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Course Information

Religious Studies

 

Course code(s): PHIL

PHIL 112 Religion and Culture Cr. 3.
A study of traditional patterns of encounter with the sacred. Topics considered will typically include the secularization of Western culture and religious elements in contemporary American culture. Approved by Arts and Sciences for the Cultural Studies (Western Tradition) requirement.

PHIL 206 Philosophy of Religion Cr. 3.
This course encourages critical reflection on traditional and contemporary views about God and other religious ideas. Topics include arguments for God’s existence, the problem of evil, understanding the divine attributes, miracles, religious pluralism, and life after death.

PHIL 245 Introduction to Judaism Cr. 3.
This course surveys the development of religious and cultural aspects of postbiblical Judaism. Major themes, movements, practices, and values are surveyed, with specific emphasis on three topics: the history of Judaism to the end of the 19th century; the religious beliefs and practices of the tradition; and Judaism in the 20th century including an emphasis on the Holocaust, Judaism in America, and the State of Israel.

REL 301 Islam Cr. 3
Introduction to the “religious world” of Islam: the Arabian milieu before Muhammad’s prophetic call, the career of the Prophet. Qur’an and hadith, ritual and the “pillars” of Muslim praxis, legal and theological traditions; mysticism and devotional piety, reform and revivalist movements.

REL 302 Christianity Cr. 3
This course is designed to provide extensive background to the historical development of Christianity. Students will explore the complexity of Christian belief systems and demonstrate the various ways belief is applied to the politics of everyday life.We will survey the rituals and practices of Christian communities, with a focus on the varieties of scriptural interpretation, historical experience, doctrine, and behavior.

REL 311 African Traditional Philosophy and Religion Cr. 3
This course offers a general survey of aspects of African traditional philosophy and religious beliefs and practices. Emphasis will be on themes rather than on individual national tribal religions. Case studies will be limited to West Africa with a focus on the Akan of Ghana, the Yoruba of Nigeria, and the Mendes and Creoles of Sierra Leone.

REL 312 The Black Religious Experience Cr. 3
This course is designed to help students gain an appreciation for the ways African Americans have used religion as resistance to oppression.We begin with an exploration of religions in West Africa prior to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, including the role of Muslim slaves in the formation of slave religion in the Americas.We will also look at syncretism and the development of new religions in slave communities (Voodoo, Santeria, Shango, Candomble, etc.).We will also discuss the role of Christianity in the lives of African Americans, particularly in the segregated South.

REL 314 Religion and Violence Cr. 3
A comparative study of religiously-motivated violence across the world’s religious traditions with special attention given to the social, political, psychological, and philosophical dimensions of contemporary global religious conflict.

REL 321 Religion and the Civil Rights Movement Cr. 3
This course explores the religious dimensions of the Civil Rights Movement in America from the Second World War through the Vietnam War. We will examine the interracial, interdenominational, and interfaith aspects of the movement as they took shape in three areas: American streets (civil disobedience and non-violent direct action), American churches (denominational conflict over race), and American courts (civil rights litigation and legislation).

PHIL 330 Religions of the East Cr. 3.
A study of the history, teachings, and present institutions of the religions of India, southeast Asia, China, and Japan. This will include Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and Parsiism. Approved by Arts and Sciences for the Cultural Studies (Non-Western Tradition) requirement.

PHIL 331 Religions of the West Cr. 3.
A study of the origins institutions and theologies of the three major Western religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Approved by Arts and Sciences for the Cultural Studies (Western Tradition) requirement.

REL 401 Studies in Sacred Texts Cr. 3
Focuses on the scholarly study of a selected scripture or classic text(s) from one of the major world religious traditions, including the Tanakh, New Testament, Qur’an, Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Pali Canon, Mahayana Sutras, Tao Te Ching, the Hebrew Bible, and others. May be repeated for credit.

REL 402 Mysticism Cr. 3
In-depth examination of the religious, literary, cultural, and social dimensions of mysticism within and across the major world religious traditions with particular attention paid to modern academic theories regarding mystical experience and its interpretation.

PHIL 431 Contemporary Religious Thought Cr. 3.
An exploration of the work of major 19th- and 20th-century philosophers of religion and theologians such as Kierkegaard, Hegel, Schleiermacher, Barth, Rahner, and others.