Autumn Semester 2016 Courses
Arabic Classics Comparative Studies English Hebrew
History History of Art Jewish Studies Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Philosophy Scandinavian
Autumn 2016-only Major/Minor Courses General Interest Courses
Notes in brackets indicate major/minor program requirements met by each course. Please refer to the Religious Studies major and minor pages for detailed program information.
Religious Studies
Religious Studies 2102.01
Literature and Religion
[Major - Comparative/Interdisciplinary]
TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM | Lindsay Jones | 24745
Study of relationships between religion and secular literature; analysis of religious and spiritual elements of literature and film of diverse cultures and historical periods.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2102.01H, CompStd 2102.01 (202.01), or 2102.01H (202.01H). GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Religious Studies 2102.02
Comparative Sacred Texts
[Major - Comparative/Interdisciplinary]
TR 3:55-5:15PM | Melissa Curley | 24741
This course will cover the sacred texts of a variety of religious traditions and the basic theories and methods for reading religious literature. We will examine texts not only from "mainstream" traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, but also materials from African traditions and from new religious movements such as Scientology and the New Church. Students will also be introduced to basic theoretical tools for reading and interpreting sacred texts from multiple perspectives. Prereq: English 1110 (110), or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 202.02. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Religious Studies 2210 cross-listed in Hebrew and Jewish Studies
The Jewish Mystical Tradition
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions]
TR 3:55-5:15PM | Michael Swartz | Religious Studies: 34151 / Hebrew : 33760 / Jewish Studies: 34267
The history of Jewish mysticism from antiquity to the present, with emphasis on its implications for the comparative study of religious experience. Prereq: Honors standing, and English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2210 (376), 376H, Hebrew 2210 (376), 2210H (376H), JewshSt 2210, or 2210H. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Hebrew and JewshSt.
Religious Studies 2370
Introduction to Comparative Religion
[Major - Core Course; Minor]
TuTh 9:10AM - 10:05AM | Isaac Weiner | Lecture 14188
REC Fr 1:50PM - 2:45PM | Seth Gaiters | Recitation 14189
REC Fr 10:20AM - 11:15AM | Staff | Recitation 14193
REC Fr 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Staff | Recitation 34075
REC Fr 12:40PM - 1:35PM | Seth Gaiters | Recitation 34076
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the comparative study of religions. It is structured around three fundamental questions: (1) what is (and isn’t) religion? (2) what are the major similarities and differences among the world’s religions? (3) what is religious pluralism and what are some of the challenges that pluralism poses for thinking about religion’s place in the world today?
We will begin by orienting ourselves to the academic study of religions. We will continue by surveying a range of religious traditions, including Native American religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Finally, we will try to make sense of the contemporary religious landscape by examining some new religious movements, as well as the rise of religious “nones” and the “spiritual but not religious.” The class is open to all students, no prior knowledge is assumed. It fulfills GE requirements in Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Global Studies.
Introduction to the academic study of religion through comparison among major traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) and smaller communities.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2370H or CompStd 2370H (270H) or 2370 (270). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Religious Studies 2370H
Honors Introduction to Comparative Religion
[Major - Core Course; Minor]
TR 11:10AM-12:30PM | Lindsay Jones | 33334
Introduction to the academic study of religion through comparison among major traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) and smaller communities.
Prereq: Honors standing, and English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2370, CompStd 2370 (270), or 2370H (270H). GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Religious Studies 2670 (cross-listed in Philosophy)
Science and Religion
[Major - Comparative/Interdisciplinary]
WeFr 9:35AM-10:55AM | Richard Samuels | 32799
Some of the most fundamental questions of our era concern the nature of science and religion, and the relationship between them. This course focuses on such issues, including: What is science? What is religion? Are they in conflict? Are there good scientific reasons to accept or reject the existence of God?
GE for culture and ideas course
Religious Studies 3673
The Buddhist Tradition
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions; Minor]
TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM | Melissa Curley | 32790
History and structure of Buddhism from founding to present in South, Southeast, and East Asia; emphasis on rituals, beliefs, and local and regional variations. 2370 (270) recommended.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for CompStd 3673 (323), EALL 3223 (323), or RelStds 323. Cross-listed in EALL 3223.
Religious Studies 3877 (formerly 4877)
Myth and Ritual
[Major - Comparative/Interdisciplinary; Minor]
TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Lindsay Jones | 24744
Ritual, myth, and literature: structural and thematic relationships.
Prereq: One course in CompStd, or RelStds, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for Religious Studies 4877 or CompStd 4877 (541).
Religious Studies 4873
Contemporary Religious Movements in Global Context
[Major - Comparative/Interdisciplinary; Minor]
TuTh 11:10AM - 12:30PM | Hugh Urban | 32791
Examination of contemporary religious movements within the context of larger political, cultural, and economic processes, including post-colonialism, modernization, and globalization.
Prereq: One course in CompStd, RelStds, or IntStds; or Grad standing; or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for CompStd 4873 (525) or IntStds 4873 (525). Cross-listed in IntStds.
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Arabic
Arabic 4626
Introduction to the Arabic Qur'an
[Minor]
TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM | Nada Moumtaz | 33756
A linguistic, literary, and cultural analysis of selected chapters from the Qur'an.
In this course, students are introduced to the Scripture of Islam, deemed to be the very words of God as revealed by His Messenger Muhammad, in its original Arabic text. The unique linguistic, literary, and conceptual features of the Qur’an have long been recognized among Muslims (who affirm its inimitability and divine origin) and non-Muslims alike. After a few background lectures dealing with relevant historical, cultural, religious, linguistic, and orthographical questions, students undertake a careful, detailed, and analytic reading of selected chapters (suras), with special attention to language, style, and content. Students will become acquainted with fundamental secondary source materials that are essential to an adequate understanding of the Arabic text, such as Qur’anic commentaries, dictionaries, philological and grammatical works, and monographic studies. The primary purpose of the course, along with increasing the students' mastery of classical Arabic, is to lead students to consider what the Messenger's Arabic message might have meant to its first audiences in early seventh-century Mecca and Medina, and how it might have moved them. Prereq: 2104. Not open to students with credit for 626.
Classics
Classics 2202
Classical Civilization: Rome
[Minor]
MoWeFr 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Frank Coulson | 23061
A survey of the civilization of ancient Rome, concentrating upon important facets of literature, history, art, and archaeology. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Classics 225.
GE: Cultures and and Ideas and Diversity Global Studies
Quarter Equivalent: Classics 225 Classical Civilization- Rome (U 5)
Classics 2202(H)
Honors Classical Civilization: Rome
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Staff | 23651
A survey of the civilization of ancient Rome, concentrating upon important facets of literature, history, art, and archaeology.
Prereq: Honors standing, or permission of department or instructor. Not open to students with credit for Clas 2202 (Classics 225) or 225H. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Classics 2220
Classical Mythology
[Please consult Religious Studies Advising on Major/Minor requirements met by this course before registering]
MoWeFr 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Staff | 13890
Personalities and attributes of the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, their mythology and its influence on Western culture.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Classics 222. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Classics 2220(H)
Classical Mythology
[Please consult Religious Studies Advising on Major/Minor requirements met by this course before registering]
TR 8:00-9:20 | Staff | 13891
TR 9:35-10:55 | Fritz Graf | 13895
WF 12:45-2:05 | Staff | 21542
MWF 1:50-2:45 | Staff | 32638
Personalities and attributes of the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, their mythology and its influence on Western culture.
Prereq: Honors standing, or permission of department or instructor. Not open to students with credit for Clas 2220 (Classics 222) or 222H. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Classics 3403
The Hero in Classical Mythology
[Minor]
TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM | Julia Hawkins | 23656
The development and interpretation of the major cycles of classical saga based on extensive readings in Greek and Roman epic and drama. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 322.
Comparative Studies
Comparative Studies 5980.01 (cross-listed in English)
Ancient and Modern Narrative: Cognition, Affect, Ethics, Belief
[Please consult Religious Studies Advising on Major/Minor requirements met by this course before registering]
Thurs 2:15PM - 5:00PM | Johnston, Phelan | Comparative Studies: 34293 or 34294 / English: 34299 or 34300
This interdisciplinary, team-taught course (Sarah Iles Johnston from Comparative Studies and James Phelan from English) will juxtapose narratives from ancient Greece with ones from modern and contemporary United States and Great Britain as it explores the hypothesis that the power of narrative arises from its capacity to affect the lives of audiences by engaging their cognition, affect, ethics, and beliefs. By juxtaposing narratives from two different eras, we will consider what has changed and what has remained constant in the techniques, effects, and purposes of storytelling across the centuries. By studying research drawn from multiple disciplines on cognition, affect, ethics, and beliefs, we will set up a dialogue between the primary narratives and theoretical claims about engaging with narrative. Students will write agenda settings and two papers.
English
ENGLISH 2280
The English Bible
[Minor]
WeFr 2:20PM - 3:40PM | Staff | 15625
TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM | Staff | 24085
The Bible in English translation, with special attention to its literary qualities, conceptual content, and development within history. Prereq: 1110.01 (110.01) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2280H (280H) or 280. GE lit course.
English 5980 (cross-listed in Comparative Studies)
Ancient and Modern Narrative: Cognition, Affect, Ethics, Belief
[Please consult Religious Studies Advising on Major/Minor requirements met by this course before registering]
Thurs 2:15PM - 5:00PM | Phelan, Johnston | English: 34299 or 34300 / Comparative Studies: 34293 or 34294
This interdisciplinary, team-taught course (James Phelan from English and Sarah Iles Johnston from Comparative Studies) will juxtapose narratives from ancient Greece with ones from modern and contemporary United States and Great Britain as it explores the hypothesis that the power of narrative arises from its capacity to affect the lives of audiences by engaging their cognition, affect, ethics, and beliefs. By juxtaposing narratives from two different eras, we will consider what has changed and what has remained constant in the techniques, effects, and purposes of storytelling across the centuries. By studying research drawn from multiple disciplines on cognition, affect, ethics, and beliefs, we will set up a dialogue between the primary narratives and theoretical claims about engaging with narrative. Students will write agenda settings and two papers.
Hebrew
Hebrew 2210(H) (cross-listed in Religious Studies and Jewish Studies)
The Jewish Mystical Tradition
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions; Minor]
TuTh 3:55-5:15 | Michael Swartz | Hebrew: 33760 / Religious Studies: 34151 / Jewish Studies: 34267
The history of Jewish mysticism from antiquity to the present, with emphasis on its implications for the comparative study of religious experience. Prereq: English 1110 (110); honors standing or permission of instructor for 2210H. Not open to students with credit for 376 or CompStd 3676. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Jewish mysticism has been a constant yet controversial undercurrent in Jewish history, ranging from antiquity to the present day. Its adherents have pursued striking visions of God enthroned on a huge chariot; sought to penetrate the mysteries of the divine personality, perceiving both male and female in the One God; followed a manic-depressive false messiah; worshipped God through joyful song and dance; and imbued classical Judaism with meaning and life its originators could never have imagined. The Jewish Mystical Tradition is a look into this way of interpreting Judaism and how it has affected Jewish history. Jewish mystical texts also provide a rare look into the personal religious experience of individual Jews. Using William James's classic Varieties of Religious Experience as a guide, students will probe the human dimensions of these forms of religious statement. Students will also learn how to read a mystical text, and to interpret the rich symbolism of the Kabbalah and other systems of Jewish mystical religion. This is also a course in the comparative study of religion and culture. In exploring Jewish mysticism, students will address questions central to the cross-cultural study of religion: Are all mystical experiences essentially the same? How can we tell the rational from the irrational? Can we reconstruct a person's individual experience from a written text? Is spirituality a force for stability or anarchy in society?
Hebrew 2241(H)
Culture of Contemporary Israel
[Minor]
MoWe 12:45PM - 2:05PM | Adena Tanenbaum | Hebrew: 33761 / Jewish Studies 2242: 34268
An introduction to the culture of modern Israel: historical roots, socio-political institutions and developments, and literary and artistic creations reflecting the realities of contemporary Israeli society. Prereq: 2241H requires Honors standing, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 241. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Jewish Studies 2242.
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with contemporary Israeli culture in all of its diversity. In the fifty years since the founding of the State, Israeli society has faced a series of dramatic challenges and has undergone tremendous changes. This course will survey the major social, cultural, religious and political trends in Israel, focusing on the post-1967 period. Issues to be explored include responses to founding ideals and ideologies; the impact of the Arab-Israeli conflict; Jewish perceptions of Arabs; efforts to absorb new waves of immigration and to deal with questions of ethnicity; tensions between the religious and secular sectors of society; the centrality of the family; and the social, political and religious status of women. The course will draw on a broad range of material, including print media and films. By the end of the course, students should have an insight into the complexity of Israeli society and an understanding of Israel's role in Jewish life, the Middle East, and the world at large.
Hebrew 2245
Israeli Film & Society
[Please consult Religious Studies Advising about Major requirements met by this course before registering]
WeFr 9:35-10:45 | Naomi Brenner | Hebrew: 33762 / Jewish Studies: 34269
A survey of Israeli films from 1948 to the present day, tracing the development of film production in Israel as well as the relationship between film and society. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 245. GE VPA course. Cross-listed in Jewish Studies.
Hebrew 2700(H)
Biblical and Post-Biblical Hebrew Literature in Translation (cross-listed in Jewish Studies)
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Daniel Frank | Hebrew: 16026 / Jewish Studies: 21804
Reading and analysis of selected chapters from the Hebrew scriptures and post-biblical Hebrew writings representative of major historical, cultural, and literary trends. Prereq: 2700H requires Honors standing or permission of instructor. English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 370. GE lit and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Jewish Studies.
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with some fundamental insights into the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) within the context of their social, cultural, and historical milieux, as well as their common Near Eastern setting. One of the main objectives is to explore the searching spirit of ancient man for ultimate issues, such as the purpose of existence, the destiny of man, the problem of evil, etc. While this course stresses that the Hebrew Scriptures cannot be understood and still less appreciated without their larger cultural setting, it also strives to point out the distinctive features of these scriptures. Insights from post-biblical Hebrew exegeses (Talmud, Midrash, etc.) are provided. In addition to the traditional approach, contributions from a great many academic disciplines are utilized to provide diverse scholarly and objective views of the Holy Scriptures. This course is taught in English.
Hebrew 2703
Prophecy in the Bible and Post-Biblical Literature
[Minor]
WeFr 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Staff | Hebrew: 33855 / Jewish Studies: 21805
The dynamics of Israelite prophecy and apocalyptic in the context of ancient Near Eastern culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 373. GE lit and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Jewish Studies.
By the end of this course, the student will be able to: 1) articulate the essential features of Israelite prophecy as a distinctive social phenomenon in the context of ancient Near Eastern culture; 2) trace the evolution of the phenomenon in Israel from its rise to its decline and ultimate transformation into apocalyptic; 3) identify the nuances and idiosyncrasies of certain individual prophets; and 4) identify the primary contributions of the prophetic phenomenon to the Judaeo-Christian heritage. To achieve these objectives, class lecture coupled with class discussion will form the core of this course, supplemented by outside readings and written assignments. The readings will include primary and secondary sources, providing the student opportunity for exposure to the prophetic literature at first hand while also supplying input from contemporary scholarship.
Hebrew 2704
Women in the Bible and Beyond
[Minor]
WeFr 11:10AM - 12:30PM | Naomi Brenner | Hebrew: 33764 / Jewish Studies: 34270
An examination of the social, legal, and religious position of women as they appear in the Hebrew Bible and the ways in which the have been represented and interpreted in later textual, visual, and audio sources. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 374. GE lit and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Jewish Studies.
This course examines the cultural images and legal status of women during biblical times and late antiquity. Although its focus will be on the period of ancient Israel, students will also examine how biblical narrative and law have continued to have an impact on Jewish, Christian and secular culture. By looking at the images of women in biblical texts, students will be asked how contemporary feminist readers of the Bible have found new meanings in a literature that has been the subject of so much re-reading and re-writing over the centuries. The course will begin with a general review of biblical literature and a historical survey of the status of women in some ancient societies. Throughout, its approach will be interdisciplinary, inviting students to pursue interests in historical, literary critical, feminist, and religious studies approaches.
Hebrew 2708
Biblical and Post-Biblical Wisdom Literature
[Minor]
TuTh 11:10AM - 12:30PM | Sam Meier | Hebrew: 33765 / Jewish Studies: 34271
An examination of the various ideas, themes, attitudes, implications, and genres of biblical and post-biblical wisdom literature. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 378. GE lit and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Jewish Studies.
This course will explore a number of the biblical sapiential texts and compositions, mainly in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Psalms, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha. The wisdom literary corpus can be divided into two separate yet overlapping categories. One category, exemplified in the Book of Proverbs, constitutes a comprehensive code of conduct, which aims at directing society on the path to success, happiness, and reasonable harmony with its environment. The other category, exemplified by the Books of Ecclesiastes and Job, grapples with the eternal problems that beset humanity, primarily the agonizing question, "Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer?" The course will stress the indivisible unity of the secular, religious, and ethical aspects of biblical wisdom. It will also explore the universal aspects of wisdom and its search for a certain regularity within the diversity of the phenomena of the world. Proper comprehension of biblical wisdom depends upon an understanding of related texts in Egypt and Mesopotamia. The course will address the striking similarities, in thought and form, between biblical wisdom and the Wisdom of Amenemope, Instructions of Merikare, Ptahhotep, and others. Only by means of such comparison will the distinctive features of Israelite wisdom come to prominence. Insights in Rabbinic wisdom (Pirqei Avot) will also be provided. By the end of this course, students will have achieved a broad exposure to the ideas and genres of Old Testament wisdom literature and the values affirmed therein. Through reading the biblical texts and selected secondary literature and commentaries, students will be able to identify the major themes addressed by wisdom literature and the various attitudes, solutions, and consolations it affords.
History
History 2070
Introduction to Native American History
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Delano Lopez | 33807
History of Native Americans from pre-contact times to the present. Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx. Not open to students with credit for 368.01. GE historical study course.
History 2220
Introduction to the History of Christianity
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions; Minor]
LEC MoWe 10:20AM - 11:15AM | David Brakke | Lecture 32260
REC Fr 9:10AM - 10:05AM | David Brakke | Recitation 32261
REC Fr 10:20AM - 11:15AM | David Brakke | Recitation 32264
REC Fr 11:30AM - 12:25PM | David Brakke | Recitation 32265
Ranging from Jesus to Joel Osteen, this course will study how in 2,000 years the messianic beliefs of a small group of Jews transformed into a worldwide religion of amazing diversity. Our approach will be historical and contextual: how have Christian beliefs, practices, and institutions changed over time and adapted to different cultures? We will consider major developments in theology (from the Council of Nicaea, to medieval scholasticism, to liberation theology), spirituality (from monasticism, to mysticism, to Pentacostalism), modes of authority (from apostles, to bishops, to televangelists), and social structures (from house assemblies, to an imperial church, to base communities). Although we will focus on developments in the Mediterranean, Europe and North America, we will not completely neglect Christianity in Asia, Africa and Latin America. We will learn that “Christianity” has never been a single monolithic entity, but rather an astonishing collection of individuals and groups creating new and diverse ways of living as followers of Christ. Lectures on key themes will be supplemented by recitation sections focused on primary sources.
History 2231
The Crusades
[Minor]
MoWeFr 1:50PM - 2:45PM | Joel Dowlingsoka | 33814
Examines the various European crusades - in the Holy Land, Spain, Eastern Europe, and southern France - from their origins to the late 15th century. Sometimes this course is offered in a distance-only format. Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx, or permission of instructor. GE historical study and diversity global studies course.
History 2352
Ottoman Empire 1300-1800
[Minor]
MoWeFr 12:40PM - 1:35PM | Doga Ozturk | 33825
Studies the political, economic, social and cultural power of the Ottoman Empire from its origins, through the highpoint of its geopolitical power in the 16th century; to its further evolution through the opening of the period of European imperialism, and will examine the Ottoman Empire as a case from which to study the developmental dynamics of patrimonial sociopolitical systems.
History 2353
The Middle East Since 1914
[Minor]
MoWeFr 9:10AM - 10:05AM | Isacar Bolanos | 33826
An introductory study of the political, social and cultural history and evolution of Islamic civilization since 1914. The course will examine the impact of outside power on the Middle East, as well as the region's responses to modernity; political, socioeconomic and cultural change; ideological strategy; Islamic identity and globalization; and changes in media of communication. Prereq: English 1110.xx or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 3358 or 540.05. GE historical study course.
History 3218
Paul And His Influence In Early Christianity
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions]
*TuTh 9:35-12:20 | J. Harrill | 33191
*This is a first 7 week session course
This course investigates the Apostle Paul through a historical and critical study of his own letters and the later legends that grew up around the figure. Special attention is given to the significance of Paul's life and the competing ways its story was retold, appropriated, or resisted in late antiquity. Our historical approach means attention to the cultural and religious context of ancient Judaism, Hellenistic culture, and the Roman imperial society in which Paul lived and wrote. Topics include Paul's creation of a new social world for his congregations, the conflicts that he aimed to solve in those nascent communities, and influential writers (ancient, medieval, and modern) on Paul as a Christian apostle. The student will study the Pauline literature closely and will be exposed to important secondary treatments of Paul, including areas of controversy in the interpretation of his life and thought. The course presupposes no prior coursework on the Bible or in the academic study of religion.
Assigned Readings:
The Writings of St. Paul, 2d ed., edited by Wayne A. Meeks and John Fitzgerald (Norton Critical Editions, Norton Co., 2007).
Assignments: Various oral presentations in class, several quizzes, one interpretative essay, and a final examination.
Prerequisites and Special Comments:
This course fulfills Group Global, pre-1750 for history majors.
History 3219
Historical Jesus
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions; Minor]
WeFr 12:45-2:05 | J. Harrill | 32288
The purpose of this course is to consider the problem of how historical facts and religious persuasion are related where a religion, such as Christianity, lays claim to historical truth. Since the Enlightenment this has been a matter of considerable intellectual and cultural interest. The laboratory specimen for examining this issue has been the figure of Jesus, at least since the nineteenth century. The basic questions are: Who was he? What can we know about him that will satisfy ordinary standards of historical knowledge? What difference does it make? Attempts to answer these questions have resulted in what is usually called the "quests" for the "historical Jesus." What these quest are all about is the central issue of this course. The student will learn historical methodology on a major religious figure about which there is considerable academic and theological debate, as well as the early Christian productions of "gospels" about his life and teaching.
Assigned Readings:
David R. Cartlidge and David L. Dungan, Documents for the Study of the Gospels, rev. ed. (Fortress, 1994).
Bart D. Ehrman, Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium (Oxford University Press, 1999).
E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus (Penguin Books, 1993).
Burton H. Throckmorton, Jr., Gospel Parallels: A Comparison of the Synoptic Gospels, 5th ed. (Thomas Nelson, 1992).
Assignments: One short (2–3 page) essay; one longer (6–8 page) gospel-comparison paper; midterm and final exams.
Prerequisites and Special Comments:
This course fulfills Group Near East, Middle East, pre-1750 for history majors.
History 3236
Medieval Europe II
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35-10:55 | Alison Beach | 32328
This course will examine the major economic, social, and spiritual changes that transformed Western Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages. Topics include forms of violence (including the Crusades), heresy, the development of the papacy, the economic takeoff, the re-emergence of cities, the transformation of lay piety, and the impact of the Black Death.
Assignments: Requirements are a midterm examination, a final examination, several map quizzes, short weekly written response to the course readings, and a media-based “object project” focusing on an object of medieval material culture of the student’s choosing.
Prerequisites and Special Comments: This course fulfills Group Europe, pre-1750 for history majors.
History 3351
Intellectual & Social Movements in the Muslim World
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35-10:55 | Jane Hathaway | TBA
This course explores significant intellectual and social movements that have arisen among Muslims from the inception of Islam in 610 C.E. until the present. These range from the initial split over the caliphate to the great medieval theological debates to 19th – and early 20th-century reformism to ISIS. Special attention will be given to the development of Shiite Islam, with a focus on the background to the Iranian revolution as portrayed in Roy Mottahedeh’s The Mantle of the Prophet, an account of the experiences and intellectual formation of a young Iranian mullah active during the 1970s.
Assigned Readings:
Frederick Matthewson Denny, An Introduction to Islam, 4th edition (or 3rd ed. in a pinch)
Roy Mottahedeh, The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran
Various excerpts from primary and secondary sources
Assignments: In-class midterm, exercise on the roots of current events, paper related to The Mantle of the Prophet, take-home final.
Prerequisites and Special Comments:
This course fulfills Group Near Eastern, East Asia, Middle East, South or Central Asia Group, pre-1750 for history majors.
History 3455
Jewish Life from the Renaissance to the Early Enlightenment
[Minor]
WeFr 11:10-12:30 | Matthew Goldish | 32335
This class will seek to investigate Jewish life during the early modern period (15th to 18th centuries), emphasizing the Jews’; interactions with majority Christian and Muslim cultures. We will treat various aspects of cultural, social, religious and political life using autobiographies and other primary sources as well as secondary sources. Among the subjects we may investigate are: Jews in humanistic culture, Kabbalah and Renaissance occultism, the rise of historical consciousness, the expulsion from Spain in 1492 and its impact in Europe and the Ottoman Empire, the impact of Converso mentalities, the creation of the ghetto, Jews at court, heretics, Jewish communities in many regions, and the Jewish role in early Enlightenment thought. An interdisciplinary approach will help students integrate the material in the context of world events such as the voyages of discovery, the rise of the Ottomans, and the Protestant Reformation.
A second aim for the course is to offer students practice in analyzing primary source documents. These will be discussed intensely in connection with secondary readings. Discussions on topics such as genre, rhetoric, bias, historical consciousness, attitude to the “Other” and awareness of contemporary discoveries will sharpen students’ approach to primary sources in general.
Assigned Readings: I have recommended that everyone buy their books online. They are also available on 2-hour reserve at Thompson Library. Further readings will be available on Carmen.
Miriam Bodian, Hebrews of the Portuguese Nation: Conversos & Community in Early Modern Amsterdam
David B. Ruderman, Early Modern Jewry
Mark R. Cohen (ed.), The Autobiography of a Seventeenth-Century Venetian Rabbi: Leon Modena's Life of Judah.
The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln
Assignments:
Quizzes or short written assignments (10 (5 pts each; 12 given, lowest two dropped) 50%
Paper 25%
Final 25%
Each assignment is worth a specific number of points, each point worth 1% of your class grades, so don’t miss them!
Daily quizzes contain questions on the readings assigned for that day. The lowest two grades of the 12 will be dropped, so if you are out for any reason and miss a quiz don’t worry – it will disappear and will not affect your grade. If you miss more than two quizzes, though, you will start to lose points, so try hard not to miss class. The paper and final will be explained in class.
Prerequisites and Special Comments: This course fulfills Group Europe, pre-1750 for history majors.
History of Art
History of Art 2003
The Art and Visual Culture of East Asia
[Minor]
MoWe 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Staff | Lecture 16044
Th 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Staff | Recitation 16045
Fr 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Staff | Recitation 16046
Fr 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Staff | Recitation 24996
Th 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Staff | Recitation 33459
Art of Asian cultures from ancient through contemporary times. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 213. GE VPA and diversity global studies course.
History of Art 2003H
Honors The Art and Visual Culture of East Asia
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Julia Andrews | 24997
Art of East Asian cultures from ancient through contemporary times.
Prereq: Honors standing. Not open to students with credit for 2003 (213). GE VPA and historical study and and diversity global studies course.
History of Art 2101 (cross-listed with African American and African Studies)
Introduction to African Art and Archaeology
[Minor]
TuTh 11:10AM - 12:30PM | Sarah Van Beurden | History of Art: 33999 / African and African American Studies: 34905
The Art and Archaeology of Africa with emphasis on the historic cultures of Rock Art (8,000 B.C.), Egypt (3,000 B.C.), Nok (900 B.C.), Igbo-Ukwu (695 A.D.), Ife (1200 A.D.), and Benin (1400-1900 A.D.). Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 216. GE VPA and diversity global studies course. VSP Admis Cond course.
History of Art 3005
Christian Art
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions]
WeFr 11:10-12:30 | Barbara Haeger | 33460
An introduction to the wide range of forms and functions of Christian images and spaces from their origin until 1700.
Prereq: Sophmore standing. Not open to students with credit for 301.
History of Art 3521
Renaissance Art in Italy
[Minor]
TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM | Christian Kleinbub | 33461
Art and society in Renaissance Italy.
Prereq: Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 315, 515, 4521 (529), or 4630 (530). GE VPA and diversity global studies course.
History of Art 4510
Northern Renaissance Art
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Barbara Haeger | 33463
Art of Northern Europe from the late 14th to the mid-16th century, with emphasis on the major masters.
Prereq: 2001 or 2002, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 527 or 627.
Jewish Studies
Jewish Studies 2201
Introduction to Jewish Culture, Thought and Practice
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions]
MoWe 2:20-3:40 | Lynn Kaye | 22257
An introduction to the historical, ideological, and cultural growth of Judaism examined from a variety of methodological perspectives. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 201. GE-Cultures and Ideas, Diveristy: Global Studies
Jewish Studies 2210(H) (cross-listed in Hebrew and Religious Studies)
The Jewish Mystical Tradition
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions]
TuTh 3:55-5:15 | Michael Swartz | Jewish Studies: 34267 / Hebrew: 33760 / Religious Studies: 34151
The history of Jewish mysticism from antiquity to the present, with emphasis on its implications for the comparative study of religious experience. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 2210H (376H), 376, CompStd 2210 (376), 2210H (376H), JewshSt 2210, or 2210H. Cross-listed in CompStd and Hebrew. GE-Culture and Ideas, Global Studies
Jewish Studies 2242(H) (cross-listed in Hebrew)
Culture of Contemporary Israel
[Minor]
MoWe 12:45-2:05 | Adena Tanenbaum | Jewish Studies: 34268 / Hebrew: 33761
An introduction to the Culture of modern Israel: historical roots, socio-political institutions and developments, and literary and artistic creations reflecting the realities of contemporary Israeli society. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Hebrew 2241H (241H), 241, JewshSt 2242, or 2242H.
Jewish Studies 2245 (cross-listed in Hebrew)
Israeli Film & Society
[Please consult Religious Studies Advising about Major requirements met by this course before registering]
WeFr 9:35-10:55 | Naomi Brenner | Jewish Studies: 34269 / Hebrew: 33762
A survey of Israeli films from 1948 to the present day, tracing the development of film production in Israel as well as the relationship between film and society. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 245 or JewshSt 2245. Cross-listed in Hebrew. GE-Visual and Performing Arts
Jewish Studies 2700(H) (cross-listed in Hebrew)
Biblical and Post-Biblical Hebrew Literature in Translation
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35-10:55 | Daniel Frank | Jewish Studies: 21804 / Hebrew: 16026
Reading and analysis of selected chapters from the Hebrew scriptures and post-biblical Hebrew writings representative of major historical, cultural, and literary trends. Prereq: Honors standing, and English 1110 (110); or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 2700 (370), 370H, JewshSt 2700, or JewshSt 2700H. Cross-listed in Hebrew. GE-Literature, Global Studies
Jewish Studies 2703 (cross-listed in Hebrew)
Prophecy in the Bible and Post-Biblical Literature
[Minor]
WeFr 9:35-10:55 | Staff | Jewish Studies: 21805 / Hebrew: 33855
The dynamics of Israelite prophecy and apocalyptic in the context of ancient Near Eastern culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 373 or JewshSt 2703. GE lit and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Hebrew. GE-Literature, Global Studies
Jewish Studies 2704 (cross-listed in Hebrew)
Women in the Bible and Beyond
[Minor]
WeFr 11:10-12:30 | Naomi Brenner | Jewish Studies: 34270 / Hebrew: 33764
An examination of the social, legal, and religious position of women as they appear in the Hebrew Bible and the ways in which they have been represented and interpreted in later textual, visual, and audio sources. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 374 or JewshSt 2704. GE lit and diversity global studies GE-Literature, Global Studies
Jewish Studies 2708 (cross-listed in Hebrew)
Biblical and Post-Biblical Wisdom Literature
[Minor]
TuTh 11:10-12:30 | Sam Meier | Jewish Studies: 34271 / Hebrew: 33765
An examination of the various ideas, themes, attitudes, implications, and genres of biblical and post-biblical wisdom literature. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 378 or JewshSt 2708. GE lit and diversity global studies course. Crosslisted in Hebrew. GE-Literature, Global Studies
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Medieval and Renaissance Studies 2514
Golden Age of Islamic Civilization
[Minor]
WeFr 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Hadi Jorati | 34362
Baghdad 786-861 A.D.: Arab, Persian and Greek contributions to Abbasid society; competing visions of correct Islamic belief; and the coexisting (often conflicting) courtly literary culture.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Medieval 214. GE culture and ideas and diversity global studies course.
Medieval and Renaissance Studies 2666
Magic and Witchcraft in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions; Minor]
MoWeFr 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Sarah Johnston | 24495
In this interdisciplinary course, students will explore the history and culture of witchcraft and magic from ca. 400 to 1700 C.E. within sociological, religious, and intellectual contexts. By the end of the course, students will have a better understanding of the practice, persecution, and social construct of magic and witchcraft in the medieval and early modern periods and its far-reaching impact on society.
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures 3501
Introduction to Islam
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions; Minor]
TuTh 2:20PM - 3:40PM | Sean Anthony | 19068
Examination of Islam as a world religion, enabling an understanding of its major tenets and beliefs as they are envisioned by insiders and outsiders. Prereq: English 1100 (110). Not open to students with credit for 351. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
This course intends to provide an introductory survey of some of the central premises of Islamic beliefs and practices. It aims to delineate not only the development of Islam as a religion and as a system of belief, but also its growth into a multi-faceted and rich culture and civilization that contributed significantly to the currents of world civilization. This would entail a look at the growth of the major intellectual and spiritual traditions within the Islamic civilization as well as the relation of these to the milieu of their production. The course is broad in scope and introductory in level.
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures 3508
Sufism
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions]
TuTh 9:35-10:55 | Sean Anthony | 33836
Examination of the distinctively Islamic mystical and spiritual features of Sufism and the relevance of its historical and cultural context.
English 1100 (110). Not open to students with credit for 358. GE cultures and ideas course.
"Mysticism” and “spirituality” have been highly popular categories in the academic studies of religion, and they have been used use as self-evident, uncontested, and universally applicable categories. In studying Sufism the use of these two analytical categories resulted in an essentialist approach which described Sufism or tasawwuf as the major Islamic mystical tradition within Islam. Instead of focusing on the universality and spirituality of mysticism this course will approach Sufism as an inner, esoteric Islam, which means that its purpose is to offer a religion-specific study of Sufism. The focus will be on the distinctively Islamic mystical and spiritual features of Sufism as well as on the relevance of its historical and cultural context.
We shall study Sufism by focusing on four major themes: Sufi cosmology, knowledge (gnosis), literature and culture. The readings for this course combine a number of interpretative scholarly works with texts written by Sufi authors. Additionally, student groups will be formed to examine and prepare presentations on the new, contemporary way of disseminating Sufi knowledge, and establishing and maintaining Sufi networks: the Sufi brotherhoods’ web pages online.
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures 3700
Mythology of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
[Minor]
TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM | Staff | 33854
An introductory comparative survey of the mythology of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 370. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.
This course is designed to provide students with a comparative overview of the mythologies of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Its focus is the stories that were recounted as successful integrators of perceived reality in the context of these two major ancient cultures. As such, it will identify and explain basic theoretical issues involved in the analysis of myth; examine the central narratives that have been preserved from those cultures; and investigate the varied perspectives that characterize the world-views and life-concerns expressed in these texts. By reading representative selections of both primary and secondary sources, students will be exposed to both the ancient texts themselves as well as relevant contemporary scholarship.
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures 3702
Literatures and Cultures of the Islamic World
[Minor]
WeFr 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Staff | 33837
A survey of the Islamic world by way of literature and culture. Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 372. GE lit and Global Studies course.
This course is a selective survey of Islamic culture and literature--literature of pre-modern times. Films occasionally shown in class complement lectures and readings.
Religion is one element of culture, and we will concentrate on the religious element in those societies whose populations have been primarily Muslim. Religion is at once a world-view, a collection of abstract principles, and a heritage of concrete, lived experiences--all of which have histories. Understandings and practices of Islam have differed from era to era and place to place, so that while codified principles have a degree of universal validity among Muslims, Islam has been practiced differently in diverse regions at different times. We will concentrate on the roots of Islamic doctrine and belief and on Sufism, Islamic mysticism, which played a central role in the development of literature.
In lectures we will also consider the political history of Muslim states, European relations with the Muslim world and Orientalist views of Islam, as well as Muslim responses to European domination of the regions where Muslims have lived.
Philosophy
Philosophy 2120
Asian Philosophies
[Major - Individual Religious Traditions; Major - Comparative/Interdisciplinary; Minor]
MoWeFr 11:30AM - 12:25PM | Steven Brown | 19098
A survey including at least three of the following philosophical systems of Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
Philosophy 2860 (cross-listed in Religious Studies)
Science and Religion
[Major - Comparative/Interdisciplinary]
WeFr 9:35AM-10:55AM | Richard Samuels | 32799
Some of the most fundamental questions of our era concern the nature of science and religion, and the relationship between them. This course focuses on such issues, including: What is science? What is religion? Are they in conflict? Are there good scientific reasons to accept or reject the existence of God?
GE for culture and ideas course
Scandinavian
Scandinavian 3350
Norse Mythology and Medieval Culture
[Minor]
TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM | Merrill Kaplan | 23316
What do we know about Thor and Odin, and how do we know it? This course examines the myths of the Old Norse gods and the sources in which those myths are recorded. Students will gain insight into the world view and beliefs of the pagan North by reading (in English translation) the most important textual sources on Scandinavia's pre-Christian mythology. Placename, archaeological, and other evidence will also be discussed. Students intrigued by the Viking Age, medieval Northern Europe, or the interpretation of myth will find much of interest.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Scandnav 222. GE lit and diversity global studies course.
Required texts: Carolyn Larrington's Poetic Edda, 2nd edition; Anthony Faulkes’s translation of Snorri Sturluson’s Edda (any edition; 978-0460876162 is fine); John Lindow’s Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs (ISBN 0-195-153820).
Optional: H. Mattingly and S. A. Handford’s translation of Tacitus, The Agricola and the Germania(again, any edition; 978-0140455403 is the most recent).
Autumn 2016-Only Major/Minor Courses
General Interest Courses
(not for major or minor credit)
Comparative Studies 2367.07
Religious Diversity in America
MoWeFr 3:00PM - 3:55PM | Amanda Randhawa | 14199
MoWeFr 10:20AM - 11:15AM | Staff | 14201
WeFr 11:10AM - 12:30PM | Joanna Toy | 14200
Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society. GE Writing and Communication: Level 2 and Cultures and Ideas and Diversity: Social Diversity in the US.
Philosophy 1850
Introduction to Philosophy of Religion
MoWeFr 1:50PM - 2:45PM | Steven Brown | 19167
A philosophical analysis of the nature of religion and the foundations of religious belief.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 270. GE cultures and ideas course.