Fall 2015 Courses in Religious Studies

Fall 2015 Courses in Religious Studies

 

RELIGIOUS STUDIES DEPARTMENT

Fall 2015 COURSES


RELI 316

Modern Christian Thought

Christianity – to be reduced, reused, recycled, retrieved, reconfigured, or... resurrected? The intellectual changes brought about by modernity—from the scientific method, to the emphasis on human reason—raised critical questions about the Christian understanding of the world. This course will examine some influential modern critiques of religion, and the responses of leading Christian thinkers who provide new ways to understand Christianity in an emerging global world. In addition to philosophy, literary fiction, film, and social science, the course will examine unique contemporary expressions of Christian identity, from global storefront Christianity to transnational Latino youth gangs.

Prof. Garry Sparks             MW 12:00-1:15

 

RELI 360

Religion and Politics

Many of today’s debates about religious liberty, religious extremism and terrorism, and the role of religion in civil society are situated at the crossroads of political theory and religion. In this class, we will examine the intellectual roots and history of these debates through classical texts in political theory, including Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Tocqueville, Mazzini, and Brownson, with a particular focus on their views about the role of religion in society. This course will be particularly useful for students interested in political theory, religion, and European and American history.

Prof. John Farina                           MW 10:30-11:45

 

RELI 376

Race and Religion in the US

Martin Luther King, Jr. termed it "appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning." Religion and race have both brought diverse Americans together and divided them in bitter ways. This course explores the intersection of these two fundamental contributors to American culture and identity. The course will examine, among other things, the issues of race, conquest, and Indian missions; debates over the morality of slavery; the construction of Mormons as a racial "other" in the nineteenth-century; and the growing significance of Latino Christianity in the contemporary United States.

Prof. John Turner                TR 10:30-11:45

 

RELI 322

Religions of Africa

One hundred million people follow the practices of African Traditional Religion(s).  If one takes those practices as variations of one religion similar to those in Hinduism or Christianity, it is the sixth largest religion in the world.  The beliefs and values of those traditional religions remain important for hundreds of millions more who live in Africa but identify themselves as Christians or Muslims.  While focusing on the traditional religion(s) South of the Sahara, the course will also look at long established variants of Christianity and Islam in the same area, as well as the recent expansion of those religions in Africa, the practice of African religions in the Americas, and the African Independent Churches which incorporate the revelations of African prophets.

Prof. Whitney Shiner          TR 12:00-1:15

 

RELI 337

Mysticism: East and West

In the postmodern and post-scientific age, mystical approaches to understanding the self and the world continue to thrive across global cultures. This course will examine major expressions of mysticism in a variety of religious and cultural traditions, and examine different approaches to understanding mystical experience. Readings and discussion in the course will engage both Eastern (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen) and Western (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) religious traditions.

Prof. Young-chan Ro          TR 1:30-2:45

 

RELI 330

Religion, Fantasy and Imagination

Through the wardrobe to Narnia, from the Shire across Middle Earth to Mount Doom, and up and down the moving staircases of Hogwarts, this course will visit the popular and highly successful fantasy worlds of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling. We will explore the religious themes that inform and give depth to the the alternative realities of these engaging works of literary fantasy, from the quest for meaning and salvation, to the possibility of forgiveness and redemption, to the struggle between forces of light and darkness.

Prof. John Burns                   MW 1:30-2:45

 

RELI 315

Buddhism

Born in India, Buddhism found a home in many different Asian societies, whose cultures have been profoundly shaped by Buddhism’s unique religious vision. This course will examine the historical development of Buddhism in India, China, and Japan, including both Theravada and Mahayana traditions, and explore its philosophical and religious significance, as well as its social and political influence in South Asian and East Asian countries.

Prof. Prabhavati Reddy   MW 1:30-2:45

 

RELI 240

Death and the Afterlife in world Religions

Explore how selected world religions address the universal experience of death and express their beliefs in an afterlife. The course will focus on the scriptures, beliefs, rituals and customs of selected world religions as they reflect each tradition’s response to the most basic question about human destiny—how human beings face death and attempt to transcend it.

TR 3:00-4:15

 

RELI 490/RELI 632

Comparative Study of Religion:

World Religions in Conflict and Dialogue

Contemporary worldwide global conflicts often involve religious communities, beliefs and participants. But what positive role can religious traditions play in resolving these conflicts? Should conflict resolution strategies steer clear of religious resources or are the resources of religious traditions required to effect real and sustainable forms of peace? This course will examine a range of approaches to conflict resolution including both strategies that delimit the participation of religious adherents, and those that recommend the direct engagement of faith leaders, textual sources, and communities.

Prof. Randi Rashkover              M 4:30-7:10

 

RELI 644

Islamic Texts and Contexts

The scriptural and traditional texts of Islam, particularly the Qur’an and Hadith, have generated a rich intellectual history of commentary, criticism and analysis. Even as scholars seek to understand them as products of the particular historical contexts in which they emerged, Muslim thinkers and activists continually reappropriate and reinterpret these texts to address new social contexts and challenges. This course introduces, at a graduate level, the foundational texts of Islam; considers different scholarly approaches to this literature; and examines the application and significance of these texts in contemporary Islamic discourses.

Prof. Maria Dakake              T 4:30-7:10

 

 

Other courses offered in FALL 2015

RELI 100        Human Religious Experience

An examination of fundamental forms of religious expression as embodied in several important religious traditions in contemporary world, the course investigates religious experience; myth and ritual; teachings and scripture; ethical, social, and artistic aspects of religion; and nature and function of religion in human society.

Sections

RELI 100-001: Human Relig Experience  MW 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM

RELI 100-002: Human Relig Experience  TR 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM

RELI 100-004: Human Relig Experience  MW 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM

RELI 100-005: Human Relig Experience TR 4:30 PM to 5:45 PM

RELI 100-006: Human Relig Experience  TR 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM

RELI 100-007: Human Relig Experience  MW 1:30 PM-2:45 PM

RELI 100-DL1: Human Religious Experience [distance education]

 

RELI 211          Religions of the West

An introduction to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from historical, comparative, and cross-cultural perspectives.

Sections

RELI 211-001: Religions of the West  MW 1:30 PM to 2:45 PM

RELI 211-002: Religions of the West  TR 1:30 PM to 2:45 PM

 

RELI 212        Religions of Asia

A survey of the religions of India, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and the religions of the Far East, China, and Japan, including Daosim, Confucianism, Shinto, from origins to present.

Sections

RELI 212-001: Religions of Asia  - TR 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM

RELI 212-002: Religions of Asia  - MW 4:30 PM to 5:45 PM

 

RELI 235      Religion and Literature

Explores the relationship between religion and literature in different times and cultures, the influence of religion on literary works, and how literature expresses major religious themes such as death and immortality, divine will and justice, suffering and human destiny, and religion and state.

Sections

RELI 235-001: Religion and Literature  - TR 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM

RELI 235-002: Religion and Literature  - MW 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM

RELI 235-003: Religion and Literature  - MW 1:30 PM to 2:45 PM