Religion (RELG)
Chair: Professor Louis E. Newman
Professors: Roger R. Jackson, Louis E. Newman, Robert A. Oden, Jr., Anne E. Patrick
Visiting Professor: Francis J. Reilly
Assistant Professors: Paula K. R. Arai, Shahzad Bashir, Michael McNally, Lori K. Pearson
Post-Doctoral Fellow: Susan Ridgely Bales
The study of religion, in the context of a liberal arts education, draws upon multiple disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences. This is reflected in the variety of courses offered within the department: some introduce a religious tradition and trace its development historically; others examine in a cross-cultural context issues faced by all religious individuals and communities; and still others explore and compare diverse theories and methods employed in the study of religions. Throughout the curriculum, religion is approached as a significant and pervasive expression of human culture, both in the past and the present. Students interested in the study of religion or in a particular religious tradition are encouraged to begin by taking Introduction to Religion (Religion 110) or other introductory level courses, numbered 100-169. For those planning a career in teaching or ministry, courses in the department serve as an introduction to further graduate or professional study.
Requirements for a Major:
Sixty-nine credits in the department, including Religion 110; a minimum of two courses numbered 111-169; two courses numbered 211-299; two advanced seminars (320-379); Religion 300: Issues in the Study of Religion; Religion 399: Senior Research Seminar; and Religion 400: Integrative Exercise. Students planning to major in Religion should consult with their advisor in the spring of their sophomore year; a sequence of at least three courses in a religious tradition, theme, or topic is to be designed in consultation with an academic advisor by the end of the junior year, and majors are expected to build some cross-cultural diversity into their programs of study. Religion 300 is taken during the winter term of the junior year, Religion 399 during the winter term of the senior year, and Religion 400 in the spring term of the senior year. Since Religion 110 is a prerequisite for Religion 300, those planning to major in Religion must take Religion 110 before the winter of their junior year.
Religion Courses
RELG 100. Faith, Hope and Love: Religious Responses to Human Suffering The first of the great teachings of Buddhism is "there is suffering." One of the central teachings of classical Christianity is that "faith, hope and love abide ... and the greatest of these is love." In this seminar we will investigate the many ways in which religious faith confronts the challenges posed by human suffering. Using a range of fictional, religious and psychological materials, we will explore how religions can enable people to endure, and even find meaning within, the most difficult circumstances. 6 credits cr., S/CR/NC, HU, Fall—L. Newman
RELG 100. The Sacred Body: Religious Reflections on the Human Form The human body has been a focus of religious reflection throughout history and across various traditions. Drawing on specific examples from different historical and cultural contexts, we will explore ways of constructing, deconstructing, cultivating, imagining, representing, manipulating, projecting, despising, and adorning the body in religious terms. Equal attention will be given to studying the body's treatment in religious discourses and to understanding actual physical activities such as rituals, ascetic discipline, and forms of meditation. The significance of social factors such as differentiation based on gender and class will also be considered while understanding particular religious worldviews. 6 credits cr., S/CR/NC, HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 110. Introduction to Religion This course offers an opportunity to reflect upon religion in human life. Sections vary with professors' aims, but all sections encounter material from more than one religious tradition, and probe theories of religion from several disciplinary perspectives. The study of individual quests highlights the personal dimension of religion, while the examination of historical cases brings out its cultural and political dimensions. Issues of gender, power, and social location also receive attention. Although Religion 110 makes no attempt to survey the world's religions, it provides an introduction to aspects of religious life and to the academic field of religious studies. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall,Winter,Spring—Staff
RELG 111. Judaism, Christianity, Islam Western civilization has been shaped decisively by three monotheistic religious traditionsJudaism, Christianity and Islam. In this course, we explore some of the central beliefs, values, and ritual practices of these religions, some of their interactions, and some of the issues that divide them. Attention will be paid both to the historical development of these traditions and to the distinctive forms they have assumed in modern times. The course will be useful for anyone interested in the religious roots of western culture and it will prepare you to do more advanced work in any of these traditions. No prerequisites. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 120. Introduction to Judaism This course provides an overview of the Judaic tradition as a whole, exploring its history, modes of expression, and characteristic polarities as phenomena of general human significance. The contours of classical Jewish life and thought are explored, as well as the crises, challenges, and choices confronting Judaic faith and practice today. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—L. Newman
RELG 121. Introduction to Christianity A study of classical teachings, rituals, social and cultural forms of the Christian religion in its early Christian, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and contemporary global developments. Attention is given to the complex variables that shape particular Christian communities such as race, gender, class, and social context. The course includes field visits and visual materials as well as lectures and discussions. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—L. Pearson
RELG 122. Introduction to Islam This course introduces Islam, a 1400-year old religion whose more than one billion adherents are spread throughout the world today. Of the various ways of approaching such an extensive tradition, we will follow a socio-cultural method with particular emphasis on how various types of Muslims have understood and interpreted their religion over the course of history. We will examine Islamic religious ideals, practices, institutions, and personalities to elicit the broad parameters that give coherence to Islamic religion and civilization. The course will also emphasize the diversity of Islamic religious perspectives, paying attention to social factors such as language affiliation, ethnicity, nationality, and gender. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 123. Muhammad and the Quran This course explores the Islamic religious tradition through its scripture, the Quran, and the life of its prophet, Muhammad. We will study Muhammad's biography to understand how it has influenced the development of Islamic belief and ritual. Through an examination of religious texts, art, and music, we will explore the role his memory has played in popular religious culture. We will study the Quran through its content, its origins, and the impact it has had on the development of Islam. In the process, we will emphasize the Quran as an aesthetically charged scripture as well as a written text. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Fall—S. Bashir
RELG 130. Native American Religions This course explores the history and contemporary practice of Native American religious traditions, especially as they have developed amid colonization and resistance. While surveying a broad variety of ways that Native American traditions imagine land, community, and the sacred, the course focuses on the local traditions of the Ojibwe and Lakota communities. Materials include traditional beliefs and practices, the history of missions, intertribal new religious movements, and contemporary issues of treaty rights, religious freedom, and the revitalization of language and culture. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Fall—M. McNally
RELG 135. Introduction to African American Religion Cross-listed with AFAM 135. This course explores the varieties of African American religious expressions. Our primary aim will be to trace their historical development in America, but we also will attend to the continued influence of Africa and the Caribbean on these traditions. We will examine the religious expressions of African Americans in their considerable diversity, but also will attend to certain themes that cut across time and tradition, such as the power of the spoken word and the importance of music. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Winter—S. Bales
RELG 140. Religion and American Culture This course explores the colorful, contested history of religion in American culture. While surveying the main contours of religion in the United States from the colonial era to the present, the course concentrates on a series of historical moments that reveal tensions between a quest for a (Protestant) American consensus and an abiding religious and cultural pluralism. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Winter—M. McNally
RELG 150. Religions of South Asia A survey of the origins and classical development of the major religious traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Primary attention will be given to the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, but Islam and the Jain and Sikh traditions also are considered. Readings are drawn mainly from Indian sources in English translation. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Fall—R. Jackson
RELG 151. Chinese Religion and Culture This course examines Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism in the Chinese context. An exploration of religious rituals, texts, and practices will guide our introduction to Chinese religious experience. Based upon this foundation, we will see how religious values influence decision-making processes in personal and public matters. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Spring—P. Arai
RELG 152. Japanese Religion and Culture An examination of the interplay of Shinto and Buddhism, with a focus on how Buddhism was transformed through the centuries according to Japanese assumptions concerning human nature, reality, and ultimacy. Art (visual, literary, and performative) will serve as a window upon Japanese religious experience. Based upon this foundation, we will see how religious values influence decision-making processes in personal and public matters. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Winter—P. Arai
RELG 211. Religion and Modern Literature An exploration of the religious significance of selected works of fiction, poetry, and drama by literary artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The close literary analysis of these texts will be accompanied by a unifying interest in the problem of faith and doubt in the modern era and in the various stances adopted by modern thinkers with regard to historical religious traditions. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 218. Hindu Classics: The Bhagavad Gita In-depth exploration of a single classic text from the Hindu tradition, in English translation. The text will be set in its cultural and historical context, and adumbrated by traditional and modern commentaries where available, but the primary focus will be on a close, sustained reading of the text itself, in an attempt to draw out the explicit and implicit meanings it may have had for its original audience. The text will vary from year to year and the course may be repeated. The text for 2002-2003 is the Bhagavad Gita. This devotional and philosophical masterpiece from the late centuries B.C.E. is arguably the best-known and most widely influential of all Hindu texts. 3 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 219. Buddhist Classics: The Lotus Sutra In-depth exploration of a single classic text from the Buddhist tradition, in English translation. The text will be set in its cultural and historical context, and adumbrated by traditional and modern commentaries where available, but the primary focus will be on a close, sustained reading of the text itself, in an attempt to draw out the explicit and implicit meanings it may have had for its original audience. The text will vary from year to year and the course may be repeated. The text for 2002-2003 is the Lotus Sutra. This early Mahayana sutra, which has profoundly affected Buddhism in both south and east Asia, is a vital source for understanding Mahayana ideas about enlightenment and enlightened action in the world. 3 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 220. The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) The central religious beliefs and moral values of ancient Israel will be explored both in relation to other ancient near eastern cultures and as the basis of later developments in Judaism and Christianity. Attention will also be given to the diversity of literary genres exemplified in the Hebrew Bible and to the problems of interpreting biblical texts. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—L. Newman
RELG 221. Jesus, Paul, and Christian Origins (New Testament) An introduction to the diverse literature and theologies of the New Testament and to the origins and social worlds of early Christian movements. Attention is given to the interpretation of New Testament texts in their historical settings, and to the various ways contemporary scholars and groups interpret the New Testament as a source for theological and ethical reflection. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—L. Pearson
RELG 224. Women and Christianity Cross-listed with WGST 224. . This course first examines women's historical involvement in Christianity and the various views on women held by influential Christians of the past. It then probes literary and theological texts that reflect the efforts of contemporary thinkers to understand and transform a tradition they find both oppressive and liberating where justice for women is concerned. A diverse range of contemporary authors (including African-American,Chinese-American, European-American, and Mexican-American) invite reflection on topics such as God-language, Christian missions, race, class, spirituality, sexuality, and environmental justice. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 225. Contemporary Catholic Theology Christian theology was at the heart of the curriculum when universities were established at Oxford, Paris, and Bologna eight centuries ago. The discipline has changed a great deal since then, but its findings remain both fascinating and controversial today. This course will meet once a week to consider the current state of various theological questions, using recent essays by Catholic authors on topics ranging from biblical interpretation and the doctrine of God to ethics and spirituality. The course has no prerequisites; it is designed to introduce students to contemporary Roman Catholic theology and to prepare them for specialized work in areas such as liberationist and feminist approaches to theology. 3 credits cr., HU, Winter—F. Reilly
RELG 227. Liberation Theologies Cross-listed with LTAM 227. . An introduction to Black Theology, U.S. Hispanic Theology, Latin American Liberation Theology, and Feminist Theology through writings of various contemporary thinkers. Attention will be directed to the social settings out of which these thinkers have emerged, their critiques of "traditional" theologies, and the new vision of Christian life they are developing. Previous study of Christianity is recommended but not required. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 228. Issues in Christian Ethics This course explores a range of issues in the practice of Christian faith, including: ethical decision making; the tensions of discipleship in a pluralistic culture; conscience and the authority of scripture, church, and tradition; and, moral issues related to developments in science and society, such as bioethical questions. Previous study of Christianity is recommended but not required. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 231. Protestant Thought This course treats the historical forms, classical expressions, and religious practices of Protestant Christianity from the original Reformation through the 19th century. Focus is on the interpretation of texts (Luther, Calvin, Book of Common Prayer, Bunyan, Schleiermacher, Kierkegaard) and movements (Puritanism, Pietism) in their historical contexts and their contemporary relevance. The relationship of these texts to Roman Catholicism, to the rise of historical-critical inquiry and modern secular rationality will also be examined. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 235. Women and Islamic Constructions of Gender Cross-listed with WGST 232. A survey of issues significant for women's lives in various parts of the Muslim world. We will briefly examine women's status and image in classical Islamic thought, and the bulk of the course will focus on contemporary Muslim women in a number of different cultural contexts. Issues to be discussed include: veiling, kinship structures, war and violence, health, feminist activism, and literary and artistic expression. The course aims to provide both a broad understanding of the factors affecting women's lives, and an appreciation of the diversity of social and material conditions that exist within the Muslim world. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Spring—S. Bashir
RELG 236. Philosophy of Religion Refer to PHIL 236 or description. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 238. Topics in Medieval History: Papacy, Church and Empire Cross-listed with HIST 238,FRST 238,WGST 233. In the late 11th century, the foundations of medieval society began to shake. Monks and clerics, kings and princes, lay men and women, challenged the traditional order of European society, demanding purity, freedom, and justice for their church and the reform of institutions grown corrupt. Yet the traditional order had its defenders, too. In this course we will examine their strugglesverbal and physicalas they debate such issues as clerical marriage and purity, institutional corruption, the relationship of Church and King, the meaning of canon law, the concept of just war, and the power of the pope within the Church. 3 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 238. Topics in Medieval History: Gender and Ethics in Medieval France Cross-listed with HIST 238,FRST 238,WGST 233. Acknowledged by contemporaries as one of the leading intellects of her time, Christine de Pizan (ca. 1364-ca. 1431) was an author of unusual literary range and perceptiveness. In addition to romances, poetry, and a quasi-autobiographical Vision, she composed works on political theory, arms and chivalry, and her famous defenses of womenÂThe City of Ladies and the Treasure of the City of Ladies. Using Christine's writings as a foundation, we will explore problems and perceptions of gender, love, the ethics of personal relations, and the exercise of power in domestic and public spheres in late medieval France. 3 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 238. The World of Bede Cross-listed with HIST 238,FRST 238,WGST 233. This course will examine the works and world of the Venerable Bede (c. 673-731), one of the great Christian thinkers and historians of the Middle Ages and a key witness to the history of early medieval Ireland and Anglo-Saxon England. Through close study of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People and other contemporary sources, we shall address such issues as Christian vs. Germanic rulership; the nature of religious conversion in early medieval societies; monasticism and conceptions of sanctity; Ireland and England as outposts of classical and Christian culture; and the problems of historical thought and writing in the early Middle Ages. 3 Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 239. Religion and the American Landscape The American landscape has shaped and has been shaped by the religious imaginations of its various inhabitants. This course considers different ways of imagining the relationship between land, community, and the sacred and how these traditions have been inscribed on the land itself. Native American and Latino traditions will be considered, as will a variety of European-American traditions, including Puritans, Mormons, Romantics, Deep Ecologists, and immigrant farming traditions of the upper midwest. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—M. McNally
RELG 243. Native American Religious Freedom This course explores historical and legal contexts in which Native Americans have practiced their religions in the United States. Making reference to the cultural background of Native traditions, and the history of First Amendment law, the course explores landmark court cases in Sacred Lands, Peyotism, Free Exercise in prisons, and sacralized traditional practices (whaling, fishing, hunting) and critically examines the conceptual framework of "religion" as it has been applied to the practice of Native American traditions. Service projects will integrate academic learning and student involvement in matters of particular concern to contemporary native communities. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Winter—M. McNally
RELG 246. Healing and Religion in America Illness and health have been central concerns of a wide variety of American religious traditions. Religious traditions of healing have sometimes complemented, sometimes challenged the professionalization of medicine in their unique ways of imagining the intimate relations of body, mind, and spirit and of individual body, social body, and the cosmos. Against the historical backdrop of the professionalization of medicine, this course explores ritual healing in Native American, Afro-Caribbean, and Asian-American communities, Mexican American curanderismo, hygienic movements, Christian Science, and faith healing. Prerequisite: One religion course or consent of the instructor. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 248. Religions in the Borderlands: Retaining and Transforming Cultures This course is designed as an introduction to the richly textured religious fabric of Latino religious expression in the borderlands. After defining the border, both geographically and cognitively, we will orient ourselves to its historical realities. Then, rather than trying to be exhaustive, an impossible task for any course, we will attend closely to four areas of religious expression: the church, the streets, the marketplace, and the home. The course ends by moving into new borderlands, both religious and geographic. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Spring—S. Bales
RELG 250. Hindu Traditions An exploration of selected texts and topics from the dominant religious tradition of India. Drawing from both classical and modern sources, we consider a range of expressions of Hindu religiousness, from philosophic speculation, to mythic narrative, yogic practice, daily ritual, ecstatic devotion, and social and ethical prescription. Religion 150 is recommended but not required. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—R. Jackson
RELG 251. Theravada Buddhism Study of Buddhism's beginnings in India and its spread to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, where it is a dominant religious and cultural form. The first part of the course focuses on Theravadin interpretations of the Buddha's life and basic teachings, as found in the Pali canon. The second part of the course analyzes Buddhism's function as a cultural system in one or more Theravadin society, with special attention to such issues as Buddhist legitimization of secular power, popular religious practices, the relation between monks and laity, and the role of women. Religion 150 recommended but not required. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—R. Jackson
RELG 252. Indian Mahayana Buddhism Self-consciously styled as the "Greater Vehicle" of the Buddhist tradition, the Mahayana stream of Indian Buddhism had a profound impact on the shape of Buddhism in India and beyond. This course will examine a range of Indian Mahayana doctrines and practices, focusing especially on the "new metaphysics" of emptiness; controversies in the conception of Buddhahood; the centrality of compassion and the bodhisattva ideal; visualization and other meditation techniques; the role of faith and the practices of lay people; and the Buddhist tantra. Religion 150 recommended but not required. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 253. Tibetan Buddhism Against a background of the essential ideas and practices of Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism, this course examines the development within Mahayana of the esoteric traditions of Tantra, and then traces the rise and development of the complex, Tantra-dominated Buddhism of Tibet. Topics include the role of the lama, ideas about death and reincarnation, tantric meditative practices, debates about such doctrines as emptiness and skillful means, the place of women, and the history of the Dalai Lamas. Religion 150 is recommended but not required. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 254. Delusion and Enlightenment in Zen Buddhism A study of the development of Zen Buddhism as it changed over the centuries in various cultural climates, including its inception in China, growth in Japan, and emergence in the west. Special attention will be given to Zen's basic philosophy, its position within Mahayana Buddhism, its practices, and its contemporary activities. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 255. East Asian Buddhist Thought and Practice Selected major figures and schools of East Asian Buddhism are examined in historical succession, focusing on China and Japan and including Korea. Representative figures will be examined from the Philosophical Schools, Zen, and Pure Land Buddhism, as well as others. Primary texts in translation will be examined in detail. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 258. Women in Buddhist Traditions Cross-listed with WGST 258. An exploration of Buddhist traditions that probes the contributions and concerns of women in various cultural contexts (Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese, and North American) and time periods (ancient and modern). We will examine how gender is constructed in each cultural and religious context and analyze the practices, texts, and hermeneutical schemes that foster misogyny. We will look into reasons why texts on religion have not always included the voices of women and investigate ways to correct the historical record and foster justice for women in today's religious settings. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Winter—P. Arai
RELG 260. Myth, Ritual, and Symbolism Cross-listed with SOAN 260. Exploring the ways in which people make sense of their world through myth, ritual and symbolism, this course takes an anthropological approach to the study of comparative religion. What is the relationship between "myth" and "history?" How do animals, food, color, music, and the human body function as idioms of symbolic communication? Why is ritual credited with the ability to heal illnesses, offer political commentary, maintain cosmic harmony, and foster social cohesion through the exhibition of interpersonal tensions? Examining major theories in the anthropology of religion, students learn to record and analyze both "familiar" and "unfamiliar" myths, rituals, and symbols. 6 credits cr., SS, Winter—J. Levi
RELG 261. Sociology of Religion Cross-listed with SOAN 228. . The social dimension of religion and the relationship between religion and society. Sociological theories of religion; conversion and commitment; sects, churches and cults; secularization debate; institutionalization; civil religion and new religious movements; religion and politics; and social basis of religious behavior and organization. Prerequisite: Sociology 111 or consent of instructor. 6 credits cr., SS, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 262. Millennialism in Cross-Cultural Perspective This course is an examination of millennial and "end-time" beliefs in a variety of cultures around the world. Topics include: roots of millennial ideas, Jewish apocalypticism, beginnings of Christianity and Islam, and modern case studies from the Pacific Islands, China, Iran and the United States. The course will elicit general conclusions regarding millennial and messianic ideas through detailed discussions of specific examples. Previous coursework in religious studies, history, or anthropology will be helpful but is not required. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 263. Sufism A survey of the large complex of Islamic intellectual and social perspectives subsumed under the term Sufism. Sufi mystical philosophies, liturgical practices and social organizations have been a major part of the Islamic tradition in all historical periods, and sufism has also served as the primary muse behind Islamic aesthetic expression in poetry, music, and the visual arts. We will treat the material in three sections: basics of Sufism, historical evolution of the tradition, and the impact of modern ideas. The course aims to deepen students' understanding of Islam and to underscore the diversity of human ways of being religious in the world. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—S. Bashir
RELG 264. Muslims on the Margins: A Survey of Islamic Minority Traditions This course will highlight the diversity of Islamic religious ideas and practices by treating minority sects and groups that have been a feature of Islamic societies in all historical periods. We will survey the various Shi'i sects that originated in the earliest centuries of Islam and continue to the present. In addition, we will consider other groups exemplifying minority views such as antinomianism, divine incarnation, and transmigration of souls. The course will also emphasize the significance of local Asian and African settings in the formation of Islamic ideas. Our chief objective will be to challenge the idea of a single hegemonic Islamic tradition by considering historical and ethnographic materials in detail. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 269. Jewish Ethics How do religious beliefs shape our moral perspectives? In this course we will examine the ways in which this has happened within the Jewish tradition, paying attention to both ethical theory and issues in applied ethics. Both traditional and contemporary approaches to Jewish ethics will be examined and these will be compared with other religious as well as secular ethical traditions. Prior study of religion and/or ethics will be useful, but is not required. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 271. Issues in Contemporary Religious Thought: The Holocaust This course explores the profound theological and moral issues raised by the Nazi policy of systematic genocide. Attention will be given to a wide range of issues, including Jewish and Christian responses to these events, collaboration with the perpetrators, spiritual resistance, whether there are "unforgivable" crimes, and the use of scientific data from experiments on concentration camp inmates. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 273. Indian Philosophy Cross-listed with PHIL 275. An introduction to the classical philosophical tradition of India. The primary emphasis is on reading and discussion of selected Hindu and Buddhist sources in English translation, though contemporary and comparative materials also may be included. In terms of the "fields" of Western philosophy, the major focus is on Indian approaches to metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics, with secondary consideration of logic, linguistic philosophy, and aesthetics. Some prior work in either Western philosophy or South Asian religion is highly desirable. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 276. Religious Autobiography in Comparative Perspective The course explores the lives of persons who have intensely pursued self-knowledge and the knowledge of God or ultimate reality. Through close attention to the insights offered by individual experience and by knowledge of dynamic religious traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, the course studies the personal quest for meaning and its debt to diverse ideas and beliefs. The course approaches religious autobiography as the product of a mutually creative interplay between religious tradition and the search for spiritual insight and sense of purpose. Authors include Augustine, Thoreau, Gandhi, M.L. King, Mernissi and Basho. Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 300. Issues in the Study of Religion This seminar is designed to acquaint junior religion majors with some of the basic theories, methods, and problems in the field of religious studies. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—R. Jackson
RELG 320. Conscience and Community: Challenges in Catholic Moral Theology How are contemporary Roman Catholics forming their consciences on disputed moral questions? How does a religious tradition accommodate diversity and change and also maintain unity and continuity? Such questions will inform this seminar, which will consider debates on bioethics, feminism, authority and dissent, sexuality and reproduction, and ecology. Prerequisite: One course in ethics or Christianity, or consent of the instructor. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 322. Christian Feminist Theologies Cross-listed with WGST 322. . Since the early 1970s feminist scholars have made important contributions to Christian theology, especially in the areas of biblical studies, systematic theology, and ethics. This seminar will investigate works by a diverse range of Catholic and Protestant thinkers who are influencing these theological disciplines and also contributing to wider movements for justice and ecology. Prerequisite: One course in Christianity or consent of instructor. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 327. Genesis This course will address two central concerns through an in-depth study of the book of Genesis: hermeneuticsthe problems and possibilities of textual interpretation, and theologythe ways in which religious communities and individuals reflect on the meaning of sacred events. This important biblical book raises an extraordinary range of issues, including cosmogony, the nature of humankind, faith, familial relationships, politics, sex and violence. Materials will be drawn from both classical and modern commentaries, including Bill Moyer's series on PBS. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 328. Contemporary Jewish Thought This seminar introduces students to contemporary (Post-World War II) Jewish theology. We will explore the creative and diverse ways in which modern Jewish thinkers have combined elements of modernity (e.g. the emphasis on autonomy and freedom) with traditional Jewish beliefs about God, revelation, and redemption. The course will include representative selections from rationalists and mystics, feminists, traditionalists and post-modernists. Prior study of religion and/or philosophy will be helpful. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 331. God, Lovesickness, and Wine From the 7th century to the present, poetry has been a mainstay of religious and cultural expression in numerous Islamic societies. In this course, we will explore the literary and social sides of this phenomenon by examining materials from a number of Asian and African societies. We will treat original poetry from different major and minor Islamic languages accompanied by contemporary literary theory. In addition, we will look at social aspects of poetry such as musical and recitative performance, mystical and political usage, and the lives of poets. Some prior knowledge of Islam or literary theory would be helpful. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Winter—S. Bashir
RELG 342. New Religious Movements: "Sects" and "Cults" This course is an introduction to new religious movements in the United Statesthose groups frequently referred to as "sects," "cults," and "fringe religions." Why do people join new religions? How do new religions succeed or fail? We will read and discuss scholarly theories about new religious movements as well as study the characteristics that help to create, sustain, and often destroy them. Using Christian Science, Neo-paganism, the Branch Davidians, and other groups as case studies, we will examine such issues as "brainwashing," conversion, the role of children, and how to make sense of the relation between religion and violence. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—S. Bales
RELG 344. Lived Religion in America The practices of popular, or local, or lived religion in American culture often blur the distinction between the sacred and profane and elude religious studies frameworks based on the narrative, theological, or institutional foundations of "official" religion. This course explores American religion primarily through the lens of the practices of lived religion with respect to ritual, the body, the life cycle, the market, leisure, and popular culture. Consideration of a wide range of topics, including ritual healing, Christmas, cremation, and Elvis, will nourish an ongoing discussion about how to make sense of lived religion. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—M. McNally
RELG 350. Emptiness An exploration of the central concept of Mahayana Buddhism, śūnyatā, translated as emptiness. We will trace prefigurations of emptiness in early Buddhism, then examine its classical expression in the Perfection of Wisdom sutras and the treatises of the Madhyamaka school, and its gnostic application in tantric traditions. Throughout, we will try to understand how the "emptiness factor" affects basic questions in Buddhist metaphysics, epistemology, meditation-theory, and ethics. Our primary focus will be on Indian and Tibetan texts, but we also will consider interpretations from East Asian and modern Buddhist writers, and reflect on emptiness vis à vis Western philosophies. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Spring—R. Jackson
RELG 355. Buddhist Ethics An inquiry into the nature of "the good," "the virtuous," and "the meritorious" in Buddhism. Drawing on both traditional texts and modern studies, we will examine Buddhist evocations of the ideal attainment, taxonomies of positive and negative mental states, descriptive and prescriptive theories of karma, expositions of proper monastic and lay conduct, and analyses of the complex relation between knowledge and action. Examples will be taken from four major Buddhist traditions: Theravada, Indian Mahayana, Tantra, and Zen. Study of classical views will be supplemented by explorations of the ways in which Buddhist ethics may be understood in relation to ethical theories developed in the West, and to such "contemporary" concerns as bio-ethics, the environment, nationalism, and gender and sexuality. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 356. Buddhism, Belief and Religious Authority The Buddhist tradition is frequently touted, by both traditional and modern advocates, as grounded in reason as opposed to faith. Yet many, if not most, Buddhists also adamantly insist on the necessity of accepting past and future lives, while others proclaim the need for generating faith in a qualified religious guide. In this seminar, we examine a variety of Buddhist sources on the question of the limits and capacities of reason in Buddhism, asking whether and how faith and religious authority may participate in the adoption of Buddhist beliefs. Prerequisite: one course in Buddhism or consent of instructor. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 370. Mysticism Readings in Western and Eastern mystical and spiritual traditions. Some theoretical consideration of religious experiences will be examined, followed by an in-depth examination of first-hand accounts in the form of essays, journals, and autobiographies. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 371. The Poetics of Enlightenment Our focus will be on the various poetic modes through which Buddhists have attempted to express the supposedly ineffable experience of enlightenment, as well as the manifold paths leading to it. Examples will be drawn from major Asian Buddhist cultures, as well as from the works of modern Western Buddhists. Fiction and drama may be included, but the major emphasis will be on poetry, seen in its historical context and in relation to traditional and contemporary literary theories, as well as to discussions of the relation between mysticism and language. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 372. Medicine, Healing, and Spirituality This course will analyze how western allopathic medicine and Asian Buddhist traditions approach the concepts of illness and health and the relationship of body and mind. An "Integrated Model of Affliction and Healing" will facilitate cross-cultural understanding and discussion. We will develop knowledge and skills through a directed field research project involving in-depth interviews on a person's healing process. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RELG 399. Senior Research Seminar This seminar will acquaint students with research tools in various fields of religious studies, provide an opportunity to present and discuss research work in progress, hone writing skills, and improve oral presentation techniques. Prerequisite: Religion 300 and acceptance of proposal for senior integrative exercise and instructor's permission. 6 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Winter—L. Newman
RELG 400. Integrative Exercise 3 credits cr., S/NC, ND, Spring—Staff