Fall 2006

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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 and 2230 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.

HBR 2202 - Intermediate Biblical Hebrew (Goff)
This course is designed for students who have taken two semesters of biblical Hebrew. The focus will be on reading and translation of biblical Hebrew. We will read the Elijah and Elisha narratives in the books of Kings. Some attention will be given to vocabulary and grammar review.

PHI 3700 - Philosophy of Religion (McNaughton)
Contact Professor McNaughton in the philosophy department for more information.

HFT 4930 - Business Ethics and Moral Leadership (Brymer)
This course focuses on the intersections between religious, and particularly Christian, ethics and business practice. The course will be taught by Prof. Brymer of the Department of Hospitality Administration in the College of Business. The course will count towards the religion major.

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 (Porterfield, Koehlinger, Evans, and Staff)
The purpose of this course is to 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, individuals, and trends, and by learning how to think and write historically. Because this course carries Gordon Rule credit, you will do a significant amount of reading and writing in this course.

REL 2210 - Introduction to the Old Testament (Goff and 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 (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 3054 - Critics of Religion (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 3128 - Race and Religion in 20th Century American Culture (Evans)
This course explores the meandering roads that discussions of race and religion followed in the 20th century. Our analysis of texts and debates about race and religion will situate these in particular communities and in local contexts with an eye towards understanding how these relate to the actual experience of blacks and whites in American society. Readings cover secondary sources that provide broad overviews of how religious institutions often created boundaries between blacks and whites, sociological and ethnographic studies, personal memoirs and autobiographies, and newspaper articles. So we move back and forth from general narratives to individual experiences in particular settings. Because of its volatile mix of extreme racism, violence, and religion, the state of Mississippi is often used as a source for case studies.

REL 3142 - Religion and Psychology (Danese)
This course introduces the student to the social science approach to Religion and Religious Studies. Though the main focus is on the Psychology and Sociology of Religion, we will touch on some Cognitive Anthropology of Religion as well. The methods and tools of both Psychology and Sociology are applied to religious practices, ideas, and experiences across cultures in an attempt to both explain religious experiences as well as to interpret and understand them. Major theorists and their ideas will be covered as well as some controversial newer theorists from the fields of evolutionary psychology and cognitive sciences. Attention will also be given to coordinating and integrating the various approaches to religion and religious experience from both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

REL 3145 - Gender and Religion (Staff)
This course has three interrelated foci: 1)The impact of gender on religious beliefs and practices cross-culturally, 2)The influence and effect of feminism, women’s studies, queer studies and gender studies on the academic study of religion, and 3)The current gender issues (such as womenís studies, feminist perspectives, gay, lesbian, and transgender issues, discussions about masculinity, and family life) within contemporary religions. Thus, readings include descriptive, analytical studies by scholars of religion and theoretical, constructive works by religious thinkers. Attention is given to both fundamentalist constructions of gender and strands of resistance to gender norms within religious traditions. Traditions emphasized will be Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Vodou and new religious movements. This is a writing intensive course, meeting Liberal Studies Humanities and Multicultural (x) requirements.

REL 3170 - Religious Ethics (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 3180 - Bioethics and Religion (Kalbian)
This course introduces students to the problems and issues in the field of biomedical ethics, especially as these problems and issues relate to religion. We will explore the theories and approaches used in resolving issues in biomedical ethics through a survey of the history of bioethics and the role of leading philosophers and theologians in this discipline. We will examine specific case studies relating to beginning and end-of-life issues. We will also attend to the particular problem of cultural communication in medicine.

REL 3293 - Holy Book (Tigchelaar)
This class deals with the phenomenon of sacred texts or “holy scripture” in Religions of Western Antiquity, in particular, but not exclusively, with the Bible in Judaism and Christianity. Topics that will be discussed include the function of writing, reading and books in ancient religions; different kinds of sacred texts in ancient religions; the process of canonization in Early Judaism and later on; the emergence and development of “religions of the book”, as well as the different possible uses of sacred texts. The class focuses on the history of the holy book in the Early Jewish and Christian tradition, but also looks at sacred texts in other religions and other periods.

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 3358 - Tibetan/Himalayan Religion (Cuevas)
Tibet has long been a subject of popular fascination in America and Europe, from its rich artistic heritage and unique Buddhist traditions to its distinctive political formations under the rule of the Dalai Lamas. This course offers a detailed introduction to Tibetan history and culture with an emphasis on the religions of Tibet and the Himalayas, including not only Buddhism but also Bon and popular indigenous traditions. Specific topics covered will include the ritual cosmos, epic literature, shamans and saintly madmen, the evolution of monastic power, demons, death and afterlife, and political rule by incarnation. Some attention will also be given to contemporary forms of Tibetan Buddhism outside of Asia, and the variety of ways Tibet has been imagined and represented throughout history by Americans and Europeans.

REL 3363 - The Islamic Tradition (Gaiser)
This course is a historical and thematic survey of Islam that focuses primarily on the formative and classical periods of Islamic history. The course begins with an examination of the life and career of Muhammad the Prophet of Islam and the scriptural sources of Islam (i.e. the Qur’an and the Sunna). We then consider the development of the Muslim community and its principle institutions: schools of thought, law, theology, cultural life and mystical traditions.

REL 3505 - The Christian Tradition (Staff)
The purpose of the course is to allow the student to explore the historical variety of the Christian tradition, spanning from the New Testament to the modern era. In an effort to better understand the complexity of the contemporary expressions of Christianity, we will cover both Eastern and Western Christian traditions, focusing primarily on the persons and events that gave rise to a vast diversity. Students will read from both primary and secondary sources, and will critically reflect on those sources in an effort to understand the problems faced, and solutions proposed, by a variety of representatives of the Christian tradition. The course will be taught from a perspective that brackets the question of whether any specific Christian tradition is the ‘right one’ or the ‘true religion.’ In the academic study of religion, the goal is to become better acquainted with the complex of perspectives that make up a religious tradition.

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.

REL 4190 - Catholic Sexual Ethics (Kalbian)
In this seminar we will explore the Catholic ethics of human sexuality. We will conduct a careful study of official Catholic teachings on issues related to sex, marriage, procreation and gender and read a range of Catholic responses to these positions. We will pay special attention to Pope John Paul II's extensive writing on these issues. In addition, we will explore the roots of these positions in the Christian tradition.

REL 4290 - The Gospel of Matthew (Levenson)
A close reading of the Gospel of Matthew using the methods of contemporary Gospel studies which seek to understand the literary, historical, and sociological dimensions of the gospel text and the community from which it arose. Special attention will be given to the relationship of the gospel writer's community to the wide variety of first-century Jewish and Christian communities. The course will be organized as a seminar will regular student presentations and a research paper. Prerequisites: Introduction to New Testament.

REL 4333 & 5332 - Modern Hinduism (Erndl)
Is there such a thing as Hinduism? If so, what is it? How has it changed, and where is it going in the future? This course will explore selected topics on the Hindu tradition in 19th, 20th, and 21st century India, including popular religion, thinkers, reform movements, gurus, nationalism, gender issues, secularism, and pluralism. Emphasis will be on Hinduism in the social, political, and religious context of India, with some attention to the Hindu diasporas and Hindu-inspired religious movements in North America. Course objectives are: 1) to expose students to issues in modern Hinduism in more depth than is possible in an introductory course, 2) to provide students the opportunity to respond to these issues in an informed and critical fashion, and 3) to provide students with the opportunity to explore topics of interest related to the course themes and to present this research to the class, both orally and in writing. Prerequisite: An introductory course on Hinduism (such as REL 3335 or 3337) or religions of South Asia (REL 2315) or on the history or anthropology of India. Graduate students in Religion will be admitted without this prerequisite. Students with no previous background in South Asian studies or the study of religion should consult Prof. Erndl.

REL 4359 & 5354 - Buddhist Biography (Cuevas)
A careful study of Buddhist biographies/autobiographies, mainly Tibetan. Prerequisite: REL 3340 or instructor's permission

REL 4613 & 5616 - Modern Judaism (Kavka)
A survey of the debates about the essence of Judaism and the nature of Jewish identity in the modern period. Topics to be covered include the emancipation of the Jews, Enlightenment, the rise of historical criticism as a tool for acculturation, denominationalism, existentalism and the renaissance of Jewish culture in Germany after the First World War, the image of Eastern European Jewry, and differences between European, American, and Israeli versions of Jewish self-articulation. There are no prerequisites, although students who have not taken a previous course in Judaism should read Michael Fishbane's Judaism by the end of the first week of classes. Requirements: healthy class participation, two papers (each 8-10 pages) on a topic to be decided in consultation with the instructor.

REL 5035 - 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 5195 - Science, Philosophy, and Religion (Day and Ruse)
This seminar explores the philosophical and historical relations between religion and science.

REL 5305 - Readings in Islamic Texts (Gaiser)
This course is a survey of Islamic writings in translation from the Classical and Medieval periods of Islamic history. The course begins with the formative textual sources of Islam – the Qur’an and Sunna – and moves to the biography (sira) of the Prophet Muhammad. Other topics include: Shi’ism, Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf) and Islamic philosophy (falsafa).

REL 5565 - Modern US Catholicism (Koehlinger)
This course uses the example of 20th century Catholicism as a lens for interrogating the tension between continuity and change within religious traditions. The central debate within current historical scholarship on the Catholic experience in the U.S. hinges on contradictory interpretations of whether Catholic subculture in the U.S. prior to 1960 was insular and static, or porous and dynamic. While some scholars argue that changes in the Catholic church following the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) signaled a revolutionary annihilation of a distinctive pre-conciliar Catholic subculture (often called “ghetto Catholicism”), other scholars contend that post-conciliar change was the natural outgrowth of dynamic cross-fermentation of Catholicism and American society in the early and mid 20th century (called “compenetration” in Council documents). We will read a range of histories of American Catholicism in the 20th century with an eye toward this larger historical debate over the nature of change and continuity in modern American Catholicism. Course readings will include recent historical works on contraception, voting patterns, devotional practice, intellectual history, the labor movement, parish ministry, popular culture, sports, Vatican politics, popular culture, Latino/a perspectives, mysticism, and children’s culture within American Catholicism.

War Crimes Tribunals (Twiss and D’Alemberte (FSU College of Law))
A critical examination of international human tribunals relating to war crimes and crimes against humanity (including genocide), involving a comparison of the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and more recent trials such as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), special courts in Sierra Leone, Cambodia, and Iraq. Attention will also be given to the new International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as alternatives to criminal tribunals (e.g., amnesty; truth and reconciliation commissions). Materials for examination will include: an overview of relevant human rights law in the 20th century, pertinent trial transcripts (including opening statements and summations), historical interpretations of the trials and their significance, analysis of the politics lying behind the trials, the ethics of such trials, and prognostications about the future of international criminal tribunals. This course is an interdisciplinary graduate seminar open to law students as well as other graduate students from across the university.

REL 6298 - Current Research (Kelley)
This seminar is designed to give doctoral students specializing in Religions of Western Antiquity an opportunity to present and discuss their dissertation research in progress.

REL 6498 (2) - Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Freud: Their Moral and Religious Psychologies (Marino)
In this course we will examine the moral and religious psychologies of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Freud. These thinkers, who Paul Ricoeur once baptized “masters of suspicion,” were virtuosi of introspection; however, the kinds of insights that they gleaned from self-examination is fast becoming passé. And yet, these Galileos have, I believe much to say about the springs behind our moral and religious convictions. In this seminar, we will scrutinize Kierkegaard’s Concept of Anxiety, Sickness onto Death, and some of his Edifying Discourses. Afterwards, we will move on to Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil and On the Genealogy of Morality. We will also study Freud’s The Ego and the Id and Civilization and its Discontents. Though all three of these theorists have different conceptions of the good life, they all argue, each in his own way, that self-deception rather than ignorance is the primary obstacle to what might be termed “self-realization.” While we will raise questions about the dogma ofself-realization, we will also pay careful attention to the accounts that each of these authors offers of self-deception.

REL 6596 - Early Judaism (Tigchelaar)
In this seminar we will try to get an overview of Early Judaism from Ezra up to Bar Kokhba, by discussing key texts, religious themes, and topics and trends in modern scholarship. Emphasis will be on those texts and themes that have not been discussed in previous seminars, thus focusing primarily on the so-called Palestinian Judaism and the Pseudepigrapha, and the alleged pluriformity of Judaisms in the period.

REL 6596 - Historiography of Religion in America (Corrigan)
This course is open to all graduate students, regardless of area of specialization. It surveys the range of interpretations of American religious history and serves as preparation for one of the doctoral exams required of American religious history graduate students.

 

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