Spring 2026 Courses | Center for the Study of Religion

**Updated 10/8/2025. Listings are subject to change. Students, confirm meeting arrangements in BuckeyeLink when enrolling. All courses are full-term, 3 credit hour offerings unless otherwise noted.**

Writing seminar based on students' independent research.

Prereq: 3990 (398), and 500 or a 4000-level course in CompStd, and Sr standing; or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 598.

*For Major credit only.

Introduction to religious views of the universe, the supernatural, social organization, ethics, etc., through sacred texts (oral and written) of diverse cultures and historical periods.

Prereq: English 1110.xx, or GE foundation writing and info literacy course, or equivalent. Not open to students with credit for CompStd 2102.02. GE lit and diversity global studies course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts course.

REC| F 10:20AM-11:15AM | Enarson Hall 018 | Ciara Bernal | Class #27928

REC| F 11:30AM-12:25AM | Enarson Hall 018 | Ciara Bernal | Class #27929

REC | F 11:30AM-12:25AM | University Hall 090 | Karin Ikeda | Class #28714

REC | F 12:40PM-01:35PM | University Hall 090 | Karin Ikeda | Class #28715

Introduction to the academic study of religion through comparison among major traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) and smaller communities.

Prereq: English 1110 or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2370H or CompStd 2370H or 2370. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. GE foundation historical and cultural studies and race, ethnicity and gender div course.

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 or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 2370, CompStd 2370, or 2370H. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. GE foundation historical and cultural studies and race, ethnicity and gender div course

Survey of contemporary theories and methods used in the academic study of religion.

Prereq: 2370 (270) or 2370H (270H) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for RelStds 4972 or CompStd 4972 (520)

Study of ancient Greek religions, including the beginnings of Christianity.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Classics 323. GE historical study course.

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is taught from a historical perspective. The HB/OT is a collection of texts designed to create and fortify the ethnic identify of a single group within imperial contexts, while focusing on the formation of gender, identity and race. The student will study the cultural dimensions of the ancient societies in which the HB/OT was written.

Prereq: English 1110.xd, or GE foundation writing and info literacy course. Not open to students with credit for 2700H, JewshSt 2700, or 2700H. GE lit and diversity global studies course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts and race, ethnicity and gender div course. Cross listed to JewshSt.

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is taught from a historical perspective. The HB/OT is a collection of texts designed to create and fortify the ethnic identity of a single group within imperial contexts, while focusing on the formation of gender, identity and race. The student will study the cultural dimensions of the ancient societies in which the HB/OT was written.

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. Not open to students with credit for 2704, JewshSt 2704, or 3704. GE lit and diversity global studies course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts and race, ethnicity and gender div course. Cross-listed in JewshSt

JEWSHST 2201 | Introduction to Jewish Culture, Thought and Practice| LEC | TR 03:55PM-05:15PM | Hagerty Hall 186 | Adena Tanenbaum | Class #29998
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 and diversity global studies course. GE foundation historical and cultural studies course.

A survey including at least three of the following philosophies system of Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

GE lit and diversity global studies course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts and historical and cultural studies course.

A survey including at least three of the following philosophies system of Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

GE lit and diversity global studies course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts and historical and cultural studies course.

A survey including at least three of the following philosophies system of Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

GE lit and diversity global studies course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts and historical and cultural studies course.

A survey including at least three of the following philosophies system of Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

GE lit and diversity global studies course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts and historical and cultural studies course.

A philosophical analysis of the nature of religion and the foundations of religious belief.
GE cultures and ideas course. GE foundation historical and cultural studies course.

Study of ancient Greek religions, including the beginnings of Christianity.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Classics 323. GE historical study course.

An examination of social, legal, and religious positions 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.

A survey of the history of Christianity from its Jewish and Greco-Roman roots to the late sixth century.
Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx, or permission of instructor. GE historical study and diversity global studies course. GE theme traditions, cultures, and transformations course.

The history of the Protestant, Catholic, and Radical Reformations of 16th and early 17th century Europe.
Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx, or GE foundation writing and info literacy course, or permission of instructor. GE historical study course. GE theme citizenship for div and just wrld and traditions, cultures, and transformations course.

An examination of religious history of the United States from colonial era to the present.
Prereq or concur: Any 2000-level History course, and English 1110.xx; or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 578. GE historical study course.

Prereq: English 1110. Not open to students with credit for 2704, Hebrew 2704, or 3704. GE lit and diversity global studies. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts and race, ethnicity and gender div course. Cross-listed in Hebrew.

This course traces the modern revival of magic and neo-paganism, both in new religious movements and in popular culture, novels, music and film, from 1870 to the present. The course examines the intersections between emergent magical groups and various social and political movements.
GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts and historical and cultural studies course.

The representation of religion in visual culture, in the United States and around the world; the ways that religious traditions are represented or misrepresented; the ways religious traditions appropriate popular culture for their own purposes; new forms of religious practice and community that grow directly out of popular culture.

Prereq: English 1110. GE VPA course. GE foundation lit, vis and performing arts course.

Explores intersections of gender, sexuality and religion in comparative and cross-cultural contexts.
Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv. Not open to students with credit for CompStd 4875 (515)