If you rely solely on the mnemonic listing of courses (RELB, RELC, RELJ, etc.), which categorize courses by traditions rather than by subject, you might miss out on some courses that would otherwise interest you. Please check the subject list below for reference:

Subject Index to Undergraduate Courses

   Subject Area                Course Numbers  
Introductory Courses           104, 122, 275 
General (RELG)                 104, 216, 219, 230, 318, 340, 346,
                               400, 538
African (RELA)                 275, 405
Buddhism (RELB)                245, 317, 532, 534, 544, 548
Christianity (RELC)            122, 206, 216, 246, 328, 355, 365,
                               368, 378, 545
Ethics (RELG)                  229, 230, 365, 538, 557, GSAS 515
Hinduism (RELH)                559
Islam (RELI)                   208, 312
Judaism (RELJ)                 202, 529, 574
Majors Seminar (RELG           400 (1 section)   
Philosophy & Theology (RELC)   355
Religion in America (RELG)     216, 368
Religion & Literature (RELC/G) 219, 346
Comparative Courses            318, 340, 346, 400   

Courses in Religious Studies which Fulfill the Second Writing Requirement

RELG 216: History of Religion in America Since 1865
RELC 230: Religious Ethics and Moral Issues
RELC 325: Medieval Christianity
RELG 400: Majors Seminar

The Edwin B. Kyle Scholarship

Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year (beginning in 1989-90). Recipients will be fourth-year Religious Studies Majors who have at least nine credit hours in the study of Christianity and a minimum 3.5 GPA in the major (not overall). Applications are available in the Religious Studies Office, B-10 Cocke Hall, and must be returned by February 4, 1994.

Attention: Third and Fourth Year Students

All 500-level courses are open to undergraduate enrollment. Though these are graduate-level courses, they are designed to accommodate advanced undergraduates who have previously taken religious studies courses. Minors, and especially majors are encouraged to consider enrolling in these courses. For those considering graduate school, taking a 500-level course could prove immensely helpful.
If you see any 500-level course in this syllabus that you think you might want to take, and you have questions about it, please contact the professor who will be offering it. The religious studies faculty as a whole welcomes all such inquiries.

The Department wishes to note the following course offered in the Classics Department, which may be taken for undergraduate or graduate credit:

Greek 224New Testament Greek II (Intermediate Greek) schedule # 43065
TR 1400-1515
Michael Compton

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 1 Corinthians and Romans, ans well as some passages from the Acts of the Apostles. We will also consider some of the principles of New Testament Text Criticism.
Prerequisite: Greek 101-102 or permission of the instructor. Graduate students should talk with instructor about registration.

Department of Religious Studies - Course Listing

RELG104: INTRODUCTION TO EASTERN RELIGIONS schedule #40352
MW 13:00-13:50 + section
Toni Huber

This course is a survey introduction to major religious traditions of South and East Asia - Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Japanese religions. The perspective adopted is both historical and thematic. The course aims to provide basis for further study of Asian religions. In addition to the lectures, students must attend discussion sections and the screening of videos relating to the course content.

Prerequisites: None

ELC 122: THE NEW TESTAMENT AND EARLY CHRISTIANITY schedule #43129
MW 10:00-10:50 + section
Harry Gamble

This course surveys the origins and early history of Christianity on the basis of a historical and analytical study of early Christian writings belonging to the "New Testament." Topics covered include the origins of Christianity in Judaism; the activity and significance of Jesus; the formation, beliefs and practices of early Christian communities; the varieties of Christianity in the first century; and the progressive distinction of Christianity from Judaism.

Requirements: Two quizzes and a final examination, and occasional short papers in connection with discussion sections. Regular attendance at discussion sections is mandatory.

 

RELJ 202: ADVANCED READINGS IN BIBLICAL HEBREW II schedule #40709
TR 9:30-10:45
Esther Menn

This course emphasizes translation of biblical Hebrew poetry, and our readings will come primarily from the Psalms and the Prophets. Students will also review essential biblical grammar and syntax, increase their active vocabulary, and learn how to use important translation tools, including reference grammars, lexicons, and commentaries. This course also addresses issues in text criticism, interpretation, and the genre of biblical poetry.

Prerequisites: Advanced Readings in Biblical Hebrew I (RELJ 202), or permission of instructor.
Requirements: Translation of biblical passages, vocabulary and grammar quizzes, midterm and final examinations.

 

 

RELC 206: HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY II schedule # 43140
MWF 13:00-13:50 + section
David Hart

A survey of the Christian tradition from the 12th century to the 18th. In this course we shall first study the integration of the religion and culture of the Middle Ages. Next, we shall analyze the disintegration of Medieval Christianity in the Protestant Reformation, and, ultimately, in the Enlightenment. Throughout, we shall focus on how Christians have dealt with the following questions: What is salvation, and how does one obtain it? Where does one find truth? Who interprets it and how? Who has ultimate authority in church and society, and how is this authority enforced? How does the theology formulated by the institutional church affect the religious and secular lives of the people?

Requirements: Three examinations, weekly reading and discussion.

 

 

RELI 208: ISLAM IN THE MODERN WORLD schedule #40829
TR 9:30-10:45
Abdulaziz Sachedina

RELI 208 is an attempt to study the Muslim community in serious transition, in the turmoil of the modern world. That which characterizes the Muslim umma - community - is their devotion to the classical faith, Islam, with its legacy of rich past. The course is primarily concerned with the study of Islam and its people in the last two centuries, - the period of Islamic reform in the wake of Western hegemony and the efforts of the community to readjust under the challenges of the liberal and technical age. The course will explore ways of evaluating Islamic "Fundamentalism" or "Political Islam" in the context of global religious fundamentalism in the world's religions. Reading assignements will include Albert Hourani Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age; W.C. Smith, Islam in Modern History; Hamid Enayat, Modern Islamic Political Thought; M.G.S. Hodgson, Venture of Islam, Volume III; Clifford Geertz, Islam Observed

Requirements: Regular attendance at the lectures (divided into two sessions) per week. Active participation in class discussions. Two book reports (4-5 pages long).

 

 

RELG 216: HISTORY OF RELIGION IN AMERICA SINCE 1865 schedule #43560
MW 14:00-14:50 + section
Heather Warren

An historical survey of religion in America from the Civil War to the present. The course includes study of theological change in Protestantism, the emergence of three kinds of Judaism, controversy and change in American Catholicism, the origins of fundamentalism and pentecostalism, and various expressions of African-American faith. It attends to the effects of immigration, urbanization, politics, and other social and cultural changes on American religious life.

Requirements: Three papers (6-7 pages each), a mid-term exam, and a final exam.

[COURSE FULFILLS SECOND WRITING REQUIREMENT]

 

 

RELG 219: RELIGION AND MODERN FICTION schedule #40140
TR 11:00-12:15 + section
Larry Bouchard

We will explore ways in which modern literature asks persistent questions that are intrinsically religious in character: questions concerning the relation between human spirit and human nature, the fact of evil and suffering, the desire for personal and communal wholeness and fulfillment, and whether human beings need to be rooted in a symbolic order of meaning. Some of the authors we will consider (such as Elie Wiesel and Flannery O'Connor) write fictions that are intended to reflect explicitly their religious traditions. Others (such as N. Scott Momaday and Annie Dillard) employ a variety of religious and cultural traditions to create more idiosyncratic religious interpretations. And others (such as Milan Kundera or Toni Morrison), create secular narratives that nonetheless raise philosophical and moral questions that have religious implications. In addition, the course will consider other authors and interpreters of religion.

Prerequisites: None
Requirements: Two essay exams and a short final paper.

 

 

RELG 229: BUSINESS ETHICS schedule # 40437
MW 11:00-12:15 + section
Pat Werhane

Ethics is embedded in the activities and responsibilities of business. These responsibilities often appear as dilemmas or challenges which occur to an individual within an organization, to the organization, or in the interchanges between an organization and its competition, its consumers, to the environment, or to society. These challenges and responsibilities and the issues they generate will be the subject for this course. We shall begin with an examination of some classical texts in ethics. We shall examine the question of relativism and issues in truth-telling. We shall also explore the justification of free-enterprise in light of its most harsh critics focusing on the concepts of profit, private ownership and justice.
Turning to business itself using staekholder theory we shall study the nature and moral responsibilities of corporations, the question of employment, affirmative action, and employee rights. If time permits we shall also discuss some specific issues: the question of the environment and dilemmas in advertising. To give a concrete practical thrust to these theoretical issues, specific case studies in business that deal with each issue will be analyzed in class each week. Understanding the cases will be essential to grasping the philosophical questions we raise.

 

 

RELG 230: RELIGIOUS ETHICS AND MORAL PROBLEMS schedule # 40413
MW 12:00-12:50 + section
Kyle Fedler

This course will examine several contemporary moral issues from the standpoint of the ethico-religious positions of Western religious traditions (specifically Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish) as well as from a humanistic perspective. We will consider such moral issues as homosexuality, marriage, friendship, truthfulness, capital punishment, warfare, and the use of animals for food. Additionally, we will examine the relationship between religious convictions, morality, and the law, using laws against drug usage, pornography, and/or homosexual marriage as case studies. Particular attention will be paid to what selected authorities and thinkers in the above traditions say about these issues, how they reach their conclusions, and how their theological or philosophical convictions impact their moral judgements.

Prerequisites: None

 

 

RELB 245: ZEN schedule # 42259
TR 1100-1215 + section
Paul Groner

This course is a study of the development and history of the thought, practices, goals, and institutions of Zen Buddhism as it has evolved in India, China, Japan, and America. Among the topics discussed are meditation, enlightenment, the role of Zen in the arts, life in a Zen monastery, and the rhetoric used in Zen. The course focuses on Zen, but developments in other forms of Buddhism are also considered and contrasted with Zen.

 

 

RELC 246: ASPECTS OF THE CATHOLIC TRADITION schedule #43721
TR 9:30-10:45 + section
Gerald P. Fogarty, S.J.

The course will trace the origins and development of Roman Catholic doctrine in light of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The following topics will be treated: the nature and person of Christ as examined in the first ecumenical councils from Nicaea (325) to Chalcedon (451); the nature of the Church and its authority vested in bishops and the pope; original sin, grace, and justification; the seven sacraments and their orientation toward the Eucharist; the liturgy of the Mass, as the expression of the reality of the Christ event; the doctrines of the Virgin Mary and the cult of the saints; and the basis for Catholic social teaching.

Requirements: 2 mid-term examinations and a final examination.

 

 

RELA 275: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN RELIGIONS schedule # 40135 TR 12:30-1:45
Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton

An introductory survey of African religions. The course will concentrate on African traditional religions but Islam and Christianity will also be discussed. Topics will include indigenous mythologies and cosmologies, sacrifice, initiation, witchcraft, artistic traditions and African religions in the New World.
Readings include: Ray, African Religions; Stoller and Olkes' In Sorcery's Shadow; Soyinka, Death and the King's Horsemen; Ngugi wa Thiongo, The River Between; Ijimere, The Imprisonment of Obatala.

Requirements: regular attendance and participation in discussion, one essay on an assigned topic, two in-class exams, and a cumulative final exam.

 

RELI 312: ISLAMIC MYSTICISM: SUFISM schedule #41168
W 14:00-16:30
Abdulaziz A. Sachedina

RELI 312 is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development off Islamic mysticism. The course is primarily concerned with the growth of mystical tradition in Islam, the rise of asceticism, the early Sufis, the development of Sufi orders, the systemization of Sufi teaching and the evolution of theosophical dimensions of mysticism, and finally, the contribution of Sufism in the Islamic art and literatures. In doing so, we will attempt to study the lives and teachings of the outstanding Sufis as Rabi'a, Hallaj, Rumi, Gazali, and others. The course will also discuss the present-day Sufism, both in its Islamic as well as Western context, which claims to be the continuation of the great classical period of Islamic mysticism.
Reading assignments include Annemarie Schimell, Mystical Dimensions of Islam (This is the basic textbook for the course.); Menahim Milson, A Sufi Rule for Novices; J.S. Trimingham, The Sufi Orders in Islam; A.W. Chittick, Sufi Path of Love and Sufi Path of Knowledge.

Reqirments: Regular attendance at weekly sessions. Term paper on some aspect of Sufism (12-15 typewritten pages. Mid-term and Final exam.
Prerequisites: RELI 207 or RELI 208; or instructor's permission

 

 

RELB 317: BUDDHIST MEDITATION schedule # 41679
TR 12:30-13:45
Jeffrey Hopkins

An introduction to Buddhism by way of exploring meditative techniques and practices used for attaining enlightenment. Meditation manuals from Tibetan traditions will be examined and compared, providing a survey of Buddhist techniques for non-attachment, love, compassion, and insight into the nature of reality. The emphasis will be on yogic transformation of the mind through reflective, stabilizing, and analytical meditation. Buddhist attitudes about the basic human condition, altruism, and the conflict between appearance and reality will be discussed.

 

 

RELG 318: SAINTHOOD IN FOUR TRADITIONS schedule # 40523
MWF 14:00-14:50
Timothy Lubin

A survey of sainthood in a variety of religious contexts: Christian, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist. The course will ask: What makes someone holy? How do saints behave and what do they do? What does tradition say about them? How and why are they worshipped? Readings will include sacred biographies (hagiographies), studies of particular traditions of saint worship, and interpretations of sainthood in both theological and cross-cultural perspectives. It will conclude with some reflections on the saint's ambiguous position between the human and the divine--what this perceived holiness entails for the saint, the devotee, and the religious community of human spirit potential.

 

 

RELC 328: EASTERN CHRISTIANITY schedule # 41390
HIEU 317
TR 11:00-12:15
Robert L. Wilken

Survey of Christian history and thought in the Eastern Christian traditions, i.e. in Greece, the slavic lands (Russia, Bulgaria), in the middle East (Syria, Egypt), as well as in Armenia, Georgia, Ethiopia, et al. Among topics considered are church and society, eastern Christian art (icons) and architecture, worship, theology, spirituality, monasticism, the impact of the rise of Islam.

Requirements: mid-term exam and final exam, and one paper. The course presupposes some knowledge of early Christian history.

 

 

RELG 340: WOMEN AND RELIGION schedule # 40435
MWF 10:00-10:50
Karen Lang

This course will explore: the images of women in the religious traditions of the west, past and present roles of women in Christianity and Judaism, and contemporary women's accounts of their own religious experiences.

Requirements: (1). two medium length (7-15 pg.) papers (essay, research paper, creation of new myths/parables/liturgies). (2). one oral presentation -- either individually or with another presentation discuss topics related to the course -- or invite a guest lecturer to speak. (3). regular attendance and class participation.

 

 

RELG 346: DEATH: RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS AND PERSPECTIVES schedule # 40018
TR 9:30-10:45
David Hart

An examination of beliefs and customs concerning death and dying in a variety of religious cultures -- Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Islamic and others -- that will culminate in a consideration of certain 'thanatological' themes in modern thought: death as the horizon of meaning, death as the annihilation of meaning, death as the voice of the Other, etc. Readings will include selections from the Vedas, the Dhammapada, the Old and New Testaments, the Koran, as well as The Epic of Gilgamesh, and selections from Homer, Plato, Virgil, Marcus Aurelius, Tolstoy, and Elie Wiesel.

 

 

RELC 355: FAITH AND REASON schedule #43630
TR 14:00-15:15
M. Jamie Ferreira

In this course we will examine four classical accounts of religious faith--those by Pascal, Aquinas, Hegel, and Kierkegaard--focusing on the relevance of "reason" to religious "faith."

Requirements: careful reading of the texts, informed participation in class discussion, four 5 pg. papers, and occasional brief presentations to class.
Preqrequisites: one other class in religious studies or philosophy

 

 

RELC 365: SYSTEMS OF THEOLOGICAL ETHICS schedule # 41373
TR 11:00-12:15
Daniel Westberg

With a brief look at the backround of the Reformation era, this course will consider the main trends in modern Christian ethics. Major Protestant figures such as Reinhold Niebuhr and Dietrich Bonhoeffer will be considered, along with representatives of the catholic, evangelical, and orthodox traditions, in exploring such central themes as law and gospel, the role of reason, virtue ethics, and political and social ethics.

Requirements: mid-term, book review, and optional final exam or term paper.
Prerequisites: None

 

 

RELC 368: CATHOLIC POLITICS AND SOCIAL THOUGHT schedule # 43773
TR 14:00-15:15
Gerald Fogarty

The course will trace the growth of the Catholic Church in the U.S. through immigration up to some contemporary issues in the 1990s. Treating the various causes of immigration and immigrant groups, it will look at how the Catholic Church dealt with such issues as urbanization and the industrial revolution, the emergence of labor unions, ethnic tensions, and the progressive social thought that developed after World War I. It will also treat the implementation of Vatican II's Constitution on the Church in the Modern World in regard to such issues as the civil rights movement and Vietnam. In this context, it will also deal with the movement of older ethnic groups into the suburbs and will treat the pastoral letters of the American bishops in 1983 and 1986, respectively "The Challenge of Peace" and "Equal Justice for All," both of which caused negative comment in Catholic circles.

 

 

RELC 378: RELIGION AND CULTURE IN MODERN EUROPE schedule # 40282
HIEU 347 TR 12:30-13:45
Thomas A. Howard

The goal of this course is to examine the character and role of religion in European culture since the Enlightenment. During the past 250 years, religion in general and Christianity in particular have come under heavy attack from secular critics -- like Voltaire, Marx, Freud, et al. At the same time, however, Europe has produced many important religious thinkers, such as Soren Kierkegaard, J.H. Newman, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Karl Barth, Simone Weil, and T.S. Eliot. Further, modern Europe has witnessed intense periods of religious revivalism (methodism, pietism) and has been home to numerous good-will organizations founded by religiously motivated individuals. Thus, while recognizing that the church-dominated state and society of medieval and early modern Europe ("Christendom") no longer exist, we shall not treat religious convictions and actions condescendingly as "mere survivals" of a bygone era. Rather, we shall analyze the profound tensions between voices of tradition and voices of modernity, asking how both voices have contributed to the present -- pluralistic, postmodern -- historical moment.
Although considerable emphasis shall be placed on "high culture" (the ideas and behavior of educated elites), we shall also examine "popular culture," the non-elites often caught in the crossfire between secular modernity and religious traditionalism.
The course is listed both in history and religious studies. The classroom format will be primarily lecture, although time will be given to discussion.

Requirements: The grade is based on two papers (each 5-8 pages), a midterm, a final, and perhaps several shorter assignments.

 

 

RELC 391: LUKE'S GOSPEL AND ACTS schedule #43557
TR 12:30-13:45
Michael Compton

The two works ascribed to Luke the companion of Paul make up nearly one-third of the New Testament. What are the distinctive characteristics of this important author's understanding of God, of Jesus, of the early Church, and of Paul? What are the similarities and differences between Luke's Gospel and other Gospels, and between his Acts and other"Acts"? Finally, what is the relationship between Luke's Gospel and his Acts and other "Acts"? Finally, what is the relationship between Luke's Gospel and his Acts of the Apostles? Must they be read together, or may they be read independently? These are some of the questions we will explore during this course.

Prerequisites: none Requirements: class attendance and participation in discussions; several short written assignments, midterm, final exam.

[THIS COURSE FULFILLS THE SECOND WRITING REQUIREMENT]

 

RELG 400: MAJOR SEMINAR schedule #41676
R 1530-1800
Esther Menn & Larry Bouchard

This course will introduce students to the study of religion as an interdisciplinary subject, using methods such as anthropology, theology, sociology, psychology, and literary criticism. We will learn about various approaches to the study of religion by reading selections from the works of Emile Durkheim, Sigmund Freud, Clifford Geertz, Mircea Eliade, Jonathan Z. Smith, Paul Tillich, and William James. We will apply our theoretical knowledge when we study some of the classic religious texts of the world, including the Gilgamesh epic, the Bhagavad-Gita, Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, non-canonical gospels, and the Qur'an. A special focus of the course will be the place of sacred writings in religious communities and contemporary culture, e.g., film and drama. The format of the course will include discussion, informal lectures, and class presentations.

Requirements: Class presentations, a mid-term paper, and a final paper

[THIS COURSE FULFILLS THE SECOND WRITING REQUIREMENT UPON STUDENT REQUEST]

 

 

RELA 405: THEMES IN AFRICAN RELIGIONS schedule #40273
AAS 405A
M 1300-1530
Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton

This seminar offers a critical exploration of key themes in the study of African religions. Our themes will include apporaches to African traditional religion; the phenomenon of witchcraft, interconnections between healing, belief in ancestors and spirit posession; indigenous cosmologies; Christian and Muslim missionaries and Africans' responses to them; and the persistence of initiation and sacrificial rites in contemporary religious forms. The course is intended for advanced undergraduates who have already had at least one course of Africa or in Religious Studies.
Texts will include: S. Bockie, Death and the Invisible Powers; Some, Of Water and the Spirit; J. Olupona, (Ed.) African Traditional Religions in Contemporary Society; Blakely et al (Eds.) Religion in Africa.

Requirements: regular attendance and participation in class discussion, one 5-page critique of the readings, a midterm exam, a final exam and a term paper of 15-17 pages.

 

RELG 507: THE NATURE AND PROBLEM OF INTERPRETATION schedule #44528
T 12:30-15:00
Larry Bouchard

description not available

 

 

RELJ 529: BIBLICAL NARRATIVE schedule #40786
W 15:30-18:00
Esther Menn

The Bible contains some of the best-known and loved narratives in world literature. In this course, students will read many of the classic biblical narratives (with special emphasis on those found in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible) and consider them in light of current literary theory. Secondary readings for the course include sections from Alter, Auerbach, Bal, Frei, Sternberg, Trible, and others. We will grapple with several core questions during the semester: Does the biblical narrative have any distinctive characteristics? What is the relationship between narrative and theology in the Bible? Does biblical narrative elicit certain interpretive strategies from its readers? In conjunction with this last question, we will examine examples of the interpretive genre known as Midrash.

Prerequisites: None, but previous courses in biblical studies recommended.
Requirements: Biblical and secondary readings, participation and leadership in class discussions, several short papers and one longer paper.

 

 

RELB 532: STUDIES IN TIBETAN RITUAL schedule #40387
T 15:30-1800
Toni Huber

Graduate level investigation into theory, ethnography and literature of selected genres of ritual from Tibetan Religious culture (Bon, Buddhism and folk religion). We will debate different Western theoretical frameworks for thinking about ritual, discuss Tibetan concepts of "ritual" and the categories which are assumed to make them efficacious or worthy of performance, and consider the social significance of certain Tibetan rituals. Generally, we will ask ourselves what truth there might be in Wittgenstein's one time remark, "if the flea were to invent a ritual, it would be about the dog."

Prerequisites: Religious Studies or Anthropology background recommended. Ability to review a limited number of sources in French and German will be expected.

 

 

RELB 534: ISSUES IN TAOISM schedule #43882
Time TBA
Paul Groner

A small seminar on selected topics in religious Taoist thought, history and practice. The first two-thirds of the class will consist of readings and discussions on several seminal works on Taoism. The last third of the class will be devoted to the preparation and presentation of research papers.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor is required.

 

 

RELB 536: LITERARY AND SPOKEN TIBETAN IV schedule #41723
MW 10:00-10:50, MW 11:00-11:50, F 13:-13:50
Amy Miller

Second semester of second year Tibetan, which includes reading texts, oral debates, and exercises in spoken Tibetan.

Prerequisite: RELB 535 or equivalent.

 

 

RELG 538: SIN, PUNISHMENT AND FORGIVENESS schedule #41379
T 15:30-18:00
Daniel Westberg

This course will examine moral responsibility and its consequences: the nature of wrong action, culpability, sanctions and penalties, and the possibility of reconciliation. The theological context of the law of God and the work of Christ will be considered in relation to law-breaking in a political order, and the purposes of punishment.
There will be theological and philosophical readings, including historical treatments by Anselm, Aquinas, Calvin and Barth, and recent treatments such as those by Richard Swinburne and L.Gregory Jones.

 

 

RELB 544: READINGS IN SANSKRIT schedule #40508
MWF 0900-0950
Karen Lang

Readings in Hindu or Buddhist texts.

Prerequisite: one year of Sanskrit or permission of instructor, Sanskrit 543 or equivalent.

 

 

RELC 545: SEMINAR IN THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY schedule #41182
M 15:00-17:30 Heather Warren

A reading and research seminar on the history of Protestant and Catholic African-American Christianity from slavery to the present. Topics include slave faith, the concept of the "negro church," the Harlem Renaisance, and African-Americans in American Catholicism.

Requirements: Weekly readings, and each student will present a paper based on original research at the end of the term.

 

 

RELB 548: LITERARY AND SPOKEN TIBETAN VI schedule #44185
MW 15:30-17:00 Toni Huber

Advance level readings from a range of classical Tibetan texts, and exercises in spoken Tibetan.

Prerequisites: Literary and Spoken Tibetan V.

 

 

RELG 557: THE CONCEPT OF CONSCIENCE schedule #TBA
R 19:30-22:00
David Little

A consideration of the meaning and significance of the concept of conscience. The seminar will examine the history of the idea in western thought, as well as take its place in contemporary human rights discourse. It will take up philosophical, theological and legal problems associated with the term.

 

 

RELH 559: ASCETICISM IN INDIA schedule #40648
TR 14:00-15:15
Timothy Lubin

This course will examine the origins and development of ascetical traditions in India. Topics will include: early paradigms of asceticism; its philosophical basis; forms and purposes of ascetical practice (such as initiation, celibacy, fasting, nonhuman behavoir, self-heating, begging, yoga, meditation); applications in worldly, monastic, eremetic, and peripatetic contexts; ascetical communities and movements; literary and popular representations of ascetics and their powers; and roles for ascetics in society and tradition. Attention will be given to comparative and phenomenological questions.

 

 

RELJ 574: EARLY JUDAISM schedule #41176
R 14:00-16:30
Michael Satlow

This is an intensive survey of the major historical questions and issues in the study of Judaism during the Second Temp and Rabbinic periods (ca. 500 B.C.E. to 500 C.E.). Each class will be devoted to a specific question (e.g., What was the nature of Jewish sectarianism? What was the cause of the Jewish revolt of 70 C.E.? How revolutionary was "rabbinic" Judaism?). A major goal of this course is to acquaint students with the the use--and methodological hazards--of a variety of primary sources (e.g., the Hebrew Bible, inscriptions, coins, Jewish-Hellenistic and rabbinic literature).

Prerequisites: None, but a basic familiarity with the history of Greek and Roman antiquity would be helpful.

 

RELB 701: READINGS IN CHINESE BUDDHIST TEXTS schedule #43879
Time TBA
Paul Groner

Readings in primary sources in Chinese.

 

 

RELC 795: KIERKEGAARD & PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION schedule (C) #44346
F 13:00-15:30
M. Jamie Ferreira

This semester our seminar will consider Soren Kierkegaard's contribution to the philosophy of religion in the light of Immanuel Kant's thought. In particular, we will examine two of Kierkegaard's major philosophical works, the Philosophical Fragments and the Concluding Unscientific Postscript. We will focus on the themes of natural/revealed religion and the relation between religion and the ethical. The specific character of the discussion of these themes in these works will be highlighted by reference to Kierkegaard's Works of Love, as well as by an initial examination of some of Kant's works which provide useful contrast and comparison (e.g. Critique of Practical Reason, Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone.

 

RELG 802: FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS ETHICS schedule #41790
GBUS 902
M 15:00-18:30
Patricia H. Werhane

In this course we shall analyze the moral foundations of ethics and economics. We shall study philosophers who deliberately use a moral framework or moral presuppositions to develop a theory of ethics, and idea of political economy, and/or economic justice. Since this course is limited to one semester we shall focus on some theorists who have been (or should have been, or are) influential in framing some contemporary thinking in business ethics and economic justice.
We shall begin with an extensive study of Adam Smith, reading selections from Theory of Moral Sentiments, the Wealth of Nations and the Lectures on Jurisprudence. We will then turn to Marx's Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 and some selections from the 19th century Social Darwinist, Herbert Spencer. Leaping forward, we will then read David Gauthier's Morals by Agreement, Amartya Sen's On Ethics and Economics, and finish with selections from Michael Walzer's Thick and Thin, and if time permits, selections from Jurgen Habermas' Moral Conciousness and Communicative Action. Students are expected to be familiar with Rawls' Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism, and with Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia.

Requirements: class participation, short presentations, and a final paper.

 

 

RELG 806: HEALTH CARE LAW AND THE CLINICAL ENCOUNTER schedule #40719
R 14:00-16:00
Paul Lombardo

This course explains the legal system as it affects the encounter of clinicians and patients. It also relates federal, state, and case law that impacts upon ethical issues in the clinical setting, as well as the legal and regulatory environment in patient care today. (This course is required for candidates in M.A. Clinical Ethics Program.)

 

 

RELG 808: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE IN BIOETHICS SERVICES IN HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS schedule #44189
W 9:30-11:30
John Fletcher

This course reviews the underlying principles, existing models, and literature in the practice of ethics consultation in health care.

 

 

RELG 810: CONTROVERSIES IN BIOMEDICAL ETHICS schedule #40366
W 14:00-16:00
John Fletcher, Paul Lombardo, et al.

Ethical, legal, and social issues in the Human Genome Project. Led by an interdisciplinary faculty team, the seminar will focus on the Human Genome Project's (HGP) scientific and medical goals and explore the ethical, social, and legal implications of this initiative for society, government, families, and individuals.

 

 

RELG 813: FIGURES & TRADITIONS IN PHILOSOPHICAL & RELIGIOUS ETHICS schedule # 40266
R 08:30-09:45
Daniel Westberg and others

This two-semester course introduces students to the basic ethical works and theories of central figures in the Western tradition: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Mill, Buber, Dewey, HR Niebuhr, R Niebuhr, and Rawls. (This course is required for candidates in M.A. Clinical Ethics Program.)

 

 

RELG 814: GREAT CASES IN BIOETHICS schedule # 43995
R 10:00-12:00 John Fletcher, Frank Miller, Paul Lombardo

Tuskegee, Jewish Hospital for Chronic Diseases, Jehovah's Witness cases, Philadelphia Head-Injury Studies, Quinlan & Cruzan, Jehovah's Witness, Bouvia, Quill & Freud, Baby Jane Doe, Baby Theresa, Angela Carder, Wanglie, the Oregon Plan, etc. Course focuses on content and analysis of cases as turning points in the field of bioethics. (This course is required for candidates in M.A. Clinical Ethics Program.)

 

 

RELB 821: LITERARY & SPOKEN TIBETAN VIII schedule #43997
MWF 15:30-17:00
Toni Huber

Advanced level readings from a range of classical Tibetan texts, and exercises in spoken Tibetan.

Prerequisites: Literary and Spoken Tibetan VII.

 

 

RELB 823: ADVANCED LITERARY & SPOKEN TIBETAN schedule #42322
Time TBA
Jeffrey Hopkins

Individual reading in Tibetan literature, with an emphasis on religious and philosophical issues.

 

 

RELB 832: ADVANCED PALI schedule #40492
Time TBA
Karen Lang

Readings in Pali texts.

Prerequisite: One year of Pali or permission of instructor.

 

 

SEMINAR IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY: GREGORY THE GREAT schedule #41496
W 12:00-14:30
Robert Wilken

Examination of Gregory's major writings, e.g. Moralia on Job and other bibilical commentaries, Pastoral Rule, Dialogues, and letters. Study of Gregory's life, the historical significance of his papacy, his spirituality and biblical interpretation, particularly the use of allegory. Reading knowledge of Latin and French necessary.

 

 

CLINICAL ETHICS COURSES LISTED UNDER GSAS

 

GSAS 515: INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL ETHICS schedule #42697
Time TBA
John Fletcher

This is a required course for first year medical students and introduces the most frequent ethical problems encountered in the clinical setting. M.A. students and Fellows act as co-leaders of discussion groups.

Last Update: January 8, 1997