RELG 100 GODS: IMAGINING THE DIVINE 

Michael Satlow Schedule #14169 W 1400-1515

When you think of God (or the gods), what do you imagine? This course will examine how the divine is described in the Hebrew Bible, Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism. We will pay particular attention to philosophical (or theological), mystical, and artistic descriptions of the divine within these traditions. We will also read some attempts of modern scholars (e.g. Freud) to understand why most people in most societies believe in the existence of the divine, and why they imagine this (these) being(s) or force(s) as they do.

Requirements: Open to first year students only

Anne Monius Schedule #10354 MW 1300-1350

This course provides a historical and thematic overview to the major religious traditions of "the East" (i.e., Asia), focusing particularly upon those of India, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and China. Through careful examination of a variety of primary and secondary sources, we will consider the many ways in which South Asian Hindus, Indo-Tibetan Buddhists, and Chinese Taoists have attempted to understand the nature of the world, human society, and the individual person's place therein. In examining religious traditions that for many may seem wholly foreign or "other," our emphasis will be on the internal logic of each, on the resources that each provides for the construction of meaning, value, and moral vision.

Fulfills: Non-Western Perspectives Requirement

Requirements: Weekly readings, participation in discussion section, 3 one-hour examinations

Harry Gamble Schedule #13107 MW 1000-1050

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.

Jacqueline Satlow Schedule #14437 MWF 1100-1150

This course completes the introduction to basic Biblical Hebrew vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, initiated in RELJ 111.

The goals of the course include mastery of the essentials of the language and ability to read prose passages of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament with the aid of a dictionary.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I (RELJ 111) or instructor’s permission.

David Hart Schedule #13124 MWF 1300-1350

A survey of Christian History after the schism between the Orthodox East and the Catholic West (1054). Part 1 of the course will treat Western Christendom, from the Middle Ages through the early nineteenth century, and will occupy about two-thirds of the semester. Part 2 will deal with Eastern Christendom during the same period. Lectures on Mondays & Wednesdays; Fridays are reserved for exams.

Requirements: Three non-cumulative examinations, weekly reading, and discussion

Abdulaziz Sachedina Schedule #10831 TR 0930-1045

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.

Requirements: Regular attendance ,active class participation, reading assignments, book reports (4-5 pages long)

RELI 207 is not a prerequisite for this course.

Heather Warren Schedule #13542 MW 1100-1150

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.

This course fulfills the Second Writing Requirement.

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

Larry Bouchard Schedule #10142 TR 1400-1515

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 Seamus Heaney) 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.

Requirements: Two essay exams and a short final paper.

 Vanessa Ochs Schedule #14441 TR 0930-1045

Sacred experience in Judaism is most concretely expressed in the annual cycle of Jewish holidays, and in daily rituals (such as those pertaining to food, work, rest, and love) and life-cycle rituals (such as birth, adolescence, marriage, and death). We will study Judaism through the history, development, practice and spiritual meanings of Jewish holidays and rituals. Beginning with sources in Bible, Mishnah and Talmud, we will also consider contemporary studies by A.J. Heschel, Y. Greenberg, Waskow, Strassfeld, Hoffman, Adler and Orenstein. Students will have opportunities for occasional fieldwork.

Requirements: Midterm and take-home final.

Timothy Read Schedule #14479 T R 1200-1345

Ethics is embedded in the everyday activities and responsibilities of business. These responsibilities often appear as dilemmas for individuals, organizations, or in the interchanges between an organization and its competition, consumers, environment, or 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, then examine the question of relativism and issues in truth-telling. The justification of free-enterprise in light of its harshest critics, focusing on the concepts of profit, private ownership, and justice will also be explored.

 Turning to business itself, using stakeholder 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, such as the question of the environment. To give a practical thrust to these theoretical issues, specific case studies in business that deal with each issue will be analyzed in class each week. Understanding these cases will be essential to grasping the philosophical questions we raise.

Charles Mathewes Schedule #10415 MW 1200-1250 + discussions sections

This course will examine several contemporary moral issues from the standpoint of the ethical insights of Western religious traditions (specifically Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish) as well as from a broadly humanistic perspective. We will consider a variety of moral issues including (but not limited to) friendship, marriage, and sexuality; lying and truthfulness; capital punishment; warfare; ecology; and the meaning of work, career, and vocation. We will also examine the relationship between religious convictions, morality, and the law, using homosexual marriage as a case study. 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 influence their moral judgments.

Peter Ochs Schedule #10020 TR 1400-1515

Jewish ethics is a modern name for everything the Jewish religion has to say about relations "between humans and humans" (relations "between humans and God" would now be treated as Jewish theology). This course introduces Jewish ethics in this sense. After surveying Biblical, Classical Rabbinic, and Modern approaches, the course addresses recent Jewish approaches to three problem areas in contemporary American society: biomedical ethics and gender; business ethics; and religion and politics ("church/state" issues).

William Wilson Schedule #14231 MWF 1000-1050

The course is organized around readings that present different perspectives on the nature of human being: Social-scientific, existential, philosophical, and theological. The central question is what it means to be a human being, or a "rational animal." Readings include two novels and a play (Camus, The Stranger; Mann, Death in Venice; Pirandello, It Is So If You Think So), a work of science fiction (Hoyle, The Black Cloud) as well as philosophical and theological works (Kierkegaard, Sickness unto Death; Buber, I and Thou; Tillich, Dynamics of Faith) and two settings of portions from the liturgy (Bach’s Mass in B-Minor and Bernstein’s Mass). Class sessions are made up of lectures and discussions. There will be mid term and final examinations and an occasional quiz or short paper.

Paul Groner ) Schedule # 12254 TR 1400-1515

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

Gerald Fogarty Schedule #12752 TR 0930-1045

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.

Abdulaziz Sachedina Schedule #14435

***COURSE CANCELED***

Karen Lang Schedule #12220 M 1530-1800

This seminar takes as its point of departure Carolyn Bynum's statements: "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.

L Gibson & M Childress Schedule # 14458 T 1230-1500

This course will explore various theological, social, and ethical issues that arise in contemporary discourse about death. In particular, it will use medical, literary, and religious texts in addition to personal accounts to determine how our perception of death is shaped and what this means for how we treat persons who are dying. To provide some perspective on death in America, the course will also examine accounts of death and dying from other cultures

Karen Lang (kcl@virginia.edu) Schedule #14244 MWF 1000-1050

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: Two 7-15 pg. papers, one oral presentation, regular attendance and class participation.

Alison Milbank Schedule #14527 meeting time: T 1400-1630

Description: Despite the emergence of the Gothic novel in the post-Enlightenment period, God stalks its pages like a spectre, prompting questions about judgement and damnation, theodicy and morality, the sublime and the origin of power. The course will uncover often occluded religious debates in a range of authors including: British writers Anne Radcliffe, Mary Shelley and James Hogg; Irish authors Charles Maturin, Sheridan Le Fanu and Bram Stoker; and Americans Charles Brockden Brown and Edgar Allen Poe-all the way from Frankenstein to Dracula.

Requirements: TBA

John Milbank Schedule # 14256 TR 1230-1345

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the phenomenon of sacrifice. It will be asked why sacrifice is or appears to be such a universal phenomenon; whether it exists always for the same reasons or out of the same genealogy; whether sacrifice has declined in modern times and for what reasons; how sacrifice as a ritual practice connects with sacrifice as an ethical imperative and whether sacrifice is essential for the existence of human culture and human modes of understanding. The role of sacrifice in ancient Greece and ancient Israel will be examined, leading to a final consideration of the Christian understanding of sacrifice: the sacrificial death of the Son of God and the offering of the Mass.

Judith Kovacs Schedule #14088 TR 1230-1345

This course considers five New Testament books (Gospel of John, 1, 2 and 3 Letters of John and the Revelation to John) that share the name John but represent several different literary genres. Through a close reading of the primary texts we shall consider literary, historical and theological questions. Some specific issues to be addressed 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? What clues can we find in the gospel that help us reconstruct the specific historical situation in which it was written? How does the gospel use irony and other literary techniques to convey its message about Jesus? Why does it portray "the Jews" in a negative light, and what implications does this have for contemporary interpretation of the gospel? How does the Revelation to John compare to ancient Jewish works written in the same literary genre? How can one begin to make sense of the bewildering array of symbols and images in this book? What is its primary message--does it advocate vengeance, social justice, or a worldwide mission? It is hoped that the course will not only illuminate these ancient texts, but also underscore the depth and vitality of early Christianity in general, and "Johannine" Christianity in particular.

Requirements: midterm, final and one paper.

Anne Monius Schedule # 14375 TR 1400-1515

Although not a literary genre indigenous to Hinduism, the novel has rapidly emerged as one of the most creative and powerful means of modern Hindu literary expression in India and abroad. From Bandyopadhyay to Markandeya, Ambai to Anantha Murthy, Naipaul to Desai, Indian novelists of the past century, writing in English and a variety of regional languages, have addressed the most pressing concerns of Hindus in a rapidly changing cultural, social, political, and economic environment: the erosion of "tradition"; the breakdown of caste and other social institutions; the demise of "religion" among younger generations; the migration of gods, customs, and culture to lands far beyond India. This course will explore what it means to be "Hindu" in the modern age through the lens of contemporary fiction. Beginning with a look at the central role narrative has played in the shaping of Hindu tradition, a wide variety of novels dealing with religious themes, including the works of the authors mentioned above, will be considered in detail.

Prerequisites: An introductory course on Hinduism or Eastern religions strongly recommended, but not absolutely required. 

Michael Satlow Schedule #14442 M 1530-1800

Perhaps aside from the Bible (and this is arguable), no document has been as influential in Judaism as the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud is a unique literary work, a rich weave of very different kinds of material (e.g., law, stories, midrash and arguments) from two major geographical locations (Palestine and Babylonia) over several centuries in late antiquity. This is a "hands on" introduction. We will study a single tractate in English translation through the entire semester. The primary goals of the course are to give you the skills necessary to access this important document and to expose you to the world and logic of the rabbis. We will also discuss how the Talmud has been received and used in Jewish tradition as well as academic approaches to it.

James Childress Schedule #12161 MW 1400-1515

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.

Prerequisite: RELG 265

David Hart Schedule #12979 TR 1100-1215

This course will be a survey of the history and development of Christian spirituality. It will begin with the New Testament and the early Christian community, and then move on to a consideration of the contemplative practices and theologies of the third, fourth, and fifth centuries (and the birth of Christian monasticism); it will also cover mediaeval mysticism, both in the Byzantine East and in the Latin West; and it will end in the modern period. Authors read will include the Desert Fathers, Gregory of Nyssa, The Pseudo-Dionysius, Symeon the New Theologian, Hildegard of Bingen, Juliana of Norwich, Meister Eckhardt, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Abba Silouan of Athos.

Requirements: Two examinations and one five-page writing assignment.

Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton Schedule # 12186/14431 TR 1400-1515

This course offers an historical and topical introduction to Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa. After a brief overview of the central features of the Muslim faith, our chronological survey begins with the introduction of Islam to North Africa in the 7^th century. We will trace the transmission of Islam via clerics, Sufis and Berber jihads to West Africa. We shall consider the medieval Muslim kingdoms; the development of Islamic scholarship and the reform tradition; the growth of Sufi brotherhoods; Fulbe ethnic nationalism and Islamic militancy; and the impact of colonization and de-colonization upon Islam. Our overview of the history of Islam in East Africa will cover: the early Arab and Asian mercantile settlements; the flowering of classical Swahili courtly culture; the Omani sultanates and present-day Swahili society.

Readings and classroom discussions provide a more in-depth exploration of topics encountered in our historical survey. Through the use of ethnographical and literary materials, we will explore questions such as the translation and transmission of the Qur’an, indigenization and religious pluralism; the status of women in African Islam; and African Islamic spirituality.

Vanessa Ochs Schedule #11676 R 1530-1800

According to Robert Orsi, " …religion is an ongoing process of materializing the way in which things unseen are constantly rendered visible in the available idioms of culture …" This seminar will introduce students to the study of religion as an interdisciplinary subject, using methods in anthropology, theology, and the history of religions. As we view religion from the perspective of material culture, we can learn to recognize how religious people enact spirituality and belief in a world of things, places and sensory experiences. Students will study diverse texts (such as Geertz, Freud, Douglas and McDannell) that illuminate the connection between material culture and the study of religion and will develop their critical skills through and independent project.

Requirements: Several short papers and a final project.

Prerequisite: 3rd and 4th year Religious Studies Majors only

Gerald Fogarty Schedule #13011 W 1530-1800

The course will treat but will not be limited to the following topics: Irish Monasticism and its influence on Continental Christianity; The Reformation; Catholicism as a source of nationalism; Catholic Emancipation in 1829; 19th century Reform of the Irish Church under Cardinal Cullen; the Irish diaspora in the United States and elsewhere; and the Northern Ireland Question as a religious and political issue.

Requirements: Attendance of lectures and discussions; five brief papers on assigned topics; a 15 page term .

Prerequisites: At least one course in European History or RELC 240 or professor's permission.

Heather Warren Schedule # 14333 W 1500-1730

This 4-credit course is an interdisciplinary exploration into the nature of American religious leadership in its diverse forms. It will involve traditional classroom instruction and 8-10 hours per week of community service. The course will probe the differences between political, business, intellectual, and moral leadership to answer the question, How is religious leadership similar to yet different from these types? Students will seek to understand leadership in their service placements by analyzing institutional structures, interpersonal dynamics, and the relevant theological issues. The course also features sessions with religious leaders from the greater Charlottesville area. Co-taught by Joan Murray (Dept. of Chaplaincy Services and Pastoral Education).

Third and fourth-year students only. Instructor permission required.

John Fletcher Schedule #13945 F 0930-1200

Larry Bouchard Schedule #14319 M1530-1800

We will explore various approaches to interpretation theory, with emphasis on the nature and problems of interpretive activity in aesthetics, religion, and ethics. We will take up hermeneutical considerations of figuralism (e.g. Erich Auerbach, Nathan Scott) truth and reference (e.g., Schleiermacher, Gadamer, Ricoeur, Derrida), and reconsiderations of the hermeneutical model in such figures as Mikhail Bahktin and Martha Nussbaum

Requirements: Class participation of assigned materials, a midterm take-home examination, and either a paper, or final examination.

Benjamin Ray Schedule #11471 TR 1230-1345

An introduction to the basic thinkers in the field of History of Religions (Otto, van der Leeuw, Eliade, Wach) and to fundamental problems in the study of religious sociology, mythology, and ritual (Geertz, Douglas, Turner, Levi-Straus, Doniger, Rorty, Smith, etc.).

Requirements: Four written presentations.

Charles Mathewes Schedule #13306 M 1900-2130

The Augustinian tradition is one of the most theologically rich and important strands of Christian thought. It is also one of the most internally disputatious. In this class, we will study several of Augustine's texts in order to understand the roots of Augustinianism and also to begin to see how it warrants the title of "tradition." We will then critically analyze a series of theologians who operate primarily within the Augustinian tradition, and who develop various thought-paths inaugurated by St. Augustine. Special emphasis will be placed on how the theological insights of Augustine can seem to come into direct conflict when developed in different frameworks. Theologians to be read include St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Bonaventure, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Karl Rahner, and Reinhold Niebuhr.

Prerequisites: Graduate status or permission of instructor

Gregory Hillis Schedule #11723 TR 1700-1815

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

Prerequisite: RELB 535, or equivalent

James Childress Schedule #12565 MW 1400-1515

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.

Requirements: Permission of instructor

David Germano Schedule #14158 W 1800-2030

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

Prerequisites: Literary and Spoken Tibetan V

 John Milbank Schedule #14309 F 1530-1800

This course considers the modern transformation of the idea of transcendence under the auspices of the notion of the sublime. It begins with the recovery of Longinus's On the Sublime and traces debates about the sublime, the beautiful and God in Anglo-Celtic writings, before turning to a consideration of German discussions, focussed upon Kant. The latter's philosophy will be considered in terms of the rupture of the sublime from the beautiful not present in Longinus but inherited from Burke and others. The course will then proceed to consider post-Kantian German debates about aesthetics and religion, asking whether and in what ways later writers managed successfully to re-integrate the sublime and the beautiful. Authors looked at will include: Hamann, Jacobi, Hegel, Schelling, Schiller, Schleiermacher, Friedrich Schlegel and Kierkegaard. It will be shown how this angle of approach helps us better to understand the nature of idealism, and its relation to the debates over Spinoza and the role of faith in philosophy.

Anne Monius Schedule #14407 W 1530-1800

An intensive introduction to the classical systems of Hindu philosophical thought through careful examination of both representative primary texts (in English translation) and recent secondary scholarship. Particular emphasis will be placed on the historical development of various schools of interpretation, the place of philosophical discourse in Hindu cultures of ritual, meditation, and devotion, and scholarly models for interpreting Hindu philosophy as they have evolved in the western academy over the past century.

Prerequisites: At least one prior course in Hinduism, or permission of instructor. Some knowledge of Sanskrit helpful, but not absolutely required.

Paul Groner Schedule #12457 TR 1530-1645

This course focuses on religious doctrines and practices that surround the Buddha Amitabha and the bodhisattvas associated with him. This three-part course begins with a consideration of a set of Indian texts that would serve as the authoritative source for the East Asian Pure Land tradition and attempt to determine how these works might have fit into the Indian Buddhist tradition. Secondly, developments in China are covered. Various issues that arose as the Chinese interpreted these texts are considered, including debates concerning the balance between meditation and recitation of the Buddha's name, the balance between faith and works, and the influence of modern Japanese scholarship on our interpretations of Chinese Buddhism. In addition, Buddhist teachings concerning the end of Buddhism and the effect they had on Pure Land beliefs are considered. Lastly, the course moves to Japan where some of the more extreme interpretations of Pure Land are considered, for instance, the differences in the response to Pure Land teachings by different social groups. The course concludes with two weeks on Tibet in which David Germano will participate.

Fulfills either Chinese or Japanese Buddhism requirements for HR graduate students.

Prerequisites: Undergraduates must have had a course on Buddhism and the permission of the instructor.

Daniel Westberg Schedule #13341 R 1900-2130

An examination of the theological ethics of Thomas Aquinas: Attention will be paid to the influence of Aristotle on the description of practical reason and virtue as well as to their theological setting. The course will try to describe a Thomastic view of the moral life, including social and political aspects.

Paul Groner Schedule #12459 TBA

Readings in medieval Buddhist texts in Chinese. This course focusses on the use of dictionaries, concordances, indices, bibliographies and other reference tools that enable us to accurately understand texts composed centuries ago.

Prerequisites: Classical Chinese.

Peter Ochs Schedule # W 1530-1800

A course in philosophical theology and comparative religious practice. The primary theoretical questions will be: how can Immanuel Kant's philosophy of aesthetics in the 3rd Critique be applied to the aesthetics of liturgical practice? or, does a liturgical aesthetics require a different (post- or pre-Kantian) philosophic model? The primary case studies will be rabbinic (Jewish) liturgies and African-American Baptist liturgies. What aesthetic theories would best account for practitioner's judgments about what is and what is not beautiful in such liturgies? Students will attend services, talk with local rabbis and ministers, and develop their own accounts of liturgical practice in these communities.

David Hart Schedule #14328 R 1530-1800

A seminar that will trace out the development of modern philosophical phenomenology, specifically in relation to the themes and concerns of theology, beginning at the dawn of the transcendental project with Descartes and culminating in a fairly intense study of the work of Jean-Luc Marion. Along the way, we will read Husserl, Heidegger, Derrida, Levinas, and a small assortment of equally fashionable continental philosophers. The title of the course is an inversion of the title of Heidegger's essay "Phenomenology and Theology"; a similar relation will obtain between the contents of the course and of that essay.

Requirements: Participation, occasional responsibility for leading discussion, and a twenty page paper of penetrating insight and exquisitely honed reasoning

Pat Werhane Schedule #12114 R 1500-1730

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.

David Germano Schedule #13970 W 1800-2030

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

Prerequisites: Literary and Spoken Tibetan VI

Karen Lang Schedule #12460 TBA

Readings in Sanskrit Buddhist texts.

J. Childress, G. Fogarty Schedule # T 1530-1800

***COURSE CANCELLED***

Anne Monius Schedule #14423 TBA

Harry Gamble Schedule #14374 T 1530-1800

This seminar will canvass various representative forms of religious thought and practice in the Mediterranean world during the period of ca. 100 BCE -200 CE, including civic religion; cults of heroes, benefactors and rulers; oracles, divination and prophecy; mystery religions; miracle-working and magic; and philosophical religion (Epicureanism, Stoicism, Middle Platonism).

Requirements will include a seminar report and a research paper.

Judith Kovacs Schedule #13968 T 1400-1630

This course will explore Clement, the father of Christian Platonism, who pioneered an interpretation of Scripture and of Christian tradition that was a significant influence on theologians such as Origen and Gregory of Nyssa. Some topics to be considered are: Clement's creative adaptation of ideas from Middle Platonism, Philo, and heterodox gnostic groups; his exegesis of Scripture (including allegorical exegesis and polemical exegesis of Paul); the puzzling character of his most important work, the Stromateis (Miscellanies); apophatic theology; esoterism and the two-level interpretation of Christianity; and Clement's portrait of the Gnostic, i.e. the perfect Christian. We will also give some consideration to the legacy of Clement, especially as it is evident in the works of Origen. Particular emphasis will be given to the Stromateis, parts of which we will read in Greek. (Any interested students without Greek should contact Mrs. Kovacs as soon as possible to discuss what accommodations can be made.)

***COURSE CANCELED***
USEM 171 TAKING HUMAN LIFE: ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES  
Abdulaziz Sachedina Schedule #13079 T 1430-1630
***COURSE CANCELED***