Religion (REL) courses
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REL 100 Introduction to Religion
General Education Course (Focus on Cultural Competence).Investigates what religion is and does, compares culturally diverse religious ideas and practices. This course explores how religion influences the relationship between individual and community by examining religious ethical systems, and providing community engagement opportunities.
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REL 101 Old Testament/Hebrew Bible
General Education Course (Focus on Humanities).Explores the religion, life experiences, cultures, thoughts, and history of the ancient Israelites as found in their literature and artifacts.
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REL 102 New Testament
General Education Course (Focus on Humanities).An introduction to early Christian literature and the persons and movements that produced it in their Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts.
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REL 110 World Religions
General Education Course (Focus on Cultural Competence).Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other world religions have an important impact on public affairs. By surveying the world's religions, this course equips students to understand the perspectives of various faith communities, to think critically about the role of religion in human experience past and present, and to engage constructively with religious and cultural diversity.
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REL 131 Religion in America
General Education Course (Focus on Social and Behavioral Sciences).A historical survey of different religious groups in America and their contributions to American identity and values. Includes the connections between religious affiliation and race, ethnicity, gender, politics, the media, and other aspects of U.S. society and culture.
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REL 200 Religion in the News
Increases students' awareness of the presence and relevance of religion in current events and examines the influence of the news media on shaping public awareness and opinion of religion-related issues.
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REL 312 The Hebrew Prophets
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 101. A survey of the prophetic literature of ancient Israel in its social and historical contexts.
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REL 315 Native American Religions
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 131. A survey of historical and contemporary Native American cultures and spiritualities, including Native responses to European contact and colonization.
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REL 319 The Bible and Film
This movie-viewing course enables students to compare and to contrast films reflecting on biblical stories and themes. Films are viewed and grouped according to biblical stories, books, and themes and change each semester.
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REL 320 Jesus of Nazareth
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 102. Jesus as presented in the canonical gospels and other early sources with attention given to literary and historical issues.
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REL 321 Paul
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 102. An introduction to the historical Paul and scholarly interpretation of his writings.
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REL 322 Romans
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 102. Scholarly analysis of Paul's most influential writing with attention given to important historical and contemporary interpretations.
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REL 323 Apocalypses
Prerequisite: REL 101 or REL 102.A historical and socio-rhetorical analysis of ancient Jewish and Christian apocalyptic movements and literature with some attention to modern examples. Canonical texts such as Daniel and Revelation will be examined in the context of numerous extra-canonical Jewish and Christian apocalypses.
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REL 325 Dead Sea Scrolls
Explores the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with the archaeological excavations of nearby ruins. This course will introduce students to Second Temple Judaism, which has significant implications for the study of the Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic Judaism, and early Christianity and the New Testament.
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REL 327 Religions of the Ancient Near East
Students will encounter the texts and monuments, ceremonies and rituals, and the religious assumptions of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Ugarit, and ancient Israel. Comparisons will be used to highlight the distinctive features of each religious system, with the goal of understanding the particularity and integrity of each tradition in the cradle of civilization.
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REL 330 Judaism
A survey of the history and religion of the Jewish peoples, including the Holocaust, the State of Israel, and modern Jewish movements.
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REL 332 Modern Religious Thought
Examines ways modernity impacted philosophy of religion in Europe and North America in the twentieth century. Major movements studied may include: Existentialism (Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Tillich); Process Thought (Whitehead); Feminism (Ruether, Daly); Deconstruction (Derrida, Caputo); and African American thought (King, Cone).
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REL 338 Death, Dying, and Afterlife
This course approaches death from religious, cultural, and historical perspectives. It surveys understandings of the afterlife in several religions, studies how people have prepared to die, and looks at the rituals that people have devised for burying their dead. Students learn how people have relied on religion to make death more understandable and tolerable.
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REL 340 Christianity
Surveys Christian history from the second century to the present, exploring how past events have led to the development of contemporary churches, denominations, beliefs, and practices. Major topics: Eastern Christianity, Medieval Christendom, the Protestant Reformation, the Enlightenment, and global Christianity in the twenty-first century.
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REL 341 C. S. Lewis
An analysis of a selection of Lewis's works of fiction and apologetics. Student will interpret these works in their historical, theological, philosophical, literary and cultural contexts. They will also read and discuss critiques of and challenges to Lewis's ideas.
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REL 342 Catholicism
The Catholic Church is perhaps the oldest continuing institution in the world, influencing over a billion people since its beginnings in the first centuries after Jesus. This course has three main emphases: 1) an immersion in the best Catholicism has to offer-that is, the lives of its saints and its art; 2) an introduction to contemporary Catholicism, including its ongoing controversies; 3) a field experience. By the end of the semester, students should not only have knowledge about Catholicism, but also understand how the institution and its people have helped to shape western civilization.
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REL 344 New Religious Movements
Often negatively designated by outsiders as "cults", New Religious Movements continue to emerge at a rapid rate. This course examines the histories, structures, beliefs, and impacts of such groups as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nation of Islam, Scientology, Raelians, and others.
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REL 345 African American Religious Experience
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 131. Explores the establishment and maintenance of African American religious institutions, particularly the Black Churches and their future development. Identical with AAS 346. Cannot receive credit for both REL 345 and AAS 346.
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REL 346 Sexuality and American Religion
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 131. Examines historical and contemporary beliefs about sexuality as reflected in sexual practices and experiences, such as celibacy, marital and extra-marital sex, and homosexuality, in American Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, and Native American cultures. Also, the ways American social culture and religious attitudes about sexuality have influenced each other.
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REL 347 Suffering and Meaning
An exploration of religious approaches to suffering, death and the making of meaning in life. Students will survey the complex history of western responses to the "problem of evil" in the Bible, literature, theology, and philosophy of religion by reading texts from Augustine to Derrida.
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REL 348 Religion, Spirituality, and Health
This course explores the religious history of American hospitals, healing practices in American religions, debates about religiosity and health outcomes, the medical uses of yoga and Eastern meditation, and the heightened attention to spirituality in the health professions. Course content will be related to local health care providers and religious communities.
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REL 350 Islam
Origin, expansion, and continuity of Islam, including pre-Islamic influences, Muhammad, Qur'an and Tradition (hadith), sects, ritual and law, community and worldview, prayer and mysticism.
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REL 353 Muslims and Christians
A historical survey of Muslim-Christian relations from the 7th century CE to the present day. Along with the study of important events between the two traditions, students will read primary sources in which Muslim and Christian thinkers come to terms with the religion of the other. The course covers major points of debate and commonality between the two traditions, as well as the prospects for Muslim-Christian dialogue and coexistence today.
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REL 355 Buddhism
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 110. A broad survey of the diverse patterns and expressions of Buddhist life throughout history. Studies will examine the beliefs, practices, and values that have existed among adherents of Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism. Course materials will be drawn from Asian and Western cultures.
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REL 357 Religions of China and Japan
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 110. An historical survey of the major religions from East Asia, with particular emphasis given to their doctrines, practices, and institutions. The course will focus on Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Shinto. Some consideration will also be given to Korean religious traditions, religion in contemporary East Asia, and popular religious traditions. Important themes include cultural adaptation and religious competition in East Asian religious history.
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REL 358 Yoga and Meditation
An examination of the history, philosophy, and practice of various yoga and meditation traditions from India and China. Emphasis will be given to Hindu, Buddhist, and Daoist systems that were developed for mental concentration, spiritual liberation, and immortality, among other religious aims. After surveying the development of yoga and meditation in Asia, the course will explore their uses in popular culture and health care in modern American society.
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REL 360 Hinduism
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 110. An historical and thematic survey of the religions of India from the Vedic period to the present day.
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REL 362 Jesus and the Parable Tradition
A survey of extant parables in Greek, Jewish, Gnostic, Synoptic and Patristic traditions, and an examination of the history of methods in the interpretation of the Parables of Jesus. In the light of this study the student will read and interpret selected parables of Jesus.
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REL 368 Body and Health in American Religions
From debates over immunization to religious dieting cultures, this course explores how diverse religions have shaped human bodies in sickness and health in North America. Students will analyze, debate, and evaluate how religious thought and practice have interacted with medical advancements, social and cultural changes, and recurring ethical questions in the American context in the human pursuit to understand and change the body and its health.
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REL 370 Women and Religion
Exploration of women's roles in Christianity and other religions. Alienation from places of power has had profound implications for the personal, social, political, economic, and religious aspects of women's existence. Course will examine patterns of religious domination of women and explore possibilities for transformation.
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REL 375 Religion and Science Fiction
Where do we come from? Where are we going? What does it mean to be human? What is reality? While religions typically provide answers to these fundamental questions in our lives, science fiction has also probed them in creative and radical ways. This course will explore the various relationships between religion and science fiction as they have appeared in movies, books, and actual cults (such as Scientology and the Raelians) from the so-called "Golden Age" of sci-fi to the present day.
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REL 378 Religion and Healing in Modern America
An exploration of the relationship between folk, faith and biomedical healing, the course is a cross-cultural exploration of the story of religion and healing in America from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. Using a chronological approach, students will examine historical interactions between a diversity of health-related worldviews and religious worldviews, from Pentecostalism to immigrant faiths, scientific challenges as well as alternative healing, African-American and also women's traditions, divine healing and the traditions of world religions in modern America.
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REL 385 Service-Learning in Religious Studies
Prerequisite: 30 hours; and concurrent registration in a Religious Studies course designated as a service-learning offering.Designed to provide a learning environment for research and reflection on the meaning of public and community service, this course is intended to strengthen human communities by modeling an ethos of service and integrating service into the Religious Studies curriculum. May be repeated.
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REL 390 Religion in Society
Examines the relationship between religion and its social context. Students will explore the social nature of individual religious institutions. The relationship between religion and modernity will be studied. The course will pay special attention to the role of religion in American society, as well as the religious dimensions of class, gender, region, and race/ethnicity. Identical with SOC 390. Cannot receive credit for both REL 390 and SOC 390.
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REL 397 Religious Studies Topics
Recommended Prerequisite: 3 hours in Religious Studies. Selected topics of general interest in Religious Studies. Examples: Introduction to Archaeology and the Bible, Women in the Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, the Holocaust, C. S. Lewis, Food and American Religion. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change.
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REL 399 Independent Study
Prerequisite: 9 hours in Religious Studies and permission of instructor.Independent study of a Religious Studies topic related to student's major or special interest. Before registering for the course, student and instructor must sign an agreement that details the course requirements. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours.
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REL 499 Internship in Religious Studies
Prerequisite: Religious Studies major or minor and permission of instructor.Supervised work experience in order to pursue a special interest in a professional setting where the student utilizes knowledge and skills acquire in the Religious Studies major or minor. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours, but no more than three hours may be counted toward the Religious Studies major or minor.
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REL 510 Topics in Biblical Studies
Prerequisite: 50 hours.Recommended Prerequisite: REL 101 or REL 102. Advanced study of canonical and non-canonical texts and related subjects. Examples: Genesis, The Social World of Ancient Israel, Dead Sea Scrolls, Historical Jesus, Acts as History and Literature, Revelation and Apocalyptic Literature. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 615. Cannot receive credit for both REL 510 and REL 615 for the same topic.
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REL 530 Topics in Religion and Culture
Prerequisite: 50 hours.Recommended Prerequisite: REL 100 or REL 131. Explores advanced issues in the study of religion as a component of cultural life including issues of gender, race, and ethnicity. Examples of topics: Religion and Politics; Religion, Media, and Popular Culture; Religion and Visual Culture; American Religious Communities; Lived Religion; Bible Belt Religion; Food and Religion; Women and Religion. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 635. Cannot receive credit for both REL 530 and REL 635 for the same topic.
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REL 540 Topics in the Religions of Asia
Prerequisite: 50 hours.Recommended Prerequisite: REL 110. Studies of advanced topics in the comparative religions of Asia or in the history of a particular religious tradition. Topics may include material ranging from ancient history to the present day. Examples: Colonialism, Religion and Culture, Yoga, Fundamentalism. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 645. Cannot receive credit for both REL 540 and REL 645 for the same topic.
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REL 550 Topics in Religions of Europe and the Middle East
Prerequisite: 50 hours.Recommended Prerequisite: REL 330, REL 340, or REL 350. Selected topics of advanced content in Judaism, Christianity, and/or Islam. Examples: Jewish Mysticism; Jewish Philosophy; The Spirituality of Martin Luther and John Calvin; Women in the History of Christianity; Islamic Law and Ethics; Sufism. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 655. Cannot receive credit for both REL 550 and REL 655 for the same topic.
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REL 570 Archaeology and the Bible
Prerequisite: 50 hours.Recommended prerequisite: REL 101 or REL 102. Archaeological discoveries in their relation to the literary, cultural, and religious background of the Bible. Methods and objectives of archaeological research, including a brief history of Near Eastern archaeology. May be taught concurrently with REL 675. Cannot receive credit for both REL 570 and REL 675.
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REL 580 Theories of Religion
Prerequisite: 60 hours and permission.This required course for majors surveys influential theories of religion from the Enlightenment to the present and includes their relationship to public affairs. Students will write a major research paper involving theoretical perspectives learned in the course. May be taught concurrently with REL 685. Cannot receive credit for both REL 580 and REL 685. Public Affairs Capstone Experience course.
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REL 615 Topics in Biblical Studies
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 101 or REL 102. Advanced study of canonical and non-canonical texts and related subjects. Examples: Genesis, The Social World of Ancient Israel, Dead Sea Scrolls, Historical Jesus, Acts as History and Literature, Revelation and Apocalyptic Literature. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 510. Cannot receive credit for both REL 510 and REL 615 for the same topic.
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REL 635 Topics in Religion and Culture
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 100 or REL 131. Explores advanced issues in the study of religion as a component of cultural life including issues of gender, race, and ethnicity. Examples of topics: Religion and Politics; Religion, Media, and Popular Culture; Religion and Visual Culture; American Religious Communities; Lived Religion; Bible Belt Religion; Food and Religion; Women and Religion. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 530. Cannot receive credit for both REL 530 and REL 635 for the same topic.
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REL 645 Topics in Religions of Asia
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 110. Studies of advanced topics in the comparative religions of Asia or in the history of a particular religious tradition. Topics may include material ranging from ancient history to the present day. Examples: Colonialism, Religion and Culture, Yoga, Fundamentalism. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 540. Cannot receive credit for both REL 540 and REL 645 for the same topic.
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REL 655 Topics in Religions of Europe and the Middle East
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 330, REL 340, or REL 350. Selected topics of advanced content in Judaism, Christianity, and/or Islam. Examples: Jewish Mysticism; Jewish Philosophy; The Spirituality of Martin Luther and John Calvin; Women in the History of Christianity; Islamic Law and Ethics; Sufism. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 550. Cannot receive credit for both REL 655 and REL 550 for the same topic.
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REL 675 Archaeology and the Bible
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 101 or REL 102. Archaeological discoveries in their relation to the literary, cultural, and religious background of the Bible. Methods and objectives of archaeological research, including a brief history of Near Eastern archaeology. May be taught concurrently with REL 570. Cannot receive credit for both REL 570 and REL 675.
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REL 685 Theories of Religion
Prerequisite: permission of department head.This required course for graduate students surveys influential theories of religion from the Enlightenment to the present. Students will write a major research paper involving theoretical perspectives learned in the course. May be taught concurrently with REL 580. Cannot receive credit for both REL 580 and REL 685.
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REL 711 Seminar in Religions of Asia
This seminar will examine a specific topic or tradition within Asian religions. Students can expect to do focused reading, discussion, and research on a particular subject related to the Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and/or other traditions of Asia. Historical and contemporary material, along with critiques of scholarship in the field, may be considered. May be repeated once if topic is different.
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REL 731 Seminar in Biblical Studies
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 730. This seminar examines a specific topic within the history and literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and/or New Testament. Students can expect to do focused reading, discussion, and research on a particular historical, literary, and/or methodological issue pertaining to the topic. Variable content course. May be repeated once if topic is different.
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REL 751 Seminar in Religions of Europe and the Middle East
Detailed study of selected persons, authors, movements, and eras in the history of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or other religions of Europe and the Middle East. Variable content course. May be repeated once if topic is different.
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REL 771 Seminar in Religion and Culture
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 770. A seminar applying various perspectives to individual religious practice and religious institutions in selected Western and non-Western societies. May be repeated once if topic is different.
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REL 796 Readings in Religious Studies
Prerequisite: recommendation of the Religious Studies general graduate advisor and permission of instructor.Arranged program of readings for the individual student directed by a member of the graduate faculty. Before enrolling in the course, student and instructor must sign an agreement that details the course requirements. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours when topics vary.
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REL 799 Thesis
Prerequisite: recommendation of the Religious Studies general graduate advisor and permission of student's thesis advisor.The student will prepare an in-depth thesis on a clearly-defined topic within his or her area of specialization. Before enrolling in the course, student and thesis advisor must sign an agreement that details the course requirements. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours.
