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 Religious
Studies
Professor
King, chair
Assistant Professor Gupta
(see also www.roxannegupta.com)
Lecturer Kelsey
Courses Designed Especially for
First-Year Students
REL
100 |
First-Year Seminar
in Religion
A special inquiry-oriented and discussion-based course for
first-year Honors students who desire the informality and intimacy
of working in a small group. Topics such as Basic Questions
of Faith, Sex and Gender in Religious Traditions, Theory and
Practice in Religions, and Science, Technology, and the Religious
Imagination will be presented. As is always the case, the topic
and the instructor will change from offering to offering and
a full description of the seminar will be given at each registration. |
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Area One: Biblical Studies
REL
141 |
Understanding
the Hebrew Bible
A course designed to introduce the student to the Hebrew Bible.
Of prime concern will be history of the nation of Israel and
the way in which Israelite literature, laws, theology, and religious
practices developed in the Near Eastern environment. The course
also will provide background for understanding the subsequent
development of Christianity and its beliefs. Emphasis will be
placed on reading the biblical text. |
REL
142 |
Understanding
the New Testament
A critical reading of the New Testament documents through which
the early Christians articulated their faith, beliefs, and actions
in response to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of
Nazareth. Special attention will be given to the historical
and social settings in which Christianity emerged and developed.
Students will focus on the distinctive purpose and main content
of each document, using modern historical-critical methods of
New Testament interpretation. |
REL
243 |
Jesus in Literature
and Film
The figure of Jesus of Nazareth is a fascinating one to believers
and non believers alike. Yet the gospel accounts of his life
and ministry leave many questions unanswered. The course will
explore some of the portrayals of Jesus in modern literature
and film, sampling such artists as Nikos Kazantzakis and Pier
Paolo Passolini. No prior knowledge of the New Testament is
expected. |
REL
244 |
Women in the
Biblical World
What does the Bible have to say about women? This course will
examine the portrayal of women in the biblical literature, and
the significance of that portrayal in contemporary society.
The focus of the course will be on texts from the Bible which
feature women, but we will also look at some sources from outside
the Bible. The class will be run as a seminar, with an emphasis
on student participation. |
REL
249 |
Issues in Biblical Studies (W)
This course investigates ongoing discussions and debates in
the area of biblical studies. The content of the course will
vary from year to year. Possible topics include the basic
attitudes of people toward the Bible; the evaluation of various
methods of biblical interpretation; the current status of
Pauline and canonical studies; attempts to discover the authentic
words of Jesus; and contemporary creationism/evolution debates.
In some years, the subject matter may deal with issues in
Hebrew Bible studies such as the Law, the Psalms, Hebrew prophecy,
wisdom literature, and so forth.
Especially appropriate for third- and fourth-year students.
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Area Two:
Religious Traditions
REL
151 |
Understanding
Judaism, Christianity and Islam
An examination of the major forms of Jewish, Christian, and
Muslim faiths, including Traditional and Reform Jewish; Eastern
Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity; and Sunni
and Shiite Islam. Each tradition will be studied from the perspective
of what it means to be a member of that community of faith.
Brief attention will be given to historical origins, traditional
beliefs, forms of worship and religious expression, and contemporary
problems facing each community. |
REL
152 |
Religions of
India, China and Japan
A study of the major living religions and spiritual practices
of India, China, and Japan. The emphasis will be on the origins
and development of such traditions as Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto,
Confucianism, and Taoism. The impact which these traditions
have had upon culture and how they have dealt with issues of
spiritual meaning and formation will be emphasized. |
REL
253 |
Formation and
Development of Christianity Before 1600
An examination of the formation of the Christian perspective
and its ways of dealing with spiritual meaning and formation.
It will start with the emergence of popular Christian beliefs
and practices from antiquity to the Reformation. The focus will
be on the diversity within the Christian communities and the
ways that various individuals within Christianity experienced
what they saw as "new life" in Christ and deliverance from evil. |
REL
255 |
Goddesses East
and West
Who were the goddesses of the ancient and modern world? What
are their cultic myths and functions? Does their presence in
a society’s religion indicate anything about the position of
women in that society? We will investigate such questions through
the study of goddesses in cultures around the world, from pre-historic
Europe to Asia, from medieval Christianity to contemporary spirituality.
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REL
257 |
Apocalyptic
Literature Is the end of the world coming?
As we approach the year 2000, the question that people have
asked for centuries seems charged with new urgency. What are
the signposts in our culture that will reveal the answer? An
entire genre of Jewish-Christian literature, apocalyptic, written
in response to a sense of impending doom in the Greco-Roman
world, provides a much-used set of signposts in the western
world today. This class will explore that literature, investigating
its themes and symbolism, and then grapple with apocalyticism
in contemporary religion, literature and film. |
REL
258 |
Topics in Christian History (W)
An in-depth examination of a specific historical or theological
issue in Christianity. Topics will vary from year to year.
Typical issues include the meaning of conversion in early
Christianity; the growth of spirituality and mysticism; the
development of Church/State attitudes; witchcraft and demonology
in Christian cultures; and the significance of specific figures
or doctrines in Christianity. Emphasis will be placed on the
study of historical texts.
Especially appropriate for third – and fourth-year students.
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REL
259 |
Study of a Religious Tradition (W)
An in-depth examination of a religion whose heritage is other
than Christianity. A different religion, such as Buddhism,
Hinduism, Taoism, Islam, Native American Religions, African
Religions, or Preliterate Shamanism, will be studied each
time this seminar is offered.
Especially appropriate for third- and fourth-year students.
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Area Three: Religion and Culture
REL
160 |
“What is Religion?”
This course will explore questions regarding the general nature
of religious activity and expression, rather than concentrating
on a particular religious tradition. It will examine the conceptual,
ritual, oral, and symbolic forms by which people from various
cultures have experienced religious meaning in their everyday
lives and become participants in an enduring order and destiny.
It will suggest how such ordinary areas of life as rites of
passage, healing activities, economic and domestic productivity,
patterns of social deference, and interpersonal and ecological
exchanges often work as microcosmic expressions of a religious
imagination and creative power. |
REL
261 |
Early American
Religious Life to 1865
A study of the religious faiths, practices, and social attitudes
of the people who settled in early America (including Puritans,
Anglicans, Quakers, Amish, Roman Catholics, Shakers, etc.).
The primary issue will be the importance of religious forces
in shaping Americans’ perceptions of themselves and their nation.
Students will learn about the new religious movements that permanently
changed the attitudes and views of Americans in the 18th and
19th centuries (including revivalism, perfectionism, natural
religion, transcendentalism, communitarianism, feminism, slave
religion, Mormonism, temperance reform, abolitionism, etc.). |
REL
262 |
Modern American
Religious Life Since 1865
A study of the changes in American religious attitudes and behavior
brought about by the impact of new social and intellectual forces
in American life. The main question will be the role and relevance
of religion in 20th century American society as demonstrated
by the popularity of new religious ideas; by the social experiences
as demonstrated by the popularity of new religious ideas; and
by the social experiences of specific religious communities.
This course will survey topics as diverse as modern religious
liberalism; the social gospel; Protestant fundamentalism; Catholic
and Jewish immigrant communities; new religious sects like Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Christian Science; the black church; the civil
rights movement; and popular religious trends since 1970. |
REL
263 |
Religious Perspectives
on Contemporary Ethical Issues
A study of the central ethical and biblical concepts of the
Christian tradition (including covenant, justice, love, faith,
and natural law) in relation to personal and social decision-making.
Ethical issues in such areas as human sexuality, economics,
medicine, political policy, and war will serve as catalysts
for moral analysis and discussion. |
REL
267 |
Native American
and African American Religions
A study of the sacred myths, rituals, and histories of Native
American and African American peoples, beginning with oral/tribal
roots and continuing through the encounter with and/or assimilation
to European religious cultures. Issues pertaining to modern
religious revitalization also will be explored. In addition
to historical texts, the class will examine the sacred significance
of the art, architecture, sculpture, songs, dances, folktales,
and magical folklore of the various traditions. |
REL
269 |
Issues in Religion and Society
An exploration of various areas in which religion has shaped
the cultural values and social attitudes of the modern world.
Topics will vary from year to year, but include religion and
the history of the family; religious perspectives on death
and dying; religion and biomedical ethics; religion on race,
class, and gender; religion and political attitudes; religious
nonconformity and social deviance; and so forth.
Especially appropriate for third- and fourth-year students.
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Area Four: Religion and Meaning
REL
273 |
Myth, Symbol
and Ritual
Explorations into the meaning and value for human existence
of myth, symbol, and ritual processes, drawing upon the insights
of anthropology, philosophy, psychology, and religious studies.
Topics include the nature of myth, its relation to ritual, and
the importance of symbolic systems in human life. Interpretive
readings will be drawn from the works of scholars such as Otto,
Cassirer, Eliade, Ricoeur, Jung, Turner, Douglas, and Geertz.
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REL
275 |
Contemporary
Christian Thinking and Spirituality
How have recent Christian theologians tried to rethink and reformulate
the Christian message in response to the new intellectual, social,
and political forces of the 20th century? What does it mean
to be a Christian today, and what are the implications of contemporary
life for the Christian faith? What are the intellectual options
available to Christians in the modern world? |
REL
276 |
Religious Meanings
in Literature
Works of literature reveal much about the inner life of a particular
culture. Literature tells the story of a culture’s understanding
of human existence – what is valued, feared, hoped for, believed
in. Literature provides an important window through which to
view the religious dimension of a culture. This course will
focus on the selected works of influential contemporary writers.
Students will be encouraged to develop more clearly their own
framework of meaning in relation to the ultimate questions for
faith and life posed by the various authors. |
REL
277 |
Love’s Body:
Gender, Passion, Death and Salvation
An exploration into the Judeo-Christian images, stories, rituals,
and theological reflections about the relationship of the self,
the passions, and experiences of God. Discussion will focus
on how the Western religious traditions have understood the
nature of human happiness and how these understandings have
shaped Western views and practices regarding the human body,
sexuality, gender, family duties, love, evil, and death. Readings
will be from a variety of perspectives and disciplines, including
theology, history, psychology, anthropology, gender studies,
folklore, and the arts. |
REL
279 |
Issues in Religion and Meaning (W)
This course will explore various questions concerning the
meaning and function of religious ideas and symbols today.
Specific topics will vary from year to year. They include
such issues as religion and science; religion and the social
sciences; Christianity and other religions; the problem of
evil suffering; and so forth.
Especially appropriate for third- and fourth-year students.
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REL
491 |
Senior Seminar (W)
A seminar for concentrators and dual concentrators in religious
studies that will examine ways to integrate the different
disciplines used in the study of religion around specific
questions of religious belief, faith, and practice. Participants
will engage in guided research and be expected to contribute
to seminar presentations.
Open to seniors and qualified juniors only.
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