Introduction to Religion and Contemporary Culture
50:840:108:01
T/TH 8:00 am – 9:20 am
Professor Banner
A study of the ways that religion may or may not have significance for our world today, examining issues such as the meaning of religious experience, evil and goodness, the purposes of ritual, roles of religion in society and culture, the impact of science and technology on religion, and issues in ethics. Fulfills new general education requirement in Global Communities (GCM).
Introduction to the Bible
50:840:110:01
T/TH 2:00 pm – 3:20 pm
Professor Wall
Historical and literary exploration of portions of the Tanach (Old Testament) and New Testament that have had the most lasting influence on Western culture. Focus on the meaning of key terms like covenant and evil, biblical authorship, and different ways the text may be interpreted today. Fulfills new general education requirement in Heritages and Civilizations (HAC).
The Historical Jesus
50:840:208:01
T/TH 9:35 am – 10:55 am
Professor Banner
Who was the Jewish teacher named Jesus? This course will explore how scholars use historical method to reconstruct the life of an ancient figure as well as how ideas and beliefs about a religious leader develop over time. It will examine the original sources for the historical Jesus and the major issues under debate in current scholarship. Fulfills new general education requirement in Heritages and Civilizations (HAC).
Gods, Sex, and Violence in the Old Testament
50:840:215:90
Online
Professor Banner
This course introduces select books of the Tanakh (Old Testament), as well as the history behind them, in order to examine some of the most unusual, strange and fascinating stories, legends and folktales in the Bible and try to understand them from the point of view of the cultures in which they were written. Fulfills new general education requirement in Heritages and Civilizations (HAC).
African-American Religion
50:840:216:01
T/TH 3:35 pm – 4:55 pm
Professor Ziyad
The effects of American enslavement on the religious and social institutions of the African people and the development of religious beliefs and institutions within the African-American community. The relationship between black and white religious institutions and the role of religion in the development of black political consciousness. Fulfills new general education requirement in US and the World (USW) and Diversity (DIV).
Religion in Contemporary America
50:840:225:01
M/W 3:45 pm – 5:05 pm
Professor Miller
An investigation of some of the major religious issues which have emerged in recent years in American culture. Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and black representatives studied; the influence of Eastern religions and extra-denominational manifestations of religious concern examined. Fulfills new general education requirement in US and the World (USW).
Death and Dying in World Religions
50:840:278:01
M/W 2:05 pm – 3:25 pm
Professor Gilmore- Clough
An exploration of the way diverse world religions try to make sense of the inevitability of death. The course examines rituals around death, notions of spirit/body relationships, conceptions of an afterlife, and the human struggle to find meaning in life in the face of death. Fulfills new general education requirement in Global Communities (GCM).
Religion and Science
50:840:288:01
W 6:00 – 8:50 pm
Professor McCauley
This course explores the historic tension between science and religion and analyzes areas of conflict and compatibility. Issues such as cosmology and creation, evolution and human nature, neurology and spirituality are discussed. Fulfills new general education requirement in Physical and Life Sciences (PLS).
Religion and Psychology
50:840:337:01
M/W 12:30 pm – 1:50 pm
Professor Charme
Survey of different approaches to the psychological interpretation of religious phenomena, such as images of God, myths and legends, rituals, mysticism, faith healing, meditation, and conversion experiences. The works of Freud, Jung, and others considered.
Gods and Monsters: Understanding Power
50:840:339:90
Professor Salyer
We experience power in some form every day, yet we rarely think critically about the role it plays in our lives. Gods and monsters symbolize the extreme poles of our understandings of power and thus serve as instructive benchmarks for this interdisciplinary exploration. The course approaches the study of power from theoretical (e.g., philosophical, political, sociological, and historical), literary, and artistic perspectives and applies these understandings to issues in the public sphere. Some of the questions we will ask include: How are gods and monsters made and what cultural functions do they serve? What is power? How is it created, maintained, and distributed? How does power change? How is power gendered? Fulfills new general education requirement in Ethics and Values (EAV).
Selling God in the Digital Age
50:840:351:01
M/W 12:30 pm – 1:50 pm
Professor Karapanagiotis
The goals of the course are 1) to learn techniques of “netnographic” research on online religious communities in the U.S. and abroad, 2) to critically analyze digital religion and the questions it raises about the different components of religion, 3) to explore how religious leaders and groups use the internet and technology to brand and market their religious products to wide audience of potential customer-converts, and 4) to understand the power of “new media” as a marketing tool for religion and spirituality in the U.S. and globally. Fulfills new general education requirement in US and the World (USW) and Experiential Learning (XPL).
Cults and New Religious Movements
50:840:366:01
M/W 9:35 am – 10:55 am
Professor Karapanagiotis
This course examines religious groups in the United States that have been labeled in the public as “cults.” We investigate their beliefs and practices, as well as their histories, social dynamics, recruitment strategies, and relationships with the public. Focus will be on building a scholarly toolkit by which to understand these religious groups in an objective and critical manner. Fulfills new general education requirement in US and the World (USW) and Experiential Learning (XPL).
Independent Study in Religion
50:840:389:01
By Arrangement
Staff
Advanced students pursue a research topic under the direction of a faculty member, culminating in a paper.
Independent Study in Religion
50:840:390:01
By Arrangement
Staff
Advanced students pursue a research topic under the direction of a faculty member, culminating in a paper.