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FACULTY
The Major
The requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with a major in religion are as follows:
The Minor
The requirements for a minor in religion are as follows:
Lower Division
Examination of religion as symbol system with particular focus on concepts of deity and humanity reflecting Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, humanist, and other perspectives.
Inquiry into the religious dimension of issues such as environmental pollution, violence, capital punishment, economic injustice, hunger, homosexuality, feminism, pornography, abortion, and euthanasia.
A study of Hindu, Buddhist, and East Asian religious traditions in theory and practice; attention to such topics as reincarnation, yoga and meditation, shamanism, ritual, salvation, personal religious experience, gender roles, spiritual ideals of art, and the relation of humankind to nature and the cosmos.
An introductory study of the three historically interrelated monotheistic religions. A basic historical introduction will preface a thematic approach to central concepts such as founders, revelation, prophecy and scriptures, the nature of God, nature, the human condition, and models of the relationship of the religious and the secular.
An examination of the Jewish and Christian scriptures in their historical, cultural, and religious contexts, with emphasis on the faith and life of ancient Israel and the early Christian Church.
An analysis of the Hebrew Scriptures from the perspective of the social sciences in order to understand the structure and organization of societies that are described in the literature of ancient Israel. (Also listed as ANTH 312.)
Upper Division
A study of the major developments and schools within the tradition, from ancient times to the present; attention to mythological/theological perceptions and interpretations of the world, as well as to meditational, devotional, and ritual practices. Field trips and/or interviews are an integral part of the course.
An inquiry into the meaning of the Buddha's life, and an examination of his teachings and their expression in the Buddhist community; attention to meditational practices, ritual, ethics, and major religious-philosophical issues within the various schools of South and East Asian Buddhism.
A study of the indigenous religious traditions of China in cultural and historical perspective, including Religious Taoism, Confucianism, and Yin-Yang cosmology. Topics for discussion will include cosmology, ritual and myth, religious self-cultivation, and the interaction between humankind and the sacred.
A study of the Japanese religious experience in cultural and historical perspective, including indigenous traditions (Shinto) and Japanese appropriation of religions imported from China and the West. Traditions to be examined will include village and state Shinto; Esoteric Buddhism, Zen, and Pure Land sectarianism; Shinto-Buddhist interaction; and new religious movements.
A study of the major religious developments and issues within Judaism, as reflected in selected literature drawn from the biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and early modern periods.
A study of the historical development of Christian doctrine and practice as reflected in selected scriptures, creeds, and theological works from the early church to modern times. Attention will be given to Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.
A study of the major religious developments and issues within Islam, from Muhammad to the present.
Detailed studies in English translation of selected narratives found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), using procedures derived from recent applications of literary theory of narrative to biblical studies.
Detailed studies in English translation of selected poetry found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), using procedures derived from recent applications of literary theory of poetry to biblical studies.
A study of the earliest extant literary portrayals of Jesus, with attention to what can be known about his life, message, activity, and fate as well as his significance for the origins of Christianity.
A study of the extant writings attributed to Paul and included in the New Testament, with attention to the historical, cultural, religious, and literary context of these writings and to Paul's influence in early Christianity and in the history of Christian thought.
An examination of nineteenth- and twentieth-century sects and cults focusing on their historical origins, theology, and interaction with society; groups to be studied may include Shakers, Latter Day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Unity, Krishna Consciousness, Scientology, Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, and the Unification Church.
A study of religious diversity in the United States with major emphasis on the Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish traditions. Attention may be given to such topics as Native American religion, civil religion, new religious movements, women in religion, and televangelism. Field trips are an integral part of the course.
A philosophical analysis of religious experience, religious knowledge, and religious language. (Also listed as PHIL 338.)
An examination in depth of specific contemporary issues in theology and philosophy of religion. Issues vary and may include: theism and atheism; faith and knowledge; religion and the rise of the modern spirit; religion and culture; modern critiques of religion and theological responses; and approaches to theological thinking.
An examination and discussion of issues relevant to the study of religion and ethics raised by contemporary feminists; offered from one of the following perspectives: [A] Gender and Religion: the roles played by religious traditions in relation to cultural expectations placed upon women and men; implicit and explicit values reflected in religious traditions regarding women; and the diversity of women's responses to cultural expectations in a religious context; [B] Feminist Ethics: consideration of many of the ethical issues confronting women, including reproductive choices, sexual violence, sexual preference, and economic issues. Involves discussion of theological and non-theological sources. This course may be taken for credit once in each topic.
An examination of perennial religious themes, such as estrangement and redemption, meaning and value, and the question of God in modern literature and in film; attention to the intersection of theory of religion with literary theory and film theory in terms of commonalities and differences in regard to human creativity.
A comparative study of the varieties of mystical experience, Western and Eastern, traditional and non-traditional; attention to the psychological characteristics of mystical experiences and the expression/interpretation of such experiences in philosophical and theological world views and ethical outlooks; special emphasis on the relation of mystical experience to religious experience, and on the question of the oneness of mystical experiences in general.
A comparative study of the perspectives and attitudes within various world religious traditions regarding the significance of death for human existence and self-understanding; attention to contemporary accounts of near-death experiences, compared to traditional religious accounts of other-world journeys; special emphasis on the concepts of heaven, hell, reincarnation, universal salvation, and divine justice, and the relation of such notions to moral, philosophical, and theological ideals pertaining to life.
An examination of a range of liberation theologies, including feminist theology, black theology, and Latin American liberation theology. Also included will be the consideration of European political theology and examination of those works that have influenced the various liberation theologies.
A comparative study of popular religion in Asia and the West, with attention to issues of definition, popular-elite interaction, and the role of popular religion in history and culture. The course focuses on traditional China and Europe; topics include saint and deity cults, shamanism and ecstatic religion, oral and ritual tradition, the role of those disenfranchised by gender and poverty, and strategies of elite control of popular religious movements.
A study of institutionalized and non-institutionalized forms of religious expression. Various forms of religious expression, their social sources, and their societal consequences will be examined. The relation between religion and secular institutions (the economy, polity, education, etc.) will be investigated. Particular attention will be focused on emerging forms of religious expression in modern urban-industrialized society. (Also listed as SOCI 333.)
An inquiry into the nature of religion and ways in which it is studied and described; topics may include self and other within religious traditions, religious pluralism, comparative studies of religion, sociological and psychological functions of religion, and the relation between religion and culture.
Prerequisites: Junior standing; and nine hours in religion or consent of instructor.
Individual work under supervision in areas not covered by other courses.
Prerequisites: 12 semester hours in religion and approval of the department chair and instructor.
From time to time, the department will offer special topic courses not described in the Bulletin. The topics may be in any area and may be offered at the initiative of departmental faculty or upon petition of interested students. Announcements of such courses will be by special prospectus. May be repeated on different topics.
Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.