Currently Offered Courses - Spring 2022

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.

Same as GRK 102. See GRK 102.

Same as HNDI 115 and LING 115. See LING 115.

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.

Introduces the history, teachings, and practice of Zen Buddhism in China and Japan. Same as EALC 132.

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.

Same as CLCV 160. See CLCV 160.

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.

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.

Same as HIST 269 and JS 269. See HIST 269.

Elements of Hindu thought and practice; selected topics presented in historical order and in the context of Indian cultural history (including the present).

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.

Same as CWL 320, ENGL 359, JS 320, and YDSH 320. See CWL 320.

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.

Same as HIST 345 and MDVL 345. See HIST 345.

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.

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.

Same as EALC 488. See EALC 488.

Various topics in religious thought. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated as topics vary.

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.

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.

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.

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.