Courses ofInstruction
Religious Studies
Department Faculty
Etin Anwar, Professor
Lowell Bloss, Emeritus Professor
Michael Dobkowski, Professor
Mary Gerhart, Emeritus Professor
Blaize Gervais, Assistant Professor
Shalahudin Kafrawi, Associate Professor
John Krummel, Associate Professor, Chair
Richard Salter, Professor
The Department of Religious Studies brings a variety of perspectives to bear on the study of a significant aspect of human existence: religion. But what is “religion?” Where do we find it? Our definitions of the term and our approaches to its study vary. Though our definitions of religion and our methods for studying it vary, we are united in the understanding that each of these perspectives provides a different way of interpreting religious phenomena and that no single approach is adequate to, let alone exhaustive of, the work of religious studies. This means that the study of religion, as we engage it, is intrinsically interdisciplinary and multicultural. Collectively, we bring historical, theological, philosophical, sociological, ethnographic, political, ethical, literary, feminist, and psychological perspectives to this enterprise. Our courses explore both the phenomenon of religion in general and specific religious traditions from around the world. In our classes, we may look at institutional religion, as one might find at a temple, synagogue, church, or mosque. We may consider how religion interfaces with politics, science, the environment, and with individual spirituality. But we may also examine religion as it manifests itself less visibly, such as in literature, films, and sports.
Religion is embedded in a socio-cultural world, so our work always considers how religion intersects with other issues, such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and other axes of difference. We consider religion and religious spirituality in their relevance to global and real-life issues, including peace and violence, human rights and genocide, and cross-cultural or inter-civilizational encounters in history and today. Familiarity with these issues will prepare students for careers in business, politics, international relations, journalism, writing, and not just in institutions of religion. Courses toward a religious studies major or minor must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.
The Religious Studies Department offers a disciplinary major and minor. It prepares majors to have a wide array of exposure in the fields of religious studies and deeper understanding in their areas of concentration. The minor in religious studies gives students exposure to the fields of religious studies in a wide array of courses on religious traditions or on themes in religious studies. Students wishing to major or minor in religious studies are strongly recommended to take one of the introductory courses (100-level courses) prior to any other course in religious studies.
Mission Statement
The Department of Religious Studies aims to foster the values and principles of tolerance and appreciation for the diverse ways different cultures create meaning through religious ideas, practices, and institutions. It seeks to instill a basic understanding of religion in general and religion in different forms, and on top of that, the ability to evaluate and analyze, compare and contrast, their commonalities and differences. By analyzing and assessing the relation of religion to social, cultural, political, artistic, literary, scientific, environmental, feminist, and other human endeavors and phenomena, the department aims for the student to develop a sophisticated and critical appreciation of the diversity of religious expressions, and to avoid or preclude misunderstanding and prejudgments in regard to them.
Offerings
Religious Studies Major (B.A.)
disciplinary, 11 courses
Learning Objectives:
- Understand and be able to summarize the fundamental questions and controversies concerning what is religion, identify and critically evaluate theories that purport to answer that question.
- Generate new questions concerning religion and the issues that religions address, research those questions using relevant methods and primary and/or secondary sources, (with appropriate citation and formatting styles) and communicate them effectively in both written and spoken formats.
- Understand and assess the social, historical, and contemporary contexts of religious phenomena and religious identities locally, nationally, and globally.
- Understand, identify, compare, and summarize some of the narratives, rituals, ethics, and doctrines of major world religious traditions.
- Recognize the way religions intersect with human rights, social justice, the environment, gender, race, class, violence, and other issues.
- Identify and analyze religious dimensions of a purportedly secular world.
Requirements:
One introductory religious studies course; one tradition-based concentration (Judaic Studies, Christianity Studies, Islamic Studies, or Buddhist Studies); either another tradition-based concentration, or one thematic concentration (such as Philosophy of Religion, History of Religion, Religion and Violence, and Religion, Gender and Sexuality), or one personalized concentration (to be approved by the student and the major advisor) with a combination of one 200-level course and one 300/400-level course or three 200-level courses for each concentration; REL 460 Senior Colloquium; three to five elective courses depending on the above combinations (by the approval of the major advisor, two of these elective courses could be cognate courses from other department). All courses toward a major must be completed with a grade of C- or higher. The major in religious studies requires six unique courses.
Religious Studies Minor
disciplinary, 6 courses
Requirements:
One introductory religious studies course; four religious studies courses at 200-level or above; another religious studies course or a cognate course from another department with the approval of the minor advisor. All courses toward a minor in religious studies must be completed with a grade of C- or higher. The minor in religious studies requires four unique courses.
Courses in Introduction to Religious Studies
REL 103 Journeys and Stories
REL 105 Religion, Peace, and Conflict
REL 108 Religion and Alienation
REL 109 Imagining American Religion(s)
REL 115 Imagining Asian Religion/s
Courses in Tradition-Based Concentrations
Judaic Studies Courses
REL 270 Modern Jewish History
REL 271 The Holocaust
REL 272 The Sociology of the American Jew
REL 273 Foundations of Jewish Thought
REL 274 Zionism, Israel and the Middle East Conflict
REL 276 History of East European Jewry
REL 278 Jewish Life and Thought in Modern Times
REL 279 Torah and Testament
REL 370 Jewish Mysticism and Hasidism
REL 371 Literary and Theological Responses to the Holocaust
Christian Traditions Courses
REL 228 Religion and Resistance
REL 232 Rethinking Jesus
REL 237 Christianity and Culture
REL 238 Liberating Theology
REL 240 What Is Christianity?
REL 241 Rastaman and Christ
REL 244 Christianity in East Asia
REL 279 Torah and Testament
REL 305 Tongues of Fire: Pentecostalism Worldwide
REL 345 Tradition Transformers: Systematic Theology
REL 350 Nationalism
Islamic Studies Courses
REL 209 Muslim Jesus
REL 219 Islam and Society
REL 236 Gender and Islam
REL 242 Creative Self in Islamic Mysticism
REL 248 Islamic Ethics and Politics
REL 255 Peace and Violence in Quran
REL 265 The West and the Qur'an
REL 280 Negotiating Islam
REL 286 Islam and Environment
REL 335 Jihad
REL 347 Gender and Identity in the Muslim World
Buddhist Studies Courses
REL 211 Buddhism
REL 215 Japanese Religion/s
REL 304 Buddhist Philosophy
Courses in Thematic Concentrations
History of Religions Courses
REL 201 Trekking through Asia
REL 210 Hinduism
REL 211 Buddhism
REL 215 Japanese Religions
REL 225 Japanese Philosophy and Religious Thought
REL 246 Iran Before Islam
REL 264 South Asian Religions
REL 282 Hinduism and Popular Narratives
REL 306 The Perfectible Body
Philosophy of Religions Courses
REL 213 Death and Dying
REL 225 Japanese Philosophy and Religious Thought
REL 226 Religion and Nature
REL 239 Nihilism East and West
REL 243 Suffering and Salvation
REL 254 Questioning Divinity: God, Goddess, Gods, Nothing
REL 254 Conceptions of God, Goddess, and the Absolute
REL 257 What's Love Got to Do With It?
REL 260 Religion and Philosophy from a Global Perspective
REL 285 Medieval Philosophy
REL 287 Asking Questions, Getting Answers
REL 290 Human Rights and Religion
REL 294 Religion and Sports
REL 304 Buddhist Philosophy
REL 350 Nationalism
Religion, Gender, and Sexuality Courses
REL 236 Gender, Sexuality, and Islam
REL 250 Race and Religion
REL 281 Women, Religion and Culture
REL 283 Que(e)rying Religious Studies
REL 290 Human Rights and Religion
REL 321 Muslim Women in Literature
REL 347 Gender and Identity in the Muslim World
REL 354 God, Gender and the Unconscious
REL 382 Toward Inclusive Theology
Religion and Violence Courses
REL 226 Religion and Nature
REL 228 Religion and Resistance
REL 243 Suffering and Salvation
REL 255 Peace and Violence in the Qur'an
REL 271 The Holocaust
REL 288 Religious Extremism
REL 290 Human Rights and Religion
REL 293 Racial Utopias
REL 335 Jihad
REL 371 Literary and Theological Responses to the Holocaust
Course in Personalized Concentration
With the approval of the major advisor, students can create their own personalized concentration. It could include, but not be limited to, Religion and Environment, Religion and Social Issues, or Religion and Public Space. The course combination to fulfil the requirement for these concentrations is to be determined in consultation with the major advisor. It could include the following courses:
REL 226 Religion and Nature
REL 228 Religion and Resistance
REL 249 Native American Religion & Histories
REL 250 Race and Religion
REL 253 Creation Stories: Why do they matter
REL 263 Religion and Social Theory
REL 267 Psychologies of Religion
REL 284 Contesting Gods in Multicultural America
REL 287 Methods in Religious Studies: Asking questions, Getting Answers*
REL 350 Nationalism
BIDS 219 Imagining Environmental Apocalypse across the Muslim World
*Strongly recommended for majors and minors in RS, and for other students in humanities interested in methodology and research skills
Cross listed Courses
PHIL 271 Medieval Philosophy
RCOL 121 Holocaust: Witness and Hope
Course Descriptions
REL 103 Journeys and Stories What does it mean to live a myth or story with one's life or to go on a pilgrimage? How are myths and voyages religious, and can storytelling and journeying be meaningful in our contemporary situation? This course begins by focusing on the journeys and stories found within traditional religious frameworks. It then turns to the contemporary world and asks whether modern individuals in light of the rise of secularism and the technological age can live the old stories or must they become non-religious, or religious in a new manner. (Anwar, offered alternate years)
REL 105 Religion, Peace, and Conflict What is religion? What counts as peace? How do religion and other social institutions contribute to, and are influenced by, peace or conflicts? This course explores on humans' search for meaningful and peaceful life and on the role of religion in such pursuit. It will first of all investigate the meaning, elements, and functions of religion in humans' pursuit of peace and meaning. It will then examine the meaning of peace and conflicts and the conditions that contribute to peace or conflicts. In turn, the course will look at the ways in which peace or conflicts may influence religion. Finally, the course will examine the role religion plays in peacemaking efforts.
REL 108 Religion and Alienation What is religion, and how is it part of human experience? What shapes have religious ideas and institutions taken in confrontation with the contemporary world? How has the phenomenon of alienation contributed to the development of religion and religious responses? How have specific groups that have suffered alienation – Jews, Blacks, American Indians, Rastafarians and women – coped with their situations through the appropriation and modification of religious tradition? This course explores these issues, as well as religious, social, and existential interpretations of alienation set out by 20th century thinkers in the West. (Dobowski, offered alternate years)
REL 109 Imagining American Religion What does it mean to imagine an American religion? This course explores that question in two ways. One way is to work towards a definition of the terms in the title of this course: what is an "American"? What is "religion"? What does it mean to "imagine" these things? The other way we explore the question of American religion is to examine various attempts to make meaning in the United States. How do different social groups "imagine American religion"? Does that change and, if so, why and how? Why does it matter how people imagine American religion? (Salter, offered annually)
REL 115 Imagining Asian Religion/s Is Buddhism a religion? What is religion? Does it entail a belief in God or reference to the transcendent? Is it some kind of faith? But neither was the notion of a god significant, nor was that of faith central to, early Buddhism. One could make similar claims about Confucianism. What do we mean by "religion"? Until modern times, Asian cultures lacked the very concept of what Western scholars call "religion." Or is what the Indians call dharma equivalent to "religion"? What about what the ancient Chinese (Buddhists, Confucians, and Daoists) called fo, jiao, and dao or the Japanese (Buddhists, Shintoists, and Confucians) called ho, kyo, and do "law," "teaching," and "way"? Are these terms equivalent to what we today mean by "religion"? How do we imagine "religion" in these "Asian cultures"? What is "Asian religion/s"?
REL 201 Trekking through Asia Welcome to the "Asian Century." Asia has re-emerged as the center of the world, after a brief hiatus that started in the 18th century. With histories and religious traditions stretching back three millennia, today we see cultures across Asia have transformed in ways to meet the demands of our rapidly changing world. China, Japan, and India are three of the world's top economies. Asia contains six of the world's ten largest countries, and is home to over half of the world's population and two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. For decades Asian countries have been leaders in global manufacturing, and Asian universities are now renowned centers for scientific and medical innovation. Fifty percent of the declared nuclear-weapon states are also in the region. Simply put, Asia matters a great deal! In this course, we trek through the Asian past and present, exploring this vast and vibrant region. Through writings and travelogues that documented the peoples and lands of places stretching from the Sea of Japan to Persia, and from Java to the Mediterranean Sea, we will learn about the cultural systems that helped shape Asian societies. We will consider how these traditions contributed to and were changed by historical interactions in Asia itself, and in relationship to the rest of the world. Join us on the journey!
REL 211 Buddhism This course covers the rise and historical development of Buddhism in South Asia and its spread into Southeast, Central, and East Asia. Through regular writing exercises, extensive use of visual and audio materials, and some fieldwork, students will acquire a basic vocabulary for discussing the ritual practices, ethical systems, and scriptures of Buddhism (e.g., selections from the Pali Canon); situate the major branches of Buddhism in their historical and geographical contexts (e.g., Theravada in Sri Lanka, Vajrayana in Tibet, Zen in Japan); and explore important concepts in each of the traditions and locations in view of significant sociohistorical processes, events, and institutions (e.g., the interaction of Buddhists with Daoists and Confucians in China and the associations of Shinto practitioners and Buddhists in Japan). No prior knowledge of Buddhism is required. (Offered annually)
REL 213 Death and Dying This course examines the inevitable fact of death and the meaning of life this might entail. From the very moment that we are born we are faced with the possibility of death. Death then forms a real and essential component of our existence, our lives. We shall examine this topic through a variety of perspectives, including psychology, philosophy, literature/fiction (such as short stories and poetry), and religion. We will look at the various attitudes and postures towards death; how different people from different backgrounds, cultures, and fields have coped with this fact; the different interpretations of the meaningfulness of life people extract from it; and possible speculations and interpretations people have provided as to why we must die and where, if anywhere, it may possibly lead.
REL 215 Japanese Religions The course examines the religious traditions of Japan by tracing their historical development and looking at the roles they have played and currently play in Japanese society. We will investigate the great variety of the indigenous folk religious beliefs and practices along with the Japanese appropriations of originally foreign religions. Our study will take us through shamanistic folk religion, Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism (and Neo-Confucianism), Christianity, the new and syncretic religions of modern Japan. Prerequisites: An introductory course in religious studies or Asian studies or permission of instructor.
REL 219 Islam and Society: Then and Now This course is an historical study of the rise of Islam and the making of Muslim societies from seventh century Arabia to the current global contexts. It examines basic beliefs and their cultural, social, legal, and political manifestations in both majority and minority settings. It also analyses how Islam is transformed, translated, and appropriated in Muslim societies in response to challenges brought forth by modernity, nationalism, war and terror, and the global economy. Overall, the course brings multiple perspectives on the historical and modern developments of Islam and their diverse societal transformations, including the Muslim presence in Southeast Asia and North America (Anwar, offered annually).
REL 225 Japanese Philosophy and Religious Thought The course examines the various strains of Japanese philosophy and intellectual thought that emerge within and from out of the traditions of Shinto, Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, politics, the aesthetic and the military arts, and Western philosophy, from the ancient to the modern periods. We will read the primary texts of a variety of authors and will discuss their implications for understanding reality, knowledge, the self, society, ethics, and religion. Prerequisites: an Asian studies course, a religious studies course, or a philosophy course.
REL 226 Religion and Nature This course examines various religious traditions to see what they can contribute to a contemporary understanding of humanity's healthy, sustainable relationship with the natural world. The ecological crises of our time have forced us to question the prevailing global modes of production and consumption. Some have faulted the tradition of Western enlightenment and the scientific-technological mindset it has created, while others have focused on monotheistic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and their alleged anthropocentric desacralization of nature as the roots of our present ills. In order to gain a critical insight into these debates, students read some of the religious works on ecology and environmental ethics along with ecofeminist literature that situates the debates within the context of global capitalism and patriarchal oppression of women. (Lee, offered annually)
REL 228 Religion and Resistance In this course students explore the ways in which religion and resistance are related. Among other questions, students ask how the religious imagination helps us to see alternate realities and permits us to call into question our current realities. Students also explore the role of religion in legitimizing the status quo and oppression. They ask how religious communities identify and combat oppression. In combating oppression, the class also turns to questions of practice. Is it enough to talk about liberation? Is religion a "call to action?" If so, what is meant by "action?" (Salter, Staff, offered occasionally)
REL 232 Rethinking Jesus Who is Jesus? The question is not as simple to answer as it might seem. This course explores central ways the founding figure of Christianity has been conceived and rethought, especially in the last 100 years. Though students start with an inquiry into "the historical Jesus," they move on to rethink Jesus from theological, cultural, and literary perspectives. (Salter, offered alternate years)
REL 236 Gender, Sexuality, and Islam The #MeToo movement has brought a renewed debate on how gender and sexuality are constructed within Muslim contexts. The emerging topics – such as consent, sexual violence, sexual orientation, the fluidity of masculinity and femininity, and reproductive rights – have gained currency, in addition to attracting hostility. This course explores how the change of gender roles and sexual mores corresponds with political, social, and cultural constructs. It evaluates the historical and contemporary narratives of the role of Islam in constructing gender and sexuality. Students will interpret religious, legal, ethical, political, and social texts within majority and minority Muslim contexts (Anwar, offered annually).
REL 237 Christianity and Culture What is the relationship between what Christian groups do and how they understand themselves? This course uses case studies of a wide variety of Christian communities, from a Native American community in the contemporary U.S. to the Christian communities of the Apostle Paul, to examine the relationship between theory and practice in Christianity. Special emphasis is placed on the questions of whether or how Christian communities can produce significant social change. (Salter, offered alternate years)
REL 238 Liberating Theology In the popular imagination we often associate Christianity with the elites, colonizers, or oppressors in history. But what happens when we rethink Christianity from the perspective of those marginalized from mainstream society? This course does that with the help of major 20th-century theologians who might in some way be considered part of the Liberation Theology movement. Key perspectives covered include Latin American liberation theology, feminist theology, black theology, and others.
REL 239 Nihilism East and West This course examines the global manifestations of nihilism in the past two centuries, and responses to them, in philosophy, literature, religion, and art. Nihilism is the sense that there is no inherent value, purpose, or meaning in life or the world. Many intellectual and artists during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, not only in the West but in non-Western industrial nations such as Japan found themselves facing a looming nothingness, the nihility of nihilism. This despite the modern scientific and technological progress. How does one respond when faced with the utter meaninglessness of existence? Is there any answer to nihilism? How does one recover sense when nothing seems to make sense? We explore this topic while looking at the various depictions of, and responses to, nihilism through a variety of media including philosophical essays, novels, and films. The primary focus of our reading will be on Dostoevsky's darkest novel, Demons (Possessed); Mishima Yukio's final tetralogical work, Sea of Fertility; and Nietzsche's writings on nihilism. To this we shall add other writings on, or relating to, nihilism (including, but not limited to, works by Turgenev, Camus, Beckett, Celine, Heidegger, Nishitani, Abe, etc.). In addition we will see a selection of films by international directors (Allen, Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, etc. ) that depict nihilism. (John Krummel, offered alternate years).
REL 240 What is Christianity? This course is an introduction to Christianity designed both for students with no familiarity at all with Christianity and for students who have been raised in Christian traditions, but who are not familiar with the critical study of religion or the breadth of Christian traditions. Students explore Christianity using primary readings from Christian scriptures, historical readings on the development of various Christian traditions, and theological readings about the various interpretations of key Christian symbols in different Christian traditions. (Salter, offered alternate years)
REL 241 Rastaman and Christ What happens when religions collide? This course explores this question in the specific context of the "New World," where religions from various traditions collided under the rubrics of colonial conquest, slavery and, more recently, rapid social changes like migration, communications advances, and tourism. This course primarily explores the collision of West African religions with Christianity. Thus students focus on understanding the emergence of religions like Rastafari, Vodou, Santeria, Shango, and other New World religions. (Salter, offered alternate years)
REL 243 Suffering and Salvation Human existence entails suffering? Why must we suffer? How can we escape suffering? And if suffering is inevitable, what is its meaning? Is it always fair or deserved? The major religions of the world were established and developed, partially in response to such questions about the human predicament. Each religion provides a variety of responses to this inevitable fact of human life. What is the picture of the meaning of life implied in such a response? In this course we shall investigate the major religious traditions from across the globe, East and West – Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Chinese religions – and look at their various attempts to answer that question of suffering and respond to it, including their prescription for salvation. At the same time the course aims to raise awareness concerning responsible ways of comparing religions, using "soteriology" (the study of salvation) as a comparative category. The course also raises the crucial question of whether it is possible to remain faithful to one's own religious path while maintaining self-critique and openness to the claims of other traditions, a question that is of crucial importance with the increasing globalization of the world. (John Krummel, offered Fall annually).
REL 254 Questioning Divinity: God, Goddess, Gods, Nothing God, gods, goddesses. Is god one or many, male or female or without gender? Is the ground of reality, the source of all existence even theistic? How have human beings conceived the divine over the millennia, both in and prior to human history? Who or what is a god or goddess or deity? What are we asking when we ask about God or Goddess? What about gods/goddesses in the plural? And must divinity be conceived in personal terms as a father or son or mother? Or are such conceptions human projections upon that which any conception fails to grasp? Can it then be understood in non-personal terms? And what are the implications of such ways of conceiving God/Goddess for society or civilization? In this course we shall look at different ways in which the issue of the divine have been raised throughout history, in different cultures and religions, and by different thinkers. By doing so the course shall raise questions about traditional Western conceptions of God—e.g., monotheistic and patriarchal—and even about the theistic (God-centered) view to reality itself. How did these beliefs come about? What are the contexts in which they came about? What are their effects on society? And are they still feasible today? By questioning the core ideas about reality belonging to our traditions and seeing the historical and cultural contexts in which they emerged, the course proposes to open our horizons and imaginative vision in regard to central questions about reality, the cosmos and the human world.
REL 255 Peace and Violence in the Qur'an This course explores Qur'anic views on peace and violence. It will discuss Qur'anic views regarding the meaning of Islam and its treatment of various forms of peace including liberation, justice, equality, freedom, and tolerance, as well as those of violence including war, self-defense, killing, suicide, sacrifice, and punishment. To appreciate the meaning of Qur'anic verses on these issues, the course will pay attention to the horizon of the questions focusing on their specific circumstances. Throughout the semester, the class will discuss questions on Qur'anic support for peace and violence. The following list constitutes some of those questions: Does the Qur'an support peace or violence? How is peace to be achieved in a Qur'anic worldview? What kinds of violence does the Qur'an allow or disallow to take place? Since Qur'anic verses seem to suggest both peace and violence, to what extent does the Qur'an promote peace and to what extent does it allow violence? Does the Qur'an promote peace/violence as an end or as a means? What are the historical circumstances that students of the Qur'an should know in order to better understand the meaning of Qur'anic verses regarding peace and violence? (Kafrawi, offered Fall alternate years)
REL 260 Religion and Philosophy from a Global Perspective What is religion? What is philosophy? Do their paths ever cross? Where do they meet? This course explores philosophically what it means to be religious. Can one be religious and at the same time also be rational and critical? Is it possible to examine philosophically the origins of the religious consciousness or way of being? And what do we mean by "religion" anyway? How can we make sense out of the plurality of, and disagreements amongst, religions? The course engages in a cross-cultural exploration of the meaning of religion. It does so by looking at texts of philosophy, religious thought, and theory, expressing both religious and non-religious perspectives and a variety of traditions. (Krummel, offered alternate years)
REL 270 Mod. Jewish History This course examines Jewish intellectual, political, and socio-economic history from the period of the French Revolution until the mid-20th century. The specific focus of the course is on the manner in which Jews accommodated themselves and related to changes in their status which were caused by external and internal events. A major area of concern are the movements - intellectual, political, and religious, such as Reform Judaism, the Haskalah, Zionism, Jewish radicalism, Hasidism - which arose within the Jewish communities in question as reactions to Emancipation and Enlightenment. (Dobkowski, offered alternate years)
REL 271 The Holocaust This course analyzes the background and history of the Holocaust; its impact on the Jewish community in Europe and worldwide; theological reactions as reflected in the works of Buber, Fackenheim, and Rubenstein; the question of resistance; the problem of survival; the Elie Wiesel syndrome; and collective guilt leading to the creation of the State of Israel. It also examines the nature of the human, society, religion, and politics post-Auschwitz. (Dobkowski, offered annually)
REL 272 Sociology of the American Jew This course examines the sociological, religious, and historical complexion of the American Jewish community. It attempts to deal with such issues as immigration, religious trends, anti-Semitism, assimilation, adjustment, identity, and survival, and it attempts to understand the nature of the American Jewish community. It analyzes this experience by utilizing sociological and historical insights, as well as by looking at immigrant literature in its cultural and historical context. (Dobkowski, offered alternate years)
REL 273 Jewish Thought This course traces the foundations of Jewish religious and philosophical thought from the Bible, Rabbinic literature, Talmudic Judaism, the Kabbalah, medieval philosophy, and mysticism, to contemporary Jewish thought. It is an attempt to understand the "essence" of Judaism and to trace how it has developed over time and been influenced by other traditions. It also examines the impact of Judaism on Islamic and Western European thought. (Dobkowski, offered alternate years)
REL 274 Zionism, Israel, Mideast Conflict An examination of the roots of Zionism – a complicated religious, ideological, and political movement. Such external factors as the Holocaust and the acute problems of the surviving refugees; the conflict between Jews and Arabs in Palestine; the breakdown of the British Mandate and the mutual rivalries of the Western powers in the Middle East; and the East-West conflict in the global scene are some of the historical forces which accelerated the creation of the Jewish state that are examined. But attention is also given to the internal intellectual and spiritual forces in Jewish life, which were at least as important and which constitute the ultimately decisive factor. (Dobkowski, offered occasionally)
REL 276 History of East European Jewry This course examines the social, political, cultural, and religious history of the Jews in Eastern Europe. Since Eastern Europe was home to a majority of world Jewry until the Holocaust, it is important to analyze what was distinctive about the East European Jewish experience and what impact it had on contemporary Jewish life. Topics covered include: Hasidism; the Haskalah; Yiddish literature and language; Polish, Jewish politics; anti-Semitism; the world of the Yeshiva; Zionism and Socialism; and the Russian Revolution and the creation of Soviet Jewry. (Dobkowski, offered every three years)
REL 278 Modern Judaism This course examines Jewish life, thought, and cultural development from 1760 to the present. Among the topics discussed are: the rise of Hasidism and reaction to it; the Enlightenment and modern varieties of Judaism; Zionist thought; and revolution and Jewish emancipation. The course also focuses on major Jewish thinkers and actors who have had a profound impact on shaping, defining, and transforming Jewish thought and praxis. This includes thinkers like the Baal Shem Tov, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Mordecai Kaplan, and Blu Greenberg. (Dobkowski, offered alternate years)
REL 279 Torah and Testament How do we read sacred texts? How can they say anything to us today? This course introduces students to central texts of the Jewish and Christian traditions and key methods of reading/interpreting those texts. Through close readings of selected representative texts, we cover themes that may range from origins and cosmologies to liberation, freedom, law and morality. (Dobkowski, Salter, offered alternate years)
REL 285 Medieval Philosophy This course is a survey on common themes in Medieval philosophy. It explores issues elaborated on in the works of major Christian, Muslim, and Jewish philosophers. Among these issues are Being and its modalities, Perfect Being and the world, free and pre-determination, universals and particulars, and causality. It especially discusses the interplay between Platonic, Aristotelian and Neoplatonic views on the one hand and religious teachings on the other, as expressed in the works of medieval philosophers such as Augustine, Sa'adia, Ibn Sina, Maimonides, Averroes, Aquinas, and Ibn Tufayl.
REL 286 Islam and Environment The course offers an overview of key concepts in Islamic environmental ethics, Muslim responses to environmental catastrophes, and the link between local and global forces in Islamic societies and their impacts on environment. The course will begin with a comparative ethical approach on the relationship between humans and their environment by introducing the concept of the sacred. The foundations of Islamic ethics will follow. The course will also evaluate Muslims' treatment of their environment, as well as their responses to climate change and natural disasters using theological, ethical, textural, political, cultural, and civic approaches. Such discussions will be contextualized in the interplay between local factors that shape Muslims' attitudes and behaviors toward their environment and global forces, such as colonialism and capitalism, that exacerbate the use and abuse of nature. Social justice, sustainability, Islamic socialism and anti-capitalism, and disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of tsunamis are also key topics in the course.
REL 287 Asking Questions, Getting Answers This course introduces students to the idea that there are methods for doing research in the study of religion, and that choices need to be made about those methods. The faculty member will work with students to identify the methods appropriate for different types of questions, the types of choices that need to be made in undertaking research, and how to conduct different types of research. Methods covered may include historical, philosophical, ethnographic, sociological, anthropological, theological, literary, legal, feminist, or others. In addition to fulfilling a requirement for the major, this course could be useful for honors, embedded research courses in other disciplines and programs, independent studies, independent research, and senior seminar.
REL 288 Religious Extremism Religious extremism takes shape and flourishes equally in both secular and religious communities. The rising phenomena of exclusionary religious sentiments and intolerance in the United States and across the globe puts into question the notion that a particular religion is immune from extremism while others are more prone to it. They challenge humanity's most cherished values of peace, compassion, and justice that have been viewed as positive contributions of religions to peace. This course will study some basic concepts, examines some key theories, and scrutinize some illustrative cases of religious extremism across traditions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. It will also investigate the roots of religious extremism from historical, social, political, and theological vantage points. Of special interest is the connection between religious extremism and religious violence. Among the questions addressed in this course include: What is religious extremism? What social conditions give birth to religious extremism? How does religious extremism interconnect with religious violence?
REL 289 Material Culture and Islam Did you know that the Biscione (viper) of Milan is historically linked to the Crusades? Western and Islamic borrowings of things and ideas for good and bad reasons shape how Islam is culturally embodied. This course traces the embodiment of Islam in visual cultures. It will pay special attention to how Islam manifests in its geographical spaces, its cultural shapes, and its artistic forms. Islam's encounters with various locations and cultures influence how the architectural designs are carved, dresses are shaped, poems are creatively crafted, and arts of calligraphy are expressed. While Islam's encounters with new cultural practices invoke the question of what is Islamic and not Islamic, they merit an interdisciplinary examination ranging from anthropological, social, historical, artistic, and religious (studies) approaches. The course investigates various embodiments of Islam ranging from the architectural or landscaping environment (mosques and gardens), poem, fashion, and calligraphy. It also approaches the materiality of Islam by examining the contexts of things as cultural, historical, artistic, and religious artifacts, showing the relationship between Muslims and objects, and situating Muslims' relationship with objects within its theological importance, colonial and post-colonial pursuits of capitalist accumulation, emerging customer cultures, and museum displays. The course will enhance students' understanding of what embodies Islam and what constitutes Muslim material cultures. (offered alternate years)
REL 290 Human Rights and Religion Does Religion provide helpful ideas and/or values to support the justification of human rights? Or have religions and religious reasoning done more harm than good in the history of human rights violations? How should we balance rights to religious freedoms of expression, assembly, and conscience, with other rights to human flourishing? When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was first passed, one of the committee members observed that “We agree on these rights, provided we are not asked why. With the `why’ the dispute begins.” In this class, we will confront the ‘why question’ directly and explicitly, beginning with an examination of how various religious traditions think about and advocate for human dignity and rights. We will also, however, situate these perspectives within their relevant historical contexts, and address the concrete events in which members of that tradition either perpetrated and/or suffered human rights abuses. In the second half of the course, we will dig into thematic tensions that are particularly relevant to the dialogue between religion and human rights. Significant topics include: the tensions between human rights and human freedom, as well as how religious practices and beliefs have shaped the rights of vulnerable groups like women, children, minorities, LGBTQ communities, and the environment.
REL 291 Ethics of Identity Identity and identity politics has become an inescapable hot button issue in our current public discourse in the last decade. Too often, however, such discussions are so focused on picking a side in the political aspects of the debate, that they do not stop to articulate what identity is and how it shapes our individual and collective lives. This course will take a philosophical deep dive into the questions and challenges of identity along three vectors; Being, Knowing, and Doing. In the first section on "Being", we will explore the ontology of identity by asking such questions as What does it mean to have an identity or be a person with an identity? (Why) Is identity important? What are different types of identity (ethno-cultural, national, sexual, gender, race, religious, socio-economic, philosophical, political) and how do they intersect and interact? How are group identities related to and distinct from individual ones? In the second section, "Knowing," we will explore how identity shapes perception and knowledge creation. Here we will pursue such questions as; how do the different types of identity discussed in the first part of the course influence how we are able to perceive the world and be perceived by it? How does identity shape how we come to know things individually and the extent to which we contribute to public or group knowledge? And what is the relationship between objectivity and subjectivity in ideal epistemic practice? In the final section we will explore the role which identity plays in the moral sphere by asking such questions as; how does identity shape our processes of moral reasoning and our ability to act "virtuously"? What is the relationship between identity and human rights or identity and moral duties? Should all rights and obligations be universal, or should forms of identity inflect either or both? Finally, how should we prioritize between individualism and group identities when they come into conflict? There are no prerequisites for this course, however, it may be of particular interest to students interested in politics, philosophy, ethics, critical sexuality, and social epistemology. (Gervais, offered biannually)
REL 292 Deviance and (De)Medicalization Is a school shooter an evil sinner, an ordinary criminal, or just mentally ill? Is homosexuality a natural mode of loving and living, an expression of moral weakness, a punishable criminal offense, or a sign of biological or psychological “inversion”? Is “hearing voices” a sign of madness to be shunned and locked away from society, or to be revered as proof of being chosen by the gods? The way in which a society or individual answers these kinds of questions can help us to understand the ways in which that society medicalizes (or demedicalizes) different forms of deviance. In this course we will explore various arenas in which forms of deviance have shifted around on the spectrum from sin to crime to sickness (and back again) through processes of medicalization and demedicalization. We will explore medicalization in connection with sexual, mental, and moral forms of deviance as well as the medicalization of identity in terms of race, gender, class, disability, and age in order to ask questions such as: How is medical knowledge and authority constituted? How and why do certain behaviors come to be framed as medical problems, rather than moral or legal ones? Who decides? What people, forces, or systems shape the way we view deviant behavior? What is at stake in such processes of (de)medicalization, and how do such processes impact the lives of those involved? Finally, we will conclude the course with an analysis of medicalization in the Covid era. This course has no prerequisites however it will be of particular interest to students in the pre-health, pre-law, and sociology tracks, as well as students interested in critical gender and sexuality studies, religious studies, ethics, and political science.
REL 293 Racial Utopias: Economizing Soul With the continued hunt of black lives and the rising social unrest that the hunt has engendered, this course asks: what would an ideal racial world look like? What would equality or equity be like in such a world? How do visions of the sacred have to compromise with the realities of the profane in such utopias? Utopian visions often include a message of oneness/sameness. How do questions of oneness and sameness apply to questions of race? Do they separate people? Do they homogenize people? How have they changed over time? What is the role of the religious leader in fashioning these ideal visions? For the economist interested not only in behavior but motivations, racial utopias present the opportunity to study how conflicts between worldview (religion) and habit/behavior (racism) are or are not resolved. For the scholar of religion, racial utopias are unique products of a religious imagination that seeks the Kingdom of God on earth. Interrogating racial utopias will allow all students to examine aspects of their own lives including their image of God, what they hope for, and what they can do to help create their ideal world. We will investigate a number of utopian projects that included racial components, including The People's Temple (Jim Jones), Father Divine, the Black Hebrew Israelites, and Star Trek.
REL 294 Religion and Sports This course explores the many relationships of religion and sports. Can sports be considered a religion? In what sense(s)? For example, are sports a vehicle for transcendence, fostering the ability of humans to rise above what they may think are their limits? Does pain in sport blur the boundaries of the self and allow us to unify with something larger than ourselves? Do sports like surfing, mountain climbing, or fly-fishing, foster a connection to nature that might lift us into harmony with the cosmos? Or are sports a religion because of how they function socially? Are sports a ritual that bonds us as a community? Are sports a vehicle for inscribing the values and norms that make us who we are as a collective? Can sports be said to be a “civil religion” that helps to define the American sacred? And what of the educational and psychological functions of sports? Are sports part of our social training? Do they always reinforce our social norms, or can they also be part of the transformation of our communities?
REL 295 Sustainability, Fashion, and Justice The clothing industry's "fast fashion" paradigm has continued to perpetuate ethical and environmental dilemmas. This industry model condones the use of cheap labors and materials and often outsources production to underdeveloped Muslim countries, exposing underrepresented groups such as women to unsafe, violent working environments where their human rights are curtailed. This phenomenon compels customers, governments, and companies to address "fast fashion" and its environmental and socioeconomic impacts by pivoting towards more sustainable industry models. In elaborating sustainable fashion, this course examines questions, such as: In what ways does fashion impact the environment? Why does sustainable fashion matter? How are fashion companies regulated with respect to environmental degradation? How can customers accelerate change for sustainable clothing? The problem of fashion ethics will be approached from a multidisciplinary perspective, including approaches from religious studies, gender studies, and environmental studies. Students will be exposed to fashion ethics from both Western and Islamic perspectives.
REL 296 Evil What does it mean to be human in a tragic world filled with seemingly endless suffering? Is evil inevitable? Where does it come from? What distinguishes evils from ordinary wrongs? How is it that we do evil? Is hatred necessarily evil? Are some evils unforgivable? Are there evils we should tolerate or that are necessary? What can make evil hard to recognize? How can we best respond to, and live with evils? To look into the darkest depths of human existence is a frightening venture, but in this class we confront the problem of evil head on from multiple disciplinary perspectives. From the battles between order and chaos in creation myths from around the world, to the horrors of genocide in our modern era and everything in between, this course explores all the many faces of evil including the enduring allure of super villains and the horror genre, concrete "evil" individuals and atrocity in history, Greek tragedy, philosophical accounts of how to defend the existence of God in the face of evil, and how we as human beings ought best to carry on (with hope and optimism) in the face of all this evil and suffering. This course will be of relevance to students interested in ethics, philosophy, religious studies, international relations, or global studies. It substantially satisfies the goals of ethical judgment and cultural difference. There are no prerequisites for this course.
REL 298 Human Rights as a Philosophical Problem What are rights? What does it mean to claim a right? How do they bear on fundamental questions of human flourishing, dignity, and solidarity? Are any rights (truly) universal? How are they different from other moral values we may hold? How might we try to ground or defend the legitimacy of human rights outside of a legal context, philosophically, religiously, or otherwise? What is the relationship between rights and duties? Might certain rights be the product of ethnocentric bias, is the idea of rights itself a "problematically Western" one? What is the difference between positive rights and negative rights, and how should we adjudicate between and among rights when they come into conflict with one another? Contemporary public discourse will often frame a policy initiative in the language of human rightsas a way to convey urgency and/or a moral high ground, so we also must ask how this "human rights creep" might enable or undermine other human rights initiatives. Furthermore, what are the underlying motivations for such rights creep; i.e. why might we be tempted to reach for human rights language when advocating for our moral values, principles or ideals? Who or what can be a rights holder? We tend to think of humans and animals as the primary candidates, but are unique parcels of land, or revered cultural artifacts such as art or architecture worthy of consideration as well? How ought we think about the ethics of resistance vis a vis human rights, meaning are there acceptable and unacceptable ways to defend or fight for human rights? In this course we begin with an exploration of the intellectual traditions that laid the conceptual groundwork for the "invention" of human rights with the drafting of the UDHR. From this foundation we are able to move to the question of how to validate or legitimize human rights outside of the legal or political context, before turning to a number of other philosophical problems which human rights raise. The course will conclude with a series of discussions concerning the ethical problems which arise in the contexts of defending or fighting for human rights. This course will be of relevance to students interested in ethics, philosophy, political science, international relations, law and society, social justice, and/or global studies. It substantially satisfies the goals of ethical judgment and a critical understanding of social inequalities. There are no prerequisites for this course, however it serves as a complement to REL 290 Human Rights and Religion.
REL 304 Buddhist Philosophy In this course we will examine the philosophy behind Buddhism, and doctrines that developed and evolved through its long history of 2,500 years, and that gave to a variety of schools of thought. We will begin with the ideas of the founder, Guatama the Buddha himself, recorded in the Nikayas, and then proceed with schools and thinkers from India to China and finally to Japan. Readings will be drawn from: Indian Abhidharma thought; the Madhyamika school of Nagarjuna; the Yogacara school of Asanga and Vasubandhu; Tibetan interpretations of Madhyamaka and Yogacaral the great Chinese schools of T'ien-tai (Tiantai), Hua-yen (Hwayan), and Chan (Zen); the Japanese thinkers, Kukai of Shingon Buddhism, Shinran of True Pure Land Buddhism, and Dogen of Soto Zen; and the modern Buddhist-inspired philosophers, Nishida Kitaro, Nishitani Keiji, and Abe Masao. Through the process of looking at their ideas, we shall be asking the perennial philosophical questions of What is real?, What is knowledge?, Who or what am I?, What is the point or purpose of life?, and How do I realize it? While exploring these questions, students will thus be introduced to a variety of approaches that have appeared within the history of Buddhist traditions spanning South, Central, and East Asia. Prerequisite: one course either in philosophy and/or Asian religions, preferably with Buddhism included (if a 300-level course). (Krummel, offered Spring alternate years)
REL 335 Jihad This course discusses exegetical, theological, historical, and contemporary roots of jihad in Islamic and Western scholarship. It particularly explores the meaning and significance of jihad as exemplified in the history of Islamic civilization extending from the time of Muhammad to our contemporary contexts. In addition to exploring various forms of jihad, it examines the view that jihad is waging war against "the other" including non-believers, polytheists, apostates, followers of other religions, and the West. This course also traces Western encounters with jihad and its impact on the clashes and dialogues between the West and the Muslim world. Among the questions discussed are: What is jihad? Does jihad mean the same thing to all Muslims? Does the Qur'an support jihad? Did Muhammad demand Muslims to do jihad? How do Muslims of various schools interpret the notion of jihad? Is jihad the same thing as waging war against the West? Does jihad connote wars against unbelievers, apostates, and followers of other religions? If so, what justifies Muslims to engage in jihad as physical struggle against the other? Does jihad pose danger to humanity? Does Al-Qaeda's terrorism count as jihad? Does Osama bin Laden's fatwa to retaliate against the West substantiate jihad? If so, how do we respond to jihad? (Kafrawi, offered Fall, alternate years)
REL 345 Tradition Transformers This course focuses on key Christian theologians/figures who have shaped Christian thought. The work of these thinkers has been fundamental to the development of and changes in Western thought and society. The emphasis of the course is on close readings of selections from the primary texts (in translation) and biographical/historical readings which contextualize each author. (Salter, offered alternate years)
REL 347 Gender and Identity in the Muslim World This course explores the extent to which globalization has affected the identities of Muslim women and their gender constructs in the Muslim world. While globalization has provided Muslim women with the newly found freedom to explore choices outside their constructed traditional roles, it has to a different degree trapped women into the cultures of materialism, consumerism, and liberation. Among the questions addressed in this course are whether globalization is a blessing or a blight? What has been the impact of globalization in the Muslim world? Does it affect men and women differently? Does globalization reinforce the inequality of men and women in the Muslim societies? To what extent does globalization affect the gendered divisions of private and public, resources, sexual division of labor, male-female power and authority, and the production of identity in the context of globalization? How do feminists, womanists, and Islamists restructure gender awareness, power relations and opportunities in the public space? What kind of religious is indigenous resistance challenging the impact of globalizations on gender issues in the Muslim world? (Anwar, offered alternate years)
REL 350 Seminar: Nationalism Is nationalism a form of religion? How do you evaluate it? Is it a form of idolatry? This course will explore ideas of American nationalism through the lens of theory in Religious Studies. It will explore central myths of American exceptionalism, the notion of civil religion, and rituals of nationalism. The course will use both descriptive and evaluative methods to explore nationalism. (Salter, offered occasionally)
REL 370 Jewish Mysticism This course attempts to trace and describe the developments in Jewish mysticism culminating in the Hasidic movements of the 18th and 19th centuries and neo-Hasidic trends in the 20th. These movements are viewed as religious and spiritual, as well as social and economic manifestations. The course operates from the premise that there is a continuing dialectic between an exoteric and subterranean tradition. The true history of a religion lies beneath the surface and often contradicts, energizes, and finally transforms the assumptions of the normative tradition. The course argues the central importance of the Kabbalistic-mystical tradition, not as a footnote of Jewish history, but as a motivating force. (Dobkowski, offered every three years)
REL 371 Literary and Theological Responses to the Holocaust It is increasingly obvious that the Holocaust is a watershed event, a phenomenon that changes our perceptions of human nature, religion, morality, and the way we view reality. All that came before must be re-examined and all that follows is shaped by it. Yet, precisely because of its dimensions, the meaning of the Holocaust is impenetrable. Language is inadequate to express the inexpressible. But the moral imperative demands an encounter. This course examines some of the more meaningful "encounters" with the Holocaust found in literature, films, and theology. It is through the creative and theological mediums that post-Holocaust human beings have attempted most sensitively and seriously to come to terms with the universal implications of the Holocaust. (Dobkowski, offered every three years)
REL 460 Senior Colloquium The Colloquium is a capstone course for majors in religious studies organized like an independent study. Each major works closely with an individual faculty member on a research project of the student's interest and design. Students taking the Colloquium will be required to consult common readings, meet together as a group to discuss their projects, assist one another with research design, discuss their research findings, and do workshop on their papers. They will present their results to the department at the end of the semester. (Offered every Fall and Spring semester)
REL 461 Seminar: Theory in Religious Studies Religious studies is an endeavor to understand phenomena referred to in the general categories "religion" and "religious." What does it mean to be religious in U.S. culture? In other cultures? What is religion? What are some major religious questions? What are ways people have responded to these questions? What is theory? What is experience? How are theory and experience related? In this course students discuss diverse theoretical perspectives on religion, differentiate among kinds of theories, evaluate them, and apply them to particular examples. The course offers a context for recognizing the contribution of prior work in religious studies and provides a capstone for the major. (Fall, offered annually)
REL 495/496 Honors