Students must complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Related Language
Six credit hours in a language beyond the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences may be counted in the major if it is relevant for advanced course work in the study of religion, such as ancient Greek or Latin, classical Hebrew, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, or Sanskrit.

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Overseas Study

Students are encouraged to study abroad, particularly in Indiana University overseas study programs, where they can continue to make progress toward their degrees and apply financial aid to program fees. For information about study abroad, contact the Office of Overseas Study, Franklin Hall 303, (812) 855-9304. In addition, the Department of Religious Studies offers the opportunity to participate in an archaeological excavation in Israel.

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Interdepartmental Major in Religious Studies and Philosophy

Requirements
Students must take a minimum of 42 credit hours, including one course (from either department) in the philosophy of religion (either P371, R462, or R380) and the following course work in each department:

Religious Studies

1. At least 21 credit hours, with no more than one 100-level course counting toward the minimum and with at least 12 credit hours in courses at the 300 level or above.
2. At least one (above 100 level) course in each of the following areas:
1. Western Religious Traditions
2. Eastern Religious Traditions
3. Critical Issues in Religious Studies.
3. One (3 credit hour) 400-level religious studies course other than R495 and R499

1. At least 21 credit hours, with no more than one 100-level course counting toward the minimum and with at least 12 credit hours in 300-level or above courses.
2. At least one above 100 level course in each of the following areas:
1. Ethics and value theory
2. History of philosophy
3. Epistemology and metaphysics.
3. One of the following logic courses: P150 or P250

Minor in Religious Studies

Requirements

1. A minimum of 15 College of Arts and Sciences credit hours in religious studies
2. At least one course each in Western religious traditions and Eastern religious traditions (see the course descriptions below for courses that fall into each category)
3. No more than two courses at the 100 level.
4. At least two courses at the 300 level or above

Departmental Honors Program

Students with a minimum grade point average of 3.3 are eligible for the honors program in religious studies. The honors program has two requirements as part of a major:

1. R399, a tutorial of independent reading and research.
2. R499, a senior essay project, or an appropriate equivalent.
3. Students should choose an area of study for R399 that prepares them for the R499 project.
4. The department also offers R201, an honors pro-seminar in religion. It is open to all students with a minimum grade point average of 3.3.

Course Descriptions

Western Religious Traditions
R152 Religions of the West (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Patterns of religious life and thought in the West: continuities, changes, and contemporary issues.
R160 Religion and American Culture (3 cr.) AHTI Varieties of religious life and culture in America. May be repeated once with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
R180 Introduction to Christianity (3 cr.) AHTI Survey of beliefs, rituals, and practices of the Christian community, with a focus on the varieties of scriptural interpretation, historical experience, doctrine, and behavior.
R210 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Development of its beliefs, practices, and institutions from the patriarchs to the Maccabean period. Introduction to the biblical literature and other ancient Near East documents.
R220 Introduction to the New Testament (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Origins of the Christian movement and development of its beliefs, practices, and institutions in the first century. Primary source is the New Testament, with due attention to non-Christian sources from the same environment.
R245 Introduction to Judaism (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA The development of post-biblical Judaism; major themes, movements, practices, and values.
R257 Introduction to Islam (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Introduction to the "religious world" of Islam: the Arabian milieu before Muhammad's prophetic call, the career of the Prophet. Qur'an and hadith, ritual and the "pillars" of Muslim praxis, legal and theological traditions; mysticism and devotional piety, reform and revivalist movements.
R310 Prophecy in Ancient Israel (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA The prophetic movement and its relationship to religious, social, and political traditions and institutions in the ancient Near East. The thought of major prophetic figures in Israel, such as Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel.
R311 Narrative in the Hebrew Bible (3 cr.) AHTI Analysis of the narratives running from Genesis through 2 Kings, assessing how this literature developed in ancient Israelite culture, its ideological characteristics, and the techniques used by the writers to achieve their ideological purposes.
R317 Judaism in the Making (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Traces the development of Judaism from the end of the biblical period of Judaism to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E., covering the major religious movements, beliefs, practices, and forms that took shape in this formative era.
R320 Development of the Jesus Traditions (3 cr.) AHTI P: R220. Types of traditions about Jesus: their origins, development, and functions in early Christianity, compared with similar forms of traditions in non-Christian movements.
R325 Paul and His Influence in Early Christianity (3 cr.) AHTI Life and thought of Paul, in the context of first century Christian and non-Christian movements. Developments of radical Paulinism and anti-Paulinism in the second century; their influence on the formation of Christianity.
R327 The Origins of Christianity: From Jesus to Augustine (3 cr.) AHTI The emergence of Christianity as a distinct religion in the Roman empire through the fifth century: development of offices and rituals; persecution and martyrdom; Constantine and catholic orthodoxy; monasticism; major thinkers and theological controversies; the transition to the Middle Ages.
R330 Christianity to 1500 (3 cr.) AHTI History of Christian thought and institutions in the ancient, medieval and renaissance periods. Development of major themes, institutions, and ideas in the context of the larger culture.
R331 Religion since the Reformation (3 cr.) AHTI Varieties of religious thought and theories of religion as represented by major figures.
R335 Religion in Early America (3 cr.) AHTI Development of religious life and thought in early America, from the beginnings to 1865.
R336 Religion in Modern America (3 cr.) AHTI Development of religious life and thought in modern America, from 1865 to the present.
R338 Modern American Catholicism (3 cr.) AHTI American Catholic experience: history, major personalities, journalism, religious/social roles, literature, and contemporary issues.
R341 Introduction to Jewish Mysticism (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA P: previous course in Judaism or consent of instructor. The development of Jewish mystical practice and thought from the Middle Ages to the present, thirteenth-century Spanish Kabbalah, sixteenth-century Safed, Sabbatianism, Hasidism, contemporary manifestations of mysticism.
R342 Religious Thought in Medieval Judaism (3 cr.) AHTI Reinterpretations of biblical-rabbinic Judaism by Jewish intellectuals living under Islam and Christianity.
R345 Religious Issues in Contemporary Judaism (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Religious problems confronting Jews and Judaism in our own time: women and Judaism, the impact of the Holocaust on Judaism, contemporary views of Zionism, religious trends in American Judaism. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R356 Islamic Mysticism (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA An introduction to Sufism which traces the development of Muslim mystical thought and practice from the eighth century to the present. Topics include early Muslim asceticism; the beginnings of love mysticism; sober and ecstatic experience; conceptions of the Sufi "path"; Sufi ethics; Sufi brotherhoods, rituals, and festivals; and mystical fables, allegories, and poetry.
R367 Shi'ite Islam (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Examinations of the origins of Shi'ism as a religio-political movement within the Muslim community of the late seventh century A.D., and the history of this movement through its early (632-1000), medieval (1000-1500), and modern (1500-present) periods of development.
R371 Religion, Ethics, and the Environment (3 cr.) AHTI Exploration of relationships between religious worldviews and environmental ethics. Considers environmental critiques and defenses of monotheistic traditions; selected Non-Western traditions, the impact of secular "mythologies," philosophical questions, and lifestyle issues.
R410 Topics in Ancient Israelite Religion (3 cr.) AHTI P: R210. Selected problems in ancient Israelite religion, such as pre-Yahwistic religion, Israel's cultic life, royal theology and messianism, the wisdom movement, sectarian apocalyptic. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R420 Religion in the Ancient Mediterranean World (3 cr.) AHTI The varieties of religious experience and expression in the Hellenistic world studied comparatively, with particular attention to the interactions of Greco-Roman, Jewish, and Christian traditions. Topics include moral teaching, religious themes in narratives, magic, and miracles.
R425 Gnostic Religion and Literature (3 cr.) AHTI The myth, ritual, and beliefs of the ancient Gnostics and related Christian and non-Christian movements of the late Roman empire: classic Gnostic scripture, Valentinus and his followers, the School of St. Thomas, Basilides, and the Corpus Hermeticum; the possibility of Gnosticism in the New Testament.
R430 Topics in the History of Christianity (3 cr.) AHTI Significant figures, issues, and movements in the history of Christianity examined in their social and religious contexts, with attention to their continuing religious and cultural impact. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R432 Religious Diversity in America (3 cr.) AHTI P: junior standing. History, beliefs, and cultural patterns of such movements as Mormonism, Christian Science, Pentecostalism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Quakerism, and the Black Nation of Islam.
R434 Topics in American Religious History (3 cr.) AHTI A selected topic such as American Catholicism in the twentieth century, religion and nationalism in America, or the problem of race and the American churches. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R445 Topics in the History of Judaism (3 cr.) AHTI P: course on Judaism or consent of instructor. Special topics such as problems in Jewish mystical tradition, the nature of religious community, charismatic leadership, religious biography. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R456 Topics in Islamic Studies (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Selected topics on Islamic law, philosophy, theology, and mysticism. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.

Eastern Religious Traditions
R153 Religions of the East (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Modes of thinking; views of the world and the sacred; the human predicament and paths to freedom; human ideas and value systems in the religions of India, China, and Japan.
R348 Hindu Goddesses (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Introduction to the goddesses in Hindu traditions, including Lakshmi, Saraswati, Sita, Radha, Parvati, Durga, Kali, Ganga, and Sitala. Focus on the mythology, iconography, cultic practices, embodied forms, and theology associated with these goddesses.
R349 Hindu Devotionalism (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA An exploration of the "bhakti" traditions of medieval and modern Hinduism, with a special focus on the art, mythology, poetry, and theological expressions of traditions associated with the gods Shiva and Vishnu. Includes examination of the architectural forms, images, and rituals of the Hindu temple.
R350 East Asian Buddhism (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Adaptation and assimilation of Buddhism in East Asia; early philosophical and ritual schools; social issues; the T'ien-t'ai synthesis of Mahayana Buddhism; devotional Buddhism; Ch'an/Zen school of meditation; impact of Buddhism on East Asian cultures and arts.
R352 Religion and Literature in Asia (3 cr.) AHTI The treatment of religious issues in Asian literature (Hinduism in the Epics) or the significance of the literary forms of religious texts (The Genre of Recorded Sayings), showing how the interplay of religious realities and literary forms reveals the dynamics of religious development in India, China, or Japan.
R354 Buddhism (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Historical survey of Buddhism from its origins in India through its diffusion throughout Asia in subsequent centuries. Emphasis on practice (ritual, meditation, and ethics) and social grounding (including individual roles and institutional structures) as well as on doctrinal debates.
R357 Religions in Japan (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Religious movements in Japan, with emphasis on the development of Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, and the rise of the "new religions."
R358 Hinduism (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Beliefs, rites, and institutions of Hinduism from the Vedic (c. 1200 B.C.) to modern times: religion of the Vedas and the Upanishads; epics and the rise of devotional religion; philosophical systems (Yoga and Vedanta); sectarian theism; monasticism; socioreligious institutions; popular religion (temples and pilgrimages); modern Hindu syncretism.
R369 The Taoist Tradition (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA A selective survey of the politicophilosophical, mystical, meditative, alchemical, and liturgical aspects of the Taoist tradition in China from the fourth century B.C. to today. Themes include asceticism and bodily control, social protest, ritual action, hierogamy, and revelation. Alternative models for the study of non-Western religions are also considered.
R450 Topics in the Buddhist Tradition (3 cr.) AHTI P: R350, R354, or consent of instructor. Selected topics such as Mahayana Sutra literature, Buddhist cult practice, Indian Buddhist inscriptions, Prajnaparamita thought, or Zen in Korea and Japan. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R452 Topics in East Asian Religions (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA P: one course in Eastern religions. Examination of a selected theme, movement, or period in the religious history of China, Japan, or Korea. Topics might include interactions of traditions, new religions in Japan, or religious change in Sung China. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R454 Tantric Traditions of India (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Critical survey and analysis of Hindu and Buddhist Tantric ideas and practices in India. Focus on the role of sexuality and gender in Indian mysticism.
R458 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions (3 cr.) AHTI P: R358. Selected topics such as Upanishadic thought, the Bhagavadgita, Advaita Vedanta, Hindu ethics, monastic traditions, Hindu soteriology. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R469 Topics in Taoism and Chinese Religion (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA P: R369. Selected topics within the Taoist tradition and its relations with the larger Chinese cultural world, such as the writings of Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu, the Taoist mystical and meditative traditions, Taoist narrative and/or revealed literature in translation, and Taoist-Buddhist-Confucian interactions in specific historical periods. May be repeated once for credit when topics vary.

Critical Issues in Religious Studies
R102 Religion and Popular Culture (3 cr.) AHTI Exploration of select examples of the ways religion and popular culture interact. Study of ordinary people making sense of their worlds through diverse media (e.g., novels, diaries, popular music, vernacular art and architecture, radio, film, television). May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
R170 Religion, Ethics, and Public Life (3 cr.) AHTI Western religious convictions and their consequences for judgments about personal and social morality, including such issues as sexual morality, medical ethics, questions of socioeconomic organization, and moral judgments about warfare.
R264 Introduction to the Study of Religion (3 cr.) AHTI Survey of the principal thinkers, theories, and methodologies that have shaped the critical study of religious phenomena. Focal texts include the works of such figures as Durkheim, Weber, Freud, Otto, Eliade, Geertz, W. C. Smith, J. Z. Smith, Horton, and Guthrie.
R271 American Religion and Politics (3 cr.) AHTI American religious institutions and public policy. Religious liberty. Religious communities as political forces on selected issues, e.g., war, poverty, racism.
R280 Speaking of God (3 cr.) AHTI Theology, as the study of the first principle, ground of being, the good, the One, etc., as appearing in various traditions.
R333 Religion and its Critics (3 cr.) AHTI Examines major critics of religion, including Spinoza, Hume, Marx, and Freud.
R340 Contemporary Religious Thought (3 cr.) AHTI Interpretation of the human condition and destiny in contemporary religious and antireligious thought. Topics can include study of a major figure (e.g., Kierkegaard) or movement (e.g., peace studies). May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R360 Comparative Study of Religious Phenomena (3 cr.) AHTI Eastern and Western religions on a selected subject such as time and the sacred, sacrifice, initiation. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R362 Religion in Literature (3 cr.) AHTI Theological issues raised in literature. Function of religious myth and central religious themes such as damnation, alienation, pilgrimage, quest, conversion, enlightenment. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R364 Feminist Critique of Western Religion (3 cr.) AHTI Basis for and substance of the feminist critique of Western religions. Examines feminist arguments with religious texts, traditions, patterns of worship, expressions of religious language, and modes of organization. Examination of alternatives.
R365 Religion and Personality (3 cr.) AHTI Different ways of relating psychological concepts and data from personality theory to the study of religion and theology. Topics will include psychoanalytic interpretation, existential psychology, and psychohistorical study of religious leaders. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R368 Philosophies of India (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Historical and critical-analytic survey of the major traditions of Indian philosophy. Attention to early philosophizing and the emergence of the classical schools in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. Attention also to contemporary thought in India, including critical theory and subaltern theorizing. Credit not given for both R368 and PHIL P328.
R372 Love and Justice (3 cr.) AHTI Selected movements or problems in Western religious social ethics, such as Christian theories of the state, natural law, war, and conscience. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R373 Religion, Ethics, and Medicine (3 cr.) AHTI Religious ethical traditions and their relation to issues raised by medicine and the life sciences: control of reproduction, experimentation with human subjects, confidentiality, refusal of treatment, allocation of resources, definition of death, euthanasia. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R380 Faith, Revelation, and Reason (3 cr.) AHTI Modes of religious knowing. Selected problems such as history and revelation, sensibility and belief, concepts of God, and the experience of evil as a problem for faith.
R462 Topics in Religious Philosophy (3 cr.) AHTI P: junior standing. Selected focus on major movements and problems that provide the theoretical framework for theological reflection. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R465 Topics in Psychology of Religion (3 cr.) AHTI P: junior standing. Selected topics such as fantasy, religious notions of the self, images of authority. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R473 Problems in Social Ethics (3 cr.) AHTI Intensive study of a selected problem in religion and society such as religion and American politics, war and conscience, medical ethics. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R474 Capstone Seminar in Religion (3 cr.) AHTI Comparative and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of religion. Offers students the opportunity to draw together and reconsider their varied interests and questions as these have developed in their studies in the department. Team taught; topics vary.

Special Courses
These courses may be counted toward allocation requirements by departmental consent.
R201 Honors Proseminar in Religion (3 cr.) AHTI P: freshmen and sophomores who may want to enter an honors program or consent of instructor. Selected issues in the study of religion. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R202 Topics in Religious Studies (3 cr.) AHTI Selected topics, issues, and movements in religion. May be repeated once with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
R300 Studies in Religion (3 cr.) AHTI Selected topics and movements in religion. May be repeated twice for credit with different topics.
R399 Reading for Honors (3 cr.) P: consent of instructor and departmental honors advisor. Independent guided reading. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
R497 Language Instruction for Religious Texts (1-6 cr.) Elementary language training in preparation for the reading of sacred or scriptural texts. Language to be announced. Consent of instructor required. May be taken for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
R495 Individual Readings (1-3 cr.) P: consent of instructor and departmental director of undergraduate studies. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
R498 Advanced Language Instruction for Religious Texts (1-6 cr.) Advanced language training in preparation for the reading of sacred or scriptural texts. Language to be announced. May be taken for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
R499 Senior Honors Essay (6 cr. max.) P: approval of departmental honors advisor. Guided research culminating in essay(s).

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