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RELIGIOUS
STUDIES
COURSE OFFERINGS
FALL 2002
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Semester
Notes:
Charles Marsh, Jamie Ferreira, Jeffrey Hopkins,
Eugene Rogers, Anne Monius and Wallace Best will not
be offering classes.
The Department regrets the loss of Anne
Monius to the Harvard University School of Divinity.
This semester's courses in Hinduism (RELH
211 and RELH 553) will be led
by Jeffrey Lidke.
Of interest to students of religion
would be GREE 223
This course may be taken for undergraduate or graduate
credit.
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Home | Graduate
Programs | Undergraduate
Programs | Resources
| Courses | Faculty
| Announcements
Undergraduate
Courses
For information on the Undergraduate program, or
questions about this document,
please contact Doug Burgess ( dougburgess@virginia.edu
)
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Course information
contained within this document should be verified
with the ONLINE COD (Course Offering Directory).
As you may know from previous enrollment procedures,
the online COD is updated daily. Listed
meeting times are subject to change.
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RELG 101 Introduction to Western
Religions
Heather
Warren ( hwarren@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 32718 1300-1350 MW
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, a mid-term,
and a final.
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RELB 101 Literary and Spoken Tibetan
I (First Year Tibetan)
Eric Woelfel ( ewoelfel@hotmail.com )
Schedule# 32664 1000-1050
MTWRF
This course offers an introduction to literary and spoken
Tibetan and is designed with special attention to undergraduates.
Students will study classical and modern grammar systematically
with examples drawn from a wide variety of literature,
and with a native speaker use new digital instructional
materials to develop proficiency in spoken Tibetan.
This sequence of courses can count towards fulfilling
the University requirement of two years of foreign language
study. Prerequisites: Tibetan I. Requirements: Class
attendance and participation, three exams, four translation
assignments.
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RELG 104 Introduction to
Eastern Religions(This
course has been canceled)
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- RELJ 111 Introduction to Biblical
Hebrew
Don Polaski ( dpolaski@ctsi.net
)
Schedule# 32647 1100-1150 MWF
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.
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RELC 121 Old Testament/ Hebrew Scriptures
/ RELJ 121 Old Testament/ Hebrew Scriptures
Don Polaski ( dpolaski@ctsi.net
)
Schedule# RELC: 30073/ RELJ: 30231 1200-1250
MW , plus RELC or RELJ discussion
section
Year after year, the Bible continues to be a best-seller
world-wide, not only because of the insights into Ancient
Near Eastern religion and culture that it offers, but
even more importantly because it holds a fundamental place
within Judaism and Christianity, as well as the larger
cultures affected by these religions. 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.
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RELJ 203 Judaic Tradition
Vanessa
Ochs ( vlo4n@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 30869 0930-1045 TR
In this introduction to Jewish religion, we learn that
the word TRADITION, ever important in Judaism, has many
meanings. Moreover, we learn that there is not one single
Jewish tradition. Rather, Judaism is characterized by a
whole range of practices, beliefs, attitudes and sacred
texts which have changed dramatically through the ages and
which continue to change. The goal of this course is to
understand the role of tradition in Judaism and to study
Jewish traditions which are alive today. Areas of study
include: central Jewish beliefs, sacred text study, Jewish
prayer, holy day practices, and rites of passage (birth
and death). In order to deepen our understanding of the
range of Jewish traditions, we see a variety of films, consider
Jewish websites, and "do Jewish" that's is, we attend places
where Judaism is being lived, and try our hand creating
a Jewish food or object. |
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RELC 205 History of Christianity I
Robert Wilken
( rlw2w@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33776 1200-1250 MWF 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.
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RELI 207 Classical Islam
Aziz
Sachedina ( sachedina@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 30193 0930-1045 TR
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 the following: M. G. S.
Hodgson, Venture of Islam, Volume I; Fazlur Rahman, Major
Themes of the Qur'an; John Renard, Seven Doors to Islam
Course Requirements: 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.
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RELB 210 Introduction to Buddhism
Karen Lang
(klang@virginia.edu)
Schedule# 31363 1100-1215 TR
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.
Fulfills: Non-Western Perspectives Requirements. Prerequisites:
none. Requirements: weekly readings, active participation
in discussion section, two hourly examinations and one
take home examination.
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RELH 211 Popular Hinduism
Jeffrey Lidke
( jsl8x@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 31626 1400-1515 TR
This course explores the diversity and richness of a multiplicity
of contemporary Hindu traditions, ranging from Brahmanical
ritual practice to various forms of lower-caste religiosity.
There is no single Hinduism, and yet there are ideas,
practices, and a variety of complex socio-economic relationships
that interconnect Hindus across time and place. Seeking
to both clarify and complexify our understanding of what
it means to be a Hindu in the modern worldof which there
are over one-billionwe will turn to a number of sources,
including primary texts, ethnographic accounts, films,
archival data, videos, music recordings, and performances.
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RELB 213 Taoism and Confucianism
Paul
Groner ( groner@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 30450 1230-1345 TR
This course focuses on native Chinese religious
traditions and is divided into three distinct parts.
In the first, some of the classical Chinese texts
that determine the parameters of religious discourse
are examined. Among them are the Analects, Mencius,
Tao te ching, and Chuang tzu. In the second part,
we will explore the teachings and practices of religious
Taoism. Among the topics discussed are the quest for
physical immortality, Taoist views of the body and
its relation to cosmology, Taoist religious organizations,
and millenarian rebellions. In the final section of
the course, popular Chinese religion will be discussed.
Among the topics surveyed will be ancestor worship,
the roles of gods and ghosts, and spirit possession.
Three examinations.
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GREE 223 New Testament Greek (Intermediate
Greek)
Judith Kovacs
( jkovacs@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 31921 1400-1515 TR
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.(Course may
count toward the Religious Studies major)
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RELG 229 Business Ethics (This
course has been canceled)
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RELC 233 History of Christian Ethics
Margaret
Mohrmann ( mem7e@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34666 0930-1045 TR
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.
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RELC 236 Elements of Christian Thought
Willis Jenkins ( wjj2c@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 32813 1400-1515 TW
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.
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RELC 240 History of American Catholicism
(cross listed with HIEU 240)
Gerald
Fogarty ( gfogarty@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34667 1230-1345 TR
The election of John Kennedy signified, on one level,
the acceptance of Catholics as Americans. The document
of religious liberty of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)
seemed to ratify what had long been a cherished American
Catholic tradition. Proving to be loyal to the Catholicism
of Rome and the democracy of the United States had been
the dilemma of American Catholics. To understand this
dilemma, the course will treat the following themes: the
early Spanish and French settlements; the beginning of
English-speaking Catholicism in Maryland; the establishment
of the hierarchy under John Carroll and its early development;
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).
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RELB 252 Tibetan Buddhist Psychology
Derek Maher ( dfm2d@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 32407 1400-1515 TR
An introduction to Buddhist psychology, this course
will explore (1) the nature and functions of the mind
and (2) various methods for transforming mundane awareness.
We will investigate coarser and subtler levels of consciousness
evidenced in the process of dissolution at death and
creative imagination in deity yoga as a technique to
embody and enact socially beneficial attitudes and to
confront the dreadful. Moreover, we will examine different
strategies for overcoming the corrosive effects of afflictive
emotions, taking anger and its antidote patience as
a paradigm. Finally, we will inquire into the transformative
process of tantric initiation.
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RELB 254 Tibetan
Buddhist Culture
William Gorvine (Gorvine@virginia.edu)
Schedule# 34660 1300-1350 MW
plus discussion section
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.
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RELJ 256 Sources of the Jewish Tradition
Elizabeth
Alexander ( esa3p@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34535 1230-1345 TR
An introduction to the central works of the Jewish
canon. We will consider such questions as: why are these
books important? what religious sensibilities do they
perpetuate? what is the relationship between them? what
strategies of reading can help us grasp their basic
meanings? and how do Jews read them? Using the classical
sources to acquaint ourselves with fundamental themes
and rituals in the Jewish tradition, we will be especially
interested in how practices of reading are incorporated
to and contribute to the growth of the religion. Readings
will be taken from the scriptural, exegetical and mystical
traditions including Torah, Midrash, Mishnah, Talmud,
Zohar, medieval biblical commentaries (parshanut).
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RELG 264 War, Justice and Human
Rights
Jim
Childress ( childress@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34611 1900-2100 T
plus discussion section
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RELG 265 Theology Ethics & Medicine
Jim Childress
( childress@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 30239 1100-1150 MWF
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.
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RELA 274 New Movements in African
Religions
Isabel Mukonyora (im9b@virginia.edu)
Schedule# 34642 1400-1515
TR
Through the study of new religious movements,
we learn about the growth of the so called 'independent
churches' in Africa resulting from the encounter between
'western' cultures supported by Christianity during
the colonial era and African cultures under girded by
religious traditions that are distinctively African.
Ethiopianism, Zionism and nowadays, a new wave of Pentecostal
Christianity are terms that scholars have used to describe
the phenomenon called new religious movements in Africa.
This courses is intended to deepen our understanding
of each of these developments with the historical-theological
and political questions that explain the emergence of
these groups providing students with a lot to discuss
as part of classroom work.
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RELA 276 African Religions in the
Americas
Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton
( H-Fatton@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34521 1000-1050
MW plus discussion section
This course explores the African religious heritage
of the Americas. We will concentrate on African-derived
religions in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as
Cuban Santeria, Brazilian Candomblé, Haitian Vodou, and
the Jamaican Rastafari movement. North American slave
religion, the black church, and African-American Islam
will also be considered. We will seek to identify their
shared religio-cultural "core" while developing an appreciation
for the distinctive characteristics and historical contexts
of each "New World" tradition. We will address topics
such as ideas of God and Spirit; the significance of ritual
sacrifice, divination, and initiation; the centrality
of trance, ecstatic experience and mediumship; and the
role of religion in the struggle for liberation and social
justice. Final, Midterm, periodic quizzes on the readings,
participation in discussion.
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RELG 280 African American Religious
History
Greg Hite ( gh7m@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 34676 1100-1215 TR
This course will survey the origin and development
of African American religion in the United States. Centered
on essential questions regarding the nature of black faith
and the role religious institutions have played in black
life, the course will explore the critical relationship
between African American religion and African American
cultural forms. We will address a number of themes, including:
the connection between "the black church" and black political
thought; race, gender, and religion; and Black Theology.
We will also trace the development of African American
religion in various historical contexts, particularly
slavery (emphasis on Virginia), the Great Migration, and
the Civil Rights era. Although this course will focus
primarily on African American Protestantism, careful attention
will be given to black Catholicism and the Nation of Islam.
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RELC 303 Historical Jesus
/ RELJ 303 Historical Jesus
Harry
Gamble ( hgamble@virginia.edu )
Schedule# RELC 34576 / RELJ 34577 1400-1515
TR
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.
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RELB 306 Chinese Buddhism
Paul
Groner ( groner@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34662 1530-1645 TR
This course explores how Confucian and Daoism influenced
Indian Buddhism in ways that led to uniquely Chinese
forms of religion. Among the topics we will consider
are the process of translating texts across cultures,
the production of apocryphal scriptures, the emergence
of new forms of meditation and scriptural exegesis,
and the reform of Buddhism in the twentieth century.
Readings will include both secondary and primary sources,
such as autobiographies and Zen records. No prerequisites.
Two examinations and one paper
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RELB 318 Tibetan Wisdom
Derek Maher ( dfm2d@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 30664 1100-1215 TR
In this course, we will examine Buddhist presentations
of the true nature of reality, i.e., selflessness or
emptiness. We will begin by investigating the historical
development of various interpretive traditions of Buddhist
philosophy in India. With that as our foundation, we
will explore the ways in which these schools were received
in Tibet and how they were interpreted there. Finally,
we will concentrate on the mature Tibetan tenet texts
which. systematize the purported four Indian schools
of Buddhism. In addition to comparing the final views
on reality of the respective schools, we will investigate
how each describes the spiritual path and the acquisition
of spiritual knowledge.
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RELC 326 Reformation Europe (cross
listed with HIEU 323)
Anne
Schutte ( ajs5w@virginia.edu )
Schedule#31089 1400-1515 MW
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.
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RELG 334 Dante, Religion
and Culture
Alison
Milbank ( agm2a@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34150 1230-1345 TR
This course offers first, a close reading
(in translation) of Dante's epic poem, 'The Divine
Comedy' with some of his other work and secondly,
a study of its status as a cultural event in its own
time and today. Part of the reason for Dante's extended
'afterlife' lies in the unique way in which his writing
brings together and questions dualities such as sacred
and secular, history and myth, and religion and culture.
We shall attend to these themes both by re-embedding
the poem in its original context, but also by examining
responses to Dante in recent film, poetry and theology.
Two papers and a final examination.
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RELJ 339 Jewish Feminism
Vanessa
Ochs ( vlo4n@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33703 1530-1800 W
From ancient times to our own day, Jewish women have
engaged with Jewish tradition, texts and practices appropriating,
resisting and transforming it. In this course, we will
study the strategies by which contemporary women in Judaism
continue to create the conditions for increased spiritual,
scholarly and social empowerment. As we study the major
works and issues in contemporary feminism from the mid-1960's
to the present, noting how Jewish feminists and feminist
scholars of Judaism have defined and legitimized the study
of Jewish women's experience, we will trace the impact
of Jewish feminism on Jewish ritual, text study, communal
leadership, and theology. |
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RELC 342 The Christian Vision of
Hell
Charels
Mathewes ( ctmathewes@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33720 1400-1630 W
This class will investigate the various ways in which
Christians have imagined Hell: the idea of the place
(or condition) of final and possibly endless torment
meted out to those who were not redeemed by God from
their sin. We will investigate the idea of Hell from
a variety of positions (including those who argue for
and against the idea of Hell, and those who argue for
an empty Hell) and using a variety of genres (including
biblical texts, philosophical and theological treatments,
and literary works). The ultimate aim of the course
will be to see what such a study illuminates for us
concerning the meaning of (1) punishment, (2) time,
and (3) the nature of--and relation between--divine
love and divine justice in Christian thought. 15
students max, at least one class in RELC/RELG and permission
of instructor required.
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RELG 345 The Passions
John Portmann ( portmann@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 33811 1530-1800
R
Analysis of how what we feel colors what we know.
Exploration of the power of emotions, particularly
as they drive or respond to moral decisions. Study
of love, jealousy, envy, boredom, anger, fear, pride,
regret, guilt, shame, grief, and joy. Reflection
on the philosophy of emotions as it develops in
Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Freud, Ben-Ze'ev,
and Nussbaum. Requirements: regular participation
in class; ten-page paper; final exam. Preference
given to fourth-year students.
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RELG 349 God and the Gothic
Alison
Milbank ( agm2a@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 0930-1045 TR
Goya wrote that the sleep of reason produces
monsters. Paradoxically, the rise of the Gothic novel
is coterminous with the massive challenge of the Enlightenment
to the claims of religious truth. In this course we
shall study a range of stories of murder, partriarchal
tyranny and demonic possession that engage with this
theological crisis. Topics addressed will include the
status of evil, the reality of the supernatural, and
the nature of truth. Our texts will include Anne Radcliffe’s
The Romance of the Forest, Charles Brockden Brown’s
Wieland, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, James Hogg’s Memories
and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, extracts from
Charles Maturin’s Melmoth the Wanderer and tales by
Hoffman and Goethe. Two papers and a final examination.
A follow-up course, Victorian Gothic, will be offered
in the spring.
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RELJ 352 Responses to the Holocaust
(This course
has been canceled)
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RELG 356 In Defense of Sin
John Portmann (
portmann@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34578 1230-1345 TR
Exploration of transgression in Judaism and Christianity
with a focus on the Ten Commandments and the seven deadly
sins. Reflection on "Divine Command Theory" and the questions
of who determines what is sinful and why. Close readings
of texts challenging the wrongness of acts and attitudes
long considered sinful with critical attention to the
persuasiveness of religious rules. Requirements: Three-hour
final and ten-page paper, along with regular class participation.
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RELC 358 The Christian Vision in Literature
William
Wilson ( wmw2v@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 30693 1000-1050 MWF
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.
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RELG 360 Religion and Drama
Larry
Bouchard ( lbouchard@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34575 1400-1515 TR
Are there connections among theater, ritual, myth
and portrayal of the self and its moral and political communities?
What differences do such relations make in our enjoyment,
understanding, and criticism of drama? This course explores
such questions. We will discuss some plays with explicitly
religious themes or historical subjects (as in Greek theater,
medieval Christian drama, Denys Arcand's film Jesus of Montreal,
S. Ansky's play The Dybbuk, and Wole Soyinka's uses of African
and European theatrical traditions). We will also read more
ostensibly secular plays that nonetheless implicitly pursue
religious and moral issues (as do, for example, plays by
Bertholt Brecht, Peter Shaffer, and Caryl Churchill). Models
of ritual communication and transformation, and their applications
to drama, will also be examined. Two special tasks will
guide us: We will try to identify acts of interpretation
(and misinterpretation) taking place between characters
in plays, as well as between performance and audience. We
will also explore how theater dramatizes questions of "integrity,
" both as a moral quality of actions and as dynamic relationship
among persons and their communities. Some lectures, much
discussion, 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 second writing requirement |
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RELC
378 Medieval Heresy
Augustine Thompson ( athompson@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 32916 1530-1800 T
Students in this seminar will read and discuss
the sources for Christian dissenting movements during
the period 1000-1400. Focus will be on "popular" heresies:
Cathars, Waldensians, Joachites, Fraticelli, Dolcinites,
Free Spirits, witches etc. We shall also examine who
Orthodoxy responded to dissent: persuasion, coercion,
repression, and inquisition. All students will do
weekly oral reports of about 10 minutes; written work
will consist of a 20 page research paper based on
original sources. Graduate students are encouraged
to work on sources in original languages.
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RELG 387 Religion and Sexuality
Catherine Griffith (Sherman) (cas9p@virginia.edu)
Schedule# 34094 1530-1800 R
This course will examine sexuality in the
context of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. For each
tradition, we will cover four basic areas: (1) perspectives
on sexuality and the body in foundational texts, (2)
teachings about marriage, (3) sexuality topics particular
to each tradition, and (4) homosexuality as a test
case. Requirements will include class participation,
response papers and a final project. This course meets
the Second Writing Requirement
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RELA 389 Christianity in Africa
/ RELC 389 Christianity in Africa
Isabel Mukonyora (im9b@virginia.edu)
Schedule# RELA: 34640 / RELC:34641 1230-1345
TR
The aim of this course is to shed light on
various ways that African Christians have adapted
Christianity to their history. With with the idea
of Africa as a big continent whose history changes
over the centuries, the course begins with examples
of how Africans adapted to Hellenism during the Early
Church and developed also a tradition of Christianity
associated with the Coptic Church in Egypt and Ethiopia.
The age of European Imperialism and the Post-colonial
era today are also looked at in this attempt to show
how Christianity has functioned as a catalyst for
change over many generations. In case students wonder
about measuring the importance of this course, let'
us say that to know about African Christianity is
to be aware of a significant part of the phenomenon
called Two-Thirds World Christianity. Students will
be assigned readings for leading discussions in class
as a way of encouraging open dialogue about Christianity
and other religions in the class room.
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RELA 390 Islam in Africa / RELI
390 Islam in Africa
Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton
( H-Fatton@virginia.edu )
Schedule# RELA: 34569 /
RELI: 34572 1400-1515 MW
This course offers an historical and topical
introduction to Islam in Africa. After a brief overview
of the central features of the Muslim faith, our chronological
survey begins with the introduction of Islam to North
Africa in the 7th century. We will trace the transmission
of Islam via traders, clerics, and jihads to West Africa.
We shall consider the medieval Muslim kingdoms; the
development of Islamic scholarship and the reform tradition;
the growth of Sufi brotherhoods; and the impact of colonization
and de-colonization upon Islam. Our overview of the
history of Islam in East Africa will cover: the early
Arab and Asian mercantile settlements; the flowering
of classical Swahili courtly culture; the Omani sultanates
and present-day Swahili society as well as recent "Islamist"
movements in the Sudan and other parts of the East African
interior. Readings and classroom discussions provide
a more in-depth exploration of topics encountered in
our historical survey. Through the use of ethnographical
and literary materials, we will explore questions such
as the translation and transmission of the Qur'an, indigenization
and religious pluralism; the role of women in African
Islam; and African Islamic spirituality. Midterm,
final, short paper, participation in discussion.
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RELC 391 Women and the Bible
/ RELJ 391 Women and the Bible
Judith Kovacs
( JKovacs@virginia.edu )
Schedule# RELC: 31093/ RELJ: 31358 1100-1215
TR
This course provides a forum for exploring
the intersection of gender issues and biblical studies.
Much of the course focuses on the close interpretation
of particular texts from the Bible. We will survey
passages from the Hebrew Bible (=Torah/Old Testament)
and the New Testament that focus on women or use feminine
imagery, considering various readings of them, including
traditional Jewish and Christian, historical-critical,
and feminist interpretations. We will examine the
evidence of the Bible on the position of women in
Israel and in the early church and consider how biblical
authors use feminine imagery to express their theology.
Attention will also given to how later Jewish and
Christian communities employ Scripture to shape and
define women's social and religious roles. Topics
treated will include the stories of creation and fall
in Genesis 1-3, narratives with female protagonists
(Sarah, Deborah, Hannah, Esther, Ruth, Judith, the
Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman),
the prophetic images of Israel as prostitute, wife,
and pure daughter of Zion, the figure of Lady Wisdom
in Proverbs, the erotic imagery of the Song of Songs,
women in the circle of Jesus, Paul's views on women,
and the use of feminine images to portray judgment
and redemption in the Revelation to John. No prerequisite.
Not for women only (men are especially encouraged
to enroll). The course may be used to fulfill the
second writing requirement.
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RELJ 397 Jewish Worship and Theology
Peter
Ochs ( POchs@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 32630 1400-1515 TR
A detailed study of the traditional Jewish (rabbinic)
morning prayer service: including close textual study
of the prayers, historical study of their sources, and
theological study of what they have meant and what they
mean to us now. Comparisons with other Jewish prayer
services (evening, sabbath) and with prayer in other
religions. And work in some recent philosophic studies
of scripture and prayer.
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RELG 400 Majors Seminar: Death and
the Afterlife
Ben Ray
( BenRay@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34118 1530-1800 W
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies
Majors ONLY
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.
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RELG 415 Salem Witch Trials in
History and Literature
Ben Ray
( BenRay@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 32695 1530-1800 T plus
lab
Restricted to Majors in Religious
Studies, History, and English
This seminar will explore the rich range of
historical scholarship, literary fiction, and primary
source materials relating to the 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 a
few classic historical studies, Boyer & Nissenbaum,
SALEM POSSESSED, Carol Karleson, THE DEVIL IN THE
SHAPE OF A WOMAN , and Rosenthal, SALEM STORY, and
literary works, Hawthorne, HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES,
Longfellow, GILES CORY OF SALEM FARMS, Miller's
THE CRUCIBLE, the course will 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.
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RELG 422 American Religious Autobiography
Heather
Warren ( hwarren@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33011
1430-1700 M
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.).
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RELG 423 Bioethics Internship Seminar
Margaret
Mohrmann ( mem7e@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33679 1530-1800 M
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 http://www.uva.edu/~bioethic/intern.htm.
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RELG 434 Early Political Theology
John
Milbank ( jmilbank@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33859 1530-1800 R
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RELS 495 Directed Readings Research
Instructor: Student's choice
Schedule# 31376
Systematic readings in a selected topic under
detailed supervision. Prerequisite: Permission of departmental
advisor and instructor
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RELS 495 Independent Research
Instructor: Student's choice
Schedule# 32606
Systematic readings in a selected topic under
detailed supervision. Prerequisite: Permission of departmental
advisor and instructor
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RELS 496 Distinguished Major Thesis
Instructor: Student's choice
Schedule# 30452
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 directred reading in the field of the thesis.
Prerequisite: Selection by faculty for Distinguished
Major Program.
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RELS 498 Senior Essay
Instructor: Student's choice
Schedule#
Studies selected topic in religious studies under
detailed supervision. The writing of an essay constitutes
a major portion of the work. Prerequisite: permission
of deparmental advisor and instructor.
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Graduate
Courses
For information on the Graduate Program
please contact the graduate secretary, Sarah Adams, email: sea3n@virginia.edu
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RELJ 505 Judaism in Antiquity
Elizabeth
Alexander ( esa3p@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 32984 1530-1800 T
A critical survey of the development of Judaism
from Ezra to the Talmud (c. 450 BCE-600 CE). During
this period "Jewishness" gradually began to emerge
as a form of identity that was different from biblical
Israel. We will consider the forces (Hellenism,
the development of a diaspora community, the emergence
of Christianity) that exerted pressure on the the
growth and development of Judaism during this period,
leading to this development. We will also examine
the manifold ways in which Jewish identity manifested
itself (apocalypticism, wisdom tradition, sectarianism
and rabbinic Judaism). Finally, we will consider
the question of how a normative form of Judaism,
today known as Rabbinic Judaism, grew out of the
variety of Jewish expressions that characterized
the Second Temple period and eventually achieved
hegemony.
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RELG 507 Interpretation Theory
Larry
Bouchard ( lbouchard@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 30446 1530-1800 M and 1500-1600
F
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, Nathan Scott) truth and reference
(e.g., Schleiermacher, Gadamer, Ricoeur, Derrida), and
reconsiderations of the hermeneutical model in such
figures as Mikhail Bahktin and Martha Nussbaum. Requirements:
Class participation of assigned materials, a midterm
take-home examination, and either a paper, or final
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RELC 514 Calvin and Calvinism
Augustine
Thompson ( athompson@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33911 1530-1800 R
This graduate seminar will examine the works
and influence of John Calvin (1509-1564) on Christian
though during the Reformation and Post-Reformation period.
Reading will include works by Calvin and his followers
as well as by modern students of the Reform tradition.
Every student will be expected to present a weekly oral
report along with writing a substantial research paper.
A reading knowledge of Latin and French would be useful
but it is not expected.
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RELC 520 Trinity and Holy Spirit
(This course has been canceled)
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RELB
526 Tibetan Mind Only (This
course has been canceled)
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RELJ 529 Seminar: Hebrew Bible:
Torah
Don Polaski ( dpolaski@ctsi.net
)
Schedule# 33891 1530-1800 R
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RELC 530 Roman Catholic Moral
Tradition
Charles
Mathewes ( ctmathewes@virginia.edu ) and
Jim
Childress ( Childress@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 32983 1530-1800 T
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RELB 533 Colloquial Tibetan III
Soulong Wang ( syw5r@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 31134 1000-1050 MW
A continuation of the colloquial portion of Literary
and Spoken Tibetan II, this course uses multimedia programs
in Colloquial Tibetan to develop verbal fluency, acquire
vocabulary, and master advanced topics in spoken Tibetan.
Prerequisites: Tibetan II. Requirements: Class attendance,
participation, preparation of programs outside of class,
multiple exams and quizzes. This is a 2 credit course.
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RELB 535 Literary Tibetan III
Eric Woelfel ( ewoelfel@hotmail.com
)
Schedule# 33838 1230-1345 TR
A continuation of the literary portion of Literary
and Spoken Tibetan II, this course is designed to expose
students to a variety of styles/genres in Tibetan literature
and advanced Tibetan grammar.
Prerequisites: Tibetan II. Requirements: Class attendance
and participation, three exams, four translation assignments.
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RELI 540 Islamic Theology: The Sunnite
Creed
Aziz
Sachedina ( sachedina@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34700 1530-1800 T
RELI 540 will concentrate on the development
of Muslim Theology in general and the Sunnite creed
in particular. It will primarily be a Mu`tazili-Ash`ari
theological study, and secondarily Sunni-Shi`i doctrinal
analysis. The course is basically concerned with the
development of creeds in Islam, the gradual process
of formulating Principles of Religion (usul al-din),
and their crystallization in the form of dogmas, with
theological complexities. Readings will include: A.
J. Wensinck, The Muslim Creed; W. M. Watt, The Formative
Period of Islamic Thought; H. A. Wolfson, The Philosophy
of Kalam; G. F. Hourani, Islamic Rationalism; I. Goldziher,
Muslim Studies, Vols. II; E. L. Ormsby, Theodicy in
Islamic Thought. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Active participation
in the weekly sessions, Class reports, in the form of
short papers, Two book reviews, Term paper on a topic
to be selected in consultation with the instructor.
N.B. Students taking this course should have a basic
grounding in Islam, e.g. RELI 207.
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RELB 542 Colloquial Tibetan V
Soulong Wang ( syw5r@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 31274 0900-0950 MW
A continuation of the Colloquial Tibetan IV, this
course uses multimedia programs in Colloquial Tibetan
to develop verbal fluency, acquire vocabulary, anhd master
advanced topics in spoken Tibetan. This is a 2 credit
course. Prerequisites: Tibetan IV. Requirements: Class
attendance, participation, preparation of programs outside
of class, multiple exams and quizzes. |
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RELB 543 Readings in Buddhist Sanskrit
David Drewes ( ddd4f@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34013 TBA
Readings in selected Sanskrit Buddhist texts.
Requirements: Two years of Sanskrit or instructor's
permission.
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RELB 547 Literary Tibetan V
David
Germano ( Germano@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 31277 1830-2100 M
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.
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RELB 550 Theravada Buddhism
Karen Lang
( klang@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33314 1530-1800
W
This course will explore the religious tradition
of Theravada Buddhism (as practiced in Sri Lanka, Burma/Myanmar,
Thailand). We will consider how past and present Theravadan
Buddhists put Buddhist principles and practices into
action and examine the variations in ethical orientations
developed through Theravada Buddhist ideas. Undergraduates
with one 200 level course on Buddhism welcome. Requirements:
active class participation. Short weekly papers and
two ten page papers.
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RELC 551 Early Christian Thought
Robert
Wilken ( rlw2w@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33830 1530-1800 M
Graduate level introduction to the key persons,
texts and ideas from the beginning of Christianity to
the early Middle Ages. Persons to be considered: Origen,
Tertullian, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose, Augustine,
Cyril of Alexandria, Maximus the Confessor, et.al. Open
to advanced undergraduates with permission of the instructor.
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RELC 552 Themes in American Catholic
History
Gerald
Fogarty ( gfogarty@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34672 1530-1800 R
The theme this semester will be anti-Catholicism
in the U.S. Can Catholics really be American? Does Catholicism
provide the crutch of all crutches for the weak minded
as Governor Ventura has recently said? The course will
trace anti-Catholic themes from the colonial period through
the twentieth century, looking at such issues as legal
restrictions on Catholics, the anti-Catholic political
activity of the Know Nothings, Catholics and patriotism,
the Al Smith and Kennedy campaigns, and the rise of Paul
Blanshard in the 1950s
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RELH 553 Hindu Philosophical Systems
Jeffrey Lidke
( jsl8x@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33917 1830-1900 R
Through a careful reading of both primary
and secondary sources this graduate-level seminar investigates
the six classical systems of Indian philosophyNyaya,
Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva-, and Uttara-Mimamsaand
culminates with an investigation of their synthesis
in the Pratyabhijna tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism,
particularly in the Isvarapratyabhijna of Utpaladeva
(ca. Tenth century). In the course of our collaborateive
investigation we will seek to situate these traditions
within their respective historical and to understand
the way in which they developed through intensive debate
and exchange not with each other but with their various
"heterodox" competitors (nastika-vadins), particularly
the Buddhists.
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RELC 704 History of American Catholicism
Gerald
Fogarty ( gfogarty@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34673 TR 1230-1345 TR
The election of John Kennedy signified, on one
level, the acceptance of Catholics as Americans. The
document of religious liberty of the Second Vatican
Council (1962-1965) seemed to ratify what had long been
a cherished American Catholic tradition. Proving to
be loyal to the Catholicism of Rome and the democracy
of the United States had been the dilemma of American
Catholics. To understand this dilemma, the course will
treat the following themes: the early Spanish and French
settlements; the beginning of English-speaking Catholicism
in Maryland; the establishment of the hierarchy under
John Carroll and its early development; 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).
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RELG 705 On the Infinite: The Divine
Mathematics
John
Milbank ( jmilbank@virginia.edu ) and Peter
Ochs ( POchs@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33221 1530-1800 W
Where theology meets a kind of mathematics - where theological
treatments of the Infinite as an attribute of God meet
up with treatments of the infinite as a subject of philosophic,
semiotic, and mathematical speculation. Among course readings
will be selections from the following thinkers: Plato,
Aristotle, Philo, Augustine, Aquinas, Maimonides, Crescas,
Al-Ghazali, Grosseteste de Luce, Poinsot, Descartes, Poincare,
Cantor, Peirce, Huntington, Levinas, G. Spencer Brown.
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RELG 815 Religion, Culture and Public
Life
James
Hunter ( jdh6c@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34579 1200-1420 F
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RELB 820 Spoken Tibetan VII
David
Germano ( Germano@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 34664 1830-2100 M
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.
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RELB 826 Advanced Topics in Literary
Tibetan
David Germano
( Germano@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 33981 TBA
Directed readings in Tibetan literature for advanced
students in Tibetan language.
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RELB 827 Colloquial Tibetan VII
Soulong Wang ( syw5r@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 34665 0900-0950 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
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