Religion (REL)

REL 1300. World Religions.

This course examines selected major religious traditions, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Yoruba traditions, or Indigenous religions by examining primary sources, cultural representations and practices, and scholarly interpretations. The course emphasizes critical reasoning, close reading, conceptual analysis, and evaluation of perspectives on belief, ritual, and moral systems. Outcomes include the ability to evaluate competing interpretations, apply analytical reasoning to religious texts, and understand religion’s influence on ethical, social, and metaphysical thought. (WI).

REL 2310. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible.

This course introduces students to the contemporary academic study of the Hebrew Bible (in some contexts known as "the Old Testament") and related ancient Near Eastern and Second Temple Jewish literature. Students examine a range of texts using historical, literary, and comparative methods developed within modern biblical scholarship. Emphasis is placed on understanding how scholars interpret these writings within their historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts, as well as how different methodological approaches address questions of authorship, genre, and transmission. The course highlights the diversity of scholarly perspectives while maintaining a focus on critical analysis and close reading. Students engage with representative passages, secondary scholarship, and major interpretive debates to develop a foundational understanding of academic approaches to the Hebrew Bible.

REL 2315. Introduction to the New Testament.

This course introduces students to the contemporary academic study of the New Testament and related early Christian literature, including apocryphal and post‑canonical texts. Students examine representative writings through historical, literary, and comparative methods used in modern scholarship, with attention to authorship, genre, social context, and early interpretive traditions. Emphasis is placed on understanding how scholars analyze these texts within the cultural and linguistic settings of the ancient Mediterranean world. The course highlights major interpretive questions, diverse scholarly viewpoints, and the methodological debates that shape New Testament studies. Students engage in close reading and critical discussion to develop foundational skills for analyzing early Christian texts in an academic context.

REL 2321. Founders, Prophets and Saints.

This course provides an academic examination of the lives, teachings, and historical impact of major figures from diverse religious traditions, such as founders, prophets, mystics, reformers, and spiritual leaders. Students explore how these individuals have been interpreted within their cultural and historical contexts and how their ideas, writings, and practices have shaped the development of religious communities. The course emphasizes scholarly methods for analyzing biographical narratives and theological, philosophical, or ethical contributions attributed to these figures. Representative case studies may include figures from Abrahamic, Asian, or other global traditions; examples include Jesus, Paul, Luther, St. Teresa, Maimonides, the Baal Shem Tov, Mohammad, al-Ghazzali, Rumi, Buddha, Gandhi. Through close reading and critical discussion, students engage with primary and secondary sources to develop a nuanced understanding of the significance and reception of influential religious individuals.

REL 2330. What is Religion?.

This course introduces students to major theories, concepts, and debates concerning how scholars define and study religion. Participants examine competing views and approaches to see what is persuasive. Students examine diverse claims about what religion is, how it functions, and how it can be interpreted within historical, social, and cultural contexts. The course surveys prominent methodologies in Religious Studies, including textual, anthropological, sociological, and comparative approaches, emphasizing how each framework analyzes religious phenomena. Through close reading and discussion, students explore competing scholarly perspectives and develop skills for interpreting arguments, evaluating evidence, and understanding religious diversity from an academic standpoint.

REL 2350. Mediterranean and European Religions.

This course surveys major religious traditions that originated in the Near East, Mediterranean, and Europe, with emphasis on the ancient to medieval periods. Students examine religious traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the contexts of Egyptian, Persian, Greco-Roman, and old European traditions. The course focuses on descriptive and comparative analysis of religious beliefs, practices, texts, and institutions. By situating traditions within historical frameworks, students are shown how religious ideas and practices emerged, evolved, and influenced societies in the Mediterranean and European worlds.

REL 2360. Asian Religious Traditions.

This course surveys major religious traditions originating in Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, and other traditions. Students examine core beliefs, practices, texts, and historical developments within each tradition, with attention to their social and cultural contexts. The course emphasizes descriptive and comparative analysis of religious worldviews, allowing students to compare traditions while maintaining methodological neutrality. By situating religious doctrines and practices within historical frameworks, students develop skills in interpreting religious traditions and understanding their internal logics.

REL 3320. Judaism.

This course surveys the history, practices, core texts, and major movements of Rabbinic Judaism, from the destruction of the Second Temple to the contemporary global scene. Some attention is also given to earlier Israelite religion, dissident movements, mysticism, and Jewish communities beyond the Euro-American zone. Emphasis is placed on historical analysis, close reading of primary sources, and scholarly interpretation of Jewish ritual, law, narrative, and thought. Through comparative and contextual approaches, students explore the diversity of Jewish traditions.

REL 3330. Religious Controversy in America.

This course examines religious controversies and crises in America from the colonies to the present in order to interpret the role of religion in American history, culture, law, and politics. Topics include the Salem Witch Trials, the Jim Jones massacre, and Ten Commandments monuments on government property. Emphasis is placed on historical interpretation, analysis of primary and secondary sources, and the academic study of how religion interacts with institutions, public discourse, and community identity. Through comparative and contextual analysis, students develop skills in interpreting evidence and evaluating competing scholarly perspectives on religion’s role in American society.

REL 3335. Cults and New Religious Movements.

This course investigates New Religious Movements (NRMs) primarily within the contemporary American context, focusing on how scholars analyze their origins, development, practices, and social reception. Controversial and emerging religions can be approached from many angles. Accordingly, the course introduces students to a variety of theoretical perspectives and approaches for studying NRMs, including sociological, historical, and phenomenological perspectives. Students are encouraged to develop communication competencies and to learn to critically interpret data. Through analysis of primary and secondary sources, students develop skills in evaluating scholarly arguments, interpreting evidence, and understanding the diversity of emerging religious expressions.

REL 3340. Religion, Literature, and the Arts.

This course examines how literary and artistic works engage themes, symbols, and questions associated with religion in order to evaluate the (dis)connections between the aesthetic and religious aspects of human culture. Through the study of selected texts, images, and artistic movements, students explore the diverse ways creators respond to, reinterpret, or contest religious ideas within cultural and historical contexts. The course emphasizes close reading, interpretive analysis, and critical comparison of works from various genres and media. Students consider how aesthetic forms shape understandings of religious experience and how religious traditions inform artistic expression. May be taken twice for credit with different topics. (WI).

REL 3341. Religion and Film.

This course explores the dynamic relationship between religion and film, analyzing how cinematic works reflect, reinterpret, or substitute religious functions. Students will engage in close reading of film texts, applying interpretive and analytical frameworks drawn from film studies and religious studies. The course emphasizes critical reasoning, comparative evaluation, and argumentation, enabling students to examine narrative structures, symbolic elements, and thematic representations. Outcomes include the ability to assess interpretive approaches, critique narrative strategies, and articulate informed analyses of the intersection between religion and visual media.

REL 3342. Homeric Epic: The Iliad and the Odyssey.

This course involves close reading of the Iliad and the Odyssey in English translation, with particular attention paid to philosophical and religious themes. Students examine how the epics depict the gods, religious rituals, heroic ideals, and conceptions of the human experience within the ancient Mediterranean world. The course also evaluates the notion of a "classic" in religion and literature, and considers how Homeric texts have been interpreted in religious and literary scholarship. Emphasis is placed on developing skills in textual interpretation, comparative analysis, and critical reasoning while situating the epics within their historical contexts and within broader discussions of religion and literature.

REL 3350. Christian Thought.

This course examines the historical development of Christian thought from the Patristic period to the modern era. Through close reading of primary sources and engagement with major theologians, students analyze how doctrinal debates, philosophical influences, and institutional changes shaped various strands of Christian theology. Attention is given to controversies, schisms, and intellectual movements that contributed to the diversity of Christian traditions. Using historical and textual methods, students explore how theological ideas emerged, evolved, and interacted with broader cultural and social contexts.

REL 3361B. Mysticism.

This course explores the dimension of mysticism that pervades both Western and Eastern religious traditions. Students analyze the nature of mystical experiences through a study of key figures and texts, and examine its peculiar relationship to language, arts, and human subjectivity and its place in the wider social context. Attention is also given to the ways in which mysticism influences religious practice and human self‑understanding. Through comparative and contextual study, students develop interpretive and analytical skills appropriate to the scholarly investigation of mystical traditions.

REL 3361C. Philosophical Issues in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

This course provides a comparative perspective on philosophical issues that arise in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including the nature of God, reason and revelation, and religious ethics. Readings are drawn from both classical and contemporary sources and are analyzed within their historical and intellectual contexts. The course emphasizes interpretation, comparison, and critical analysis of philosophical arguments. By engaging multiple traditions, students are shown how philosophical questions are addressed within different religious frameworks, using methods appropriate to Religious Studies.

REL 3361D. Demonology, Possession, and Exorcism.

This course explores beliefs and practices relating to demons and spirits from cultures around the world and across history. The course will not make assumptions about the literal existence of spirit entities, but will instead combine historical, anthropological, and psychological approaches to examine the nature and function of these beliefs and practices within human cultures. Students engage primary and secondary sources to develop skills in critical analysis, scholarly writing, and academic research within the study of religion.

REL 3361E. Death, Dying, and Grief.

This course examines how diverse religious and spiritual traditions respond to death, dying, and grief, including associated ritual practices and beliefs about mortality. Drawing on historical, sociological, anthropological, and religious studies perspectives, students analyze how individuals and communities interpret death through ritual, doctrinal, ethical, and narrative frameworks. Topics may include mourning practices, afterlife beliefs, memorial traditions, and cultural responses to loss. Students engage primary and secondary sources to develop interpretive, comparative, and analytical skills related to the scholarly study of death and dying in global religious and cultural contexts.

REL 3361G. Jesus and Gender.

This course examines how gender functions as an analytical category in the study of Jesus, early Christian texts, and the development of Christian thought and practice. Students explore historical and literary sources to understand how gender shaped interpretations of Jesus, contributed to the formation of social and ritual roles, and influenced institutional developments within Christian communities. Using interdisciplinary perspectives from history, religious studies, anthropology, and literary theory, the course investigates how concepts of gender operated within premodern Christian contexts and how they appear in contemporary scholarly debates.

REL 3361P. Prophecy.

This course examines the phenomenon of prophecy, with special attention to the literature by and about prophets in the Bible. Students analyze how prophetic figures and texts have been understood within their historical settings and how prophets function within religious communities, political structures, and social movements. Through interdisciplinary study drawing on history, comparative religion, philosophy, political science, and literary studies, students explore interpretive debates concerning the nature, authority, and social impact of prophecy. The course emphasizes critical reasoning, close reading of primary sources, and engagement with diverse scholarly perspectives.

REL 3370. Mythology and Cosmology.

This course examines human efforts to address questions of cosmic origins through a global, comparative survey of cosmogonic (creation) myths and a historical examination of modern cosmology. It analyzes the features and functions of mythopoetic and scientific modes of thought and explores philosophical approaches to questions of origin and meaning. Students develop analytical skills for examining diverse cultural traditions and for comparing explanatory frameworks across historical and intellectual contexts. The course may be taken twice for credit when offered with different topics.

REL 3372. Apocalypticism.

This course surveys apocalyptic texts, images, and ideas in Western history from ancient Judaism and early Christianity to modern cultural expressions. Students examine how various communities have imagined cosmic transformation, divine judgment, renewal, and the end of history, and how these motifs have influenced literature, art, and intellectual life. Emphasis is placed on historical, cultural, literary, and comparative methods used to study apocalyptic traditions, as well as the social contexts that shape them. Through analysis of primary sources and scholarly interpretations, students explore how apocalyptic themes function within religious movements and broader cultural settings.

REL 3381. The Philosophical and Spiritual Heritage of India.

This course examines major philosophical and religious traditions that developed in India from the period of the ancient Vedas through the contributions of modern sages. Indian philosophers predominantly present a spiritual, multi-dimensional outlook on the nature of reality and human consciousness; they combine reason, experience, yoga and meditation as methods of inquiry. Students study a range of texts, concepts, and practices associated with Indian traditions. By situating traditions within historical frameworks, students gain an understanding of the diversity and development of philosophical and religious thought in India.

REL 3383. An Introduction to Chinese Religions.

This course examines the religious history of China from 3000 BCE to the present day. It covers beliefs, practices, and histories of the four major religious communities in China—Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and “Popular Religion”—as well as expressions of minority religions in China such as Islam and Christianity. Students analyze primary sources and scholarly interpretations to understand how various religious communities articulate beliefs, rituals, and social roles across different periods. Emphasis is placed on historical context, interpretive methods, and the diversity of religious expression in Chinese society. Students gain skills useful for working with diverse populations.

REL 3385. Buddhism.

This course surveys the main ideas, myths, symbols, and practices of the diverse forms of Buddhism through study of their central ideas, narratives, symbols, and practices. Students explore and evaluate the manner in which Buddhist perspectives have influenced social values and arts in the South East and East Asian cultures. The course emphasizes descriptive and interpretive analysis of religious texts, practices, and institutions. By situating Buddhist traditions within their historical and cultural contexts, the course introduces students to Buddhism as a complex and evolving religious tradition, using methods standard to Religious Studies.

REL 3386. Yoga in Religious and Philosophical Contexts.

This course is an in-depth study of the principles and the practice of yoga. Students explore the yogic conception of the mind and the body and how it relates to psychoanalytic and neuroscientific frameworks. Students also examine the parallels between the discipline of yoga and practices in other religious traditions. Emphasis is placed on scholarly methods, critical reading, and analysis of primary and secondary materials. Students develop interpretive skills that support the rigorous academic study of yoga; they also gain skills useful for working with diverse populations.

REL 3390. Religion, Health, and Embodiment.

This course provides a comparative examination of how religious traditions interpret embodiment, health, illness, disability, aging, and death. Students analyze primary sources and scholarly interpretations to explore how different communities conceptualize the body, healing, suffering, and medical practice. Although the course includes significant Jewish and Christian materials, attention is also given to other traditions and cultural contexts. Emphasis is placed on historical and comparative methods, critical reading, and the analysis of religious ideas within social and cultural frameworks. Prerequisite: [PHIL 1305 or PHIL 1320] and REL 1300 both with grades of "D" or better.

REL 4300. Advanced Methods in Religious Studies.

This course provides an advanced introduction to the theories and methods that shape the academic study of religion. Students examine major thinkers, methodological debates, and analytical frameworks used to study religious texts, practices, institutions, and discourses across cultural and historical contexts. Emphasis is placed on critical comparison, methodological self‑reflection, and the evaluation of scholarly arguments rather than on the promotion of particular beliefs or interpretations. The course prepares students to assess how methodological choices influence research questions and conclusions within religious studies as a secular, interdisciplinary field of inquiry. Prerequisite: ANTH 3305 or ANTH 3322 or ANTH 3326 or ANTH 3332 or ANTH 3349 or ANTH 4320 or ARTH 2301 or ARTH 2302 or ENG 3329 or HIST 3312 any with a grade of "D" or better.

REL 4388. Issues in Religion.

This course enables students to investigate specialized topics in Religious Studies through individualized or small group study arranged with the department. Students examine relevant scholarship, interpret sources, and construct analytical frameworks appropriate to their chosen subject. Under faculty guidance, students design a research plan, develop written analyses, and evaluate methodological approaches used within the discipline. The course supports sustained inquiry and iterative revision through one-on-one and small group instruction and feedback. Given its structure and variable subject matter, the course may be repeated for credit with approval from the department chair when the area of study substantially differs.

REL 5300. Advanced Methods in Religious Studies.

This course provides an advanced introduction to the theories and methods that shape the academic study of religion. Students examine major thinkers, methodological debates, and analytical frameworks used to study religious texts, practices, institutions, and discourses across cultural and historical contexts. Emphasis is placed on critical comparison, methodological self‑reflection, and the evaluation of scholarly arguments rather than on the promotion of particular beliefs or interpretations. The course prepares students to assess how methodological choices influence research questions and conclusions within religious studies as a secular, interdisciplinary field of inquiry.

REL 5365. Philosophical Issues in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

This course provides an advanced comparative perspective on philosophical issues that arise in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including the nature of God, reason and revelation, and religious ethics. Readings are drawn from both classical and contemporary sources, in dialogue with the secondary literature and methodological issues in religious studies. The course emphasizes interpretation, comparison, and critical analysis of philosophical arguments. By engaging multiple traditions, students are shown how philosophical questions are addressed within different religious frameworks. Prerequisite: PHIL 4300 or PHIL 5300 either with a grade of "C" or better.

REL 5388. Independent Study.

This course enables students to investigate specialized topics in Religious Studies through individualized study arranged with the department. Content includes engagement with relevant scholarship, interpretation of primary and secondary sources, and development of analytical frameworks appropriate to selected subjects. The course involves the design of research plans, production of written analyses, and evaluation of methodological approaches within the discipline. Emphasis is placed on sustained inquiry and iterative revision through individualized instruction. Given its structure and variable subject matter, the course may be repeated for credit with department approval when the area of study differs. Prerequisite: [REL 4300 or REL 5300] either with a grade of "B" or better and instructor approval and program coordinator approval and department chair approval.