Program in Religious Studies
Faculty
Emeritus
Charles Koban, Ph.D.
Department of English
Robert G. Meyers, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy
Mary Beth Winn, Ph.D.
Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Professors
Louise M. Burkhart, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
Susanna Fessler, Ph.D.
Department of East Asian Studies
John Monfasani, Ph.D.
Department of History
Associate Professors
Patrick Nold, Phil.D.
Department of History
Barry Trachtenberg, Ph.D.
Department of History
Adjunct Faculty
Arthur D. Brenner, Ph.D.
Department of History
Joan J. Earley, Ph.D.
Department of Art and Art History
Regina Hartmann-Hurwitz
Department of History
Religious Studies is an Interdisciplinary Studies major reflecting a wide variety of academic interests and disciplines. Its purpose is to produce a formal structure for the study of the religions of humankind.
“Religion” is that which is to be studied; “religious studies” is the composite program and/or the official title for the formal structure produced for the study of religion. Religious belief will not be necessary in order to take courses or to participate in the program.
Religion, one of the most basic of human concerns, has occupied a leading place in the thought and activities of all peoples from the earliest civilizations (as shown by archaeology), through early literate societies, (as seen in their religious texts), to the present, where religious beliefs and their consequences continue to shape the daily news.
Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a faculty-initiated concentration in Religious Studies
General program B.A.: Religious Studies requires a minimum of 36 credits, at least 18 of which must be on the 300 and 400 level, distributed as follows:
1. 15 credits from Breadth Courses, of which the following are required:
A REL 100 Introduction to the Study of Religion
A PHI 214 (= A REL 214) World Religions
A ANT 363 (= A REL 363) Ethnology of Religion
Breadth Courses:
A AFS 341 African/African-American Religion
A ANT 175 (= A REL 175) Anthropology and Folklore
A CLC 105 Myths of the Greek World
A GOG 102 Introduction to Human Geography
A HIS 235 Early and Medieval Christianity
A HIS 253 (= A JST 253 & A REL 253) Medieval Jews among Muslims and Christians
A HIS 387 (= A REL 387) Islam in the Middle East: Religion and Culture I
A HIS 388 (= A REL 388) Islam in the Middle East: Religion and Culture II
A JST 150 Survey of Jewish Civilization
A PHI 116 (= A REL 116 World Views
A PHI 311 History of Medieval Philosophy
A PHI 322 (= A REL 322) Philosophy of Religion
A REL 200 Introduction to the Bible
A REL 299 (= A JST 299) Topics in Religious Studies
A REL 397 Independent Study of Religious Studies
2. 18 credits from one of the Concentrations: Religious Creative Expressions (Art, Architecture, Music, Literature); Religion and Society; or Critical Issues of Religion.
Courses for the Concentration in Religious Creative Expressions (Art, Architecture, Music, Literature):
A ANT 268 (= A LCS 268) Ethnology of Precolumbian Art
A ARH 170 Survey of Art in the Western World I
A ARH 171 Survey of Art in the Western World II
A ARH 331 Monarchs, Monks, and Medieval Art: Europe 500-1100 C.E.
A ARH 332 Gothic Art and Architecture
A ARH 341 Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture: 1250-1450
A ARH 342 Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture: 1450-1600
A ARH 402 (= A CLA 402) Roman Sculpture
A ARH 405 (= A CLA 405) Greek Architecture
A ARH 432 Gothic Painting
A ARH 442 Art and Change in Northern Europe, 1300-1500
A CLA 207 (= A ARH 207) Egyptian Archeology
A CLA 208 (= A ARH 208) Greek Archaeology
A CLC 223 Masterpieces of Greek Tragedy and Comedy
A ENG 289 Topics in English (as approved, when the topic concerns Religious Studies)
A ENG 336 American Literature to 1800
A ENG 348 Milton
A ENG 421 (= A ENG 330) Literature of the Middle Ages
A MUS 205 History of Music
A MUS 432 Music of the Baroque Period
A THR 221 History of Theatre and Drama from the Antiquity to the Renaissance
Courses for the Concentration in Religion and Society:
A ANT 341 (= A LCS 341) Ethnology of Mesoamerica
A ANT 433 Mesoamerican Archaeology
A CLC 402 (= A REL 402) Greek and Roman Religion
A CLC 403 (= A REL 403) Roman Civilization and Christianity
A HIS 324 Religion in American Life and Thought
A HIS 338 The Italian Renaissance, 1300-1530
A HIS 339 Renaissance and Reformation in 16th Century Europe
A HIS 381 History of the Middle East I
A HIS 383 The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Historical Perspective
A HIS 387 (= A REL 387) Islam in the Middle East: Religion and Culture I
A HIS 388 (= A REL 388) Islam in the Middle East: Religion and Culture II
A HIS 425 American Intellectual History Since 1860
A HIS 463 The Byzantine Empire, 300-1453
A JST 221 The American Jewish Experience
A JST 244 (= A HIS 244) Zionism, Palestine, and Israel in Historical Perspective
A JST 251 (= A HIS 252) Early Israel and Biblical Civilization
A JST 252 (= A REL 252) Jews, Hellenism, and Early Christianity
A JST 254 (= A REL 254 & A HIS 254) The Jews in the Modern World
Courses for the Concentration in Critical Issues in Religion:
A AFS 213 History of the Civil Rights Movement
A CAS 141 Concepts of Race and Culture in the Modern World
A EAS 266 (= A REL 266) Buddhism in China and Japan
A EAS 345 (= A REL 345) Ethical Issues in East Asian Thought
A HIS 235 Early and Medieval Christianity
A HIS 250 (= A JST 250) The Holocaust in History
A HIS 253 (= A JST 253 & A REL 253) Medieval Jews among Muslims and Christians
A HIS 336 History of the Early Middle Ages
A HIS 338 The Italian Renaissance, 1300-1530
A HIS 381 History of the Middle East I
A HIS 387 (= A REL 387 Islam in the Middle East: Religion and Culture I
A HIS 388 (= A REL 388) Islam in the Middle East: Religion and Culture II
A PHI 114 Morals and Society
A PHI 115 Moral Choices
A PHI 116 (= A REL 116) World Views
A PHI 212 Introduction to Ethical Theory
A PHI 214 (= A REL 214) World Religions
A REL 100 Introduction to the Study of Religion
A REL 299 (= A JST 299) Topics in Religious Studies
E EST 120 Toleration
3. 3 credits from the senior seminar A REL 499
NOTE: Courses that conform to the intent and content of the concentration but are not listed may be counted towards fulfilling the requirements upon approval of the program director. A rearrangement of courses into new concentrations may be possible upon the approval of the program director.
Students may also complete a minor in religious studies.
