REL 1000 - Introduction to World Religions
This course offers a secular, interdisciplinary, and comparative approach to the world’s religious traditions. It is designed to foster an understanding of diversity and difference. The focus of the course is on origins. We begin with the oldest conceivably religious artifacts, proceed to some reconstructed oral traditions, and follow with the study of originating religious visions as established in scriptures from the West and the East.
Credit: 3
REL 1001 - Islam: A Short Course
Introduction to the core principles of Islam, its different religious sects (i.e. Shia, Sunni, Sufi), cultural mores in the Middle East, and Islamic revitalization movements of the last century.
Credit: 1
REL 3000 - Religion, Sacrifice, and Violence
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
Sacrifice and violence are persistent themes in the world’s religious traditions and have invited scrutiny from anthropological, sociological, psychological, political, theological, and other perspectives. This course will explore some classical examples of those perspectives as well as a variety of historical and literary phenomena to which they have been applied. Readings to include Freud, Girard, Burke, Marx, and Juergensmeyer, among others.
Credit: 3
REL 3001 - Religion and Social Change
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
An interdisciplinary approach to problems of social order, integrating religion, ethics, and science. The course develops the evaluative process as a primary tool in the study of social problems and examines the relevance of institutionalized religion in a world of rapid social change.
Credit: 3
REL 3007 - On Death and Dying
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
An overview of the legal, moral, medical, and pastoral attitudes surrounding death. Personal reflection, preparation, and acceptance of death as a liberating act of life are emphasized.
Credit: 3
REL 3151 - Bible as Literature
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL I course.
An interdisciplinary examination of the great literary themes of the Bible, such as the nature of God, humanity, gender, and nation within the context of early Jewish and Christian history. Students will also explore the ongoing literary and cultural influence of the Bible in multiple cultural contexts.
Credit: 3
REL 3152 - Understanding Early Christian Literature
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
Course will focus on the historical emergence of Christian doctrine as revealed by texts. Readings may address Jewish scriptures, Dead Sea Scrolls, New Testament gospels, gnostic gospels, apocalyptic expectations, early Christian letters, martyr narratives, Greco-Roman mysteries, and historical writings up through the fall of the Roman Empire.
Credit: 3
REL 3200 - Abrahamic Traditions
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all Abrahamic religions because their originating legends derive from the figure of Abraham, father of Ishmael and Isaac in the Bible. Consequently, they are considered religious cousins. Exploring the histories of the three traditions together allows us to see and compare founding stories, themes, and historical developments and interactions among the three.
Credit: 3
REL 3310 - Asian Traditions
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
Survey of the literature, history, and cultural traditions associated with Asian religions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Bo, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, and numerous folk traditions. Course begins in ancient India and expands into Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, China, Korea, Japan, and Hawai‘i.
Credit: 3
REL 3500 - Indigenous Traditions
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
Course explores religious and mystical traditions of indigenous peoples primarily from Aboriginal Australian, Pacific island, mainland Native American, and African cultures. Readings focus on autobiographical and fictional accounts of traditional people at the crossroads between contemporary and traditional cultures.
Credit: 3
REL 3600 - War in World Religions
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
A survey of the historical link between religion and war, from antiquity to the present and from west to east. Students will peruse literature justifying war, imagining war, and condemning war from different cultures, religions, and historical periods.
Credit: 3
REL 3700 - Gender in the Bible
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course.
Course explores representations of gender in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures and in apocryphal literature associated with Judaism and Christianity extending into the 4th century CE. Students harness a variety of literary, historical, and archaeological tools to explore these representations.
Credit: 3
REL 3990 - Internship
Prerequisite: At least a 2.7 GPA for undergraduate level.
Internships provide students with applied, experiential learning opportunities so that they can make connections between academic study and the practical application of that study in a professional work environment. Academic internships are supervised by a faculty member and an on-site professional supervisor. All academic internships must be approved in advance by the department or program. Unless stipulated otherwise by the department or program, credit hours are defined by the university's credit hour policy (for example, a 3-credit internship will require a minimum of 120 hours onÂsite). Internships may be repeated for a total of 9 credit hours.
Repeatable for up to 9 Credits.
Credit: 1 to 3
REL 3997 - Directed Readings
Directed individualized readings.
Credit: 3
REL 4002 - Religion, Sustainability, and Globalization
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course and junior or senior standing.
Course examines the critical links between religion, sustainability, and globalization. Students will be acquainted with the impact of religious teachings on sustainability and with the impact of globalization on religious traditions. Students will examine how religious ideologies generate views of ecosystems and our place in them, as well as religion’s influence on applied ethics in a shrinking world.
Credit: 3
REL 4900 - Seminar in Religious Studies
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL II course and junior or senior standing.
The seminar offers students opportunities for in-depth study of a specific topic in religious studies. Presentation of a thesis on an aspect of the topic is required. Effective research, analytical composition, and oral communication are expected.
Capstone course.
Credit: 3
REL 6002 - Religion, Sustainability, and Globalization
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
This course will address two broad but interrelated sets of topics. The first is a comparison of traditional religious teachings regarding our place on earth, farming, animals, commerce, and cooperation and competition with outsiders. The other set deals with the changes in these attitudes subsequent to globalization.
Credit: 3
REL 6011 - Religion in World History
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
An objective and non-partisan survey of the role religion has played in the course of human events. A basic knowledge of the principle tenets and sects of Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam is recommended; personal adherence to a particular religion or lifestyle is not. Emphasis is given to the historical context of contemporary religious concerns and conflict.
Credit: 3