Faculty 

Selva J. Raj, chair and associate professor.
B.A., 1975, Calcutta University; M.Ph., 1981, Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth; Ph.D., 1994, University of Chicago. Appointed 1995. 

Sarianna K. Metso,  assistant professor.
M. Theol., 1991, University of Helsinki; Doc. Theol. (equivalent to a Ph.D. in the U.S. system), 1997, University of Helsinki. Appointed 2000. 

Ronney B. Mourad, assistant professor.
B.A., 1994, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; M.A., 1995, University of Chicago; Ph.D., 2001, University of Chicago. Appointed 2001.

Introduction
The study of religion is at the heart of a liberal arts education. Together with the other humanities and the social sciences, the study of religion helps one understand spiritual dimensions of the world and our roles as human beings in it.

Our Departmental Mission--Religion has always been an important component in human history. In its many configurations religion has played a critical role in shaping diverse and distinctive forms of culture and has also been shaped by culture. We seek to stimulate in students an appreciation of the spiritual teachings, ethical principles, myths, symbols and rituals of a variety of societies, believing that in them we encounter legitimate human attempts to envision the sacred and to live in the world as a spiritual arena. Conscious of Albion's heritage as a college related to the United Methodist Church, we give special attention to the monotheistic traditions in the development of our Western culture and intellectual life.

Contemporary society sometimes represents religion only as a set of subjective beliefs. Because of this misrepresentation, people may view themselves or others as fundamentalists or atheists without understanding the variety of spiritual expressions and their roles in society over the course of history. While not required at Albion, we believe that the study of religion is central to the liberal arts experience as a means of gaining a broader understanding of the depth of one's own and others' religious beliefs and practices.

Since we are concerned with the academic study of religion, our department does not promote any particular, narrow "brand" of theology or spirituality. We subscribe to the assertion made by Friedrich Max Müller who said, "Whoever knows only one religion, does not know religion." We encourage our students to explore religion using various modes of analysis, including historical-critical, philosophical and comparative approaches that keep the life of the mind and the life of the soul in creative tension.

The training and interests of our faculty include several areas: biblical languages (Hebrew and Greek); biblical literature; Syro-Palestinian archaeology; comparative religion; myth, symbol, and ritual; philosophy of religion; philosophical theology; ethics and society; religion and the arts; Asian religions; and religion and ecology. We work closely with interested students in planning academic programs, encouraging personal and spiritual growth, developing and completing directed studies, pursuing internships, preparing individualized research projects resulting in a thesis, and in exploring career options.

Current information about our department, including course offerings for the current semester, can be found on our home page, which is part of Albion College's World Wide Web site (http://www.albion.edu).

Career Opportunities
Whether a student chooses to major in religious studies, or includes it as part of a double or individually-designed major, he or she will be introduced to those aspects of a liberal arts education that aid in the development of insight, flexibility and commitment within a changing world.

Many of our students pursue further studies after Albion, in either a theological seminary or a graduate program. The religious studies faculty works closely with students who plan to attend seminary in helping them develop an appropriate pre-seminary course of studies, as well as with students who are looking to a career in the human services.

Theological seminaries prepare persons for a variety of positions, including pastoral ministry, counseling, religious education, youth work, institutional chaplaincies, administration and mission work (home and overseas).

Graduate programs in religious studies lead to M.A., Ph.D., or Th.D. degrees, which are usually associated with teaching careers. There are also dual competency programs that link the study of religion to the study of law, social services, art and/or music, journalism, urban ministries and counseling.

Special Features 
The John and Williemay Cheek Award is a cash award presented each year to the outstanding senior in the department. Book awards are given to graduating majors.

Any religious studies major is guaranteed entry into any religious studies course in any semester.

Note: Students who major in religious studies at Albion are not disqualified from receiving federal or state need-based financial aid.

Requirements for Major
*  A minimum of eight units in religious studies, including Religious Studies 101µIntroduction to Western Religions, and Religious Studies 102µIntroduction to Eastern Religions. The major must include at least six other units, selected on the basis of a student's post-graduate interests. (See the description of ``Tracks for the Major'' below.) No more than four 100-level courses can be counted for the major. 

Requirements for Minor
*  Minimum of five units, including 101, 102 and three additional units, two of which must be above the 100-level.

Courses

Note: Courses in religious studies carry no prerequisites unless specified under the course listing. The 101 and 102 courses do, however, provide useful background for other courses in the department and thus are recommended for students who may elect more than one course in the department.

101 Introduction to Western Religions  (1)  Fall, Spring
An introduction to major Western religions as represented by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Topics include the nature of religion and religious experience in the West; origins and development of each major religion; sacred literature, formative myths, symbols and fundamental tenets; forms of religious expression, spirituality and worship; and the relationship to the world as seen in ethical orientations and institutions.  Staff.

102 Introduction to Eastern Religions  (1)  Fall, Spring 
An introduction to major Eastern religions as represented by Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto. Topics include the nature of religion and religious experience in the East; origins and development of each major religion; sacred literature, formative myths, symbols and fundamental tenets; forms of religious expression, spirituality and worship; and the relationship to the world as seen in ethical orientations and institutions.  Raj. 

121 History, Literature and Religion of the Old Testament  (1)  Fall 
A developmental study of the major events, individuals and central religious and ethical ideas of ancient Israel, based on the literature of the Hebrew Bible and relevant data from the archaeology and history of the ancient Near East. Metso. 

122 History, Literature and Religion of the New Testament  (1)  Spring 
The New Testament and other writings of the early Christian period studied as literary, historical and ethical-religious sources for an understanding of Jesus, Paul and the emerging Christian movement. Metso.

131 Introduction to Christian Thought  (1)  Fall, Spring 
Classical themes and modern variations: emotion and reason, world and God, death and self-transcendence, guilt and forgiveness, meaninglessness and the sense of the holy. Mourad. 

210 The Feminine in World Religions  (1)  Fall 
Seeks to identify, through a careful examination of abundant cross-cultural data, the religious universals and the cultural and historical particulars of the feminine in world religions. Addresses two basic questions: Are there differences in women's experiences across various religions, cultures and time periods? What are the limitations and problems inherent in the application of one culturally conditioned interpretive model (for example, the Western feminist model) toward the understanding of women's religious experience in other cultures?  Raj. 

211 Hinduism  (1)  Fall 
Indian philosophical world views, ritual expressions and moral orientations: Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta.  Raj. 

212 Buddhism  (1)  Spring 
Indian, Chinese and Japanese philosophical world views, ritual expressions and moral orientations. Theravada, Mahayana, Ch'an, Zen. Offered occasionally.  Raj.

214 Jewish Life and Thought  (1)  Fall 
The world of Jewish life and thought as reflected in both ancient and modern Jewish writings. An analysis of selected biblical, rabbinic and medieval classics, as well as modern Jewish literature.  Metso. 

221 The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of Christianity  (1)  Spring 
An introduction to the Dead Sea Scrolls and their contribution to our understanding of the Bible and particularly of Jesus of Nazareth and the early Christian church. Provides a survey of the scrolls, a brief history of the period in which the scrolls were written, and a presentation of the various ways in which scholars have interpreted them. Includes in-depth study of selected texts and themes that shed light on the life and teachings of Jesus, the Gospels and the letters of Paul. Metso. 

231 History of Christian Thought  (1)  Fall
A study of the development of Christian thought through the centuries, with special attention to major figures such as Augustine, Boethius, Bonaventure, Luther, Calvin, Pascal, Wesley, Schleiermacher and Tillich. Offered in alternate years.  Mourad. 

242 Contemporary Moral Issues  (1)  Fall
An ethical and theological analysis of contemporary moral issues, such as sex and marriage, medical ethics, capital punishment, reverse discrimination and economic justice.  Mourad. 

271 Religion and the Arts  (1)  Spring 
An examination of great works of art--literary, musical and visual--which incarnate philosophical and religious insights into human experience. Selected works from such artists as Dante, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Mozart, Brahms, El Greco, Van Gogh, Ma Yuan, Hokusai, and representative examples of religious architecture East and West.  Mourad. 

288, 289 Selected Topics  (1) 
An examination of important contemporary or perennial topics in religion. Offered occasionally. May be taken more than once for credit.  Staff. 

311 Religion and Ecology  (1)  Spring 
Considers the relation between nature and the sacred in selected religious traditions such as Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism and "eco-religion."  Raj. 

313 Death and Dying in World Religions  (1)  Fall 
A critical, comparative study of the beliefs and practices related to death and dying in a select number of religions and in American society.  Raj. 

320 Gender and Biblical Interpretation  (1)  Spring
Prerequisite: Religious Studies 121 or 122. 
Methods of biblical interpretation and their relation to gender construct in society and biblical authority. Offered in alternate years.  Metso. 

321, 322 Colloquium in Biblical Studies  (1 each)  Fall
Prerequisite: Religious Studies 121 or 122.
Explorations of significant biblical themes. Topics to be announced. Past colloquia have included "Genesis and Job" and "Jesus at the Movies." Offered occasionally.  Metso. 

334 Philosophy of Religion (1)
Philosophic investigation of the nature of religion, its value, its truth and its connections with other dimensions of human experience. Special attention to English Analysis, German Existentialism, Indian Vedanta, atheism, theism, pantheism and panentheism; Russell, Copleston, Wisdom, Hartshorne, Shankara and Tillich. (Same as Philosophy 234.) Offered occasionally.  Mourad 

363 Myth, Symbol and Ritual  (1)  Spring
Explorations into the meaning and value of myth, symbol and ritual, drawing upon the insights of depth psychology and religion. Topics include the nature of myth, its relation to ritual, and the importance and interpretation of symbols in human life. Offered in alternate years.  Raj. 

391, 392 Internship  (1/2, 1)   
Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Offered on demand.  Staff. 

401, 402 Seminar  (1/2, 1)
Topics of special interest. Past seminars have included "C.G. Jung and Individuation," "Religion and Existentialism," "Theology of Sex and Marriage" and "Seminar on Ministry." Offered occasionally.  Staff. 

411, 412 Directed Study  (1/2, 1)  Fall, Spring
Prerequisite: Upperclass standing.
Recent directed study topics have included: "The Image of Mary Magdalene in Tradition"; "Yoga and Integration"; "Religious Perspectives on Marriage"; C.S. Lewis; Niebuhr's Social Ethic; Philosophical Theology of Hans Küng; and "The Theology of Paul Tillich." Hebrew and Greek are also taught regularly as tutorials.  Staff.