Undergraduate Courses

Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and background religions, such as those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

 

Comparative overview of the world’s three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

This course will be taught 95% or more online.

 

The religions of India, China, and Japan, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto.

 

Religion including various theological perspectives and the philosophy of religion.

 

Religion, including various theological perspectives and the philosophy of religion.

This course will be taught 95% or more online

 

Survey of the religions of the world, including religions originating in the Near East, India, China, Japan, Africa, and Native America.

 

Survey of the religions of the world, including religions originating in the Near East, India, China, Japan, Africa, and Native America.

This course will be taught 95% or more online.

 

Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in translation. Students engage representative portions of a primary text which has strongly influenced and shaped world history, culture, literature, and politics. Students will also explore some critical perspectives in scholarship.

Offered…

Introductory course in which students read entire New Testament or representative selections. Mainly provides opportunity to interact closely with a primary text which has strongly influenced and shaped world history, culture, literature, and politics; will also explore some critical…

A broad overview of Native American cultures and history. Focus will be on tribes in North America.

 

A broad overview of Native American cultures and history. Focus will be on tribes in North America.

 

Introduction to meaning, origin, and characteristics of African religion, focusing on the approaches and challenges in studying African religion.

Offered every year.

 

Introduction to meaning, origin, and characteristics of African religion, focusing on the approaches and challenges in studying African religion.

Offered every year.

 

An introduction to the meaning, origin, and characteristics of African Traditional Religion.

This course will be taught 95% or more online.

 

Study of terminologies and basic beliefs of African religions, dwelling on African concepts of Supreme Being, divinities, spirits, ancestors, and magic and medicine.

 

Study of terminologies and basic beliefs of African religions, dwelling on African concepts of Supreme Being, divinities, spirits, ancestors, and magic and medicine.

 

Judaism, Christianity, Islam and background religions, such as those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Offered every year.

 

The religions of India, China, and Japan, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto.

Offered every year.

Religion including various theological perspectives and the philosophy of religion.

Offered every year.

Native religious traditions of selected cultures of North America, with special attention to cultures of the Southeast, Great Plains, and Southwest.

Offered every even-numbered year.

 

Native religious traditions of selected cultures of North America, with special attention to cultures of the Southeast, Great Plains, and Southwest.

Offered every even-numbered year.

 

Elements of religion in selected cultures of North America, with emphasis on issues of cross-cultural understanding.

Elements of religion in selected cultures of North America, with emphasis on issues of cross-cultural understanding.

Major and selected contemporary religious groups and movements among African Americans.

Offered every year.

Major and selected contemporary religious groups and movements among African Americans.

Offered every year.

An introduction to the Gospel of Mark and to select methods used in the academic study of the Gospels.

Offered fall semester every odd-numbered year.

 

Religious issues faced by Asian Americans through two major themes: Asian American efforts to preserve Asian religious traditions and conversion to other religions. The course examines the variety of Asian religions, issues and history of Asian American immigration, and challenges confronting…

Religious issues faced by Asian Americans through two major themes: efforts to preserve Asian religious traditions and conversion to other religions. The course examines the variety of Asian Religions, issues and history of Asian immigration, and the challenges confronting specific Asian…

The history, physical environment (landforms, vegetation, and climate), and sociocultural environment (artistic, political, and social development) of Africa.

The history, physical environment (landforms, vegetation, and climate), and sociocultural environment (artistic, political, and social development) of Africa.

The history, physical environment (landforms, vegetation, and climate), and sociocultural environment (artistic, political, and social development) of Africa.

The history, physical environment (landforms, vegetation, and climate), and sociocultural environment (artistic, political, and social development) of Africa.

The history, physical environment (landforms, vegetation, and climate), and sociocultural environment (artistic, political, and social development) of Africa.

The history, physical environment (landforms, vegetation, and climate), and sociocultural environment (artistic, political, and social development) of Africa.

Interpretations of the Bible in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the influence upon minority communities in the United States.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Interpretations of the Bible in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the influence upon minority communities in the United States.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Examines how the different actors engaged with Christianity, mission, and international development in Africa have understood Christianity in different ways, leading to a range of intended and unintended effects from the colonial period until today.

Examines how the different actors engaged with Christianity, mission, and international development in Africa have understood Christianity in different ways, leading to a range of intended and unintended effects from the colonial period until today.

An exploration of different expressions of Christianity around the world.

An exploration of different expressions of Christianity around the world.

Living with and understanding a Moroccan family, its nurturing of its members, its roles, interrelationships, economic resources, stressors, family customs, the impact of Islam, the emotions of the family and the student participant observer, and comparison with American family life.

…

Religion in the mass media. Topics may include the coverage of religious issues or events by the news media and the presentation of religious themes or concepts in the entertainment media.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

The significant developments in American religious history and thought from Puritanism to the present with attention to the social and cultural contexts in which various religious movements arose.

Not offered on a regular basis.

The significant developments in American religious history and thought from Puritanism to the present with attention to the social and cultural contexts in which various religious movements arose.

Not offered on a regular basis.

African concepts of God in names, attributes, status, monotheism, human origin, function of soul, human destiny, rites of passage, and predestination.

Offered every year.

African concepts of God in names, attributes, status, monotheism, human origin, function of soul, human destiny, rites of passage, and predestination.

Offered every year.

Examination and analysis of African myths, legends, fables, etc. The significance and functionalism of these and comparison to those in other world religions.

Examination and analysis of African myths, legends, fables, etc. The significance and functionalism of these and comparison to those in other world religions.

The history, beliefs, and practices of major traditions of China and Japan, particularly Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Special attention will be paid to the evolution of diverse forms within each tradition, and to the interactions of the different traditions.

Offered every even-…

A history of how the forms, definitions, and goals of Christianity changed in late antique and medieval societies across Europe and the Mediterranean. Examines how the religion responded to and affected the way these societies understood their government, their wealth, their responsibilities,…

A history of how the forms, definitions, and goals of Christianity changed in late antique and medieval societies across Europe and the Mediterranean. Examines how the religion responded to and affected the way these societies understood their government, their wealth, their responsibilities,…

Examination of the various methods used to study Native American cultures and religious traditions, including history, anthropology, literature, and history of religions.

Examination of the various methods used to study Native American cultures and religious traditions, including history, anthropology, literature, and history of religions.

Examination of the various methods used to study Native American cultures and religious traditions, including history, anthropology, literature, and history of religions.

The nature, content, and problems of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, with attention given to historical data, literary forms, and ancient Near Eastern cultural backgrounds.

Offered every even-numbered year.

The origin and development of the phenomenon of prophecy as it existed throughout the history of ancient Israel.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Origins of the religion of ancient Israel, its emergence from and continuities with ancient West Semitic religion and culture. Historical and comparative methods, emphasizing current knowledge of Near Eastern history and religions contemporary with ancient Israel.

Offered every odd-…

Course covers the biblical books that are not covered in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Literature (the narrative books) and Prophetic Literature of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (the prophets). Included are poetry (Psalms), wisdom (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), and the Five Scrolls (Song of Songs…

Study of a particular book, theme, or period in the Hebrew Bible (Tanak, Old Testament), focusing on both the Bible in its context in the ancient Near East and its influence in later literature and history. Study of the Biblical text through archaeological, theological, literary, and historical…

Portrayals and views of women, and women's views, in the Hebrew Bible and related literature. The selection of texts will highlight a particular set of themes each semester.

Major works, literary movements, and cultural background of the modern and contemporary periods examined within their specific historical contexts. Texts will include examples of poetry, prose, and drama. Given in Hebrew.

Offered every even-numbered year.

A selection of Iconic female agents mainly in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, their characterization, their social worlds, and the use to which the writers put these, in the context of ancient literature.

Offered spring semester every even-numbered year.

Apocalyptic literature from its origins in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE down to its flourishing in Hellenistic and Roman times. Texts to be studied include Isaiah 24-27, 40-66, Zechariah 9-14, Joel, Malachi, Daniel, I Enoch, IV Ezra, Baruch, Qumran material, Mark 13 and the Book of…

The interaction of Jewish history and Western civilization, with emphasis upon the development of Jewish religion in the biblical, rabbinic, and modern periods.

Offered every even-numbered year.

The background and legacy of the destruction of European Jewry from 1933 to 1945. Topics include: the historical context, Holocaust art, literature, and film, the reactions of rescuers and bystanders, and theological issues raised by the Holocaust.

Offered every even-numbered year.

The background and legacy of the destruction of European Jewry from 1933 to 1945. Topics include: the historical context; Holocaust art, literature, and film; the reactions of rescuers and bystanders; and theological issues raised by the Holocaust.

An examination of what it means, and has meant, to be a Jew in the United States, with emphasis upon the historical experience and religious expressions of American Jews.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

This course treats issues in which law and religion meet, overlap, and conflict within Israel. Topics include medical issues (end-of-life, abortion, surrogacy), religious control disputes, the restriction of non-Orthodox movements, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Readings include primary…

Examines biblical law in its background in legislative traditions starting in the 3rd millennium BCE. Also examines how law codes relate to one another, changing social realities and administration. Also, how legal history reflects religion and social theory in antiquity.

Examines Judaism and Jews with reference to internal and external relationships in particular historical and contemporary contexts. Topics may include religion, theology, community, interfaith relations, literature, social location, and even internal Jewish heterodoxy from the birth of Judaism…

The nature, content, and problems of New Testament literature, with particular attention given to its canonization and textual transmission.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Although primarily a study of what Jesus taught, attention is given to the literary and environmental background of his teaching, the historical life of the teacher, and the contemporary validity of what he taught.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

An historical-exegetical study of the life and letters of Paul, the relation between Acts and the Pauline epistles, early non-Pauline Gentile Christianity, Pauline theology, and its lasting impression on Christianity.

Offered spring semester every odd-numbered year.

The political, social and religious influences on the New Testament writings. Special attention is given to intertestamental Judaism and Hellenistic and Roman religion as background to New Testament Christianity.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

A study of the four New Testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). An examination of the genre of these writings, their historical contexts, theories about their formation, their primary themes, methods used for interpreting them, and signficant scholarly interpretations of these books…

Examines some critical issues and key themes associated with the Gospel of John, includes an extensive examination of the full text of the gospel with reference to several commentaries, and devotes some attention to the epistles of John.

Offered spring semester every even-numbered year.…

Study of a particular book, theme, period, or method in the field of New Testament Studies/Early Christianity.

Not offered on a regular basis.

Students will read through selections from the Greek New Testament or Septuagint in Greek. While attention will be given to issues of interpretation, the course will focus on Greek translation, grammar, and syntax.

Offered every year.

Students will read through selections from the Greek New Testament or Septuagint in Greek. While attention will be given to issues of interpretation, the course will focus on Greek translation, grammar, and syntax.

Offered every year.

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most unique and fundamental aspects of Christian theology. This course provides a survey of trinitarian discourse from its ancient roots and medieval developments through its 20th-century revival and contemporary formulations and practical implications…

In an era marked by profound and often deepening environmental, social, and economic crises, we are challenged to seek sustainable solutions to these issues. This course surveys, analyzes, evaluates, and applies ways in which various Christian thinkers and communities define these local and…

A survey of the leading theologians of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations of the sixteenth century.

Offered fall semester every odd-numbered year.

The development of Christian thought from the first through the fourteenth century as expressed in the writings and practices of the Christian community and its leading thinkers.

Offered every even-numbered year.

The development of Christian thought from the fifteenth century to the present as expressed in the writings and practices of the Christian community and its leading thinkers.

Offered every even-numbered year.

An examination of major themes in Roman Catholic theology, with emphases on the United States and how Catholic theology differs from Protestant theology.

An exploration of the theology of sex and marriage in Christianity from the patristic period to the contemporary church.

The relationship between women and Christianity, particularly concerning matters involving gender equality in church and society.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

An exploration of biblical and other literature in the first five hundred years of Christianity focused on examining women's participation and leadership.

Major and innovative religious organizations, ideas, movements, and personalities as they express themselves in particular religious settings as well as the manner in which they have influenced other aspects of American culture.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

An introduction to some of the major issues in Christian feminist theology, including both critical and constructive feminist approaches to the doctrine of God, Christology, and theological anthropology.

Offered fall semester every odd-numbered year.

Examination of the meaning of being "human" in the past, present, and future. Emphasizing contemporary scientific, philosophical, and theological sources, the course is framed around the question of how Christian thinkers today understand Homo sapiens as a species that has evolved to bear the…

An examination of American religious beliefs, practices, and organizations from an anthropological perspective.

An examination of American religious beliefs, practices, and organizations from an anthropological perspective.

Focuses on the theological history of anthropology, illuminates deeply held theological assumptions that humans make about the nature of reality, and illustrates how these theological assumptions manifest themselves in society.

Focuses on the theological history of anthropology, illuminates deeply held theological assumptions that humans make about the nature of reality, and illustrates how these theological assumptions manifest themselves in society.

A biographical survey of significant Catholic figures in the Americas whose faith, thought, and actions continue to shape our cultural landscape in the realms of cinema and television, politics, economics, morality, and religion. A multi-media approach showcases figures from Martin Sheen to…

The religious traditions of African Americans from Colonial times to the present; major religious movements, personalities, and ideas and their relationship to various aspects of American culture.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

The religious traditions of African Americans from Colonial times to the present; major religious movements, personalities, and ideas and their relationship to various aspects of American culture.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

The origins, growth, and current practices of religion in the American South. The interaction between religion and other aspects of Southern culture, such as racial and gender concerns, education, Darwinian science, temperance, and politics.

Offered every even-numbered year.

The origins, growth, and current practices of religion in the American South. The interaction between religion and other aspects of Southern culture, such as racial and gender concerns, education, Darwinian science, temperance, and politics.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Biblical interpretation in black America from 1865 to the present.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Biblical interpretation in black America from 1865 to the present.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Examines the relationship between the Civil Rights Movement and religion through the words and activities of Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 1950s and 1960s and poses questions regarding the continuing impact of religion on the quest for racial freedom and vice versa.

An examination of the history of selected Caribbean religions from the European conquest to the twentieth century. Haitian Vodou, Cuban Santería, Jamaican Rastafarianism, and Spiritism will receive special attention. An exploration of the cultural processes (creolization, syncretism, etc.) that…

An examination of the history of selected Caribbean religions from the European conquest to the twentieth century. Haitian Vodou, Cuban Santería, Jamaican Rastafarianism, and Spiritism will receive special attention. An exploration of the cultural processes (creolization, syncretism, etc.) that…

Islam as a religious and sociocultural phenomenon. The fundamental principles of the Islamic faith, Qu'ran, the Sunna of Muhammad, Islamic sectarianism, Islamic law, theology, and mysticism, and themes in Islamic art. The course will also survey Islam in its various forms throughout the world.…

Islamic scholarship from the eighth through the fourteenth centuries. Principal topics covered will include the Qur'an and Qur'anic exegesis, the Hadith tradition, Islamic law, theology, philosophy, and Sufi mysticism.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Islamic modernism and revivalism as a response to Western cultural penetration since the eighteenth century. Subjects covered will include Sufi reformism, Wahhabism, the Salafiyya movement, Islamic "Fundamentalism," the Iranian Revolution, women's rights, and Western perceptions of Islam.

Islamic mysticism, both as a set of metaphysical doctrines and as it is expressed in religious practices. Particular attention will be given to the doctrinal development of Sufism, its literature, major figures, and the process of consciousness transformation.

Offered every odd-numbered…

Historical, thematic study of the Islamic sacred text, the Koran, including textual history, its compilation, and the stages that led to its printed form. There will also be an introduction to basic technical terms of the Koranic sciences, Koranic hermeneutics, and Arabic script and phonology.…

Historical, thematic, detailed study of the life of Mohammad, the prophet of Islam, from earliest sources. An examination of biographical (sirah) material, the Transmitted Traditions (hadith), and debates about the Traditions. The introduction to Arabic script and phonology will permit students…

The major genres of Islamic literature and its principle concepts, covering Qur'anic, hadith, legal and political literature, philosophy, theology, historiography, hagiography, and poetry, emphasizing the Medieval period and mystical prose and poetry primarily in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish.…

The major genres of Islamic literature and its principle concepts, covering Qur'anic, hadith, legal and political literature, philosophy, theology, historiography, hagiography, and poetry, emphasizing the Medieval period and mystical prose and poetry primarily in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish.…

An examination of Islam and Islamic culture in Morocco. The course covers basic Islamic beliefs and practices and the most significant aspects of Islamic culture in Morocco, such as music, art, and architecture.

This is a maymester summer abroad program and will thus entail, with the…

Examines facilitation of and active participation in intercultural dialogue during supervised discussions with students whose culture is non-American. Emphasis on using the principles of active listening and dialogue for cultivating hermeneutical understanding (of both self and others), while…

The nature of early primitive religions and the main outlines of the chief living religions of the world. The method will be both historical and analytical.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Buddhism from its origin in the life and teachings of the Buddha through the period of philosophical ferment in India, and its thought and institutions in the East and the West up to the present.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

Confucianism and its place in traditional Chinese religion, thought, and culture. Emphasis on the teachings of foundational thinkers such as Confucius, Mencius, and Hsun-tzu.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

Taoism and its place in traditional Chinese religion, thought, and culture. Emphasis on the classical texts, Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu; the evolution of the later Taoist religion; and the many varieties of Taoist spirituality.

Offered every even-numbered year.

Religion in Japan from earliest times to the present, with emphasis upon Shinto, the domestication of Buddhism, and the relationship of religion to the Japanese state and "national identity." Particular attention given to the development of Zen in Japan.

Offered every odd-numbered year.…

The variety of ritual practices employed by Buddhists around the world. An examination of both ritual studies generally and Buddhist rituals in specific.

An in-depth study of Hinduism. The philosophy, ritual, iconography, literature, architecture, and social theory of Hinduism, a form of religion and culture that have dramatically shaped the history of South Asia and beyond.

Focus is on Gandhi's life, work, and teachings examining his historical context; central religious and ethical ideas; campaigns toward nonviolent social transformation and Indian independence; his roles as religious thinker, social reformer, and political strategist; the cross-cultural reach of…

The meaning, nature, and validity of religious discourse, beliefs, and practices, involving theories concerning the existence and nature of God and humanity's relation to God.

Not offered on a regular basis.

The meaning, nature, and validity of religious discourse, beliefs, and practices, involving theories concerning the existence and nature of God and humanity's relation to God.

Not offered on a regular basis.

The basic contours of thought and practice of selected Indian religions, including the Vedas, Upanishads, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sufism, Sikhism, and the epic and poetic traditions.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

The aims, methods, and content of theology as related to the theistic religions of humanity.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

The relation of theology to philosophy, science, technology, and the arts, with special attention to the theological attempts to deal with the impact of science and technology upon culture and civilization.

Offered every odd-numbered year.

What do religions say about women? What do women say about religions? This class will examine women’s lives in a variety of religious traditions around the world.

What do religions say about women? What do women say about religions? This class will examine women’s lives in a variety of religious traditions around the world.

An examination of religious themes in literature, focusing on religion generally, not a particular religion. The Enlightenment challenge to religion and literature's dealings with that challenge; identity in modern and postmodern fiction and world, community and modernity; and orthodox and…

A survey of popular Christian readings highlighting contemporary Christian theological debates and their relationships to historical Christian doctrine.

Offered fall semester every even-numbered year.

An exploration of various topics linking the languages of science and religion in the ancient world. For example, the relationships among Babylonian astrology and omenology, and Biblical and Greek thought, in the 8th-6th centuries BCE (the "Axial Age"), focusing on cosmology. Socially…

The social, cultural, and economic influences on canon formation and on canon reformation in various cultures. The valences of canon in such environments and its impact on society.

The study of classical Sanskrit through an emphasis on reading texts. As such, it is an examination of both the religious language and literature of India.

A continuation of Sanskrit for Religious Studies I. It further examines the elements of classical Sanskrit through an emphasis on reading texts and continues treatment of both the religious language and literature of India.

Diasporic movement, sustainability, modifications, syncretic tendencies of African Derived Religions in the Americas, especially Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, and North America.

Diasporic movement, sustainability, modifications, syncretic tendencies of African Derived Religions in the Americas, especially Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, and North America.

Diasporic movement, sustainability, modifications, syncretic tendencies of African Derived Religions in the Americas, especially Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, and North America.

Examination of African doctrines, death, muses of death, categories of death, rites, final judgment, reincarnation, and the ancestral cult.

Offered every year.

Examination of African doctrines, death, muses of death, categories of death, rites, final judgment, reincarnation, and the ancestral cult.

Offered every year.

Anthropological approaches to the world's major religions as they relate to complex societies.

Not offered on a regular basis.

 

Anthropological approaches to the world's major religions as they relate to complex societies.

Not offered on a regular basis.

 

Special topics in Native American Studies.

Special topics in Native American Studies.

Individual reading and study in Native American Studies under the direction of a project director.

Directed study. Will support new certificate in Native American Studies.

Individual reading and study in Native American Studies under the direction of a project director.

Directed study. Will support new certificate in Native American Studies.

Directed study in reading and research in religion.

9 hours lab per week. Directed study.

Topics and problems in religion with emphasis upon extensive reading in primary sources and individual and/or group research projects. Selection of topics will vary with instructor and interest of students.

9 hours lab per week. Directed study. Not offered on a regular basis.

Topics and problems concerning Judaism, with emphasis upon extensive reading in primary sources and individual and/or group research projects. Selection of topics will vary with instructor and interest of students.

Not offered on a regular basis.

Topics and problems concerning Christianity, with emphasis upon extensive reading in primary sources and individual and/or group research projects. Selection of topics will vary with instructor and interest of students.

Not offered on a regular basis.

Topics and problems concerning religions of the Americas with emphasis upon extensive reading in primary sources and individual and/or group research projects. Selection of topics will vary with instructor and interest of students.

Not offered on a regular basis.

Topics and problems concerning indigenous religions and/or other religious studies with emphasis upon extensive reading in primary sources and individual and/or group research projects. Selection of topics will vary with instructor and interest of students.

Not offered on a regular basis…

Topics and problems concerning religions of India, China, and Japan, with emphasis upon extensive reading in primary sources and individual and/or group research projects. Selection of topics will vary with instructor and interest of students.

9 hours lab per week. Not offered on a…

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.

This course belongs to…

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.

These courses belong…

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.

These courses belong…

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data. Students will write or produce a thesis or other professional capstone product, such as a report or…