Fall 2008
Undergraduate Courses
RELG 101 Introduction to Western Religions
Heather Warren
plus discussion section
An historical survey of the origins and development of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Subjects include the origins of monotheism, the rise of Israel as a nation, early Christianity, the rise of Islam in the Middle Ages, the Protestant Reformation, Christianity during the Enlightenment, and the influence of modern science and industrialism on 19th and 20th century religious life. Requirements: Weekly readings, two tests and a final
RELJ 111 Elementary Classical HebrewMartien Halvorson-Taylor
This course and its sequel (RELJ 112) introduce students to the basics of classical (biblical) Hebrew vocabulary and grammar. After completing the two semester sequence in grammar and syntax, students will have mastered the basic tools required to read prose passages from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the original language.
RELC 121 Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
RELJ 121 Hebrew Bible/Old TestamentMartien Halvorson-Taylor
Plus discussion section
This course provides an introduction to the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Tanakh and to Christians as the Old Testament. Using methods of modern biblical scholarship, we will examine the Hebrew Bible in its original ancient Near Eastern context to learn about the major phases in the history and religion of ancient Israel. We will consider the diverse genres and theological themes found in the Hebrew Bible and the literary artistry of its whole. Finally, we will read Jewish and Christian interpretations of the text in order to understand the complex process by which the text was formulated, transmitted and interpreted by subsequent religious communities. Requirements: A midterm test, a final examination, and brief writing assignments for section discussion.
RELJ 201 Intermediate Classical Hebrew IGreg Schmidt Goering
An Intermediate reading course of selected classical (biblical) Hebrew texts. Before enrolling in this course, students should have a firm grasp of basic classical Hebrew grammar and vocabulary. Through this course, students will gain facility with reading and translating both classical Hebrew prose and poetry. Prerequisite: RELJ 112 or the equivalent
RELJ 203 Introduction to Judaic TraditionElizabeth Alexander
An introduction to Judaism as it is practiced as a living tradition. We will survey the central Jewish beliefs that undergird the Jewish tradition and examine the ritual context in which these beliefs are manifest: sacred text study, prayer, holy day practices and life cycle passages (e.g. birth, marriage, death). We will explore the ancient sources from which so much of the Jewish tradition derives and observe the ever-changing ways tradition is manifest in contemporary Jewish life. We will draw on film, sacred text study and anthropological observation of Jewish life in Charlottesville today.
RELC 205 History of Christianity IRobert Wilken
How did Christianity evolve from a small Jewish sect in Palestine into a church that embraced the Mediterranean world, Europe, the middle East, Byzantium and the Slavic peoples? How did the teachings of Jesus and the events of his life become the foundation for a complex system of belief (e.g. Trinity), ethics (e.g. marriage), worship? What was the origin and development of Christian institutions and practices, e.g. bishops and clergy, the papacy, monasticism, Baptism, Communion, et al. How did the Bible take its present form? How was this faith understood and explained in rational terms? These are the broader questions addressed in a survey of the first thousand years of Christian history.
RELI 207 Classical IslamAbdulaziz Sachedina
This is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islam. The course is primarily concerned with the life and career of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, the teachings of the Qur'an, the development of the Muslim community and its principal institutions, schools of thought, law, theology, cultural life and mystical tradition, to about 1300 A.D. The objectives of the course are: (a) To acquaint the student with significant aspects of Islam as a religion in the classical period; and, (b) To help the student think through some of the basic questions of human religious experience in the light of the responses given to these questions by the great sages and saints of the Islamic tradition.
RELH 209 Introduction to HinduismJohn Nemec
This course serves as a general introduction to Hinduism in its classical, medieval and early-modern forms. By reading primary texts in translation, taking note of the cultural, historical, political and material contexts in which they were composed, we will explore Hinduism from its earliest forms to the period of the “Hindu renaissance” in the nineteenth century. In other words, we will take a sweeping look at the religious and cultural life of the Indian sub-continent from the second millennium B.C. (B.C.E.) to the nineteenth century.
RELB 210 Introduction to BuddhismKaren Lang
This course is an introduction to Buddhism, beginning with its origins in India, its spread throughout Asia to the West. The course will examine the historical and cultural contexts in which Buddhist beliefs and practices developed and are still developing. We will explore a wide variety of sources to understand the many ways in which Buddhists have attempted to understand who the Buddha is, what he and his followers have to say about karma and rebirth, the practice of meditation and the pursuit of enlightenment. We will also examine the views of contemporary Buddhist teachers on these issues and on the challenges Buddhism faces in the modern world. Two hourly examinations and a final.
GREE 223 New Testament Greek (Intermediate Greek)Judith Kovacs
The Department calls attention to this offered through the Classics Department, which can be counted towards the major in Religious Studies: This intermediate course aims to solidify the student's knowledge of Greek grammar, syntax, and vocabulary and give practice in reading and translating the Greek New Testament. We will also consider the principles of New Testament exegesis. Texts read come from the gospels, primarily Luke and John. (Letters of Paul will be read in Greek 224). Prerequisite Greek 101-102 or equivalent (one year of classical or Koine Greek). Requirements: regular quizzes, midterm, and final examination. Course may be used to satisfy the requirements for the major in Religious Studies.
RELC 236 Elements of Christian Thought
Kevin Hart
This course offers a systematic presentation of Christian thought. Topics include Creation and Fall, God as Trinity, Jesus Christ, Salvation, and Eschatology. How do theologians read the Bible? How do they read Philosophy? In what ways do theologians develop doctrines over time? Students will read selections from a wide range of Christian theologians, from the first Church Fathers to contemporary theologians. Different perspectives — Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant — will be examined; and students will be introduced to competing ways of discussing central Christian ideas: eco-theology, feminist theology, mystical theology, and theology of other religions, will all be part of the mix. No previous knowledge of Christian thought is presumed. Assessment is by way of short response papers, a midterm paper, and a term paper.
RELC 233 History of Christian Ethics
Margaret Mohrmann
plus discussion section
This course will survey the development of Christian ethical thought and teaching from its beginnings through the Reformation era. Major ethical themes will be traced through the centuries, as the church's scripture, evolving doctrine, and emerging tradition interact - in thought, word, and deed - with secular society, politics, and philosophy. Readings will be taken mostly from primary texts, such as the Bible and the writings of selected Christian thinkers, but will also include relevant historical and ethical analyses of the developing church and its social milieu.
RELC 240 History of American Catholocism
Gerald Fogarty
Catholicism in the United States has often been in a dilemma. On the one hand, its spiritual loyalty to Rome and its growth through immigration made it appear "foreign" to most Americans. On the other, the American Catholic support for religious liberty drew suspicion from Rome. In 1960, the election of John Kennedy seemed to signal the acceptance of Catholics as Americans. In 1965, the Second Vatican Council seemed to ratify what had long been a cherished American Catholic tradition. To understand the significance of these events of the 1960s, the course will treat the following themes: the early Spanish and French settlements, the beginning of English-speaking Catholicism in Maryland, with its espousal of religious liberty, the establishment of the hierarchy under John Carroll and its early development of a strong sense of episcopal collegiality, immigration and nativism, American Catholic support of religious liberty and conflict with the Vatican at the end of the 19th century, and the American Catholic contribution to Vatican II (1962-1965). The course will conclude with an analysis of social, political, and theological developments in the American Catholic Church since the end of the council. Course requirements: 1) a mid-term and final exam; 2) an analysis of an historical document selected from collections on reserve.
RELB 245 Zen
Dominick Scarangello
plus discussion section
The Zen tradition: Continuity and Change: In the last half century, the Japanese word “Zen” has entered the North American cultural lexicon; from 1950s beatnik literature to cable television comedy shows and technological jargon, “zen” often signifies sudden inspiration or conveys the sense that a situation or event is ironic, perplexing or sublime. However, in Japanese zen signifies “meditation” or one of several Japanese Buddhist sects; more broadly it refers to a pan-Asian religious movement. Known as Chan in China, this movement rose to prominence in the seventh and eighth centuries, eventually becoming the dominant form of Chinese Buddhism, it later spread to both Korea and Japan, where it is called Seon and Zen, respectively. This course will examine the formation of Chan/Zen Buddhism, and with a concern for the problem of continuity and change in traditions we will explore Chan/Zen’s transmission and indigenization within East Asia; we will also consider the possibilities of a western Zen in twentieth and twenty-first century Europe and North America.
RELB 254 Tibetan Buddhist Culture
David Germano
plus discussion section
Possible Description: This course surveys Tibetan Buddhist religious culture in terms of its history, biographical traditions, religious communities, cultural patterns, ritual life, contemplative traditions, and philosophical discourses. The focus will be on how tantric Buddhism has historically functioned in Tibet to relate these different dimensions together as an identifiable cultural zone of vast geographical terrain, despite never achieving any form of political unity. These range from controversies over antinomian practices pertaining to sexuality and violence, to Tibet¹s religo-political solution to tantra¹s decentralized paradigm of religious leaders understood to be Buddhas with local mandalas of absolute authority. We will look into the rise of the institution of reincarnate lamas that culminated in the Dalai Lama, and address the theory that Tibet¹s lack of centralization led to the importance of so-called "shamanic" trends of Buddhism. Finally we will also examine at great depth Tibetan innovations in Buddhist philosophy, ritual and yoga.
RELJ 260 Judaism Between Modernity and Secularization
Asher Biemann
This course develops the history and intellectual underpinnings of the Jewish experience of modernity and secularization. We will explore the variety of Jewish responses and adjustments to the modern world and their implications for present day Judaism in its many forms.
RELG 263 Business, Ethics, and Society
This course aims to acquaint students with a variety of philosophical and religious frameworks for interpreting and evaluating human activity in the marketplace. The first half of the semester will focus on Adam Smith, Max Weber, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, and Ayn Rand. The second half of the semester will examine some contemporary issues within the marketplace that deserve additional scrutiny, such as private property, freedom of contract, and the distribution of goods. In addition, we will attend to specific issues in corporate ethics. Requirements will include both a midterm and final exam, as well as writing requirements to be determined.
RELG 265 Theology, Ethics & Medicine
Jim Childress
plus discussion section
An analysis of the ethical principles that should undergird decisions in science, medicine, and health care. The lectures readings, and discussions will focus on ethical principles developed within different ethical traditions (such as Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, and Humanism) and on their implications for cases in abortion, death and dying, research involving human subjects, artificial reproduction, genetic engineering, cloning, and allocating resources. Several films, videotapes, and cases will be used. Requirements: Midterm, final examination, 3 brief papers (2 pages) and participation in discussion.
RELG 270 Festivals of the Americas
Jalane Schmidt
Communities (and even entire nations) throughout the Caribbean, and South, Central and North America celebrate festivals which are rooted in religious devotion, and which serve to mark sacred time and and to assert claims about religious, ethnic, and national identities. The class will read ethnographic accounts and listen to musical recordings of signature religious festivals--such as Saint Patrick's Day in Boston, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Carnival in Brazil, the Day of the Dead in Mexico--in order to study significant features of contemporary religious life in the Americas. Students will develop skills as critical readers of anthropological, historical, and religious studies accounts of religious and cultural change, and increase their ability to theorize about ritual, festivity, and sacred time and space in relation to ethnicity.
RELB 277 Daoism
Clarke Hudson
While early classics of Daoist wisdom are well-known nowadays, the Daoist religion--with its celestial gods and disease demons, communal rituals and private meditations--is relatively little-known. This course will cover the whole spectrum of Daoism in China, including early classics, religious history, practices, ideas, and ways of life. Through readings, lectures, discussions, and writing assignments, students will gain a general understanding of this ancient and vital tradition.
RELC 304 Paul: Life, Letters and Thought
Harry Gamble
This course examines the activity and thought of Paul of Tarsus, the best known and most influential thinker of the Christian tradition. We will treat the basic problems of Pauline biography and chronology, the nature of Paul's authentic letters, and the leading element of Paul's interpretation of Christianity. Each meeting will consist of both lecture and discussion.
RELI 305 Islam and International Relations
Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi
no course description exists for this course at the present time
RELJ 309 Israelite Prophets
RELC 309 Israelite ProphetsGreg Schmidt Goering
This course examines the phenomenon of prophecy in ancient Israel. We will read in translation most of the stories from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament about prophets (Moses, Deborah, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha), as well as the books attributed to prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and The Twelve). Each primary text will be considered in its historical, cultural, and political contexts. In addition, the course analyzes Israelite prophecy in light of similar phenomena in the neighboring cultures of the ancient Near East and with regards to modern anthropological studies of shamanism. The end of the course considers the transformation of prophecy in the Second Temple period and examines the emergence of apocalypticism. No prerequisite required, but RELJ 121 recommended.
RELC 318 American Evangelicalism
Pam Cochran
Evangelical Protestantism has played a vital role in shaping American history, culture and religion. It is estimated that some 25-35% of the American population (c. 70-100 million) today identifies with this movement. Far from being a monolithic entity, however, the religious, ideological, and social allegiances of evangelicalism are quite diverse. In addition, evangelicals maintain a somewhat paradoxical relationship with American society, functioning simultaneously as a politically powerful interest group (insiders) and as cultural antagonists (outsiders). This course is designed to introduce students to the history of evangelicalism, its characteristic religious patterns, and its ongoing negotiations with contemporary American culture.
RELG 320 Martin, Malcolm, and America
Mark Hadley
An intensive examination of African-American social criticism centered upon, but not limited to, the life and thought of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. We will come to grips with the American legacy of racial hatred and oppression systematized in the institutions of antebellum chattel slavery and post-bellum racial segregation and analyze the array of critical responses to, and social struggles against, this legacy. We will pay particular attention to the religious dimensions of these various forms of social criticism. The course requirements include engaged participation, three short essays, a mid-term and a final examination.
RELJ 322 Zionism and Nationalism
Asher Biemann
This course will examine the ideological correlations among Jewish nationalism, Zionism, and Jewish messianism in its modern interpretation. Focusing on primary sources and contemporary scholarship, we will try to illuminate the religious and secular origins of the Jewish national idea and its politics. Conversely, we will see how Jewish nationalism shaped the modern Jewish understanding of history, existence, and redemption.
RELJ 332 Judaism, Medicine and Healing
Vanessa Ochs
We will study a range of Jewish ways of understanding why we get sick, suffer, heal and how we find meaning again. We will investigate Jewish perspectives on the healing professions and consider Jewish biomedical ethics in matters of life and death. We will pay particular attention to ethical considerations raised by new healing technologies. Studies will include ancient and contemporary texts and a range of traditional and innovative healing practices.
RELJ 335 Sensibilities, Values and Virtue in Jewish Ethics
Peter Ochs
Jewish virtue ethics in classical rabbinics and in contemporary writings and ethnographic theory. An introduction to the ethical force of Hebrew Scripture as received by selected rabbinic thinkers and philosophers from classic times through the postmodern period.
RELG 337 God Since Cinema
John Portmann
How has the advent of cinema changed or molded Western perceptions of God? Beginning with Jack Miles's biography of God, we'll examine how cinematographers since Dreyer (Joan of Arc, 1928) have crafted a personality profile of both God and saintly people. We will discuss how novels and theological tracts differ from films. We will analyze and then test Pope Pius XII's encyclical Miranda Prorsus (1957), which asserts that cinema possesses a power lacking in other media -- and that film makers thus work under a moral imperative to guide audiences prudently. If more Westerners get to know God through film than through a synagogue or church, what could God's future be?
RELI 337 Islam and Human Rights
Mohsen Kadivar
This course undertakes to provide theoretical framework for the analysis of case studies of human rights. The main question of this course is the comparison of Islam as a religion and Human rights documents. The two main sources of our information about Islam are the Qur’an and the Tradition (Sunna). These are the basis for Islamic doctrine; Islamic theology (al-kalam), Islamic Ethics (al-Akhlaq)) and Islamic Jurisprudence (al-Fiqh/al-Shari’ah). As for Human rights documents we will examine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) [UDHR], International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) [ICESCR], International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (1966) [ICCPR] and other related UN documents. We will compare and contrast these to understand similarities and differences between Islamic thought and Human rights doctrines. The method of this course is comparative. We will compare each article of UDHR (and ICESCR and ICCPR as well) with Islamic sources. Our study will make clear particularly the points of compatibility/ incompatibility of Islamic thought and Human rights Doctrine in every article of UDHR. The result of this study will show that these two sources have several points of similarities such as the principle of human dignity, the principle of justice and fairness, the principle of freedom and responsibility and eliminate any race and color discrimination. On the other hand, the challenge between Islamic jurisprudence (al-Shari'ah) and UDHR is critical. This challenge will be discussed in six axes: religious discrimination, gender discrimination, slavery discrimination, jurist/clergy discrimination in the public domain, freedom of religion and belief and apostasy, and the willfully and violent punishment.
RELC 347 Christianity and Science
RELG 347 Religion and ScienceJohn Portmann
Christian Europe gave rise to modern science, yet Christianity and science have enjoyed reputations as mutual enemies. Does science undermine religious belief? Exploration of the encounter between these two powerful cultural forces. Study of the intellectual struggle to locate and anchor God in the modern world (specifically Giordano Bruno, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Freud, Einstein, and Feynman). Focus on the 20th century: the discovery of radio waves, x-rays, use of the first skyscraper, automobiles, vaccine, psychoanalysis, rise of the quantum theory of the atom, birth control pill, "morning after pill," human genome, and stem cell research. Final ten-page paper, regular class participation, and three-hour final examination
RELC 358 The Christian Vision in Literature
William Wilson
A study of selected classics in Christian imaginative literature. Readings will come from the Bible, Dante's Divine Comedy, and several modern authors such as Andrew Lytle, William Faulkner and Flannery O'Conner. Requirements: Three one-hour tests.
RELC 370 Revelation to John and its Interpretation through the Centuries
Judith Kovacs
This course will consider the last book of the New Testament from two different points of view. First we will study the book in its original first-century context, comparing it with other works in the same genre, the Jewish apocalypses Daniel, 1 Enoch, and 4 Ezra, and asking questions about the historical setting in which the book was written and its message in and for that context. Questions to be considered include: How do ancient Jewish apocalypses help us make sense of the rich array of symbols and images in Revelation? What is the book’s primary message — does it advocate vengeance, desire for social justice, or a worldwide mission to bring all people to salvation? Then we will consider the book’s “reception”, that is how it has been used and interpreted through the centuries, not only in theological works but also in music, art, poetry, novels, political and prophetic writings. Through the ages John’s Apocalypse has been a remarkably popular book, and the history of its reception offers an embarrassment of riches — in media as diverse as ancient sermons, medieval manuscript illustrations, political propaganda, poetry, song, and film. Among other interpretations, we will consider the book’s reception in hymns, African-American spirituals, reggae music, church architecture, Dürer’s woodcuts, the poetry of William Blake, and the popular /Left Behind /series of novels. /Prerequisite/: one course in Biblical studies, a course in art history, or permission of the instructor. /Requirements/: an 8-page paper, midterm examination, final quiz, and a group presentation on some aspect of the reception of Revelation. NOTE:This course is not open to students who have received credit for RELC 369 (The Gospel of John and the Revelation to John) because of significant overlap of material covered.
RELG 375 Spiritual Writing
Vanessa Ochs
Spiritual writing chronicles the quest for meaning, purpose and direction; it explores encounters with the sacred, and it makes sense of wrestling with faith and faith communities. In this course, students will study examples of spiritual writing in fiction, memoir, and journalism and will required to write about matters of the spirit in various genres. The writers whose work we will look at may include Rilke, Hesse ,Thich Nhat Hanh, Malamud, Raymond Carver, IB Singer, Alice Walker, Mark Salzman, Oliver Sacks, Annie Dillard, Anne Lamott, and Diana Eck.
RELC 387 Sex and Creation in Christianity
Vigen Guroian
In this course we will ask and examine such questions as: What is the origin of human sexuality and what are its purposes? What do our sexual identities as male and female have to do with the Christian doctrines of Creation, the imago Dei (image of God), original sin, and salvation? Are male and female complementary or incidental? What value does the Christian faith give to the body? How should we view the body with respect to our sexuality? Is there gender or sexuality in the Kingdom of God? What meaning is there in sexual love? Why marriage? Why singleness? Where in our lives does sex belong? Our inquiry will include readings that range from the Bible and early Christian writers to contemporary theologians.
RELA 389 Christianity in Africa
RELC 389 Christianity in AfricaCynthia Hoehler-Fatton
plus discussion section
This course examines the development of Christianity in Africa from its earliest roots in Egypt and the Maghrib in the 2nd c. CE, to contemporary times when over 44% of the continent's population claims adherence to the faith. Our historical overview will cover the flowering of medieval Ethiopian Christianity, 16th and 17th century Kongo Christianity, European missions during the colonial period, the subsequent growth of independent churches and the recent emergence of African Christian theology. We will address issues such as the relationship between colonialism and evangelism; translation, indigenization and inculturation of the gospel; and the role of healing, prophesy and spirit-possession in the conversion process. We will attempt both to position the Christian movement within the wider context of African religious history, and to understand Africa's place in the larger course of Christian history.
RELC 393 End of the World in Christian Thought
Augustine Thompson
This course will examine Christian speculation on the End of the World from the first century to the Year 2000 and beyond. Special emphasis will be paid to Biblical and apocryphal sources for such speculation, ancient Christian millenarianism, medieval and Reformation apocalypticism, nineteenth- and twentieth-century dispensationalism, and contemporary images of the End in literature and film. Required readings will be taken from original sources.
RELG 400a Majors Seminar: Death and the After Life
Ben Ray
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies Major
The goal of this seminar is to develop an informed and critical perspective on the study of religion through the study of myths, rituals, and literature concerning death and afterlife. The seminar does not intend to make the case for any single definition of religion or to take a particular theological perspective on death, but rather to have participants develop critical skills necessary for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of a number of scholarly approaches to the subject. Requirements: Six short papers, approximately one every other week. No mid-term and no final exam.
RELG 400b Majors Seminar: Ritual
John Portmann
This theoretical exploration of religious rituals will focus on the works of Durkheim, Austin, Derrida, and Kertzer. Through critical discussions of Jews, Catholics, Protestants, secular politics, and the fashion industry, we will strive to understand the philosophical underpinnings of symbols in action. Open to non-Majors. Previous work in philosophy or literary theory is recommended. Requirements: informed class participation, two brief exams, and a 15-page paper.
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies Majors
RELG 400c Majors Seminar: Creation
Larry Bouchard
This edition of the Majors Seminar will look at how different perspectives on the study of religion help us understand ideas of creation, including divine creation, cultural creation, and natural processes related to creation. In Part I of the course we will examine several definitions and approaches (sociological, psychological, cultural, theological) to the study of religion. We will use a literary text—perhaps E. M. Forster's novel, A Passage to India—as a "proving ground" for some of these perspectives. We will examine how they might (or might nor) help us understand religious communities and questions in the novel and at how the novel might be creating a number of perspectives of its own on religion. In Part II of the course, we will examine more views on possible relations between divine, natural, and cultural creation: religious-traditional (e.g., Augustine and Barth), philosophical-ethical-theological (e.g., Langdon Gilkey, John Polkinghorne, and Jon Levenson), and literary perspectives (e.g., William H. Miller's A Cantical for Liebowitz and Izak Denisen's Babette's Feast). Along the way we will consider old and recent debates about "creationism," "intelligent design," "the anthropic principle," and their bearing on understandings of God and evil, the self and other, and faith and science.
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies Majors
RELG 415 Salem Witch Trials in History and Literature
Ben Ray
Restricted to Majors in Religious Studies, History, English, American Studies, and SWAG.
This is NOT a majors seminar.
This seminar will explore the rich range of historical scholarship, literary fiction, and primary source materials relating to the infamous witch trials of Salem Village in 1692. How and why did the accusations begin? How and why did they stop? Serious theories and wild speculations abound, both then and now. Who were the heroes and villains of this tragic episode? Some of the most gripping personal stories may be found in the primary sources and literary treatments. Explore the impact of this small-scale, 300 year-old event on the American cultural heritage -- why has "Salem witchcraft" become part of the American cultural imagination? In addition to two major historical studies, Boyer & Nissenbaum, SALEM POSSESSED and Norton, IN THE DEVIL'S SNARE, and a seminal article by Rosenthal on Tituba, we will read literary works by Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown," Longfellow, GILES CORY OF SALEM FARMS, and Miller's THE CRUCIBLE. The course will also make extensive use of the Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft which contains all the original court documents and contemporary accounts. Using these resouces, students will write original research essays on important people and events related to the witch trials.
RELG 422 American Religious Autobiography
Heather Warren
A multidisciplinary examination of religious self-perception in relation to the dominant values of American life. Readings represent a variety of spiritual traditions and autobiographical forms, among them Thomas Merton's The Sign of Jonas; The Autobiography of Malcolm X; Charles Colson's Born Again; and Kathleen Norris' Dakota: A Spiritual Geography. Fulfills the majors seminar requirement. Prerequisites: Courses in religious studies, American history, or American literature. Requirements: Two short papers (5-7 pp. each) and an autobiography (20 pp.).
This IS a majors seminar, but it is not restricted to RELS majors only.
RELG 423 Bioethics Internship Seminar
Margaret Mohrmann
This is NOT a majors seminar.
This course is designed to provide students with experience in discerning and analyzing ethical issues as they arise in particular clinical settings. Each student will spend one half-day each week in a clinic or other health-care-related setting (the same setting throughout the semester) under the mentorship of a health care professional engaged in that setting. Seminar time will focus both on the role of the ethicist/observer and on the particular issues that commonly arise in clinical medicine. During the second half of the semester, students will give presentations related to their specific areas of observation. Students are expected to have some background knowledge of bioethics methods and common questions. Admittance to the course is by application; for details, see the Undergraduate Bioethics Program Website at https://bioethics.as.virginia.edu/internships
RELS 495 Independent Research
Instructor: Student's choice
Systematic readings in a selected topic under detailed supervision. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
RELS 496 Distinguished Major Thesis
Instructor: Student's choice
Thesis, directed by a member of the department, focusing on a specific problem in the theoretical, historical or philosophical study of religion or a specific religious tradition. The thesis is based in part on at least three hours of directed reading in the field of the thesis. Prerequisite: Selection by faculty for Distinguished Major Program.
RELS 497 Fourth Year Essay
Instructor: Student's choice
Studies selected topic in religious studies under detailed supervision. The writing of an essay constitutes a major portion of the work. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
A note on 500-level courses: Rise to a higher level!
All 500-level courses are open to undergraduate enrollment. Though these are graduate-level courses, they are designed to accommodate advanced undergraduates who have previously taken religious studies courses. Minors, and especially majors are encouraged to consider enrolling in these courses. For those considering graduate school, taking a 500-level course could prove immensely helpful.
If you see any 500-level course in this syllabus that you think you might want to take, and you have questions about it, please contact the professor who will be offering it. The religious studies faculty as a whole welcomes all such inquiries.
Graduate Courses
RELG 507 Interpretation Theory
Larry Bouchard
We will explore various approaches to interpretation theory, with emphasis on the nature and problems of interpretive activity in aesthetics, religion, and ethics. We will take up hermeneutical considerations of figuralism (e.g. Erich Auerbach), truth and understanding in encounters with texts and others (e.g., Schleiermacher, Gadamer, Ricoeur, Adam Zachary Newton), and reconsiderations of the hermeneutical model in such figures as Bahktin, Nussbaum, and Vattimo. Special attention may be given this time to postmodern views of religious discourse (e.g., in Derrida and some of his sympathizers and critics). Requirements: Class participation of assigned materials, a midterm take-home examination, and either a paper or an essay final.
Undergraduates not yet enrolled in this course need to obtain permission of the instructor and may be placed on a waiting list kept by Prof. Bouchard. Contact: lbouchard@virginia.edu.RELJ 511 Religion and Culture of the Rabbis
Elizabeth Alexander
RELC 514 Calvin and Calvinism
Augustine Thompson
This course is an introduction to Calvin, Classical Calvinism and modern Calvin studies intended for doctoral students in Religious Studies or history. The focus is principally bibliographical, but reading will include selections from Calvin and Classical Calvinists. Knowledge of Latin, German, and French is useful but not required.
RELI 540 Islamic Bioethics
Abdulaziz Sachedina
The seminar will undertake to discuss the development of a new subfield in Islamic legal and ethical studies. Although there is a long history of legal theoretical studies among Muslim legal scholars, the study of social ethics and its various applications in research and biomedical ethics is searching to define its methodology as well as application in the growing awareness of the ethical issues that confront both medical and legal professionals in the Muslim world. The emergence of specifically Islamic approach to the resolution of ethical problems in the health care ethics indicates both casuistry and principle-based ethical deliberations and rulings. The seminar will outline the moral reasoning that Muslims have developed to provide ethical guidelines in various areas of ethical problematic in research as well as clinical settings. Selected readings in theological ethics, legal methodology and application, and a growing literature about the new rulings in bioethics will provide students of Islam and comparative ethics an opportunity to understand the underpinnings of Islamic theology and legal-ethical methodology that guide public health and medical research in Muslim countries around the world.
Readings will include: Abdel Rahim Omran: Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam Munawar Ahmad Anees, Islam and Biological Futures: Ethics, Gender and Technology Aziz Sheikh and Abul Rashid Gatard, Caring for Muslim Patients Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Principles of Islamic Jursiprudence. Prerequisite: RELI 207 or RELI 208
RELG 541 Public Health Ethics
Jim Childress
This course will provide an overview of the key concepts and principles of public health ethics, as distinct from bioethics, with particular attention to the ethical issues that arise in deliberation about ends and means in public health interventions. This course will involve participation in a lecture series on liberty and coercion in public health.
RELH 545 Social Vision in Hinduism
John Nemec
Much of Hinduism, and the study of Hinduism, is concerned with the ways in which individuals, who usually have renounced the world, acquire religious merit, magical power, and liberating spiritual insight. These fascinating subjects are crucial to our understanding of the religion and of religion in general, but the public dimensions of Hinduism are often ignored in favor of these topics. Therefore, this course will examine the public and social dimensions of Hinduism. Topics will include the role of religion in shaping social institutions (e.g.: caste), cultural attitudes toward sexual and other personal relationships, and the relationship between religion and government.
RELB 546 Mahayana Buddhism
Karen Lang
Mahayana Buddhism has been an influential Buddhist movement spreading throughout South, Central and East Asia. This seminar will explore the origins and development of Mahayana Buddhism through looking at the Mahayana scriptures (sutras) and comparing their themes with those early Buddhist scriptures. The role of oral transmission, the "cult of the book" and the ritual use of sutras will also be discussed. Course requirements include active participation in class discussions, weekly response papers, and a final paper. Open to undergraduates who have taken at least one course in Buddhism.
RELB 547 Literary Tibetan V
A continuation of the literary portion of Literary Tibetan IV, this course is designed for training in the literary forms of the Tibetan language. Emphasis is on exposure to a wide variety of styles/genres in Tibetan literature and in-depth knowledge of Tibetan grammar. Prerequisites: RELB 534 or equivalent. Requirements: Class attendance and participation, four exams, midterm, final, translation assignments.
RELC 551 Seminar in Early Christianity: The Formation of the Biblical Canon
Harry Gamble
This seminar will explore the process by which the Bible came to be, that is, when, how, why and by whom various writings came to be received, collected, delimited and otherwise shaped into a fixed corpus of religiously authoritative documents. Because there is no such things as the Bible, but a variety of Bibles, the seminar will consider the formation of the Hebrew Bible, of the Greek Bible (the Septuagint), and of the "New Testament." Materials will include the testimonies of early Jewish and Christian writers, ancient biblical manuscripts, early canon lists and other relevant evidence. The seminar will also consider biblical canons both as consequences of interpretation and as contexts of interpretation. Written requirements will include both a seminar report and a research paper.
RELI 552 Islamic Philosophy: Reason and Intuition
Mehdi Aminrazavi
The semester will roughly be divided into three parts. In the first part, after a discussion on early theological movements, we will focus on the early Islamic philosophy of al-Farabi and Avicenna (Ibn Sina). In the second part, we will study the transformation of early Islamic philosophy into a more gnostic oriented philosophical paradigm as reflected in the thoughts of Ghazzali and Suhrawardi. Finally, we will explore later Islamic philosophy of Mulla Sadra and Sabziwari, as well as those belonging to the school of Transcendental Theo-Sophy (al-Hikmat al-muti`alliyah).
RELC 558 History of Christian Ethics: Sex, Marriage, Family
Margaret Mohrmann
This course intends to provide a solid understanding of the historical roots of contemporary Christian ethics (from the New Testament period through the Reformation), experience in working with historical source materials, and familiarity with some important interpreters of this history. Toward these ends, students will attend lectures and read assigned materials for RELC 233. In addition, we will explore specifically, through additional readings and seminar discussions, moral teachings concerning sex, marriage, and family as they evolved through the first 1600 years of Christian thought. Course requirements include attendance at both RELC 233 lectures and the course seminar, completion of reading assignments, short weekly response papers, participation in seminar discussion, and a final paper. Open to advanced undergraduates. Permission of instructor required.
RELB 571 Chinese Religion and Society: Song Dynasty
Clarke Hudson
RELB 573 Huayan Buddhism
Hamar Imre
Huayan (Sanskrit Avatamsaka-sūtra; Jp. Kegon) Buddhism is one of the two major systems of East Asian Buddhist thought. Its thought, said to have been the Buddha’s direct revelation of his enlightenment, includes the investigation of the relationship of phenomena and Suchness and on how phenomena relate to other phenomena, as well as the classification of doctrine. In addition, Huayan played a major role in both Chan (Jp. Zen) and East Asian Esoteric Buddhism. Its competition with Tiantai (Jp. Tendai) stimulated both traditions. The course is taught by Hamar Imre, a visiting scholar who is one of the world’s foremost experts on this topic. This will be the only chance to take a course on one of the great Chinese Buddhist philosophical traditions taught by one of the world’s leading authorities.
RELC 574 The Icon and Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Vigen Guroian
This is a course on the icon in Orthodox Christianity. We will read theological works on the meaning of icons, but also on the value of art and its relationship to culture and the sacred. We will consider the icon as a way of doing theology and as a medium of worship and prayer. Readings range from John of Damascus’s 8th century apologetic in defense of the holy icons to modern Orthodox theological aesthetics and theologies of the icon, Included are the writings of Leonid Ouspensky, Vladimir Lossky, Paul Evdokimov. Andrew Louth, Michael Quenot, and Philip Sherrard. We will study at close hand Byzantine, Armenian, Syrian, and Coptic iconography and gospel illumination.
RELG 578 Wallace Stevens and the Absolute
Kevin Hart
This seminar attempts to develop a close reading of Wallace Stevens's major poems and to evaluate their theological significance. What is the character of the atheism of early poems such as "Sunday Morning"? Is the project of a "supreme fiction" theological or anti-theological or both? In what sense, if any, is "The Auroras of Autumn" a poem concerned with belief? These are some of the questions that will interest us. While reading Stevens we will also be concerned to consider assumptions that structure our reading of poetry that involves religion, whether affirmatively or negatively, and to discover what is involved in developing a rigorous theological reading of modern poetry. What differences are there, if any, between reading canonical biblical poetry and canonical secular poetry that addresses the absolute? Reference will be made to theologians such as Karl Rahner and Hans Urs von Balthasar, among other theologians, and to literary critics: Harold Bloom, for example.
RELB 580 Literary Tibetan VII
RELB 702 Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts
Clarke Hudson
RELG 727 Hegel and Philosophy of Religion
Jamie Ferreira
Graduate seminar for those students who want to develop their familiarity with Hegel's writings. We will include The Logic, the Phenomenology, and the Lectures on Philosophy of Religion.RELJ 732 Scriptural Reasoning in Theology and Education
Peter Ochs
An introduction to the theory of scriptural reasoning (SR), focusing on: (a) general philosophic and hermeneutical theories of scripture; (b) concrete studies in scriptural reasoning theory and practice; (c) SR as a practice of learning and teaching. Readings in the primary scriptures (TANAKH, New Testament, Qu’ran), in Abrahamic textual theologies (Iqbal, Barth, Levinas etc.), in philosophic hermeneutics (Peirce, Ricoeur, etc.), and in the Journal of Scriptural Reasoning.
RELJ 735 Sensibilities, Values and Virtue in Jewish Ethics
Peter Ochs
Jewish virtue ethics in classical rabbinics and in contemporary writings and ethnographic theory. An introduction to the ethical force of Hebrew Scripture as received by selected rabbinic thinkers and philosophers from classic times through the postmodern period.
RELC 736 Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion
Paul Jones
Jalane Schmidt
Given the multidisciplinary character of religious studies today, it is imperative for new scholars to gain a basic sense of theoretical and methodological options in the field. By way of an examination of landmark texts, this course surveys the formation of religious studies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; it also examines important contemporary approaches. In addition to helping students think carefully and critically about the study of religion, the course will facilitate (i) reflection about how particular research agendas relate to the broader field of religious studies; (ii) dialogue between different theoretical and methodological points of view; and (iii) the formulation of introductory syllabi on religious studies for use in a liberal arts context.This course is mandatory for all first-year Ph.D. candidates in the Religious Studies Department. Students will be required (a) to write a paper on a text or texts read in the course, with the topic formulated in consultation with the instructors, and (b) to devise a syllabus for an undergraduate class that introduces the academic study of religion.
RELC 737 The Brothers Niebuhr
Charles Mathewes
RELC 741 Revelation to John
Judith Kovacs
Graduate component of RELC 370
RELC 748 The Theology of Friedrich Schleiermacher
Paul Jones
This graduate-level seminar focuses on the major Protestant theologian of nineteenth-century Europe, Friedrich Schleiermacher. We will read most of Schleiermacher's major works, spending considerable time on his magnum opus, The Christian Faith. Topics considered include theological method; religious experience; the doctrines of God, Christ, creation, and church; theology and gender; and the relevance of Schleiermacher for contemporary philosophical theology. Students ought to have a background in Christian thought and some familiarity with European philosophy.
RELI 803 Arabic Reading Course
Mohsen Kadivar
RELI803 is an Arabic Reading Course for graduate students. The prerequisites for this course are Arabic and Classical Islam. Avicenna is the most important philosopher in Islamic tradition. His texts, after eleven centuries, remain the main source in Islamic philosophy. In this course a selected chapters of Avicenna’s major works (especially The Metaphysics of the Healing -Elahiyyat of al-Shifa-Book 10) will be read in Arabic and explained and analyzed in English.
RELB 826 Topics in Literary Tibetan
David Germano
Contact the instructor directly for a description of this course
RELC 892 Cyril of Alexandria
Robert Wilken
Contact the instructor directly for a description of this course
RELS 895 Research Selected Topics
Instructor: Student's choice
Systematic reading in a select topic under detailed supervision. Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding his course.
RELS 897 Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Research
Instructor: Student's choice
For master's research, taken before a thesis director has been selected. Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding this course.
RELS 898 Non Topical Research
Instructor: Student's choice
For master's research, taken under the supervision of a thesis director. Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding this course.
RELG 899 Pedagogy
TBA
RELS 997 Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research
Instructor: Student's choice
For doctoral research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.
Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding this course.RELS 999 Non-Topical Research
Instructor: Student's choice
For dissertation research, taken under the supervision of a dissertation director.
Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding this course.Fall 2009
Undergraduate Courses
RELG 1010 Introduction to Western Religions
Heather Warren
plus discussion sectionAn historical survey of the origins and development of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Subjects include the origins of monotheism, the rise of Israel as a nation, early Christianity, the rise of Islam in the Middle Ages, the Protestant Reformation, Christianity during the Enlightenment, and the influence of modern science and industrialism on 19th and 20th century religious life. Requirements: Weekly readings, two tests and a final
RELG 1040 Introduction to Eastern Religions
Clarke Hudson
plus discussion section
RELC 1050 Introduction to Christianity
Valerie Cooper
RELJ 1410 Elementary Classical Hebrew I
Martien Halvorson-TaylorThis course and its sequel (RELJ 1420) introduce students to the basics of classical (biblical) Hebrew vocabulary and grammar. After completing the two semester sequence in grammar and syntax, students will have mastered the basic tools required to read prose passages from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the original language.
RELC 1210 Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
RELJ 1210 Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Martien Halvorson-Taylor
Plus discussion sectionThis course provides an introduction to the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Tanakh and to Christians as the Old Testament. Using methods of modern biblical scholarship, we will examine the Hebrew Bible in its original ancient Near Eastern context to learn about the major phases in the history and religion of ancient Israel. We will consider the diverse genres and theological themes found in the Hebrew Bible and the literary artistry of its whole. Finally, we will read Jewish and Christian interpretations of the text in order to understand the complex process by which the text was formulated, transmitted and interpreted by subsequent religious communities. Requirements: A midterm test, a final examination, and brief writing assignments for section discussion.
RELH 2090 HinduismThis course serves as a general introduction to Hinduism in its classical, medieval and early-modern forms. By reading primary texts in translation, taking note of the cultural, historical, political and material contexts in which they were composed, we will explore Hinduism from its earliest forms to the period of the “Hindu renaissance” in the nineteenth century. In other words, we will take a sweeping look at the religious and cultural life of the Indian sub-continent from the second millennium B.C. (B.C.E.) to the nineteenth century.
RELJ 2010 Intermediate Classical Hebrew I
Greg Schmidt GoeringAn intermediate-level reading course of selected classical (biblical) Hebrew texts. Before enrolling in this course, students should have a firm grasp of basic classical Hebrew grammar and vocabulary. Through this course, students will gain facility with reading and translating classical Hebrew prose. Prerequisite: RELJ 1120 or the equivalent
RELJ 2030 Introduction to Judaic Tradition
Daniel Weiss
Plus discussion sectionAn introduction to Judaism as it is practiced as a living tradition. We will survey the central Jewish beliefs that undergird the Jewish tradition and examine the ritual context in which these beliefs are manifest: sacred text study, prayer, holy day practices and life cycle passages (e.g. birth, marriage, death). We will explore the ancient sources from which so much of the Jewish tradition derives and observe the ever-changing ways tradition is manifest in contemporary Jewish life. We will draw on film, sacred text study and anthropological observation of Jewish life in Charlottesville today.
RELC 2050 History of Christianity I
Richard Bishop
Plus discussion sectionThis course will trace the development of Christianity from the Apostolic Period until 1000, focusing, in particular, on its transformation from a small Jewish sect into the official religion of the Roman Empire. Attention will be paid to the development of doctrine, forms of prayer, ecclesiastical organization, and the Ancient Church's relationship to the world and secular government. The assigned readings will all be from the writings of early Christian authors.
RELB 2054 Tibetan Buddhism
David Germano
Plus discussion sectionPossible Description: This course surveys Tibetan Buddhist religious culture in terms of its history, biographical traditions, religious communities, cultural patterns, ritual life, contemplative traditions, and philosophical discourses. The focus will be on how tantric Buddhism has historically functioned in Tibet to relate these different dimensions together as an identifiable cultural zone of vast geographical terrain, despite never achieving any form of political unity. These range from controversies over antinomian practices pertaining to sexuality and violence, to Tibet¹s religo-political solution to tantra¹s decentralized paradigm of religious leaders understood to be Buddhas with local mandalas of absolute authority. We will look into the rise of the institution of reincarnate lamas that culminated in the Dalai Lama, and address the theory that Tibet¹s lack of centralization led to the importance of so-called "shamanic" trends of Buddhism. Finally we will also examine at great depth Tibetan innovations in Buddhist philosophy, ritual and yoga.
RELJ 2061 Judaism Modernism and Secularization
Asher Biemann
Plus discussion sectionThis course develops the history and intellectual underpinnings of the Jewish experience of modernity and secularization. We will explore the variety of Jewish responses and adjustments to the modern world and their implications for present day Judaism in its many forms.
RELI 2070 Classical Islam
Abdulaziz Sachedina
Plus discussion sectionThis is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islam. The course is primarily concerned with the life and career of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, the teachings of the Qur'an, the development of the Muslim community and its principal institutions, schools of thought, law, theology, cultural life and mystical tradition, to about 1300 A.D.
RELB 2100 Introduction to Buddhism
Karen Lang
Plus discussion sectionThis course is an introduction to Buddhism, beginning with its origins in India, its spread throughout Asia to the West. The course will examine the historical and cultural contexts in which Buddhist beliefs and practices developed and are still developing. We will explore a wide variety of sources to understand the many ways in which Buddhists have attempted to understand who the Buddha is, what he and his followers have to say about karma and rebirth, the practice of meditation and the pursuit of enlightenment. We will also examine the views of contemporary Buddhist teachers on these issues and on the challenges Buddhism faces in the modern world. Two hourly examinations and a final.
GREE 2230 New Testament Greek (Intermediate Greek)The Department calls attention to this offered through the Classics Department, which can be counted towards the major in Religious Studies as a course in Christianity. This intermediate course aims to solidify the student's knowledge of Greek grammar, syntax, and vocabulary and give practice in reading and translating the Greek New Testament. We will also consider the principles of New Testament exegesis. Texts read come from the gospels, primarily Luke and John. (Letters of Paul will be read in Greek 224). Prerequisite Greek 101-102 or equivalent (one year of classical or Koine Greek). Requirements: regular quizzes, midterm, and final examination.
RELC 2330 History of Christian Social and Political Thought I
See the listing for RELC 2447, below.
RELC 2447 History of Christian Ethics
Margaret MohrmannThis course will survey the development of Christian ethical thought and teaching from its beginnings through the Reformation era. Major ethical themes will be traced through the centuries, as the church's scripture, evolving doctrine, and emerging tradition interact - in thought, word, and deed - with secular society, politics, and philosophy. Readings will be taken mostly from primary texts, such as the Bible and the writings of selected Christian thinkers, but will also include relevant historical and ethical analyses of the developing church and its social milieu.
RELC 2360 Elements of Christian Thought
Kevin Hart
Plus discussion sectionThis course paints a big picture of Christian thought. We look at everything in the tradition: Creation, Sin, Salvation, Trinity, and the End of the World. So we read some of the Church Fathers, some of the medieval theologians, and a lot of modern theologians as well. We consider perspectives from Protestantism, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy. And we weigh liberal and conservative views of everything. No previous knowledge of Christian thought is presumed. Begin with no knowledge of Christianity, end with more than anyone in your home town.
RELG 2380 Faith and Doubt in the Modern Age
Jamie Ferreira
Plus discussion sectionIs belief in God based on wishful thinking; is it a neurotic response to life? How are fear and guilt related to it? Is it a primitive stage in human intellectual development? Is it inherently immoral? Can one be rational and a believer at the same time? In this course we will consider questions like these by looking at historically important examples of such criticisms. We will study both the 'faith' which inspired these critiques and the implications of such critiques for believers.
RELC 2401 History of American Catholicism
Gerald FogartyCatholicism in the United States has often been in a dilemma. On the one hand, its spiritual loyalty to Rome and its growth through immigration made it appear "foreign" to most Americans. On the other, the American Catholic support for religious liberty drew suspicion from Rome. In 1960, the election of John Kennedy seemed to signal the acceptance of Catholics as Americans. In 1965, the Second Vatican Council seemed to ratify what had long been a cherished American Catholic tradition. To understand the significance of these events of the 1960s, the course will treat the following themes: the early Spanish and French settlements, the beginning of English-speaking Catholicism in Maryland, with its espousal of religious liberty, the establishment of the hierarchy under John Carroll and its early development of a strong sense of episcopal collegiality, immigration and nativism, American Catholic support of religious liberty and conflict with the Vatican at the end of the 19th century, and the American Catholic contribution to Vatican II (1962-1965). The course will conclude with an analysis of social, political, and theological developments in the American Catholic Church since the end of the council. Course requirements: 1) a mid-term and final exam; 2) an analysis of an historical document selected from collections on reserve.
RELG 2559 African-American Religious History
Valerie Cooper
This course has been canceled.
RELJ 2559 New Course in Judaism: State of Israel 1948-2001
Rakefet ZalashikThis course studies the development of Israel from independence in 1948 to the peace process and the recent Intifada. It will discuss the Arab-Israeli conflict but will also go much beyond that conflict to discuss the nature and history of the State. Topics to be discussed include mass immigration of Holocaust survivors and Jews from Arab lands in the 1950s, the rise and fall of the kibbutz movement, the role of development towns, the divided/united city of Jerusalem, peace and war with the neighboring Arab states, relations between Jews and Arabs within Israel, and the conflict with the Palestinians outside. The course will delve beyond the Arab-Israeli conflict as well to examine Israeli democracy, the role of religion and state, the role of the Knesset and the Supreme Court and the multiparty system. The “Law of Return” will be examined in the light of Russian and Ethiopian immigration since 1970. The Jewish settlement movement and the peace movement will also be discussed in light of changing Israeli attitudes to the emerging Palestinian state.
RELG 2630 Business, Ethics, and Society
Varied InstructorsThis course aims to acquaint students with a variety of philosophical and religious frameworks for interpreting and evaluating human activity in the marketplace. The first half of the semester will focus on Adam Smith, Max Weber, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, and Ayn Rand. The second half of the semester will examine some contemporary issues within the marketplace that deserve additional scrutiny, such as private property, freedom of contract, and the distribution of goods. In addition, we will attend to specific issues in corporate ethics. Requirements will include both a midterm and final exam, as well as writing requirements to be determined.
RELG 2650 Theology, Ethics & Medicine
Jim Childress
Plus discussion sectionAn analysis of the ethical principles that should undergird decisions in science, medicine, and health care. The lectures readings, and discussions will focus on ethical principles developed within different ethical traditions (such as Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, and Humanism) and on their implications for cases in abortion, death and dying, research involving human subjects, artificial reproduction, genetic engineering, cloning, and allocating resources. Several films, videotapes, and cases will be used. Requirements: Midterm, final examination, 3 brief papers (2 pages) and participation in discussion.
RELG 2700 Festivals of the Americas
Jalane Schmidt
Plus discussion sectionBy reading case studies of various religious festivals in locations throughout the Caribbean and South, Central and North America, as well as theoretical literature drawn from social anthropology and religious studies, students will become familiar with significant features of contemporary religious life in the Americas, as well as with scholarly accounts of religious and cultural change. Students will become more critical readers of ethnographic and historical sources, as well as theories from the Study of Religion (Jonathan Z. Smith, Ronald Grimes, Lawrence Sullivan), and will increase their ability to theorize about ritual, festivity, sacred time, ritual space and ethnicity.
RELA 2750 Introduction to African Religions
Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton
Plus discussion sectionAn introductory survey of African religions. The course concentrates on African indigenous religions, but Islam and Christianity are also discussed. Topics include African mythologies and cosmologies, as well as rituals, artistic traditions and spiritualities. We consider the colonial impact on African religious cultures and the dynamics of ongoing religious change in the sub-Sahara.
RELG 2800 African-American Religious History
Valerie Cooper
This course has been canceled.
RELC 3009 Protestant Theology
Paul Jones
Plus discussion sectionThis course considers the writings of important protestant theologians from the 1500s to the present day. Beginning with key texts by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and writers from the radical reformation, we will consider some major nineteenth and twentieth century thinkers (such as Friedrich Schleiermacher and Karl Barth) and pay attention to recent developments in process, liberationist, and feminist theology. Topics considered include: the role of the Bible in theological reflection, the nature of God, Christology, sin, and Christian ethics.
RELC 3030 The Historical Jesus
RELJ 3030 The Historical Jesus
Harry GambleThis course focuses on Jesus of Nazereth as an historical figure, that is, as he is accessible to the historian by means of historical methods applied to historical evidence. Careful attention will be given to all the potentially useful sources including the canonical Gospels, apocryphal Gospels, and Jewish and Graeco-Roman sources, as well as to the problems of dealing with them. A reconstruction of the activity and teaching of Jesus will be attempted, with a view to determining Jesus' place within ancient Judaism and the relation of Jesus to the emergence of Christianity.
RELC 3058 The Christian Vision in Literature
William WilsonA study of selected classics in Christian imaginative literature. Readings will come from the Bible, Dante's Divine Comedy, and several modern authors such as Andrew Lytle, William Faulkner and Flannery O'Conner. Requirements: Three one-hour tests.
RELI 3120 Sufism (Islamic Mysticism)
Abdulaziz SachedinaREL 312 is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islamic mysticism. The course is primarily concerned with the growth of mystical tradition in Islam, the rise of asceticism, the early Sufis, the development of Sufi orders, the systematization of Sufi teaching and the evolution of theosophical dimensions of mysticism, and finally, the contribution of Sufism in the Islamic art and literatures. In doing so, we will attempt to study the lives and teachings of the outstanding Sufis as Rabi'a, Hallaj, Rumi, Gazali and others. The course will also discuss the present-day Sufism, both in its Islamic as well as Western context, which claims to be the continuation of the great classical period of Islamic mysticism.
II. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
i. REGULAR attendance at weekly session and ACTIVE participation in the seminar-cum-lecture session.
ii. Reading assignments:
1. Annemarie Schimell, Mystical Dimensions of Islam
2. Menahim Milson, A Sufi Rule for Novices
3. W. Chittick, Sufi Path of Love
4. --------------, Sufi Path of Knowledge
5. Other short selections (on reserve)iii. Term paper on some aspect of Sufism (12-15 double-space pages)(25%)
iv. Mid-term (30%) and final exam (45%).
[Prerequisite RELI207 or RELI208 or instructor’s permission]RELG 3200 Martin, Malcolm, and America
Mark HadleyAn intensive examination of African-American social criticism centered upon, but not limited to, the life and thought of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. We will come to grips with the American legacy of racial hatred and oppression systematized in the institutions of antebellum chattel slavery and post-bellum racial segregation and analyze the array of critical responses to, and social struggles against, this legacy. We will pay particular attention to the religious dimensions of these various types of social criticism.
RELC 3240 Medieval Mysticism
This course has been canceled.
RELJ 3310 Law in Judaism
Elizabeth Alexander
This course has been canceled.
RELA 3351 African Diaspora Religions
Jalane SchmidtThe seminar will examine the changes in ethnographic accounts of African diaspora religions, with particular attention given to how different research paradigms illuminate these Caribbean and Latin American religions and the questions of religion, race, nation, and modernity. Practitioners of these religions are conventionally regarded as atavistically maintaining a “traditional” world-view. But this class will evaluate how devotees of African diaspora religions are continually innovating their religious practices as they navigate modernity. While learning about the specificities of African diaspora religions, students will also study theoretical changes in the field of cultural anthropology vis-à-vis the investigation of African-descended communities, material religion, ritual performance, and the effects of national politics and transnational migration patterns upon religious practice.
Written requirements include a 20-page seminar paper which meets the Second Writing Requirement.
RELB 3408 Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy
Jongbok YiContact the professor directly for information on this course.
RELB 3559 New Course in Buddhism:
Monastic Buddhism
This course has been canceled
RELB 3559 New Course in Buddhism:
Religons of China
This course has been canceled
RELC 3559 New Course in Christianity:
The History of Heaven and Hell
Robin Darling YoungThis course explores the traditions and significance of Christian beliefs about the afterlife. Beginning with the apocalypses of the Second Temple period, and building upon the religious traditions of their neighbors, first-century Jewish authors began to describe realms beyond sight, where dramas of divine combat or victory reflected the fortunes of the human community. Christian prophets and seers described landscapes of reward and punishment, and subsequent ancient and medieval writers and artists elaborated the moral connections between this life and the next. The course will examine the subject as doctrine (varying according to particular communities), as imagination, and as communal expression from ancient origins to contemporary reinterpretation.
RELC 3559 New Course in Christianity:
History of the Bible
Harry GambleAlthough the Bible comprises the authoritative scripture of Christianity and stands as a monument of Western culture generally, most are ignorant about how this came to be. This seminar will focus on the history of the Bible (as distinct from “biblical history” or history in the Bible) – that is, on the formation and transmission and use of the Bible as a book. By examining ancient manuscripts, we will consider how the biblical literature was first written, how various parts of it were initially collected and how, when and to what effects the Bible as a whole came to be formed. We will also consider the various translations of the Bible in antiquity, and the means of its dissemination and use from antiquity through the middle ages. Then we will move on to discuss the emergence of printed Bibles in the 15th century and late medieval/early modern translations of the Bible into European vernaculars. Finally, we will compare and discuss various modern English editions and translations of the Bible. In short, the seminar will trace the history of the Bible as a book, including its forms, its uses and attitudes toward it, from antiquity to the present.
RELC 3559 New Course in Christianity
Religion in Children's Literature
Vigen GuroianWe will look at some of the great fairy tales and works of children's literature for their capacity to shape the religious and moral imaginations. Our study will include the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, as well as Pinocchio, Peter Pan, The Jungle Books, The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Webb, George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin, The Chronicles of Narnia, and others.
RELG 3559 New Course in Religion
Religious Diversity in the US
Matt HedstromThis course aims to accomplish two overarching goals: to describe the historical development of religious diversity in the United States, and to grapple with its social, political, legal, cultural, and spiritual implications. We will cover matters of public policy, law, and education, as well as more intimate matters such as interfaith marriage. Sociology, political philosophy, and theology will inform our discussions of the challenges and opportunities religious diversity presents.
RELJ 3559 New Course in Judaism:
Contemporary Israeli Literature in Translation.
This course has been canceled. See below for a possible replacement.
RELJ 3559 New Course in Judaism:
Israeli Culture in Fiction: Hebrew Literature in Translation
Dalia Rosenfeld
(Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures)This course explores Israeli culture and society through the lens of its literature. Beginning with the revival of modern Hebrew and following the formative events of the Israeli experience, we will study a range of fictional works (and poetry) that represent the diverse voices of Israeli self-expression. Readings include S.Y. Agnon, Aharon Appelfeld, Yoel Hoffmann, Etgar Keret, A.B. Yehoshua, Yehudit Hendel, and others .
RELG 3600 Religion and Modern Theater
Larry BouchardThis course will examine how drama and performance is linked with religious traditions, themes, and with some secular and theological perspectives on religion. Modern theater has often sought to revitalize its historical and thematic relations with ritual and sacred stories, and it has also probed the ethical dimensions of selves and communities as seen against the presence and absence of a divine horizon or immanent sense of the sacred. What differences do such relations make in our enjoyment, understanding, and criticism of theatrical drama?
We will discuss a number of classical dramas (e.g., some tragedies by the ancient dead) and plays and performances by modern-or-contemporary dramatists (living or relatively recently departed). Some of these have explicitly religious themes or subjects (such as Denys Arcand's film-about-a-performance Jesus of Montreal, and Wole Soyinka's uses of Yoruba religion and European theatrical traditions). We will also study ostensibly secular plays that nonetheless take up questions of religion, ethics, and political life (for example, plays by Bertholt Brecht, Samuel Beckett, Peter Shaffer, Caryl Churchill, Tony Kushner, and Mary Zimmerman). We will also look at some ritual theory, performance theory, and religious views of drama and theatrical performance. The syllabus is always changing and will be available in August.
Mode of teaching: some lectures, much discussion, reading plays aloud, perhaps play attendance.
Requirements: regular class attendance and participation; two essay exams and one paper; or three short papers for students wishing to complete the 2nd writing requirement.
RELC 3690 The Gospel and Letters of John and the Book of Revelation
Ronald Bentley
RELG 4023 Bioethics Internship Seminar
Margaret MohrmannThis is NOT a majors seminar.
This course is designed to provide students with experience in discerning and analyzing ethical issues as they arise in particular clinical settings. Each student will spend one half-day each week in a clinic or other health-care-related setting (the same setting throughout the semester) under the mentorship of a health care professional engaged in that setting. Seminar time will focus both on the role of the ethicist/observer and on the particular issues that commonly arise in clinical medicine. During the second half of the semester, students will give presentations related to their specific areas of observation. Students are expected to have some background knowledge of bioethics methods and common questions. Admittance to the course is by application; for details, see the Undergraduate Bioethics Program Website at https://bioethics.as.virginia.edu/internships
RELG 4220 American Religious Autobiography
Heather WarrenA multidisciplinary examination of religious self-perception in relation to the dominant values of American life. Readings represent a variety of spiritual traditions and autobiographical forms, among them Thomas Merton's The Sign of Jonas; The Autobiography of Malcolm X; Charles Colson's Born Again; and Kathleen Norris' Dakota: A Spiritual Geography. Fulfills the majors seminar requirement. Prerequisites: Courses in religious studies, American history, or American literature. Requirements: Two short papers (5-7 pp. each) and an autobiography (20 pp.).
This IS a majors seminar, but it is not restricted to RELS majors only.
RELG 4500 Majors Seminar: Suffering
John PortmannMoral assessment of bodies in pain and spirits in turmoil. Philosophical, theological, psychiatric, biomedical, psychoanalytic, literary, biographical, sociological, operatic, and artistic exploration of suffering. Analysis of ongoing debate over the meaning of suffering. Study of religion as both cure for, and source of, human suffering. Particular attention to the Crucifixion as a cultural paradigm of suffering and social wellspring of anti-Semitism, as exemplified by criticism of actor Mel Gibson’s controversial film of 2004 The Passion of the Christ. This “capstone” seminar will help you assess what contribution the study of religion can make to the humanities: a deeper understanding of what suffering is and what our chances are for eliminating or reducing it. Further, this seminar will investigate how scholars of religion and ordinary believers rely on discoveries from other fields of inquiry, the insights of other thinkers who have pondered what it is to be human.
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies Majors
RELG 4500 Majors Seminar: Sensing the Sacred
Greg Schmidt GoeringSeeing is believing. Or is it? This seminar examines visual and aural metaphors in the religious discourse of several traditions. The seminar analyzes the religious uses of these perceptual metaphors in light of modern theories of religion, the phenomenology of perception, as well as modern neuroscience. The seminar probes the connections between the supposed basis for sensory perception and the deployment of sensory metaphors to describe both religious experience and modes for apprehending the sacred. The seminar also explores the relation between visual and aural metaphors for perceiving the sacred and the traditional categories of nature and revelation.
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies Majors
RELC 4559 New Course in Christianity:
Religion and American Courts
John PortmannThis is NOT a majors seminar.
What is the nature of religion and its role in American society? This seminar will explore the limits of spiritual convictions in a liberal democracy which guarantees religious freedom. Specifically, this course will analyze: 1) the First Amendment; 2) legal methodology; and 3) the contemporary debate over whether citizens and public officials have a duty to refrain from making political and legal decisions on the basis of their religious beliefs. After surveying the theoretical literature, we will turn to specific legal issues involving the practice of religion in the United States. The Supreme Court’s understanding of the Religion Clauses changed substantially in the twentieth century, and so we will focus on the second half of the last century. Requirements: 1) oral presentation; 2) final ten-fifteen-page paper; 3) regular class participation; and 4) three short exams.
RELC 4559 New Course in Christianity:
Visions of the Apocolypse
Matt HedstromThis is NOT a majors seminar.
Prophets may envision the future, but their visions are always comments on the present. End-time scenarios—whether of ultimate destruction or eternal bliss—help us make sense of unspoken hopes and unspeakable fears, express outrage, mobilize movements for change, and relate our individual lives to a larger order. In this course, we will study some of the many ways Americans have envisioned the end of the world, and what those visions have to teach us about them and the America they inhabited. The course, therefore, is an exercise in the social and cultural history of the United States.
We will begin with a broad introduction to apocalypticism in Western religious traditions, but will soon narrow our focus to the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Our explorations will take us from slave revolts to UFO cults to Dr. Strangelove, from Edward Bellamy to genetic engineering, from the space program to Left Behind, and from the Great Disappointment of the 1840s and the Ghost Dance of 1890 to the New Age of the present. We will meet a host of Americans—black and white; Roman Catholic and Protestant; members of new religious movements and adherents to secular ideologies of doom or bliss—and ask: what can the imagined futures of yesterday teach us about the hopes and fears of previous generations? In what ways are social, political, and economic tensions reflected in visions of the apocalypse? How have ideologies of the end, whether religious or secular, shaped social movements, politics, and popular culture?
RELJ 4559 New Course in Judaism:
Hobbes & Spinoza, Religion & Politics
Dan Doneson ( Department of Politics)This is NOT a majors seminar.
Hobbes is often claimed to be the founder of modern politics, since he is the first to raise politics to the rank of a science; accordingly, he is the first to develop the concept of sovereignty – the fundamental concept of modern politics - with full clarity. Any radical understanding of modern politics, then, must try to understand Hobbes’ political science. Spinoza – presenting his teaching more “boldly”, in Hobbes’ words, than he dared – is famously the first philosopher to defend democracy as the optima republica as well as advocate the emancipation of politics from ecclesiastical control. It is in trying to understand modern politics specifically, and modernity more generally, or so-called secularization, that we will turn to Hobbes’ Leviathan (and some of De Cive) and Spinoza’s Theological-Politico Treatise (and some of the Political Treatise).
Hobbes and Spinoza secured their foundations for political science in opposition to two traditions: the tradition of philosophic politics, which they trace back to Socrates and the tradition of theological politics which they trace to revelation. What is the basis for their respective critiques? How precisely are we to understand the similarities and divergences of their respective projects? Themes to be discussed include: the possibility and necessity of a political science for the human ordering of human life, materialism and immanentism, freedom and determinism, natural right, history and the project of modern science, the critique of miracles and revelation, the rise of Biblical criticism.
RELJ 4591 Topics in Judaic Studies:
1948: History, Historiography, and Politics
Rekefet Zalashik (Visiting Scholar)This is NOT a majors seminar.
The role of historians and historiographies and the influence of memory and the politics of memory on national ethos is tremendous. The course examines the historiographies of 1948, which was a crucial year for both the Jews and the Palestinians in Mandatory Palestine. "1948", the "Israeli War of Independence" and/ or the "Naqba" served and still serves as a watershed to both Israel-Jewish and Palestinian nationalities, influencing current burning issues such as the borders of the Israeli and Palestinian states as well as the Right of Return and the Refugees Problem. The course will examine various narratives in the historiography of this year with the emphasis on the evolution of various narratives, the way they served both national movements and their correlation of political developments.
RELS 4995 Independent Research
Instructor: Student's choiceSystematic readings in a selected topic under detailed supervision. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
RELS 4998 Distinguished Major Thesis IInstructor: Student's choice
Thesis, directed by a member of the department, focusing on a specific problem in the theoretical, historical or philosophical study of religion or a specific religious tradition. The thesis is based in part on at least three hours of directed reading in the field of the thesis. Prerequisite: Selection by faculty for Distinguished Major Program.
A note on 5000-level courses: Rise to a higher level!All 5000-level courses are open to undergraduate enrollment. Though these are graduate-level courses, they are designed to accommodate advanced undergraduates who have previously taken religious studies courses. Minors, and especially majors are encouraged to consider enrolling in these courses. For those considering graduate school, taking a 5000-level course could prove immensely helpful.
If you see any 5000-level course in this syllabus that you think you might want to take, and you have questions about it, please contact the professor who will be offering it. The religious studies faculty as a whole welcomes all such inquiries.Graduate Courses
RELC 5006 Augustine's City of God
Charles MathewesA graduate class that will read, slowly, the entire City of God, using that work and several other of Augustine's texts (particularly letters and sermons) to attempt to understand that work's argument, paying attention to the various audiences to which it was addressed, and (so far as we can tell) Augustine's larger vision. Graded work for the class will consist in a take-home midterm and final, or (in rare situations) a substantial paper. This is an advanced class, for students who wish to understand Augustine's views, as expressed in City of God, in a serious historical, philosophical, and theological manner.
RELC 5009 Theologies of Resistance and Reconciliation: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Jr
Charles MarshThe course has four goals: (1) to understand the theologies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King Jr.; (2) to explore the themes of resistance and reconciliation in their writings and actions; (3) to examine their ambivalent relationship with academic theology; and (4) to consider the promise of lived theology for contemporary religious thought. Requirements include a 16-20 page research paper; a weekly 250-word written response circulated to the class by email before class; a thirty minute class presentation; active participation in seminar discussions; and a final exam in the form of a review essay. Important: Permission by the instructor is required for undergradutes to take this course. The class size is limited to 18 students
RELJ 5050 Judaism in Antiquity
Elizabeth Alexander
This course has been canceled.
RELC 5077 The Vatican and WWII
Gerald FogartyBeginning with readings from controversial works interpreting the role of Pope Pius XII and the Vatican, the course will then focus on the interaction between the United States and the Vatican during the period. The general reading will include authors such as Michael Phayer, The Catholic Church and the Holocaust, John Cornwell, Hitler’s Pope, and Jose Sanchez, Pius XII and the Holocaust, and will then turn to some specific works such as the recently published memoirs of Harold H. Tittmann, Jr., the American diplomat who lived in the Vatican during the war. In addition to brief reports on the general reading and participation in the weekly discussions, each student is to prepare a paper on a topic approved by the professor for presentation in class.
RELC 5130 Being and God
Kevin Hart
This course has been canceled.
RELC 5141 Calvin
Paul JonesThis course examines a text that has shaped modern Christian thought: John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. The focus will be on close reading and a rigorous analysis of theological ideas. Topics considered include the role of the Bible in theological reflection, the nature of sin, the identity of God and Jesus Christ, creation, justification and sanctification, and the nature of the Christian life. The course is suitable for graduate students in religious studies and related disciplines. Undergraduates wishing to take the course must gain the instructor's permission, and must have significant scholarly background in Christian thought.
RELC 5310 - Early Christianity and Greco-Roman Culture
Wendy MayerThis course immerses the student in early Christianity and its cultural setting in the East via a focus on Syrian Antioch. The period covered will be the 4th to 6th centuries CE. Through a combination of the close study of texts, archeology, and art the student will explore competition between Christianity, Judaism, and Hellenic religions in the city, the cult of the saints, liturgy, Syrian asceticism, the city’s churches, the role of religion within the civic calendar, religious welfare programs, the Antiochene approach to exegesis, and how the Christian doctrinal disputes of these centuries impacted the city. Attention will also be paid to the influence of the city and its Christian clergy and ascetics in the broader context of the late-antique East. The aim is for the student to develop the capacity to view Christianity through the eyes of a resident of late-antique Antioch, as well as to deepen their understanding of the methodological problems involved in achieving this perspective. An ability to read classical or koine Greek is an advantage, but not required.
RELB 5390 Tibetan Tantric Buddhism
David GermanoRELB 5470 Literary Tibetan V
David GermanoA continuation of the literary portion of Literary Tibetan IV, this course is designed for training in the literary forms of the Tibetan language. Emphasis is on exposure to a wide variety of styles/genres in Tibetan literature and in-depth knowledge of Tibetan grammar. Prerequisites: RELB 5360 or equivalent. Requirements: Class attendance and participation, four exams, midterm, final, translation assignments.
RELI 5540 Seminar in Islamic Theology: Islamic Theology and Philosophy
Ahmed H. al-RahimThis course is intended to trace the development of and tension between Islamic theology (kalam) and philosophy from the 8th to the 14 centuries A.D. It explores, through readings of primary sources in translation, debates concerning language and revelation, the nature of God and His attributes, prophecy and miracles, heresy, and the role of logic in Muslim intellectual history. In addition, the course examines key historical and religio-political questions which gave rise to theology and philosophy in the Islamic world.
RELG 5541 Seminar in Social and Political Thought: Just War
Jim ChildressThis seminar will examine just-war, pacifist, and holy-war attitudes toward war, mainly in the context of Christian theology and modern philosophical discussions. After a brief exploration of the moral reality of war, the seminar will examine the evolution of Christian attitudes toward war, from the early Church through the Reformation, with particular attention to how the Church and its theologians handled New Testament directives that at a minimum created tension in efforts to justify war as well as Christian participation in war. The thought of selected twentieth and twenty-first century theologians will be examined. These include Reinhold Niebuhr, H. Richard Niebuhr, Karl Barth, Paul Ramsey, the U.S. Catholic Bishops, James Turner Johnson, Oliver O'Donovan, John Howard Yoder and Stanley Hauerwas, among others. In addition, the seminar will pay careful attention to Michael Walzer’s Just and Unjust Wars. In the examination of just-war thought, the seminar will attend to both the jus ad bellum and the jus in bello and contemporary debates about preventive and pre-emptive wars, weapons of mass destruction, and torture.
RELC 5551 Seminar in Early Christian Thought
Harry Gamble
This course may be canceled.
RELC 5559 New Course in Christianity:
African-Americans and the Bible
Valerie CooperIn this course, we will look at the ways African American scholars, clergy, laity, men, women, the free, and the enslaved, have read, interpreted, preached, and taught scripture. In examining these interpretations, we will also seek to sketch out a broader theology, history, and sociology of black people as they used the tool at hand, the Bible, to argue for their own humanity, create their own cultures, and establish their own societies. We will also undertake the interpretive enterprise, seeking to find common ground for understanding the meaning of the biblical text in our own, and others' communities.
RELC 5559 New Course in Christianity:
Modern Eastern Orthodox Theology
Vigen GuroianThe course looks at the writings of such significant Orthodox theologians of this and the past century as Georges Florovsky, Sergius Bulgakov, Dumitru Staniloae, Paul Evdokimov, Vladimir Lossky, Alexander Schmemann, Philip Sherrard, and John Zizioulas on the Trinity, Christology, doctrine of Creation, theological anthropology, ecology, ecclesiology, and soteriology.
RELC 5559 New Course in Christianity:
Reading Practices in Early and Medieval Christianity
Robin Darling YoungThis course traces the origins and development of Christian ways of reading sacred texts, from the second century through the twelfth. It considers the early tradition of rewritten scripture and prophetic inspiration, and moves next to the paidetic philosophy common in the schools of the Graeco-Roman empire and adopted by Christian writers of the third and fourth centuries. It traces, also, Christian interpreters’ cultivation of the "spiritual senses" and their preparation for reading by observing various ascetic and liturgical practices. In addition it will consider the preservation of midrashic interpretation among two fourth-century Syriac authors, to demonstrate an ongoing connection, in the late ancient near east, with rabbinic interpretation. Thus the course will examine the works of interpreters from Hermas in second-century Rome, through the Alexandrians and their monastic heirs, and then, in the Latin West, authors from Augustine through Bernard of Clairvaux and Hugh of St. Victor. For those who have the languages, there will be an opportunity for biweekly meetings to read selected texts in their original languages.
RELG 5559 New Course in Religion:
Time, History and Meaning
Asher BiemannThis course studies the modern literature of competing perceptions of time, history, and meaning in history, especially in the Jewish and Christian traditions. Questions of origin, beginnings, repetition, midpoint, Kairos, prophetic, and apocalyptic history will be at the center of discussion.
RELG 5630 Issues in Religion and Literture Genre
Larry BouchardThis seminar explores possibilities in interdisciplinary work in religion, literary art, and criticism. Attention is given to three problem areas in religion and literary studies: innovation and tradition in the arts and religion, aesthetic experience and religious meaning, and what it may mean to engage in "religious," "theological," and "ethical" readings of literary works and their cultural settings. The seminar is also is designed to direct students to important bibliography for graduate studies in religion and literature. However, literary texts, not just as adjacent criticism and theory, will be the weekly focus.
Issues are structured around historically important redefinitions of the four major literary genres: epic poetry and formulaic composition, lyric poetry and Romanticism and formalism, drama and ritual, and prose fiction as moral inquiry—together with a section on scripture read "as" literature. The readings include discussions of the productive (not just classificatory) functions of genre. Of special concern will be reflections on the intersecting generic relationships as a "causal joint" (to import a term from natural theology) between the reader and author, and between "spirit" and understanding.
Requirements include active participation, very short weekly response papers, 1 class presentation of some assigned material, and a final, typical journal article-length paper.
RELB 5800 Literary Tibetan VII
David GermanoRELJ 5950 Midrashic Imagination
Elizabeth AlexanderRELB 7020 Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts
Clarke HudsonRELG 7360 Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion
Elizabeth Alexander
Kurtis SchaefferGiven the multidisciplinary character of religious studies today, it is imperative for new scholars to gain a basic sense of theoretical and methodological options in the field. By way of an examination of landmark texts, this course surveys the formation of religious studies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; it also examines important contemporary approaches. In addition to helping students think carefully and critically about the study of religion, the course will facilitate (i) reflection about how particular research agendas relate to the broader field of religious studies; (ii) dialogue between different theoretical and methodological points of view; and (iii) the formulation of introductory syllabi on religious studies for use in a liberal arts context.
This course is mandatory for all first-year Ph.D. candidates in the Religious Studies Department. Students will be required (a) to write a paper on a text or texts read in the course, with the topic formulated in consultation with the instructors, and (b) to devise a syllabus for an undergraduate class that introduces the academic study of religion.
RELG 7528 Modern Religious Thought: Kierkegaard and Levinas
Jamie Ferreira
RELS 8995 Research Selected Topics
Instructor: Student's choiceSystematic reading in a select topic under detailed supervision. Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding his course.
RELS 8998 Non Topical Research
Instructor: Student's choiceFor master's research, taken under the supervision of a thesis director. Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding this course.
RELG 8999 Pedagogy
TBA
RELS 9998 Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research
Instructor: Student's choiceFor doctoral research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.
Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding this course.
RELS 9999 Non-Topical Research
Instructor: Student's choiceFor dissertation research, taken under the supervision of a dissertation director.
Contact the graduate secretary for details regarding this course.