Department of Religion and Culture
Chair: Brian Britt
Professors: B. Britt, S. Johnson, and M. Saffle
Associate Professors: A. Abeysekara, A. Ansell, M. Gabriele, Z. Ni, A. Puckett, E. Satterwhite, P. Schmitthenner, and R. Scott
Assistant Professors: D. Christensen and S. Patel
Postdoctoral Fellow: S. Kessler
Instructors: K. Dhillon, M. Goodrum, J. Laney, and M. Schnitzer
Web: http://liberalarts.vt.edu/departments-and-schools/department-of-religion-and-culture.html
Overview
The Department of Religion and Culture critically investigates religion, culture, and their relationships by problematizing what is commonly considered self-evident, especially since these subjects are intrinsic to understanding the human condition both locally and globally. In our research, teaching, and engagement, we seek to craft and apply new forms of critical inquiry that advance integrative intellectual thought. These paths of inquiry inform our engagement with students, who become well prepared to understand complex transformations throughout their lives, whether they pursue graduate studies or other life trajectories.
The department offers an undergraduate degree in Religion and Culture (RLCL) and minors in American Studies, Appalachian Studies, Asian Area Studies, Judaic Studies, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Middle East Studies, Popular Culture, and Religion.
The department also offers an M.A. in Material Culture and Public Humanities, two graduate certificates--one in Religious Studies and the other in Material Culture and Public Humanities; and participates in the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) Ph.D. program.
Religion and Culture Major (RLCL)
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and Culture (RLCL) combines the strengths of the Department of Religion and Culture in the humanities and the study of religion in order to provide students with opportunities to examine several of the twenty-first century's most important global phenomena. Students completing this cutting-edge degree will explore the impact of religion and religious practices on politics, economics, the arts, and everyday life, as well as the impact of cultural shifts in moral and ethical practices, the arts, the dissemination of information and entertainment, and the influence of traditional values and attitudes within our emerging postmodern environment. Graduates will be prepared to contribute as employees and citizens to the state of Virginia, the United States, and indeed the world as all levels of society seek better ways to live and work together in the increasingly diverse contexts of the twenty-first century in which religion and culture will continue to interact in dramatic and changing ways.
Most students who choose this major are more interested in developing complex problem solving skills, critical thinking, and acquiring a broad education, than in gaining specialized skills for a single occupation. The global focus of the major affords career opportunities in education, business, government, industry, and the service and non-profit sectors. The major has a strong academic and career-advising component.
Degree Requirements
The graduation requirements in effect at the time of graduation apply. When choosing the degree requirements information, always choose the year of your expected date of graduation. Requirements for graduation are referred to via university publications as "Checksheets". The number of credit hours required for degree completion varies among curricula. Students must satisfactorily complete all requirements and university obligations for degree completion.
The university reserves the right to modify requirements in a degree program. However, the university will not alter degree requirements less than two years from the expected graduation year unless there is a transition plan for students already in the degree program.
Please visit the University Registrar website at http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/index1.html for degree requirements.
Study Abroad
Students are strongly encouraged to complete an approved study abroad program outside of the U.S. Study abroad programs are occasionally run by faculty in the department.
Honors College
Eligible students are encouraged to participate in the University Honors Program. Completing a degree "In Honors" is an excellent way for outstanding students to integrate the knowledge from several disciplines. Honors students have considerable flexibility in completing the degree requirements.
Double Majors
For information on earning a double major or second degree, contact the Department Chair. Since a requirement for the Religion and Culture major is completing a university minor or second major, students are encouraged to earn a second major.
Religion and Culture Minors
The department offers the following minors. Additional information about each can be found on our website at http://liberalarts.vt.edu/academics/majors-and-minors.html. [Note: the department's list of minors was removed by the College and replaced by a college-wide list.] Students in any major may opt to declare them as minors.
- American Studies
- Appalachian Studies
- Asian Area Studies
- Judaic Studies
- Medieval and Early Modern Studies
- Middle East Studies
- Popular Culture
- Religion
American Studies
American studies is an interdisciplinary field that draws upon a number of academic disciplines, including history, literature, and sociology, to consider relationships between culture and society in the United States as it is embedded in global processes and issues.
Coordinator: Emily Satterwhite
Appalachian Studies
Appalachian Studies is an academic program supporting teaching, research, outreach, and service on topics pertaining to Appalachia in relation to pertinent transglobal issues. Appalachian Studies faculty focus on these issues from a critical regionalism perspective in which the relationship between these issues and region is considered problematic and open to investigation.
The minor offers opportunities for community research, internships, and service-learning.
Director: Anita Puckett
Asian Area Studies
The interdisciplinary minor in Asian Area Studies focuses on the great cultural traditions of the Middle East, South Asia (including India), East Asia (China, Japan, Korea), Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. Students explore how various Asian traditions explain and represent this experience in literature, philosophy, religion, history, the social sciences, and the arts.
Coordinators: Zhange Ni and Helen Schneider
Judaic Studies
Endowed in 1996, the Malcolm and Diane Rosenberg Program in Judaic Studies offers students the opportunity to explore, examine, and critically engage the rich and multifaceted history, religion, and culture of the Jewish people. Judaic culture has significantly contributed to Western and other civilizations.
Coordinator: Brian Britt
Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Medieval & Early Modern Studies fosters an interdisciplinary approach to the Medieval and Early Modern Worlds (roughly 300-1700 C.E.).
Coordinator: Matthew Gabriele
Middle East Studies
The interdisciplinary minor in Middle East Studies allows students to gain a broad understanding and appreciation of the languages, religions, and cultures of the Middle East and of the region's history and its place in international relations.
Coordinator: Rachel M. Scott
Popular Culture
The Minor in Popular Culture provides an understanding of the broadly shared cultures made possible by mass production. Popular culture includes all widely practiced and distributed expressions: news; entertainment; religion; sports; popular art; and styles of decoration, dress, and architecture.
Coordinator: Emily Satterwhite
Religion
By examining a diversity of traditions and viewpoints, a program in religious studies provides the resources for an intellectually responsible appraisal of one's own value commitments. A minor in Religion is part of a broad liberal arts education and may lead to graduate study in a variety of fields or to professional training in ministerial or social service vocations.
Coordinator: Zhange (Nicole) Ni
Undergraduate Course Descriptions (APS)
1704 (HUM 1704): INTRODUCTION TO APPALACHIAN STUDIES
Introduces students to the history of the Appalachian region
from European contact to the present. Traces the idea of
Appalachia by tracing ways in which Americans have imagined
the region over time. Explores humanistic problems of
cultural identity, race and ethnicity, place and
globalization, and impacts of natural resource extraction.
(3H,3C)
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Honors
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
3464 (AHRM 3464) (GEOG 3464) (HD 3464) (HUM 3464) (SOC 3464) (UAP 3464): APPALACHIAN COMMUNITIES
The concept of community in Appalachia using an
interdisciplinary approach and experiential learning.
Interrelationships among geographically, culturally, and
socially constituted communities, public policy, and
human development. Pre: Junior standing.
(3H,3C)
3984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4034 (SOC 4054): APPALACHIAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
An empirical examination of how Appalachian speech both
reflects and constitutes regional cultures. Emphasis is on
applying sociological and anthropological methods and
theories to the study of language in use.
(3H,3C)
4094 (SOC 4094): APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY RESEARCH
Undergraduate participatory community research as applied
to issues of cultural heritage, sustainability, and
identity. Students engage in projects defined by
community groups and organizations as being critical
to their well-being, continuity, or growth. Emphasis
is on developing concepts of civic professionalism
and developmental democracy.
(3H,3C)
4404 (HUM 4404): APPALACHIAN FOLK CULTURES
Examination of informal learning systems, non-commodified
socioeconomic systems, and traditional aesthetic
expressions in Appalachia. Investigation of cultural
resistance to globalized market economies as expressed
in traditional artifacts and customs. Pre: Junior standing.
(3H,3C)
4414 (HUM 4414): ISSUES IN APPALACHIAN STUDIES
Topics course that examines major issues affecting
sustainability and continuity of contemporary Appalachia.
Focus is on problems of exploitation of human and
natural resources. Comparison is made to other mountain
communities worldwide. Specific topics vary. May be
repeated one time with different topics.
Pre: HUM 1704.
(3H,3C)
4964: FIELD STUDY
Pass/Fail only. Variable credit course.
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Honors
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
4994H: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Honors
Variable credit course.
Undergraduate Course Descriptions (HUM)
1324: INTRODUCTORY HUMANITIES: THE MODERN WORLD
The shifts in thought and values during the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries in the global imagination, including
issues of commerce, scientific inquiry, industrialization,
nationalism, war, labor, gender, class differences, race,
and the beginnings of postmodernity. Emphasis on
interpretive and analytic skills in terms of reading,
discussing, and writing about the interrelationships among
the arts, literature, philosophy, history, religion, and
science, and their contributions toward shaping the values
and aspirations of the age, including global contexts and
Asian cultures.
(3H,3C)
1604: INTRODUCTION TO HUMANITIES AND THE ARTS
Explores the verbal, visual, and aural arts of several
important periods in Western history, setting them in the
context of their times. Introduces the structural
principles of each art form.
(3H,3C)
1704 (APS 1704): INTRODUCTION TO APPALACHIAN STUDIES
Introduces students to the history of the Appalachian region
from European contact to the present. Traces the idea of
Appalachia by tracing ways in which Americans have imagined
the region over time. Explores humanistic problems of
cultural identity, race and ethnicity, place and
globalization, and impacts of natural resource extraction.
(3H,3C)
2104 (AINS 2104) (COMM 2104): ORAL TRADITIONS AND CULTURE
Examination of the world's great oral traditions, both
ancient and contemporary. Emphasis on performance
contexts, relationships among multicultural traditions,
including American Indian oral traditions, and the
relationships among orality, literacy, technology, media,
and culture.
(3H,3C)
2204: HUMANITIES AND THE ARTS: THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Explores the theory and the experience of the creative
process. Studies both essays on the process of creative
activity and examples of its product. Includes a personal
creative project.
(3H,3C)
2504 (RLCL 2504): INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES
Methodology and tools of American studies, with a focus on
developing analytic skills to assess discourse across varied
media. Interdisciplinary investigation of histories,
politics, cultures, and beliefs in the Americas, including
the impacts of encounter and exchange. Intensive study of
a specific topic or period.
(3H,3C)
2964: FIELD STUDY
Pass/Fail only. Variable credit course.
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
3034 (COMM 3034) (RLCL 3034): THEORIES OF POP CULTURE
Relationship of popular culture to communication; ways to
classify, analyze, and evaluate popular culture; history
of main themes with emphasis on the United States; cultural
evolution of the electronic revolution.
(3H,3C)
3044: TOPICS HUMANITIES AND ARTS
Focuses on interdisciplinary topics involving
interrelationships among various arts and/or artists.
Explores the religious and/or cultural impacts of arts
and/or artists on societies and of societies on artistic
expression. Investigates humanistic debates about the nature
of art. May be taken a maximum of 3 times for credit with
different topics.
(3H,3C)
3204 (COMM 3204) (RLCL 3204): MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Exploration of communication in various cultural groups
through the medium of performance. Emphasis on
understanding cultural differences and similarities in
styles of communication, aesthetics, worldviews, and values.
(3H,3C)
3464 (AHRM 3464) (APS 3464) (GEOG 3464) (HD 3464) (SOC 3464) (UAP 3464): APPALACHIAN COMMUNITIES
The concept of community in Appalachia using an
interdisciplinary approach and experiential learning.
Interrelationships among geographically, culturally, and
socially constituted communities, public policy, and
human development. Pre: Junior standing.
(3H,3C)
3954: STUDY ABROAD
Variable credit course.
4034 (COMM 4034) (RLCL 4034): FUNCTIONS OF POPULAR CULTURE
Popular culture as a humanistic discipline; emphasis on
archetypes, formulas, and genres; the function of ideas,
images, and icons on the popular imagination.
(3H,3C)
4104: EXPLORATIONS IN ADVANCED HUMANITIES TOPICS
In-depth study of special interdisciplinary topic. Topics
vary but involve a close and extensive study of the
interrelationship between cultural ideas and their
expressions in several of the following forms: literature,
philosophy, religion, art, music, drama, material culture,
and popular culture. May be repeated with different topics,
for a maximum of 9 credits.
(3H,3C)
4404 (APS 4404): APPALACHIAN FOLK CULTURES
Examination of informal learning systems, non-commodified
socioeconomic systems, and traditional aesthetic
expressions in Appalachia. Investigation of cultural
resistance to globalized market economics as expressed
in traditional artifacts and customs. Pre: Junior standing.
(3H,3C)
4414 (APS 4414): ISSUES IN APPALACHIAN STUDIES
Topics course that examines major issues affecting
sustainability and continuity of contemporary Appalachia.
Focus is on problems of exploitation of human and
natural resources. Comparison is made to other mountain
communities worldwide. Specific topics vary. May be repeated
one time with different topics.
Pre: 1704.
(3H,3C)
4964: FIELD STUDY
Pass/Fail only. Variable credit course.
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
4994H: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
Undergraduate Course Descriptions (JUD)
1104 (HEB 1104): INTRODUCTION TO HEBREW LANGUAGE, CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE
Fundamentals of Modern Hebrew language with emphasis on
grammar, reading, composition, and conversation. For
students with no prior knowledge of the language.
(3H,3C)
1114 (HEB 1114): ACCELERATED ELEMENTARY HEBREW LANGUAGE
Complementary introduction to the fundamentals of Modern
Hebrew language with continued emphasis on grammar, reading,
composition, and conversation. This course is for students
who have completed 1104 or with permission from instructor.
1114 is a four-credit course with a self-instruction
component that demands student time outside of class.
Pre: 1104.
(3H,2L,4C)
2134 (RLCL 2134): JUDAISM: A SURVEY OF HISTORY, CULTURE, AND HERITAGE
Introduction to the academic study of Judaism; a variety of
scholarly approaches to Jewish textual and cultural sources,
including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic literature, and diverse
contemporary cultural, religious, and social expressions.
Emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking, reading,
and writing about Judaism as a way of understanding the
beliefs, philosophies, and histories of global Jewish
communities past and present.
(3H,3C)
2414 (RLCL 2414): HEBREW BIBLE/OLD TESTAMENT
Introduction to the academic study of the Hebrew Bible
(Old Testament), including its contents, contexts, major
themes, and reception; a variety of scholarly approaches,
including historical-critical, literary, ethical, and gender
studies methods. Emphasis on developing skills in critical
thinking, reading, and writing about the Hebrew Bible
(Old Testament).
(3H,3C)
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
3404 (RLCL 3404): TORAH AND TRADITION
Detailed study of the first five books of the Bible, known
as the Torah or Pentateuch. Scholarly approaches will
include historical-critical research; comparative mythology;
form and canon criticism; gender and literary studies; and
the reception of these books in the Hebrew Bible, the New
Testament and beyond.
Pre: REL 2414.
(3H,3C)
3494 (HIST 3494) (RLCL 3494): THE HOLOCAUST
This course provides a historical account, a psychological
analysis, and an occasion for philosophical contemplation on
the Holocaust. We will examine the deliberate and
systematic attempt to annihilate the Jewish people by the
National Socialist German State during World War II.
Although Jews were the primary victims, Gypsies, people
with disabilities, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses and
political dissidents were targeted; we will discuss their
fate as well. The class will be organized around the
examination of primary sources: written accounts,
photographic and film, personal testimony.
(3H,3C)
3544 (PSCI 3544) (RLCL 3544): THE STATE OF ISRAEL: A POLITICAL HISTORY
This course provides a survey on the political history of
the State of Israel and highlights major themes uniquely
characterizing the specific events surrounding its
establishment and its first 50 years of existence.
Additionally, the course will add a comparative dimension by
using the political history of Israel as a case study to
discuss major themes in political science such as
democracy, government, political economy, etc.
Pre: 2134 or PSCI 1024.
(3H,3C)
4424: ADVANCED TOPICS IN JEWISH CULTURE, HISTORY & THOUGHT
Selected topics in Jewish culture, history and thought.
Possible topics includes: the philosophy of Maimonides,
Spinoza or Buber, or a course dedicated to one of the
following topics: Kabbalah, Hasidism, The American Jewish
experience in the first half of the 20th century, and
Oriental Jewish art and folklore. Two JUD courses or
senior standing required. Alternate years.
(3H,3C)
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
4994H: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
Undergraduate Course Descriptions (RLCL)
1004: INTRODUCTION TO RELIGION AND CULTURE
This course introduces students to foundational concepts
and debates within the humanities and social sciences by
studying one of a rotating set of themes (e.g. love, evil,
apocalypse) located at the intersection of religion and
culture. Emphasis on cultural diversity, historical
transformation, interdisciplinary inquiry, problem-solving
and the application of academic discussions to everyday life
situations.
(3H,3C)
1024: JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM
The nature of "religion," approaches to understanding
"religion," traditional and contemporary features of
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including their
manifestations in the USA and their involvements in critical
issues in a global context.
(3H,3C)
1024H: JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM
The nature of "religion" approaches to understanding
"religion," traditional and contemporary features of
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including their
manifestations in the USA and their involvements in critical
issues in global context.
(3H,3C)
1034: RELIGION AND THE MODERN WORLD
Modern challenges to traditional religion and responses to
these challenges, including: religion as an object of
critique; law, sovereignty, and religion; religion, gender,
and race; religion, science, and technology; religion and
media presentations.
(3H,3C)
1034H: RELIGION AND THE MODERN WORLD
Modern challenges to traditional and responses to
these challenges, including conservative, liberal, and
radical responses; science and religion; issues of race and
gender; church and state issues.
(3H,3C)
1044: RELIGIOUS ETHICS
Influential representative social and religious ethical
perspectives from the mid-sixties to the present; ethical
reasoning on current pressing and perennial social issues
based on historical and ethical analysis of case studies;
theoretical assumptions about morality as the relation
between justice and the good.
(3H,3C)
1134 (CLA 1134): INTRODUCTORY HUMANITIES: THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN WORLD
Ancient Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman cultures through their
embodiments in the arts, literature, history, philosophy,
and religion. Emphasis on the interrelationships among
the various forms of cultural expressions and material
and intellectual encounters among diverse groups in the
ancient Mediterranean world.
(3H,3C)
1134H (CLA 1134H): INTRODUCTORY HUMANITIES: THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN WORLD
Ancient Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman cultures through their
embodiments in the arts, literature, history, philosophy,
and religion. Emphasis on the interrelationships among the
various forms of cultural expression, and material and
intellectual encounters among diverse groups in the ancient
Mediterranean world.
(3H,3C)
1214: INTRODUCTORY HUMANITIES: THE MEDIEVAL WORLD
Introduction to Europe and the Mediterranean world in the
period between antiquity and the European encounter with
the Americas. Investigation of the arts, literature,
philosophy, and history of the period in the Christian,
Jewish, and Islamic traditions and the multiple types of
encounters that those communities experienced. Analysis of
the impact the medieval world continues to have on the
modern West.
(3H,3C)
1214H: INTRODUCTORY HUMANITIES: THE MEDIEVAL WORLD
The medieval synthesis in Western European thought
and the transition to the world of the Renaissance.
Emphasis on the interrelationships among the arts,
literature, philosophy, history, religion, and science,
and their contributions toward shaping the values
and aspirations of the age.
(3H,3C)
1904: RELIGION AND CULTURE IN ASIA
Historical and geographical overview of diverse
religious/cultural traditions in Asia, such as Hinduism,
Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto.
Investigation of the categories "religion" and "culture" and
their interactions in Asia. Examination of different
methodological and interdisciplinary approaches and their
integration, with emphasis on critical thinking about the
complexities of studying religion and culture in Asia. Asia
on a global stage, including Western views of Asia and Asian
views of the West.
(3H,3C)
1904H: RELIGION AND CULTURE IN ASIA
Historical and geographical overview of diverse
religious/cultureal traditions in Asia. Investigation of the
categories "religion" and "culture" and their interactions
in Asia. Examination of different methodological and
interdisciplinary approaches and their integration,
with emphasis on critical thinking about the complexities
of studying religion and culture in Asia.
(3H,3C)
2004: CASE STUDIES IN RELIGION AND CULTURE
Significant case studies in the study of religion and
culture with an emphasis on influential and emerging
research. Focused engagement with humanities and
social sciences research grounded in analysis,
comparison, and evaluation of relevant case studies.
(3H,3C)
2054 (SOC 2054): ETHNOGRAPHY: STUDYING CULTURE
Introduction to the methodological tools used by
anthropologists and other social scientists to study
culture. Engagement with the development of, and
debates about, ethnographic methods, as well as their
application to case studies. Focus on analyses of
sample ethnographic accounts of peoples throughout the
world, as well as research techniques applicable to many
different cultural environments.
(3H,3C)
2104 (GR 2104): GREEK NEW TESTAMENT
Readings from the New Testament in Greek, with attention to
grammatical analysis, historical background and other clues
interpretation. May repeated with different content for a
maximum of 9 credits.
Pre: GR 1106.
(3H,3C)
2124: RELIGION IN AMERICAN LIFE
The role of religion in American life in selected
periods from the original settlements to the present;
the influence of religious institutions and movements
in American history and the impact of the "American
experience" on religious life and expression.
(3H,3C)
2134 (JUD 2134): JUDAISM: A SURVEY OF HISTORY, CULTURE, AND HERITAGE
Introduction to the academic study of Judaism; a variety of
scholarly approaches to Jewish textual and cultural sources,
including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic literature, and diverse
contemporary cultural, religious, and social expressions.
Emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking, reading,
and writing about Judaism as a way of understanding the
beliefs, philosophies, and histories of global Jewish
communities past and present.
(3H,3C)
2144 (AFST 2144): AFRICAN RELIGIONS
The role of religious (or belief) systems in African
societies, especially the three predominant religious
traditions in Africa: the so-called African Traditional
Religious, Islam, and Christianity; the universe of
religious systems and religious experiences and
processes of Africa, in particular, Sub-Saharan
Africa; critical examination of the mythic stature of
Africa's "religions" within Western cultural (and
scholarly) world views and institutions.
(3H,3C)
2204 (AFST 2204) (WGS 2204): RACE AND GENDER IN RELIGION AND CULTURE
Introduction to how race and gender influence and are
influenced by religion and culture. Overview of approaches
to categories of diversity, particularly race and gender, in
religious and cultural traditions. Utilization of humanistic
and social scientific approaches to investigate
geographically variable historical and/ or contemporary
case studies.
(3H,3C)
2324: ISLAM
The rise of Islam under the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia and
its spread across Asia and Africa. The development of Islam
in the middle Ages and its resurgence in the 20th century.
(3H,3C)
2414 (JUD 2414): HEBREW BIBLE/OLD TESTAMENT
Introduction to the academic study of the Hebrew Bible
(Old Testament), including its contents, contexts, major
themes, and reception; a variety of scholarly approaches,
including historical-critical, literary, ethical, and gender
studies methods. Emphasis on developing skills in critical
thinking, reading, and writing about the Hebrew Bible
(Old Testament).
(3H,3C)
2424: NEW TESTAMENT
Introduction to the academic study of the New Testament,
including gospels, Pauline materials, theological themes,
and sources on the emerging church. A variety of scholarly
approaches to the New Testament texts and contexts,
including historical-critical, redaction critical, and
literary methods. Emphasis on developing skills in critical
thinking, reading, and writing about the New Testament and
the ancient Mediterranean world as a way of understanding
the religion and history of early Christianity.
(3H,3C)
2424H: NEW TESTAMENT
Introduction to the academic study of the New Testament; a
variety of scholarly approaches to the New Testament,
including historical-critical, redaction critical, and
literary methods. Emphasis on developing skills in
critical thinking, reading, and writing about the New
Testament as a way of understanding the faith and
history of early Christianity.
(3H,3C)
2444 (CLA 2444) (ENGL 2444): GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY
Surveys ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Provides
students with an introduction to selected myths from ancient
Greek and Roman literature, including appropriate historical
background information. Familiarizes students with how
theories of myth have been applied to individual stories and
how such mythological tales have been received by authors
and artists in subsequent cultures. Explores the
interaction and interdependence of mythological tales from
different cultures and perspectives. In English.
(3H,3C)
2464 (STS 2464): RELIGION AND SCIENCE
Exploration of the relationships between religion and
science in the western tradition. Basic
frameworks for relationships between religion and
science in historical and cultural context, types of
human knowledge and truth, similarities and
differences between science and religion, evolution,
the origins of the creationist movement, and contemporary
moral and ethical issues.
(3H,3C)
2474 (IS 2474): RELIGION AND VIOLENCE
Investigation of the categories of religion and secularity
as they apply to war and peace. Analysis of episodes from
both past and present in which religion seems to have played
a role. Introduction to research skills related to the
study of religion and violence, building from theoretical
and historical considerations.
(3H,3C)
2504 (HUM 2504): INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES
Methodology and tools of American Studies, with a focus on
developing analytic skills to assess discourse across varied
media. Interdisciplinary investigation of histories,
politics, cultures, and beliefs in the Americas, including
the impacts of encounter and exchange. Intensive study
of a specific topic or period.
(3H,3C)
2514 (SOC 2514): ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Critical overview of diverse Asian-American experience, the
complexity of minority status, and meaningful citizenship in
the USA. Topics include different historical tracks of
various Asian ethnicities, experience of racism, activism,
cultural adaptation and conflict, and economic survival and
success.
(3H,3C)
2964: FIELD STUDY
Pass/Fail only. Variable credit course.
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
3014 (WGS 3014): WOMEN AND GENDER IN ISLAM
An examination of women and gender in Islam from
a variety perspectives including Muslim women in
Islamic history, normative constructions of the role of
women in Islam, and women's roles in contemporary
Muslim societies. Understanding of women in classical
Islam; feminist and reformist approaches; and Western
constructions of the "rights of women if Islam."
(3H,3C)
3024 (ENGL 3024): RELIGION AND LITERATURE
Read works from world literature, guided by selected
critical readings. Compare/contrast diverse models of
"religion" and "literature." Study how modernity has
impacted traditions of religion and culture. Interpret
literary texts that draw from multiple religions. Analyze
religion-literature controversies in a range of social,
cultural, political contexts. Synthesize sources of
multiple media, formats, and contexts.
(3H,3C)
3034 (COMM 3034) (HUM 3034): THEORIES OF POP CULTURE
Relationships of popular culture to communication; ways to
classify, analyze, and evaluate popular culture; history of
main themes with emphasis on the United States; culture
evolution of the electronic revolution.
(3H,3C)
3144 (ENGL 3144) (SOC 3144): LANGUAGE AND ETHNICITY IN THE UNITED STATES
Exploration of how racial and ethnic identity are expressed
through the use of different languages and dialects.
Examination of how language is related to issues of
equality, social opportunity, and discrimination in the
United States.
Pre: ENGL 1106 or ENGL 1204H or COMM 1016.
(3H,3C)
3204 (COMM 3204) (HUM 3204): MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Exploration of communication in various
cultural groups through the medium of
performance. Emphasis on understanding
cultural differences and similarities in styles
of communications, aesthetics, worldviews,
and values.
(3H,3C)
3214: RELIGION AND CULTURE IN INDIA
Interaction of religion and culture from Indus Valley
civilization to the present; Brahmanism and Hinduism, the
Buddha and his teachings, Parsis, Jains, Sikhs, and their
respective literatures and rituals; modern reforms and
recent trends.
(3H,3C)
3224: RELIGION AND CULTURE IN CHINA AND JAPAN
Premodern model of Chinese and Japanese religions:
interactions of various traditions (e.g. Confucianism,
Buddhism, Daoism, Shinto, and folk); inseparability of
religion, culture, society, and politics. Modern
reinventions of religion in China and Japan in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Contemporary
issues such as state-religion relations in East Asia,
religions of China and Japan in America, East Asian
religions and globalization.
(3H,3C)
3404 (JUD 3404): TORAH AND TRADITION
Detailed study of the first five books of the Bible, known
as the Torah or Pentateuch. Scholarly approaches will
include historical-critical research; comparative mythology;
form and canon criticism; gender and literary studies; and
the reception of these books in the Hebrew Bible, the New
Testament, and beyond.
Pre: 2414.
(3H,3C)
3414: JESUS AND THE GOSPELS
Academic study of the four canonical Gospels;
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; several scholarly
methodologies; the problem of the historical Jesus;
noncanonical gospels.
Pre: 2424.
(3H,3C)
3424: PAUL AND HIS INTERPRETERS
Academic study of the New Testament letters by or
attributed to Paul; historical, literary, and theological
context of the letters; classic and contemporary
interpreters.
Pre: 2424.
(3H,3C)
3494 (HIST 3494) (JUD 3494): THE HOLOCAUST
This course provides a historical account, a psychological
analysis, and an occasion for philosophical contemplation
on the Holocaust. We will examine the deliberate and
systematic attempt to annihilate the Jewish people by the
National Socialist German State during World War II.
Although Jews were the primary victims, Gypsies, people
with disabilities, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses
and political dissidents were targeted; we will discuss
their fate as well. The class will be organized around the
examination of primary sources: written accounts,
photographic and film, personal testimony.
(3H,3C)
3504 (HIST 3504): THE AGE OF THE CRUSADES
The origins and development of religious violence examined
from an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective;
the place of that phenomenon in medieval society.
Christianity, Islam, Judaism and their interactions in the
medieval world.
(3H,3C)
3544 (JUD 3544) (PSCI 3544): THE STATE OF ISRAEL: A POLITICAL HISTORY
This course provides a survey on the political history
of the State of Israel and highlights major themes
uniquely characterizing the specific events surrounding
its establishment and its first 50 years of existence.
Additionally, the course will add a comparative
dimension by using the political history of Israel as a
case study to discuss major themes in political science
such as democracy, government, political, economy, etc.
Pre: JUD 2134 or PSCI 1024.
(3H,3C)
3604: ISLAM AND THE MODERN WORLD
Issues facing the contemporary Islamic world, with a focus
on the Islamic resurgence and the concept of Jihad. Muslims
re-formulate the Islamic tradition as a response to the
pressures of modernity.
(3H,3C)
3954: STUDY ABROAD
Variable credit course.
4024 (SOC 4024): SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
Religion as a social structure as well as an institution;
with special attention to the functions of religion for
individuals, groups and societies, social organization; and
the interplay between religion and other social institutions
including economics and polity. Taught alternate years.
Pre: SOC 1004.
(3H,3C)
4034 (COMM 4034) (HUM 4034): FUNCTIONS OF POPULAR CULTURE
Popular culture as a humanistic discipline; emphasis on
archetypes, formulas, and genres; the function of ideas,
images, and icons on the popular imagination.
(3H,3C)
4124 (SOC 4124) (WGS 4124): TOPICS IN CULTURE
Uses sociological, anthropological, as well as artistic and
humanist paradigms to analyze culture. Discusses 20th and
21st century cultural trends. Analyzes the implications of
social context for cultural artifacts such as art. Topics
are variable. Example topics include the cultural
construction of race and the culture of the nineteen
sixties. Course may be repeated with different course
content for up to 6 credits. Junior or Senior standing.
Pre: SOC 1004 or SOC 1014 or AFST 1714 or AINS 1104 or RLCL 1004 or RLCL 2004 or WGS 1824.
(3H,3C)
4324: TOPICS IN RELIGION AND CULTURE
Selected topics from the religions of the world such as time
and the sacred, preliterate religions, women and religion,
religion and science, mysticism. May be taken three times
for credit with different topics.
Pre: 2004.
(3H,3C)
4964: FIELD STUDY
Pass/Fail only. Variable credit course.
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
4994H: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.