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 (haw6w@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3015U 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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- RELJ 111 Introduction to Biblical
Hebrew
Martien Halvorson-Taylor
( mah3uh@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 30132 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 Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Martien Halvorson-Taylor
( mah3uh@virginia.edu )
Schedule # RELC: 300B6/ RELJ: 300GA plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time and room
This course provides an introduction to the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Tahakh and to Christians as the Old Testament. Using methods of modern biblical scholarship, we will examine the Hebrew Bible in its original ancient Near Eastern context to learn about the major phases in the history and religion of ancient Israel. We will consider the diverse genres and theological themes found in the Hebrew Bible and the literary artistry of its whole. Finally, we will read Jewish and Christian interpretations of the text in order to understand the complex process by which the text was formulated, transmitted and interpreted by subsequent religious communities. Requirements: A midterm test, a final examination, and brief writing assignments for section discussion.
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RELJ 203 Introduction to Judaic Tradition
Elizabeth Alexander ( esa3p@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 300V9
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 # 302WE 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
Timothy Gianotti ( tjg5g@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 300E9 plus discussion section
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Following an historical approach, we will trace the rise and development of the Islamic religious tradition from its formal beginnings in the 7 th century to the present day. Special attention will be given to the “Abrahamic” foundations of Islam, the pre-Islamic culture and economy of Arabia, the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the gradual revelation (nuzūl) of the Qur’ān, major themes of the Qur’ān, the early Muslim community (umma), the basic practices or “pillars” of the Islamic religion (al-islām), the foundational beliefs shared by all Muslims (al-īmān), Islamic piety, ethics, and spirituality (al-ihsān), the social and theological developments following the death of the Prophet in 632 CE, the emergence of the Sunnī-Shī‘ī divide and other religio-political developments, the development and codification of the Islamic religious sciences, incl. Jurisprudence (al-fiqh), dogmatic theology (al-kalām), and mystical spirituality (al-tasawwuf), the educational and social institutions of classical Islam, the scientific and philosophical achievements of classical Islamic civilization, reform and renewal movements up to and including the 14 th century, C.E.
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RELH 209 Introduction to Hinduism
John Nemec ( jwn3y@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3018U plus discussion
section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course serves as a general introduction to Hinduism in its classical, medieval, and early-modern forms. By reading primary texts in translation, taking note of the cultural, historical, political, and material contexts in which they were composed, we will explore Hinduism from its earliest forms to those that developed following the advent of Islam in India. In other words, we will take a sweeping look at the religious and cultural life of the Indian sub-continent from the second millennium B.C. (B.C.E.) to the eighteenth century. An emphasis will be placed on reading the literature of Hinduism in translation, so that we can discover what Hindus had to say for themselves about their religion, society, mystical tradition, and ritual. There are no pre-requisites for this course.
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RELB 210 Introduction to Buddhism
Karen Lang
(klang@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 3008C 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 ( psg3w@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 300LS 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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GREE 223 New Testament Greek (Intermediate
Greek)
Judith Kovacs ( jlk4n@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 301L3 Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
The aims of this course are to solidify the student's knowledge of Greek grammar and vocabulary and give practice in reading and translating the Greek New Testament. Texts read come from the gospels, primarily Luke and John. There is also consideration of the principles of New Testament exegesis.
Prerequisite Greek 101-102 or equivalent (one year of basic Greek).
Requirements: regular quizzes, midterm, and final examination.
Course may be counted towards the major in Religious Studies.
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RELC 233 History of Christian Ethics
Margaret Mohrmann ( mem7e@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 303F6
plus discussion section 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
Justin Holcomb ( jh2ea@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 30177 plus discussion section
Check 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 # 303B8 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.
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RELC 240 History of American Catholicism
(cross listed with HIEU 240)
Gerald Fogarty ( gfogarty@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 303F7 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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RELB 254 Tibetan
Buddhist Culture
Yaroslav Komarovski ( ilk3q@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 303F0 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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RELJ 260 Judaism Between Modernity and Secularization
Asher Biemann (ab5j@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 302UL Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
Modernity not only redefined the boundaries of Judaism from outside and from within, but also called for a Jewish response to the process of secularization. Over the course of two semesters, this course will explore the variety of Jewish responses and adjustments to the modern world and their implications for present day Judaism in its many forms, ranging from Neo-Orthodoxy to Secular Judaism. The objective will be to introduce students to Judaism as a complex body of simultaneous cultures, societies, and histories. Requirements: Two quizzes and a final exam. |
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RELG 265 Theology, Ethics & Medicine
Jim Childress ( childress@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 300GI 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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RELA 276 African Religions in the Americas
Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton ( chh3a@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 302ZA Plus
discussion section Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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,
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
Valerie Cooper (vcc8m@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3036N Plus discussion section Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course will explore African American religious history by combining an examination of current scholarship, worship and praxis. This course will investigate the religious life and religious institutions of African Americans from their African antecedents to contemporary figures and movements in the US. While the course will emphasize the growth and spread of Evangelical Christianity among African Americans, it will also consider some non-Christian influences upon black churches and black communities. In examining the wide variety, popularity, economic strength, and ubiquity of religious institutions in the African American community, we will ask what role religion plays for black people, and what role African American religious life plays in the broader scheme of American life. |
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RELC 304 Paul: Letters and Thoughts
Harry Gamble ( hgamble@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 3029M 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 problems 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 306 The Ethics of Black Power
Corey Walker ( cdw6e@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 303JS Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
In his now classic text Blood in My Eye, George Jackson writes, “All revolution should be love inspired.” This lecture course will plumb the depths of Jackson’s remark by critically interrogating the ethical dimensions of the Black Power concept and the cultural, ideological, and political interventions influenced by this conceptual revolution. We will explore the ethics of Black Power in relation to the revolutionary exploits of artists, activists, and intellectuals in their tremendous efforts to challenge and transform the capitalist, racist, and sexist hegemony of the United States and the Western world in the second half of the twentieth century. To this end, we will revisit the work of a number of thinkers, movements, and cultural and political formations, including Albert Cleage, Angela Davis, Vicki Garvin, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Larry Neal, Malcolm X, Amiri Baraka, February 1st Movement, SOBU/YOBU, African Liberation Support Committee, Black Arts Movement, Malcolm X Liberation University, Institute of the Black World, and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers. We will also assess the ethical parameters of the various ideological tendencies that influenced the conceptual formulation and political articulation of Black Power including Black Nationalism, Feminism, Liberalism, Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, and Pan-Africanism.
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RELB 315 Seminar in Buddhism and Gender
Karen Lang( kcl@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3028S Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This seminar takes as its point of departure Carolyn Bynum's statement: "No scholar studying religion, no participant in ritual, is ever neuter. Religious experience is the experience of men and women, and in no known society is this experience the same." The unifying theme of this seminar is gender and Buddhism. We will explore historical, textual and social questions relevant to the status of women in the Buddhist world of India and Tibet from the time of Buddhism's origins to the present day. We will locate feminine voices in patriarchal religious texts and consider the issue of gender in relation to Buddhist views on selflessness, duality and sexuality. We will also discuss the application of western feminist analysis to Buddhist texts and the efforts of contemporary western Buddhists to establish a post-patriarchal Buddhism. |
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RELC 328 Eastern Christianity: A.D. 530 to the Present
Augustine Thompson ( AThompson@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 303AA 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 Slavic lands, but Greek and Arab Christianity will also be considered. Mid-term, final, term paper. |
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RELG 340 Women and American Religion
Pam Cochran ( pdh3q@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3036E Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
Historian Ann Braude has argued that women's history is American religious history. This course is an overview of women in American religion, not just mainstream Protestant or Catholic Christianity, but from a variety of religious perspectives, including Jewish, Native American, African American, alternative religions, and women's spirituality among others. A sub-theme of the course will be the question of power. Do women wield power in American religion and, if so, in what ways? Has their often marginal status strengthened or weakened women's influence? What has been women's impact on religion and American culture? Considering the breadth and depth of women's role in American religion will help reveal whether women's history is, indeed, the history of religion in America. |
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RELI 343 Women in Islamic Tradition
Jacquelene G Brinton ( jb5t@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3036P Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
The relationship between Islam and women has been greatly misunderstood. In this class we will study the Islamic religious sources to gain a greater understanding of women in the Islamic tradition. In the process we will also learn how Muslims have utilized these sources both historically and in modern times. The first section of the course will be concerned with the Qur?an and the hadith (the recorded sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammed), the two main sources of the Islamic religion. At the same time we will consider ideas about women in the exegetical tradition (tafsir) and how this has affected Qur?anic readings about women. Next, we will study women in the mystical tradition of Islam (Sufism) and theology. We will also pay close attention to the sources of Islamic law and how it has changed in modern times in regards to women. In the final segment the class will consider the effects of modernity on the religious life of women and the views of some Muslim women today. (Prior classes in Islam, while helpful, are not absolutely necessary. We will begin each segment by trying to understand that aspect of the tradition in a basic way.)
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RELC 345 Kingdom of God in America
Charles Marsh ( crm3p@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 302V7 Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
The course examines the influence of theological ideas on social movements in twentieth century America and asks such questions as: How do religious commitments shape the patterns of everyday living, including economic, political, and sexual organization, as well as racial perception? What role do nineteenth century European and American Protestant theologies play in shaping the American search for "beloved community"? How does social existence influence conceptions of God and religious community? Our main historical focus will be the Civil Rights Movement in the South, but we will also look at counter-cultural movements of the late 1960's, as well as the intentional community movement, the faith-based community-development movement and recent organizing community initiatives.
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RELC 347 Religion and Science
John Portmann ( jep7a@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 302EA
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Christian Europe gave rise to modern science,
yet Christianity and science have enjoyed
reputations as mutual enemies. Does science
undermine religious belief? Exploration of
the encounter between these two powerful cultural
forces. Study of the intellectual struggle
to locate and anchor God in the modern world
(specifically Giordano Bruno, Galileo, Newton,
Darwin, Freud, Einstein, and Feynman). Focus
on the 20th century: the discovery of radio
waves, x-rays, use of the first skyscraper,
automobiles, vaccine, psychoanalysis, rise
of the quantum theory of the atom, birth control
pill, "morning after pill," human genome,
and stem cell research. Final ten-page
paper, regular class participation, and three-hour
final examination
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RELC 356 In Defense of Sin
John Portmann (
portmann@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 303D4 Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Exploration of transgression in Judaism and Christianity
with a focus on the Ten Commandments and the seven deadly
sins. Reflection on who determines what is sinful and why.
Close reading of texts challenging the wrongfulness of acts
and attitudes long considered sinful, with critical attention
to the persuasiveness of religious rules. Does religious life
remain focused on pleasing God, or is it now principally a
matter of familial / ethnic obligation? Or has it perhaps
become simply a personal quest with indeterminate goals? What
does sin have to do with the modern world? Final ten-page
paper, regular class participation, and three-hour final examination.
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RELG 360 Religion and Modern Theater
Larry Bouchard ( ldb4k@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 301M3 Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course will examine how drama and performance is linked with religious traditions, themes, and with some secular and theological perspectives on religion. Modern theater has often sought to revitalize its historical and thematic relations with ritual and sacred stories, and it has also probed the ethical dimensions of selves and communities as seen against the presence and absence of a divine horizon or immanent sense of the sacred. What differences do such relations make in our enjoyment, understanding, and criticism of theatrical drama? We will discuss a number of classical and modern-or-contemporary plays and performances. Some of these have explicitly religious themes or subjects (such as Denys Arcand's film-about-a-performance Jesus of Montreal, Wole Soyinka's uses of Yoruba religion and European theatrical traditions, S. Ansky's Yiddish play The Dybbuk). We will also study ostensibly secular plays that nonetheless take up questions of religion, ethics, and political life (for example, plays by Bertholt Brecht, Samuel Beckett, Peter Shaffer, Caryl Churchill, Tony Kushner, and Mary Zimmerman). The syllabus is always changing and will be available in August. Mode of teaching: some lectures, much discussion, reading plays aloud, 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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RELC 369 The Gospel and Revelation to
John
Judith Kovacs ( jlk4n@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 301YO Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course focuses on two New Testament books attributed
by Christian tradition to the apostle John and considers literary,
historical, and theological questions through a close reading
of the texts. Our study of Revelation will also emphasize reception
history, that is how this book has been interpreted through
the ages and how it has influenced theology, literature, politics,
and art. Some specific issues the course addresses are: What
is distinctive about the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospel of
John, and why was this gospel so important in the development
of Christian theology? How does the gospel use irony and other
literary techniques? What clues are there in the text for imagining
the specific historical situation in which the gospel was written?
What are the reasons for, and implications of its portrayal
of "the Jews"? How do ancient Jewish works called "apocalypses"
help us understand the Revelation to John? How can one make
sense of the bewildering array of symbols and images this book
contains? What is its primary message--does it advocate vengeance,
social justice, or a worldwide Christian mission? Why has Revelation
been particularly beloved by artists, poets, and prophets? Requirements:
midterm, final and one paper |
RELC 376 Wisdom
John Portmann ( portmann@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 30292 Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
An investigation of wisdom as an all-important moral and spiritual project for individuals. Is the path to God also an expedient way to personal happiness? We will plumb biblical and secular sources to find wisdom: Proverbs, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Maimonides, Macchiavelli, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Pascal, La Rochefoucauld, Bacon, and modern advice manuals. We will study the art of seduction and how to succeed in business without really trying, how to win friends and influence people, how to have your cake and eat it too. Why does wisdom seem to fly out the door as soon as we find ourselves in crisis? What does it mean to say that the highest wisdom, like the greatest happiness, comes in submission to God? |
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RELC 378 Medieval Heresy and Dissent
Augustine Thompson ( AThompson@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 301SW Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
Students in this seminar will read and discuss the sources for Christian dissenting movements during the period 10001400. Focus will be on "popular" heresies: Cathars, Waldensians, Joachites, Fraticelli, Dolcinites, Free Spirits, witches etc. We shall also examine how Orthodoxy responded to dissent: persuasion, coercion, repression, and inquisition. Weekly individual presentations, term paper.
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RELG 386 Human Bodies and Parts as Property
Jim Childress ( childress@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3026X Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
An analysis and assessment of different historical and contemporary theological, philosophical and legal interpretations of "rights holders" (e.g. individuals while alive, their families after death, and the society) and the "rights held" (e.g. to transfer, to donate, or to sell) in the living and dead human body, with particular attention to current disputes about the use of human body parts in organ and tissue transplantation and new reproductive technologies. Permission of instructor required.
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RELG 388 Environmental Ethics
Willis Jenkins ( wjj2c@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 303IU Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This seminar offers an overview of the central issues in environmental ethics and introduces some of the theoretical frameworks for addressing them. Working from specific cases each week, it also functions as a workshop in the attempt to develop practical reasoning adequate to the uniqueness and complexity of environmental problems. Topics include intrinsic value for nature, obligations to animals, questions about the meaning of nature, ecofeminism, deep ecology, bioregionalism, and environmental justice.
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RELB 392 INDO-TIBETAN BUDDHIST TANTRA:
HISTORY, THOUGHT, AND PRACTICE
Yaroslav Komarovski ( ilk3q@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 301SB plus discussion section Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course concentrates on doctrinal teachings, meditative techniques, and ritual practices of Tantric Buddhism. We start with a brief discussion of such fundamental Buddhist themes as the nature of cyclic existence and nirvana, emptiness and great compassion, paths to enlightenment, etc., and then proceed to a detailed analysis of historical development, doctrinal views, meditative techniques, and rituals of the Buddhist Tantra in the context of Indian and Himalayan cultures. Topics of this course include, but are not limited to the Buddhist pantheon, development of tantric mandalas, tantric views on death and dying, Creation and Completion Stages of the Highest Yoga Tantra, tantric ritual, and tantric visionaries |
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RELJ 397 Prayer, Spirit, Reason in Judaism
Peter Ochs ( plo3v@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 302ZF Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
A study of prayer, mysticism, and philosophy in Jewish tradition. The focus will be on drawing disciplined modes of reasoning from out the practices of everyday prayer and not so everyday spiritual contemplation. Readings in Bible, Talmudic literature, the rabbinic prayerbook, medieval Jewish philosophy and mysticism, and some recent logics and philosophies. Biweekly short papers and two longer papers.
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RELG 400a Majors Seminar: Death and the
Afterlife
Ben Ray ( BenRay@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3024E Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious
Studies Majors
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 Religious Imagination
Justin Holcomb ( jh2ea@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 301FO Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Restricted to 3rd and 4th year Religious
Studies Majors
In this course we will explore something called "the religious
imagination." The term "religion" has an ancient lineage
in the West going back to Cicero and St. Augustine but
its meaning has not remained static. What we will call
"the religious imagination" has evolved over time and
this course will be devoted to tracking those changes
in meaning especially over the last 300 years when religion
became a true problem for Western culture. Through close
readings we will see how key thinkers have articulated
the problem of religion in relation to the European wars
of religion, the rise of science and the scientific worldview,
the impact of literacy, the discovery of the Americas,
the plurality of world cultures, capitalism, and globalization.
We will focus special attention on religious discourse
in the popular media post September 11th especially the
use of concepts such as "fundamentalism" and "modernity."
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RELG 415 Salem Witch Trials in History
and Literature
Ben Ray ( BenRay@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 30148 Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Restricted to Majors in Religious Studies,
History, and English
This is NOT a majors seminar.
This seminar will explore the rich range of historical
scholarship, literary fiction, and primary source materials
relating to the infamous 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 two major historical
studies, Boyer & Nissenbaum, SALEM POSSESSED and Norton,
IN THE DEVIL'S SNARE, and a seminal article by Rosenthal
on Tituba, we will read literary works by Hawthorne,
"Young Goodman Brown," Longfellow, GILES CORY OF SALEM
FARMS, and Miller's THE CRUCIBLE. The course will also
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. Using these resouces, students
will write original research essays on important people
and events related to the witch trials.
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RELG 422 American Religious Autobiography
Heather Warren ( hwarren@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 302C0
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This is NOT a majors seminar, but it counts as one.
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 # 302T1 Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
This is NOT a majors seminar.
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 440 Womanist Theology: Religion, Race and Gender in the US
Valerie Cooper (vcc8m@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 30364
This is NOT a majors seminar.
This course will explore Womanist thought from its origins in the lived experiences of African American women, to its scholarly articulation and artistic expression in the works of theologians, thinkers, authors, musicians and filmmakers. Throughout the course of the semester, we will consider the unique challenges that African American women have faced and the cultural, political and religious life they have produced in the US, using race, class, and gender analysis to differentiate the experiences of black women from those of others. Throughout the course of the semester, we will consider this question: 'Are we really that different, after all?'
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RELS 495 Independent Research
Instructor: Student's choice
Schedule # 3008O (three-zero-zero-eight-Oh)
Schedule # 30121
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 # 300LU
Thesis, directed by a member of the department, focusing
on a specific problem in the theoretical, historical or
philosophical study of religion or a specific religious
tradition. The thesis is based in part on at least three
hours of directed reading in the field of the thesis.
Prerequisite: Selection by faculty for Distinguished
Major Program.
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RELS 497 Fourth Year Essay
Instructor: Student's choice
Schedule # 30200
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 # 3022T Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
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. |
RELB 525 Japanese Buddhism
Paul Groner ( psg3w@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3027C plus discussion section Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course is a survey of issues in the study of
Shinto and Japanese Buddhism, as well as their roles in
Japanese culture and society. Among the topics discussed
are syncretism between Buddhism and Shinto, the relationship
between folk religion and the monastic traditions, the development
of uniquely Japanese forms of Zen and Pure Land Buddhism,
the development of Nichiren Buddhism, the use of Shinto
as a nationalistic ideology, and the survival of magic and
exorcism in a modern society. Because the course emphasizes
texts that are readily accessible to students, there are
no prerequisites; but a basic knowledge of Buddhism or Japanese
history is useful. |
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RELB 533 Colloquial Tibetan III
Sonam Yangki Wang (
syw5r@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3002R Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
A continuation of 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
Yaroslav Komarovski ( ilk3q@Virginia.EDU )
Schedule # 302XR
Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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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RELB 539 Tibetan Buddhist Ritual
Kurtis Schaeffer ( ks6bb@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 303BH Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
Writings on ritual make up a large component of classical Tibetan literature, from short practical manuals to large theoretical treatises. In this seminar we will survey select types of Tibetan Buddhist ritual literature, with an emphasis on the consecration of images and temples, the propitiation of deities, and public festivals such as the Mani Rimdu and the annual rituals of Lhasa. We will also consider theoretical issues in the contemporary study of ritual, such as the relationships between ritual, individual, and institution. Readings include: Catherine Bell, /Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice/; Yael Bentor, /Consecration of Images and Stupas in Indo-Tibetan Tantric Buddhism/; Stephan Beyer, /The Cult of Tara: Magic and Ritual in Tibet/; Samten G. Karmay, /The Arrow and the Spindle: Studies in History, Myths, Rituals and Beliefs in Tibet/; Martin A. Mills, /Identity, Ritual and State in Tibetan Buddhism: The Foundations of Authority in Gelukpa Monasticism/; Hugh Richardson, /Ceremonies of the Lhasa Year/. |
RELB 542 Colloquial Tibetan V
Sonam Yangki Wang ( syw5r@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3028V Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
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. |
RELB 547 Literary Tibetan V
Kurtis Schaeffer ( ks6bb@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3006C Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
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. |
RELJ 549 The History of Jewish History
Asher Biemann (ab5j@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 302UO Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course will discuss conceptions of Jewish history, memory, and historiography from Biblical times to the present. With the help of recent literature on this subject we will seek to understand the roles of ritual memory, eschatology, historicism, as well as counter- and meta-history in Judaism. Messianism, Modernism, Zionism/Diaspora, and the Holocaust will be among the themes touched upon in our readings, along with competing theories of history. Requirements: Final paper and colloquium. |
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RELC 552 Themes in American Catholic History
Gerald Fogarty (gfogarty@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 303AV Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
The theme to be treated this semester is the Vatican and the United States during World War II. Beginning with readings from controversial works interpreting the role of Pope Pius XII and the Vatican, the course will then focus on the interaction between the United States and the Vatican during the period. The general reading will include authors such as Michael Phayer, John Cornwell, and Jose Sanchez and will then turn to some specific works such as the recently published memoirs of Harold H. Tittmann, Jr., the American diplomat who lived in the Vatican during the war. In addition to brief reports on the general reading and participation in the weekly discussions, each student is to prepare a paper on a topic approved by the professor for presentation in class. |
RELH 553 Hindu Philosophical Systems
John Nemec ( jwn3y@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 302FF Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This course constitutes a survey of the major schools of classical Hindu thought. By reading primary sources in translation, we will explore the "six schools" of Indian philosophy. Some secondary sources will also be assigned. Students who wish to take this course should have a solid background in Hinduism. |
RELC 558 History of Christian Ethics
Margaret Mohrmann (mem7e@virginia.edu)
Schedule # 303GD Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This class will explore the development of Christian ethical thought from the New Testament period through the Reformation, considering particular themes in depth. The course is intended to provide a solid understanding of the historical roots of contemporary Christian ethics, experience in working with historical source materials, and familiarity with some important interpreters of this history. Students will attend lectures and read assigned materials for RELC 233. In addition, students will do further reading, to include portions of Ernst Troeltsch's The Social Teachings of the Christian Churches and H.R. Niebuhr's Christ and Culture. Course requirements include attendance at both RELC 233 lectures and the course seminar, completion of reading assignments, participation in seminar discussion, and a final paper. Open to advanced undergraduates. Permission of instructor required.
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RELG 564 Modern Religious Thought: Catholic Theology Since Vatican II
Robert Jenson ( bajenson@earthlink.net )
Schedule # 3026G Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
Whatever else the second Vatican Council may have done, it made a revolution in Catholic theology; even to the point where it is now difficult to know what is denoted by the label. Theological initiatives of the time just before the council, until then suspect, became a new mainstream. Aggiornamento, “updating,” opened Catholic theology to many of the same developments that Protestantism had already been through. And in the subsequent decades very different and indeed antagonistic movements contended over the “spirit” and the letter of the council’s texts. We will sample all this, reading some texts together and taken papers by participants for other discussions. |
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RELC 573 Byzantine Christianity
Robert Wilken ( rlw2w@virginia.edu
)
Schedule # 303A7 Check
the Web for time changes and room assignments
Graduate level survey of the sources and literature on Byzantine Christianity during its formative period, the fourth to the 10th centuries. Topics to be covered include theological developments after the Council of Chalcedon, liturgy, art, iconoclasm, monasticism, rise of Islam, conversion of the Slavs, relations with the west.
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RELI 576 Islamic Mystical Texts
Timothy Gianotti ( tjg5g@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 3032Z Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
This primary text-based seminar will examine the more experiential, noetic dimensions of Islamic piety and righteousness (al-ihsān ), from the Qur’ānic and Prophetic foundations to the principal thinkers of the medieval Arabic and Persian “Sufi” traditions. By “seminar” is meant a disciplined, studious discussion of the texts-at-hand. Students should thus be prepared to shoulder a heavy reading load (approx. 100 -150 pages per week) and should come to the class prepared to discuss the assigned text(s) with their colleagues and professor, who will serve the seminar as a guiding participant rather than as a regular lecturer. Students will routinely be asked to initiate the discussion by introducing the text and offering their observations and questions. |
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RELB 587 Colloquial Tibetan VII
Sonam Yangki Wang ( syw5r@virginia.edu )
Schedule # 303F5 Check the Web for time changes and room assignments
A continuation of Colloquial Tibetan VI, this course uses multimedia programs in Colloquial Tibetan to develop verbal fluency, acquire vocabulary, and master advanced topics in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisites: Tibetan VI. Requirements: Class attendance, participation, preparation of programs outside of class, multiple exams and quizzes. This is a 2 credit course.
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