92530

REL 106

ISLAM

Matthew Lynch

M W 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

OLINLC 206

MBV

D+J

HUM

DIFF

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; ; Middle Eastern Studies An examination of the intellectual and lived traditions of Islam. This course introduces students to themes, materials, practices, texts and beliefs within and/or related to the religious tradition of Islam. We will study the founding of Islam by the Prophet Muhammad, as well as legal, ethical, and mystical responses to the Qur’an, Hadith, and other Islamic texts. We will also learn about different varieties of Islam, such as Sunnism and Shi’ism. We will utilize a variety of sources including primary sources (in translation), historical works, anthropological and literary sources, and films to guide our discussion. The course will emphasize material, visual, and other forms of interactive learning. Themes of gender, sexuality, mysticism, art, and ritual will be explored. This course will also provide students a solid theoretical foundation to larger conceptual questions and categories pertinent to the academic study of religion, and to the humanities more broadly. Class size: 20

92124

REL 112

The Bible

Bruce Chilton

T Th 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

OLIN 305

MBV

HUM

Cross-listed: Jewish Studies; Theology In two senses, the Bible has been an object of excavation. Artifacts and archaeological investigations have played a major part in the reconstruction of the meanings involved, while the depth of texts -- as compositions that took shape over time -- has been increasingly appreciated. This seminar involves understanding the social histories of Israel and the early Church as they shaped the biblical texts. This approach identifies the constituencies for which the sources of the texts were produced. By “sources” we mean, not the documents as they stand (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and so on), but the traditions that fed into those documents. The final, editorial moment when traditions were crystallized in writing is a vital juncture in the literary formation of the Scriptures, but is not solely determinative of their meaning. The unfolding of meanings within texts during the whole of their development explodes the claim of a single, exclusive meaning in biblical exegesis. The seminar will attend to the variety of meanings inherent within the Scriptures -- without limitation to a particular theory of interpretation, and with constant attention to issues of historical context. Program category: Interpretive Class size: 20

92121

REL 135

Jewish Magic

Samuel Secunda

M W 10:10 am-11:30 am

OLIN 308

MBV

HUM

Cross-listed: Jewish Studies; Middle Eastern Studies Despite conceiving of itself as a monotheism deeply opposed to magic and witchcraft, Judaism boasts a robust tradition of incantations and magical practices from ancient times until today. This course employs different tools drawn from the study of religion, sociology, anthropology, and gender to make sense of the widespread and diverse magical tradition of a supposedly anti-magical religion. Class size: 18

92127

REL 140

Sanskrit

Richard Davis

T W Th 8:50 am-9:50 am

OLINLC 208

FLLC

Cross-listed: Asian Studies; Classical Studies Sanskrit is the language of ancient India, the language in which such works as the Bhagavad Gita, the great Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, and the Upanisads were written. In this course students will learn the grammar and syntax of Classical Sanskrit and acquire a working vocabulary. In the second semester students will read substantial portions of original texts in Sanskrit. Religion program category: Interpretive Class size: 20

92123

REL 239

Midrashic Imagination

Samuel Secunda

M W 11:50 am-1:10 pm

OLIN 101

MBV

HUM

Cross-listed: Jewish Studies; Literature This course introduces students to Midrash - a classic type of Jewish literature produced in Palestine and Mesopotamia from around 200 CE - 800 CE. Despite its antiquity and position within a relatively unknown literary tradition, the form, content, and imaginative world of Midrash have proven strangely compelling to contemporary readers. In the 1980's and 1990's, scholars claimed to have found within Midrashic hermeneutics approaches that recall developments in comparative literature, such as deconstruction, and frameworks like intertextuality. We will read selections from various midrashic compilations, apply different critical tools for understanding them, and consider their relationship to later forms of literature and criticism. Class size: 22

92229

REL 286

science and the Sacred

David Nelson

T Th 11:50 am- 1:10 pm

OLIN 205

MBV

HUM

Cross-listed: Theology This course will examine a number of important, contemporary issues at the intersection between religion and science. Scientific thinking about God, religious responses to cosmology and evolution, and the writings of both scientists on religion and religionists on science will be included. We will focus on attempts to learn about religion from science, and about science from religion, and on the different methodologies, assumptions, and entailments of the two disciplines. No significant background in either field is required. Class size: 22

92125

REL 317

Sacred Pursuits

Dominique Townsend

Th 1:30 pm-3:50 pm

OLIN 306

MBV

HUM

This course, which is required for all religion majors, introduces students to theories and methods relevant to the academic study of religion. Course readings include both historical and contemporary studies that demonstrate a variety of approaches to interrogating religion as an object of study. Central themes will include religious experience, ritual experience, modernity, ritual practice, gender, tradition and secularism. Class size: 15

92126

REL 358

Sanctuary: Theology and Social Action

Bruce Chilton

F 3:00 pm-5:20 pm

OLIN 305

MBV

D+J

HUM

DIFF

Cross-listed: Human Rights, Theology In recent discussion, Sanctuary has played a pivotal role in the discussion of immigration to the United States. But the application of the practice and concept of Sanctuary applies to a much wider spectrum of activity within the history of many religions. The purpose of the course is to investigate the roots of Sanctuary, and to engage with its practice within the local community in fields such as education, medicine, work, and environment, as well as immigration. Class size: 20

92128

REL COL

Religion Colloquium

Samuel Secunda

M 5:30 pm-6:30 pm

OLIN 301

MBV

D+J

Cross-listed: Theology 2 credits The religion colloquium is a two-credit course open to all students, but required of religion moderands. The purpose of the colloquium is to foster a community of scholarship among students and faculty interested in the study of religion, and to prepare public presentations of independent research. The colloquium is designed to encourage interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives on topics of particular interest.

Class size: 22

Cross-listed courses:

91882

ANTH 238

Myth, Ritual & Symbol

Michele Dominy

T Th 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 201

MBV

D+J

SSCI

Cross-listed: Religion; Sociology Class size: 22

91848

LIT 2035

Religion & the Secular:Modernism

Matthew Mutter

T Th 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 308

ELIT

Cross-listed: American Studies; Religion Class size: 18

91700

LIT 257

American Literature I

Elizabeth Frank

W Th 10:10 am-11:30 am

ASP 302

ELIT

Cross-listed: American Studies; Environmental & Urban Studies; Religion Class size: 22