Fall
2005
HBR 1102 - Beginning Biblical Hebrew (Levenson)
The first semester of an introduction to Biblical Hebrew. In HBR
1102 and HBR 1103, offered in Spring 2006, the student will be
introduced to virtually the entire grammar and gain a good working
vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew, so that they will be able to translate
any Biblical text with the help of a dictionary. In addition to
grammar and vocabulary, selections from the Hebrew Bible will
be read in the first semester course. The sequence of HBR 1102,
1103 (Spring 2004) and 2230 (Fall 2006) fulfills the College of
Arts & Sciences language requirement. A three-course sequence
in Modern Hebrew (HBR 1120, 1130, 2230), which also fulfills the
language requirement, is offered by the Department of Modern Languages.
Students can take both Modern Hebrew and Biblical Hebrew concurrently,
since the focus of the former is on developing communication skills
and the focus on the later will be on learning to translate the
Bible and other Classical Hebrew texts. Note that Beginning Modern
Hebrew is offered every year and Biblical Hebrew every other year.
REL
1300 - Introduction to World Religions (Staff)
A survey of the major living religious traditions of the world,
with attention to their origins in the ancient world and their
classic beliefs and practices.
REL
2121 - Religion in the United States (Staff)
This course will introduce you to the historical study of religion
in the United States, with an eye toward ways that social and
cultural contexts have shaped the religious experience of Americans
in different places and times. We will survey religious developments,
movements, groups, and individuals, stopping to linger over representative
“soundings” within each historical period. The primary
goal of the course is for you to become familiar with the history
of American religion both by learning about central events and
trends, and by learning how to think and write historically.
REL
2210 - Introduction to the Old Testament (Staff)
This course will introduce the student to the contents
of the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Bible, and examine
these individual writings within their historical contexts. Throughout
the semester, the class will learn how to recognize and analyze
the major themes and characters of the Old Testament. The purpose
of the course is to understand the OT within the broader cultural
background of the ancient Near East, the history of the people
who composed the book, and how the literary contents of the Bible
reflect, reject, or otherwise interact with the cultural and historical
circumstances of the times.
REL
2240 - Introduction to the New Testament (Staff)
To understand the writings of the New Testament in the
context of the historical development of the early Christian church.
After surveying Judaism and other religious options in the Roman
world, attention will be focused on the figure of Jesus of Nazareth
and the development of the traditions about Jesus. Next, an attempt
will be made to understand Paul and the development and spread
of the Christian movement. Emphasis throughout will fall on the
variety of interpretations of the Christian message as Christians
encountered new social circumstances and theological challenges.
This course meets the Liberal Studies literature requirement and
the "Gordon Rule" writing requirement.
REL
2315 - Religions of South Asia - Honors (Erndl)
An overview of the religions in the South Asian cultural
region with emphasis on Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism,
and Islam. The history and cultural contexts of these traditions
will be explored with particular attention to sacred stories,
holy people, religious leadership, and gender issues. This course
also serves as an introduction to the academic study of religion.
No previous background is required. Meets Liberal Studies Humanities,
Gordon Rule, and Multicultural (x) requirements. Honors students
will have the opportunity to write a research paper on a topic
of their choice.
REL
3170 - Religious Ethics (Kalbian and Staff)
This course is an introduction to the study of religion and ethics.
We will examine contemporary moral issues such as neighbor love,
lying, capital punishment, war, sexuality, and the environment
in the context of religious views about love, duty, good, and
evil. We will read material describing views of different religious
traditions including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism
and Islam.
REL
3293– Christianity After the New Testament (Kelley)
This course surveys major developments in the history,
theology, and social life of the Christian church in the second
and third centuries CE. Particular attention will be given to
the following issues: persecution and martyrdom, Christian apologetic
literature, heresiological conflict with Jews and Gnosticizing
Christians, and the development of the structure and liturgy of
the early church. Assignments focus on careful reading of primary
texts in English translation. Class meetings will consist of lecture
and small-group discussion of selected texts from the assigned
readings. Students will be responsible for a series of small papers
throughout the semester, as well as midterm and final exams. By
the end of the semester, students will have a broad understanding
of the religious controversies, political developments, and socio-historical
contexts that produced not a single unified Christianity, but
multiple varieties of Christianity, during the first three centuries
of its existence.
Prerequisite: REL-2240 (Introduction to the New Testament), equivalent
coursework, or instructor permission. Precedes REL 4511 (Christianity
in Late Antiquity), to be offered in Spring 2006.
REL
3340 - The Buddhist Tradition (Staff)
A historical and thematic survey of the Buddhist tradition in
Asia from its beginnings through the modern period. Topics covered
include origins and history, doctrine, ethical beliefs, meditation,
ritual, and monastic and popular traditions. Some attention will
also be given to contemporary forms of Buddhism outside of Asia,
in Europe and America.
REL
3363 - The Islamic Tradition (Staff)
An introduction to the basic terms and history of the religious
tradition of Islam.
REL
3430 - Religion and its Critics (Staff)
This course will be an introduction to the major thinkers and
texts in the critique of religion as it developed in the 19th
and early 20th centuries in the west. After beginning with Schleiermacher,
a critic but also a defender of religion, we will move on to consider
the so-called ‘masters of suspicion’—Feuerbach,
Marx, Nietzsche and Freud. By means of a close examination of
the central texts, we will explore the meaning of a critique of
religion, the structure of religious consciousness, the place
of religion with respect to other forms of culture, the problem
of religion and alienation, and the possibility of a ‘critical’
faith.
REL
3505 - The Christian Tradition (Staff)
The major beliefs, practices, and institutional forms of Christianity
in historical perspective.
REL
3607 - The Jewish Tradition (Kavka)
This course is a survey of the Jewish tradition and its development
from the Biblical period to the present. We will critically read
important texts from the fundamental periods/themes of the tradition:
Biblical texts; Talmud and Midrash, the texts of rabbinic Judaism;
philosophy and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) from the medieval era;
philosophy and Hasidic texts from the early modern era; Zionism;
the rise of Reform, Conservative, and Modern Orthodox Judaism;
the Holocaust; modern Jewish feminism. In addition, we will spend
some time on the structure of the liturgical year, the primary
Jewish festival holidays, and contemporary worship services.
PHIL
3700 - Philosophy of Religion (Day)
This course introduces students to classic philosophical reflections
on such questions as: Can religious claims about the nature of
the world and human existence be proved? Can they be disproved?
Are there ever good reasons for accepting a religious belief as
true? Or, do the dictates of reason demand that we reject all
such beliefs as nonsensical? Typical figures discussed include
Augustine, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and
Pascal.
REL
3936-01 - Business Ethics and Moral Leadership (Kelsay and Brymer)
(cross-listed with HFT 4930-01)
This is a new course, focusing on the intersections between religious,
and particularly Christian ethics and business practice. The course
will be team taught by Professor Kelsay of the Dept. of Religion
and Prof. Brymer of the Department of Hospitality Administration.
REL
3936-02 - Politics and Religion (Kavka)
This course will examine issues concerning the relation between
religion and politics as it emerges in the context of modern Western
Europe, paying particular attention to the vexed nature of the
theologico-political problem in 20th- and 21st-century America.
Although at times the class will be historical and political in
orientation, it will be primarily philosophical and theological,
and so readings will be drawn from Calvin, Machiavelli, Locke,
Thomas Jefferson, Walter Rauschenbusch, John Dewey, Reinhold Niebuhr,
Abraham Joshua Heschel, Karl Barth, John Rawls, Stanley Hauerwas,
John Howard Yoder, Stephen Carter, Richard Rorty, Martha Nussbaum,
and Azizah al-Hibri. Requirements: active class participation,
and three papers of at least 1600 words. There will be no exams.
REL
3936-03 - Existentialism (Kangas)
Contact Prof. Kangas for further information.
SAL
4100 - Elementary Sanskrit (Erndl)
Sanskrit, known as the “language of the gods", is a
classical language of India and scriptural language for Hinduism
and Buddhism. As a member of the Indo-European linguistic family,
it is related to Greek, Latin, and English, as well as to the
spoken languages of modern India such as Hindi, Marathi, and Bengali.
This is the first semester of a two-semester course and presumes
no previous background. The course introduces the Sanskrit language
through Devanagari script, emphasizing reading, writing, grammar,
and oral recitation. It will be offered in fall, 2005 if there
is sufficient student interest. Contact Prof. Erndl for further
information.
REL
4190 - African-American Religion: Themes and Issues (Evans)
This course explores the diverse religious experiences of African
Americans from the 18th to the 20th century. Emphasis is placed
on the interplay between interpretations of African American religion
and the religious beliefs and practices of black Americans. Topics
covered include: the religious practices of slave communities;
the experience and the religious meanings of slavery; African
American religious approaches to social reform; religious diversity
and creativity in the urban North; and the critique of Christianity
in the African American experience. Special attention is paid
to the social and cultural context of the evolution of African
American religion and the contested meanings of African American
religion by white and black interpreters.
REL
4290 - Seminar: Biblical Studies - Apocalypticism (Goff)
The apocalyptic imagination is a foundational element of the three
great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
In this course we will study the apocalyptic tradition. We will
read apocalypses in order to get a sense of their characteristic
features, and how this literary tradition developed in response
to historical and cultural factors in ancient Israel. While apocalypticism
has older antecedents, the tradition first flourished within Judaism,
and was later appropriated by Christianity and Islam. For this
reason we will devote most of our attention to Jewish apocalypses.
Prerequisite: Either REL 2210 (Introduction to the Old Testament)
or REL 2240 (Introduction to the New Testament), equivalent coursework,
or instructor permission.
REL
4304 & REL 5305 - Seminar: Sakta and Tantric Traditions in
Hinduism (Erndl)
This seminar is concerned with Hindu Sakta traditions, those focused
on sakti or the divine feminine principle, and with the Tantric
or esoteric traditions associated with Saktism. There will also
be some comparison with goddess worship and Tantra in traditions
other than Hinduism. (i.e., Buddhism, Jainism, etc.) Prerequisite:
An introductory course on Hinduism (such as REL 3335 or 3337)
or religions of South Asia (REL 2315). Graduate students in Religion
will be admitted without this prerequisite. Students with no previous
background in either South Asian studies or the study of religion
should consult Prof. Erndl.
REL
4611 & REL 5612 - Jews and Judaism in the Graeco-Roman World
(Levenson)
This course will focus on the direct encounter between Jewish
and Greek culture in the Hellenistic and Roman period. The course
will be devoted primarily to a close reading in their social,
religious, political and literary contexts of Hellenistic Jewish
texts, such as the books of Maccabees, selections from Philo and
Josephus, the Letter of Aristeas, Joseph and Aseneth, and Wisdom
of Solomon. Attention will also be given to epigraphic, papyrological,
and artistic evidence, which provides the data for much of our
understanding of the social, cultural, and political issues facing
Jews living in the Hellenistic world. Prerequisite: REL 2240,
REL 2210, REL 3600 or permission of the instructor.
REL
5035 - Seminar: Introduction to the Study of Religion (Day)
This course familiarizes students with classic texts, theories,
and methods in the academic study of religion. Topics to be discussed
will include: the origins of religion, the nature of ritual, the
social construction of religious authority, and the epistemic
status of religious experience.
REL
5204 - Classical Hebrew Texts (Staff)
Contact Prof. Levenson for further information.
REL
5328 - Greek Religious Texts (Staff)
Contact Prof. Levenson for further information.
REL
5497 - Seminar: Luther to Leibniz (Kangas)
Contact Prof. Kangas for further information.
REL
5937 - Seminar: New England Puritanism (Porterfield)
Analysis of ideas and experiences characteristic of 17th century
New England Puritanism and their interpretation and influence
in later centuries.
REL
6176-02 - Seminar: Moral Theory and Bioethics (Kalbian)
This advanced seminar will examine recent work in moral theory
and bioethics with an emphasis on notions of personhood and moral
agency. We will explore a broad range of philosophical and religious
approaches to the discipline of bioethics.
REL
6298 - Seminar: Pseudo-Clementines (Kelley)
This advanced graduate seminar will introduce students to the
study of Pseudo-Clementine literature. Particular attention will
be given to the following issues: Jewish-Christianity; the third-
and fourth-century contexts of the Grundschrift, Homilies and
Recognitions; the texts’ relation to the ancient novel and
classical literature in general; the texts’ significance
for historical reconstruction of the life of the early church;
the idea of the true prophet and the various concepts of apostolic
authority that accompany this construction; the figures of Peter
and Clement; and the Pseudo-Clementines’ relation to Petrine
apocryphal traditions. Readings will focus on careful analysis
of primary texts in English translation, accompanied by selected
translations from Greek, Latin, and Syriac; in addition, students
will be exposed to a range of scholarly writing on the Pseudo-Clementines,
some in French and German. Students will be responsible for producing
and presenting two shorter papers, one of which will be developed
into a longer final paper. Students are expected to have some
knowledge of the ancient and modern languages mentioned above.
PHIL
6406-01 - Seminar: Philosophy of Science, Biology, and Religion
(Kelsay, Ruse, and Travis)
This seminar explores relations between philosophy, biological
studies, and religion. Team taught by Professors Ruse (Philosophy),
Travis (Biological Studies) and Kelsay (Religion).
REL
6498 - Seminar: 20th Century American Religious Thought (Porterfield)
A survey of major religious thinkers and trends in U.S. religious
thought in the 20th century studied in the context of historical
forces and events.
REL
6956 - Seminar: Human Rights and Crimes Against Humanity
(Twiss and Maier-Katkin)
(cross-listed with CCJ)
A multi-disciplinary examination of the emergence and impact of
modern conceptions of human rights including inquiry into the
nature and sources of these rights and of institutions for their
enforcement, such as international war crimes tribunals and truth
and reconciliation commissions. Particular attention focuses on
case studies of the violation or abrogation of human rights, drawing
on literature, law, philosophy, history, religion, and the social
sciences to explain and respond to the phenomena of crimes against
humanity. Instructors: Dan Maier-Katkin (Criminology and Criminal
Justice) and Sumner B. Twiss (Religion and the Center for the
Advancement of Human Rights)
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