Religious Studies

Faculty
Introduction
Major in Religious Studies
Departmental Honors Program
Overseas Study
Interdepartmental Major in Religious Studies and African American and African Diaspora Studies
Interdepartmental Major in Religious Studies and Philosophy
Interdepartmental Honors Program in Religious Studies and Philosophy
Minor in Religious Studies
Course Descriptions

Faculty

Chairperson

Professor David Brakke

Professors

James Ackerman (Emeritus), David Haberman, J. Albert Harrill, James Hart (Emeritus), Gerald Larson (Emeritus), Richard B. Miller, David Smith (Emeritus), Stephen J. Stein (Chancellor's Professor Emeritus), Mary Jo Weaver (Emerita), Steven Weitzman

Associate Professors

Candy Gunther Brown, Constance Furey, R. Kevin Jaques, Nancy Levene, Shaul Magid, Rebecca Manring

Assistant Professors

Chaya Halberstam, Sylvester Johnson, Kathryn Lofton, Richard Nance, Kevin O'Neill, Aaron Stalnaker, Dorothea Schulz, Lisa Sideris

Academic Advising

MaryLou Kennedy Hosek, Sycamore Hall 230, (812) 856-4549

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Introduction

The Department of Religious Studies (REL) offers students an opportunity to explore and understand the religious traditions of the world, as well as to study expressions of religious life and thought that may not fall within traditional patterns. The program teaches a variety of approaches to religious studies. The department provides a major and minor and serves the academic interests of nonmajors who want introductory courses in religious studies or advanced courses coordinated with their special interests. Pre-professional students are encouraged to pursue religious studies as a major or double major.

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Major in Religious Studies

Requirements

Single and double majors must complete a total of 27 credit hours including the following:

1. One Western Religious Traditions course over the 100 level.
2. One Eastern Religious Traditions course over the 100 level.
3. One Critical Issues in Religious Studies course over the 100 level.
4. One course (other than R494, R495, R496, and R499) at the 400 level.

R264 Introduction to the Study of Religion is strongly recommended, particularly for those considering graduate work in the field of religious studies. One course at the 100 level and one Arts and Humanities Topics course with departmental approval may count towards the major. Students may count a second 100-level course for the major if one of them is R152 or R153. Six credit hours outside religious studies may count toward the major with departmental approval. With approval of both departments and the College, one course may be cross-listed in a double major.

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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Departmental Honors Program

Students with a minimum grade point average of 3.300 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.

Students should choose an area of study for R399 that prepares them for the R499 project. The department also offers R201, an honors proseminar in religion. It is open to all students with a minimum grade point average of 3.300.

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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 African American and African Diaspora Studies

Requirements

Students must meet the following course requirements for a minimum total of 42 credit hours.

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 course (above the 100 level) in each of the following areas: (1) Western Religious Traditions, (2) Eastern Religious Traditions, (3) Critical Issues in Religious Studies.
3. One course (3 credit hours) in Religious Studies at the 400 level other than R494, R495, R496, and R499.

If a student chooses to take the Senior Honors Thesis course pair of R399-R499, the chosen topic may cross over Religious Studies and African American and African Diaspora Studies, although minimum credit hours in each area must still be met. A faculty mentor of the student's choice will be assigned, and graders from each department will read the final thesis. This requires an application and the approval of the director of undergraduate studies before authorization is granted to begin the project.

African American and African Diaspora Studies

At least 21 credit hours, of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above:

1. A150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans.
2. A355 African American History I or A356 African American History II.
3. A379 Early Black American Writing or A380 Contemporary Black American Writing.
4. 9 additional credit hours taken from courses in any of the three concentration areas: (1) Arts, (2) Literature, or (3) History, Culture, and Social Issues. (Majors are strongly encouraged to take A363 Research on Contemporary Afro-American Problems I when it is taught.)
5. Additional credit hours to reach the minimum of 21 credit hours to be chosen in consultation with advisor. These credit hours may include the Senior Seminar.

If a student chooses to take the Senior Honors Thesis of A499 or the course pair of R399-R499 in Religious Studies, the chosen topic may cross over African American and African Diaspora Studies and Religious Studies although minimum credit hours in each area must still be met. A faculty mentor of the student's choice will be assigned, and graders from each department will read the final thesis. This requires an application and the approval of the director of undergraduate studies before authorization is granted to begin the project.

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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 or R380) and the following course work in each department. (See the "Index.")

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: (a) Western Religious Traditions, (b) Eastern Religious Traditions, (c) Critical Issues in Religious Studies.
3. One (3 cr.) 400-level religious studies course other than R495 and R499.

Philosophy

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 course above the 100 level in each of the following areas: (a) Ethics and value theory, (b) History of philosophy, (c) Epistemology and metaphysics.
3. One of the following logic courses: P150 or P250.

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Interdepartmental Honors Program in Religious Studies and Philosophy

Students with a minimum grade point average of 3.300 are eligible for the interdepartmental honors program in religious studies and philosophy, which culminates with a final honors thesis that combines notions from both disciplines. The honors program has the following additional requirement:

One of the following pairs of courses:

1. R399 Reading for Honors and R499 Senior Honors Essay or an appropriate equivalent (Religious Studies) or
2. P498 Senior Seminar and P499 Honors Thesis (Philosophy).

The choice of the pair depends on whether the student works with a religious studies or philosophy faculty member. The thesis will be judged by an honors committee that consists of members from both departments.

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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.

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Course Descriptions

Western Religious Traditions

R152 Religions of the West (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Patterns of religious life and thought in the West: continuities, changes, and contemporary issues.

R160 Religion and American Culture (3 cr.) A & H Examines religious life and culture in America.

R204 Introduction to Religions in Africa (3 cr.) A & H, CSA An introduction to the diversity of religious thought and practice in Africa. Readings cover the belief systems, symbols, rituals, and myths of traditional religions in Africa, and how they have changed through their response to colonial rule. Also examines the integration of Islam and Christianity into African societies.

R210 Introduction to the Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible (3 cr.) A & H, 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.) A & H, 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.

R235 The Liberal Tradition in U.S. Religious History (3 cr.) A & H An examination of the growth of liberal theological expressions, such as rationalism, romanticism, and modernism from the early eighteenth century to the present.

R245 Introduction to Judaism (3 cr.) A & H, CSA The development of post-biblical Judaism; major themes, movements, practices, and values.

R247 Introduction to Christianity (3 cr.) A & H Survey of beliefs, rituals, and practices of the Christian community, with a focus on the varieties of scriptural interpretation, historical experience, doctrine, and behavior.

R257 Introduction to Islam (3 cr.) A & H, 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.

R275 Indigenous Worldviews (3 cr.) S & H, CSA A survey of some basic aspects of indigenous lifeways, this course introduces comparative cultural analysis, providing a foundational course for those interested in thinking about how others think and how we think about otherness. Students will examine mythology, ritual, health, art, and philosophy within the context of colonialism and globalization.

R307 Messianism and Messiahs in Comparative Perspective (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Examines the messianic phenomenon as central to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Focuses on Jewish messianism. Christianity and Islam will be employed to compare and contrast how this idea developed in two competing religions. Studies the history of the idea, its relationship to orthodoxy and heresy, and its political implications.

R310 Prophecy in Ancient Israel (3 cr.) A & H, 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.

R317 Judaism in the Making (3 cr.) A & H, 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.

R318 Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Religions (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A survey of the various religions in the ancient Near East (Egypt, Babylon, Persia) and the Greco-Roman worlds. Attention will be paid to ritual, philosophy, and community formation.

R320 Jesus and the Gospels (3 cr.) A & H, CSA 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.

R321 African American Religions (3 cr.) A & H Examines the varieties of African American religions, especially Christianity, Islam, Yoruba, Vodun, and Humanism, from the colonial era to the present. Methodologies will also be critically examined.

R322 Women and Religion in America (3 cr.) A & H Examines the efforts of women in American religious history to find their voices and assume leadership positions in a variety of religious and ethnic traditions.

R323 Early Christian Monasticism (3 cr.) A & H, CSA The origins and development of varieties of the monastic life in ancient and early medieval Christianity; social forms of monastic groups, ascetic practices, types of spirituality.

R324 Race, Religion, and Ethnicity in the United States (3 cr.) S & H A comparative study of the role religious narratives and beliefs have played in the shaping of racial and ethnic boundaries.

R325 Paul and His Influence in Early Christianity (3 cr.) A & H, CSA 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 Christianity, 50–450 (3 cr.) A & H, CSA The history and literature of Christianity from its origins to the end of antiquity.

R330 Christianity, 400–1500 (3 cr.) A & H, CSA The history and literature of western Christianity during the Middle Ages.

R331 Christianity, 1500–2000 (3 cr.) A & H The history and literature of western Christianity from the Reformation to the present.

R334 New Religious Movements in the Americas (3 cr.) A & H Offers a theoretical and comparative survey of the emergence of religious traditions. Groups may include early Christianity, early Islam, Nichirin Shoshu, Mormonism, Tenrikyo, the Nation of Islam, Scientology, Falun Gong, and the Branch Davidians.

R335 Religion in the United States, 1600–1850 (3 cr.) A & H Development of religious life and thought in the early United States, from the beginnings to 1850.

R336 Religion in the United States, 1850–Present (3 cr.) A & H Development of religious life and thought in the modern United States, from 1850 to the present.

R337 Evangelical America (3 cr.) A & H Assesses the causes, nature, and implications of evangelical influence from the Great Awakening to the present.

R338 American Catholic History (3 cr.) A & H American Catholic experience from discovery of new world (French and Spanish missions) to the present.

R341 Introduction to Jewish Mysticism (3 cr.) A & H, 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.

R345 Religious Issues in Contemporary Judaism (3 cr.) A & H, 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 with different topics for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

R356 Islamic Mysticism (3 cr.) A & H, 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.

R370 Islam in America (3 cr.) S & H Explores the history and life of Islam and Muslims in the United States, including the ethnic and religious diversity of American Muslims, conflicts about gender relations and women's issues, debates about Islam's role in politics, and the spirituality of American Muslims.

R378 Knowing the Will of God in Islam I: Law (3 cr.) A & H Students gain understanding of how Muslims have traditionally interpreted the texts of revelation (Qur'an and Hadith) through the development of practical "hands-on" methods. Designed to resemble classes in theology, jurisprudence, and law in a medieval Islamic college.

R392 The Bible and Slavery (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A historical study of slaves and the institution of slavery in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Attention will be given both to the biblical texts in their original contexts of the ancient Mediterranean world and to their legacy in the history of interpretation—the nineteenth-century American slave controversy.

R410 Topics in Ancient Israelite Religion (3 cr.) A & H, CSA 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 Religions of Ancient Rome (3 cr.) A & H A seminar on the extraordinary diversity of ancient Roman religion. Major themes and problems explored include sacrifice, the religious calendar, divination, and the priesthood. Examines the widening scope of religious choice within and outside the "official" cults of the state, including ancient Christianity.

R421 Judaism and Gender: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Studies the development of gender theory and politics in modern Judaism including law, ritual, sexual orientation and theology. Traces gender theory from the nineteenth century to the present, focusing on the ways Judaism absorbed feminist critiques and struggled with its own traditional sources.

R425 Gnostic Religion and Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSA 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.) A & H, CSA 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.) A & H 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.) A & H 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.

R438 Martin King and Malcolm X in American Religion (3 cr.) A & H An examination of the religious thought of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in the context of American religious cultures.

R445 Topics in the History of Judaism (3 cr.) A & H 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.) A & H, CSA Selected topics on Islamic law, philosophy, theology, and mysticism. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.

R467 The Life and Legacy of Muhammad (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Explores the ways in which sacred biography is used in various contexts to develop theories of authority and history. Applies theories and methods of textual interpretation to the earliest known biography of the Prophet Muhammad (d. 632 C.E.).

R468 Knowing the Will of God in Islam II: Theology (3 cr.) A & H Develops students' understanding of the central theological issues in Muslim thought as they were developed by various groups and individuals over the last 1,300 years.

Eastern Religious Traditions

R153 Religions of the East (3 cr.) A & H, 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.

R203 Zen Buddhism (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Introduction to Zen Buddhism in medieval East Asia and the modern world. Focuses on defining moments for important issues in religious practice, theoretical understanding, and cultural modeling. Readings include excerpts from Zen texts and scholarly analyses. Video clips used.

R250 Introduction to Buddhism (3 cr.) A & H, CSA, TFR Introduction to the basic beliefs and practices of Buddhism from its beginnings to the present. Special attention to the life and teachings of the founder, significant developments in India, and the diffusion of the tradition to East Asia, Central Asia, and the West.

R255 Introduction to Hinduism (3 cr.) A & H, 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.

R265 Introduction to Taoism (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A selective survey of the politico-philosophical, 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.

R348 Hindu Goddesses (3 cr.) A & H, 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.

R350 East Asian Buddhism (3 cr.) A & H, 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.) A & H, CSA 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.

R357 Religions in Japan (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Religious movements in Japan, with emphasis on the development of Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, and the rise of the "new religions."

R368 Introduction to Chinese Thought (3 cr.) A & H, CSA An introduction to the early development of Chinese thought, from ancient divination to the religious, ethical, and political theories of classical Confucianism, Mohism, and Daoism. Focuses on debates over human nature and self-cultivation, the nature of the cosmos, and the proper ordering of society. Readings are in English translation. Credit given for only one of REL R368, EALC E374, or PHIL P374.

R382 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Historical view of the officially sanctioned roles for women in several religious traditions in South Asia, and women's efforts to become agents and participants in the religious expressions of their own lives.

R388 Mandir and Masjid at the Movies (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A consideration of the nature and meaning of religion in South Asia using film as the lens to explore the South Asian continuum running from the sacred to the secular.

R450 Topics in the Buddhist Tradition (3 cr.) A & H P: R250, R350, 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.) A & H, 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.

R458 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions (3 cr.) A & H, CSA 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.) A & H, 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.) A & H How do religion and popular culture interact? Study of ordinary people making sense of their worlds through diverse media.

R133 Introduction to Religion (3 cr.) A & H Introduction to the diversity of traditions, values, and histories through which religion interacts with culture. Emphasis on understanding the ways the various dimensions of religion influence people's lives.

R170 Religion, Ethics, and Public Life (3 cr.) A & H 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.

R236 Religion, Ecology, and the Self (3 cr.) A & H Deep ecology seeks fundamental transformations in views of world and self. It claims that there is no ontological divide in the forms of life and aims for an environmentally sustainable and spiritually rich way of life. This course is an introductory examination of Deep Ecology from a religious studies perspective.

R264 Introduction to the Study of Religion (3 cr.) A & H 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.) A & H American religious institutions and public policy. Religious liberty. Religious communities as political forces on selected issues, e.g., war, poverty, racism.

R333 Religion and Its Critics (3 cr.) A & H Examines major critics of religion, including Spinoza, Hume, Marx, and Freud.

R340 Contemporary Religious Thought (3 cr.) A & H 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.) A & H 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.

R364 Topics in Gender and Western Religions (3 cr.) A & H Specific topics regarding gender in Western religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; studies of specific historical periods or feminist critiques in theology and ethics. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

R365 Religion and Personality (3 cr.) A & H 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.

R371 Religion, Ethics, and the Environment (3 cr.) A & H 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.

R372 Love and Justice (3 cr.) A & H 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 and Bioethics (3 cr.) A & H Examines questions about human nature, finitude, the meaning of suffering, and appropriate uses of medical technology in the face of natural limitations, such as disease and death, that humans encounter. Issues include prenatal/genetic testing, transhumanism, enhancement technologies, cloning, euthanasia, and organ transplantation. Judeo-Christian and cross-cultural perspectives on illness are considered.

R374 From Christian Ethics to Social Criticism I (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Christian ethics from the New Testament through the early modern period. Readings include first- and second-century authors, patristic fathers, Augustine, Bernard, Abelard, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Anabaptists, Vitoria, Locke, among others. First of a two-semester sequence.

R375 From Christian Ethics to Social Criticism II (3 cr.) A & H Christian ethics from the New Testament through the early modern period. Readings include first- and second-century authors, patristic fathers, Augustine, Bernard, Abelard, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Anabaptists, Vitoria, Locke, among others. Second of a two-semester sequence.

R376 War and Peace in Western Religion (3 cr.) A & H Ethics of war and peace in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Sources include the Bible, rabbinic teaching, Augustine, Aquinas, Martin Luther King Jr., Reinhold Niebuhr, U.S. Catholic bishops, Islamic Law, and Michael Walzer. Topics include pacifism, just-war doctrine, jihad, religious crusades as these pertain to war, intervention, terrorism, sanctions, war crimes.

R377 Friendship, Benevolence, and Love (3 cr.) A & H By closely reading relevant classic works from Western and East Asian cultures, students examine ideas of friendship, benevolence, and love. Questions include: What are the varieties of love and friendship? Is romantic love uniquely Western? Is compassion for others natural to human beings? Could true benevolence require actions that appear cruel?

R387 Religions in Practice: Social Theories of Religion (3 cr.) S & H Acquaints students with different theoretical and analytical approaches through which religious beliefs, experiences, feelings, and practices have conventionally been studied by anthropologists. Readings cover key domains and concepts such as totemism, myth, esoteric knowledge /power ("magic"), ancestor/ spirit cult, shamanism, possession and healing, ritual (performance), and notions of purity /impurity.

R390 The End of Everything: Apocalypse Now and Then (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Apocalyptic and non-apocalyptic ideas concerning the end of the world (eschatology) in ancient Mediterranean religions. Emphasis on a comparative study of early Jews, Christians, and traditional Greeks and Romans.

R391 Religion and Sex in America (3 cr.) S & H Examines the relationship between American religion and sex from the early 1600s to the 21st century. Readings include culture theory, contemporary literature, missionary documents, theological tracts, and legal documents from early and contemporary periods. Students are encouraged to draw upon the resources of the Kinsey Institute archives.

R411 Religion and Media (3 cr.) S & H An introduction to recent debates on the nexus between religious experience and communities, and various forms and technologies of mediation. Combines perspectives on religion and ritual with scholarship on media, media consumption, and critical theory. Readings also include an array of ethnographic studies of religiously inspired movements in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East.

R436 Modernisms and Fundamentalisms (3 cr.) A & H Through cross-cultural examples, students explore the history of contemporary religious ideologies, including modernist movements in Buddhism, Islam, and Roman Catholicism, and fundamental expressions in a variety of traditions.

R462 Topics in Religious Philosophy (3 cr.) A & H 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.

R473 Problems in Social Ethics (3 cr.) A & H 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.

Special Courses

These courses may be counted toward allocation requirements by departmental consent.

R201 Honors Proseminar in Religion (3 cr.) A & H 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.) A & H 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.) A & H Selected topics and movements in religion. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

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.

R474 Capstone Seminar in Religion (3 cr.) A & H 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.

R494 Teaching Internship (3 cr.) Supervised work as teaching apprentice in religious studies either in the university or another appropriate educational setting. Intern must be sponsored by a religious studies faculty member.

R495 Individual Research Internship (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.

R496 Service Learning Internship (1–3 cr.) Affords a student the opportunity to receive academic credit for work experience in a communal or public setting. Student must submit an application, obtain a faculty sponsor, and be approved by the departmental director of undergraduate studies.

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.

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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