Course Descriptions
RLST/PHIL 110 World Religions
The purpose of this class is to help you to understand the beliefs and practices of some of the world's religions--Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Indigenous Traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--focusing on the doctrines, beliefs, rituals, myths, institutions, social structures, and spiritual ideals of each. Some of you will take this course to learn more about your own religious tradition. Others have chosen it to become more familiar with religions different from your own, but which, as the consequence of a growing global culture, increasingly affect your lives. In either case, it is important for you to enter the course with an open mind , not only prepared to learn brand new things, but also ready to hear more familiar ideas described in new and unfamiliar ways. The purpose of the course is not simply to provide you with new information, nor is it to make you more comfortable with ideas you already hold. On the contrary, the goal of the course is to challenge you, by introducing you to new ideas as well as new views of old ideas, and thus to deepen and enlarge your thinking about the world's religions.
RLST 116 Faith and Self in Global Context (Layton, Ebel)
Whether in fourth-century North Africa, tenth-century Japan, fourteenth-century Spain, or twentieth-century America, men and women have wrestled with the question of who they are and how they are to relate to the world. They have wondered, more abstractly, what it means to be a “self.” In this course we will examine understandings of the self across world religions, across history, and across geography. We will study the religious origins of diverse conceptions of the self and examine the lives that men and women have lived in light of these understandings. Our main window onto this topic will be through autobiographical writings; by reading the words of women and men attempting to make sense of the world and their place in it, we hope to focus attention on the personal dimensions of faith and of cross-cultural contact at the same time that we provide an introduction to the world’s major religions.
RLST/AIS 140 Native Religious Traditions (Treat)
An interdisciplinary survey of native religious traditions, exploring the breadth and depth of spiritual expression among native people in North America. Assigned readings and class discussions cover a variety of important themes including sacred landscapes, mythic narratives, oral histories, communal identities, tribal values, elder teachings, visionary experiences, ceremonial practices, prayer traditions, and trickster wisdom. Students also consider historic encounters with missionary colonialism and contemporary strategies for religious self-determination. Class discussions are supplemented by audiovisual materials and guest speakers.
RLST 199 Nature Religion (Treat)
This is an introductory survey of religious traditions that locate sacred realities in the natural world. The term "nature religion" is an interpretive construct that guides our exploration of various movements and expressions emphasizing convergences of the ecological and the spiritual. Assigned readings are drawn from key texts in the fields of religious studies and environmental studies; class discussions are supplemented by audiovisual materials, guest speakers, campus events, and web-based assignments. Students have the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of the relationship between religion and nature and to develop their critical skills for use in educational, professional, and personal settings.
RLST 213 Introduction to Islam - ACP (Hoffman)
This course introduces students to: 1) the spiritual, cultural, and intellectual life of Islam, in history and in the contemporary world; 2) variations and diversity in the interpretation and practice of Islam; 3) the methodologies and problems in the academic study of religion; and 4) the relationship of the Muslim world with Western civilization. As a course that meets the Advanced Composition requirement, it utilizes writing as a tool for developing competence in the subject and for sharpening critical thought. (4 credits)
RLST 214 Introduction to Islam (Hoffman)
This course introduces students to: 1) the spiritual, cultural, and intellectual life of Islam, in history and in the contemporary world; 2) variations and diversity in the interpretation and practice of Islam; and 3) the relationship of the Muslim world to Western civilization. (3 credits)
RLST 214/213 Introduction to Islam (Khalil)
History of Islamic thought from the time of Muhammad to the present, including the prophethood of Muhammad, the Qur'an, theology and law, mysticism and philosophy, sectarian movements, modernism and legal reform, and contemporary resurgence. (3 credits) (RLST 213 is 4 credits and fulfills the Advanced Composition requirement.)
RLST 223 Qur'an: Structure and Exegesis (Hoffman)
The Qur’an is the holy scripture of the Muslims, which they believe to be the Word of God, perfect and inimitable. This class will introduce you to the Qur’an by examining it from a number of different angles: its major doctrines; its thematic development; its literary style; the manner of its recitation; its relationship to pre-Qur’anic, especially Biblical, traditions; the role of the Qur’an in the life of the Muslim community; and various methods of interpreting the Qur’an. You will also be exposed to some samples of modern scholarship on the Qur’an.
RLST 223 Qur'an: Structure and Exegesis (Khalil)
This course serves as an introduction to the Qur’an (Koran), the holy scripture of Islam, examining its major doctrines, thematic development, literary style, and its relationship to pre-Qur’anic, especially Biblical, traditions. Special attention is given to various methods Muslims have used to interpret the Qur’an. In providing students with a working knowledge of the Qur’an, we will look at: a. the Qur’an as a historical source, b. the origin, compilation, contents, and arrangement(s) of the Qur’an, c. the forms of the Qur’an, as manifested in recitation, texts (mushafs), and calligraphy, and d. exegetical and theological analyses of (and debates surrounding) the content of the Qur’an.
RLST/PHIL 230 Philosophy of Religion: Introduction (McKim)
This introductory course provides a survey of some classical and contemporary issues and topics in philosophy of religion, including the following: the major classical arguments for and against God's existence; what it is reasonable to believe about whether we have souls and about whether we might survive death; how God, or an object of worship or reverence, is best conceived of; whether there are criteria in accordance with which the religions of the world may reasonably be compared and evaluated; the significance of religious diversity; the forms that religions might take in the future; whether one can imagine oneself participating in religious traditions other than one’s own and what the implications of doing so might be; and related topics.
RLST/HIST 235 History of Religion in America (Ebel)
The purpose of this course is to examine the religious history of the lands that have become the United States and the people who have become known as Americans. We will do this using texts written by and about women and men of all races and creeds, living in the many worlds “Americans” have inhabited, and considering the things and thoughts they used to render those worlds meaningful. This course will emphasize the diversity of American religion, the discord caused by and present in American religion, and the many instances of dialogue that have been a part of America’s religious history.
RLST/HIST 236 Religion, Violence, America (Ebel)
This course is designed to introduce students to the study of religion, of violence, and of culture, through an examination of points in American history where the three have intersected. Using a wide range of primary and secondary texts, we will examine the worlds of perpetrators and victims of religiously motivated and/or religiously justified violence. We will seek to explain why people of faith acted as they did, how religion shaped their views of those against whom they struggled, and what, if anything, America’s violent religious past tells us about the present day.
RLST 260 Mystics and Saints in Islam (Hoffman)
Sufi mysticism is one of the most important spiritual movements in Islam, and the lives of Muslim mystics and saints have fascinated Westerners and for centuries have served as models for Muslims. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the mystics and saints of Islam and the concepts and methods found in Sufi mysticism.
RLST/HIST 346 The Renaissance (Price)
This is an introduction to the cultural history of Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. We will begin with some background study of the political and cultural meanings of the term "Renaissance." This will involve an assessment of how learning, science, technology, and new cultural ideals changed art.
From there, we will proceed to an in-depth study of the social and political contexts for Renaissance culture. We will consider the nature and the purposes of the arts in three different types of settings: at the imperial court (Charles V), at papal courts (emphasis on Julius II, Leo X, and Clement VII), and in independent cities (Florence and Nuremberg). Our goal here is to learn about the major sources of patronage as well as the social and political functions of art; the focus on specific settings will also help us appreciate cultural diversity and distinctiveness.
We will conclude with a consideration of some cultural tensions in the Renaissance, including a few issues that were profoundly problematic (Christianity and humanism; Renaissance learning and Judaism; and the status of women in the context of the elevation of "man").
Required readings include:
Material on electronic reserve.
Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince. Second edition. Translated and edited by Robert M. Adams. New York: Norton.
More, St. Thomas. Utopia. Second edition. Translated and edited by Robert M. Adams. New York: Norton.
Najemy, John M. 2006. A History of Florence, 1200-1575. Oxford: Blackwell.
Rice, Eugene F., Jr., and Anthony Grafton. The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559. Second Edition. New York: Norton, 1994.
Optional readings include:
Burke, Peter. The Italian Renaissance: Culture and Society in Italy. Second Edition. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1999.
Paoletti, John T., and Gary M. Radke. Art in Renaissance Italy. Second edition. Upper Saddle River, N. J.: Prentice Hall, 2002.
Shakespeare, William. Shakespeare's Sonnets. Edited by Stanley Wells. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1990.
RLST/HIST 347 Protestant and Catholic Reformations (Price)
The course offers an introduction to the Protestant and Catholic Reformations with concentration in the history of Germany (Holy Roman Empire), Switzerland, England, and the Papacy during the sixteenth century. We will study political, intellectual, and cultural aspects of the explosive fragmentation of European Christianity. Our central goal will be to assess important historiographic questions (and disagreements) for the interpretation of this complex phenomenon. Students will be expected to develop their own ways of understanding the political and cultural diversity of Reformation movements. Readings are a balance of original documents (which will be the basis for most discussions) and historical overviews and specialized studies.
RLST/ANTH/GWS 403/HIST 434 Women in Muslim Societies (Hoffman)
This course examines the gender ideologies and social realities affecting the lives of women in various Muslim countries. We will begin with the ideological foundations and historical precedents of early Islam, the status of women in Islamic law, and the potential for reinterpretation of Islamic law. From there we move to ethnographic studies and first-person accounts of contemporary women in several countries, the processes of social change and emergence of feminist movements, the rise of political Islam, and the challenges posed to women’s human rights in the Muslim world.
RLST/PS 408 Islam in Modern Society (Hoffman)
This course examines the relationship of Islam to the major social and political issues of modern society. The sociopolitical order of early Islam and the nature of Islamic law, both fundamental to much of political discourse in the Muslim world, will be studied first, along with a discussion of various Muslim perspectives on the ideal relationship between religion and politics, and the extent to which such ideals have or have not been realized in actuality. Among the topics to be discussed: the compatibility of Islamic concepts and ideals to nationalism, secularism, constitutionalism, democracy, socialism, human rights, women’s rights, and the structure of modern nation-states in the Muslim world. New definitions of Islam have emerged under such names as “modernism,” “Islamic socialism,” “Islamism,” “Islamic fundamentalism,” and “progressive Islam,” and the role of these various tendencies in defining the politics of a number of nation-states in the region will be examined.
RLST 410 Islam in Egypt (study abroad course) (Hoffman)
This is a study abroad course in Egypt, to acquaint students with the rich diversity of Islamic religious life and interpretation in Egypt today. Students learn about Egyptian history and culture, visit Cairo’s major Islamic monuments, witness Sufi rituals and popular celebrations, visit Islamic charitable organizations, and meet a wide variety of Egyptians, including scholars, religious teachers, students, and social activists of various types and persuasions.
RLST/PHIL 424 Philosophy of Religion (McKim)
Considers central issues in the philosophy of religion, e.g., the justification of religious belief, the nature of God, religious experience, etc.
RLST 435 Revivalism and Evangelicalism (Ebel)
This course examines the history of revivalistic and evangelical Christianities in North America from the colonial period to the twenty-first century. This course is designed to engage students in the historical study of these often-interwoven types of Christian practice and belief, and the people who, for good and for ill, have shaped and been shaped by them. To this end, readings will be drawn from seven influential monographs chosen for their attention to particular aspects of revivalism and evangelicalism in America: trans-oceanism/internationalism; the centrality of personality and performance; use of/influence upon national/political themes and ideas; regional variations; relations with popular and intellectual culture; understandings of race; interaction with gender ideals and domestic relations; and the public presence of evangelical Christianity in late-twentieth-century America.
RLST 436 Religion in America, 1900-1941 (Ebel)
This seminar takes a thematic and roughly chronological approach to the religious history of the United States from 1900 to 1941. It is designed to familiarize students both with the religious lives and thoughts of Americans in the first four decades of the twentieth century and with the many overlapping issues confronting American society and American religion during that time. We will focus our discussions on four themes: debates over the meaning of modernity, understandings of the relationship between religion and society, the gendering of faith, and the relationship between religion and American identity. We will read mainly from scholarly monographs during the course, but many readings will also come from primary documents. Students will be evaluated based on four graded exercises: two in-class presentations, one mid-term paper, and a final research project.
RLST/HIST 458 Christians and Jews in Medieval and Early Modern Europe (Price)
This course examines the complex relations between Christians and Jews in Europe from the high Middle Ages through the Enlightenment. Among our topics are the religious and social roots of medieval persecutions of Jews; the history of Jewish banishments; construction of myths to foment hostilities; Renaissance humanism (especially the Christian absorption of Jewish scholarship); the impact of the Christian reform movements--both Protestant and Catholic--on the status of Jews; mercantilism and re-admissions of Jews; and the emergence of a discourse of religious tolerance in the Enlightenment.
RLST 481 Rethinking Muslim Ethics in the Global Age (Hoffman)
Are Muslims necessarily tied to a tradition that alienates them from today's global society? How are Muslims incorporating, changing, and analyzing their tradition and their place in the contemporary world? This course explores contemporary, often revisionist Muslim ideas on a broad range of ethical issues that face societies today, such as human rights, democracy, gender equality, just war, and bioethics.
RLST 482 Muslim-Christian Interactions (Hoffman)
This course explores the complexity of Muslim-Christian interactions since early Islam, focusing on intellectual exchanges in theology and philosophy, debates, polemics, interfaith dialogue, perceptions of each other, Muslim communities in the West, Christian minorities in the Muslim world, and the variable relationship of religion to culture in the modern West and the Muslim world.
RLST 494 Islam in East Africa (Hoffman)
This course surveys the history of Islam in East Africa, from the Horn of Africa through the Swahili coast, including the process of Islamization, the forms of popular Islam and Islamic education, the relationship of Islam to politics, the coexistence of different sects and ethnicities, the emergence of Zanzibar as a center for Islamic scholarship in the nineteenth century, and the impact of European colonialism, the rise of African nationalism, and contemporary global Islamic trends on local religious practices.
RLST 494 Theories of Religion (Jones)
During the Enlightenment, a number of European writers began to extend the principles and methods of 17th century rationalism and empiricism to the study of society itself. For the next three centuries, emerging academic disciplines including history, psychology, sociology, and anthropology provided an increasingly literate and educated audience with an endless stream of essays, monographs, and lectures on subjects including human nature, the source of political duty and obligation, the justification for human rights, the foundations of social and economic class and status, the origin of our ideas of justice, law, right and wrong, good and evil, etc. — and the origin, nature and function of religious beliefs and practices.
This course — the “senior survey” in the Program for the Study of Religion — will be an historical and critical survey of the development of the “scientific study of religion.” Beginning with Hume’s Natural History of Religion (1757), we will read and discuss selected texts from writers including Hume, Marx, Weber, Müller, Tylor, Smith, Frazer, Durkheim, James, Freud, Malinowski, Eliade, Evans-Pritchard, MacIntyre, Winch, Geertz, Gadamer, and Ricoeur.
RLST 494/CHP396A Religion, Ethics, and the Environment (McKim)
Much of the focus of this interdisciplinary course is on the question of whether the religious traditions can provide us with resources that will help us to deal with contemporary environmental problems. An operating assumption in asking this question is that the religious traditions are repositories of wisdom that have contributed to solving human problems. Our attempt to answer the question of their current relevance to environmental matters will require us to take a careful look at some statements that have recently been emanating from the traditions. We will also ask what the religious traditions might in the future be able to contribute to solving environmental problems and we will attempt to assess their relative usefulness in this regard. The course also serves to introduce students to some of the central issues in environmental ethics. Hence the topics for discussion will include consequentialist Vs. non-consequentialist approaches to ethics, anthropocentrism vs. ecocentrism, individualism vs holism, attempts to argue that non-human nature has moral value, the "land ethic", relations between rich and poor, our attitudes to individual members of other species and in general to non-human nature, the place of human beings in nature, the relative importance of human development and environmental protection, what is involved in living in an environmentally responsible way today, whether we might need to change our conception of what it is to live successfully, and the concepts of stewardship and sustainability. Broadly speaking, we will use the theoretical material that is introduced in the first part of the course to probe the proposals of the traditions, to which we will turn in the latter part of the course - although I expect there to be considerable movement to and fro between these two main areas of enquiry. We will read and discuss some of the best and most influential recent scholarship on all of the topics to be dealt with in the course.
RSLT 494 Indigenous Ecologies (Treat)
This interdisciplinary seminar explores the relationship between human experience and natural environment in native North America. Assigned readings survey historical and contemporary case studies in New World ethnoecology, including noteworthy examples of adaptation in the context of settler colonialism and in response to the dominant paradigm of scientific ecology. Class discussions are supplemented by audiovisual materials, guest speakers, and campus events relevant to the course. Students have the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of ecological traditions among American Indians; to conduct a research project focusing on a particular theme, issue, region, or community; and to develop their critical skills for use in academic, professional, and personal settings.
RLST 562 Religious Diversity (McKim)
Intensive study of philosophical and theological responses to the phenomenon of religious diversity. Topics such as these will be discussed: (a) pluralism, exclusivism, and inclusivism as attitudes to both the truth and the salvific efficacy of religious traditions other than one's own; (b) the bearing of the presence of a diversity of religious traditions on appeals to religious experience; (c) the issue of whether religious tra¬ditions can be understood from the outside; (d) whether there are viable forms of religious faith that are nondogmatic and open to revision; (e) whether human experience is religiously ambiguous and, if so, what the implications are for responding to religious traditions other than one’s own; and (f) whether there are viable ways to compare the religious traditions. Readings will include recent work from Alston, Schellenberg, Basinger, Plantinga, Quinn, Mavrodes, Hick and many others.