COURSE OFFERINGS
SPRING 2007
RS 101:1
Introduction to Western Religions, CRN # 7145
Humanities
Division Credit; Historical and Cultural Analysis Mode Credit; Required for Religious Studies Major and Minor
Instructor: R.
Mourad
MWF 11:10-12:00; Vulgamore 201
Course
Description:
Contemporary Americans must
contend with an unprecedented plurality of religious
viewpoints. In this course, we will seek to address this
situation responsibly by examining three prominent “Western”
religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will analyze
the characteristic beliefs and practices of these three
traditions so as to understand and appreciate their similarities
and differences. While we will survey the distinctive origins
and histories of these religions, we will also study their
contact with one another and explore the conditions necessary
for dialogue between them. Our approach will be academic rather
than confessional or apologetic.
Texts:
Willard G. Oxtoby, World Religions: Western Traditions.
Handouts
Requirements:
1.
Attend all classes
2. Read all assigned material and participate actively in class
discussions and activities
3. Four exams
4. Occasional written assignments
5. Field Report
Evaluation:
Each Exam: 17%
Participation/Assignments:15%
Field Report: 17%
RS 101: 2
Introduction to Western Religions, CRN # 7146
Humanities Division Credit; Historical and Cultural
Analysis Mode Credit; Required for Religious
Studies Major and Minor
Instructor:
J. McWhirter
TR 2:10-3:30; Vulgamore 201
Course
Description:
Christians,
Jews, and Muslims all claim either physical or spiritual
descent from Abraham, a nomad said to have migrated from
Mesopotamia to Canaan in the Middle Bronze Age. This
explains both the fundamental similarities among the three
faiths as well as the sibling rivalries sparked by their
many significant differences. This course will trace the
historical development of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam
over the past two thousand years. We will pay special
attention to their shared biblical traditions as well as
their unique beliefs and practices as we explore their
mutual influence, their mutual competition, and the
possibilities for mutual understanding.
Texts:
Willard G. Oxtoby, ed., World Religions: Western
Traditions
Course Packet
Evaluation:
Attendance and participation: 10%
Current events report: 20%
Field report: 20%
Two in-class exams: 50%
RS 102: 1
Introduction to Eastern Religions, CRN # 7147
Humanities Division Credit; Historical and Cultural Analysis
Mode Credit; Required for Religious Studies Major
and Minor
Instructor: M.
Soileau
MWF 9:10-10:00, Vulgamore 204
Course
Description:
In light of a
typology of religious phenomena, this course will critically
explore the religious wisdom of the East as represented by
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Shinto, Confucianism, and
Taoism, and expressed in their respective sacred literature,
myths, symbols, beliefs, and practices. In addition to
intellectual familiarity, the course aims to inculcate in
students a critical appreciation for the religious imagination
of a tradition other than one's own.
Texts
Oxtoby, Willard G. World Religions: Eastern Traditions. New York
and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-19-541521-3
RS 104: 1 Introduction to Islam—CRN# 7148
Humanities Division Credit; Historical and Cultural
Analysis Mode Credit;
Fulfills Islamic
Religion requirement for Religious Studies Major and Minor.
Instructor: M. Soileau
TTR 2:10-3:30, Vulgamore 204
Course Description:
This course is
an introduction to the beliefs and practice of Islam in its
various manifestations, with additional emphasis on the history,
politics and gender issues which have both influenced and been
influenced by Islam. Throughout the course there will be a focus
on Islam as it is lived by people, so that students can gain an
appreciation of what it is like to live as a Muslim, and we will
look at many cultural expressions of Islam. We will also analyze
the ways Islam is represented in the news media and on the
internet, since these have become the main sources of
information – and misinformation – presented on Islam in the
United States.
While the
course will consist in part of lectures, class discussions are
also important, and active participation by students is
required. Students will be expected to have read the readings
before class, and be ready to discuss them in class. We will
make one field trip to a local mosque, and students will be
expected to ask questions. Students will also keep a journal to
record their impressions of certain readings, websites, other
media and the field trip. Students’ grades will be calculated
based on a midterm, a final, a term paper, other assignments,
the journal and class participation.
Required Text:
Frederick
Mathewson Denny. An Introduction to Islam. 3rd edition.
Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.
RS 204: 1 Islam and Modern World—CRN# 7578
Humanities Division Credit; Fulfills Global Studies
Category Requirement;
Fulfills Islamic Religion requirement for Religious Studies Major
and Minor.
Instructor: M. Soileau
TTR 10:10-11:30, Vulgamore 204
Course Description:
Islam is the second largest religion in the
world, and one that has been increasingly in the news in recent
years. Much of this recent interest has been due to terrorist
acts perpetrated in the name of Islam and to conflicts in
countries with majority Muslim populations. Many of these
problems are in turn related to difficulties Islam has faced in
incorporating values introduced from the West and to the history
of Muslim interaction with the West. This course analyzes Muslim
intellectual responses to some of these issues and examines
developments in some Muslim countries in the twentieth century.
This will help provide students with an understanding of the
dynamics behind many of the events that affect our world today.
We will begin with an overview of the Islamic religion and
Islamic history, and then look at the responses of certain
influential Muslim intellectuals to issues such as modernism,
democracy, secularism, nationalism, science and women’s rights.
With this background, we will next focus on the ways Islam has
developed and influenced politics in certain countries, as well
as on the transnational organization al-Qaeda, and specifically
Shi‘i developments. Finally, we will look at the ideas of
progressive Muslims in the West.
Required Text:
RS 215 Jewish Life and Thought, CRN # 7150
Humanities Division Credit; Fulfills Global Studies Category Requirement;
Fulfills Biblical Studies Requirements for Religious Studies Major and Minor.
Instructor: J. McWhirter
MW 8:40-10:00, Vulgamore 201
Course
Description:
As one of the oldest world religions,
Judaism has been practiced since about 1000 BCE, when David
established the cult of Yahweh in Jerusalem. Times have changed
over the last 3,000 years, and Judaism has changed with the
times. Our survey of Judaism will take us from the Golden Age of
David and Solomon to the Babylonian Exile, the Roman destruction
of the Second Temple, the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, the
Holocaust, and the founding of the modern state of Israel. In
order to learn about the development of Jewish thought, students
will read from the Bible, rabbinic literature, and the works of
figures like Moses Maimonides, Baruch Spinoza, Martin Buber, and
Elie Wiesel. In order to experience a bit of Jewish life,
students will visit a synagogue, participate in a demonstration
of a Passover seder, and enjoy a story about Jewish families in
America.
Required Texts:
Stephen Wylen, Settings of Silver: An Introduction to
Judaism, 2nd ed.
Elie Wiesel, Night
Course Packet
Also required is one of the following
(your choice):
Chaim Potok, The Chosen
Lis Harris, Holy Days
Allegra Goodman, Kaaterskill Falls
Recommended Texts:
Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures
Evaluation:
Attendance and participation: 10%
Field Report: 20%
Book Report: 20%
Two in-class exams: 50%
RS 222 Jesus and the Gospels, CRN# 7592
Humanities Division Credit; Fulfills Textual
Analysis mode requirement; Fulfills Biblical Studies
Requirement for Religious Studies Major and Minor
Instructor: J. WcWhirter
MWF 2:10-3:30, Vulgamore 204
Course
Description:
This course explores early beliefs about
Jesus through studying the canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John, along with the extra-canonical Gospel of Thomas.
We will proceed in chronological order (more or less), paying
close attention to each Gospel’s historical setting, religious
antecedents, and literary artistry. We will consider how our
understanding of the Gospels is influenced by our own
backgrounds and perspectives. At the end of the course, we will
weigh the Gospels’ value as historical sources for the life and
death of Jesus.
Required Texts:
The HarperCollins Study Bible, Revised Edition
Mitchell G. Reddish, An Introduction to the Gospels
Recommended Text:
Kurt Aland ed. Synopsis of the Four Gospels
Evaluation:
Attendance and participation: 10%
Two brief reports: 20%
Two take-home exams: 40%
Final exam: 30%
RS 242: 1
Christian Ethics, CRN# 7152
Humanities Division Credit;
Fulfills Theology Requirement for Religious Studies Major and Minor.
Instructor: R. Mourad
MWF 1:10-2:00, Vulgamore 201
Course Description:
God is on our side!
Christians have claimed the authority of their religious
tradition for various, and often contradictory, purposes.
Confronted with this plurality, can we claim that Christianity
prescribes a single, clear set of ethical principles? We will
begin our discussion of Christian ethics by trying to identify
characteristic themes and emphases that distinguish them from
philosophical ethics. Next, we will compare several
contemporary types of Christian ethics and reflect critically on
their theological and philosophical adequacy. In the second
half of the class we will examine several arguments for
substantive Christian positions regarding pressing political and
social issues.
Texts:
Patricia Beattie Jung and Shannon
Jung. Moral Issues and Christian Responses, 7th
edition. ISBN 0-15-505895-9
Philip Quinn. A Companion to Philosophy of Religion.
(Handouts)
Requirements:
Attend all classes.
Read all assigned material and participate actively in class
discussions.
Weekly written responses to the reading.
One paper (minimum 2000 words -- approximately 7 typed pages).
2 in-class exams.
Evaluation:
Paper 25%
Midterm 20%
Final 20%
Weekly Responses 25%
Attendance 10%
RS 250 Mysticism and Ecstasy, CRN# 7153
Humanities Division Credit; Fulfills Theology Requirement for Religious Studies Major and Minor.
Instructor: R. Mourad
MWF 3:10-4:00, Vulgamore 201
Course Description:
“Mysticism,” in its contemporary sense, usually refers to a
set of beliefs and practices designed to cultivate and explain
intense religious experiences. Mystical writings pose some of
the most interesting questions in contemporary religious
studies. Some authors consider mysticism to be the abiding core
of religion, while others argue that it is primarily an
invention and preoccupation of the modern West. Some claim that
ecstatic experiences demonstrate the existence of a spiritual
reality, while others think they demonstrate only psychological
pathologies. Many mystics claim that their experiences defy
description in ordinary terms, raising fundamental issues about
the nature and limits of language. In addition to these issues,
we will discuss the ways in which mystical texts sometimes
reinforce and sometimes resist gender stereotypes. The
historical texts for the course are drawn exclusively from the
Christian tradition, but several of our authors use Hindu,
Buddhist, Jewish, and Islamic examples when discussing
philosophical or scientific questions.
Texts:
William Alston, “Religious Experience as Perception of God”*
Don Cupitt, Mysticism after Modernity*
Louis Dupré and James Wiseman, Light from Light: An Anthology of
Christian Mysticism, Second Edition, ISBN 0-8091-4013-6
Robert Ellwood, Mysticism and Religion*
Evan Fales, “Scientific Explanations of Mystical Experiences”*
John Horgan, Rational Mysticism*
William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience*
Grace Jantzen, Power, Gender and Christian Mysticism*
Michael Martin, Atheism: A Philosophical Justification*
Bernard McGinn, The Foundations of Mysticism*
Wayne Proudfoot, Religious Experience*
V. S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee, Phantoms in the Brain*
Walter Stace, “The Nature of Mysticism”*
*Selections, in handouts
Requirements:
1. Attend all classes.
2. Read all assigned material and participate actively in class
discussions.
3. Two papers (minimum 2000 words - approximately 7 - 8 typed
pages).
4. Weekly response reports.
5. Final exam.
Evaluation:
Paper 1: 20%
Paper 2: 20%
Weekly Responses: 20%
Final Exam: 25%
RS 312 Global Christianities, CRN # 7154
Fulfills Global Studies
Requirement; Fulfills Asian & Comparative Studies Requirement for
Religious Studies Major and Minor
Instructor: S. Raj
MW 11:10-12:30, Vulgamore 202
Course Description:
This course investigates the ways Christianity was shaped by contact
with different world cultures and the social processes and religious
changes implicit in the acculturation of Christianity in diverse
geographical regions and cultural contexts. Through a critical analysis
of diverse sources, this comparative-historical course examines a select
number of Christianities around the globe including Asian, African,
European, Latin American, and North American Christianities, the
processes and challenges implicit in the localization/indigenization of
Christianity in diverse cultural, geographical, and religious settings,
and the distinct forms these have assumed over the centuries.
Texts:
Badone, Ellen (ed.) Religious Orthodoxy & Popular Faith in European
Society (ROP)
Berg, Clayton (ed.) Spontaneous Combustion: Grass-roots Christianity
Latin American Style (SC)
Raj, Selva & Corinne Dempsey (eds.) Popular Christianity in India:
Riting between the Lines (PCI)
Perez-Reverte, Arturo Popular Catholicism: A Hispanic Perspective
(PCH)
A Course Pack of Selected Readings (CP)
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