R S - Religious Studies

Religious Studies: R S

Lower-Division Courses

R S X02. History of the Religions of Asia.

Eastern religions: an introduction to the basic forms and the historical development of the religious traditions of India, China, and Japan.

R S X04. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: An Introduction.

Examines the intertwined historical developments of the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and explores the principal beliefs and practices of Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

R S X04G. Jews, Pagans, and Christians.

Investigate, using a range of primary and secondary readings, how religious identity was imagined and expressed in the 4th-6th centuries CE. Examine the complex interactions of, in particular, Jews, Christians, and Pagans.

R S X05. Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion.

A critical examination of various conceptions of God and of the relationship of the human and the divine.

R S X06C. Comparative Religious Ethics.

R S X06D. The Roots of Religious Toleration.

Examines how freedom of conscience and religion crystallized in western and central Europe, both as a pragmatic practice and as a matter of principle.

R S X06E. Ethics of Space Exploration.

Examine cultural and ethical questions related to the exploration of space and the emerging field of astrobiology.

R S X07. Introduction to Interreligious Dynamics.

Introduction to the diverse dynamics of interreligious encounters, from armed conflicts to interreligious dialogue.

R S X07F. Gods and Goddesses of India.

Explore a variety of gods and goddesses who have dominated the sacred landscapes of India and beyond, especially North America, from the past until now. Examine various issues relating to patriarchy, power, gender, sexuality, social hierarchy, and devotion.

R S X09C. Medieval Material Culture.

Explore the history of medieval Europe primarily through the lens of material culture.

R S X10. Introduction to the Study of Religion.

Introduction to scholarly methods in the study of religion.

R S X10R. Introduction to Middle East Religions.

Introduction to the religious landscape of the Middle East including the various expressions of Eastern Christianity, Islam, and Judaism as well as Zoroastrianism.

R S X10S. Introduction to Yoruba Religions.

Introduction to the cosmological world of the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, covering history, societal organization, myths, legends, customs, and cultural traditions.

R S X11. Topics in Religious Studies.

R S X11E. Religion and the Environment.

Explore the relationship between religions and the environment from multidisciplinary perspectives.

R S X11F. Ethical Food Systems.

Examine the environmental impact of industrial agriculture from the ethical perspectives of religious and secular traditions that promote sustainable and equitable food production.

R S X12C. Introduction to Buddhism.

A structural and historical overview of Buddhism through the examination of various schools, doctrines, biographical narratives, and contemporary ethical issues.

R S X12E. Yoga Past and Present.

Survey yogic practices in South Asian civilization and trace the development of yogic thought and embodied practices in Hindu, Buddhist, and tantric traditions from early history to the modern-day's social and legal complexities and controversies.

R S X13C. Introduction to the Old Testament.

Introduction to the many interpretations of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) and its meaning in the context of its historical and cultural setting in the ancient Near East.

R S X13D. Introduction to Jewish Studies.

R S X13E. Introduction to Jewish Latin America.

Historical and cultural analysis of how Jews constructed lives and communities in predominantly Hispanic, Catholic countries of Latin America.

R S X13M. Jewish Civilization: Beginnings to 1492.

Introduction to the history, culture, and religion of the Jewish people from around 1000 BC to the end of the medieval period. Subjects may include ancient Israel, late Second Temple sectarianism, the rise of Christianity, rabbinic Judaism, medieval Jewish philosophy, Jewish mysticism, and Hebrew poetry.

R S X13N. Jewish Civilization: 1492 to the Present.

Subjects may include trends toward secularization, the emancipation of European Jewry, the emergence of American Jewry, the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

R S X14K. Introduction to the Middle East: Religious, Cultural, and Historical Foundations.

A survey of the history and civilization of the Middle East from the sixth to the fourteenth century.

R S X15C. The Bible and Its Interpreters.

Seeks to develop a wide-ranging familiarity with the Jewish and Christian Bibles and with the dominant modes of ancient, medieval, and early modern biblical interpretation. Readings include an extensive range of primary sources, including both the Scriptures themselves and some of their most influential exegetes.

R S X15J. The Conversion of Pagan Europe.

Examine the familiar and unfamiliar fragments of what remains from pre-Christian European culture--the limited written records, the artifacts, and the folklore--as well as the more plentiful anti-pagan writings of early Christian missionaries. Test many of the popular claims about how Europe's pre-Christian inhabitants lived, what they believed, and how Christianization impacted their lives against the limits of what we can actually know, using the tools from the study of history, cultural studies, and religious studies.

R S X15K. Russian Icons and Propaganda.

R S X15M. Luther's World.

R S X15N. Introduction to the New Testament.

Examines representative examples of the texts found in the Christian New Testament and selected noncanonical writings. Focuses on historical setting and systematic methods of interpretation.

R S X15O. The Faust Legend: From the Magus to Today.

Examine a broad selection of the (re)tellings of the Faust legend, i.e., the "bargain with the Devil," to reveal how this particular narrative forms a pillar of the cultural heritage of the European Christendom.

R S X16C. History of Religion in the United States.

Explores instances of religious dominance and religious diversity in United States history. Moving from the pre-colonial period to the present, it examines the changing circumstances of several religious communities, including American Indians and Puritans, Protestant evangelicals, Mormons, Roman Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus.

R S X16E. American Jews: The Yiddish Experience.

Focuses on over a century of Yiddish-based contributions to American literature, music, and film, including works by Isaac Bashevis Singer, Michael Chabon, Woody Allen, and the Marx Brothers.

R S X16L. Introduction to Religions of Latin America.

Examine a survey of religious practice across Latin America and the Caribbean.

R S X16M. Early Mesoamerican Religions.

Introduction to the study of indigenous religions in Mesoamerica, a geographic and cultural area spanning north-central Mexico through western Honduras, from approximately 250 BC - AD 1700. Examine the role of religion and ritual in daily life, as well as the lines of evidence available today for understanding them.

R S X17N. Introduction to Modern North Africa.

Introduction to the major themes of North African history from the sixteenth century to the present.

R S X18. The Rise of Christianity.

Introduction to the origins and development of Christianity.

R S X19. Introduction to Islam.

The beliefs, theology, history, and main social and legal institutions of Islam, including the concept of God and society, the role of women, and Islamic government and movements.

R S X19S. Topics in Religious Studies.

This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in the Department of Religious Studies. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program.

R S X29S. Topics in Religious Studies.

Upper-Division Courses

R S X19S. Topics in Religious Studies.

R S X20. Introduction to Research Methods in the Study of Religion.

Introduction to research methods in the study of religion, including, historical, social scientific, cultural studies, and digital humanities approaches.

R S X20J. The Bhagavad Gita: Interpretation and Ethics.

Explore one of the most influential books in Indian and global contexts, the Bhagavad Gita, through interpretations, commentaries, and scholarly materials. Navigate ethical dilemmas in the Bhagavad Gita and real-life situations.

R S X21. History of Hindu Religious Traditions.

History of major doctrines, practices, and institutions that shaped the development of Hinduism; how religions adapt to social and cultural change and often provide the catalyst for change.

R S X22. History of Indian Buddhism.

The institutional, social, economic, and doctrinal history of Buddhism in India.

R S X25. Prophet of Islam: His Life and Times.

A detailed study of the prophet Muhammad's life and message, and of the means by which his life was recorded and popularized.

R S X25C. Russia's Soul: Spiritual Traditions.

Explore complex history of Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism in Russia. Examine important worship sites, including monasteries and pilgrimage destinations. Have discussions with Russian scholars of religion and practitioners of different faiths.

R S X25G. The Qur'an.

Explore the history, language, style, and themes of the Qur'an.

R S X26. History of Religion in America since 1800.

Introduction to the history of religion in the United States of America from the nineteenth century to the present. Focuses on how diverse peoples imagined and transformed the landscape, interacted with one another at different sites, and moved within and across national borders.

R S X29S. Topics in Religious Studies.

R S X30G. Food and Religion in Asia.

Use the lens of food to approach study of religious communities, values, and identity formation in Asia's past and present, covering South Asia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. Explore questions involving what is eaten and what is not, taboo, hunger, anomaly, gender, food security, and recent ethical problems regarding bio-engineered foods (GMOs).

R S X35. Jesus in History and Tradition.

Critical issues, scholarly debates, and historical methods in studying the development of the Christian tradition regarding the figure of Jesus.

R S X35C. Political Ideologies and Manifestos.

Survey major political ideologies like socialism, capitalism, and fascism; as well as the more recent so-called "Fourth Political Theory of Russian ideologue Aleksandr Dugin, (variable) popular ideologies, and internet manifestos. Explore each ideology through original texts and utopian/dystopian representations in popular culture (e.g., literature, film, music, graphic art, architecture, design).

R S X35D. Queering Black Religions.

Explore the ways Africana religion practitioners disrupt and reframe dominant western discourses of gender and sexuality. Examine concepts of temporality, spirit manifestation, subjectivity, corporeality, and Africana religious epistemologies.

R S X37. Religion and Society.

The growth and decline of religious groups and traditions; "cults" and new religions; comparative sociology of religion; the United States religious landscape; religion and individual health and well-being; spirituality and other aspects of social life.

R S X40C. Shrines and Sanctuaries.

Survey Greek and Roman religious architecture and sacred space from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic and Roman Empires.

R S X41C. Gandhi and Gandhism.

Explore Gandhi's life, work, philosophy, and influence, as well as his historical and cultural context.

R S X41E. The Taj Mahal and the Diversity of Indian Art.

Examination of the period when Islamic dynasties controlled much of the subcontinent and how a unique mix of forms and cultural practices shaped the development of monuments such as the Taj Mahal.

R S X41F. Jainism: Religion of Non-Violence.

Survey of the history, doctrines, institutions, and practices of Jainism from its origins to the present.

R S X41I. Formation of Indian Art.

Examine the artistic traditions of South Asia up to the fifth century C.E., with an emphasis on social and religious factors shaping its development.

R S X41K. Karma: Ethical Theories of India.

R S X41M. Gender, Sexuality, and the Family in Indian Religions and Cultures.

A comprehensive historical overview of gender issues as they are represented in the textual traditions of South Asia.

R S X41P. Indian Poetry and Religions.

Explores the intersections of religion and poetry in the history of Indian literature as expressed in multiple settings and variations including hymns, chants, bhajans, poetic narratives, and new poetic conventions that deal with caste and gender identities.

R S X41T. Buddhist Art.

Explores the development of Buddhist art in South Asia, the land of its origin as well as its spread elsewhere. Focus on the question of "what is" Buddhist art.

R S X41U. Devotional Literature of India.

Discuss the songs of major saints. Examine how holy men and women expressed their religiosity through the medium of songs and poetry over the centuries and consider the role these songs had in shaping the religious communities of India. All works will be studied in translation.

R S X41V. Indian Philosophies.

Investigate the theories and arguments of major Indian philosophers, considering both their historical positioning and contemporary relevance.

R S X42C. Major Islamic Texts.

Introduction to key religious, philosophical, and political ideas from part of the Islamicate world through sustained readings of core texts.

R S X42F. Buddhist Thought and Practice.

Explore important themes in Buddhist thought, various ways in which Buddhists practice their religion, and the relationships between religious concepts and practices.

R S X43D. Muslim Travelers and Traders.

Introduction to modern Middle Eastern and Islamic history in the broader context of globalization, with a primary focus on the nineteenth century to the present.

R S X44. The Age of Reformation.

Examines late medieval religion, the rise of Protestant movements, and the Catholic response in their cultural, political, and social contexts.

R S X45. Islamic Spain and North Africa to 1492.

An introduction to the impact of Islam on Spain and North Africa, with emphasis on social, economic, and cultural development.

R S X46C. Religion and Visual Culture in the United States.

Focuses on artifacts or "visual culture," and considers how religion mediates artifacts and how artifacts mediate religion.

R S X46D. Native American Religions.

Examination of religious developments in Native American communities from the precolonial period through the present day. Focus on the changing forms of ritual practice and the relationship between religion and community life.

R S X46E. Religion and Film.

Survey of representations of religious beliefs, practices, persons, and institutions in popular film. Examination of film as a vehicle to reflect how a shared religious imagination shaped the way Americans understand themselves.

R S X46F. United States Catholic History.

Examine how Catholicism and national identity work for Catholics in the United States, with an emphasis on Catholic women and Latino/as.

R S X46G. Religion in the American West.

R S X46I. Unbelief in America.

Examine the history of unbelief and the role that it has played in US history.

R S X46J. Evangelical Christianity.

An introduction to the intellectual and social sources of evangelical Protestant traditions in the United States, their varieties of belief and practice, and their role in the wider Christian community and American society.

R S X46K. The Black Church in African American Politics.

Explore the political role of the Black church in the African American experience.

R S X46L. Representation of Jews in the American Public Sphere.

Examines how Jews have been represented and constituted in American public culture as a race, religion, and/or nation through distinct institutions and display practices.

R S X46M. Music and Religious Identities in the US.

Examine religious music in Christianity and Judaism in relation to communities in religious context of Europe and the United States.

R S X46N. American Jewish Material Culture.

Examines the interplay between material culture and Jewish identity and thought in contemporary America.

R S X46O. Religion and Food.

Examine the material relationships between religion and food, by comparing the ritual functions of food in religious traditions and the collective constructions of religious identities in traditional foodways.

R S X46P. Religion in American Political Thought.

Explore religion and politics in the United States through reading of mostly primary sources addressing religious arguments taking positions on historical and contemporary issues.

R S X46R. Religion and Social Justice in United States.

R S X46S. Debating the Bible in the Twenty-First Century.

Examine the ways in which individuals, primarily in the United States, have regarded the Bible as relevant or irrelevant to contemporary life. Discuss contemporary controversial issues in which the Bible has played a role and how these relate to earlier controversies, such as the position of the Bible on slavery.

R S X46U. The History of Islam in the United States.

A brief introduction to Islam. Defines the role of Islam and views of Muslims in the early history of the United States, and introduces students to major issues concerning contemporary American Muslims.

R S X46V. African American Religions.

Survey the history and variety of religion as practiced by Americans of African descent. Examine the social construction of African religion, black religion, and the black church, within the cultural context of the United States.

R S X52D. Japanese Religion and Western Imagination.

Examines Japanese religious traditions, with a focus on Zen, through the perspective of people living in non-Japanese societies since the end of World War II. Explores different ways in which non-Japanese have imagined Japanese religious and ethical ideas and both explained Japanese behavior and adopted ideas about Japan into their writings about philosophy and life.

R S X52E. Confucianism.

Explore the philosophical and historical context of Confucianism, from its origins in ancient China through the early empire and beyond.

R S X52F. Religion and Family in Japanese Society.

Explores the structures of family, kinship, and religion in Japan since 1868 and their roles in the creation and expression of national and individual identities.

R S X52G. Shamanism and the Primitive.

R S X52R. Ritual and Religion in Korea.

Examine major religious traditions of Korea; focus on the recent history and contemporary practice, and the relation between religion and politics during Korea's colonial (1910-1945) and postcolonial eras.

R S X52S. Japanese Concepts of Body and Self.

Exploration of anthropological literature describing Japanese conceptions of self and body, and analysis of the intersection of these conceptions of self with Japanese ideas about religion, morality, aging, and medicine.

R S X53C. Angels, Demons, and Magic in Early Christianity.

Examine angelology, demonology and magic influence on the lives of early Christians and Christianity.

R S X53D. The Dead Sea Scrolls.

R S X53E. Beyond the New Testament.

Study of early Christian writings that were not included in the Christian Bible. Examines issues such as the effect of narrative, religion and violence, gendered expectations for women and men, the uses of fantasy literature, and religious authority. Emphasis on systematic methods for disciplined interpretation.

R S X53F. Interpretation of Jesus' Death and Resurrection.

Examine the narratives of Jesus' death and resurrection and their subsequent interpretation over the last two thousand years. Analyze historical Christian and Islamic texts, contemporary debates and cultural context.

R S X53G. Abraham and Abrahamic Religions.

Examines the figure of Abraham as portrayed in the Bible and the reception of that portrayal in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

R S X53I. Ancient Mediterranean Religion and Astrology.

Explore the role of astrology in ancient Mediterranean religious life.

R S X53J. Revelation and Apocalyptic Literature.

Examine the Book of Revelation in the context of early Christian and Jewish literature. Study other apocalyptic texts, methods of textual analysis, and the ongoing effects of Revelation in modern American culture.

R S X53K. Law and Justice in the Bible.

Examine the legal traditions of the Torah (Pentateuch) and what they reveal about the practice of law and justice in ancient Israel and the wider biblical world.

R S X53L. The Sacred and the Secular in Contemporary Jewish Literature.

R S X53M. Debating Genesis.

R S X53N. Biblical Prophecy.

An introduction to the diversity of prophetic literature in the Old Testament, its historical development, social context, and Near Eastern parallels.

R S X53P. Paul and His Social World.

Examine the life and letters of the first-century Jewish missionary Paul by interpreting his writings within the context of diaspora Judaism and the broader Greco-Roman world. Explore his legacy within the context of early church history.

R S X53R. The Five Books of Moses.

Study the socio-historical circumstances that gave shape to the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Examine how these five books achieved the status of sacred literature.

R S X53U. Slavery and the New Testament.

Examine slavery in the New Testament.

R S X53V. Archaeology of Jesus's World.

Explore archaeological methods in examining texts and artifacts from first century CE.

R S X54D. The Bible and History.

The critical uses of biblical and extrabiblical data in the reconstruction of the history of the biblical period.

R S X54J. History of Jewish Thought.

Examine major thinkers and movements in both Jewish philosophy and Jewish mysticism since the Middle Ages, with a focus on the importance of modern Jewish thought in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

R S X55. The Bible as Literature.

In-depth literary study of the Bible, with emphasis on the formal features of narrative, hymn, prophecy, apocalypse, gospel, and epistle.

R S X55K. The Bible in British and American Literature.

The reading of biblical masterpieces as literature; consideration of different versions of the Bible and their influence on British and American literature.

R S X56C. Italian Renaissance, 1350-1550.

Survey of political, socioeconomic, religious, and intellectual trends during the Italian Renaissance.

R S X56D. Satan and the Idea of Evil.

Explore the history and breadth of Satan's role as a character (or background presence) in literature while developing close-reading techniques for literary analysis that can be applied across diverse eras, forms, and genres.

R S X56F. Twelfth-Century Renaissance: 1050-1200.

An examination of social, cultural, and intellectual developments in eleventh- and twelfth-century Europe.

R S X56J. Northern Renaissance: Religion, Magic, and Humanism.

Explore Northern Europe's transition from medieval to Early Modern in and through the northern Renaissance. Examine humanist culture and its many tensions with the Church, technological breakthroughs and their social and economic consequences, the connections between the discovery of new lands and the recovery of ancient learning, and the formation of the early modern state.

R S X56M. Christian Quest for Meaning.

Study classic Christian texts throughout history.

R S X56P. People of the Midnight Sun - Sami Culture and Civilization.

Examine the indigenous people of Scandinavia, the Sami, including their history, culture, and self-expression. Explore issues of indigeneity, decolonization, and religious repression.

R S X56R. Ritual and Belief in Ancient Greece.

Investigate the practices, premises, and cultural contexts of ancient Greek religion through direct study of ancient sources informed by modern critical approaches.

R S X57C. Machiavelli: Politics and Culture.

Through Niccolo Machiavelli's chief writings, consider the local, regional, Mediterranean, European, and global aspects of his work.

R S X57D. Heresy and the Inquisition.

R S X57E. Jews of Eastern Europe.

Explores the history and culture of Jews in Eastern Europe.

R S X57F. Heretics and Freedom Fighters, 1350-1650.

Explores the theologies, politics, and personal identities that emerged and passed away in this era.

R S X57G. Geography of Religion in Eastern Europe and Russia.

A comprehensive overview of major religious culture regions in the former Eastern bloc countries.

R S X57I. Byzantine Art.

Examination of the medieval art and architecture of the eastern Roman empire, including related traditions (Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Crusader, Norman).

R S X57J. Northern Renaissance Art, 1350-1500.

Northern European art from the International Style to van Eyck and Hieronymus Bosch.

R S X57K. Northern Renaissance Art, 1500-1600.

Art and cultural development in the sixteenth century; artists include Duerer, Gruenewald, Holbein, and Brueghel.

R S X57L. The Spanish Inquisition.

R S X57M. Spinoza and Modernity.

Introduction to the core of Spinoza's writings and the diverse reactions they have elicited. Examines Spinoza's refusal of mind-body dualism, as well as a transcendent god or ideal as a way of understanding Spinoza's concepts and ideas.

R S X57N. Northern Gods, Northern Faiths: The Conversion of Scandinavians, Finns, Northern Slavs and Shamans.

An introduction to the basic source texts for several pre-Christian belief systems evolving in geographic proximity and their influence on one another including pre-Christian Slavic; pre-Christian Scandinavian; pre-Christian Sami and Finnish; and ancient and modern Siberian shamanism.

R S X57O. The Church and the Jews.

Examination of the complex relationship between the Western Church and Jews over two millenia.

R S X57P. Jewish Folklore.

R S X57Q. Gothic Cathedral: Amiens.

An examination of the cathedral at Amiens, its meaning, structure, political and financial contexts, and sculptural programs, as well as its influence on other buildings in France and Germany.

R S X57R. The Age of Rembrandt and Rubens: Northern Baroque Art.

Northern European art in the seventeenth century, stressing the Netherlands and Flanders.

R S X57S. The Sacred and the Secular in Modern European Thought.

Introduces key themes and methodologies of intellectual history and social theory by exploring the dueling approaches to secularization and sacralization in modern European thought.

R S X57T. Introduction to Germanic Religion and Myth.

Survey of the sources and main features of Germanic religion and of the transition from paganism to Christianity in northern Europe and the Germanic territories of western Europe. Subjects include cosmogonic myths; the origin of man and of society; the concept of the soul; gods and goddesses and their mythology; and the organization of worship.

R S X57U. Medieval Women Mystics.

The life and writings of Saint Birgitta of Sweden, fourteenth-century visionary, religious reformer, and pilgrim, examined and compared with her predecessor Hildegard of Bingen (Germany), her successor Margery Kempe (England), as well as Margery's mentor, Julian of Norwich. Social and historical contexts for all four of these women mystics will be explored in depth.

R S X57V. Holocaust Aftereffects.

Explores the historical, political, psychological, theological, and cultural fallout of the Holocaust, as well as literary and cinematic responses in Europe and the United States.

R S X57W. Russian Orthodox Religion and Culture.

Examine the role and force of the Orthodox Church in Russian history, from the Christianization of the pagan Slavs in the 10th century, through the Russian Revolution into the Soviet era, and up to the present, while considering the prescriptive tenets of the Orthodox faith (religion) alongside descriptive experiences of life within and under Russian Orthodoxy (religiosity).

R S X58C. Islam and Politics.

An introduction to Islamic political thought.

R S X58D. Muslim Women in Politics.

R S X58F. French Empire: The West and Islam.

The development of regions within the Mediterranean, variously called the West and East or Europe and Islam, with an emphasis on the role of modern France and France's Mediterranean empire.

R S X58G. Gender Politics in the Islamic World.

Study of the Islamic world and major sociological concepts such as gender, social organizations, culture, and politics. Examines how culture is mediated by politics, resulting in diverse interpretations of Islam and in different policies with respect to women's rights.

R S X58I. Sufism: Islamic Thought and Spirituality.

Explore Sufism and other Islamic mystical traditions that color cultural milieus spanning four continents and fourteen centuries. Focus on the historical developments in the Islamic theosophical tradition, as well as the relationship between Sufism and poetics, colonialism, and post-colonial resistance movements.

R S X58J. Sex and Sexuality in the Muslim World.

R S X58K. Islamic Law.

Designed to give students a foundation in the substantive teachings of the shariah, which comprises not only what we normally think of as law, but also ethics and etiquette.

R S X58L. Rule of Law in the Middle East.

R S X58O. Origins of Monotheism.

R S X58P. History of the Pilgrimage to Mecca, Hajj.

Survey of the Hajj, Islam's major pilgrimage to Mecca and the nearby Holy Places. It will examine the Islamic pilgrimage from its beginnings in the seventh century C.E. through today.

R S X58Q. Supervised Research.

R S X58R. Islamic Ethics.

R S X58S. Saints and Shrines in Islam.

R S X58U. Islamic Theology.

R S X58V. Veiling in the Muslim World.

R S X58W. Gender and Art in the Muslim World.

R S X59C. Graffiti and Poster Art in the Islamic World.

R S X59D. Islam in the Early Modern World: Religion and Culture.

Examine a history of the religious and cultural development across the Islamic world between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries, stemming from the rise of the Mongols and the end of the caliphate. Explore the early modern Muslim empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and the Mughals.

R S X59E. Shia Islam.

Examine how the first century of Islamic history inaugurated debates concerning authority, piety, and justice and how these debates have continued to the present. Explore the social forces and ideologies that shaped Shiism.

R S X59J. Multiculturalism in Jordan.

Explore how past, present, local, and regional events inform current Jordanian culture and identity.

R S X59K. The Shock of Modernity in the Middle East.

Explore cross cultural contacts between the East and the West during the modern period. Analyze Islamic civilization in the Middle East of the modern era by addressing the development of religion, law, government, and morality during and after the colonial period.

R S X59L. Myths and Legends of the Ancient Near East.

Explore myths and legends contained in a variety of ancient sources, including texts from Israel, Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia.

R S X59M. Arts of Islam, 650-1500.

Early Islamic art and architecture, with an emphasis on interconnections between the Islamic world and Europe. Examines unique ways Islamic visual culture developed out of the classical and late antique world. Artworks will be contextualized within early Islamic history, religion, and culture.

R S X59N. Arts of Islam 1500-Present.

Later Islamic art and architecture, beginning with the world empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals, and extending into the modern and contemporary periods. Subjects include the social and historical context of Islamic art in these periods and its unique visual culture.

R S X59O. Minorities in the Middle East.

Explore the diversity of ethnic and religious minorities found in the Middle East through their history, languages, beliefs, and cultures.

R S X59P. Religions in the Ottoman Empire.

Examine Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities in the Ottoman Empire (fourteenth to twentieth centuries), with a focus on dynamics both within and between the communities.

R S X59Q. Art and Architecture of Late Antiquity.

Examination of early Christian and late Roman art and architecture, including related traditions, such as Jewish, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Persian,and Syriac.

R S X59R. Material Cultures of Coexistence.

Dicuss Muslims living in regions where non-Islamic socio-political systems and infrastructures predominate, exploring the material cultures produced in places where Islam did not originate as, or is not, the dominant authority.

R S X60C. African Religious Culture and Creativity.

Examine religion as an aesthetic practice and explore the inventiveness of the imagination that underlines African religious practices. Study religious practices spanning from the pre-colonial and post-colonial eras to the contemporary period particularly in urban centers.

R S X61. Topics in Religious Studies.

R S X62. Independent Research in Religious Studies.

Faculty-directed research.

R S X65D. Hermits, Monks, and Saints in Early Christianity.

Examine individual and communal forms of Christian monasticism from the first through fifth centuries CE. Explore the social, economic and religious factors that may have made a life of self-denial attractive to many early Christians and the role of authority in these movements.

R S X65G. Death and the Afterlife in Graeco-Roman Antiquity.

Explore the afterlife from Near Eastern myths and Homer through Greek and Roman antiquity to the early Church Fathers.

R S X65J. The Book of Job.

R S X65K. Contemporary Jerusalem.

Explore what life is like in today's contested, rapidly growing, and increasingly diverse Jerusalem.

R S X66C. The Bible in the Colonial Americas.

Varied perspectives on the central role played by the Old Testament in the construction of colonial cultures in the Americas.

R S X66D. Religions of the Caribbean.

Examine the histories and politics of religious practices in the Greater Caribbean, encompassing the islands and Central American coasts as well as the continental diasporas, from Vodou and Rastafari to popular Hinduism.

R S X66E. Jewish Cuba.

R S X66M. Colonial Encounters in Mesoamerica.

Study European-indigenous encounters in Mesoamerica, a geographic and cultural area spanning north-central Mexico through western Honduras, between approximately 1450-1750. Examine strategies of contact, accommodation, and resistance that indigenous communities and European colonizers used to communicate with each other and negotiate the conduct of daily life in colonial society.

R S X66N. African Religion in the New World.

Explore the contributions of scholars and artists who engage African diaspora religions in their work through multiple conceptual approaches.

R S X68C. When Christ was King.

The history of Catholicism in twentieth-century Mexico, often seen as Latin America's most "Catholic" nation.

R S X68D. Church and State in Latin America.

History of Church-state relations and religious politics in modern Latin America, with emphasis on the nineteenth to early twentieth-century periods.

R S X68F. Religion, Conquest, and Conversion in Colonial Latin America.

Focuses on the histories of the Catholic Church and religious devotion in colonial Latin America between 1521 and 1821.

R S X73C. Religious Ethics and Human Rights.

Examine the grounds for human rights, and the relations between rights and religions.

R S X73D. The History of Christmas.

A historical and cross-cultural examination of the evolution of the modern Christmas holiday, beginning with the birth stories of Jesus in the New Testament and concluding with the supposed "War on Christmas" in the 21st Century America.

R S X73E. Anthropology Of Religion.

Examine a genealogy of the anthropology of religion around the globe from the nineteenth century to the present.

R S X73G. Goddesses in World Religions and Cultures.

Historical and cross-cultural overview of the relationship between feminine and religious cultural expressions through comparative examinations and analyses of various goddess figures in world religions.

R S X73I. Race, Gender, Sex, and Religion.

Use an intersectional feminist framework to examine the construction and maintenance of normative categories of race, gender, sex, and sexuality within United States religious discourse.

R S X73J. Creation and Evolution: Human Origins in Scientific and Religious Discourses.

Examines evolutionary theory, intelligent design, and creationism, and how they interact.

R S X73K. Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Culture, Religion, and Imagination.

Focusing primarily on the 20th and 21st Centuries, explores the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and considers how these ideas have intersected with other aspects of society, particularly religion, including recent arguments that SETI itself has developed into a religion. Examines meanings and motivations behind issues such as Percival Lowell's quest to prove the existence of canals on Mars and the development of Scientology.

R S X73L. Science, Magic, and Religion.

Historical and cross-cultural overview of the constructed concepts of magic, science, and religion through comparative examinations of cultural contexts from the Islamic world, western Europe, the Caribbean, the U.S., and Mozambique.

R S X73M. Biomedicine, Ethics, and Culture.

Examines ethical questions such as the allocation of medical resources, stem cell research and cloning, organ transplantation, abortion, human experimentation, prolonging life and the right to die, suicide, euthanasia, and diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, explored from a global perspective.

R S X73N. Religions in Contact.

Critically examine the theories (religious othering, conversion, reinterpretation, appropriation, etc.) of how one religion responds to contact with another. Explore the ways in which religious actors grapple with religious plurality, draw or ignore boundaries, and form religious identities.

R S X73S. Sport, Religion, and Society.

Explore sport as it relates to ritual and religious practice and examine the meaning and nature of sport in cross-cultural perspectives.

R S X73T. Talk, Text, and God.

Introduction to the anthropological study of Christianity, particularly in colonial and post-colonial settings.

R S X75S. Topics in Advanced Seminars in Religious Studies.

Discussion and research-based study of topics in religious studies. Includes theoretical approaches to the study of religion.

R S X75S.1. What is Religion?.

Examines classic theories about religion from the last 150 years of academic study: psychological, sociological, economic, phenomenological, and anthropological.

R S X75S.11. Space, Time, and Religion.

Examine religions through the concepts of space and time.

R S X75S.12. Death and the Afterlife in Ancient China.

Investigate ancient Chinese beliefs and practices surrounding death and the afterlife from the Neolithic era to the arrival of Buddhism. Explore tombs, burial objects, and funeral rites; philosophical essays and historical accounts; medical practices; religious relics, tokens, and talismans; ghost stories; poetry; and paintings.

R S X75S.2. Comparing Religions.

A discussion of major comparative approaches in the study of religion.

R S X75S.4. Radical Religion: Ascetics and Holy Persons.

Explores asceticism and the concepts, practices, and goals associated with this radical way of life through case studies from various religions. Subjects include theories of the body and of culture, as well as issues of social status, gender, devotion, and violence.

R S X75S.5. Religion, the Supernatural, and the Paranormal.

Examination of extraordinary events, such as miracles, exorcisms, ghosts, psychic abilities, UFOs, and other related phenomena. Discussion of the similarities and dissimilarities between religious and non-religious contexts for such happenings, as well as possible explanations for them.

R S X75S.6. Religion in the American South.

Examines the social construction and cultural meaning of southern religion using fictional characterizations, philosophical reflections, historical accounts, and theoretical comparisons.

R S X75S.7. Religions Of No Religion.

Examine religious practices that are not religion and critical analysis of the category of religion and its contested borders.

R S X75S.8. The Crusades.

An exploration of the religious encounters between eastern and western Christians, Christian heretics, Jews, Muslims, and polytheists; political, military, and cultural changes of the high middle ages; and the ways that crusading ideas and symbols have been reused in contemporary politics and popular culture.

R S X75S.9. Religion in the Workplace.

Examine the role of religion in the formation of the workplace in the United States. Survey a range of case studies in order to explore how religion has shaped how Americans understand the relationship between human labor and moral community.

R S X79H. Honors Tutorial Course.

Supervised individual reading for one semester, followed by research and writing to produce a substantial paper on a specific topic in religious studies, to be completed during the second semester.

Graduate Courses

R S X19S. Topics in Religious Studies.

R S X29S. Topics in Religious Studies.

R S X80. Topics in Proseminar.

An introduction to the research methodology and ancillary disciplines used in current religious studies.

R S X80R. Topics in Readings in Religious Studies.

R S X81. Conference Course in Religious Studies.

R S X83C. Topics in Comparative Religion.

Advanced treatment of selected problems, topics, or themes concerning comparative approaches to the study of religion.

R S X83C.1. Violence, Sovereignty, and Religion.

Explore the relationships among violence, sovereignty, and religion.

R S X83E. Ethnographic Methods for the Study of Religion.

Explore the use of ethnographic research methods for the study of religion.

R S X83M. Theory and Method in the Study of Religion.

Introduction to the history of the discipline, discussion of classical interpretative works, and examination of current theoretical and methodological developments in the field.

R S X83T. Topics in Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Religion.

Advanced treatment of selected problems, topics, or themes concerning theoretical approaches to the study of religion.

R S X83T.3. Reading Arabic Literature.

Examine the canons of Arabic literature through readings in translation.

R S X84D. Doctoral Seminar in Religious Studies.

Advanced seminar designed to introduce students to the profession of religious studies. Includes development and preparation of a dissertation proposal, placing scholarship within a broader theoretical context,and pedagogical issues in teaching religious studies at the undergraduate college level.

R S X85K. Early Jewish and Christian Literature I.

A survey of major categories of early Jewish and Christian literature by genre in light of comparative historical research.

R S X85L. Early Jewish and Christian Literature II.

A survey of major categories of early Jewish and Christian literature by genre in light of comparative historical research.

R S X86C. Topics in Critical Issues in Christian Origins.

Studies of key scholarly works in and critical approaches to the study of Christian origins in their historical, social, and cultural contexts.

R S X86H. Topics in Critical Issues in the Hebrew Bible.

Advanced studies of critical issues in research on key areas of study in the Hebrew Bible and its environment.

R S X86M. Topics in Critical Issues in Ancient Mediterranean Religions.

Studies of key scholarly works in and critical approaches to the study of ancient Mediterranean religions in their historical, cultural, and archaeological contexts.

R S X86M.1. Religion and Economics in Ancient Mediterranean.

Study the intersections of religion and economics in the ancient Mediterranean through the advanced treatment of primary sources and scholarly approaches.

R S X86M.3. Critical Problems in Second Temple Judaism.

Examine the literature and material culture of Second Temple Judaism (circa 520 BCE to circa 135 CE) in dialogue with recent scholarship on Jews and Judaism in Persian, Hellenistic, and early Roman contexts.

R S X86M.4. Critical Problems in Judaism in Late Antiquity.

Examine the literature and history of Judaism from the destruction of the Second Jewish Temple in 70 CE to the early Middle Ages, with a primary focus on classical Rabbinic Judaism as well as mystical and other writings beyond the canon.

R S X86M.5. Critical Problems in New Testament.

Study foundational and emergent scholarly works and critical approaches in the study of Christian origins and the books of the New Testament in their ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts.

R S X87M. Topics in Seminars in Ancient Mediterranean Religions.

Advanced treatment of selected problems, topics, or themes in the study of the religions of the ancient Mediterranean world.

R S X87M.2. Seeing Gods.

Examine textual and theoretical accounts of the religious phenomenon of epiphany across various belief systems.

R S X87M.3. Art, Gender, and Religion in Late Antiquity.

Examine the gendered experience of religion in Late Antiquity using the evidence of artistic record, with a primary focus on the Mediterranean world.

R S X89R. Topics in Research Seminars on Religion in Europe and the Middle East.

R S X90R. Research and Grant Proposal Writing for Social Sciences and Humanities.

Draft and revise proposals for dissertation research or write-up grants with peer review, learn about research design, methods, data collection, and analysis, as well as strategies for presenting one's project within the genre of grant proposal within the scope of social science and humanities research areas.

R S X90T. Topics in European and Middle Eastern Religion.

Advanced treatment of selected problems, topics, or themes concerning religion in Europe and the Middle East.

R S X90T.1. Islamic Studies: Discipline Intro.

R S X90T.2. Sovereignty in Islam: Theory & Practice.

A historical and comparative survey of the concepts and rituals of sovereignty in Muslim societies across the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia, with an emphasis on the pre-modern era.

R S X90T.4. The Arabic Humanities.

Explore the traditions formed in pre-modern Islamic humanities.

R S X90T.5. Gender, Islam and Representation in the Modern Middle East.

Examine representations of women across majority Muslim countries and explore how women producers and consumers navigate within the framework of regulations set by religious and governmental bodies.

R S X90T.6. The Qur'an and Its Interpretations.

R S X90T.7. Law and Religion in the Modern Middle East.

Examine the laws that govern religion and religious expression in Middle Eastern national constitutions, with a special focus on both the free exercise and establishment clause of Islam as the religion of the state.

R S X91L. Approaches to the Study of Religion in Latin America.

An introduction to the history of scholarship about religion in Latin America and the Caribbean.

R S X91N. Approaches to the Study of Religion in the United States.

An introduction to the history of scholarship about religion in the United States, including recent research on the Atlantic world, the Pacific world, and the Western Hemisphere.

R S X92T. Topics in Religion in the Americas.

Advanced treatment of selected problems, topics, or themes concerning religion in the Americas.

R S X93F. Topics in the Foundations of Asian Religions.

Introduction to and analysis of primary sources for the study of religion in Asia.

R S X94T. Topics in Religion in Asia.

Advanced treatment of selected problems, topics, or themes concerning religion in Asia.

R S X94T.1. The Body in Indian Medicine and Myth.

Examines issues of embodiment in South Asia in various life stages, including conception, infancy, childhood, adulthood, and death drawn from various historical periods, medical traditions, religious narratives, and sociological and anthropological studies.

R S X94T.2. Intellectual History of Indo-Iranian Islam.

R S X96E. Examination Preparation.

Designed for religious studies doctoral students preparing for qualifying examinations.

R S X96P. Dissertation Prospectus.

Designed for Religious Studies doctoral students preparing a dissertation proposal.

R S X98. Thesis.

R S X98R. Master's Report.

Preparation of a report to fulfill the requirement for the master's degree under the report option.

R S X98T. Supervised Teaching in Religious Studies.

Weekly group meetings with the supervising instructor, individual consultations, and reports.