Apr 24, 2024

2016-2017

2016-2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

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	REL 175 - The Qurʾan and Its Interpreters Instructor Mubarak This course will introduce students to the Qurʾanic scripture, its history, themes, characteristic styles, and the way in which it has functioned as an authority for Muslims throughout Islamic history. The course will explore two genres that have emerged from the direct study of the Qurʾan, most specifically Qurʾanic exegesis (tafsīr) and the art of its recitation (tajwīd). We will examine competing modes of interpretation and the most significant exegetes in the pre-modern and modern periods, paying specific attention to the role of modernity in creating new approaches to Qurʾanic interpretation. Lastly, this course surveys a wide range of exegetical interpretations on 1) women and sexuality, 2) violence and jihād, and 3) religious pluralism. Satisfies a requirement for the Religion major and minor. Satisfies a requirement for the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Studies distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
	REL 176 - Literature of the Muslim World Instructor Zamir A thematic and genre-based study of seminal literary texts from around the Muslim world that takes a literary approach to the study of religion. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies Middle Eastern Studies requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement.
	REL 180 - Introduction to East Asian Religions Instructor Pang An introduction to the religious and philosophical traditions that played fundamental roles in shaping traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese culture: Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and popular religion. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies East Asian Studies major and interdisciplinary minor requirement.
	REL 190 - Welcoming the Stranger: Christian Hospitality in a Global Context Instructor Vosloo In light of the so-called “refugee crisis” and the fact that migration has become a trans-national phenomenon, this course explores the promise of the notion of hospitality (as welcoming the stranger), and its relation to the Christian faith. Through the engagement with a variety of biblical, philosophical and theological texts, as well as examples from literature and film, the course aims at deepening our understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in living in multi-cultural and multi-religious societies in our global world today. Satisfies a major requirement in Religion Satisfies a minor requirement in Religion Satisfies the Philosophical & Religious Perspectives distribution requirement
	REL 222 - Tragedy and Comedy in Biblical Narrative Instructor Plank A study of the tragic and comic dimensions of biblical literature. Special attention will be given to the Saul and David narrative and to the books of Ruth, Jonah, and Esther. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 223 - Wisdom Literature Instructor Plank Israelite, Jewish, and early Christian wisdom writings. Particular attention to the sage’s search for meaning, the problem of unjust suffering, the purpose of work, the contours of blessing, and the significance of creation. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 224 - The Psalms and the Self Instructor Plank A study of selected biblical psalms and their exploration of the fabric of human selfhood. Particular attention will be given to the psalms’ poetic construction of what it means to be a self and how they, in turn, offer transformative means for the self’s expression. Study will involve a close analysis of psalms as literary texts and intertexts as well as analysis of their function in given liturgical contexts. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 230 - Jesus before the Halo Instructor Snyder This course explores Jesus in the midst of his historical, religious, and political context: how did Jesus encounter and resist the political and religious structures of his day? Can we construct an historically adequate picture of Jesus based on the different gospels that narrate his life and teachings? Is he best understood as an apocalyptic prophet, an ethereal sage, or a political revolutionary? The course also attends to Jesus’ ethical teachings on subjects such as wealth and poverty, non-violence, and love of enemies. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 231 - Paul: his Communities and Conflicts Instructor Snyder Paul is now enshrined in Christian history and dogma, yet few people realize how controversial his original message was. Many of Jesus’s first followers were suspicious of Paul and there were fierce debates over his preaching. By a careful inspection of his letters we’ll explore these debates and seek to understand the nature of the groups he founded in cities around the Mediterranean. Some of these groups survived, and some disappeared: what held them together - or broke them apart? Why would someone be drawn to Paul and his preaching? What was appealing about the life of these groups? The goal is to understand Paul and his theological ideas in their first-century context. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. This course may be applied towards a Classics major. Prerequisites & Notes
	REL 232 - Parables in the Jewish and Christian Traditions Instructor Plank Selected parables in the Jewish and Christian traditions, including parables of Jesus, the Rabbis, the Hasidim, Kierkegaard, and Kafka. Emphasis on the religious significance of narrative. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 233 - The Other Gospels: Lost Literature of Early Christianity Instructor Snyder Examines the gospel literature that did not make it into the New Testament: the Gospel According to Thomas, Gnostic gospels such as the Gospel According to Phillip, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the Gospel of Judas, infancy gospels, and lost Jewish-Christian gospels. It also considers the development of the categories “heresy” and “orthodoxy,” as well as the process of canonization. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 242 - The Rise of Christianity Instructor Foley The theological and historical development of the early church from the New Testament period to the Council of Chalcedon (451 C.E.) with a focus on early controversies as revealed through primary sources. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes This course may be applied towards a Classics major.
	REL 243 - The Spiritual Imagination in Contemporary Poetry Instructor Plank A study of how recent poets imagine the divine-human relation and the experience of transcendence, as well as a consideration of the affinity between poetry and religion. Poets to be discussed may include Christian Wiman, Mary Szybist, Franz Wright, Mary Karr, Fanny Howe, Jean Valentine, Anne Carson, and Mark Wunderlich. Satisfies a major requirement in Religion Satisfies a minor requirement in Religion Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement
	REL 244 - Modern Jewish Literature Instructor Plank Modern Jewish fiction, poetry, and literary theory with particular focus on modern Midrash and the significance of writing as a religious act. Selected texts from Yiddish, Euro American, and Israeli literature include writings of I.L. Peretz, Sholem Aleichem, S. An-ski, I.B. Singer, Cynthia Ozick, David Grossman, and Amos Oz. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
	REL 245 - Modern Christian Thought Instructor Poland Challenges to Christian belief and theological responses to them from the Enlightenment to the early twentieth century. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 246 - God (=PHI 170) Instructor Ottati/Studtmann This course focuses on what is said about God in Christian tradition and in philosophy. It explores representations, symbols, and inklings of the divine in biblical and religious texts, developed conceptions of God put forward by philosophers and theologians, and traditional arguments about God, as well as contemporary statements and debates. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 247 - Food in Religious Perspective Instructor Poland Examines food practices in various religious traditions; explores contemporary ethical dilemmas concerning what we eat. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies depth and breadth course requirement in the Humanities track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.
	REL 248 - Christianity and Nature Instructor Poland An exploration of Christian attitudes toward nature and toward non-human animals as displayed in scripture and tradition. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies depth and breadth course requirement in the Humanities track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.
	REL 250 - Issues in Theological Ethics Instructor Lustig A focused study of a given ethical issue and its theological significance. Topics to be studied may include medical ethics, justice and poverty, war and peace, the meaning of virtue and civil rights. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. ENV credit varies year by year, so please check with the ENV Chair if you have a question. For students enrolled in 2016-2017, satisfies depth and breadth course requirement in the Humanities track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.
	REL 252 - Prophetic Christianity in America Instructor Ottati A study of the theological ethics that contributed to the Social Gospel, Christian Realism, and the Civil Rights Movement in America. Resources include works by Walter Rauschenbusch, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as some secondary texts, recordings, and films. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 255 - Woman and the Body in the Christian Tradition Instructor Poland A study of Christian attitudes toward gender and the human body as reflected in scripture, doctrine, and practice. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 256 - Religion, Ethics and Medicine Instructor Lustig An introduction to basic themes, methods, and issues in religious bioethics. Exploration of ways that religious perspectives differ from, complement, or converge with secular approaches. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 257 - Death, Dying and the Afterlife Instructor Lustig Religious, ethical, psychological, and cultural dimensions of dying, death, and the afterlife. Considers a range of topics, including scientific and religious perspectives on embodiment within the context of dying and death, varying definitions of death, and the ritual meanings associated with death. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 258 - Vocation of Citizen and Soldier Instructor Ottati Theological and philosophical perspectives on civil government, war, and military service with readings from biblical and classical sources. Emphasis on recent essays on specific moral questions and issues. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 260 - Religion in America Instructor Wills Historical survey of the American religious experience from colonial times to the present. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 261 - African American Religious Traditions Instructor Wills The varied religious experiences of African Americans from pre-slavery through the Civil Rights movement. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
	REL 262 - Imagining American Religion Instructor Wills A study of how people have portrayed the religious dimension of life through works of narrative fiction. Examines the various motives - religious, political, aesthetic, or otherwise - that guide American imaginings about religion. Satisfies a requirement in the Africana Studies major. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 266 - The Bible in America Instructor Snyder The course begins with a brief history of the Bible; we then examine the role the Bible has played in American cultural and religious life, with specific reference to gender, race, sexual identity, and creationism. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 270 - Classical Hinduism Instructor Mahony Historical, thematic, and theological consideration of selected aspects of classical Hinduism. Topics include concepts of divinity, the place in religious life of sacred narrative and ritual, the religious significance of the intellect and emotions, devotional sensibilities, the value and role of meditation, and ethical views. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement.
	REL 271 - Classical Buddhism Instructor Mahony Historical and thematic study of Buddhist thought and practice in representative Asian cultures. Topics include the nature of Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment, sectarian and philosophical developments, cultural values, psychological insights, contemplative practices and ethical views. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies East Asian Studies requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement.
	REL 272 - Classical Islam Instructor Mahony Theological and cultural study of Islamic history and religious expressions. Topics include the life of Muhammad, teachings of the Qur’an, developments in Islamic sectarianism, religious law and ethics, contemplative and ritual practices, and aesthetic values and expressions. Emphasis is on Islam before the rise of European colonialism, yet considerable attention is also given to Islam in the contemporary world. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies Middle Eastern Studies requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement.
	REL 274 - Women and Gender in Islam Instructor Mubarak The course will trace the development of gender issues in Muslim societies, ranging from the early Islamic period (7th century) to the modern period. Topics include marriage, divorce, veiling, segregation, polygyny, adultery, slavery and sex. The rise of secular and religious feminism and women’s initiatives to reform patriarchal practices in contemporary Muslim societies will also be addressed. Satisfies a distribution requirement in Religious and Philosophical Perspectives. Satisfies a major credit in Religion. Satisfies a cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies a major/minor credit in Gender and Sexuality Studies.
	REL 275 - Jewish Religious Life Instructor Plank Historical, thematic and semiotic study of Jewish religious practice. Special attention given to liturgy, prayer, ritual and domestic piety. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
	REL 276 - The Shi’ite Tradition Instructor Zamir Introduction to the Shi’ite tradition that also highlights commonalities and differences between Sunni and Shi’ite interpretations of islam. Topics include: the origins of Shi’ism and the Sunni-Shi’ite split; Shi’ite theology; religious and ritual life, piety and spirituality; development of the tradition over time; major institutions; Shi’ite Messianism; major themes in polemics between Sunnis and Shi’ites; ecumenical efforts; mediatory role of Sufism; and political thought and political ramifications of the Sunni-Shi’ite divide. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies Middle Eastern Studies requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement.
	REL 277 - Islamic Mysticism Instructor Zamir Islamic spirituality and its diverse varieites, doctrinal formulations, practices, history and contemporary significance. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies Middle Eastern Studies requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement.
	REL 278 - Islamic City Instructor Zamir Engaging a wide variety of sources, and through an exploration of ‘spaces’ (e.g., house, mosque, palace, bazaar, madrasa, garden) within traditional Islamic cities, students will discover for themselves various aspects of Muslim societies, cultures and institutions. The course involves collaborative projects, creative research, and introduces digital design. Satisfies a requirement for Religion major and minor. Satisfies the Religious and Philosophical Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies a cultural diversity requirement.
	REL 280 - Chinese Religions Instructor Pang A survey of the complex array of philosophical and religious traditions that have fundamentally shaped Chinese thought and culture. Topics include ancient state religion, classic Confucian and Daoist texts, religious Daoism, Buddhism in China, and popular religion. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies a requirement in the East Asian Studies major and interdisciplinary minor. Satisfies a requirement in the Chinese Studies minor.
	REL 282 - Tibetan Religions Instructor Pang An introduction to both Bön and Buddhism in Tibet. The historical, philosophical, religious, ritual, contemplative, institutional, and social dimensions of religion in Tibet will be examined. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies a requirement in the East Asian Studies major and interdisciplinary minor. Satisfies a requirement in the South Asian Studies interdisciplinary minor.
	REL 283 - Buddhism in America Instructor Pang The history and development of Buddhism in America. Topics include the American Transcendentalists and “Eastern” thought, Buddhism and the Theosophists, the World Parliament of Religions of 1893, the “Zen boom” of the Beat generation, the varieties of Buddhism imported by Asian immigrants beginning in the 1960s, and modern “American Buddhist” communities and practices. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
	REL 288 - The Religious Question in Modern China Instructor Pang This course explores religion in Chinese societies during the tumultuous period between the late nineteenth and early twenty-first centuries. We will analyze the historical and cultural foundations of Chinese religion; the role of the state, intellectual, and political groups in shaping official religiosity; and the bewildering variety of religious traditions in contemporary Chinese societies. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies East Asian Studies major and interdisciplinary minor requirement. Satisfies Chinese Studies Minor.
	REL 301 - Perspectives in the Study of Religion Instructor Poland Required of all majors. Critical examination of various methods, disciplines, and theories employed in the academic study of religion, focusing particularly on those approaches that locate religion in its social, cultural, and political contexts. Generally taught in spring semester. Required of all Religion majors by the end of the junior year. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Pre/Corequisites: Any two Religion courses or permission of the instructor. Students intending to go abroad in their junior year should take this course in their sophomore year, if possible.
	REL 320 - The Genesis Narrative Instructor Plank A literary study of the book of Genesis, appropriating midrashic, intertextual, and post-modern strategies of interpretation. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 321 - The Exodus Tradition Instructor Plank A literary study of the book of Exodus and its appropriations in biblical literature, midrash, Jewish and Christian ritual, and Holocaust iconography. Use of literary, midrashic, intertextual and post-modern strategies of interpretation. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 333 - Revelation and the Apocalyptic Imagination Instructor Snyder The ancient near eastern context for apocalyptic literature in canonical and non-canonical literature such as Enoch and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Close attention to the Book of Revelation and its modern (mis)interpretations, including representations in art and film. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. (not offered 2015-16.)
	REL 341 - Religions of the Roman Empire Instructor Snyder An examination of public cult under the Roman Empire: sacrifices, divination, priesthoods and holidays, as well as the religious groups devoted to Isis, Mithras, Moses and Christ. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. This course is also cross-listed with Classics and could be applied towards a Classics major.
	REL 343 - Modern and Postmodern Theologies Instructor Poland A multidisciplinary examination of a contemporary theological issue; topics change each time the course is offered. Past topics include: feminist theologies, postmodern theologies, humans and other animals. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Recommended preparation: either REL 141 or REL 245.
	REL 344 - Modern Critics of Religion Instructor Poland Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century critiques of religion. Figures studied may vary from year to year, but may include Nietzsche, Freud, and Marx among others. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes
	REL 345 - Early Christian Texts on Poverty Instructor Foley This course examines early Christian discussions about the poor, the role of almsgiving in Christian life and the problems-as well as the possibilities-of wealth. Texts to be studied include relevant selections from the Christian Bible, The Shepherd of Hermas, 2 Clement, Cyprian On Works and Alms, Augustine’s Enchiridion, John Chrysostom’s sermons and other relevant Christian texts written before the modern period. This course will also attempt to put these early Christian texts in dialogue with modern debates on poverty and economic inequality. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes This course is also cross-listed with Classics and could be applied towards a Classics major. Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 346 - Modern Jewish Thought Instructor Plank Selected Jewish thinkers and their negotiation of the issues of tradition and modernity from the Enlightenment to the post-holocaust period. Attention to figures such as Mendelssohn, Buber, Rosenzweig, Heschel, Fackenheim and Levinas. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome. (not offered 2015-16.)
	REL 347 - Christian Latin Writers Instructor Foley Readings and research on selected Christian Latin authors from 200-600, including Tertullian, Cyprian, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes LAT 201 or equivalent (not offered 2015-16.)
	REL 350 - Reformed Theology and Ethics Instructor Ottati A study of the signal and dynamic ideas, themes, and issues of the Reformed tradition in theology and ethics, with emphasis on the sovereignty of God, predestination, sin, grace, law, faithfulness and political participation. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 352 - Protestant and Roman Catholic Ethics Instructors Ottati or Lustig Compares and contrasts Protestant and Roman Catholic approaches to theological ethics. Analyzes the historical, conceptual, and methodological similarities and differences in the two traditions, applying their distinctive perspectives to several contemporary issues. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 353 - Theological Perspectives on Christian Faith Instructor Ottati Christian beliefs and moral norms as they are expressed by the Apostles’ Creed, The Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition to critical studies of the history and composition of these texts, this course also includes classical and contemporary interpretations of what they mean from Augustine, Martin Luther, and Thomas Aquinas to Rosemary Radford Ruether and Leonardo Boff. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 354 - Major Figures in Theology and Ethics Instructor Ottati Each time it is offered, this course explores the theology and ethics of a major figure. For the Fall 2014 semester, the focus will be on H. Richard Niebuhr. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 357 - The Bible and Modern Moral Issues Instructor Snyder This course examines how the Bible is being used in contemporary moral, political, and cultural debates: homosexuality, creationism, environmentalism, race, Middle-Eastern politics, end-of-the-world predictions, among others. The range of topics is flexible, and can adapt to current conditions, e.g., the elections of 2016. Students will be encouraged to investigate issues of particular interest through individual research. For purposes of comparison, REL 266 The Bible in America emphasizes the role the Bible “has” played in American life; REL 357 emphasizes the role the Bible “is playing” in American life. The former course is more historical; the latter, more ethical and theological. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 358 - Humans and Other Animals Instructor Poland This is an interdisciplinary Religion course in a growing subfield, Critical Animal Studies. Readings include reflections on human nature and on human and non-human animal relations by novelists, theologians, philosophers and scholars of religion. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies depth and breadth course requirement in the Humanities track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels are welcome.
	REL 360 - American Civil Religion Instructor Wills Examination of the many ways that the United States serves as a focus for religious energies-for rituals, creeds, and myths that organize our lives and explain us to ourselves as a national community. Topics may include landscape, family, education, holidays and electoral politics as civil religious institutions. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 365 - Women in American Religion Instructor Wills Using biographies and autobiographies of women from various periods and traditions of American religion, this course will explore women’s roles in those traditions and the conventions through which those women have been portrayed. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 366 - Mormonism Instructor Wills Examines an indigenous American religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, exploring its historical origins, beliefs, related theological and political controversies, and cultural heritage. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 370 - Asian Meditation Texts Instructor Mahony A study of the religious significance, ideals, and practice of meditation in selected Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Readings center on translations of primary texts but also include pertinent indigenous commentaries and modern interpretive works. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement. Satisfies East Asian Studies requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 371 - Varieties of Hindu Mysticism Instructor Mahony Interpretive and comparative study of Hindu sacerdotal, philosophical, contemplative, and devotional mystical sensibilities as presented in various textual genres. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 375 - Islamic Visions of the End Instructor Zamir Survey of Muslim perspectives on death, afterlife and the apocalypse. Examines eschatological and messianic movement in Islamic history and contemporary times and the cultural and ethical implications of Islamic eschatological ideas. Satisfies a major requirement. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies Middle Eastern Studies requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 376 - Islamic Ethics Instructor Zamir Study of seminal texts and various modes of ethical life and thought in Islam with some attention given also to the applications of Islamic thought to contemporary ethical issues. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies Middle Eastern Studies requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 378 - Islam in the Modern Age: Tradition, Fundamentalism and Reform Instructor Zamir The course looks at Islam and Modernity as two units of intellectual, cultural, and historical formations and analyzes their development and interaction from the Age of European Expansion into the Islamic world to the present. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies Middle Eastern Studies requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 382 - Zen Buddhism Instructor Pang Traces the historical development of Chan/Zen Buddhism in China and its transmission to Japan and subsequent transformation. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies a requirement in the East Asian Studies major and interdisciplinary minor. Satisfies a requirement in the Chinese Studies minor. Prerequisites & Notes Students at all levels welcome.
	REL 395 - Independent Study Instructor Staff Admission by consent of the instructor; use 396 for second Independent Study. Independent study under the direction and supervision of a faculty member who reviews and approves the topics of study and determines the means of evaluation. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
	REL 401 - Senior Colloquium Instructor Staff Required of all senior majors. Explores issues within the study of religion and discusses strategies for research. Each student will complete a thesis directed by an appropriate department member.
	REL 413 - Sacrifice Instructor Snyder A comparative and cross-cultural look at the phenomenon of sacrifice in different religious traditions. We’ll examine concrete instances of the practice, read narratives about it, and draw upon theoretical models for understanding it.
	REL 419 - Science and Religion Instructor Lustig Religion and science are often described as different paths toward truth. Many scholars interpret the claims of religion and science as referring to different spheres of meaning, with each realm characterized by distinctive methods, aims, and forms of discourse. Such distinctions, despite their cogency, are also problematic. Christianity, for example, appeals to both Revelation and nature, to both transcendence and immanence. And Western science raises important theoretical and empirical issues for religious beliefs about creation and redemption, as well as the meanings of, and relations between, nature and human nature. This course will examine various models of the relations between religion and science developed in the recent scholarly literature. It will first focus on several historical points of conflict between science and religion - the shifts in worldview associated with Newton, Darwin, Freud, Einstein, and Heisenberg. Then, in light of participants’ interests, it will assess elements of recent physical and biological science that pose challenges to the cogency of Western theism and traditional theological understandings of divine design and providential action.
	REL 433 - Art, Media, Technology and Religion Instructor Zamir The seminar will explore how art, media, and technology inform, perform, and transform religious life and its various expressions. We will be drawing on theories of art, media and technology and discuss examples from several major religious traditions.
	REL 439 - Paul’s Letter to the Romans Instructor Snyder An intensive study of Paul’s Letter to the Romans with attention to historical, critical, and theological issues.
	REL 443 - The Question of the Animal Instructor Poland An interdisciplinary seminar in a growing subfield, Critical Animal Studies. Readings include ancient and recent reflections on human nature and on human and non-human animal relations by novelists, theologians, philosophers and scholars of religion.
	REL 444 - Black and Womanist Theology Instructor Foley A study of African American theological writings written since the Black Power movement of the 1960s. Black theology refers typically to works written or inspired by theologian James H. Cone. Womanist theology describes a theology written specifically by and for African American women. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
	REL 449 - The Spiritual Imagination in Contemporary Literature Instructor Plank A study of how selected American writers have imagined transcendence and the life of the spirit, as well as a consideration of the relationship of poetic and religious language. Authors to be studied include: Christian Wiman, Fanny Howe, Franz Wright, Mary Szybist, Anne Carson and others. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives Distribution Requirement. Counts for the LIT minor.
	REL 451 - Religion and Law Instructor Plank
	REL 454 - A Social Gospel Instructor Ottati This seminar explores socially engaged theological ethics from Christian Socialists and Christian Realists to Liberation theologians. We will read and discuss works by writers such as Walter Rauschenbusch, John A. Ryan, Vida Dutton Scudder, Reinhold Niebuhr, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gustavo Gutierrez, James Cone, Rosemary Radford Ruether, and Cornel West. We will also pay special attention to biblical and traditional bases for the positions they advocate.
	REL 458 - Calvin’s “Institutes” Instructor Ottati Close reading and discussion of John Calvin’s 16th century Institutes of the Christian Religion; reference to the historical context of the work with the emphasis on engagement with the theological arguments and images Calvin presents.
	REL 460 - Religion and Racism Instructor Foley
	REL 474 - The Daodejing Instructor Pang This course examines the Daodejing and its diverse body of commentarial literature throughout the centuries. We will consider both ancient and modern interpretations of the text, as well as their historical, political, social, and religious contexts. Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement
	REL 475 - Vedas and Upanishads Instructor Mahony A study of canonical texts from ancient India known as the Vedas and Upanishads that in many ways have served as the foundations of religious sensibilities in India throughout the generations. Attention will be given to visionary poetry, sacred narrative, sacerdotal literature, philosophical musings, theological reflections, contemplative teachings and mystical intuitions. Satisfies Religious and Philosophical Perspectives distribution requirement Satisfies Cultural Diversity requirement
	REL 498 - Honors Thesis Instructor Staff Research paper on some aspect of religious studies. Prerequisites & Notes For senior majors approved by the department. See thesis instruction sheet for details.
	RUS 101 - Elementary Russian I Instructor Ewington For beginners. No previous knowledge of Russian required or expected. This course develops students’ basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing Russian. We begin with the Cyrillic alphabet and fundamental sounds and structures of Russian. As the semester progresses, students learn to communicate about culture, geography, and daily life. Thanks to a “flipped classroom” model (with the professor’s grammar lectures online), RUS 101 devotes class time to engaging interactive activities. The course requires work with audio, video, and computer exercises as well as participation in twice weekly AT sessions with a native speaker assistant. Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
	RUS 102 - Elementary Russian II Instructor Ewington This semester students complete the introduction to the Russian case system, while continuing to develop basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing about everyday Russian culture, including hobbies, shopping, restaurants, university life, holidays, and vacations. Thanks to a “flipped classroom” model (with the professor’s grammar lectures online), RUS 102 devotes class time to engaging interactive activities. The course requires work with audio, video, and computer exercises as well as participation in twice weekly AT sessions with a native speaker assistant. Prerequisites & Notes RUS 101 or placement. (Spring)
	RUS 201 - Intermediate Russian I Instructor Utkin Continuing work in development of basic skills of Russian, with an emphasis on engaging authentic materials. Satisfies the foreign language requirement. Prerequisites & Notes RUS 102 or placement. (Fall)
	RUS 202 - Intermediate Russian II Instructor Utkin Continued instruction at the intermediate level for those who wish to continue toward advanced levels of Russian. Prerequisites & Notes RUS 201 or placement. (Spring)
	RUS 260 - Duels, Death, & Desire: The 19th-Century Russian Novel (in English) Instructor Ewington This course explores the great 19th-century Russian literary tradition, including works by Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. We will consider the “ritualized violence” of dueling, rapidly shifting attitudes toward sexuality and love, questions of social justice around serfdom, Russia’s complicated relationship with the West, religion vs. scientific progress, and the Russian writer’s role as prophet of truth in a land of autocracy. No knowledge of Russian required or expected. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 266 - Vampires Instructor Staff In this class we will examine the figure of the vampire, as well as the use of vampirism as a metaphor in folklore, literature, journalistic texts, theater and film. Some vampires, as we will come to learn, do not even drink blood. Many don’t fear the sun. So what do these varied monsters have in common? Their “otherness” and their focalization of cultural desires and anxieties. By studying vampirism through a historical perspective, we will learn that vampires - although they may not have reflections - reflect our anxieties about alterity, particularly in regard to such charged subjects as gender, sexuality, race, religion and nationality. Satisfies Historical Thought distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 270 - Nobel Laureates: The Politics of Literature - The 20th-Century Russian Novel (in English) Instructor Utkin In this course we will examine key cultural and socio-historical moments in the development of twentieth-century Russian literature by focusing on the prose and poetry of authors awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature - Ivan Bunin, Boris Pasternak, Mikhail Sholokhov, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and Joseph Brodsky. Additionally, we will read Lev Tolstoy, who vehemently rejected being nominated for the prize, as well as Vladimir Nabokov and Anna Akhmatova, who arguably merited the award but never received it. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 280 - Russia & the West (in English) Instructor Ewington Have we truly entered a new Cold War with Russia? How and why have relations with the West deteriorated so quickly in recent years? And who counts as the “West” anyway? How far and deep do the political and cultural fissures run and what can they tell us about Russian society and our own? In this course we’ll get to the bottom of things by exploring everything from Peter the Great’s unprecedented westernization of Russia to Cold War propaganda, the Space Race, the famous Slavophiles & Westernizer debates, waves of emigration and exile that began with the Bolshevik Revolution, depictions of Russians in Hollywood, and recent efforts to define a post-Soviet identity in Putin’s Russia. No knowledge of Russian language or culture required or expected. All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Liberal Studies requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
	RUS 290 - Russian Theater (in English) Instructor Staff This course introduces the rich heritage of Russian theater from the nineteenth century to the present day. We begin with Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, and Chekhov and continue with early twentieth-century theatrical experiments, Soviet plays, and post-Perestroika works. No knowledge of Russian required or expected. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 292 - Gender and Sexuality in Russian Culture Instructor Staff This course examines the construction and representation of gender and sexuality in Russia by analyzing literature, theater, and film. The course is open to all students, who have an interest in gender and sexuality studies and would like to expand their knowledge to the Russian context. No background in Russian and/or gender criticism is necessary. Satisfies major and minor requirements in Russian Studies and Gender Studies. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies Literary Studies, Creative Writing and Rhetoric distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 293 - Topics in Russian Culture (in English) Instructor Staff Selected topics in Russian culture. Covers various aspects of culture and society, such as history, politics, economics, literature, film, art and architecture, music, and mass media. Sample topics include “Moscow-Berlin Modernism,” and “St. Petersburg: Russia’s Window on the West.” Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Liberal Studies distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 294 - Russia & Ukraine - War & Peace (Topics in Russian Literature in English) Instructor Ewington In 2008 Putin quipped to the U.S. president, “you must understand, George, Ukraine is not even a country.” That denial of sovereignty later took an ominous turn, with the annexation of Crimea and the ongoing violence in Eastern Ukraine. Most Westerners are perplexed by all this. Aren’t they one Slavic people? In fact, their common cultural and political heritage notwithstanding, many Ukrainians bristle at the linguistic, political, and cultural dominance of their Russian “brothers and sisters,” while many Russians view Ukrainians as part of their own “nation.” But what is meant by “nation?” Looking beyond political structures, status as a great nation was traditionally affirmed by the production of a national literary epic. In this course we will develop a nuanced appreciation for the current conflict through careful attention to each nation’s canonical war epic: Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol, a Ukrainian who wrote in Russian and is claimed by both nations as their own - and Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace - perhaps the most famous novel of all time, which is set in the years leading up to and during the Napoleonic invasion of Russia in 1812 and the patriotic fervor that ensued. Along the way, we will discuss a few shorter “Ukrainian tales” by Gogol, as well as Tolstoy’s early military tales, “The Sevastopol Sketches,” which were inspired by his experiences in the Crimean War All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
	RUS 295 - Independent Study Instructor Staff A topic chosen by the student and researched under the direction of the faculty member, who reviews and approves the topic and determines the means of evaluation of the student’s work. 295 (Fall)/296 (Spring) Prerequisites & Notes Permission of the instructor.
	RUS 297 - Russian Women Writers (in English) Instructor Ewington This course offers an introduction to Russian women writers from the age of Enlightenment to the present day. Texts include memoirs, novels, poems, and plays, as well as readings on Russian Gender Studies. No knowledge of Russian required or expected. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 301 - Advanced Intermediate Russian Instructor Staff Further development of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Prerequisites & Notes RUS 202 or placement. (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 319 - Contemporary Russia Instructor Staff Discussions and written assignments based on excerpts from current newspapers, magazines, and films, focusing on recent Russian history, literature, and daily life. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Prerequisites & Notes RUS 202 or equivalent. (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 320 - Masterpieces of Russian Literature Instructor Staff Advanced reading and discussion of canonical works by Russian writers, such as Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Mayakovsky, Bulgakov, Pasternak, Akhmatova, and Tolstaya. This course is conducted in Russian. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes RUS 202 or equivalent. (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 370 - Twentieth-Century Russian Literature Instructor Staff This class is conducted entirely in Russian. It combines the study of Russian literature with the development of vocabulary and grammar skills for advanced speaking and writing. We will read, discuss, and analyze short works by masters of 20th century Russian literature in the original. In the course of our readings, we will also learn about major events in 20th-century Russian history that form the important context for these works. Prerequisites & Notes RUS 202 or equivalent. (Not offered 2016-2017.)
	RUS 372 - Nabokov & Global Literature (in English) Instructor Utkin Vladimir Nabokov–brilliant writer, outrageous literary gamesman, and cosmopolitan exile–is a towering figure of twentieth-century literature. His most famous novel, Lolita, propelled him to international stardom and changed the transnational literary landscape. Child of a turbulent century, Nabokov wrote exquisite and at times disturbing prose in Russian and English, balancing between imaginary worlds and harsh realities. This seminar offers a sustained exploration of Nabokov’s major Russian and American writings as well as film adaptations of his Despair (Rainer Werner Fassbinder) and Lolita (Stanley Kubrick). In the second half of the seminar we turn to novels Nabokov haunts: Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran, J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace, and W.G. Sebald’s The Emigrants. We will consider memory, exile, trauma, nostalgia, and identity as we read Nabokov, who saw existence as a “series of footnotes to a vast, obscure, unfinished masterpiece.” All readings and discussion in English. Cross-listed with LIT 372. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement. Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Global Literary Theory Satisfies a minor requirement in Russian Studies Satisfies major requirements for CIS majors in Russian Studies, Russian Language & Literature, and Global Literary Theory Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)

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Course Descriptions

REL 175 - The Qurʾan and Its Interpreters

REL 176 - Literature of the Muslim World

REL 180 - Introduction to East Asian Religions

REL 190 - Welcoming the Stranger: Christian Hospitality in a Global Context

REL 222 - Tragedy and Comedy in Biblical Narrative

REL 223 - Wisdom Literature

REL 224 - The Psalms and the Self

REL 230 - Jesus before the Halo

REL 231 - Paul: his Communities and Conflicts

REL 232 - Parables in the Jewish and Christian Traditions

REL 233 - The Other Gospels: Lost Literature of Early Christianity

REL 242 - The Rise of Christianity

REL 243 - The Spiritual Imagination in Contemporary Poetry

REL 244 - Modern Jewish Literature

REL 245 - Modern Christian Thought

REL 246 - God (=PHI 170)

REL 247 - Food in Religious Perspective

REL 248 - Christianity and Nature

REL 250 - Issues in Theological Ethics

REL 252 - Prophetic Christianity in America

REL 255 - Woman and the Body in the Christian Tradition

REL 256 - Religion, Ethics and Medicine

REL 257 - Death, Dying and the Afterlife

REL 258 - Vocation of Citizen and Soldier

REL 260 - Religion in America

REL 261 - African American Religious Traditions

REL 262 - Imagining American Religion

REL 266 - The Bible in America

REL 270 - Classical Hinduism

REL 271 - Classical Buddhism

REL 272 - Classical Islam

REL 274 - Women and Gender in Islam

REL 275 - Jewish Religious Life

REL 276 - The Shi’ite Tradition

REL 277 - Islamic Mysticism

REL 278 - Islamic City

REL 280 - Chinese Religions

REL 282 - Tibetan Religions

REL 283 - Buddhism in America

REL 288 - The Religious Question in Modern China

REL 301 - Perspectives in the Study of Religion

REL 320 - The Genesis Narrative

REL 321 - The Exodus Tradition

REL 333 - Revelation and the Apocalyptic Imagination

REL 341 - Religions of the Roman Empire

REL 343 - Modern and Postmodern Theologies

REL 344 - Modern Critics of Religion

REL 345 - Early Christian Texts on Poverty

REL 346 - Modern Jewish Thought

REL 347 - Christian Latin Writers

REL 350 - Reformed Theology and Ethics

REL 352 - Protestant and Roman Catholic Ethics

REL 353 - Theological Perspectives on Christian Faith

REL 354 - Major Figures in Theology and Ethics

REL 357 - The Bible and Modern Moral Issues

REL 358 - Humans and Other Animals

REL 360 - American Civil Religion

REL 365 - Women in American Religion

REL 366 - Mormonism

REL 370 - Asian Meditation Texts

REL 371 - Varieties of Hindu Mysticism

REL 375 - Islamic Visions of the End

REL 376 - Islamic Ethics

REL 378 - Islam in the Modern Age: Tradition, Fundamentalism and Reform

REL 382 - Zen Buddhism

REL 395 - Independent Study

REL 401 - Senior Colloquium

REL 413 - Sacrifice

REL 419 - Science and Religion

REL 433 - Art, Media, Technology and Religion

REL 439 - Paul’s Letter to the Romans

REL 443 - The Question of the Animal

REL 444 - Black and Womanist Theology

REL 449 - The Spiritual Imagination in Contemporary Literature

REL 451 - Religion and Law

REL 454 - A Social Gospel

REL 458 - Calvin’s “Institutes”

REL 460 - Religion and Racism

REL 474 - The Daodejing