AREL 100 Introduction to the Study of Religion (3)
Exploration of the religious dimension of life, with an introduction to the theory and practice of religion, including such topics as myth, ritual, belief, reason, revelation, mysticism, religious organization, etc., and their relation to other personal, social and cultural aspects of human experience, past and present.
AREL/AJST 151 Judaism and its Foundational Texts (3)
Serves as a broad introduction to Judaism and examines Jewish traditions, practices, and variety of Jewishness through classic, traditional, unorthodox, and even heretical Jewish texts from antiquity until the present. No knowledge of Hebrew or background in Jewish culture or history is required. Only one of AJST 151 and AREL 151 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AJST 155 Judaism: Traditions and Practices (3)
Examines the development of Jewish traditions and practices from the Rabbinic period to the present. Addresses Jewish law and custom related to the cycle of Jewish holidays throughout the year, and life-cycle events from cradle to grave. Differentiates among beliefs and practices of various Jewish denominations. For those not already familiar with this subject matter, recommended preparation for other JST courses. Only one version of AREL 155 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AANT 175 Anthropology and Folklore (3)
Introduction to the study of folklore as an aspect of culture, symbolically expressing people’s identity, beliefs and values. The focus is on oral text traditions—myths, folktales, and legends—topics in folk custom and ritual, folk music and folk art are also included. Includes folklore from Western and non-Western cultures. Only one version of AREL 175 may be taken for credit. Offered fall semester only.
AREL/APHI 214 World Religions (3)
Survey of the major religions of the world, concentrating on those practices and beliefs that contribute to their value systems. Religions include Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Taoism. Only one version of AREL 214 may be taken for credit.
AREL/APHI 220 (formerly AREL 116) History of Social and Political Philosophy (3)
Formerly APHI/ AREL 116. In any society, individuals have both shared interests as well as conflicts. Societies impose laws to resolve those conflicts. But this, in turn, raises the possibility of still further conflicts - between individuals and the laws. What is the relationship between individuals and a society's laws? Do individuals have an obligation to obey the law? Does society have an obligation to impose only just laws on individuals - and what is justice, anyway? These are some of the questions that will explored in this course by reading a variety of theories, starting with ancient writings and ending with work from the 20th or 21st century. Only one of APHI/AREL 116 or APHI/AREL 220 or TPHI 116 or TPHI 220 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AHIS 235 Early and Medieval Christianity (3)
Survey of the intellectual, ritual, and institutional development of Christianity from the apostles to the later Middle Ages. Only one version of AHIS 235 or AREL 235 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AHST/AJST 252 Jews, Hellenism, and Early Christianity (3)
History of the Jewish people from Alexander the Great to the decline of the ancient world. Topics include examination of cultural conflict in Judaea and the diaspora, confrontation with Greco-Roman Hellenism and early Christianity, sectarianism, and the beginnings of Rabbinic institutions. Only one version of AJST 252, AHST 252, AREL 252, AJST 342, and AHIS 358 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AHIS/AJST 253 Medieval and Early-Modern Jews among Muslims and Christians (3)
Explores the course of Jewish history from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem until the French Revolution. Investigates the experience of Jews between and within the major religious and cultural systems that dominated medieval Europe; Islam and Christianity. The course charts the history of Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewry, noting the important social, religious, cultural, and political characteristics of each community, as well as their interaction with two great world civilizations. Only one of AHIS 253, AJST 253, AREL 253, and AJST 353 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AHIS/AJST 254 The Jews in the Modern World (3)
Beginning with the end of the late Middle Ages and the emergence of the Enlightenment, this class explores how Jewish communities responded to the demands of an ever-expanding modern world. Examines the ways in which Jews and Jewish communities sought to create modern expressions of Judaism and the response of rabbinic Judaism to these challenges. Explores the rise of Hasidism, the aims of Enlightened Jewry, nationalism, the creation of secular Jewish cultures, the World Wars, modern antisemitism and the Nazi Holocaust, and the emergence of new Jewish centers in the United States and Israel. Only one of AJST 254 and AREL 254 and AHIS 254 and AJST 344 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AHIS/AJST 256 World Jewry since the Holocaust (3)
Examines the historical, cultural, societal, and demographic changes in world Jewry since the Holocaust. Investigates the decline of European Jewish communities and the development of the United States and Israel as postwar centers of modern Jewish life. Only one version of AREL 256 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AJST 270 Jewish-Christian Relations though the Ages (3)
With an emphasis on documents and testimonies, this course introduces students to the history of Jewish-Christian relations from the first century of the common era through to the start of the twenty-first century. The course focuses both on the history of interactions between Jews and Christians -- persecutions, collaborations, conversions, etc. -- and on the history of theological stances and popular attitudes. Only one version of AJST 270 and AREL 270 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AJST 299 Topics in Religious Studies (1–3)
An elementary course in Jewish culture, history, philosophy, literature or the Bible that is devoted to a topic or theme, a particular work or works, or a particular author or authors. May be repeated for up to six credits when content varies.
AREL/APHI 322 Philosophy of Religion (3)
Philosophical analysis of selected religious concepts and programs, based upon the writings of representative philosophers and theologians. Focuses on Judeo-Christian tradition. Only one version of AREL 322 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): a 100 or 200 level course in philosophy.
AREL/AJST 331 Modern Jewish Thought (3)
A survey of the range of Jewish thought and philosophical movements from the mid-17th century to the present. Focuses on key Jewish thinkers, philosophers, and theologians, exploring questions of Jewish ethics, religion, relationships to God, and moral responsibility in a time of increased secularization. Only one version of AREL 331 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AHIS 339 Renaissance and Reformation in 16th Century Europe (3)
Survey of continental European history in the early modern period with special emphasis on theological and intellectual developments. Only one version of AHIS 339 or AREL 339 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AEAS 357 Zen Buddhism (3)
An introduction to the religious, philosophical, and artistic tradition of Zen Buddhism in China, Korea, and Japan and the West. This course looks at the birth and subsequent historical evolution of the Zen or Ch’an school of Buddhism in East Asia. We will look at the intersection of: Buddhist and Chinese presumptions about spirituality that gave rise to this unusual religious form, discussing precisely what is and is not iconoclastic about its tenets. The experience of American Zen communities will also be considered. Only one version of AREL 357 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AEAS 261 Introduction to Japanese Religions (3)
An introduction to the major religious traditions of Japan, particularly Shinto and Buddhism, this course will cover the major forms of religious expression in Japanese history from the earliest historical records to the so-called New Religions which arose in the 20th century. Discussion will include the philosophical, artistic, social, and political dimensions of religion in Japanese society.
AREL/AANT 363 Ethnology of Religion (3)
Topical and theoretical survey of anthropological approaches to understanding human religious expression. Topics include myth, ritual, world view, shamanism, gender, and religious change. Emphasizes the religions of non-literate, non-Western peoples but also includes examples from major world religions and contemporary Western societies. Only one version may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): AANT 100 or 108, or AREL 100.
AREL/AEAS 265 Introduction to Buddhism (3)
This course is an introduction to Buddhism, covering its early history in South Asia, its expansion into Central, East, and Southeast Asia, and its recent growth in Europe and the Americas. Students will acquire a foundational knowledge about basic Buddhist doctrines and practices, as well as the diversity of Buddhism as a lived religion. Class content will focus on textual, artistic, philosophical, literary, social, and political expressions of the Buddhist tradition. Only one version of AREL 265 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AEAS 266 Buddhism in East Asia (3)
This course is an introduction to the history and development of the Buddhist traditions of East Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Tibet, and Vietnam). Students will acquire a foundational knowledge of early Indian Buddhist doctrines and practices, as well as the pre-Buddhist Chinese religious and philosophical systems Confucianism and Daoism, so as to come to a critical understanding of the emergence of uniquely East Asian form of Buddhism. Class content will focus on textual, artistic, philosophical, literary, social, and political expressions of the Buddhist tradition in premodern and modern East Asia. Only one version of AREL 266 may be taken for credit.
AREL/AHIS 387 Islam in the Middle East: Religion & Culture I (3)
Social, political, economic and religious dimensions of Islam from the time of Mohammed through the 18th century with emphasis on the intellectual, cultural, and educational institutions of the Middle East. Among topics discussed will be Sunnism - Shi’ism and the schools of law, social and economic infrastructure, science and education, and reasons for the waning of the Muslim world. Only one version of AREL 387 may be taken for credit.
AREL 397 Independent Study of Religious Studies (1–4)
Independent reading and research on selected topics under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit when topics differ. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, permission of faculty member, and approval of program director.
AREL/AEAS 450 (Formerly AREL/AEAS 393) Readings in Buddhist Texts (3)
This is an advanced course in the study of Buddhism that will focus on the close reading of Buddhist scriptures in English translation. Only one version may be taken for credit.
AREL/AEAJ 460 (formerly AREL 394/AEAS 394) Readings in Japanese Religious Studies (3)
This is an advanced course in the religious traditions of Japan. We will read English translations of religious texts native to the Japanese experience of religion, specifically Buddhist, Shinto, Confucian, and Folk. Only one version of AREL 460 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: AREL 261; AREL 266, AEAS 190, AEAS 357 or permission of the instructor.
AREL 499 Senior Seminar in Religious Studies (3)
Seminar on selected topics in religious studies. Preparation of a research paper under the direction of a faculty member. Open to seniors with permission of director.