Course Descriptions

Religious Studies

RELS 113: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (1)
Comparative study of the three major monotheistic traditions in the West: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Selections from the classical texts of each tradition are studied, as well as the ways in which those texts have been interpreted through law, theology and ritual practice. HSSPGold

RELS 114: East Asian Philosophy (1)
This course will introduce the three major philosophical systems of East Asian thought: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism through their canonical texts. This historical approach will be supplemented by contemporary readings in each tradition. When taught as a component of the Japan Term, this course will pay special attention to the development of Japanese Buddhism, specifically Pure Land Buddhism (Amida Buddhism), Esoteric Buddhism (Shingon Buddhism) and Zen Buddhism (Soto and Rinzai). WYoung

RELS 153: The Gospels and Writings of Paul: Scriptural Sources of Christianity (1)
This course provides a basic introduction to the New Testament through the consideration of the Gospels and writings of Paul, including not only traditional elements of introduction, such as authorship, historical background, structure, content, and use of sources, but also the differing theologies of the various writings. The orientation is historical, linguistic and exegetical. The course focuses on the Gospels and writings of Paul and traces their origin, inter-relationship, theological distinctiveness and value. Some attention is given to the hermeneutic problem (interpretation) and critical analysis. The course commences with an overview of intertestamental history and philosophy. HUMSHulett

RELS 205: Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism (1)
This course is an introduction to Buddhism, with specific emphasis on Japanese Buddhism. To these ends, it will canvass the principal tenets of Buddhism, namely, the four noble truths, the eight-fold path, dependent originations, the no-self, karma, etc., in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions. It will then consider the development of Japanese Buddhism from the Asuka (552-645 CE) through the Kamakura Periods (1185-1332 CE) by examining the rise of particular sects within Japanese Buddhism (Nara Schools, Tendai, Shingon, Pure Land, and Zen).WYoung

RELS 248: Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Staff

RELS 250: Independent Study (1/2 or 1)
Staff

RELS 260: Religion and Politics (1)
An examination of the role of religion in political activism. Among the topics covered are the Black Church and the civil rights movement, the Christian Right, the partisan politics of the "culture war", and religiously based terrorism. While the primary focus of the course is on the United States, we examine issues comparatively and conclude by looking at the political impact of transnational religious movements.HSSDOldfield

RELS 271: Topics in Jewish History (1)
Topics vary year to year. Current topics include: "The Holocaust"--a survey of the context, development and aftermath of the Holocaust (the systematic destruction of Jewish life and culture during the Second World War); and "Jews in America"--a survey of the history of Jews in America, with attention to subjects such as immigration, assimilation, religious reform, anti-Semitism, Zionism and contemporary issues. HSSPGold

RELS 283: Philosophy of Religion (1)
An examination of the rational basis of theistic belief including a study of the teleological, cosmological, moral, and ontological arguments for the existence of God. Special attention is given to the problems of religious knowledge, the differences between evidentialists and reliabiliasts accounts of religious experience, the nature and description of mysticism, religious experience, and religious authority. LFactor

RELS 295: Special Topics (1/2 or 1)
Course offered occasionally to students in special areas of Religious Studies not covered in the usual curriculum.Staff

RELS 313: Christianity and Politics (1)
This course studies Christianity as it relates to politics, culture, society and values formation. Topics include the philosophical origins of the First Amendment protection of religious liberty; Supreme Court interpretations of the meaning of the First Amendment; the history of religion in the U.S.; the 20th century politicization of U.S. fundamentalist and main line churches as they debated intervention in government and social justice policy; the ethics of war vs. pacifism; and the debate over liberation theology. SHulett

RELS 322: Black Religion (1)
An interdisciplinary approach to African American religion, focusing on its history and sociology, but also including its social psychology and how it has affected politics, economics, music, theology and biblical scholarship. It begins with a consideration of the invisible slave church as the first instance of collective black self-determination in America, and continues to examine black religious ideas as the independent black church expanded in the 1800s and 1900s within the wider context of race discrimination and white-over-black social and economic oppression. We analyze ways in which the black church as an institution has responded to the various conditions of African American life, and how it has shaped those conditions. Alternate years. FHord

RELS 348: Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Staff

RELS 350: Independent Study (1/2 or 1)
Staff

RELS 371: Topics in Jewish History (1)
See RELS 271. Students who enroll in RELS 371 write a research paper instead of the shorter writing assignments required for RELS 271. PGold

RELS 395: Special Topics (1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Religious Studies not covered in the usual curriculum. Staff

RELS 400: Advanced Studies (1/2 or 1)
See College Honors. Staff