Course	THEO / REL 212 Archaeology of the Bible
Professor	Bruce Chilton
CRN	18247
Schedule	TuTh 10:30 - 11:50 am OlinLC 120
Distribution	History

Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Religion

In two senses, the Bible has been an object of excavation. Artifacts and archaelological 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 On-line registration

Course	LIT 2430 Quarrel of Reason and Faith
Professor	Karen Sullivan
CRN	18104
Schedule	Tu Th 10:30 - 11:50 am Olin 101
Distribution	Literature in English / Rethinking Difference

Course	REL 276 Imagination in Religion
Professor	Paul Murray
CRN	18251
Schedule	TuTh 4:00 -5:20 pm Olin 205
Distribution	Humanities

See Religion section for description.

Course	REL 285 Golden Rule in the Religions of the World
Professor	Bruce Chilton / Jacob Neusner
CRN	18252
Schedule	Tues 1:00 – 2:20 pm RKC 101
Distribution	Humanities

Course	THEO / REL 310 Gnostics, Neoplatonists, and Catholics: The First Christian Philosophers
Professor	Bruce Chilton
CRN	18248
Schedule	Th 4:00 -6:20 pm Olin 201
Distribution	History

Cross-listed: Philosophy, Religion

Between the second and the fourth centuries C.E., Christianity spread through the Roman Empire, largely through the medium of philosophical dialogue. The first Christian philosophers did not work with a predetermined system of thought, but forged new ways of thinking during the course of prolonged interaction with their diverse environments. By the end of the period, Gnositicism, Neoplatonism, and Catholicism emerged as well defined positions, and yet continued in dedicated debate, dialogue, and dispute.