REL - Religion
Courses
REL 101 Bible as Literature credit: 3 Hours.
Themes and literary genres in the Bible, emphasizing content important in Western culture. Same as CWL 111 and ENGL 114.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Lit & Arts
REL 104 Asian Mythology credit: 3 Hours.
Introductory survey of the mythologies of India, China, and Japan. Same as ASST 104.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 106 Archaeology and the Bible credit: 3 Hours.
Examination of archaeological evidence, especially from Syria-Palestine, and discussion of its use in the interpretation of Biblical literature.
REL 108 Religion & Society in West I credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to classic writers and texts in Western religious and social thought from antiquity to the Enlightenment, with emphasis on their social and historical contexts. Same as JS 108, ANTH 108, and PHIL 108.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 109 Religion & Society in West II credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to classic writers and texts in Western religious and social thought from the Enlightenment to the present, with emphasis on their social and historical contexts. Same as ANTH 109 and PHIL 109..
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 110 World Religions credit: 3 Hours.
Survey of the leading living religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; examination of basic texts and of philosophic theological elaborations of each religion. Same as PHIL 110.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 115 Language and Culture in India credit: 3 Hours.
Same as HNDI 115 and LING 115. See LING 115.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 116 Faith & Self in Global Context credit: 3 Hours.
Whether in fourth-century North African, tenth-century Japan, fourteenth-century Spain, or twentieth-century America, men and women have wrestled with the question of who they are and how they are to relate to the world. Through autobiographic writings, by reading the words of women and men attempting to make sense of the world and their place in it, we hope to focus attention on the personal dimensions of faith and of cross cultural contact at the same time that we provide an introduction to the worlds' major religions.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 120 A History of Judaism credit: 3 Hours.
Examines the social, political, economic, and intellectual history of the Jews from Abraham to the present-day, with particular attention to Jewish thought and society. Same as HIST 168 and JS 120.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Advanced Composition
Humanities - Hist & Phil
REL 121 Introduction to Christianity credit: 3 Hours.
Typological and historical approaches to major forms of Christianity: Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
REL 122 History East Asian Religions credit: 3 Hours.
Same as EALC 122. See EALC 122.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
Introduces the history, teachings, and practice of Zen Buddhism in China and Japan. Same as EALC 132.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 134 Religion, Race, and Resistance credit: 3 Hours.
Examination of religiously-informed responses to and rejections of racialized oppression in the history of North America, focusing on Native American, African American, and Muslim American experiences. Same as AFRO 134.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Cultural Studies - US Minority
REL 160 Ancient Greek & Roman Religion credit: 3 Hours.
Same as CLCV 160. See CLCV 160.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 170 Nature Religion credit: 3 Hours.
Introductory survey of religious traditions that locate sacred realities in the natural world, and of ecological traditions that attribute spiritual significance to nature. Same as ESE 170.
REL 199 Undergraduate Open Seminar credit: 1 to 5 Hours.
Undergraduate Open Seminar. May be repeated.
REL 201 Hebrew Bible in English credit: 3 Hours.
Analyzes the critical issues in the interpretation of the literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament; surveys the history and religion of Ancient Israel with special reference to Israel's setting in the ancient Near East. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
REL 202 New Testament in English credit: 3 Hours.
Analyzes the literature of the New Testament in its social and religious setting, with special reference to the ministry and teaching of Jesus, the emergence of the church as a sect within ancient Judaism, and the development of Christian institutions in the Graeco-Roman world. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
REL 205 Intensive Biblical Hebrew credit: 5 Hours.
Acquisition of reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew and a familiarity with all major aspects of biblical Hebrew grammar. Same as HEBR 205.
REL 208 Cultures & Literatures of South Asia credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to the literary traditions of South Asia from the beginnings to the end of the Mughal era. Students will read - in translation - selections from a wide range of texts beginning with the earliest Vedic Hymns to the seventeenth and eighteenth century Sufi poetry and songs. Provides students an understanding of the heterogeneous and rich literary and cultural past of the region. Same as ASST 208, CWL 208, and SAME 208.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Lit & Arts
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 212 History of Antisemitism credit: 3 Hours.
Same as JS 201. See JS 201.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 214 Introduction to Islam credit: 3 Hours.
History of Islamic thought from the time of Muhammad to the present, including the prophethood of Muhammad, the Qur'an, theology and law, mysticism and philosophy, sectarian movements, modernism and legal reform, and contemporary resurgence. Same as SAME 214. Credit is not given for both REL 213 and REL 214.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 215 African Muslim Societies credit: 3 Hours.
Same as AFST 213 and HIST 213. See HIST 213.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 220 Jewish Storytelling credit: 3 Hours.
Same as CWL 221, ENGL 223, JS 220, and YDSH 220. See YDSH 220.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Lit & Arts
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 223 The Qur'an (Koran) credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to the Qur'an (Koran), the holy scripture of Islam, examining its major doctrines, thematic development, literary style, and its relationship to pre-Qur'anic, especially Biblical, traditions. Special attention is given to various methods Muslims have used to interpret the Qur'an. Same as CWL 223 and SAME 223. Prerequisite: REL 213 or REL 214.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Lit & Arts
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 224 Chinese Thought and Culture credit: 3 Hours.
Same as EALC 222 and HIST 222. See EALC 222.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 225 Japanese Religions: Thought and Practice credit: 3 Hours.
Same as EALC 225. See EALC 225.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 230 Philosophy of Religion Intro credit: 3 Hours.
Same as PHIL 230. See PHIL 230.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
REL 231 Religion and Philosophy credit: 3 Hours.
Introduces students to philosophical and theological perspectives and methodologies by focusing on one or two key thinkers, books, or topics. Study and critical assessment will attend to the larger historical context. Same as PHIL 231.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
REL 234 Black Religious Imaginations credit: 3 Hours.
Considers Black religious groups whose origins are linked to an attempt to jettison racial categories, such as "negro," that were constructed as cultural productions aimed at undermining the dignity of Black people. Examines Black religious movements like the Nation of Islam, Black Spiritual Movements, Hebrew-Israelite organizations, and the Black Coptic Church, that respond to the problem of race via a performance of imaginations that point to the possibility of other worlds and other futures. Same as AFRO 234.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Cultural Studies - US Minority
REL 235 History of Religion in America credit: 3 Hours.
Examines the religious history of the lands that have become the United States and the people who have become known as Americans through texts written by and about people of all races and creeds. From the precontact era through the twentieth century, this course emphasizes the diversity of American religion, the discord caused by and present in American religion, and the many instances of dialogue that have been a part of America's religious history. Same as HIST 289.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
REL 236 Religion, Violence & America credit: 3 Hours.
Examination of the interactions among religion, violence, and American culture from the colonial period to the twenty-first century. Using a wide range of primary and secondary texts, students will study the perspectives of the perpetrators and victims of religiously motivated and/or religiously justified violence, both in domestic and international affairs. Same as HIST 290.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 251 Viking Mythology credit: 3 Hours.
Same as CWL 251, MDVL 251, and SCAN 251. See SCAN 251.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 258 Muslims in America credit: 3 Hours.
Same as AAS 258 and LLS 258. See AAS 258.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sci
Cultural Studies - US Minority
REL 260 Mystics and Saints in Islam credit: 3 Hours.
Examines mystical concepts and practices in Islam through the ages, through the lives and writings of important mystics and Sufi holy men and women, as well as the integration of mysticism and the Sufi Orders into Muslim society and Islamic orthodoxy. Same as SAME 260. No knowledge of Islam or foreign language is required.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Lit & Arts
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 269 Jewish History Since 1700 credit: 3 Hours.
Same as HIST 269 and JS 269. See HIST 269.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 270 Religion, Ethics, Environment credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to various religious and philosophical perspectives on environmental ethics. Asks whether the religious traditions can provide us with any resources that can help us to deal with contemporary environmental problems. Religious and philosophical perspectives on these topics will be central to the course: attitudes to individual animals, to other species, and in general to non-human nature; the place of human beings in nature; the relative importance of human development and environmental protection; relations between rich and poor; whether we might need to change our conception of what it is to live successfully; and the concepts of stewardship and sustainability.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 283 Jewish Sacred Literature credit: 3 Hours.
Literary study of the major post-biblical sacred texts of Judaism; includes readings in translation from Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmudim, midrashim, piyyutim, and mystical treatises. Emphasizes nature, history, function, and development of literary patterns and forms and the relationships between form and content in these texts. Same as CWL 283.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Lit & Arts
REL 286 Introduction to Hinduism credit: 3 Hours.
Elements of Hindu thought and practice; selected topics presented in historical order and in the context of Indian cultural history (including the present).
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 287 Introduction to Buddhism credit: 3 Hours.
Thematic approach to the history of Buddhism from its origin in India to its spread throughout China and Japan; explores how the doctrinal and social development of Buddhism in East Asia is related to the process of cultural adaptation. Same as EALC 287.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
REL 291 Hinduism in the United States credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to the historical, religious, and socio-cultural aspects of Hinduism in the US. The role of Hinduism in the maintenance of the ethnic identity of Indians in the US will be examined in the context of the rituals, languages, temples, family, and other social organizations. The maintenance and/or shift of the features of traditional (Indian) Hinduism in the transplanted counterpart in the US will be examined. Same as AAS 291. Prerequisite: REL 104 or REL 286 or consent of instructor.
REL 320 Responses to the Holocaust credit: 3 Hours.
Same as CWL 320, ENGL 359, JS 320, and YDSH 320. See CWL 320.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Lit & Arts
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 332 Interfaith Service and Theory credit: 3 Hours.
Students will work for a semester with a partner organization and study academic issues that pertain to interfaith studies and interfaith activities.
REL 333 Becoming Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. credit: 3 Hours.
Same as AFRO 345. See AFFRO 345.
REL 335 Religion in Contemp America credit: 3 Hours.
Examines the religious dynamics of the twenty-first century United States. Tasks will be to map the religious landscape of contemporary America, to learn something of the history of the many traditions being practiced and lived in our communities, and then to study a series of salient issues involving people of faith; the emergence of new religions, expressions of religious intolerance, religion and politics, race and religion, and religious interpretations of economics and the market.
REL 341 Native People and Christianity credit: 3 Hours.
An interdisciplinary survey of the native religious experience, focusing on the native encounter with Christianity. Charts the cultural context for native religious history and explores native religious diversity in the contemporary period, particularly the relationship between tribal and Christian traditions in reservation and urban communities. Class discussions address the broader theoretical and practical questions raised by the intersections of religion, culture, and politics in a diverse and conflicted world, and are supplemented by audiovisual materials and guest speakers. Same as ANTH 341. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
REL 343 Islamic Philosophy credit: 3 Hours.
Survey of major developments within Islamic philosophy from the early classical to the early modern period. Focuses on the ideas and figures that have shaped Islamic philosophy through the centuries, as well as the contexts in which those ideas were produced. Topics covered include the transmission of Greek philosophy into Arabic. Islamic Peripatetic philosophy, Illuminationism, Shi'ite philosophy, and philosophical Sufism, including the great synthesis of Mulla Sadra.
REL 344 Medieval Jewish Thought credit: 3 Hours.
Study of the distinctive religious ideas, movements, and figures of Medieval Judaism [500 CE-1700 CE]. Topics include theology, philosophy, Talmudic and Biblical exegesis, mysticism, Jewish-Christian polemics, and law. Emphasis will be placed not only on content and form, but also on historical and social context. Same as JS 344 and MDVL 344.
REL 350 South Asian Goddesses credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to the most well-known Hindu goddesses, at both the pan-Hindu and local level, and explores their mythical narratives, associated powers, iconography, and rituals of worship. Presents different methodological approaches scholars employ in the interpretation of goddess worship in South Asia and abroad. Materials are drawn from textual, historical sources as well as contemporary ethnographic research, and seek to include representative figures from different regions throughout India and the Himalayan region. Same as CWL 350 and SAME 350.
REL 390 Independent Study credit: 1 to 6 Hours.
Special topics not treated in regularly scheduled courses; designed primarily for upperclassmen. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Evidence of adequate preparation for such study; consent of staff member supervising the work.
REL 393 The World of Jewish Sepharad credit: 3 Hours.
Same as ANTH 393 and HIST 393. See ANTH 393.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
REL 401 Gender and Hinduism credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Exploration of the traditional identities, role and expectations of Hindu women and men, as well as popular Hindu beliefs and lived practices informed by understandings of gender, from the ancient period through the present day. Further, the course assesses the way in which these normative ideologies and gendered practices are being perpetuated and/or challenged in the modern world. Sources will include traditionally authoritative texts and treatises, myths and other historical narratives, contemporary ethnographies, and film. Same as SAME 410. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
REL 403 Women in Muslim Societies credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examination of gender ideologies and social realities affecting the lives of women in various Muslim countries. Same as ANTH 403, GLBL 403, GWS 403, HIST 434, and SAME 403. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: A course in Islam or the Middle East, or consent of instructor.
REL 405 Jihad and Just War credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Historical and conceptual overview of jihad and just war. The first half of the course focuses on the origins of these two doctrines and their roles in medieval Islamic and Christian civilizations. The second half focuses on the shifting modern understanding of the relationship of religion to the state and violence, European colonialism, the rise of terrorism, and the War on Terror. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
REL 408 Islam & Politics in Mid. East credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examines the role of Islam in contemporary politics, the contemporary resurgence of Islam, and the articulation of Islamic approaches to the new economic order, nationalism, and the changing role of women. Same as PS 408 and SAME 408. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.
REL 414 Advanced Biblical Hebrew credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
In-depth study of the grammar and syntax of selected texts from the Hebrew Bible. Texts to be studied will change from year to year. Selections will cover the full range of biblical genres and styles, including prophecy, law, historical narrative, psalms, and wisdom literature. Same as HEBR 414. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours in separate terms. Prerequisite: REL 205, or demonstrated proficiency at the 205 level.
REL 416 Readings in Rabbinic Midrash credit: 3 Hours.
Seminar on the foundational text of Judaism- the Midrashic collections (3rd c. - 8th C.E.). We will consider the distinctiveness of Midrashic form and content, and also reflect upon the central methodological issues and problems for the study of this classic corpus. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 graduate hours.
REL 418 Afterlife in Early Judaism credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examines Israelite and Jewish attitudes to death and the afterlife from Ancient Israelite belief until the rise of Islam. Topics include death, divine judgement, immortality of the soul, resurrection, and hell. We will also selectively compare Jewish afterlife traditions to those found in early Christianity. Particular attention will be paid to the transformations of belief over time, and to the changing contexts that gave rise to new Jewish soteriologies and eschatologies. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
REL 419 Jesus and Judaism credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examines the ways Jews over the last two thousand years thought about, polemicized against, and celebrated, Jesus of Nazareth. The course will cover numerous types of Jewish literature including, but not limited to, folk stories and Talmudic teachings (from Late Antiquity), published letters, polemical treatises, law codes, philosophical tracts, and mystical writings (from the Middle Ages) and, lastly, works of Reform theology, ecumenical treatises, Zionist literature, and Jewish artistic expressions (in the Modern Period). 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Prior course in Religion, Jewish Studies, or consent of the Instructor.
REL 420 Jewish Life-Writing credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Same as CWL 421, HIST 436, SLAV 420, and YDSH 420. See YDSH 420.
REL 432 Approaches to the Study of Religion credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Introduction to the principal themes and debates that have animated the academic study of religion since the late nineteenth century. The relationship of religion to society, the economy, the state, culture, tradition, colonialism, and secularism are all considered, drawing on several different disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, philosophy and history. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
REL 435 Revivalism and Evangelicalism credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examination of the history of revivalistic and evangelical Christianities in North America from the colonial period to the twenty-first century. A combination of primary texts and scholarly studies will focus on religious, social, and political legacies, and the current shape of evangelical Christianity in America. Same as HIST 486. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
REL 436 Religion in America: 1900-1941 credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
An exploration of the religious lives and thoughts of Americans in the first four decades of the twentieth century and the many overlapping issues confronting American society and American religion during that time. Focuses on four themes: debates over the meaning of modernity, understandings of the relationship between religion and society, the gendering of faith, and the relationship between religion and American identity. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: REL 235 or REL 236.
REL 437 Religion in American Cinema credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
By using films from the 1940s-2010s we will examine the changing religious dynamics of modern American society. We will also use the conceptual tools of religious studies to describe Americans' changing relationships to cinema. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Course work in the religious history of the United States or in film studies.
REL 439 Catholicism in the United States credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examines Catholic experiences in America from the colonial period to the present day. Mindful of the institutions that make Catholicism a credibly global community and of the diversity that has always characterized Catholic thought and practice, we will seek to highlight distinctive features of Catholicism in the United States and to chart changes in "American" Catholicism over time. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
REL 440 Early Christian Thought credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Study of major developments in early Christian thought (first four centuries) through discussion of primary texts in translation. Same as MDVL 440. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: REL 121 or REL 202, or consent of instructor.
REL 442 History of Early Judaism credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
The history of Judaism from Ezra to the rise of Islam: Hellenism and Judaism, varieties of Judaism, Palestinian Judaism and its documents, Babylonian Judaism, the rabbis, and popular Jewish culture. Same as HIST 432 and JS 442. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Credit in one course in religion at the 200-, 300-, or 400-level, or consent of instructor.
REL 461 Indigenous Traditions credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Interdisciplinary seminar on indigenous religious traditions, focusing especially on the study of native North American religions. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
REL 480 Islamic Law credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Introduction to Islamic legal philosophy and the historical evolution of Islamic legal and jurisprudential system. Begins by studying the origins, nature, sources and interpretive methodologies of classical Islamic law, and the main institutions for upholding this law, the madhhab, or school of law, examining its development from the formative to the post-formative periods and highlighting important controversies generated along the way. Then looks at the early encounter of Islamic law with modernity. Followed by an exploration of several contemporary topics that have served as catalysts for new tensions and alternative approaches and interpretive theories. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Previous coursework on Islam or consent of instructor.
REL 481 Muslim Ethics in Global Age credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Exploration of contemporary, often revisionist Muslim ideas on a broad range of ethical issues that face societies today, such as human rights, democracy, gender equality, just war, pluralism, and bioethics. Same as SAME 481. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Previous coursework on Islam or the Middle East.
REL 482 Muslim-Christian Interactions credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Explores the complexity of Muslim-Christian interactions since early Islam, including theological and philosophical exchanges, debates, polemics, interfaith dialogue, perceptions of each other, Muslim minorities in the West, and Christian minorities in the Muslim world, and the relationship of religion to culture. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
REL 484 Buddhist Meditation credit: 3 Hours.
Examines classical systems of Buddhist meditation and their relation to Buddhist psychology and world view. Same as EALC 484. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 graduate hours. Prerequisite: REL 287 or consent of instructor.
REL 493 Honors Senior Thesis credit: 3 Hours.
Two-term research project. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated in separate terms for a total of 6 undergraduate hours. Prerequisite: Senior majors in religion who are eligible for graduating with distinction from the program.
REL 494 Topics in Religious Thought credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Various topics in religious thought. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated as topics vary.
REL 495 Topics in Asian Religions credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Topics in Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and other Asian religious traditions. Same as EALC 495. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours as topics vary. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
REL 496 Topics in History of Judaism credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examination of two or three of the most important practices, beliefs, icons, texts, myths, and spiritual encounters that have and continue to shape Judaism as a religion. Same as JS 496. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours.
REL 498 Topics in Biblical Studies credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Detailed interpretation of selected books of the Bible. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours as topics vary.
REL 504 Genesis in History credit: 4 Hours.
Survey of Jewish and Christian cultural reception of Genesis in the ancient and medieval worlds. Examines techniques of exegesis and strategies of interpretation in the ancient world, such as allegory, narrative expansion, and retelling. Engages with foundational studies of modern scholarship on biblical reception. While focusing on the initial chapters of Genesis, we will also explore the appropriation of Abraham traditions and the Joseph story. Same as MDVL 504.
REL 510 Graduate Intro to Religion credit: 4 Hours.
Introduction for first semester graduate students to selected methods and techniques for conducting research in the area of Religion. Students will receive general guidance on strategies for conducting bibliographic research and designing research projects. Includes study of some currently salient issues and areas of inquiry in a number of disciplines pertaining to the study of religion. The course will be supervised by one professor and will offer a series of presentations on several methodologies and historical issues by experts in various fields. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit.
REL 511 Seminar in Study of Religion credit: 4 Hours.
Intensive study of select topics or issues in the study of religion. May be repeated in the same or separates terms as topics vary.
REL 514 Islamic Theology credit: 4 Hours.
Study of the language, arguments and schools of classical Islamic theology, mainly through direct study of English translations of theological texts from two different theological schools. Same as SAME 514.
REL 515 History of Jewish Theology credit: 4 Hours.
Study of Israelite and Jewish thought from the biblical to modern period. Particular attention will be paid to theological matters and to the historical, cultural and intellectual challenges that engendered a re-thinking and re-conceptualization of the Jewish faith.
REL 520 Hindu Pilgrimage, Power & Place credit: 4 Hours.
This course undertakes a critical examination of the nature and practices of Hindu pilgrims, pilgrimages, and pilgrimage sites. We will examine central beliefs and practices of lived religion in the Hindu tradition and situate Hindu pilgrimage within the broader context of pilgrimage and related discussions of power and place. Same as SAME 520. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit.
REL 535 Historiography of Religion in America credit: 4 Hours.
Immerses students in major works of recent American religious history. Written from multiple disciplinary perspectives and wrestling with the knotty problems in which religion has been interwoven, these books will give the student a solid foundation in American religious history. Same as HIST 574. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit.
REL 567 Mahayana Buddhism credit: 4 Hours.
An investigation of Buddhist core notions as conceived from the point of view of the three Major Mahayana traditions with an examination of the ways in which these Mahayana traditions are presented in modern and early modern scholarship. At stake is the fundamental hermeneutic issue of the ways in which the "moderns" look at pre-modern thought, that is, the questions of the historical situatedness of thought. Prerequisite: At least one previous course in Buddhism or consent of instructor.
REL 568 Popular Religion in East Asia credit: 4 Hours.
Study of the history of East Asian religions through primary and secondary sources primarily focusing on Buddhism and indigenous faiths. Students will gain an understanding of the social and historical character of popular religion through East Asia. Same as EALC 567. Prerequisites: Graduate Students majoring in East Asian religions must be prepared to read some primary sources written in the original language; graduate students in the other majors are not required to read in the original language.
REL 590 Independent Study credit: 2 to 6 Hours.
Special topics not treated in regularly scheduled courses; for graduates. 2 to 6 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Evidence of adequate preparation for such study and consent of staff member supervising the work.
REL 599 Thesis Research credit: 0 to 16 Hours.
Researching and writing a thesis in consultation with a faculty adviser. 0 to 16 graduate hours. No professional credit. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated. The M.A. program in Religion allows students to receive a maximum of 8 hours for the M.A.