Summer 2008

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INR 3932, Human Rights Law (Twiss Sandy D'Alemberte), FSU London Centre.  Introduction to the principles of international human rights law, the major documents that govern this law, and the institutions that deal with it.  Also, exploration of contemporary issues in human rights and on-going events in the field, including, for example, ratification of treaties and international criminal tribunals.  Special attention to the European Court of Human Rights.  Pertinent site visits in London, The Hague, and Brussels.

REL 1300, World Religions (Goff). This course is an introduction to the academic study of religion and of world religions. Specifically, the course will cover the religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and native or indigenous religions.  In the process of comparing the religions of the world, it will be the responsibility of each student to think critically about the historical evolution, systems of belief, ritual practices, institutional developments, and cultural expressions of each religious tradition.  Close attention will be given to the differences and similarities of religions, as well as the unique contributions that each of them have made to individual lives and societies. A range of reading materials and writing assignments have been chosen to provide a framework within which to engage a variety of religious issues and understand the significance and relevance of religion in world history.

REL 2240, Introduction to the New Testament (Kelley). 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 (Erndl). Overview of religions in the South Asian cultural region, emphasizing 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 and Multicultural (x) requirements. Emphasis is placed on learning through class discussion and writing, both formal and informal. Students will gain familiarity with the basic concepts of the religious traditions of South Asia, will develop interpretive skills in the academic study of religion, and will have the opportunity to develop research skills by exploring a topic of special interest.

HUM 2937-01, Honors Human Rights Seminar; REL 3194-02, Studies in Human Rights; EUH 4241-03, The Holocaust (Twiss, up to 9 credits total), The Nazi Era and Its Aftermath: Perpetrators, Bystanders, and Victims. Coordinating readings, films, photography, and site visits, an experimental program examining the lasting impact that events of the Nazi era had on Western, Central and Eastern Europe--Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland.  The main questions to be addressed are: Why did the Nazi regime commit atrocities such as the Holocaust, and why did others just stand by and allow them to occur?  How do these events figure into collective national memories and affect succeeding generations?  More generally, how do memories of totalitarian and otherwise repressive regimes impact on current human rights issues in this region and globally?  The principal cities to be visited include Prague, Salzburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Dresden, Berlin, Krakow, and their surrounds, and the sites therein range across concentration camps, Jewish ghettos, Nazi party locations, post-war legal tribunals, museums, memorials, and significant locations related to post-war socialist regimes and upheavals.

REL 3170, Religious Ethics and Moral Problems (Kalbian): A discussion of historic and contemporary moral issues, particularly as these affect or are addressed by major religious traditions. This course counts for Liberal Studies and multicultural (x) credit.

REL3493 Religion and Science (Day). What is the relationship between science and religion? Are they necessary enemies, rival perspectives fighting over a single truth? Are they separate but equal human practices that address fundamentally different domains of inquiry? Or is the relationship between these cultural fields so deeply entangled that no simple, unified answer exists? Rather than addressing these questions in the abstract, this course grapples with key episodes in the complex history of science and religion in the West. Examples of topics that may be examined include: Darwin and the Argument from Design, the Galileo Affair, Genesis and the Rise of Modern Geology, the Cultural Meaning of the Scopes Trial, Portraits of God in 17th & 18th Century Mechanical Philosophy, and the Public Meaning of Scientific Discovery.

REL 4190/5195, Religion and Politics in International Society (Kelsay). We shall examine contemporary relationships between religion and politics, particularly as these intersect with the institutions and practices of international society.  We shall give particular attention to the encounter between American power and Islamist (or jihadist) groups.  We shall also deal, though more briefly, with contemporary India.

REL 5204, Classical Hebrew Texts (Levenson). Contact Prof. Levenson for further information.

REL 5328, Greek Religious Texts: Josephus (Levenson, 1 credit). Close reading of selections from the Greek text of Josephus' works. The course will meet once a week for one hour. Prerequisite: 2 semesters of Classical Greek.

REL 5497, 'Fill the Earth and Subdue it': Man's Dominion Over Nature in Western Thought (Irving). 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.' (Gen. 1:28). Contained in this verse is one of the most powerful and contested ideas in Western thought: man should rule over nature. This course encourages students to examine the history of this idea, its reception in a number of historical contexts, and its contemporary implications. How has this intellectual tradition shaped Western conceptions of man’s relationship to the natural world? Our readings encompass the fields of history, theology, philosophy and the history of science.

REL 5906, Dead Sea Scrolls (Tigchelaar): This course/DIS will study 4Q184 (4QWiles of the Wicked Woman), in all respects. Students will transcribe and read the fragment, translate the text, analyze the poetical structure, study the scholarly literature on the fragment, discuss its meaning within the collection of DSS, and the Qumran Community, and write an article that is publishable.

 

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