Note: Courses that conform to the intent and content of the program, but are not listed may be counted towards fulfilling the requirements upon approval of the program director. A rearrangement of courses into new concentrations may be possible upon the approval of the program director.

Students may also complete a minor in religious studies.

Courses

A Rel 100L Introduction to the Study of Religion (3)
General Education: CHP, HA & HD
Exploration of the religious dimension of life, with an introduction to the theory and practice of religion, including such topics as myth, ritual, belief, reason, revelation, mysticism, religious organization, etc., and their relation to other personal, social and cultural aspects of human experience, past and present.

A Rel 103L (= A Clg 103L) Introduction to New Testament Greek I (4)
General Education: CHP & HA
Introduction to the fundamentals of the grammar and vocabulary of the New Testament. Readings in the gospel of John and the Book of Acts. No previous knowledge of Greek required. Only one of A Clg 103L & A Rel 103L may be taken for credit.

A Rel 104L (= A Clg 104L) Introduction to New Testament Greek II (4)
General Education: CHP & HA
Continuation of A Clg 103L. Only one of A Clg 104L & A Rel 104L may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Clg 103L or permission of instructor.

A Rel 116L (= A Phi 116L) World Views (3)
General Education: CHP & HA
Examination of some of the major systems of assumptions and values humans have used in attempting to understand reality, the meaning of life, and their dealings with others. World views studied may vary from semester to semester. Examples are Greek, Judeo- Christian, Marxist and libertarian. Only one of A Phi 116L & A Rel 116L may be taken for credit.

A Rel 155 (= A Jst 155) Judaism: Traditions and Practices (3)
General Education: HD
Examines development of normative Jewish traditions and practices from rabbinic period to present. Major focus is Jewish religious groups and observances in contemporary United States. Topics include how different Jewish groups situate themselves in American society; Jewish calendar and life-cycle observances; impact of feminism; social action agendas; role of Israel.

A Rel 175L (= A Ant 175L) Anthropology and Folklore (3)
General Education: HA
Introduction to the study of folklore as an aspect of culture, symbolically expressing people's identity, beliefs and values. The focus is on oral text traditions-myths, folktales, and legends-topics in folk custom and ritual, folk music and folk art are also included. Includes folklore from Western and non-Western cultures. Offered fall semester only. Only one of A Ant 175L & A Rel 175L may be taken for credit.

A Rel 199 (= A Eac 199) Introduction to the I-Ching (3)
The I-Ching, which is probably the oldest book in existence, is a repository of concepts basic to Chinese culture and its development of a uniquely Chinese world view. This course will focus on the central position of the I-Ching in Chinese intellectual and spiritual life and provide a system of knowledge whereby man can analyze the pattern of changes in life governed by the Immutable Law of Change. Only one of A Rel 199 & A Eac 199 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 200L Introduction to the Bible (3)
General Education: HA
This course is intended to introduce the student to the content, background, and nature of the writings that constitute the basis of Judeo-Christian culture. Modern methods of research (textual, archaeological) will be discussed, and class sessions will often be illustrated by slides of works of art (statuary, mosaic, painting) inspired by the Biblical narrative. May not be offered during 1999-2000.

A Rel 203 (= A Heb 203) Biblical Hebrew (3)
Methods and research tools of modern Bible study. Grammar and syntax of classical Hebrew for students familiar with modern Hebrew. Only one of A Rel 203 & A Heb 203 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Heb 102.

A Rel 214 (= A Phi 214) World Religions (3)
General Education: CHP & HD
Survey of the major religions of the world, concentrating on those practices and beliefs that contribute to their value systems. Religions include Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Taoism. Only one of A Rel 214 & A Phi 214 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 221 (= A Eng 221 & A Jst 242) The Bible as Literature (3)
General Education: CHP
Literary genres of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the cultures from which they emerged. Attention to parallel developments in other literatures and to the influence of the Hebrew Bible on Western life and letters. Only one of A Eng 221, A Jst 242 & A Rel 221 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 252 (= A Jst 252) Jews, Hellenism, and Early Christianity (3)
General Education: CHP
History of the Jewish people from Alexander the Great to the decline of the ancient world. Topics include examination of cultural conflict in Judaea and the diaspora, confrontation with Greco-Roman Hellenism and early Christianity, sectarianism, and the beginnings of Rabbinic institutions. Only one of A Jst 252, 342, 342Z & A Rel 252 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 253 (= A Jst 253) Medieval Jews Among Muslims and Christians (3)
General Education: CHP
Studies Jewish history, life and culture in the contexts of the Muslim and Christian civilizations of the Middle Ages. Discusses differences among Jews, Muslims and Christians; emphasizes reactions to persecution, Jewish autonomy and social life as a minority group in a majority culture, and the development of Jewish law, literature, philosophy and mysticism. Only one of A Jst 253, 343, 343Z & A Rel 253 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 254 (= A Jst 254) The Jews in the Modern World (3)
General Education: CHP
A survey of modern Jewish history from 1700 to the present, emphasizing the Jewish encounter with modernity in both Western and Eastern Europe. Themes include the struggle for enlightenment and civil rights; religious reforms in Judaism, the Hasidic movement, reactions to anti-Semitism, Jewish nationalist and political movements, the Holocaust, events leading up to the founding of the State of Israel, and Jewish history in the United States. Includes readings from primary sources and fiction. Only one of A Jst 254, 344, 344Z & A Rel 254 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 270 (= A Jst 270) Jewish-Christian Relations (3)
General Education: HD
This course compares and contrasts the belief systems and historical contacts, both positive and negative, of Jews and Christians, from the origins of Christianity to the ecumenical movement in the contemporary United States. Only one of A Jst 270 & A Rel 270 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 275 (= E Edu 275) Social Morality and Citizenship Education (3)
General Education: CHP & HD
This course discusses the concepts of good and bad citizens that have given rise to disputes about citizenship and education for citizenship. It considers various historical, philosophical, and cultural perspectives on public virtues and the concept of the common good in the context of a pluralistic and democratic society. Only one of A Rel 275 & A Edu 275 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 280 (= A Jst 280) The Torah (3)
General introduction to The Five Books of Moses (in English) considered against a background of religious, social and philosophical aspects. Studies the significance of the Torah in the development of Judaic civilization. Only one of A Jst 280 & A Rel 280 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 281 (= A Jst 281) The Prophets (3)
Survey of the prophets in general (in English), emphasizing the moral and social role of the individual prophet and his impact upon Judaism and Western civilization. A Rel 281Z & A Jst 281Z are the writing intensive versions of A Jst 281 & A Rel 281; only one of the four courses may be taken for credit.

A Rel 281Z (= A Jst 281Z) The Prophets (4)
General Education: WI
A Rel 281Z & A Jst 281Z are the writing intensive versions of A Jst 281 & A Rel 281; only one of the four courses may be taken for credit.

A Rel 282 (= A Jst 282) Late Biblical Literature (3)
Examination of books in the "Ketuvim" (Writings) section of the Hebrew Bible and some works of the Apocrypha (in English). Topics include stories (Ruth, Judith) poetry (Psalms Song of Songs) wisdom (Job, Ecclesiastes) historiography (Chronicles) and apocalyptic (Daniel, II Esdras) and how these works develop themes from earlier biblical literature. Only one of A Rel 282 & A Jst 282 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 291 (= A Jst 291) Messiah and Messianism in Judaism and Christianity (3)
General Education: CHP
Origins of Jewish and Christian messianism in the Old and New Testaments and related literature. Topics include the projection of a society's ultimate values, and the tension caused by the actual attempts to realize those values; i.e., to achieve salvation through messianic movements. Only one of A Jst 291 & A Rel 291 may be taken for credit.

A Rel 297L Religion and Society in History (= A His 297L) (3)
General Education: HA
This course will focus on the role religion has played in societies from antiquity to the present. Our examination will include the anointed kings of ancient Israel, the idealized unity of emperor and patriarch in Byzantium, the universal claims of the Holy Roman Empire, the role of the prophet in Islam, the divinity of the Emperor in China and Japan, the conception of the monarchy in Western and Eastern Europe, the anti- religious rhetoric of European revolutions, the separation of church and state in contemporary secular societies, the current revival of fundamentalism, and the persistence of wards based on religion. Architecture, music, iconography, and rituals will be examined for the information they provide.

A Rel 297E Religion and Society in History (4) (= A His 297E)
General Education: HA & WI
A Rel 297E is the writing intensive version of A Rel 297L; only one may be taken for credit.

A Rel 299 Topics in Religious Studies (1-4)
Study of a selected topic in religious studies. May be taken more than once with different content. Consult fall and spring schedule of classes for specific topics.

A Rel 322 (= A Phi 322) Philosophy of Religion (3)
Philosophical analysis of selected religious concepts and programs, based upon the writings of representative philosophers and theologians. Focuses on Judeo-Christian tradition. Only one of A Rel 322 & A Phi 322 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): a 100- or 200-level course in philosophy.

A Rel 335 (= A Jst 335) The Holocaust in Christian and Jewish Theology (3)
The Christian and Jewish theological and philosophic response to the genocide committed by the Nazis. Christian theologians deal with Christianity's role in the Holocaust, and Jewish theologians examine the problem of God's justice. Examines the works of Flannery, Eckhardt, Littell, Rubenstein, Fackenheim and Berkovits. Only one of A Jst 335 & A Rel 335 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Jst 150 or a course in philosophy.

A Rel 342 (= A Phi 342) Indian Philosophies (3)
Introduction to Indian philosophies from pre- Vedic India to contemporary thought. Only one of A Rel 342 & A Phi 342 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Phi 214 or A His 176 or A His 177 (or 177Z), or junior or senior class standing.

A Rel 344 (= A Eac 344 & A Phi 344) Chinese Philosophies (3)
Introduction to Chinese philosophies from the Chou period to contemporary thought. Only one of A Phi 344, A Eac 344 & A Rel 344 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Phi 214 or A Eac 170 or A His 176 or A His 177 (or 177Z); or junior or senior class standing.

A Rel 346 (= A Phi 346) Japanese Religions and Philosophies (3)
Introduction to Japanese philosophies and religions from the pre-Buddhist period to contemporary Japan. Only one of A Rel 346 & A Phi 346 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Phi 214 or A His 176 or A His 177 (or 177Z), or junior or senior class standing.

A Rel 363 (= A Ant 363) Ethnology of Religion (3)
Examination of the form and functions of ritual systems as related to myth and world view on a cross-cultural basis. Emphasizes the religions of nonliterate and peasant peoples. Only one of A Ant 363 & A Rel 363 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Ant 100 or 108M or 108G, or A Phi 214. Offered spring semester.

A Rel 387 (= A His 387) Islam in the Middle East: Religion & Culture I (3)
Social, political, economic and religious dimensions of Islam from the time of Mohammed through the 18th century with emphasis on the intellectual, cultural, and educational institutions of the Middle East. Among topics discussed will be Sunnism-Shi'ism and the schools of law, social and economic infrastructure, science and education, and reasons for the waning of the Muslim world. Prerequisite(s): Junior or Senior class standing or 3 credits of history.

A Rel 388 (= A His 388) Islam in the Middle East: Religion & Culture II (3)
Social, political, economic and religious changes in the Middle East from the 18th century to Ayatollah Khomeini. Among the topics discussed will be the impact of the West on the Middle East, the role of oil in shaping the global economy, nationalist movements, the crisis in the Persian Gulf, and the rise of Islamic Revivalism. Prerequisite(s): Junior or Senior class standing or 3 credits of History.

A Rel 390 (= A Heb 390) Readings in Biblical Literature (3)
Studies in a selected biblical book or genre emphasizing the tools and concerns of current biblical research as applied to both classical (traditional) and modern commentaries. The course may be taken more than once if different topics are examined. Prerequisite(s): second-year Hebrew competence, A Heb 203, or permission of instructor.

A Rel 391 (= A Heb 391) Wisdom Literature in the Bible (3)
A study of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes as representatives of Biblical Wisdom literature. The literary form, cultural tradition and world outlook of these wisdom books will be examined. Course is conducted in Hebrew. Only one of A Rel 391 & A Heb 391 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): third-year Hebrew competence, A Heb 203, or permission of instructor.

A Rel 392 (= A Heb 392) Love Poetry in the Bible (3)
A study of the Song of Songs. The place of this erotic literature in the Hebrew Bible and the puzzling literary form of the work will be examined. Course in conducted in Hebrew. Only one of A Rel 392 & A Heb 392 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): third- year Hebrew competence, A Heb 203, or permission of instructor.

A Rel 397 Independent Study of Religious Studies (1-4)
Independent reading and research on selected topics under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit when topics differ. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior class standing, permission of faculty member, and approval of program director.

A Rel 402 (= A Clc 402) Greek and Roman Religion (3)
Survey of Greek and Roman religions at large followed by a detailed examination of the so-called mystery religions. Interdisciplinary in nature, it employs not only religious but also philosophical, especially ethical, literary, historical and archaeological materials. Only one of A Rel 402 & A Clc 402 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior class standing and some background in either classical or religious studies. May not be offered during 1999-2000.

A Rel 403 (= A Clc 403) Roman Civilization and Christianity (3)
Roman civilization in the late Empire; the relation between pagan and Christian culture based on a study of literary and archaeological sources. Only one of A Rel 403 & A Clc 403 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Clc 134 or A His 235 or 235Z. May not be offered during 1999-2000.

A Rel 499 Senior Seminar in Religious Studies (3)
Seminar on selected topics in religious studies. Preparation of a paper under the direction of a faculty member. Open to seniors with permission of director.