Religious Studies Minor | Center for the Study of Religion

15 hours are required for completion of the minor. No courses in other departments are required to complete this minor, but many student do take courses outside of Comparative Studies, as the Religious Studies minor is interdisciplinary and cross‐departmental by design. Up to 6 credit hours of overlap with the GE is permitted. At least 6 credit hours must be at the 3000 level or above.

I. Core Courses (6 credit hours)

RELSTDS 2370: Introduction to Comparative Religion OR RELSTDS 2102.02: Comparative Sacred Texts
RELSTDS 3972: Theory and Method in the Study of Religion

II. Individual Religious Traditions Courses (3 credit hours—choose one course from the list below)

Courses in this category focus on specific traditions, time periods, and/or geographic regions. Minors should take one course that offers them a robust understanding of a single tradition, period, or region—for example, a course in Christianity, Judaism, or Islam; a course in South Asian or East Asian religions; or a course in indigenous, ancient, or newly emergent religions. Courses not listed below may be made to count toward this requirement, with advisor’s approval.

Ancient

CLAS 3401: Ancient Greek Religion
CLAS 3404: Magic in the Ancient World
CLAS 3408: Ancient Roman Religion
RELSTDS 2222: From Ishtar to Christ: The History of Mediterranean Religions

Christianity

CLAS 3405: Christians in the Greco‐Roman World
ENGLISH 2280: The English Bible
HISTORY 2220: Introduction to the History of Christianity
HISTORY 2221: Introduction to the New Testament: History and Literature
HISTORY 3218: Paul and His Influence in Early Christianity
HISTORY 3219: Historical Jesus
HISTORY 3227: Gnostics and Other Early Christian Heresies
HISTORY 3229: History of Early Christianity
HISTORY 3245: The Age of Reformation
HISTART 3005: Christian Art
HISTART 4421: Medieval Art
RELSTDS 4872: Varieties of Christianity

East Asian Religions

PHILOS 2120: Asian Philosophies
RELSTDS 3673: The Buddhist Tradition
RELSTDS 5871: The Japanese Religious Tradition

Indigenous Religions

COMPSTD 4822: Native American Identity
RELSTDS 3672: Native American Religions

Islam

ARABIC 5701: The Qur'an in Translation
HISTORY 2351: Early Islamic Society, 610‐1258
HISTORY 2375: Islamic Central Asia
NELC 3230: Introduction to Shi'i Beliefs and History
NELC 3501: Introduction to Islam
NELC 3508: Sufism

Judaism

HEBREW 2700: The Hebrew Bible in Translation
HISTORY 2450: Ancient and Medieval Jewish History, 300 BCE-1100 CE
HISTORY 2451: Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History, 700-1700 CE
HISTORY 2452: Modern Jewish History, 1700-Present
HISTORY 3470: Messiahs and Messianism in Jewish History
JEWSHST 2201: Introduction to Jewish Culture, Thought, and Practice
PHILOS 3111: Introduction to Jewish Philosophy
RELSTDS 3210: Kabbalah and the Jewish Mystical Tradition (cross-listed as HEBREW 3210, JEWSHST 3210)

New Religions

RELSTDS 4873: Contemporary Religious Movements in Global Context (cross-listed as INTSTDS 4873)

South Asian Religions

PHILOS 2120: Asian Philosophies
RELSTDS 3671: Religions of India

III. Comparative/Interdisciplinary Courses (6 credit hours—choose two courses from the list below)

Courses in this category are comparative or interdisciplinary in approach, covering multiple traditions and/or themes, and so exemplifying the approach of religious studies as a field. Courses not listed below may be made to count toward this requirement, with advisor’s approval.

African-American and African Studies

AFAMST 4342: Religion, Meaning, and Knowledge in Africa

Classics

CLAS 3401: Ancient Greek Religion
CLAS 3404: Magic in the Ancient World

Hebrew

HEBREW 2367.01: Scripture and Script: The Bible in Contemporary Arts, Media, and Literature
HEBREW 3704: Women in the Bible and Beyond

History

HISTORY 2680: It's The End of The World!: Apocalypticism in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam (cross-listed as NELC 2680)
HISTORY 3045 American Religious History
HISTORY 3214: Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the History of Christianity
HISTORY 3680: Religion and Law in Comparative Perspective (cross-listed as RELSTDS 3680)

Medieval and Renaissance Studies

MEDREN 2666: Magic and Witchcraft in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

NELC 2680: It's The End of The World!: Apocalypticism in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam (cross-listed as HISTORY 2680)
NELC 3201: Muslims in America and Europe: Migration and Living Between Worlds

Philosophy

PHILOS 2120: Asian Philosophies
PHILOS 2670: Science and Religion (cross-listed as RELSTDS 2670)
PHILOS 2850: Philosophy of Religion
PHILOS 5850: Philosophy of Religion

Religious Studies

RELSTDS 2102.01: Literature and Religion
RELSTDS 2102.02: Comparative Sacred Texts
RELSTDS 2222: From Ishtar to Christ: The History of Mediterranean Religions
RELSTDS 2670: Science and Religion (cross-listed as PHILOS 2670)
RELSTDS 2677: Religion and Environmentalism
RELSTDS 3666: Magic in the Modern World
RELSTDS 3671: Religions of India
RELSTDS 3678: Religion and American Culture
RELSTDS 3679: Popular Culture and World Religion
RELSTDS 3680: Religion and Law in Comparative Perspective (cross-listed as HISTORY 3680)
RELSTDS 4342: Religion, Meaning, and Knowledge in Africa (cross-listed as AFAMST 4342)
RELSTDS 4873: Contemporary Religious Movements in Global Context (cross-listed as INTSTDS 4873)
RELSTDS 4875: Gender, Sexuality, and Religion

Sociology

SOCI 3467: Sociology of Religion

Minors in Religious Studies are encouraged (but not required) to fulfill their GEC foreign language requirement in a language relevant to one of the traditions represented in the minor program (for example, Arabic for Islam, Greek for Christianity, Chinese or Sanskrit for Buddhism, Hebrew for Judaism).

If you have questions about the minor, or have found a course that you think might work for the minor but does not appear on the lists above, please contact Professor Hugh Urban.