Introductory Courses

• REL–R 102 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.
  

• REL–R 133 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.
  

• REL–R 152 Jews, Christians, Muslims (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Patterns of religious life and thought in the West: continuities, changes, and contemporary issues.
  

• REL–R 153 Religions of Asia (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.
  

• REL–R 160 Religion and American Culture (3 cr.) A & H Examines religious life and culture in America.
  

• REL–R 170 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.
  

• REL–R 264 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.
  

Area A—Africa, Europe, and West Asia

• REL–A 201 Introduction to African Religions (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. Credit given for only one of A201 or R204.
  

• REL–A 202 Issues in African, European, and West Asian Religions (3 cr.) A & H Selected issues and movements in African, European, and West Asian religions. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–A 210 Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Development of the beliefs, practices, and institutions of ancient Israel from the patriarchs to the Maccabean period. Introduction to the biblical literature and other ancient Near East documents. Credit given for only one of A210 or R210.
  

• REL–A 220 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. Credit given for only one of A220 or R220.
  

• REL–A 230 Introduction to Judaism (3 cr.) A & H, CSA The development of post-biblical Judaism; major themes, movements, practices, and values. Credit given for only one of A230 or R245.
  

• REL–A 250 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. Credit given for only one of A250 or R247.
  

• REL–A 270 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. Credit given for only one of A270 or R257.
  

• REL–A 300 Studies in African, European, and West Asian Religions (3 cr.) A & H Selected topics and movements in African, European, and West Asian religions. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–A 305 Ancient Mediterranean 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. Credit given for only one of A305 or R318.
  

• REL–A 315 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. Credit given for only one of A315 or R310.
  

• REL–A 317 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. Credit given for only one of A317 or R317.
  

• REL–A 320 Jesus and the Gospels (3 cr.) P: A220. A & H, CSA Types of traditions about Jesus: their origins, development, and functions in early Christianity, compared with similar forms of traditions in non-Christian movements. Credit given for only one of A320 or R320.
  

• REL–A 321 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. Development of radical Paulinism and anti-Paulinism in the second century; their influence on the formation of Christianity. Credit given for only one of A321 or R325.
  

• REL–A 325 Christianity 50–450 (3 cr.) A & H, CSA The history and literature of Christianity from its origins to the end of antiquity. Credit given for only one of A325 or R327.
  

• REL–A 326 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. Credit given for only one of A326 or R323.
  

• REL–A 335 Introduction to Jewish Mysticism (3 cr.) P: Previous course in Judaism or consent of instructor. A & H, CSA 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. Credit given for only one of A335 or R341.

• REL–A 350 Christianity, 400–1500 (3 cr.) A & H, CSA The history and literature of western Christianity during the Middle Ages. Credit given for only one of A350 or R330.

• REL–A 351 Christianity and Modernity (3 cr.) A & H The history and literature of western Christianity from the Reformation to the present. Credit given for only one of A351 or R331.
  

• REL–A 380 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. Credit given for only one of A380 or R378.
  

• REL–A 390 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. Credit given for only one of A390 or R390.
  

• REL–A 395 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 given 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. Credit given for only one of A395 or R392.
  

• REL–A 415 Topics in Ancient Israelite Religion (3 cr.) P: A210. A & H, CSA 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 with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in A415 and R410.
  

• REL–A 420 Religions of Ancient Rome (3 cr.) A & H, CSA 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. Credit given for only one of A420 or R420.
  

• REL–A 426 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, the Corpus Hermeticum, and the possibility of Gnosticism in the New Testament. Credit given for only one of A426 or R425.
  

• REL–A 430 Topics in the History of Judaism (3 cr.) P: Course on Judaism or consent of instructor. A & H Special topics such as problems in Jewish mystical tradition, the nature of religious community, charismatic leadership, religious biography. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in A430 and R445.
  

• REL–A 440 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. Credit given for only one of A440 or R421.
  

• REL–A 450 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 with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in A450 and R430.
  

• REL–A 470 Topics in Islamic Studies (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Selected topics on Islamic law, philosophy, theology, and mysticism. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in A470 and R456.
  

• REL–A 480 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. Credit given for only one of A480 or R468.
  

• REL–A 485 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.). Credit given for only one of A485 or R467.
  

Area B—South and East Asia

• REL–B 202 Issues in South and East Asian Religions (3 cr.) A & H Selected issues and movements in South and East Asian religions. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–B 210 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. Credit given for only one of B210 or R250.
  

• REL–B 215 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. Credit given for only one of B215 and R203.
  

• REL–B 220 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. Credit given for only one of B220 or R255.

• REL–B 240 Introduction to Daoism (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A selective survey of the politico-philosophical, mystical, meditative, alchemical, and liturgical aspects of the Daoist 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. Credit given for only one of B240 or R265.
  

• REL–B 300 Studies in South and East Asian Religions (3 cr.) A & H Selected topics and movements in South and East Asian religions. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–B 310 East Asian Buddhism (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Adaptation and assimilation of Buddhism in East Asia, early philosophical and ritual schools, social issues, 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. Credit given for only one of B310 or R350.
  

• REL–B 320 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. Credit given for only one of B320 or R348.

• REL–B 330 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. Credit given for only one of B330, R382, or INST I380.

• REL–B 335 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. Credit given for only one of B335 or R388.
  

• REL–B 360 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.” Credit given for only one of B360 or R357.
  

• REL–B 374 Early 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 B374, R368, EALC E374, or PHIL P374.
  

• REL–B 410 Topics in the Buddhist Tradition (3 cr.) P: B210, B310, or consent of instructor. A & H Selected topics such as Mahayana Sutra literature, Buddhist cult practice, Indian Buddhist inscriptions, Prajñåpåramitå thought, or Zen in Korea and Japan. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in B410 and R450.
  

• REL–B 420 Topics in Hindu Religions (3 cr.) P: B220. A & H, CSA Selected topics such as Upanishadic thought, the Bhagavad Gita, Advaita Vedanta, Hindu ethics, monastic traditions, Hindu soteriology. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in B420 and R458.
  

• REL–B 440 Topics in Daoism and Chinese Religion (3 cr.) P: B240. A & H, CSA Selected topics within the Daoist tradition and its relations with the larger Chinese cultural world, such as the writings of Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu, the Daoist mystical and meditative traditions, Daoist narrative and/or revealed literature in translation, and Daoist-Buddhist-Confucian interactions in specific historical periods. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in B440 and R469.
  

• REL–B 460 Topics in East Asian Religions (3 cr.) P: One course in East Asian religions. A & H, CSA 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 with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in B460 and R452.
  

Area C—The Americas

• REL–C 202 Issues in Religion in the Americas (3 cr.) A & H Selected topics, issues, and movements in American religions. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–C 210 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. Credit given for only one of C210 or R235.
  

• REL–C 220 American Religion and Politics (3 cr.) S & H American religious institutions and public policy. Religious liberty. Religious communities as political forces on selected issues, e.g., war, poverty, racism. Credit given for only one of C220 or R271.
  

• REL–C 280 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. Credit given for only one of C280 or R275.
  

• REL–C 300 Studies in Religion in the Americas (3 cr.) A & H Selected topics and movements in American religions. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–C 301 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. Credit given for only one of C301 or R335.
  

• REL–C 302 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. Credit given for only one of C302 or R336.
  

• REL–C 310 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. Credit given for only one of C310 or R322.
  

• REL–C 320 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. Credit given for only one of C320 or R321.
  

• REL–C 325 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. Credit given for only one of C325 or R324.
  

• REL–C 330 Evangelical America (3 cr.) A & H Assesses the causes, nature, and implications of evangelical influence from the Great Awakening to the present. Credit given for only one of C330 or R337.
  

• REL–C 335 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. Credit given for only one of C335 or R334.
  

• REL–C 340 American Catholic History (3 cr.) A & H American Catholic experience from discovery of the New World (French and Spanish missions) to the present. Credit given for only one of C340 or R338.
  

• REL–C 350 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. Credit given for only one of C350 or R370.
  

• REL–C 355 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. Credit given for only one of C355 or R391.
  

• REL–C 401 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 with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in C401 and R434.
  

• REL–C 420 Martin Luther King, Jr. 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. Credit given for only one of C420 or R438.
  

• REL–C 435 Religious Diversity in America (3 cr.) P: Junior standing. A & H History, beliefs, and cultural patterns of such movements as Mormonism, Christian Science, Pentecostalism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Quakerism, and the Black Nation of Islam. Credit given for only one of C435 or R432.
  

Area D—Theory, Ethics, and Comparison

• REL–D 202 Issues in Theory, Ethics, and Comparison (3 cr.) A & H Selected issues and movements in theory, ethics, and comparison. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–D 250 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. Credit given for only one of D250 or R236.
  

• REL–D 300 Studies in Theory, Ethics, and Comparison (3 cr.) A & H Selected topics and movements in theory, ethics, and comparison. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–D 301 Religion and Its Critics (3 cr.) A & H Examines major critics of religion, including Spinoza, Hume, Marx, and Freud. Credit given for only one of D301 or R333.
  

• REL–D 310 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 with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in D310 and R340.
  

• REL–D 315 Religion and Personality (3 cr.) P: One of the following: R170, A250, A325, A350, A351, D330, D331, or permission of the instructor. A & H Different ways of relating psychological concepts and data from personality theory to the study of religion and theology. Topics include psychoanalytic interpretation, existential psychology, and psychohistorical study of religious leaders. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in D315 and R365

• REL–D 325 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. Credit given for only one of D325 or R387.
  

• REL–D 330 From Christian Ethics to Social Criticism I (3 cr.) P: R170, A250, or consent of instructor. 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. Credit given for only one of D330 or R374.
  

• REL–D 331 From Christian Ethics to Social Criticism II (3 cr.) P: R170, A250, or consent of instructor. 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. Credit given for only one of D331 or R375.
  

• REL–D 340 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. Credit given for only one of D340 or R373.
  

• REL–D 350 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. Credit given for only one of D350 or R371.
  

• REL–D 355 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 with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in D355 and R372.
  

• REL–D 360 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, and religious crusades as they pertain to war, intervention, terrorism, sanctions, war crimes. Credit given for only one of D360 or R376.
  

• REL–D 362 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 6 credit hours in D362 and R345.
  

• REL–D 365 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? Credit given for only one of D365 or R377.
  

• REL–D 370 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 in D370 and R364.
  

• REL–D 375 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. Credit given for only one of D375 or R352.
  

• REL–D 380 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 with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in D380 and R360.
  

• REL–D 385 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. Credit given for only one of D385 or R307.
  

• REL–D 410 Topics in Religious Philosophy (3 cr.) P: Junior standing. A & H Selected focus on major movements and problems that provide the theoretical framework for theological reflection. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in D410 and R462.
  

• REL–D 430 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 with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in D430 and R473.
  

• REL–D 470 Modernism 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. Credit given for only one of D470 or R436.
  

• REL–D 485 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. Credit given for only one of D485 or R411.
  

Special Courses

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

• REL–R 201 Honors Proseminar in Religion (3 cr.) P: Freshmen and sophomores who may want to enter an honors program or consent of instructor. A & H  Selected issues in the study of religion. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
  

• REL–R 202 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.
  

• REL–R 300 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.
  

• REL–R 389 Majors Seminar in Religion (3 cr.) Limited to majors. Investigation of a theme or topic in the study of religion, with close attention to method, theory, and history of the discipline. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  

• REL–R 399 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.

• REL–R 474 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.
  

• REL–R 494 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.
  

• REL–R 495 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.
  

• REL–R 496 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.
  

• REL–R 497 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.
  

• REL–R 498 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.
  

• REL–R 499 Senior Honors Essay (1–6 cr.; max. 6  cr.) P: Approval of departmental honors advisor. Guided research culminating in essay(s).