Courses

Studies religion as individual experience and social phenomenon. Examines varieties of religious language (symbol, myth, ritual, scripture) and of religious experience (Asian, Western, archaic). Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Ritual continues to play an important role in contemporary societies in both religious and secular contexts. This course examines the elements and genres of ritual activity from African rites of passage to the Beijing Olympics, paying close attention to how the media documents, appropriates and transforms aspects of ritual. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: Contemporary Societies.

Studies the nature of contemporary American society from various theoretical perspectives in religious studies. Gives attention to the impact of secularization and to the religious elements foundin aspects of secular life (e.g., politics, literature, education, and recreation). Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: contemporary societies.

Explores the development of various religions within the shaping influences of American culture, including separation of church and state, the frontier experience, civil religion, and the interaction of religions of indigenous peoples, immigrants, and African Americans. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: United States context or ideals and values.

Introduces literature, beliefs, practices, and institutions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, in historical perspective. Same as JWST 2600. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Introduces the literature, beliefs, practices, and institutions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, in historical perspective. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Introduces literature, beliefs, practices, and institutions of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shintoism in historical perspective. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Introduces religions of the peoples indigenous to the Americas. Concerns include ritual, mythology, and symbolism occurring throughout these cultures in such areas as art, architecture, cosmology, shamanism, sustenance modes, trade, and history. Same as ETHN 2703. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values or human diversity.

Examines roles of women in a variety of religious traditions including Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and goddess traditions. Same as WMST 2800. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.

May be repeated up to 8 total credit hours.

Studies origins and development of various aspects of Christian tradition as expressed through scripture, theology, ritual, church order, ethics, and the arts. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: historical context.

Expanding the five common senses so they are grounded on a more fundamental kinesthetic sense, that is, sense of movement, this course focuses on the study of religion and culture on all those marvelous richly and sensuously textured aspects of religious behavior: movement, experience, feeling, action, sensation, gesture, art, music, dancing, architecture, costume, food, and ritual.

Seminar for religious studies majors that emphasizes the development of writing skills for use inside as well as outside the academy. Writing assignments are focused on one or more core topics in religious studies. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: written communication. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Religious Studies (RLST) majors only.

Studies religious dimensions of American culture through representative literature, beginning with the Puritans and focusing on diversity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: United States context.

Explores Jewish religious experience and its expression in thought, ritual, ethics, and social institutions. Same as JWST 3100. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: historical context.

Studies literature, beliefs, practices, and institutions of Hinduism, in historical perspective.

Introduction to Buddhist thought and practice in the variety of its historical and cultural contexts. Thecourse begins with an exploration of narrative, cosmology, doctrine and ritual in early Buddhism and the Theravada of South and Southeast Asia. Through case studies, we then trace diverse conceptions of the Buddhist path in Tibet and East Asia where the Mahayana spread. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomore, Junior or Senior) only.

Studies the literature, beliefs, practices, and institutions of Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism within the development of Japanese culture.

Introduces Islamic beliefs and practices through an examination of the Qur'an, Muhammad's life, ritual duties, law and theology, mysticism, and social institutions.

Studies classical Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, andNeo-Confucianism within the historical context of Chinese culture.

Intensive study of a selected area or problem in religious studies. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours as topics change. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomore, Junior or Senior) only.

A critical examination of the received cultural, religious, and academic understandings of dancing and the body; the construction of a richer theory of dancing that will more adequately support comparative studies; the study of dancing in cultures and religions in a diverse representation of cultures; and a more in depth social study of Latin American dancing including actual dancing experience.

Studies various religious movements in the U.S. and other parts of the Americas. Includes American religion and religions, religion and nationalism, revitalization and religion, and Asian religions in America. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours within a term as topics change. Prereq., 6 hours RLST or instructor consent. Same as RLST 5030.

Studies a particular topic in Christian theology and culture such as early Christianity, medieval Christianity, Christianity in the United States, women and Christianity, liberation theologies, Christianity and literature, and modern Christian thought. Maybe repeated up to 9 total credit hours as topics change. Prereqs., 6 hours of RLST courses at any level or instructor consent. Same as RLST 5050.

Examines in depth central themes, schools of thought, and movements in Hinduism, such as myth and ritual, renunciation, Vedanta, and 19th century Renaissance. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours as topics change. Prereqs., 6 hours of RLST courses at any level or instructor consent. Same as RLST 5200. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomore, Junior or Senior) only.