Religious Studies (RELI)
Philosophy and Religious Studies
100 The Human Religious Experience
(3:3:0). Examination of the main forms of religious expression as
embodied in several important religious traditions in
the contemporary world. Religious experience, myth and
ritual, teachings and scripture, and the ethical, social, and
artistic aspects of religion are investigated, as well as the
nature and function of religion in human society.
211 Religions of the Near (Middle) East
(3:3:0). Survey of the religions of the Middle East. Focuses on
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from historical, comparative,
and cross-cultural perspectives but may also include
modern developments of those faiths such as Mormonism
and Baha'ism, as well as Zoroastrianism and the religions
of ancient Near Eastern cultures.
212 Religions of the Orient (3:3:0). Survey of the
religions of India, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism,
and the religions of the Far East, China, and Japan,
including Daosim, Confucianism, Shinto, from their origins
to the present.
231 Religion in America (3:3:0). Religious heritage
in American culture, growth of denominations and sects,
and interrelationship of religion and sociopolitical life.
251 Biblical Studies: The Old Testament/Hebrew
Bible (3:3:0). Provides a working knowledge of the
composition, dates, contents, and development of the books of
the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament from the perspective of
the history, religion, and society of ancient Israel. Where
appropriate, connections to its later use in Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam are made.
252 Biblical Studies: The New Testament
(3:3:0). Origins and teachings of the writings of the New
Testament within the historical context of early Christian
communities of faith and their background in the religions and
cultures of Palestine and the Greco-Roman world.
Attention is given to literary, rhetorical, and theological aspects
of the texts as well as their later use in the development
of Christianity.
272 Islamic Religious Life (3:3:0). Introduces students
to the basic religious beliefs and practices of Islam, with
a view to the diverse manifestations of Islamic culture in
different ethnic and social contexts. Provides an overview
of
the essential rituals of Islamic life, the mystical practices
of the Sufis, certain popular forms of religious practice,
the sources and application of Islamic law and distinctive
Islamic artistic and literary forms.
313 Hindu Religion and Philosophy
(3:3:0). Hindu religious and philosophical developments from origins
through formative periods.
314 Chinese Philosophies and Religious
Traditions (3:3:0). Prerequisite: RELI 212 or permission of
instructor. Survey of the major religious traditions and
philosophical themes of China including Confucianism, Taoism,
and Chinese Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism. Examines
the foundation of the Chinese world view and spirituality
by investigating the diverse religious traditions that have
created tensions and harmony among them.
315 The Buddhist Tradition (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
RELI 212 or permission of instructor. Survey of the
Buddhist religious traditions. Main thrust of the course includes
the historical development of Buddhism in India, China,
and Japan, examining both Theravada and Mahayana
traditions; philosophical and religious significance of Buddhism;
and social and political implications of the Buddhist
traditions in the South Asian and East Asian countries.
337 Mysticism: East and West (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: Three credits in religious studies or permission of
instructor. Comparative treatment of major expressions of
mysticism in East and West through exploration of various ways
of understanding mystical experience. Readings and
discussion emphasize one or more of the Eastern
(Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen) and Western (Judaism,
Christianity, Islam) traditions.
341 Global Perspectives on Spirituality and
Healing (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 30 credits or permission of
instructor. A cross-cultural investigation of human
understandings of the relationship between spirituality and
health. Beliefs about the spiritual causes of sickness and
health and spiritual techniques of healing in a variety of
world cultures are placed within the context of religious
beliefs of those cultures.
351 Religions of the Ancient Near East (3:3:0).
Prerequisites: RELI 100, 211, 212, 251 or 252, or permission
of the instructor. Examination of the religions of the
ancient Near East, ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Levant
(Syria-Palestine), or Asia Minor. Selection of the religion
depends on the instructor.
352 Judaism between the Old and New
Testaments (3:3:0). Prerequisite: RELI 211, 251, 252 or permission
of instructor. Examination of Jewish religion, history, and
literature from the Babylonian Exile to the third century
C.E. Special attention is given to the development of the
Hebrew Bible, Apocalyptic and Apocryphal literature,
belief in resurrection and final judgment, the Dead Sea
Scrolls, Jewish sects, and the emergence of Christianity and
Rabbinic Judaism.
353 From Creation to Covenant (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: RELI 211, 251, or 252, or permission of
instructor. Studies the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old
Testament, Genesis through Deuteronomy, that form the core of
biblical religion and the Judeo-Christian tradition. Topics
include creation and the flood, the patriarchal narratives,
the Exodus and the Covenant at Sinai, the laws that
regulated
worship and daily life, and the concepts of choice and
holiness in Israel. Theories of composition and editorial
history also are examined, as well as the continuing
influence and relevance of these books in important aspects of
religion and society.
354 The Prophets of Israel (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
RELI 211, 251, or 252, or permission of
instructor. Rise and development of prophecy in ancient Israel, with
reference to examples of divination and the ancient prophecy of
the Near East. Special attention is given to prophecy as
religious, social, and literary phenomena through a close
study of the prophetic books in the Hebrew Bible/Old
Testament, their composition, structure, and message.
355 The Wisdom of Israel (3:3:0). Prerequisite: RELI
211, 251, or 252, or permission of instructor. Examination
of the Wisdom Literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old
Testament (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes) to discover how they
understand God, humans, and their world, the problems of
suffering, divine justice, and skepticism, and how they
contrast with the rest of the Hebrew Bible.
356 Jesus and the Gospels (3:3:0). Prerequisites: 3
credits in philosophy and religious studies, or permission
of the instructor. Examines the Gospel accounts of Jesus
within the context of first-century Christianity. A variety of
historical and literary methods will be applied to gain an
understanding of Jesus and the history and theology of
the early church.
370 Judaism: Life and Thought
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: RELI 211 or 251, or permission of
instructor. A study of Judaism from ancient times to the present. Covers
topics such as the religious, historical, and literary origins of
Judaism B.C.E., Rabbinic Judaism, Jews in Mediaeval
Christian and Islamic societies, Kabbalistic (mystical)
Judaism, Jews and the Enlightenment, persecutions of Jews
culminating in the Holocaust of the twentieth century,
contemporary American Judaism, and relations between
Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
374 Islamic Thought (3:3:0). Prerequisite: RELI 211,
3 credits in Religious Studies, or permission of
instructor. Examination of Islamic views on fundamental issues in
religious thought, such as the nature of God, the nature of
man, and the relationship between God and man as reflected
in both divine revelation and the human religious
vocation. Course investigates a number of intellectual approaches
to these problems within the Islamic tradition, including
those of theological, philosophical, and mystical thinkers.
375 Qur'an and Hadith (3:3:0). Prerequisites: 3
credits in philosophy and religious studies, or permission of
the instructor. Explores the two primary sources of
Islamic belief and practice: the Qur'an and the Hadith.
Discussion of the thematic structure and literary quality of the tests
is accompanied by an examination of some theological
and moral issues they raise and an introduction to the
various methods of interpretation and critical analysis applied
to the texts in both Islamic and Western scholarship. The
format for this course is lecture and discussion.
376, 377 Special Topics in Religious Thought
(3:3:0), (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Three credits in philosophy or
religious studies or permission of instructor. Selected
topics from a philosophical perspective.
420, 421, 422, 423 Seminar (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Limited to students in the religious studies track of the
philosophy major, but others may be admitted if the topic is
sufficiently close to their fields of study. Topics vary.
425, 426 Independent Study (3:3:0),
(3:3:0). Prerequisites: Limited to students in the religious studies
track majors with 60 credits and 15 credits of religious
studies and permission of department.
490 Comparative Study of Religions
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: Nine credits in religious studies including RELI
211 and 212, or permission of instructor. Cross-cultural
examination of the comparative aspects of religious
phenomena. Examines the significance of religious
phenomena from diverse religious and cultural perspectives, and
investigates patterns of religious phenomena that have
appeared in world cultures and civilizations.
591 Current Issues in Religious Studies
(3:3:0). Special topics in religious studies that are of central interest in
that field and of interdisciplinary interest as well. Topics
are selected according to their current importance in the
field of religious studies and their pertinence to discussions
of the role of religion in contemporary social, cultural,
and political life.
641 Drama in the World's Religions
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of
instructor. Examination of how drama is used in the religions of the
world, past and present, to enact the myths, convey the
concepts, and involve the worshippers. Ritual dramas, mystery,
morality, and passion plays are studied, together with
plays that explore profoundly religious themes.
657 "Scripture" in Religious Traditions
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of
instructor. Exploration of the phenomena of "sacred text" or
"scripture," a widespread and important cultural phenomenon in
the major religious traditions of the world.
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