RELJ 111 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
Esther Menn ()
Schedule# 60677 0900-0950 MWF WIL 140
This course and its sequel (RELJ 112) will introduce students to the basics of Biblical Hebrew vocabulary and grammar, for the express purpose of reading the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in its original language. An inductive approach, employing biblical verses to illustrate grammatical points, will allow exposure to the canonical writings themselves from the start. Midway through the semester, we will begin reading longer prose passages directly from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. There will also be discussion of important Hebrew terms and concepts from the biblical readings.

RELC 121 / RELJ 121 Old Testament/ Hebrew Scriptures
Esther Menn ()
Schedule# RELC: 60076 / RELJ 60245 1200-1250 MW WIL 301, plus RELC or RELJ discussion section
The Bible continues to be a best-seller because of its fundamental place within Judaism and Christianity and because of its insights into Ancient Near Eastern religion and culture. This course introduces students to the literature of the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures, both in its original historical and cultural contexts and in the history of its reception as sacred scripture. It covers the major historical phases of the religion and institutions of ancient Israel and explores the diverse literary genres and religious perspectives found in the biblical corpus. Discussion of important themes (for example, the exodus from Egypt) incorporates material from the Ancient Near East and later Jewish and Christian interpretations. Fulfills: Non-Western Perspectives Requirement. Course Requirements: Biblical and secondary readings, participation in discussion section, two mid-term examinations, and a final examination.

RELJ 201 Advanced Readings in Biblical Hebrew
Esther Menn ()
Schedule# 60680 1000-1050 MWF WIL 141B
This course emphasizes accurate translation of biblical Hebrew prose, with special attention to narrative. Over the course of the semester we will translate some of the classic narratives in Genesis, Exodus, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Jonah, and Esther. Students will also review essential biblical Hebrew grammar and syntax, increase vocabulary, and learn how to use important translation tools, including reference grammars, lexicons, and commentaries. This course also addresses issues in text criticism, interpretation, and the genre of biblical narrative. Prerequisites: Introduction to Biblical Hebrew II (RELJ 112), or permission of instructor. Requirements: Translation of biblical passages, vocabulary and grammar quizzes, mid-term and final examination.

RELC 205 History of Christianity I
Robert Wilken (rlw2w@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64088 1000-1050 MWF CHM 304 plus discussion section
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 Islam
Aziz Sachedina (sachedina@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60204 0930-1045 TR CAB 324 plus discussion section
A historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islamic religion. Special attention will be given to the life and career of the Prophet Muhammad, the teachings of the Qur'an, the development of the Muslim community and its principal institutions, theological and legal schools, philosophical and mystical developments, to about 1300 A.D. Readings will include M.G.S. Hodgson, Venture of Islam, Volume I; Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Qur'an; Kenneth Cragg, Islam from Within. Prerequisites: None. Requirements: A one-hour test and final examination. Two short papers on selected topics (4-5 pages). Participation in a field trip to the Islamic Center in Washington DC and the Freer Gallery of Art.

RELH 209 Introduction to Hinduism
Alvapillai Veluppillai (av2u@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61197 1300-1350 MWF CAB 138
This course is designed as an introduction to the many distinct yet interrelated religious traditions of South Asia that are labeled "Hinduism." From the ritually reconstituted cosmos of the ancient Vedic texts to the philosophical speculations of the Upanishads and the devotional outpourings of the great vernacular poets, we will examine the historical foundations of the three Hindu paths or margas: ritual, contemplative renunciation, and devotion. Focusing on the key concepts of dharma or duty, karma, and bhakti or love for the lord, we will consider the ways in which Hindus from a variety of historical time periods, local traditions, and social backgrounds have attempted to make sense of their world and their lives within it. Fulfills: Historical Studies and Non-Western Perspectives Requirements. Prerequisites: none. Requirements: weekly readings, active participation in discussion section, midterm and final examinations, short research paper (8-10 pages)

RELB 210 Introduction to Buddhism
Karen Lang (klang@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 61486 1100-1150 MW RFN G004A plus discussion section
This course will introduce the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, beginning with its origins in India, its spread throughout Asia, and culminating in its emergence in the West. Classical texts on the nature of enlightenment and the practice of meditation will be examined, as well as the views of contemporary Buddhist teachers on the challenges Buddhism faces in the modern world. Texts: Thich Nhat Hahn, For A Future to Be Possible; Peter Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism; Kenneth Kraft, Zen; the Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness; John Strong, The Experience of Buddhism, and Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Buddhism Through American Women's Eyes. Prerequisites: None. Requirements: Three Examinations and active participation in discussion sections.

RELG 214 Archaic Cult and Myth
Benjamin Ray (benray@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 64180 0930-1045 TR WIL 301 plus discussion section
Fertility, magic, cosmology -- what do cave paintings, hunting rituals, megalithic monuments, ancient myths, and shamanistic rites mean? The course will survey recent studies and classical theories as well as popular ideas about these subjects. Students will discuss answers to questions about the origins of religion, the meaning of paleolithic cave art, megalithic monuments (Stonehenge, Egyptian pyramids), Aztec sacrifice, rites of initiation, the Gilgamesh Epic, Egyptian myth and ritual, and shamanism. The course will also consider how interpretations of such prehistoric and ancient religious phenomena reflect an understanding of ourselves. Prerequisites: None. Instructor's permission is NOT required for admission to this course.

RELG 217 Philosophies of God and Religion: From Plato to Philo to Pascal
Peter Ochs (pochs@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 60719 1230-1345 TR CAB 424
God and Philosophy: from Plato to Philo to Pascal." P. Ochs The big questions about God, revelation, reason vs scripture, good, evil, heaven and the end of days: as entertained by major philosophers of religion and theology, from the Greek and biblical classics through the early modern period in Europe. Readings from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Greco-Roman thinkers. Three thoughtful papers and a midterm.

GREE 223 New Testament Greek (Intermediate Greek)
Sheila Griffith (sdg5a@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 62091 1400-1515 TR PV5 109
The aims of this course are to solidify your knowledge of Hellenistic Greek grammar and vocabulary and to gain speed and proficiency in reading and translating the Greek New Testament. We will read passages from I Corinthians and Romans, as well as some passages from the Acts of the Apostles. We will also consider some of the principles of New Testament textual criticism. Prerequisite: Greek 101-102 or permission of the instructor. Graduate students should consult instructor about registration.

RELJ 225 The History and Ideas of Zionism
Asher Biemann (Biemann@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61019 1400-1450 MWF PV8 103
This course will examine Jewish nationalism and Zionism as cultural, intellectual, and political movements within the context of modern Jewish and European history. It is designed to provide a thorough understanding of the Jewish national idea in the light of other competing nationalisms in 19th and 20th century Europe. Topics will include: The origins of the Jewish national idea; the impact of Enlightenment and Emancipation on European Jewry; the romantic movement in Germany; Antisemitism and Zionism; Herzl and his opponents; versions of political, religious, and ethical nationalism; Zionist culture in Diaspora Jewry (art, literature, thought); the German-Jewish Renaissance; Jews and German nationalism during World War I; the Balfour Declaration; the Arab-Jewish encounter; Jewish intellectual resistance to Nazi Gemany; issues of "Post-Zionism."

RELJ 226 Israeli Cinema: Historical and Cultural Perspectives
Asher Biemann (Biemann@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61515 1400-1515 TR WIL 140
This course will look at Israeli film-making from the beginning of the State to the present. We will examine how Israeli culture, secular and religious identity, and the encounter of the other are reflected on the screen. The course will offer a brief survey of Israeli history and of Jewish contributions to early European and American cinema. We will then look at the changing images and self-representations of Israel from the pre-State Yishuv to the so called "post-Zionist" era. The course will focus on readings, discussion, and actual film showings (with English subtitles). Requirements: Midterm, written term paper, and final exam.

RELC 236 Elements of Christian Thought
Eugene Rogers (GRogers@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 63063 1400-1515 TR MIN 125 plus discussion section
Everything you always wanted to know about Christianity but were afraid to ask. This course investigates the overall coherence of Christianity considering such critical questions as the following: How do we study Christianity in Religious Studies? How do human beings search for God? How do Christians say God searches for human beings? Does God make choices (predestination)? Who is in control of salvation (grace and free will)? What is the trinity about? How do Christians explain how Jesus saves? How does Christianity relate to Judaism? Why does a good and almighty God permit evil? What is the body for? What is salvation, anyway? Readings are arranged topically and come from the greatest hits of the Christian tradition and present rival views on most questions. Authors include Protestant, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, and secular thinkers, such as Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Thomas Jefferson, C.S. Lewis, and Karl Barth. Requirements: There are two options, both of which require regular participation in a class newsgroup. The exam version requires two non-cumulative tests. The writing version, which fulfills the Second Writing Requirement, requires two papers and no tests.

RELG 238 Faith and Doubt in the Modern Age
Jamie Ferreira (JamieF@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64237 1200-1250 MW RFN G004A plus discussion section
Is 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. Requirements: Careful and thorough reading of the texts, conscientious and thoughtful participation in sections, one or two short quizzes, a mid-term, and a final exam.

RELB 245 Zen
Hun Lye (hl2m@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 64344 1100-1215 TR WIL 402 plus discussion section
This course is a study of the development and history of the thought, practices, goals, and institutions of Zen Buddhism as it has evolved in India, China, Japan, and America. Among the topics discussed are meditation, enlightenment, the role of Zen in the arts, life in a Zen monastery, and the rhetoric used in Zen. The course focusses on Zen, but developments in other forms of Buddhism are also considered and contrasted with Zen.

RELB 255 Buddhist Meditation
P. Jeffrey Hopkins (jhopkins@virginia.edu )
Schedule #  60371 1230-1320 TR WIL 301 plus discussion section
An introduction to Buddhism by way of exploring meditative techniques and practices used for attaining enlightenment. Meditation manuals from Tibetan traditions will be examined and compared, providing a survey of Buddhist techniques for non-attachment, love, compassion, and insight into the nature of reality. The emphasis will be on yogic transformation of the mind through reflective, stabilizing, and analytical meditation. Buddhist attitudes about the basic human condition, altruism, and the conflict between appearance and reality will be discussed.

RELJ 256 Great Books in the Jewish Tradition
Elizabeth Alexander (esa3p@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61408 1100-1215 TR MIN 130
Text study is a fundamental component of the Jewish tradition. This course introduces students to key Jewish texts which have been the subject of such study. We will consider such questions as why do Jews believe these texts are sacred? How does one read them? How do they relate to each other such that together they form a canon? Texts covered include: Torah, Midrash, Mishnah, Talmud, Zohar, the prayerbook (the siddur).

RELG 265 Theology Ethics & Medicine
Jim Childress (Childress@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60253 1100-1150 MWF WIL 402 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, 4 brief papers (2 pages) and participation in discussion.  

RELC/RELJ 303 Historical Jesus
Harry Gamble ( hgamble@virginia.edu )
Schedule # RELC: 64012, RELJ: 64024 1100-1215 TR CAB 337
This 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.

RELG 321 African American Religions in Historical Perspective
Wallace Best (Wallace@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61339 1200-1250 MWF PAV 8, 108
This course will examine the relationships between African American religion, black culture and black political thought. Centering our study on a few essential questions regarding the nature and function of black church, we will explore its affect upon black cultural forms -- music (from Gospel to Rap), fiction, poetry, and oratory. We will address a number of themes, including: the relationship between black church and black political leadership, race and religion, feminist theologies, and "Afro-centric Christianity." We will trace the development of African American religion in various historical contexts: Slavery, the Great Migration, and the Civil Rights era. Although this course will focus on African American Protestantism, we will examine black religion in other forms as well, particularly black Catholicism and the Nation of Islam.

RELC 325 Medieval Christianity
Augustine Thompson (AThompson@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60987 1100-1150 MWF CAB 118
This course will focus principally on the development of Christian thought from 1000 to 1450, emphasizing: Symbolists (to 1200), Scholastic Synthesis (1200 to 1325), and Nominalist Critique (1325-1450). Attention will also be given to the reception of Greek, Arab and Jewish learning by the medieval west. Anselm of Canterbury, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and William of Occam will receive special attention. Readings will emphasize the original texts. Requirements will include: a book report, 15 page research paper, in class mid-term and cumulative final.

RELC 326 Reformation Europe (cross listed with HIEU 323)
Anne Schutte (ajs5w@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 61192 0930-1045 TR Phys 210
In this course we examine developments in Western Europe from the late Middle Ages through the many forms of religious reorientation that emerged in the sixteenth century to the end of what some historians have called "the iron century." The approach is to some extent selective and topical: we will pay closer attention to religion, society, and culture than to dynastic politics and military conflicts per se. In addition to a textbook, DeLamar Jensen's Reformation Europe (2nd ed.), readings include abundant primary sources of all sorts and several fascinating short studies of individual participants in the events of this era. By early April a tentative reading list will be posted outside Randall 110. Structure: lecture with frequent discussion. Reading: about 175 pages per week. Writing: two medium-length papers; a midterm and a final examination.

RELG 353 Religion and Psychology
John Milbank (jmilbank@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60958 1230-1500 R CAB B020
This course will examine the claims of the psychology of religion. It will ask, is psychology a valid discipline? What is it investigating? Does it have its own theological or anti-theological assumptions? Are these well-grounded? How did modern psychology arise? Can psychology hope to explain anything about human religious experience and behaviour?

RELC 358 The Christian Vision in Literature
William Wilson (wmw2v@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60752 1000-1050 MWF CAB 332
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.

RELG 366 Issues in Theological Ethics: History of Christian Ethics
Margaret Mohrmann (mem7e@virginia.edu )
Schedule #61139 0930-1045 TR CAB 340
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. Each class session will include lecture and discussion.

RELG 372 Witchcraft
Erik Midelfort (hem7e@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61244 1200-1250 MW RSH 202 plus discussion section
This course considers the history and theory of Western magic and witchcraft from the points of view of women's studies, European history, and Christian theology. We study various notions of magic and demonology and their intersection with witch hunting, especially in Europe and America, and concentrating on the period 1450-1750. We also consider the connections of modern Wicca (sometimes known as the Goddess religion) to traditional witchcraft. The goal of the course is to refine critical thinking and interdisciplinary skills as well as extend research and writing abilities. Students will write a major research paper (10-15 pages long) on a topic of their choosing. The course proceeds by lectures and discussion of weekly reading assignments of ca. 100-150 pages a week. Additional assignments encourage students to discover resources in the library. A midterm and final examination are required of all. Required reading includes: 1) Selections from the Bible, Old and New Testaments 2) Institoris and Sprenger, The Malleus Maleficarum 3) Wolfgang Behringer, Shaman of Oberstdorf. Chonrad Stoeckhlin and the Phantoms of the Night (tr. H. C. Erik Midelfort) 4) Johann Weyer, On Witchcraft (De praestigiis daemonum) ed. Benjamin Kohl and H. C. Erik Midelfort 5) Stuart Clark, Thinking with Demons: The Idea of witchcraft in early Modern Europe (selections only) 6) Carol Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman. Witchcraft in Colonial New England 7) Scott Cunningham, The Truth about Witchcraft Today and Goddess Unmasked 8) Philip G. Davis, The Rise of Neopagan Feminist Spirituality.

RELA 389 Christianity in Africa
RELC 389 Christianity in Africa
Matthew Engelke (mee7x@virginia.edu)
Schedule # RELA: 62312 / RELC: 62423 1400-1515 TR MRY 115
This course examines the development of Christianity in Africa from its ancient roots in Egypt and the Maghreb to contemporary times. Our historical survey will cover medieval Nubian and Ethiopian Christianity, the Kongo Christian kingdoms of the 15th and 16th centuries, European missions during the colonial period, the growth of independent churches and the emergence of African Christian theology. We will address issues such as the relationship between colonialism and evangelism; religion and rebellion; translation 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 course of Christian history.

RELG 395 Evil in Modernity
Jennifer Geddes (jlg2u@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61425 1530-1800 W CLK 146
Modernity is no stranger to evil. In fact, many argue that evil reached its pinnacle of "success" in the events of the last century. As technology has progressed, so have the means by which humans can and do inflict evil on each other. How does this "progress" of evil affect our understanding of it? What is the nature of evil in the modern and (post)postmodern world? How can or should we think and respond to it? Does God allow evil events to happen? Or do these events prove that there is no God? In this course, we will explore these questions through literary texts; theological, historical, and philosophical writings; testimonies; and films.

RELG 400A Majors Seminar Death and Afterlife
Benjamin Ray (benray@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60588 1530-1800 T CAB 236
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. Prerequisite: 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies Majors ONLY.

RELG 400B Majors Seminar Religion and Creation
Larry Bouchard (lbouchard@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64461 1530-1800 W HAL 123
This edition of the Majors Seminar will look at several ways of understanding (or interpreting) how some religious communities interpret themselves and matters of creation. In Part I of the seminar, we will examine several definitions or perspectives on religion and pay special attention to how religious traditions can be said to comprise communities of interpretation. In Part II of the course, we will examine how some voices, speaking from religious frameworks and communities, have interpreted aspects of creation, including beliefs about divine creation as well as views of cultural creation. Along the way we will consider how some religious voices, speaking in relationship with such traditions, have interpreted good and evil, the self and community, and art and science in light of certain religious practices and understandings regarding creation. Assignments: one or two short reaction papers, presentation of these papers in class, an essay-style mid-term exam, and a final paper on a course related topic. Prerequisites: 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies Majors ONLY

RELG 422 American Religious Autobiography
Heather Warren ( hwarren@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 63274 1500-1730 M CAB 139
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.).

RELG 423 Bioethics Internship Seminar
Margaret Mohrmann (mem7e@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 63987 1200-1400 R CAB B026

 RELC 481 Poetry and Christainity
Alison Milbank (agm2a@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64495 1400-1515 TR CAB 331
Beginning with the Bible and sweeping through two millenia to Australian Les Murray's most recent work, this course offers something of a roller-coaster ride through the landmarks of the Christian poetic tradition. Our journey takes us from early Syriac, Latin and Celtic sources through the Anglo-Saxon Dream of the Rood to Dante's Divine Comedy and via the Spanish John of the Cross to Milton's Paradise Lost. Eighteenth-century mystical verse will include poems by a Welsh shepherdess, and in the ninteenth century we shall look at attempts to revive Christian epic. The French poet Charles Pèguy will provide an introduction to two major Christian poets of our own century: T.S. Eliot and W. H. Auden. Finally, we shall examine several contemporary poets to see if there exists anything beyond the private lyrical effusion of faith to take Christian poetry into the twenty-first century. Course requirements: two short essays and a final examination.

RELB 547 Literary Tibetan V
David Germano (germano@virginia.edu )
Schedule #  61397 0930-1045 TR Cocke B-27
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.

RELB 549 Tibetan Buddhist Renaissance
David Germano (germano@virginia.edu )
Schedule #64130 1400-1515 TR WIL 141A
This course will focus on Renaissance period of Tibetan Buddhism, namely from the tenth to fourteenth centuries. This was arguably the most creative and interesting period of Tibet's religious history, and was marked by an explosive creativity that has shaped the basic forms of Tibetan Buddhism to the present. Half of the course will survey the various cultural issues of the period, including the growth of monasteries and temples, the massive translation project of Indian Buddhist literature, the rise of visionary and populist movements, the creation of an imaginal Tibet via a romantic movement based on Tibet's Imperial past, the conflict between tantra and scholastic forms of Buddhism, the shifting politics of the period, the development of pilgrimage and various types of religious communities, and so on. The other half of the course will focus on particular yogic and philosophical systems that prevailed in the Buddhist movements which developed during this time period. Undergraduates are very welcome, but are required to have done a previous course with me, ideally Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism

RELC 551 Early Christian Thought: Asceticism
Harry Gamble ( hgamble@virginia.edu )
This course has been canceled

RELB 561 Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit
Karen Lang (klang@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 60575 1300-1350 MWF PV8 103 

RELG 564 Seminar in Modern Religious Thought: Incarnation & Election in Judaism & Christianity
Eugene Rogers (GRogers@virginia.edu ) / Peter Ochs / (pochs@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61806 1530-1800 W PV8 108
In the late twentieth century both Christian and Jewish thinkers--signally Karl Barth and Michael Wyschogrod--uncovered deep connections between chosenness and embodiment, or incarnation and election. Although the emphasis will fall on the overlap of the title topics, other, related topics may include doctrine of God (including trinity), eschatology (including resurrection), community (ecclesiology, Israelology), observance (kashrut, sacraments), Jewish views of Christianity, and Christian views of Judaism (esp. attempts to get beyond supercessionism and recent ways of reading Rom. 9-11). Authors may include Paul, Athanasius, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Beza, Spinoza, Schleiermacher, Rosenzweig, Barth, Stendahl, Rowan Williams, Michael Wyschogrod, Elliot Wolfson, Eugene Rogers, Robert Jenson, David Novak, Kendall Soulen, Paul van Buren, Lloyd Gaston, Bruce Marshall, Peter Ochs, Ellen Charry. We may invite Kendall Soulen to join us for a session. 4 short (5-page) papers or one 20-page paper. Undergraduates must turn in papers by the last class.

RELC 567 Early Christian Ethics
Robert Wilken (rlw2w@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64145 1530-1800 M CAB 338
A survey of ethical thought and moral issues in early Christianity, on the basis of Greco-Roman, New Testament, and patristic materials.

RELG 583 Love and Justice
Jim Childress (Childress@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64030 1530-1800 T CAB B028
This seminar will analyze and assess major interpretations of love (agape) and justice in twentieth-century Christian ethics. It will focus on the content, distinction, and relations of agape and justice in such figures as Walter Rauschenbusch, Reinhold Niebuhr, Emil Brunner, Paul Tillich, Paul Ramsey, and Catholic social thought.

RELG 587 The Sacred Object
Vanessa Ochs (vlo4n@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60898 1530-1800 W CAB 134
How do objects become sacred? How can we study religion from the vantage point of things? This is a cross-cultural study of the ways individuals and religious communities create, construct and experience the sacredness of objects. We will be looking at the meanings of the formal ritual objects and the everyday things that become incorporated into religious practices. This is a methods course that will ground students in the theories of material culture study (as applied to religious studies) and in the practice of analyzing the artifacts of both ancient and contemporary religions. Texts will include: Schmidt, McDannell, Orsi, Appadurai, Glassie, Joselit, Mauss and Baudrillard. Students will be expected to carry out independent field work.

RELB 703 Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts
Jin Hua Chen (Chenjinhua@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 60529

RELI 710 Islamic Religious Law & Ethics
Aziz Sachedina (sachedina@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64161 1530-1800 R CAB B021
The seminar will undertake to study the development of Islamic religious law, the Shari`a, in conjunction with religious ethics by investigating the sources of legal and ethical doctrines and their application in various spheres of human-divine and inter-human relations. The development of legal reasoning based on principles and rules derived from the Qur'an and the Sunna, on the one hand, and intuitive reason and custom on the other, renders legal-ethical judgments positively derived but normatively binding. The categories of action like "obligatory," "recommended," "reprehensible," and "forbidden" that are common between legal and ethical judgments are founded upon conceptual and practical relation between religious and moral in Islam. The relevance of religious law and its influence upon the development of modern Muslim ethical and legal system will be examined historically to assess the creative moments in the development of Islamic legal-ethical tradition in meeting the challenges of a changing society. The course is open to the advanced undergraduate as well as graduate students in the fields of comparative law, ethics, and government. RELI 207 or its equivalent in History or Government is required.

RELG 728 Modern Religious Thought: Instinct and Rationality: Hume and Nietzsche
Jamie Ferreira (JamieF@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64309 1830-2100 T PV8 103
Is reason opposed to instinct, or is it a species of instinct? In this seminar we will examine the themes of rationality, instinct, and instinctive rationality in some of the major works of David Hume and Friedrich Nietzsche. These works raise the question whether Hume and Nietzsche present a coherent account of the relation between rationality and instinct. Readings: Hume--Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, The Natural History of Religion, and selections from the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, and "On the Standard of Taste"; Nietzsche-selections from a variety of works (e.g., GS, AC, TI, BGE, D, EH, Z) which contain prima-facie contrasting accounts of the value of reason and instinct. Requirements: conscientious seminar preparation and engagement, frequent one page papers and either two ten page papers or a single final twenty page paper (presentations in class as appropriate).

RELB 820 Spoken Tibetan VII
David Germano (germano@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 62466 0930-1045 TR Cocke B-27
A continuation of the literary portion of Literary Tibetan VI, 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 548 or equivalent. Requirements: Class attendance and participation, four exams, midterm, final, translation assignments.

RELB 823 Advanced Literary Tibetan
P. Jeffrey Hopkins (jhopkins@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60892 - TBA
A continuation of Colloquial Tibetan VI, this course uses multimedia programs in Colloquial Tibetan to develop verbal fluency, acquire vocabulary, and master advanced topics in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisites: Tibetan VI. Requirements: Class attendance, participation, preparation of programs outside of class, multiple exams and quizzes.

RELB 826 Advanced Topics in Tibetan Literature
David Germano (germano@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64132 - TBA
A continuation of Colloquial Tibetan VI, this course uses multimedia programs in Colloquial Tibetan to develop verbal fluency, acquire vocabulary, and master advanced topics in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisites: Tibetan VI. Requirements: Class attendance, participation, preparation of programs outside of class, multiple exams and quizzes.

RELB 827 Colloquial Tibetan VII
Sonam Germano ( sg6u@virginia.edu )
Schedule #61322 1100-1150 MW
A continuation of Colloquial Tibetan VI, this course uses multimedia programs in Colloquial Tibetan to develop verbal fluency, acquire vocabulary, and master advanced topics in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisites: Tibetan VI. Requirements: Class attendance, participation, preparation of programs outside of class, multiple exams and quizzes.

RELB 831 Advanced Sanskrit
Karen Lang (klang@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 60637 - TBA 

RELG 845 Theology and the Gift
John Milbank (jmilbank@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60986 1230-1500 F WIL 140
This course will explore the various ramifications of contemporary debates about the gift: anthropological, philosophical, theological. We shall look at the phenomenological notion of donation; the analytic debate about the given; anthropological discussions of Mauss's work Le Don, including feminist discussions; work on gift-exchange in the Bible and in Church history; Derrida's critique of Mauss; Marion's response; Milbank's response to both Derrida and Marion; gift as a perhaps all-embracing theological category.

RELG 863 Environmental Ethics
Jim Childress (Childress@virginia.edu ) / Jonathan Cannon ( jzc8j@virginia.edu )
Schedule #64774 1700-1900 M WSB 127
Environmental policy is rooted in concepts of the value of nature and our responsibility to protect it. In public debates on the environment and in our individual decisions, environmental values may compete with other values, such as economic well-being or social justice. This seminar focuses on the ethical dimensions of the choices we make, individually and collectively, affecting the environment. Jointly led by an ethicist and an environmental lawyer, it will examine a range of theories and views about the right relationship between us humans and the world in which we find ourselves. These include utilitarian theories (including economic approaches); religious and cultural perspectives; environmental justice; ecocentric and biocentric theories; theories of the rights of animals and nature; deep ecology, ecofeminism, and place-base environmental ethics; and obligations to future generations. We will not only seek to come to terms philosophically with these theories and concepts, but also explore how they might apply in actual policy settings Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor (Childress@virginia.edu ), Written requirement: A substantial research paper.

RELG 899 Pedagogy
Michael Thomas (mat4j@virginia.edu)
Schedule #64635 0800-1000 M Clemmons 322B

GBUS 902 FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS ETHICS
Pat Werhane (WerhaneP@virginia.edu)
Schedule #64774 1700-1900 M WSB 127
In this course we shall analyze the moral foundations of ethics and economics. We shall study philosophers who deliberately use a moral framework or moral presuppositions to develop a theory of ethics, and idea of political economy, and/or economic justice. Since the course is limited to one semester we shall focus on some theorists who have been (or should have been, or are) influential in framing some contemporary thinking in business ethics and economic justice. We shall begin with an extensive study of Adam Smith, reading selections from the Theory of Moral Sentiments, the Wealth of Nations, and the Lectures on Jurisprudence. [Background reading, John Locke, Second Treatise of Government) We will then turn to Marx' Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and some selections from the 19th century Social Darwinist, Herbert Spencer. Leaping forward, we will then read Joseph Schumpeter's Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, Frederick Hayek, Individualism and the Economic Order. Students are expected to be familiar with Rawls' Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism, and with Nozic's Anarchy, State and Utopia. Grading will be based on class participation, short presentations, and a final paper.