Summer and Fall 2015 Courses on the Study of Religion

Biology 1350



MoWe 11:30AM - 12:25PM I Susan Warwick Fisher I 3 credit units I Lecture 22115 (UG) 22116 (UG Distant Learning)

 

Examines the evolutionary significance of hope and near universal desire to believe in a supernatural deity from multiple perspectives and details the neurochemistry of both phenomena. 

Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 350. GE nat sci bio course.

 

Comparative Studies 2367.07 

MoWeFr 3:00PM - 3:55PM I Isaac Weiner I 3 credit units I Lecture 14021

MoWeFr 10:20AM - 11:15AM I Erin Wagner I 3 credit units I Lecture 14023

WeFr 11:10AM - 12:30PM I Amanda Randhawa I 3 credit units I Lecture 14022

 

Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society. 

Prereq: English 1110 (110) or equiv and Soph standing. Not open to students with credit for 367.03. GE writing and comm: level 2 and cultures and ideas and diversity soc div in the US course.

 

Comparative Studies 2670


WeFr 11:10AM - 12:30PM I Richard Samuels I 3 credit units I Lecture 33299

TuTh 11:10AM - 12:30PM I Nancy Jesser I 3 credit units I Lecture 33298

 

A philosophical examination of the relationship between science and religion; concentration on issues regarding the creation of the universe and the origins of life. 

Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 170 or Philos 2860 (170). GE cultures and ideas course. Cross-listed in Philos 2860.

 

Philosophy 1850

TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM I Julia Jorati I 3 credit units I Lecture 19346

 

Is there a God and if so, what is this God like?  Is the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing, perfectly good creator compatible with the kinds of evils we observe in the world?  Are there good arguments for or against the existence of a God, and is there anything wrong with believing in a God in the absence of good evidence?  What is the relation between morality and religion?

If you are curious about these kinds of questions, this course is a great place to explore them, whether you are a believer, an atheist, or an agnostic.

Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 270. GE cultures and ideas course.

 

Sociology 3467 

WeFr 11:10AM - 12:30PM I Townsand Price-Spratlen I 3 credit units I Lecture 31892

 

The social role of religious institutions and beliefs, with particular reference to the United States; the relation between religion and other aspects of society. 

Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 467. GE diversity soc div in the US course.

 

 

HEBREW 2700 (also JEWSHST 2700)

WeFr 11:10AM - 12:30PM I Michael Biggerstaff I 3 credit units I Lecture 23961 (for HEBREW), 24624 (for JEWSHST)

TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM I Daniel Frank I 3 credit units I Lecture 16093 (for HEBREW), 22185 (for JEWSHST)

 

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.

Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 370, 370H, 2700H, JewshSt 2700, or JewshSt 2700H. GE lit and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in JewshSt.

 

HEBREW 2703 (also JEWSHST 2703)

TuTh 2:20PM - 3:40PM I Sam Meier I 3 credit units I Lecture 16094 (for HEBREW), 22186 (for JEWSHST)

 

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. 

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 JewshSt.

 

HEBREW 5603 (also JEWSHST 5603)


We 2:15PM - 5:00PM I Michael Swartz I 3 credit units I Lecture 23986 (UG, for HEBREW), 23985 (G, for HEBREW), 22189 (UG, for JEWSHST)

Study of selected texts and issues in Rabbinic literature, and discussions of the methods by which they are studied. In Hebrew. 

Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 12 cr hrs. Cross-listed in JewshSt.

 

HEBREW 5802



TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM I Daniel Frank I 3 credit units I Lecture 32505 (UG) Lecture 32506 (G)

Study of the vexing problem of evil; the seeming contradiction between tradition and experience; extensive readings and discussions of appropriate biblical and post-biblical literature. In English. 

Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 671 or JewshSt 5802. Cross-listed in JewshSt.

 

HISTORY 2452

TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM I Alexander Kaye I 3 credit units I Lecture 33430

 

This course investigates modern Jewish history from 1750 to the present. In it we will examine the social, economic, political, and intellectual forces that shaped Jewish experiences in Europe the Unitied States, Latin America, and the Middle East. We will pau special attention to the ways in which Jewish life experienced a dramatic transformation during the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 330.02 or JewshSt 2452. GE historical study course. Cross-listed in JewshSt.

 

HISTORY 2453

TuTh 9:35AM - 10:55AM I Alexander Kaye I 3 credit units I Lecture 32499

 

Zionism (Jewish nationalism) and Israel, the state that it created, are pivotal for a full understanding of the history of modernity, of the modern Middle East and of the Jewish people. This course will be a comprehensive  overview of Zionism and Israel through the lens of political, religious, military, cultural and intellectual history. We will used diplomatic documents, poetry, music, film, and other sources. The goal of the course will be to understand Zionism Israel in all of their vibrancy and complexity. We will deal with Israel’s many cultural and religious groups, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the significance of Zionism in American politics and culture and more. 

Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 334 or JewshSt 2453. GE historical study course. Cross-listed in JewshSt.

 

English 2280

WeFr 2:20PM - 3:40PM I Hannibal Hamlin I 3 credit units I Lecture 15540

TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 25165

 

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.

 

Greek 2110

TuTh 8:00AM - 9:20AM  I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 24511

 

Studies the language of the Greek New Testament through selected reading passages. 

Prereq: 1103 or equiv, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 210.


 

History 2045

MoWeFr 9:10AM - 10:05AM I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 32194

Distance Learning I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 33000

 

History of religion in America from the colonial era through the Civil War. 

Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx. Not open to students with credit for 578. GE historical study course.

 

History 2231


TuTh 3:55PM - 5:15PM I Joel Dowlingsoka I 3 credit units I Lecture 33018

TuTh 5:30PM - 6:50PM I Kyle Shimoda I 3 credit units I Lecture 33020

 


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 of Art 5001



WeFr 2:20PM - 3:40PM I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 24721 (UG) Lecture 24720 (G)

TuTh 5:30PM - 6:50PM I Kyle Shimoda I 3 credit units I Lecture 33020

 


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.

 

Medieval and Renaissance Studies 2666


TuTh 11:10AM - 12:30PM I Richard Green I 3 credit units I Lecture 31959

 

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

Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Medieval 240. GE culture and ideas and diversity global studies course.


ARABIC 5701


MoWe 1:30PM - 2:50PM I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 32502 (UG) Lecture 32515 (G)

 

An introduction, in English, to the literary, religious, and cultural implications of the fundamental book of Islam.

As the unique scripture for the world's millions of Muslims since the early seventh century, the Qur'an has been the foundation of faith, the pattern and text for ritual, the source of law, the link with Judaeo-Christian monotheism, and the wellspring of an international, multicultural Islamic civilization. As verbal art, the Qur'an is held by Muslims to be linguistically and stylistically inimitable; and it is unquestionably a - if not THE - masterpiece of Arabic literature, even though its style, content, and arrangement are often poorly appreciated, misunderstood, and even misrepresented in this country. Through lectures and assigned readings, this course acquaints students with the geographical, historical, social, political, cultural, and religious environment of sixth and seventh century Arabia. There, in the international trade center of Mecca around 610 A.D., a moderately successful merchant from a moderately important family, Muhammad son of cAbdallah, received the first of a series of revelations from God that ended with his death in 632 A.D. and radically transformed his life, the lives of his people, and the history of the world. These revelations, which collectively comprise the Qur'an as it was established shortly after the Prophet's death, will form the primary subject matter of the course, i.e., through careful examination and serious discussion of extensive passages in at least three translated versions of the Arabic original. The primary object of the course will be to bring students to some understanding of just what the Qur'anic revelations might have meant to those who first heard them from the Prophet, how they might have affected different listeners in different contexts, and why they could so effectively move individuals, families, tribes, and whole societies in order to bring about the monumental personal and social reorientation that was - and is - Islam.Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 671.

 

History 2350

MoWeFr 9:10AM - 10:05AM I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 24192

 

Introduction to the manner in which Islam has interacted with politics in the Middle East and vicinity from the rise of Islam through the present. 

Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx. Not open to students with credit for 340. GE historical study course.

 

HISTORY 2351


TuTh 3:55PM - 5:15PM I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 32202

TuTh 2:20PM - 3:40PM I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 33450

 

Origins and early development of selected fundamental Islamic institutions in their historical and cultural context. 

Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx. Not open to students with credit for 540.01. GE historical study course.

 

HISTORY 2375


TuTh 11:10AM - 12:30PM I Scott Cameron Levi I 3 credit units I Lecture 32112

 

This course is an introductory survey of the political, cultural, religious, and economic history of Islamic Central Asia from the eigth-century Arab conquests to the nineteenth-century Russian colonial era. As there are no prerequisites for the course, we will begin the semester with a brief survey of the historical, anthropological and religious background necessary to navigate the period of Central Asian history. Students will learn about such major social transformations as the gradual association of Central Asian peoples with the Islamic faith and the “Turkicization” of Central Asia as wave upon wave of Turkic nomads migrated from the northern steppe to the southern sedentary areas. Other topics to be addressed include: the Silk Road, the Mongol Empire, the rise and rule of Tamerlane; the early modern transformation of the Silk Road caravan trade; and Russian and Chinese colonial expansion into Central Asia, and the Anglo-Russian Great Game.

Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 343. GE historical study and diversity global studies course.

 

HISTORY 3354


TuTh 12:45PM - 2:05PM I Ahmad Sikainga I 3 credit units I Lecture 33444

Lecture/discussion course examining Spain and North Africa under Islamic rule, from the Muslim conquests of the early 7th century through the early 19th century. 

Prereq or concur: English 1110 or equiv, and course work in History at the 2000 level, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 541.01. GE historical study course.

 

Near Eastern Languages and Cultures 3501

MoWeFr 3:00PM - 3:55PM I Staff I 3 credit units I Lecture 19239

 

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.

Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 351. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.

 

Near Eastern Languages and Cultures 5578

WeFr 3:55PM - 5:15PM I Nada Moumtaz I 3 credit units I Lecture 32512 (G) Lecture 32513 (UG)

 

Examination of the relationship between Islamic law and society; the concept of justice in Islam. 

Prereq: Permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 678.

 

HISTORY 2375

TuTh 11:10AM - 12:30PM I Scott Cameron Levi I 3 credit units I Lecture 32112

This course is an introductory survey of the political, cultural, religious, and economic history of Islamic Central Asia from the eigth-century Arab conquests to the nineteenth-century Russian colonial era. As there are no prerequisites for the course, we will begin the semester with a brief survey of the historical, anthropological and religious background necessary to navigate the period of Central Asian history. Students will learn about such major social transformations as the gradual association of Central Asian peoples with the Islamic faith and the “Turkicization” of Central Asia as wave upon wave of Turkic nomads migrated from the northern steppe to the southern sedentary areas. Other topics to be addressed include: the Silk Road, the Mongol Empire, the rise and rule of Tamerlane; the early modern transformation of the Silk Road caravan trade; and Russian and Chinese colonial expansion into Central Asia, and the Anglo-Russian Great Game.Prereq or concur: English 1110.xx, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 343. GE historical study and diversity global studies course.

 

Philosophy 2120

MoWeFr 11:30AM - 12:25PMI Staff I Lecture 19275

 

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

Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 215. GE lit and diversity global studies course.

 

African American and African Studies 7759

We 2:30PM - 5:15PM I Monika Brodnicka I Lecture 32159

 

The study of African Traditional Religions covers a great span of methods and discourses, from anthropology to philosophy, from ethno-history to phenomenology, from cultural evolutionism to postmodernism. Yet, few discussions address the mystical component of these religions or examine the prism this method offers to view African religious practices. There is a good reason for this absence. Like in most religious traditions, the esoteric component of African traditional religions is elusive, often requiring systematic initiations to reach the center of this knowledge. The subtlety of the mystical tradition is not only difficult to communicate to the uninitiated, but can also prove dangerous in their hands, and, therefore, is intentionally kept secret to avoid misrepresentation and mishandling. Several authors, however, take up the challenge to elucidate African religious traditions from the mystical standpoint. Oftentimes, the authors are also participants in the religions and have undergone rigorous initiations, raising the significance of their insight to a new level. Because of their experience, these authors engage in the complex relationship between spirituality and practice in their writings. Through their work, they reveal the basic principles of African mystical knowledge without giving away its secrets. This course will address the mystical component and the resulting metaphysical knowledge of African Traditional Religions, through these unique publications. We will consult works that will help to elucidate the stories, practices, and symbols of specific religions, to reveal their esoteric meaning, and to show the limitations of our own understanding.

Prereq: Grad standing, or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 12 cr hrs.