Currently Offered Courses - Spring 2023
Themes and literary genres in the Bible, emphasizing content important in Western culture. Same as CWL 111 and ENGL 114.
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..
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.
Introduces the history, teachings, and practice of Zen Buddhism in China and Japan. Same as EALC 132.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Same as AAS 464, ANTH 464, and GWS 464. See GWS 464.
Various topics in religious thought. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated as topics vary.
Intensive study of select topics or issues in the study of religion. May be repeated in the same or separates terms as topics vary.
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.
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.