Religious Studies
Religious Studies Courses
The list below offers a representative sample of the courses you can expect in the study of religious studies at 91传媒. From theoretical foundations to practical experiences, these courses provide a full range of educational opportunities at various levels of mastery. For more information about current course offerings or registration details, please consult the Office of the Registrar.
Course Description
Capstone course for Science Research Fellows Program. Students read and discuss articles about things that impact science. Among the topics covered are ethics, government prioritization and funding, technology and education. Students are expected to bring their own internship experiences into the weekly discussions.
Credits
0.5 course
Course Description
A cross-cultural survey course of major religious traditions, with emphasis upon the theoretical and methodological issues at stake in the discipline of Religious Studies. The course provides a balanced treatment of Asian and Western/Abrahamic traditions in order to explore the concept of 'religion' within acomparative humanistic context. Most important will be a close reading and discussion of primary texts in English translation. By the end of the course students will have developed a vocabulary for understanding religious phenomena cross-culturally and a sensibility for engaging with religious others in our globalizing world.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
A basic cross-cultural survey course of the major religious traditions of the West: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Particular attention is paid to the thought, scriptures, practices and institutions of these traditions.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
Welcome to the strange and curious world of the study of biblical writings and readers! Whether or not you have any religious interest in biblical writings, an understanding of history, literature, music, film, conflicts, and politics (among many other things) virtually requires some basic knowledge of the Bible and its readers. This course is, therefore, fundamental to your overall liberal arts training. I'm excited to journey withyou all as we encounter together the diverse ways that folk relate to an ancient (textual/cultural) past in the service of understanding their present(s) and imagining different futures. What are some of the categories used to appraise how we situate biblical texts in relation to their ancient (Israelite, Jewish, Greco-Roman and beyond) cultural backgrounds? What discourses and relations of power are at work in contemporarybiblical and related scholarship? More broadly, how might we imagine the relationships we have with (any/all) texts, while growing in (self-)critical awareness of the ideological/contextual nature of engaging with the past? Come and discover!
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course surveys the diverse literature of Ancient Israel, read in English translation, that came to be recognized as sacred scripture by Judaism and Christianity (known alternatively as Tanakh or Old Testament). The texts are studied within the historical and cultural context of Ancient Israel with an interest in the history and methods of interpretation.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
The literature and faith of the New Testament communities studied in the context of the early church and the Judaic and Greco-Roman world.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
On-Campus Extended Studies course in Religious Studies.
Credits
0.5 course
Course Description
Student-initiated independent project under faculty guidance. Offered as a co-curricular (0 credit) Extended Studies experience.
Course Description
Topics in Religious Studies.
Credits
1 course
Course Description
A seminar focused on a theme in the study of religion. Open only to first-year students.
Credits
1 course
Course Description
An introduction to Jewish life, thought and practice. Description of basic Jewish beliefs, attitudes, values and practices.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
A survey of major beliefs, practices and forms of the Christian religion. Special attention will be given to the Biblical foundations, theological formation and pivotal historical developments.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
A survey of the major beliefs, rituals and institutions of Islam. Special emphasis will be given to recurring themes and issues that have shaped Muslim self-understanding throughout history.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the many religious traditions which have found a home in India. In this comprehensive introduction we survey the history, thought, and practices of the major Indian religious traditions in order to come to a better understanding of the ways in which people in South Asia have found meaning and purpose in their lives through religion over several millennia. India (by which we mean not just the present-day nation-state of India but the cultural complex of South Asian civilization from Sri Lanka to Tibet and from Afghanistan to Myanmar from 2500 BCE to the present) gave birth to the three great religious traditions which now blanket Asia: Hinduism in modern-day India, Nepal, and Indonesia; Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos; and Mahayana Buddhism in Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. So, too, the religions of Jainism and Sikhism were born on Indian soil. And in the present day, the majority of the world's Muslims live in South Asia, thus making Islam a thoroughly 'Indian' religion by adoption. In this introductory class we concentrate on the practices and worldviews of Indian religions classical and modern.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
In this course students examine religious experience and expression in Hindu India in all of their diversity and regional variation with special emphasis on the contemporary persistence of traditional values and practices. Relevant historical background information is surveyed in order to help assess continuity and change in learned and vernacular Hindu religious practices with particular attention paid to the values that both influence and are displayed by them.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
Examines the development of Buddhist thought, scriptures, practices and institutions in India and the religion's spread to China and Japan.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
An exploration of the relationship between Caribbean religious traditions and culture in the development of Caribbean identity and nationhood. It focuses on how the major world religions were modified through the encounter between peoples of Amerindian, African, European and Asian descent. Further, it studies the impact of slavery, emigration, colonialism, and globalization on the emergence of indigenous Caribbean religious traditions (Vodun, Santeria, Rastafari).
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course uses major theories of religion in order to investigate religious themes and symbols in a number of contemporary films. In this course we use the screening of a dozen or so religiously evocative films in order to open up a discursive space within which we can think critically about ourselves and the time we live in. In order to do this we look at the ways in which powerful religious themes have been dealt within film. At times the religious themes addressed in movies are overt and tradition-specific while at other times they are covert and universal. Throughout the course we interrogate filmic texts in order to understand the ways in which religious themes are dealt with through the cinematic medium. But we also allow the films to interrogate us! In this class we view the screening of the films as an opportunity for us to reflect upon the nature of religion as we try to come to a better understanding of its place within society and our own lives. The purpose of the course is twofold: first, students learn how to think critically about religion and its place as a social and cultural force in the contemporary world; second, they learn how to apply a critical attitude and critical tools to view films and other aspects of popular culture.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course deals with the fact that religious traditions all over the world understand illness and disease as symptoms of spiritual defects. Additionally, many of these religious groups focus to varying degrees on therapeutic means of dealing with illness. This course considers cross-cultural contexts that include traditions of Asia, South America and the West.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course deals with the fact that religious traditions all over the world understand illness and disease as symptoms of spiritual defects. Additionally, many of these religious groups focus to varying degrees on therapeutic means of dealing with illness. This course considers cross-cultural contexts that include traditions of Asia, South America and the West. This course will encourage the logical development of argument, clear and precise diction, and a coherent prose style; the development of expository writing skills as they apply to religious studies; and the responsible, appropriate, and effective use of sources and special or technical language.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course studies the parables, as significant parts of the New Testament, within the framework of the biblical wisdom tradition, the prevailing consensus and contemporary approaches to parable interpretation including socio-historical criticism that interpret the parables in relationship to the context of Ancient Palestine. The course seeks to broaden students' understanding of the parables, and to identify the authority, interpretive possibilities, and legacy of the major parables in the formation of the Christian tradition.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course studies the parables, as significant parts of the New Testament, within the framework of the biblical wisdom tradition, the prevailing consensus and contemporary approaches to parable interpretation including socio-historical criticism that interpret the parables in relationship to the context of Ancient Palestine. The course seeks to broaden students' understanding of the parables, and to identify the authority, interpretive possibilities, and legacy of the major parables in the formation of the Christian tradition. This course will encourage the logical development of argument, clear and precise diction, and a coherent prose style; the development of expository writing skills as they apply to religious studies; and the responsible, appropriate, and effective use of sources and special or technical language.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
Topics such as religious phenomena, e.g., Millenialism, religious ethics and historical religious figures and movements. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Credits
1 course
Course Description
Topics such as religious phenomena, e.g., Millenialism, religious ethics and historical religious figures and movements.聽This course will encourage the logical development of argument, clear and precise diction, and a coherent prose style; the development of expository writing skills as they apply to religious studies; and the responsible, appropriate, and effective use of sources and special or technical language. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course considers ways that interpretations of sacred texts influence religious perceptions of gender and social order. Christian readings of Genesis 1-3 are the main focus; yet attention is also given to understandings of Eve and Adam in Judaism and Islam. Interpretations of Genesis that historically and presently argue for the subordination of women to men forms a central theme of the course. A counter theme emerges as we consider alternative readings that have traditionally used Genesis 1-3 to argue for gender equality. We will also reflect on the ways in which a hierarchical reading of the text has served to legitimate the domination of groups such as African-American slaves. Texts range from the Gnostic gospels, Philo, the Qur'an, The Maelleus Maleficarum, Paradise Lost, The Bible Defense of Slavery, The Woman's Bible and The Coming of Lilith.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course considers ways that interpretations of sacred texts influence religious perceptions of gender and social order. Christian readings of Genesis 1-3 are the main focus; yet attention is also given to understandings of Eve and Adam in Judaism and Islam. Interpretations of Genesis that historically and presently argue for the subordination of women to men forms a central theme of the course. A counter theme emerges as we consider alternative readings that have traditionally used Genesis 1-3 to argue for gender equality. We will also reflect on the ways in which a hierarchical reading of the text has served to legitimate the domination of groups such as African-American slaves. Texts range from the Gnostic gospels, Philo, the Qur'an,聽The Maelleus Maleficarum, Paradise Lost, The Bible Defense of Slavery, The Woman's Bible聽and "The Coming of Lilith." This course will encourage the logical development of argument, clear and precise diction, and a coherent prose style; the development of expository writing skills as they apply to religious studies; and the responsible, appropriate, and effective use of sources and special or technical language. 聽
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
A study of selected problems or current developments in relation to the Old and/or New Testaments. Topics may include history and myth in the Ancient Near East, the social world of the prophets, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the historical Jesus and hermeneutics. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Credits
1 course
Course Description
A study of selected problems or current developments in relation to the Old and/or New Testaments. Topics may include history and myth in the Ancient Near East, the social world of the prophets, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the historical Jesus and hermeneutics.聽This course will help students develop the presentation of logical arguments and refutation; the ability to distinguish and identify important substantive arguments; the ability to skillfully analyze, evaluate, and integrate supporting material; the selection and implementation of effective presentation style; the ability to adapt the manner of delivery to specific audiences and situations; the demonstration of critical listening skills; the demonstration of effective and reflective listening; and the knowledge of the ethical obligations of speakers, discussants, and listeners. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course examines women and gender in the Islamic tradition and Muslim societies. Through a variety of written and visual sources, it treats 1.) the history of women in Islam, 2.) the impact of the tradition on women's lives and gender categories, and 3.) the efforts of modern Muslims to challenge traditional gender definitions and create a useable past.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course examines women and gender in the Islamic tradition and Muslim societies. Through a variety of written and visual sources, it treats 1.) the history of women in Islam, 2.) the impact of the tradition on women's lives and gender categories, and 3.) the efforts of modern Muslims to challenge traditional gender definitions and create a useable past. This course will help students develop the presentation of logical arguments and refutation; the ability to distinguish and identify important substantive arguments; the ability to skillfully analyze, evaluate, and integrate supporting material; the selection and implementation of effective presentation style; the ability to adapt the manner of delivery to specific audiences and situations; the demonstration of critical listening skills; the demonstration of effective and reflective listening; and the knowledge of the ethical obligations of speakers, discussants, and listeners.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
In this course we examine the rise of Hindu modernity from the colonial period to the present day. Our main objective is to come to an understanding of the embedded nature of modern Hinduism within the historical matrices of culture, society, politics, and economics in India. Through the close reading of primary and secondary interpretive texts dealing with the transformation of religion in modern South Asia students learn how to apply the critical hermeneutical techniques specific to the discipline of the history of religions. At the same time they gain a better understanding of contemporary Hinduism as they learn about the challenges which Hindus have faced and negotiated in the modern period. By doing so students are able to understand more thoroughly the situation of religious belief and practice across the globe in the modern and post-modern periods.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
In this course we examine the rise of Hindu modernity from the colonial period to the present day. Our main objective is to come to an understanding of the embedded nature of modern Hinduism within the historical matrices of culture, society, politics, and economics in India. Through the close reading of primary and secondary interpretive texts dealing with the transformation of religion in modern South Asia students learn how to apply the critical hermeneutical techniques specific to the discipline of the history of religions. At the same time they gain a better understanding of contemporary Hinduism as they learn about the challenges which Hindus have faced and negotiated in the modern period. By doing so students are able to understand more thoroughly the situation of religious belief and practice across the globe in the modern and post-modern periods. This course will help students develop the presentation of logical arguments and refutation; the ability to distinguish and identify important substantive arguments; the ability to skillfully analyze, evaluate, and integrate supporting material; the selection and implementation of effective presentation style; the ability to adapt the manner of delivery to specific audiences and situations; the demonstration of critical listening skills; the demonstration of effective and reflective listening; and the knowledge of the ethical obligations of speakers, discussants, and listeners.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Global Learning
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course is a close study and analysis of the religious core and communicative rationality in Bob Marley's life and music. It develops the intersections between Caribbean religion and culture based on Marley's affiliation to Rastafari.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Power Privilege and Diversity
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This course is a close study and analysis of the religious core and communicative rationality in Bob Marley's life and music. It develops the intersections between Caribbean religion and culture based on Marley's affiliation to Rastafari. This course will help students develop the presentation of logical arguments and refutation; the ability to distinguish and identify important substantive arguments; the ability to skillfully analyze, evaluate, and integrate supporting material; the selection and implementation of effective presentation style; the ability to adapt the manner of delivery to specific audiences and situations; the demonstration of critical listening skills; the demonstration of effective and reflective listening; and the knowledge of the ethical obligations of speakers, discussants, and listeners.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities-or-Power Privilege and Diversity
Credits
1 course
Course Description
Usually a category of religious phenomena, such as religious experience, mysticism, the nature of deities; or the role and status of persons; healing in religious traditions; sectarian groups; major thinkers or movements; or themes and approaches in the study of religion. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
Usually a category of religious phenomena, such as religious experience, mysticism, the nature of deities; or the role and status of persons; healing in religious traditions; sectarian groups; major thinkers or movements; or themes and approaches in the study of religion.聽This course will help students develop the presentation of logical arguments and refutation; the ability to distinguish and identify important substantive arguments; the ability to skillfully analyze, evaluate, and integrate supporting material; the selection and implementation of effective presentation style; the ability to adapt the manner of delivery to specific audiences and situations; the demonstration of critical listening skills; the demonstration of effective and reflective listening; and the knowledge of the ethical obligations of speakers, discussants, and listeners. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Distribution Area
Arts and Humanities
Credits
1 course
Course Description
This class involves readings and discussion of theoretical issues concerning the study of religion, research methods and concentrated research on a topic in Religious Studies. It culminates in a major paper that will be presented to senior majors and department faculty.
Prerequisites
major in religious studies and senior status. May not be taken pass/fail.
Credits
1 course
Course Description
Directed studies in a selected field or fields of religion. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Credits
1 course
Contact Us
Religious Studies
Leveraging the resources of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the religious studies major and minor at 91传媒 are housed in the Department of Religious Studies. This department is committed to the academic exploration of religious traditions, beliefs and practices across cultures and historical periods.
Jodi Lach
- jodilach@depauw.edu
- (765) 658-4812
-
7 East Larabee Street
Greencastle, IN 46135