Religion (REL)

College of Arts and Sciences

 

110 World Religions, 3 credit hours
Introduction to the world’s major religious traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Examination of religious texts, as well as observation of diverse religious communities at worship.

210 Introduction to Religious Studies, 3 credit hours
Examination of the most-influential modern theories of religion, including those associated with the rise of the social sciences. Theorists to be examined represent the fields of sociology, anthropology, and psychology, and will include such figures as James Frazer, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, Mircea Eliade, Clifford Geertz, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Throughout, the focus will be on attempts to explain religion and the question of whether or not explaining religion necessarily explains it away.

300 The Literature of the Bible and Koran, 3 credit hours
A study of some of the major literary documents and ideas of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

301 St. Paul, 3 credit hours
A study of the New Testament documents by and about St. Paul, with an analysis of his religious thought and influence.

302, 303 Special Topics in Religion, 3 credit hours each
In-depth study of topics in religion, through individual or small-group sessions, with assigned readings.