about the development of the various beliefs and practices of these first Christian communities.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL) and III.B. (Literature/Fine Arts)
REL 171 History of Christianity to the Reformation
An introduction to the history of Christianity from the patristic, post-New-Testament period to the medieval period and the early Renaissance. Principal themes include the emergence and meaning of early Christian beliefs and practices, their development during the Middle Ages, the social and cultural environments of the ancient, medieval, and early Renaissance church, and the trends leading up to the
Reformation. This course is offered in the fall semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 172 History of Christianity from the Reformation to the Modern Era
This course is an introduction to the history of Christianity from the sixteenth-century Reformation to the present. The course focuses primarily on Christianity in the West, but also examines the global spread of
Christianity. Principal themes include the challenges of modern thought and culture to traditional
Christianity, religious innovation and pluralism, missionary movements, the interaction between Christianity and its social and cultural environments, and new forms of Christian theology and institutions. This course is offered in the spring semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 173 Introduction to Theology
This is a course which introduces students to the principal themes, issues, and genres of Christian theology. Special attention will be given to method in theological thought, as well as the themes of creation, redemption, and reconciliation. Readings will typically be drawn from the modern period, including Tillich, Caputo, Placher, Moltmann, and Keller. In some years the course may be offered for one-half credit.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 181 Religion in America
An introduction to the religious history of America, this course will explore the historical development of the primary religious traditions in America, especially Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism, as well as the formative influence of religion among women, African Americans, and American Indians. Principal themes include pluralism, the impact of religious disestablishment, revivalism and reform, theological movements, and religious innovation. This course is offered in the fall semester. Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 194 Religion and Film
This course is an introduction to the genre of film as an imaginative vehicle for religious beliefs, practices, and traditions. These can be explored not only in doctrinal forms, but also creatively and often indirectly in artistic forms like film or other videographic media. The course will employ film criticism as
well as theological reflection as tools for understanding films with religious themes and insights Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 195 Religion and the Arts
This is an examination of the arts of a particular period and place with a view to discovering the religious insights and attitudes that they embody.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 196 Religion and Literature (HUM 196)
This course is an examination of one or more works of literature, with a view to discovering the religious insights and attitudes that they embody. The works and authors will vary from year to year, depending on the focus of the course. Recent topics have included novels and stories by John Updike, Shusaku Endo, Flannery O’Connor, Graham Greene, Anne Tyler, and C.S. Lewis, as well as classical Chinese poetry (Li Bo and Du Fu).
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL) and III.B. (Literature/Fine Arts)
REL 210 Topics in Islam
This is a discussion course on some topic in Islamic thought or history. Recent topics have included
Muhammad and the Qu’rán, and issues in contemporary Islam.
Prerequisites: REL 103.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 220 Topics in South Asian Religions
This is a discussion course on some topic in the religions of South Asia. Recent topics have included myth and art in classical Hinduism.
Prerequisites: REL 103.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 230 Topics in East Asian Religions
This is a discussion course on some topic in the religions of China and Japan. Recent topics have included
Confucianism, Daoism, and Zen Buddhism.
Prerequisites: REL 104.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 240 Topics in Hebrew Bible
This is a discussion course on some topic related to the history and literature of ancient Israel. Prerequisites: REL 141.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 250 Topics in the History of Judaism
This is a discussion course on Jewish history. Recent topics have included Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Jewish War with Rome, and Second Temple Judaism. (REL 250 applies to requirement B for the major.)
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 251 Topics in the Study of Judaism
This is a discussion course on Jewish thought and theology, such as contemporary Jewish thought, responses to the Holocaust, and the Jewish-Christian dialogue. (REL 251 applies to requirement C for the major.)
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 260 Topics in New Testament and Early Christianity
This is a discussion course on some topic in the history and literature of the early Christian church. Recent topics have included apocalyptic, the letters of Paul, the Historical Jesus, and Jesus in cultural context (film, literature, the Greco-Roman world, etc.). This course is offered in the fall semester. (In some years REL 360 may be offered instead.)
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 270 Theological Ethics
This is a discussion course that examines the relationship between religion and ethics from many different perspectives, beginning with theological models of talking about God, the self, and ethical goods and ending with discussions of specific ethical problems. American realism, Latin American liberation theology, Roman Catholic natural law theory, and environmental theology will be covered. Issues discussed include medical ethics, theology and economics, the problem of war, the role of the church in social change, and the nature of sin.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 272 Topics in the History of Christianity
This is a discussion course on one or more figures, themes, or movements in the history of Christianity.
Topics in recent years have included heretics and gnostics, the Christian tradition of vocation, and world Christianities.
Prerequisites: REL 171 or 172, depending on the topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 273 Topics in Theology
This is a discussion course on one or more figures, themes, or movements in Christian theology. Topics in recent years have included Augustine and Aquinas, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and African Christianity. Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 274 Topics in Ethics
This is a discussion course on one or more figures, themes, or movements in contemporary ethics. Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 275 Topics in Religion and Philosophy
This is a discussion course on some topic concerning the use of philosophy in the study of religion, or some aspect of it. Topics in recent years have included the philosophy of religion, and hermeneutics and culture.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 280 Topics in American Religion
This is a discussion course on one or more figures, themes, or movements in American religion. Topics in recent years have included Sects and Cults in America, Puritanism, and African-American religious history.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 290 Topics in Comparative Religion
This is a discussion course on a topic in two or more different religious traditions, for instance Biblical and Vedic, or Confucian and Christian, or ancient and modern. Examples include Bible and Qur’?n; Symbol and Myth; Ritual; and Pilgrimage and the Holy.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 294 Topics in Religion and Film
This is a discussion course on some topic in the area of religion and film, with a view to its religious implications.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 295 Religion and the Arts
This is a discussion course on some topic in the arts with a view to its religious implications. Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 296 Religion and Literature (HUM 296)
This is a discussion course on religious themes and theological issues in literary works. A recent topic was Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL) and III.B. (Literature/Fine Arts)
REL 297 Anthropology of Religion
This is a discussion course examining the various ways anthropology describes and interprets religious phenomena. The course investigates anthropological theories of religion, and examines how they apply to specific religions in diverse contexts. Particular attention is paid to the social and symbolic functions of beliefs and rituals and to the religious importance of myths, symbols, and cosmology.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 298 Sociology of Religion (SOC 298)
This discussion course examines the various ways sociology describes and interprets religious phenomena. The course investigates the history and methods of sociology, and different sociological theories of religion, as applied to specific religions or social structures involving religion. Recent topics have included the expansion of early Christianity; religious persecution and violence; religion among teenagers and emerging adults in the United States; religious diversity in contemporary American society; and post-colonial approaches to the study of religion and society.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL) and III.C. (Behavioral Science)
REL 310 Seminar in Islam
This is an advanced seminar on some topic in Islamic thought or history.
Prerequisites: REL 103.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 320 Seminar in South Asian Religions
This is an advanced seminar on some topic in the religions of South Asia, such as Hinduism, Jainism, or Indian Buddhism.
Prerequisites: REL 103.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 330 Seminar in East Asian Religions
This is an advanced seminar on some topic in the religions of China and Japan.
Prerequisites: REL 104.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 340 Seminar in Hebrew Bible
This is an advanced seminar on some topic related to the history and literature of ancient Israel. Prerequisites: REL 141.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 350 Seminar in the History of Judaism
This is an advanced seminar on Jewish history, such as Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinics, or medieval
Jewish thought. (REL 350 applies to requirement B for the major.)
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 351 Seminar on Jewish Thought
This is an advanced seminar on Jewish thought and theology, such as contemporary Jewish thought, responses to the Holocaust, and the Jewish-Christian dialogue. (REL 351 applies to requirement C for the major.)
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 360 Seminar in New Testament and Early Christianity
This is an advanced seminar on the New Testament and early Christianity. Recent topics have included apocalyptic and the Apocalypse, gnostic writings, and the construction of orthodoxy and heresy. (In some years REL 260 may be offered instead.)
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 370 Contemporary Theology
Seminar discussions of selected works of some significant theologians of the 20th and 21st centuries: Karl Barth, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Paul Tillich, William Placher, Sallie McFague, Jürgen Moltmann, and others. Special attention will be given to the role of scripture, Jesus, human experience (including race and gender issues), our understandings of God, theologies of liberation, and theology’s special contribution to contemporary issues.
Prerequisites: REL 171 or 172 or 173 or 270, or PHI 242.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 372 Seminar in the History of Christianity
This is an advanced seminar on one or more figures, themes, or movements in the history of Christianity. Prerequisites: REL 171 or 172, depending on the nature of the topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 373 Seminar in Theology
This is an advanced seminar on one or more figures, themes, or movements in Christian theology. Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 374 Seminar in Ethics
This is an advanced seminar on one or more figures, themes, or movements in contemporary ethics. Prerequisites: REL 270.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 380 Seminar in American Religion
This is an advanced seminar on one or more figures, themes, or movements in American religion. Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 387 Independent Study
REL 387 applies to requirement B for the major. (REL 388 applies to requirement C for the major.) Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and the department chair.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 388 Independent Study
REL 388 applies to requirement C for the major. (REL 387 applies to requirement B for the major.) Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and the department chair.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)
REL 490 Senior Seminar: The Nature and Study of Religion
This course examines different theories of the phenomenon of religion, different methods of studying and understanding it, and the issues that arise from comparing these theories and methods. This course is required of all religion major, normally in their senior year, and is open to other students with the consent of the instructor. This course is offered in the fall semester.
Prerequisites: If non-major, permission of the instructor.
Credits: 1
Distribution: III.F. (HIS/PHI/REL)