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Fall Semester 2003
RS 101-01: Introduction to Western Religions Humanities Core Credit under old core; Historical and Cultural Analysis Mode under new core; Required for Religious Studies Majors. R. Mourad 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. Requirements: Evaluation: Texts: ******************************************************************************* RS 101-02: Introduction to Western Religions Humanities Core Credit under old core; Historical and Cultural Analysis Mode under new core; Required for Religious Studies Majors. C. Shattuck Course Description: The course will provide an introduction to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The approach will be mostly historical. The class will emphasize core beliefs that unify each tradition, yet will also examine some of the unique practices which demonstrate the great diversity that exists in all religions. This will allow us to move beyond scriptural history to include information about religion as practiced in daily life. Some time will also be spent on a discussion of all three traditions in the history of the United States. Evaluation: Texts: ******************************************************************************* RS 102-01: Introduction to Eastern Religions Humanities Core Credit under old core; Historical and Cultural Analysis Mode under new core; Required for Religious Studies Majors. C. Shattuck Course Description: This course will critically explore the religious wisdom of the East as represented in the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist traditions. In addition to intellectual familiarity with the contents of these traditions, the course aims to inculcate in students a critical appreciation for the religious imagination of a tradition other than one’s own. Evaluation: Texts: ******************************************************************************* RS 121-01: History, Literature and Religion of the Old Testament Humanities Core Credit under old core, Textual Analysis credit under new core and Biblical Studies credit for Religious Studies Majors. S. Metso Course Description: The Hebrew Bible (i.e. the Old Testament) is not a single book, but an anthology reflecting different authors, historical circumstances, literary genres, and theological agendas. This course is designed as an introduction to the critical study of this and related literature, and of the ancient Near Eastern cultural environment that formed its background. We will give particular attention to the social, political and religious history of ancient Israel, the development of its theological traditions, the basic forms of Hebrew literature and the principal methods to interpret it. Our main task is to understand what the writings of the Hebrew Bible may have meant in their original, historical context, but we will also consider these writings as a contemporary resource for questions of religion and values. By the end of this course, we will have read and discussed a major portion of the Hebrew Bible in English translation. Goals: Evaluation: Required Textbooks: ******************************************************************************* RS 131-01: Introduction to Christian Thought Textual Analysis Mode Credit R. Mourad Course Description: In this course we will examine some important literary and theological works of the Christian tradition. We will seek to understand how the authors of these works understand God, Jesus, the world, human persons, sin, and salvation. There have been many different understandings of the nature of Christianity. We will examine some texts that have been very popular and influential and some that present unorthodox or minority views. Since this course will focus on Christian thought, rather than Christian practice, we will emphasize the skills necessary both to interpret and to evaluate the arguments and rhetoric of the authors. Our primary methods will accordingly be theological and philosophical. Requirements: Evaluation: Texts: ******************************************************************************* RS 215-01: Jewish Life and Thought Global Studies Category Credit (new core) S. Metso Course Description: In
response to the question, Why should we study religion in general and
Judaism in particular, Jacob Neusner, one of today’s leading Jewish
scholars, offers three perspectives: 1. Religion explains particularly
well the progress of humanity through the cycle of life, from birth to
death. 2. Religion serves particularly well to help a defeated society
endure defeat. 3. Religion, while historical, invariably thrives in and
has meaning for the acutely contemporary world. Evaluation: Required
Textbooks: ******************************************************************************* RS 242-01: Christian Ethics R. Mourad 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. Requirements: Evaluation: Texts: ******************************************************************************* RS 313-01: Death and Dying in World Religions Global Category Requirement S. Raj Course Description: Human longing for a meaningful explanation of the mystery of
death and dying is deep and universal. Through a critical analysis of
textual and non-textual sources, this comparative course will examine a
wide array of beliefs and rituals related to death and dying in a select
number of world religions. Evaluation: Texts:
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Albion College ◦ Albion, Michigan
◦ 517/629-1000
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