REL 2601 Introduction to World Religions 3 s.h.
A survey of the major world religions exploring their distinctive features and common threads. A study of their founders, systems of thought, symbols, and sacred literatures.
Gen Ed: Arts and Humanities, International Perspectives, Social and Personal Awareness.
REL 2602 Introduction to Religious Studies 3 s.h.
Examines the religious features of doctrines, myths or practices and surveys various methods by which religion is explored and scrutinized.
REL 2605 Myth, Symbol, and Ritual 3 s.h.
An introduction to the nature and function of myth, symbol, and ritual. Myth interpretation, the relationship between societies and their myths, and the cultural use of myths, symbols, and rituals in religious and spiritual contexts.
Gen Ed: Arts and Humanities.
REL 2608 The Examined Life 3 s.h.
Considers the nature of happiness and well-being, their relation to social institutions, and the roles that civic and personal relations, morality, aesthetics, education, and religion play in providing happiness, purpose, and meaning in one's life. Cross listed as PHIL 2608.
REL 2610 Global Ethics 3 s.h.
Examination of morality and justice from a global perspective, including such topics as war, terrorism, and states; poverty and the global economy; religion, gender, and identity; globalization and the environment; and markets and intellectual property. Cross-listed as PHIL 2610.
Gen Ed: Arts and Humanities.
REL 2611 Judaism Christianity and Islam 3 s.h.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Examines the origins, foundational texts, beliefs and practices, intellectual and spiritual dimensions, and cultural norms and values of each religion, as well as the structures of authority in the community founded by each religion and the factors that have promoted the survival of each.
REL 2617 Introduction to Asian Religions 3 s.h.
A survey of the religions of India, China, and Japan, their systems of thought, moral values, and methods of personal transformation.
Gen Ed: Arts and Humanities, International Perspectives, Social and Personal Awareness.
REL 2621 Religion and Moral Issues 3 s.h.
The relation of specific religious and moral issues to questions of personal conduct and social policy.
Gen Ed: Arts and Humanities.
REL 2621H Honors Religion and Moral Issues 3 s.h.
The relation of specific religious and moral issues to questions of personal conduct and social policy.
Gen Ed: Arts and Humanities.
REL 2631 Religion and the Earth 3 s.h.
A cross-cultural survey of the religious beliefs and values that have shaped our thinking about the earth. An exploration of the shifts in religious thought called for by the ecological crisis of sustainability.
Gen Ed: Arts and Humanities, Environmental Sustainability, Social and Personal Awareness.
REL 2632 Jesus and the Gospels 3 s.h.
The life and teachings of Jesus in their historical context. Examination of the ways in which Jesus is interpreted within the synoptic gospels.
REL 2699 Introductory Individual Study in Religious Studies 1 s.h.
Introductory study of a religious studies problem, movement, thinker, or the relationship of religious studies to problems in other disciplines. Intended to be an independent study course with subject matter dependent upon approval of the faculty member and student. May be repeated up to 3 s.h.
REL 3708 African-American Religion 3 s.h.
Development of African-American religion and theology from the days of slavery to the present.
Prereq.: One 2600-level REL or AFST course.
REL 3710 African and Neo-African Religion 3 s.h.
A study of African religious traditions and their pivotal role in the formation of African civilizations and communities in the African diaspora, including their adaptations of Islam and Christianity.
Prereq.: REL 2601 or PHIL 1560 or AFST 2600.
REL 3712 Philosophy of Religion 3 s.h.
The philosophical investigation of religious questions such as existence and nature of the divine, the problem of evil, death and immortality, religion and science, and religious experience.
Prereq.: PHIL 1560 or REL 2601.
Cross listed with PHIL 3712.
REL 3720 The World of Islam 3 s.h.
The study of the origins and development of classical and modern Islam, including the Prophet Muhammad, the Quran, and Muslims in America.
Prereq.: REL 2601.
REL 3722 Popes Saints and Rebels 3 s.h.
The origin and development of Christianity; examination of the life and teachings of Jesus; Christian theology, liturgy, and symbolism; and divisions of contemporary Christianity.
Prereq.: Sophomore standing.
REL 3723 History of Christian Thought 3 s.h.
The origin and development of Christianity; examination of the life and teachings of Jesus; Christian theology, liturgy, and symbolism; and divisions of contemporary Christianity.
Prereq.: any 2600 level REL course or sophomore standing.
REL 3726 Buddhist Beliefs Practices and Debate 3 s.h.
An Introduction to Buddhist traditions, their historical development in countries like India, China, Tibet and Thailand, and Buddhist positions on contemporary issues. Special attention to practices, beliefs, and ethics.
Prereq.: REL 2601 or REL 2617 or ASST 1550.
REL 3728 Hindu Traditions 3 s.h.
Examines Yoga, meditation, karma, reincarnation, and major devotional and ceremonial traditions that have developed around Shiva, Vishnu, and the Goddess. A central part of the course is the study of the dynamics between popular worship and the contemplative traditions of Hindu culture.
Prereq.: REL 2601 or REL 2617 or ASST 1550.
REL 3731 Hebrew Scriptures 3 s.h.
A critical analysis of the Hebrew scriptures in terms of historical background, textual development, and religious and ethical themes.
Prereq.: One 2600-level REL course or JUDC 1500.
REL 3732 Jesus and the Gospels 3 s.h.
The life and teachings of Jesus in their historical context. Examination of the ways in which Jesus is interpreted within the synoptic gospels. Prereq.: One 2600-level REL or PHIL course 3740. Muslim Thinkers. Examination of the theological, philosophical, legal, and political writings and ideas of major Muslim thinkers from the classical through the modern period, covering the continuities and differences.
Prereq.: any 2600-level REL course or PHIL 1560.
Cross listed with REL 3740.
REL 3733 Women And the Bible 3 s.h.
A study of Biblical interpretation utilizing narratives that portray women in Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. Students will learn analytical skills required for narrative interpretation and exegetical analysis.
Prereq.: One 2600-level REL course.
REL 3740 Muslim Thinkers and Mystics 3 s.h.
Examination of the theological, philosophical, legal, and political writings and ideas of major Muslim thinkers and mystics from the classical through the modern period, covering the continuities and differences.
Prereq.: any 2600-level REL course or PHIL 1560.
Cross listed with PHIL 3740.
REL 3743 Reform, Revolt, or Revolution in Islam 3 s.h.
Critical examination of the movements of change in Islam intended to (1) reassert the primacy of Islamic religious norms in society (reform); (2) challenge the dominant political structures (revolt); or (3) bring about a radical societal change (revolution). The course examines in depth the use of Islamic motifs and symbols in all these movements.
Prereq.: REL 2601 or POL 1550 or permission of instructor.
REL 3744 Islamic Culture and Literature 3 s.h.
Introduction to the diversity of Muslim culture and literature across the world. Emphasis on classical and premodern literature, art and architecture.
Prereq.: any 2600-level REL course.
REL 3748 Islam and the West 3 s.h.
Examination of the historical relationship between the and Islamic and Western worlds, as well as their interaction in modern contexts.
Prereq.: any 2600-level REL course.
REL 3750 Religion and Race 3 s.h.
Examines race theory and its relation to religious studies through consideration of immigration patterns and the ways in which religion has been affixed to markers of identity over the last two hundred years.
Prereq.: REL 2601 or SOC 1500 or ANTH 1500.
Cross-listed: SOC 3750 and ANTH 3750.
REL 3751 Liberation Theologies and Revolutionary Change 3 s.h.
Study of liberation theologies in the Third World and in minority communities in the West, in relation to questions of underdevelopment, poverty, and oppression.
Prereq.: REL 2601.
REL 3753 Religion and Violence 3 s.h.
Examines the various approaches to explaining religiously justified violence, focusing on examples from the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. A central element of the course explores the gap between religious ideals and practices and the importance of recognizing that distinction.
Prereq.: REL 2601 or POL 1550.
REL 3754 Feminism, Ecology and Religion 3 s.h.
Investigation of religious perspectives related to women and nature, the relationship of the sacred to the natural world, scriptural and theological influences, and deep ecology and other environmental movements from a feminist perspective.
Prereq.: REL 2601 or REL 2631 or WMST 2601.
REL 3756 Psychology of Religion 3 s.h.
Survey of developments in depth psychology that have shaped our understanding of religious experience and spirituality.
Prereq.: PSYC 1560 or one 2600-level REL course.
REL 3799 Intensive Individual Study in Religious Studies 1 s.h.
Intensive study of a religious studies problem, movement, thinker, or the relationship of religious studies to problems in other disciplines. Intended to be an independent study course with subject matter dependent upon approval of the faculty member and student. May be repeated up to 3 s.h.
Prereq.: One 3700 level REL course.
REL 4810 Directed Readings in Religious Studies 3 s.h.
Independent study course with subject matter dependent upon approval of the faculty member in consultation with student.
Prereq.: Any 3700 level REL course.
REL 4825 Methods and Study of Religion 3 s.h.
This course explores the principal methodological issues in the scholarly study of religion and enables students to expand and synthesize disciplinary knowledge.
Prereq.: REL 2601.
REL 4850 Seminar in Religious Studies 3 s.h.
Study in depth of a particular figure, topic or area in religious studies, as determined by the instructor; may be repeated once with different course content.
Prereq.: One 3700-level REL course.
REL 4860 On-Site Studies in Religion 3-9 s.h.
An on-site investigation of the beliefs and practices of a particular religion or sect through readings, lectures, interviews, and travel to locations vital to its origin or development.
Prereq.: Two 3700-level REL courses.
REL 4869 Capstone Cooperative Seminar 1 s.h.
The course aids capstone students in developing and following a schedule for timely completion of a major research project, provides general direction on effective methods for working on such a project, and encourages and facilitates cooperative work among advanced students by providing peers with whom to discuss their ideas, exchange drafts, and provide constructive comments on ongoing written work. Must be taken concurrently with REL 4871.
REL 4871 Senior Capstone Project 3 s.h.
Research and writing of a paper, or other committee approved project, on a topic in religious studies, under the supervision of a full-time faculty member and in consultation with a committee of at least two other members of the department.
Prereq.: Religious Studies major with senior standing and completion of at least 21 s.h. of REL courses.