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Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2006: Courses

Religious Studies

REL1050 An Introduction to World Religions (3 semester hours)
This course introduces students to four major families of the world's religions: Primal Faith; Semitic Religions; South Asian Religions; and East Asian Religions. It looks in depth at one representative way of faith from within each major family group. It explores these issues through an examination of art and music and individual thinkers, as well as an examination of beliefs and practices.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education: "Aesthetic and Philosophical Expression A".


REL2060 Exploring Religion (4 semester hours)
This course introduces students to the study of religion, and distinguishes religion from the religions. It takes care to emphasize the importance to religion of the older social sciences, specifically: anthropology, sociology and psychology. It assesses the importance to religious studies of cultural studies, specifically: feminist studies and phenomenology. It also looks at the claims by religion to transcendent, revelatory truth, and inquires how the truth of such claims might be established. In the process, it explores whether religious studies is a discrete field of study, or else a multi-disciplinary area of enquiry, or even a vague and nebulous 'subject' that has no place in a respectable university.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B


REL2070 Exploring Judaism (4 semester hours)
An introduction to the historic and current beliefs and practices of Judaism, which also explores the historical diaspora communities and the impact upon Judaism of the European Enlightenment period and of the creation of modern Israel.
No prerequisites.


REL2080 Exploring Islam (4 semester hours)
This course introduces students to the study of Islam as a world religion. It describes its history from its beginnings as an Arabian revelation to its present status as the world's second largest religion, found in many countries of the world. It introduces students to the variety of interpretations of Islam, including some that are rejected by the majority of Muslims. It explores the works of seminal thinkers, and engages students with meanings of Muslim art and architecture. It deals with pervasive notions about Islam, especially that it is a violent and irrational religion. Students will and must visit a local Muslim place of worship if they take this course.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B


REL2100 Exploring Christianity (4 semester hours)
This course introduces students to the study of Christianity as a world religion. It describes its history from its beginnings as a Jewish sect to its present status as the world's largest religion, found all over the world. It examines its core beliefs and practices. It introduces students to the variety of Christian denominational practices, by taking them to several local churches.
No prerequisites.


REL3050 Religion and the Movies (2 semester hours)
This course requires students to watch a film in most classes. The films will concentrate upon the Christian religion and may include the following themes: Different perceptions about Jesus; A Biblical Epic; Depictions about the Protestant and Catholic churches; Religion and the human condition e.g. sexuality, suffering, death; Christian relations with other faiths. Students will have to show an awareness of the religious issues in each movie and how they are dealt with, and a grasp of some of the trends in how movies present Christian life and faith.
Prerequisites: REL1050 or REL2060.
Meets General Education: "Aesthetic and Philosophical Expression A".

REL/PHL3100 Philosophy of Religion (3 semester hours)
Cross-listed with PHL3100. For description see PHL3100.


REL3150 A Queer Thing: Homosexuality and World Religions (4 semester hours)
This course examines the teachings and attitudes towards homosexuality and gay people of various world religions. It will explore how far these are socially conditioned, and whether there is any hope for more inclusive approaches by these religions towards gay people. We shall read key texts, examine key figures, and look at literature and film that have reinforced or else tended to change prevailing attitudes.
Prerequisites: REL1050 or REL2060.
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B


REL3550 The Spiritual Journey (4 semester hours)
This course examines some of the major spiritual journeys that can be followed by people in the contemporary United States of America. It looks at the variety of American religious expressions. In the course of this exploration, we shall encounter several explicit and implicit definitions of spirituality, and enquire how, if at all, they relate to concepts of religion. We shall especially examine the implications of one such definition: that spirituality is a person's unique expression of a religion or religions. Finally, we shall begin to frame an answer to the question: is religion in the (post)modern world undergoing a drastic reshaping and reformulation of traditional expressions of faith. If so, our final task will be to ask what that portends for traditional religions, the individual seeker after truth, and her or his social obligations.
Prerequisites: REL1050 or REL2060.

Posted 31 December 2003
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