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Undergraduate
Courses
For information on the Undergraduate program, or
questions about this document,
please contact Doug Burgess ( dougburgess@virginia.edu
)
|
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
Justin Holcomb (jh2ea@virginia.edu)
Schedule# 62600 1300-1350 MW
plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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# 62549 1000-1050
MTWRF Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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- RELJ 111 Introduction to Biblical
Hebrew
Don Polaski ( dpolaski@ctsi.net
)
Schedule# 62533 1400-1450 MWF
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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/ RELJ 121 Old Testament/
Hebrew Scriptures
Don Polaski ( dpolaski@ctsi.net
)
Schedule# RELC: 60067/ RELJ: 60219 1100-1150
MW , plus RELC
or RELJ
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course will examine a particular body of literature,
known to Jews as Tanakh and to Christians as the Old Testament.
These texts are the main source of information on the
life, history and religion of ancient Israel. These texts
are also authoritative (in varying and complicated ways)
for present-day Christians and Jews. In this course we
will attempt to put the Hebrew Scriptures in historical
context, thinking critically about their witness to ancient
ideas and events. We will also consider the continuing
life of this literature, how it has been read, how it
has left its mark on diverse communities and cultures,
including that of present-day America.
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RELJ 203 Judaic Tradition
Elizabeth
Alexander ( esa3p@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 60828 1100-1215 TR
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
An introduction to Judaism as it is practiced
as a living tradition. We will survey the central Jewish
beliefs that undergird the Jewish tradition and examine
the ritual context in which these beliefs are manifest:
sacred text study, prayer, holy day practices and life cycle
passages (e.g. birth, marriage, death). We will explore
the ancient sources from which so much of the Jewish tradition
derives and observe the ever-changing ways tradition is
manifest in contemporary Jewish life. We will draw on film,
sacred text study and anthropological observation of Jewish
life in Charlottesville today. |
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RELC 205 History of Christianity I
Robert Wilken
( rlw2w@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 63620 1200-1250 MWF plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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# 60181 0930-1045 TR
plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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. No prerequisite.
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RELB 210 Introduction to Buddhism
Karen Lang
(klang@virginia.edu)
Schedule# 61300 1100-1215 TR
plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course is an introduction to Buddhism,
beginning with its origins in India, its spread throughout
Asia to the West. The course will examine the historical
and cultural contexts in which Buddhist beliefs and
practices developed and are still developing. We will
explore a wide variety of sources to understand the
many ways in which Buddhists have attempted to understand
who the Buddha is, what he and his followers have to
say about karma and rebirth, the practice of meditation
and the pursuit of enlightenment. We will also examine
the views of contemporary Buddhist teachers on these
issues and on the challenges Buddhism faces in the modern
world. Two hourly examinations and a final.
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RELB 213 Taoism and Confucianism
Paul
Groner ( groner@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 60430 1230-1345 TR plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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RELJ 217 From Spinoza to Heschel
Asher Biemann ( biemann@fas.harvard.edu )
Schedule # 63551 1400-1630
R
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course attempts to be a critical survey
of the most significant Jewish responses to the experience
of the modern era. Beginning with Spinoza's political
and hermeneutic thought, we will explore how Jewish
thinkers met the social, cultural, and religious challenges
of modernity and, in turn, influenced the transformation
of modern Jewry. Jewish Thought is understood in a broader
sense to include philosophers, religious reformers,
and political leaders. Changing and conflicting perspectives
on tradition, education, culture, and religion will
be in the center of our interest. |
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GREE 223 New Testament Greek (Intermediate
Greek)
Juliet Crawford ( jc5ar@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61833 1400-1515 TR
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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RELC 233 History of Christian Ethics
Margaret
Mohrmann ( mem7e@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 64425 1100-1215 TR
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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
Eugene Rogers
(GRogers@virginia.edu)
Schedule# 62693 1400-1515 TR
plus
discussion sectionCheck
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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RELG 238 Faith and Doubt in the Modern
Age
Jamie
Ferreira ( JamieF@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 64225 1100-1150 MW Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Is belief in God based on wishful thinking;
is it a neurotic response to lie? 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. There are no prerequisites
except genuine interest; these are classic texts which
illustrate perennial questions and problems. The requirements
are careful and thorough reading of the texts, conscientious
and thoughtful participation in sections, as well as a
mid-term. A final exam (and perhaps a brief 2-3 page
paper). The mid-term and final exams are essay exams,
for which I will provide some preparation study questions.
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RELC 240 History of American Catholicism
(cross listed with HIEU 240)
Gerald
Fogarty ( gfogarty@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 64426 1230-1345 TR
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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RELC 241 Who is Jesus Christ
Paul Babbits ( pab8q@cms.mail.virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 64135 1400-1415 MW Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course introduces students to Christianity's
most chacteristic doctrine, the teaching about Jesus
Christ (christology). The structure of the class is
determined by five types of christology: Jesus Christ
the (i) Teacher, (ii) Pattern, (iii) Justifier, (iv)
Sanctifier, and (v) Creator and Redeemer. However,
the emphasis is on readings of landmark responses
to the question about the nature and purpose of Jesus
Christ that illustrate each type. This allows students
to see gaps and convergences among the different christologies
and, consequently, to learn something about the way
Christians think. Most readings are drawn from primary,
historically significant sources, supplemented by
lectures, discussions, and assignments from material
chosen to provide background. Thus the course should
be accessible to students with little or no grasp
of the Christian tradition, along with those who want
to understand what they do know about Christianity
(and, in particular, its teaching about Jesus Christ)
more richly. Requirements. Attendance in class
and participation in discussions. Brief (8-10 minute)
presentations, two short (5-7 pp.) papers , an in
class midterm and 7-10 pp., take-home final.
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RELJ 243 Jews and Judaism in the
Visual Arts
Asher Biemann ( biemann@fas.harvard.edu
)
Schedule# 63568 1100-1215 TR
Check
theWeb for time changes and room assignments
As a survey of Jewish visuality from the Bible to
the present, this course will consist of three interlocking
parts: a) Textual (Rabbinic and contemporary sources
on the visual arts), b) Historical (the emergence
of "Jewish Art" in the 19th century), c) Topical (the
representation of Judaism and Jewish life/experience
in the visual arts). In addition to texts and slides,
we will use the resources of local Jewish artists
and collectors of Jewish art to actually experience
the processes that are at work.
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RELB 254 Tibetan
Buddhist Culture
Jann Ronis (jmr9t@virginia.edu)
Schedule# 64419 1230-1345 TR
plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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 Tibetıs
religo-political solution to tantraıs 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 Tibetıs
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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RELG 265 Theology Ethics & Medicine
Jim Childress
( childress@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 60227 1100-1150 MWF
plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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RELC 304 Paul: His Letters and His
Thought
Harry
Gamble ( hgamble@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64151 1100-1215 TR Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course examines the activity and thought
of Paul of Tarsus, the best known and most influential
thinker of the Christian tradition. We will treat the
basic porblems of Pauline biography and chronology,
the nature of Paul's authentic letters, and the leading
element of Paul's interpretation of Christianity. Each
meeting will consist of both lecture and discussion.
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RELC 305 A Black Theology of Liberation
Corey Walker ( cdw6e@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 64568 1400-1515 TR Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This lecture and discussion course will introduce
students to a few of the significant topics and themes
in the field of black theology. Among some of the major
topics to be discussed include the emergence and academic
codification of black theology, its challenge to other
Christian theologies, its doctrinal orientations, and
its relation to other theologies of liberation. Readings
will primarily be drawn from the foundational texts of
James H. Cone. We will also consult texts by Dwight Hopkins,
William R. Jones, Deloris Williams, and others.
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RELJ 308 Torah
Don Polaski ( dpolaski@ctsi.net
)
Schedule # 63654 1230-1345
TR Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course will investigate the Torah, the first five
books of the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament: Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. We will
read the text in a variety of ways: as literature aiming
to persuade (and perhaps entertain) its audience, as
an assertion of certain theological claims, and as an
artifact (or set of artifacts) from a particular ancient
people, Israel.
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RELC 326 Reformation Europe (cross
listed with HIEU 323)
Anne
Schutte ( ajs5w@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 61038 0930-1045 TR
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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RELC 328 Eastern Christianity
A.D. 530 to the Present
Augustine
Thompson ( AThompson@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 64172 0900-0950 MWF
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course surveys the history of "Eastern" Christianity
from late antiquity (age of the emperor Justinian)
until the present day. The focus will be on the
formation three characteristic components of Eastern
Orthodox Christianity: institutions, liturgy and
piety, and mysticism and theology. Our principle
geographic focus will be on Christianity in the
Greek and Slavic lands, but Arab and Egyptian Christianity
will also be considered.
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RELG 334 Dante, Religion
and Culture
Alison
Milbank ( agm2a@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 63965 1230-1345 TR Check
theWeb for time changes and room assignments
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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RELG 343 Ethics and Fiction
Jennifer
Geddes ( jlg2u@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 63698
1400-1630 T Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
In this course we will consider the many
facets of the relationship between ethics and fiction,
including: narrative as a consitutive element of ethics,
ethical questions as raised by novels and short stories,
and fiction reading as a means of ethical development.
Readings will include novels, short stories, scriptures,
and ethical theory. |
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RELJ 346 The Yiddish Avant Garde
in America
Jeffrey Grossman ( jg2t@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 64451
1400-1515 TR Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
What was the Yiddish avant garde? How
did it connect to broader changes in Jewish culture
- literary and otherwise - when waves of Jewish
immigrants began to arrive in America from Eastern
Europe? How did the discoveries of what one historian
called the "wonders of America" affect these writers
and artists, and their ideas of what it meant to
be a Jew? An American? An artist and an intellectual?
And what tensions emerged between these conflicting
identities? And finally what role would the Yiddish
written word play in their attempts to re-invent
themselves in the new world? This course explores
these questions and more by focusing on writing
by Yiddish and American Jewish writers. We will
also take a side glance at other cultural forms,
especially the visual arts of film and painting.
Readings to be selected from among the following:
Sholem Aleichem, I.B. Singer, I.J. Singer, Chaim
Grade, the avant garde Yiddish poets Moyshe-Leyb
Halpern, Anna Margolin, Kadya Molodovsky, Mani Leyb,
Yankev Glatshteyn, and such American Jewish writers
as Henry Roth, Cynthia Ozick, Saul Bellow, and Philip
Roth.
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RELG 356 In Defense of Sin
John Portmann (
portmann@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 64341 1400-1515 MW Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Exploration of the philosophy of religion generally,
specifically transgression in Judaism and Christianity.
Reflection on who determines what is sinful and why, with
a focus on the Ten Commandments and the seven deadly sins.
Close readings of texts challenging the wrongness of acts
and attitudes long considered sinful, with critical attention
to the persuasiveness of religious rules. Requirements:
midterm and final exams.
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RELG 360 Religion and
Modern Theater
Larry
Bouchard ( lbouchard@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 64338 1100-1215 TR Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Theatre is linked historically
with religious traditions and with certain kinds of religious
experience, as in Greek tragedy and the festival of Dionysus,
or medieval European drama and the Christian liturgy (order
of worship). Are there still connections among theater,
ritual, myth, and portrayals 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
(such as Denys Arcand's film Jesus of Montreal, S. Ansky's
play The Dybbuk, Wole Soyinka's uses of African and European
theatrical traditions, and Mary Zimmerman's dramatization
of Ovid). We will also read ostensibly secular plays that
nonetheless implicitly pursue religious and moral issues
(as do, for example, plays by Bertholt Brecht, Peter Shaffer,
Caryl Churchill, and Tony Kushner). Mode: 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 2nd writing requirement. |
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RELJ 374 Literary Representations
of American Jewish Spirituality
Vanessa
Ochs (vlo4n@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 63726 0930-1045 TR
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Students will
analyze fictional, autobiographical and dramatic
representations of diverse forms of American Jewish
spirituality. In addition to textual analysis, students
will be expected to compose a fictional or autobiographical
account reflecting contemporary American Jewish
spirituality
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RELJ
375 American Jewish Theology and Philosophy
Peter Ochs
(pochs@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 63743 1230-1345 TR
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
A study of the
specifically American contribution to Jewish thought,
primarily in the 20th century. Some attention will
be given to the various denominations of synagogue
Judaism in North America. But the primary focus
is on Jewish philosophies and theologies that are
shaped primarily by American (rather than European)
movements of thought, of which pragmatism is the
most important, along with American Darwinism and
the Protestant Great Awakenings. The four central
figures in the course are: Max Kadushin (Conservative),
Mordecai Kaplan (Reconstructionist), Eugene Borowitz
(Reform), and Eliezer Berkovits (Orthodox). Attention
also to Jewish feminist thought and Jewish postmodernism.
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RELA 389 Christianity in Africa
/ RELC 389 Christianity in Africa
Cynthia
Hoehler-Fatton ( H-Fatton@virginia.edu )
Schedule # RELA: 64401 / RELC:64402 1400-1515
TR Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course examines
the development of Christianity in Africa from its
earliest roots in Egypt and the Maghrib in the 2nd
c. CE, to contemporary times when over 44% of the
continent's population claims adherence to the faith.
Our historical overview will cover the flowering of
medieval Ethiopian Christianity, 16th and 17th century
Kongo Christianity, European missions during the colonial
period, the subsequent growth of independent churches
and the recent emergence of African Christian theology.
We will address issues such as the relationship between
colonialism and evangelism; translation, indigenization
and inculturation of the gospel; and the role of healing,
prophesy and spirit-possession in the conversion process.
We will attempt both to position the Christian movement
within the wider context of African religious history,
and to understand Africa's place in the larger course
of Christian history.
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RELG 395 Evil in
Modernity
Charels
Mathewes (ctmathewes@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 61042 1000-1050 MW
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Modernity is riddled by evil. Its history
is in large part a chronicle of wickedness and savagery;
and many of its most powerful thinkers have struggled
to grasp the truth about evil. Some argue that the great
lesson of modernity is its failure to come to terms
with evil, a failure that reveals the modern world to
be morally and spiritually bankrupt. This class will
investigate the attempts of various modern thinkers
to undertstand evil, in order both to gain a deeper
purchase on evil's manifestations, character, and effects,
and to understand the challenge evil presents to the
modern world's self-understanding. We will read novels,
study texts in theology, history, philosophy, political
theory, and psychology, and view several films, all
in the service of our basic investigation into the inner
history of evil in modernity, and the implications of
that history for the future.
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RELG 400a Majors Seminar: Death and
the Afterlife
Ben Ray
( BenRay@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 63935 1530-1800 W
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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 400b Majors Seminar: Saint's
Lives
Augustine
Thompson ( AThompson@virginia.edu )
Schedule# 61584 1500-1730 M
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious
Studies Majors ONLY
The focus of this seminar is methodological, the material
considered is the genre of ancient and medieval Christian
saints' lives. We will examine the theory and application
of the following methods: historical, psychological,
sociological, gender analytical, folklorist, and anthropological
to this literature. We will alternate week to week
between the study of theory and examination of its
application. As part of the application, students
will also apply the methods considered to a particular
saints' life. Requirements: weekly class presentations
and discussion, one 15-page and one 4-page paper,
no exams. No previous study of Christianity required;
open only to third- and fourth-year Religious Studies
majors.
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RELG 400c Majors Seminar:
Suffering
John Portmann ( portmann@virginia.edu
)
Schedule# 60997 1530-1800
T Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Moral assessment of bodies in pain
and especially spirits in turmoil. Philosophical,
religious, biomedical, psychoanalytic, and artistic
exploration of suffering. Analysis of ongoing
debates over the meaning of suffering. Study
of religion as both cure for, and source of,
human suffering. Particular attention to the
Crucifixion as a cultural paradigm of suffering
and as a social wellspring of anti-Semitism.
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RELG 415 Salem Witch Trials in
History and Literature
Ben Ray
( BenRay@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 62578 1530-1800 T plus
lab Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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 Norton, IN THE DEVIL'S SNARE,
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# 62879
1430-1700 W Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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.). (Note to Religious Studies Majors: This course
fulfills the Majors Seminar requirement. )
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RELG 423 Bioethics Internship Seminar
Margaret
Mohrmann ( mem7e@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 63531 1530-1800 M Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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RELS 495 Directed Readings Research
Instructor: Student's choice
Schedule # 61312
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 # 62493
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 # 60432
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 497 Senior Essay
Instructor: Student's choice
Schedule # 63791
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 510 Theology and Ethics
of the Rabbis
Elizabeth
Alexander ( esa3p@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 63749 1530-1800 T
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
An exploration of fundamental theological
and ethical beliefs that run though rabbinic literature.
Though the rabbis do not address theological and
ethical questions directly, we will tease out the
rabbinic response to classical theological questions
such as, what is the nature of divinity? what is
the relationship of God to humanity, and specifically
to the people Israel? is there a concept of natural
law? how are we to understand evil? We will also
explore the question of why the rabbinic literature
does not address theological concerns in a straightforward
manner. In the area of ethics, we will explore central
themes such as the value of life as weighed against
other concerns, responsibility to the other, and
cultivation of an ideal self. In drawing a rabbinic
ethic out of the literature, we will consider the
respective value of narrative vs. legal materials.
Attention throughout will be on close
readings of primary texts. Prerequisite: Previous
exposure to rabbinic literature in RELJ 203, 256,
331, 383, 505 or the equivalent, or permission of
the instructor.
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RELC 511 Black Theology:
Theories, Methods, Sources
Corey Walker ( cdw6e@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 64569 1530-1800
W Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This seminar provides an in-depth historical
and systematic study of the field of black theology.
Specific and sustained attention will be given
to theological implications of the category
of "experience" as it relates to the work of
several theologians in this area, particularly
the early thought of James H. Cone. We will
also closely examine some new trajectories in
the field, most notably the turn to American
pragmatism and to the wide and disparate field
of cultural studies. Readings will include analytical
as well as constructive texts and will cut across
fields and disciplines.
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