Course Descriptions

RELG 100 - (3) (IR)
First-Year Seminar
Intended primarily for first-year students. Introduces the student not only to a given topic but also to research and study techniques, use of library, etc.

RELG 101 - (3) (Y)
Introduction to Western Religious Traditions
A study of the major religious traditions of the Western world; Judaism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam.

RELG 104 - (3) (S)
Introduction to Eastern Religious Traditions
An introduction to various aspects of the religious traditions of India, China, and Japan.

RELG 108 - (3) (IR)
Mythologies of Creation, Salvation, and Death
An exploration of the themes of creation, salvation, and death in the mythologies of the world's religions.

RELG 213 - (3) (O)
The Religions of China
A survey of the major religions of China: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.

RELG 214 - (3) (E)
Archaic Cult and Myth
A survey of scientific and popular interpretations of prehistoric, ancient, and traditional religions.

RELG 215 - (3) (IR)
Religion in American Life and Thought to 1865
Topics include the influence of Puritanism, the character of American religious freedom, and the interaction between religion and social reform.

RELG 216 - (3) (Y)
Religion in American Life and Thought from 1865 to the Present
Topics include American religious pluralism, religious responses to social issues, and the character of contemporary American religious life.

RELG 219 - (3) (Y)
Religion and Modern Fiction
Studies in the variety of religious meaning in modern literature, with emphasis on such matters as faith and doubt, evil and absurdity, and wholeness and transcendence in both secular fiction and fiction written from traditional religious perspectives.

RELG 230 - (3) (Y)
Religious Ethics and Moral Problems
Examination of several contemporary moral problems from the perspective of ethical thought in the Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish traditions.

RELG 238 - (3) (Y)
Faith and Doubt in the Modern Age
An examination of religious skepticism in the modern world.

RELG 239 - (3) (O)
Theism and Humanism
A study of contemporary understandings of religious faith, especially in response to the challenge of humanism.

RELG 244 - (3) (Y)
Human Nature and Its Possibilities
Examination of various perspectives on human existence (psychological, literary, philosophical, theological) with a view to seeing what possibilities are contained in the linguistic, theoretical, practical, poetic, and ecstatic capacities of human beings.

RELG 265 - (3) (O)
Theology, Ethics, and Medicine
An analysis of various moral problems in science, medicine, and health care (e.g., abortion and euthanasia) as viewed by religious and philosophical traditions.

RELG 305 - (3) (E)
Religions of Western Antiquity
Study of Greco-Roman religions and religious philosophies of the Hellenistic period, including official cults, mystery religions, gnosticism, astrology, stoicism; emphasizes religious syncretism and interactions with Judaism and Christianity.

RELG 306 - (3) (IR)
Religions of the Ancient Near East
A survey of the religions of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syro-Palestine.

RELG 308 - (3) (IR)
Myths of Creation
A comparative study of the world's creation myths, in relation to the religious life, ritual, social structure and cosmology of their respective traditions.

RELG 321 - (3) (IR)
Major Themes in American Religious History
An examination of a major religious movement or tradition in American history.

RELG 340 - (3) (Y)
Women and Religion
Introduction to the images of women in the major religious traditions, the past and present roles of women in these traditions, and women's accounts of their own religious experiences.

RELG 351 - (3) (Y)
Religion and Society
A critical appraisal of classical and contemporary approaches to the sociological study of religion and society.

RELG 353 - (3) (O)
Religion and Psychology
Major religious concepts studied from the perspective of various theories of psychology, including the psychoanalytic tradition and social psychology.

RELG 357 - (3) (Y)
Existentialism: Its Literary, Philosophical and Religious Expressions
A study of Existentialist thought, of its Hebraic-Christian sources, and of 19th and 20th century representatives of the movement (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Buber, Tillich, et al).

RELG 359 - (3) (SI)
Mysticism and Religious Experience
A critical examination of classical and contemporary forms of mystical and religious experience, including the study of religious conversion and altered states of consciousness.

RELG 360 - (3) (Y)
Religion and Modern Theatre
An examination of the works of several playwrights, some of whom dramatize explicitly religious themes or subjects, and others who are predominantly concerned with secular situations and contexts that nonetheless imply religious questions and issues.

RELG 364 - (3) (E)
Religion, God, and Evil
A study of the "problem of evil," using philosophical, literary, and various religious sources.

RELG 365 - (3) (O)
Systems of Theological Ethics
An examination of one or more contemporary systems of Christian ethics, alternating among such figures as Reinhold Niebuhr, C.S. Lewis, Jacques Ellul, and Jacques Maritain.

RELG 366 - (3) (Y)
Issues in Theological Ethics
Intensive study of a single moral problem or set of related problems in the context of recent work in theological ethics. The particular problem selected varies, but is chosen from a range of issues such as human experimentation, special moral relations, warfare, etc.

RELG 375 - (3) (Y)
Taoism and Confucianism
A study of classical Chinese and Taoist texts, their use by religious Taoist groups, and how they influenced folk religion.

RELG 400 - (3) (S)
Majors Seminar
An introduction to the study of religion as an interdisciplinary subject, utilizing methods in history of religions, theology, sociology, depth psychology, and literary criticism. Limited to twenty religious studies majors.

RELG 422 - (3) (IR)
American Religious Autobiography
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.

RELG 503 - (3) (SI)
Readings in Chinese Religion
An examination of selected readings from a specific text, figure, or theme. Readings will emphasize possible structures of religious language and questions of translation.

RELG 506 - (3) (E)
Interpretation of Myth
This seminar takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of myth, focusing on structuralist, hermeneutical, and history of religions methodologies.

RELG 507 - (3) (E)
The Nature and Problems of Interpretation
Analysis of existentialist, phenomenological, structuralist, literary, historical, and psychological approaches to the interpretation of texts, especially narrative religious texts; and the interactions of language, history, and understanding.

RELG 508 - (3) (O)
Seminar on Religion and American Culture I
Prerequisites: A course in either American history or American religious history. Open to upper-level undergraduates.
A historical examination of Americans' religious identities in relation to the dominant values of American social and intellectual life, with particular attention to the concept of community. Subjects include Puritanism, the Mennonites, the Shakers, Mormonism, and the growth of Evangelicalism.

RELG 514 - (3) (SI)
Seminar on a Major Religious Thinker
Study of the relationship between philosophical and religious thought as seen in a selected philosopher and theologian.

RELG 515 - (3) (Y)
Issues in Religious Ethics
Study of selected issues such as mysticism and morality, conscience, natural law, nonviolence, and methodology in religious ethics.

RELG 517 - (3) (Y)
Seminar in History of Religions
An introduction to the basic thinkers in the field of history of religions and to fundamental problems in the study of religious sociology, mythology, and ritual.

RELG 518 - (3) (O)
Seminar in Philosophical Theology
Study of ideas of God in Western thought, selected topics, from Plato to the present.

RELG 524 - (3) (SI)
Problems in Philosophy of Religion
A critical examination of classic and contemporary discussions of selected problems in philosophy of religion.

RELG 541 - (3) (Y)
Seminar in Social and Political Thought
An examination of the social and political thought of selected religious thinkers.

RELG 563 - (3) (Y)
Seminar: Issues in the Study of Religion and Literature
An analysis in terms of fundamental theory, of the purposes, problems, and possibilities of interdisciplinary work in religion and literary criticism.

RELG 569 - (3) (IR)
Contemporary Religious Movements
A study of the psychological, sociological, and political dimensions of conversion and ideological commitment in selected contemporary religious movements.

RELG 571 - (3) (E)
The Victorian Crisis of Faith: Its Religious and Literary Expressions—A Seminar
A study of the religious dilemmas that were at the center of English thought in the 19th century, from the time of Keble's Assize sermon and the advent of the Oxford Movement into the period of Thomas Hardy. The focal figures include Newman, Tennyson, Clough, Arnold, Carlyle, John Stuart Mill, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy.

RELG 573 - (3) (E)
Theology of Culture
Exploration of the relationship between religion and culture, including such topics as a theological assessment of the value of culture; the impact of secularization; the critique of religion levied by various disciplines; and the problems of doing theology in a pluralistic context.

RELG 575 - (3) (SI)
Myth and Ritual
Examines theories of myth and ritual from an interdisciplinary perspective, including the study of selected mythological and ritual texts.

RELG 578 - (3) (Y)
Human Genetics, Ethics, and Theology
Prerequisites: RELG 265 or permission of instructor
Study of ethical problems in genetic screening, counseling, and prenatal diagnosis. Ideas of biological and theological determinism are explored critically.

RELG 590 - (3) (IR)
Ethics, Politics and Rhetoric
Study of the perennial problems of politics and morals considered primarily by the reading of plays, novels, speeches, and historical documents.

African Religions

RELA 275 - (3) (Y)
African Religions
An introduction to the mythology, ritual, philosophy, and religious art of the traditional religions of sub-Saharan Africa, also African versions of Christianity and African-American religions in the New World.

RELA 410 - (3) (Y)
Yoruba Religion
A study of Yoruba traditional religion, ritual art, independent churches, and religious themes in contemporary literature in Africa and the Americas.

Buddhism

RELB 210 - (3) (Y)
Buddhism
Study of Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantrayana Buddhist developments in India.

RELB 212 - (3) (Y)
Buddhist Literature
An introduction to Buddhist literature in translation, from India, Tibet, East Asia, and South East Asia.

RELB 245 - (3) (Y)
Zen
A study of the development and history of the thought, practice, and goals of Zen Buddhism.

RELB 300 - (3) (Y)
Buddhist Mysticism and Modernity
Course centers around opening a dialogue between modern and post-modern critical inquires in the twentieth century and classical Tibetan Buddhism by centering around issues of intersections between language and experience as well as the individual and the larger self-constituting fields.

RELB 315 - (3) (Y)
Seminar in Buddhist Studies
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Study of selected aspects of Buddhist thought and action.

RELB 316 - (3) (Y)
The Religions of Japan
A survey of the development of Japanese religions from pre-history to modern times.

RELB 317 - (3) (Y)
Buddhist Meditation
Study of traditional techniques and methods of Buddhist meditation.

RELB 319 - (3) (Y)
Buddhist Nirvana
Study of the meaning and methods of achieving Nirvana as described in the teachings of Indian and Tibetan adepts.

RELB 500, 501 - (4) (E)
Literary and Spoken Tibetan I, II
An introduction to the philosophical and spiritual texts of Tibet: grammar, basic religious terminology, and structure.

RELB 502 - (3) (O)
Seminar in Tibetan Buddhism
Study of the spread of Buddhism to Tibet and its development.

RELB 525 - (3) (E)
Seminar in Japanese Buddhism
Prerequisite: RELG 213 or RELG 316 or permission of instructor
Examination of selected topics in the major schools of Japanese Buddhism, Tendai, Shingon, Pure Land, Nichiren, and Zen.

RELB 526 - (3) (E)
Seminar in Tibetan Buddhism II
Study of the theory and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

RELB 527 - (3) (O)
Seminar in Chinese Buddhism
Studies of selected doctrinal and historical issues in Chinese Buddhism.

RELB 535, 536 - (4) (E)
Literary and Spoken Tibetan III, IV
An intermediate course in the philosophical and spiritual language of Tibet, past and present.

RELB 543, 544 - (3) (SI)
Sanskrit Religious Texts
Prerequisite: SANS 501, 502 or equivalent and permission of instructor
Readings in Sanskrit religious and philosophical texts, their syntax, grammar, and translation.

RELB 546 - (3) (O)
Seminar in Mahayana Buddhism
Study of the Middle Way School of Madhyamika—Nagarjuna's reasoning, its intent and place in the spiritual path.

RELB 547, 548 - (4) (O)
Literary and Spoken Tibetan V, VI
Advanced study in the philosophical and spiritual language of Tibet, past and present.

RELB 549 - (3) (Y)
Religious History of Tibet
Study of political, social, religious and intellectual issues in Tibetan history from the fifth to fifteenth centuries with an emphasis on the formation of the classical categories, practices, and ideals of Tibetan Buddhism.

RELB 555 - (3) (E)
Buddhist Philosophy
Prerequisite: RELB 249 or equivalent
Advanced study of the stages and contents of insight according to the Pali and Sanskritic Buddhist traditions using such works as the Satipatthanasutta, Visuddhimagga, Vimuttimagga, and Abhidharmakosha (in translation).

RELB 560 - (3) (SI)
Elementary Pali
Prerequisites: SANS 501, 502 or equivalent
Study of Pali religious and philosophical works, including their grammar and translation.

RELB 561 - (1-3) (IR)
Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit
Prerequisites: SANS 501, 502 or equivalent
Study of Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit works, including their grammar and translation.

RELB 566 - (3) (SI)
Approaches to Buddhist Studies
Focuses on the utility of different disciplines, e.g., anthropology, history of religions, philosophy and psychology in the interpretation of Buddhist beliefs and practices.

RELB 591 - (3) (E)
Seminar in Chinese Buddhism
Examination of the major schools of Chinese Buddhism: T'ien-t'ai, Hua-yen, Pure Land, and Ch'an.

RELB 599 - (3) (SS) South and Inner Asian Buddhist Bibliography
Detailed critical survey of Theravada and Mahayana literature including modern secondary and tertiary sources with practical exercises in using the materials for study and research.

Christianity

RELC 121 - (3) (Y)
Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures
Study of the history, literature, and theology of ancient Israel and early Judaism in the light of the religious writings of Israel (Old Testament).

RELC 122 - (3) (Y)
New Testament and Early Christianity
Study of the history, literature, and theology of earliest Christianity in the light of the New Testament. Emphasizes the cultural milieu and methods of contemporary biblical criticism.

RELC 200 - (3) (E)
The Bible and Its Interpreters
Survey of Jewish and Christian interpretations of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). Examines how the Bible becomes sacred scripture for Jews and Christians.

RELC 205 - (3) (Y)
History of Christianity I
A survey of the development of Christianity from the time of Jesus to the 11th century.

RELC 206 - (3) (Y)
History of Christianity II
A survey of Western Christianity from the 12th to the 18th centuries.

RELC 215 - (3) (IR)
Religion in American Life and Thought to 1865
Topics include the influence of Puritanism, the character of American religious freedom, and the interaction between religion and social reform.

RELC 216 - (3) (Y)
Religion in American Life and Thought from 1865 to the Present
Topics include American religious pluralism, religious responses to social issues, and the character of contemporary American religious life.

RELC 233 - (3) (E)
History of Christian Social and Political Thought I
Survey from the New Testament to 1850 including the relation of theological ideas to conceptions of state, family, and economic life.

RELC 234 - (3) (E)
History of Christian Social and Political Thought II
Survey from the rise of Social Gospel to the contemporary scene. Considers "love" and "justice" as central categories for analysis of different conceptions of what social existence is and ought to be.

RELC 236 - (3) (Y)
Elements of Christian Thought
An examination of the theological substance of Christian symbols, discourse, and action.

RELC 240 - (3) (Y)
History of American Catholicism
A historical survey of American Catholicism from its colonial beginnings to the present.

RELC 246 - (3) (Y)
Aspects of the Catholic Tradition
Study of the distinctive theological aspects of the Catholic tradition, such as the sacramental system, the nature of the church, and the role of authority.

RELC 303 - (3) (Y)
The Historical Jesus
Topics include the problems of sources and methods; modern development of the issue of the historical Jesus; and the character of Jesus' teaching and activity.

RELC 304 - (3) (O)
Paul: Letters and Theology
Intensive study of the theological ideas and arguments of the Apostle Paul in relation to their historical and epistolary contexts.

RELC 323 - (3) (IR)
Images of Christianity
Examines the role of the visual arts in the transmission of Christian beliefs and experience from Late Antiquity through Medieval and modern times.

RELC 324 - (3) (O)
Medieval Mysticism
An introduction to the major mystical traditions of the Middle Ages and the sources in which they are rooted.

RELC 325 - (3) (E)
Medieval Christianity
Detailed study of the development of Christianity in the Middle Ages and how it reflected upon itself in terms of theology, piety, and politics. (Cross-listed as HIEU 318.)

RELC 326 - (3) (Y)
The Reformation
A study of the disintegration of Medieval Catholicism and the rise of Protestant Christianity in the 16th century, emphasizing the interaction of religious, social, and political issues. (Cross-listed as HIEU 324.)

RELC 328 - (3) (O)
Eastern Christianity
A survey of the history of Christianity in the Byzantine world and the Middle East from late antiquity (age of emperor Justinian) until the fall of Constantinople.

RELC 336 - (3) (Y)
Judaism and Christianity
A study of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity from the origins of Christianity as a Jewish sect through the conflicts of the Middle Ages and modernity; and current views of the interrelationship.

RELC 338 - (3) (E)
The Legacy of Columbus
Study of Spanish settlement and evangelization of the Americas with emphasis on what is now the United States; comparison with French and English colonization.

RELC 348 - (3) (Y)
Dynamics of Faith
A study of a variety of contrasting contemporary accounts of the character and status of "religious faith."

RELC 355 - (3) (E)
Faith and Reason
Study of various approaches to the question of the relation between reason, faith, doubt, and certainty in selected classical writings (e.g., Aquinas, Pascal, Kant, Kierkegaard, William James).

RELC 358 - (3) (E)
The Christian Vision in Literature
Study of selected classics of the Christian imaginative traditions, in order to discover ways in which the Christian vision of time, space, self, and society emerges and changes as an ordering principle in literature and art up to the beginning of the modern era.

RELC 365 - (3) (O)
Systems of Theological Ethics
An examination of one or more contemporary systems of Christian ethics, alternating among such figures as Reinhold Niebuhr, C.S. Lewis, Jacques Ellul, and Jacques Maritain.

RELC 368 - (3) (SI)
Social Problems of American Catholicism
Study of the history of Catholicism in America from the viewpoint of the rise of cities, urbanizing immigrant groups, and tension between ethnic groups in the cities and between Catholics and Protestants.

RELC 369 - (3) (IR)
The Gospel and Letters of John and the Book of Revelation
Explores the five New Testament books associated with the name of John. Emphasizes the various genres and historical settings in which the books were written, key theological themes, and recent interpretations.

RELC 381 - (3) (IR)
Christian Intellectual Tradition
Study of major figures and ideas in the history of Christian thought from the beginning through the early modern period.

RELC 504 - (3) (SI)
The Apocalyptic Tradition
Study of the tradition of apocalyptic thought as expressed in ancient Jewish and Christian literature and in selected contemporary literature. Emphasizes literary forms and features, historical and theological presuppositions, and primary themes.

RELC 510 - (3) (Y)
Natural Law in Judaism and Christianity
Prerequisite: Courses in religious thought and/or philosophy
Study of the problem of natural law as a perennial issue in both Judaism and Christianity.

RELC 511 - (3) (SI)
Phenomenology and Christology
A systematic exposition of the phenomenon of selfhood on the basis of some traditional materials from Christology and of some recent investigations in phenomenology.

RELC 512 - (3) (O)
Development of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Catholic Liberalism
An analysis and interpretation of major currents in liberal catholic thought in the 19th and 20th centuries.

RELC 513 - (3) (Y)
Being and God
A constructive treatment of questions related to the possibility of the experience of being and God or the being of God.

RELC 519 - (3) (E)
Theology in the Nineteenth Century
An analysis and interpretation of the theology of major thinkers in the 19th century, with special attention to Kant, Hegel, and Schleiermacher.

RELC 520 - (3) (E)
Contemporary Theology
Presents a survey, analysis, and interpretation of major developments in philosophical theology in the 20th century, beginning with dialectical theology in the 1920s.

RELC 530 - (3) (IR)
Early Christianity and Classical Judaism
Study of early Christian writings directed to Judaism; the role of Judaism in shaping the Christian intellectual tradition; the Christian interpretation of Jewish scripture.

RELC 531 - (3) (IR)
Early Christianity and Graeco-Roman Culture
Study of pagan criticism of Christianity and the response of Christian apologists, and Christianity and the Greek philosophical tradition, especially Stoicism and Platonism.

RELC 551 - (3) (E)
Seminar in Early Christian Thought
Prerequisite: RELC 205 or permission of instructor
Intensive consideration of a selected issue, movement or figure in Christian thought of the second through fifth centuries.

RELC 552 - (3) (O)
Seminar in American Catholic History
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Intensive consideration of a selected movement, issue, or figure in the history of Catholicism in America.

RELC 553 - (3) (E)
Puritanism
An examination of English and American Puritans, with attention also to Continental sources.

RELC 564 - (3) (Y)
Seminar in Modern Christian Thought
A critical examination of a major modern Christian thinker or movement, or of a major problem in modern Christian thought.

RELC 567 - (3) (SI)
Early Christian Ethics
Study of the nature of ethical responsibility as seen by several New Testament figures and documents (Jesus, Matthew, Paul, John, James).

RELC 580 - (3) (SI)
Advanced Exegesis of the New Testament I
Prerequisite: Intermediate knowledge of Hellenistic Greek
Reading and interpretation of the Greek text of one of the Gospels.

RELC 581 - (3) (SI)
Advanced Exegesis of the New Testament II
Prerequisite: Intermediate knowledge of Hellenistic Greek
Reading and interpretation of the Greek text of one or more of the Epistles.

RELC 583 - (3) (O)
Love and Justice in Christian Ethics
An examination of the various conceptions of love and justice in selected Protestant and Catholic literature mainly from the last fifty years.

Hinduism

RELH 209 - (3) (Y)
Hinduism
Survey of the Hindu religious heritage from pre-history to the 17th century; includes the Jain and Sikh protestant movements.

RELH 373 - (3) (IR)
Hindu Mythology
Prerequisites: RELG 104, RELH 209, or permission of instructor Study of Hindu mythology in relation to Hindu religious life, ritual, and social structure; parallels with Indo-European mythology.

RELH 420 - (3) (Y)
Hindu Mysticism
Prerequisites: RELG 104, RELH 209 and RELH 373 or permission of instructor
A historical and thematic study of mysticism in the Hindu tradition, from the Rig Veda through the tantra.

RELH 521 - (3) (O)
Hindu Devotionalism
Examines the history and perennial structures of classical Hinduism, concentrating on the Puranic literature, the dynamics of worship, and the emergence of the Hindu sects.

RELH 554 - (3) (E)
Hinduism and Indian Culture
This graduate-level introductory seminar devotes equal attention to the phenomenon of Hinduism and scholarly approaches to the study of this tradition.

RELH 558 - (3) (IR)
Hindu Epics
An examination of emergent classical Hinduism through the epic Mahabharata and Ramayana, this seminar also concentrates on the narrativization of ritual and Indo-European parallels.

RELH 589 - (3) (IR)
Vedic Hinduism
Taking the Vedic textual tradition and the theories of Jan Heesterman as its dual starting point, this seminar investigates the interplay of myth, ritual, and society in ancient India.

Islam

RELI 207 - (3) (Y)
Classical Islam
Study of the Irano-Semitic background, Arabia, Muhammad and the Qur'an, the Hadith, law and theology, duties and devotional practices, sectarian developments, and Sufism.

RELI 208 - (3) (Y)
Modern Islam
Prerequisite: RELI 207 or permission of instructor
Study of the 19th and 20th centuries in the Arab world, Turkey, and the Sub-Continent of India with emphasis on reform movements, secularization, and social and cultural change.

RELI 311 - (3) (E)
Muhammad and the Qur'an
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
A systematic reading of the Qur'an in English, together with an examination of the prophet's life and work.

RELI 312 - (3) (O)
Sufism
Prerequisite: RELI 207 or permission of instructor
An investigation of some major figures, themes, and schools of Islamic mysticism.

RELI 367 - (3) (E)
Religion and Politics in Islam
A historical and topical survey of the roots and genesis of the religion, and political conceptions operating in the Islamic world today.

RELI 540 - (3) (Y)
Seminar in Islamic Theology
Prerequisite: RELI 207 or permission of instructor
Study of Islamic theology from its origins through the 14th century. The Sunni and Shi'ite traditions are discussed in alternate years.

Judaism

RELJ 111, 112 - (4) (O)
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
Study of the essentials of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Includes readings of narrative portions of the Old Testament.

RELJ 121 - (3) (Y)
Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures
Study of the history, literature, and theology of ancient Israel and early Judaism in the light of the religious writings of Israel (Old Testament).

RELJ 201, 202 - (3) (Y)
Advanced Readings in Biblical Hebrew
Prerequisites: RELJ 111, 112
Advanced readings in the prose narratives of the Bible. Emphasis on vocabulary, morphology, and syntax. Some introduction to the problems of interpretation.

RELJ 203 - (3) (Y)
The Judaic Tradition
An introduction to the world view and way of life of classical Rabbinic Judaism.

RELJ 204 - (3) (IR)
American Judaism
A description and explanation of the diverse forms of Jewish religious life in America.

RELJ 307 - (3) (E)
Modern Jewish Thought
A study of major themes and figures of Jewish thought in the past two centuries.

RELJ 309 - (3) (E)
Israelite Prophecy
A survey of Israelite prophecy based on the prophetic books of the Old Testament.

RELJ 322 - (3) (Y)
Judaism and Zionism
A study of the complex relationship between Judaism—the sacred tradition of the Jews—and Zionism—the modern ideology of Jewish national revival.

RELJ 330 - (3) (Y)
The Jewish Mystical Tradition
A historical study of the Jewish mystical tradition, emphasizing the persistent themes of the tradition as represented in selected mystical texts.

RELJ 331 - (3) (Y)
Jewish Law
Study of the structure and content of Jewish law in terms of its normative function, its historical background, its theological and philosophical principles, and its role in contemporary society both Jewish and general.

RELJ 334 - (3) (Y)
Jewish Medical Ethics
Study of the classical Jewish sources as applied by contemporary Jewish thinkers to some of the issues raised by current advances in medical treatment, such as abortion, euthanasia, medical experimentation, etc.

RELJ 335 - (3) (Y)
Jewish Social Ethics
Study of some major social issues such as war and peace, ecology, crime and punishment, as discussed by ancient, medieval and modern Jewish ethicists.

RELJ 336 - (3) (Y)
Judaism and Christianity
A study of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity from the origins of Christianity as a Jewish sect through the conflicts of the Middle Ages and modernity; and current views of the interrelationship.

RELJ 337 - (3) (Y)
Modern Movements in Judaism
A study of the modern religious movements in Judaism including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, as well as Zionism, both secular and religious, with an emphasis on their theological and philosophical assertions and historical backgrounds.

RELJ - 505 - (3) (SI)
Judaism in Antiquity
A description and analysis of representative systems of Judaic religion which flourished in Palestine, Egypt, and Mesopotamia from 500 B.C. to 200 A.D.

RELJ 510 - (3) (Y)
Natural Law in Judaism and Christianity
Prerequisite: Courses in religious thought and/or philosophy
Study of the problem of natural law as a perennial issue in both Judaism and Christianity.

RELJ 522 - (3) (SI)
The Shaping of the Rabbinic Tradition
A seminar investigating specific aspects of the pre-modern development of Rabbinic Judaism, e.g., the holy man, mysticism and society, canon and exegesis, and law as theology.

RELJ 523 - (3) (IR)
Modern Judaic Imagination
This seminar explores specific problems in the interpretation of Judaism in the 19th and 20th centuries.

RELJ 528 - (3) (SI)
Seminar in Israelite Religion
Advanced study in a selected aspect of the religion of ancient Israel.

RELJ 529 - (3) (SI)
Seminar in Hebrew Bible
An in-depth study of a selected corpus of literature, specific book of the Hebrew Bible, or pervasive theme.

RELJ 594 - (3) (SI)
Judaism and Kantian Philosophy
Prerequisites: Courses in philosophy or Jewish thought, or permission of instructor; reading knowledge of German helpful
Study of the interaction of the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and Jewish theology in the 19th century and early 20th century, primarily concentrating on the thought of the German-Jewish thinker Hermann Cohen (1842-1918).

RELJ 596 - (3) (SI)
Judaism and Existentialist Philosophy
A study of the interaction of existentialist philosophy and modern Jewish theology, especially in the works of Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, and Abraham Joshua Heschel.

RELJ 597 - (3) (Y)
Judaism and Aristotelian Philosophy
Prerequisites: Courses in philosophy or Jewish thought, or permission of instructor
Study of the interaction of the philosophy of Aristotle and Jewish theology, especially in the 12th century, primarily concentrating on the thought of Maimonides (1135-1204).

Special Topics

RELS 495 - (1-6) (Y)
Independent Research
Prerequisite: Permission of departmental advisor and instructor
Systematic readings in a selected topic under detailed supervision.

RELS 496 - (3-6) (Y)
Distinguished Major Thesis
Prerequisite: Selection by faculty for Distinguished Major Program
A 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.

RELS 498 - (3) (Y)
Senior Essay
Prerequisite: Permission of departmental advisor and instructor
A selected topic in religious studies under detailed supervision. The writing of an essay will constitute a major portion of the work.

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