Major Requirements
2023 - 2024 Catalog
Religion major leading to BA degree
A major in religion leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree requires completion of at least 30 credits from 10 three- or four-credit courses including the following:
- Introduction: One course introducing theory and method in the study of religion chosen from REL 100 or 210. This course must normally be taken before the start of the senior year.
- Religious Traditions: Two courses introducing trends in the thought, practice, and/or significance of a religious tradition. At least one course must be chosen from each of two of the following religious traditions
- Asian Religions: REL 131, 132
- Christianity: REL 102, 151, 152, 250
- Islam: REL 105, 108, 281, 283
- Judaism: REL 101, 106, 271
- American Indian Religions: REL 285 (SOAN 285)
- Cluster: A group of at least three courses proposed by students in consultation with their departmental adviser before the end of the junior year, cohering in such a way as to define and inform students' particular interest in a tradition, a topic or a method of studying religion. The cluster must include at least two courses from the Religion Department and may include up to three credits from one three- or four-credit course in other related disciplines or interdisciplinary programs (e.g., anthropology, art history, classics, English, history, philosophy, political science, sociology, women and gender studies). Examples of clusters might include the following:
Traditions of Scripture: REL 101, 102, 108, 335
Religion and Law: REL 335, 381, POL 236
Religion and Literature: REL 153, 272, ENGL 236
Religion in Classical Antiquity: REL 250, 283, 350, CLAS 201 (LIT 201)
Patterns in Medieval Religion: REL 151, 215, HIST 305
Secularization and Religion: REL 104, 152, SOAN 290 (when appropriate)
Students are encouraged to search the catalog and each term's list of topical offerings for courses related to their study of religion. Examples of other courses that may count for the cluster include, but are not exhausted by:
ARTH 140 - Asian Art
ARTH 242 - Arts of India
ARTH 253 - Medieval Art in Southern Europe
ARTH 254 - Medieval Art in Northern Europe
ARTH 342 - Love, Loyalty, and Lordship: Court Art of India, 1500s to1800s
ARTH 347 - Forget Me Not: Visual Culture of Historic and Religious Memorials
CLAS 201 - Classical Mythology
CLAS 288 - Supervised Study Abroad: Rome and Ancient Italy
ENGL 236 - The Bible as English Literature
ENGL 330 - Milton
ENGL 252 - Shakespeare
HIST 170 - History of Islamic Civilization I: Origins to 1500
HIST 171 - History of Islamic Civilization II: 1500 to the Present
HIST 204 - The Age of the Reformation
HIST 305 - Seminar: Religion, Church and Politics in Medieval and Renaissance Society
INTR 301 - The Irish World in Literature, Religion, and History
PHIL 214 - Poverty, Ethics, and Religion
PHIL 223 - Buddhist Philosophy
and, when appropriate, ARTH 394, POL 396, SOAN 290, SOAN 390. - Additional work in religion or other related disciplines to add up to 10 courses. A limit of one non-Religion course will count toward the major including those in #3 above.
- A minimum of 15 credits must be at the 200 level or above, excluding REL 210, 399, and 493.
- Senior capstone: REL 399 or 493 (3-3)
- Students seeking to graduate with honors are required to graduate with a minimum of 11 three- or four-credit courses.
- Introduction:
- REL 100 - Introduction to Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Through consideration of texts in a diversity of humanistic and social scientific disciplines, this course explores the nature, function, and meaning of religion in individual and collective experience. It also explores texts, practices, and symbols from a variety of world religions.
- REL 210 - Approaches to the Study of Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A study of approaches to understanding religious life and thought as found in selected writings in anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, theology, and comparative religion.
- Religious Traditions:
- Asian Religions:
- REL 131 - Buddhism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A survey of the historical development of the doctrines and practices of Buddhism. After a discussion of the Hindu origins of Buddhism, the course focuses on the development of the Theravada, Vajrayana and Mahayana traditions. A class trip to at least one Buddhist center is included.
- REL 132 - Hinduism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys Hindu religious traditions with a focus on the many ways in which Hindus visualize and talk about the divine and its manifestations in the world through mythic stories, use of images in worship, explanations of the nature of the soul and body in relation to the divine, and the belief in human embodiments of the divine in Hindu holy men and women. Topics include: the religious meanings of masculine and feminine in the divine and human contexts; the idea of local, family, and 'chosen" divinities; and differing forms of Hindu devotion for men and women.
- REL 131 - Buddhism
- Christianity:
- REL 102 - New Testament
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the New Testament.
- REL 152 - Christianity and Modern Culture
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A study of Christian thought and cultures in the period from the Reformation to the early 20th Century. Particular emphasis is placed on the challenges posed to the foundation of religious belief and practice in a modern context and the Christian responses to these challenges.
- REL 250 - Truth, Belief, Dissent: Defining Insiders and Outsiders in Ancient, Medieval and Modern Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Who decides what is orthodox [acceptable thought] and what is heretical [unacceptable], how are these decisions made, and what impact do they have on societal definitions of "insider" and "outsider?" What perennial questions emerge in debates about orthodoxy and heresy -- e.g., the powers of states to enforce religious orthodoxy, the joining of political ideologies with religious interests -- and how are those questions addressed in modernity? This course explores the shifting and perpetually uncertain boundaries of truth and identity in religion. The focal religion is Christianity, but comparative religions are in view. Readings include selections from the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament, "Gnostic gospels", and other so-called heretical texts, writings from the Church Fathers (with special attention to St. Augustine), medieval heresy trials, a contemporary American novel, and recent scholarly treatments of the boundaries that define "insiders" and "outsiders."
- REL 102 - New Testament
- Islam:
- REL 105 - Introduction to Islam
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course familiarizes students with the foundations of the Islamic tradition and the diverse historical and geographical manifestations of belief and practice built upon those foundations. Throughout the course, the role of Islam in shaping cultural, social, gender, and political identities is explored. Readings are drawn from the writings of both historical and contemporary Muslim thinkers.
- REL 108 - The Qur'an
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course approaches the Qur'an from a range of modern and pre-modern perspectives: as an oral recitation; as a material object; as a historical document; as a literary text; as it relates to the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; as a foundation for Islamic law, theology and mysticism; and as a source for ethics and social activism. Particular attention is devoted to issues of gender and politics raised by the Qur'an, supplemented by a number of film screenings.
- REL 281 - Modern Islamic Thought
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A study of Islamic religious movements and representative religious writings of the past two centuries, with focus upon fundamentalist" or "revivalist" writings and upon recent authors responding to them."
- REL 283 - Sufism: Islamic Mysticism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course explores the mystical expressions and institutions known as Sufism within the Islamic community. Topics include the elaboration of Sufism from the core tenets of Islam; Sufi practices of ecstasy and discipline; the artistic and literary products of the Sufi experience; the institutions of Sufi orders, saints, shrines, and popular practices; and the debates among Muslims over the place of Sufism within the greater tradition of Islam.
- REL 105 - Introduction to Islam
- Judaism:
- REL 101 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).
- REL 106 - Judaism: Tradition and Modernity
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course is an introduction to the rituals, concepts, and practices of Judaism from antiquity to the present day. Through a wide variety of sources, including rabbinic debate, fiction, drama, liturgy, memoirs, film, and history, we will consider how the Jewish tradition has developed, changed, and interacted with other traditions. Particular attention will be paid to the development of modern Jewish movements and communities.
- REL 101 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
- American Indian Religions:
- REL 285 - Introduction to American Indian Religions
(SOAN 285)
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as SOAN 285. This class introduces students to some of the dominant themes, values, beliefs, and practices found among the religions of North America's Indian peoples. The first part of the course explores the importance of sacred power, landscape, and community in traditional Indian spiritualities and rituals. It then examines some of the changes that have occurred in these traditions as a result of western expansion and dominance from the 18th through early 20th centuries. Lastly, the course considers some of the issues and problems confronting contemporary American Indian religions.
- REL 285 - Introduction to American Indian Religions
- Cluster:
- Examples of clusters might include the following:
- Traditions of Scripture:
- REL 101 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).
- REL 102 - New Testament
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the New Testament.
- REL 108 - The Qur'an
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course approaches the Qur'an from a range of modern and pre-modern perspectives: as an oral recitation; as a material object; as a historical document; as a literary text; as it relates to the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; as a foundation for Islamic law, theology and mysticism; and as a source for ethics and social activism. Particular attention is devoted to issues of gender and politics raised by the Qur'an, supplemented by a number of film screenings.
- REL 335 - Hindu Law in Theory and Practice
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 India produced one of the oldest legal systems in the world; one that offers some surprising contrasts with modern assumptions about the nature and scope of the law. Combining ethical and ritual obligations alongside rules for criminal and civil litigation, it was intended to cover every aspect of life, from personal habits to political institutions. The course begins with the ancient codes, Indian political theory, and documents from everyday legal practice in medieval times. The second half of the course begins with colonial-era British attempts to codify Hindu law; Hindu personal law in modern India; and the controversy over religion and secularism in the courts today, including the constitutional definition of Hindu; attempts to legislate against disapproved religious practices; and disputes over sacred spaces. We close with comparisons with legal reasoning about religion in America, Israel, and England, based on court cases.
- REL 101 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
- Religion and Law:
- REL 108 - The Qur'an
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course approaches the Qur'an from a range of modern and pre-modern perspectives: as an oral recitation; as a material object; as a historical document; as a literary text; as it relates to the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; as a foundation for Islamic law, theology and mysticism; and as a source for ethics and social activism. Particular attention is devoted to issues of gender and politics raised by the Qur'an, supplemented by a number of film screenings.
- REL 335 - Hindu Law in Theory and Practice
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 India produced one of the oldest legal systems in the world; one that offers some surprising contrasts with modern assumptions about the nature and scope of the law. Combining ethical and ritual obligations alongside rules for criminal and civil litigation, it was intended to cover every aspect of life, from personal habits to political institutions. The course begins with the ancient codes, Indian political theory, and documents from everyday legal practice in medieval times. The second half of the course begins with colonial-era British attempts to codify Hindu law; Hindu personal law in modern India; and the controversy over religion and secularism in the courts today, including the constitutional definition of Hindu; attempts to legislate against disapproved religious practices; and disputes over sacred spaces. We close with comparisons with legal reasoning about religion in America, Israel, and England, based on court cases.
- REL 381 - Islamic Law in Society
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This seminar introduces students to the Islamic understanding of shari'a (Path, "law") and its role in Muslim culture, history, and society. To be examined are: the key sources of law in the Qur'an and the model of the Prophet Muhammad, the early development of Islamic legal theories and institutions, the roles of these institutions in everyday life, and the struggle to re-imagine Islamic law and its place in contemporary Muslim communities. Case studies include the nature of political institutions, the rights and roles of women, and Islamic economics, courtroom procedure and the standing of shari'a in American courts.
- POL 236 - The American Supreme Court and Constitutional Law
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite POL 100 A survey of the development of American constitutional law and a study of the role of the Supreme Court as both a political institution and principal expositor of the Constitution.
- REL 108 - The Qur'an
- Religion and Literature:
- REL 153 - Jesus in Fact, Fiction, and Film
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A study of representations of Jesus in history, fiction, and film and the ways in which they both reflect and generate diverse cultural identities from antiquity to the present. The course begins with the historical Jesus and controversies about his identity in antiquity and then focuses on parallel controversies in modern and postmodern fiction and film. Readings include early Christian literature (canonical and non-canonical), several modern novels and works of short fiction, and theoretical works on the relationship of literature to religion. In addition, we study several cinematic treatments of Jesus dating from the beginnings of filmmaking to the present.
- REL 273 - Modern Jewish Literature in Translation
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as LIT 273. Readings in the works of 20th-century Jewish authors, studied as literary responses to the historical and religious crises of modern Jewish life in Europe, the United States, and Israel.
- ENGL 236 - The Bible as English Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement An intensive study of the Bible as a literary work, focusing on such elements as poetry, narrative, myth, archetype, prophecy, symbol, allegory, and character. Emphases may include the Bible's influence upon the traditions of English literature and various perspectives of biblical narrative in philosophy, theology, or literary criticism.
- REL 153 - Jesus in Fact, Fiction, and Film
- Religion in Classical Antiquity:
- REL 250 - Truth, Belief, Dissent: Defining Insiders and Outsiders in Ancient, Medieval and Modern Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Who decides what is orthodox [acceptable thought] and what is heretical [unacceptable], how are these decisions made, and what impact do they have on societal definitions of "insider" and "outsider?" What perennial questions emerge in debates about orthodoxy and heresy -- e.g., the powers of states to enforce religious orthodoxy, the joining of political ideologies with religious interests -- and how are those questions addressed in modernity? This course explores the shifting and perpetually uncertain boundaries of truth and identity in religion. The focal religion is Christianity, but comparative religions are in view. Readings include selections from the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament, "Gnostic gospels", and other so-called heretical texts, writings from the Church Fathers (with special attention to St. Augustine), medieval heresy trials, a contemporary American novel, and recent scholarly treatments of the boundaries that define "insiders" and "outsiders."
- REL 283 - Sufism: Islamic Mysticism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course explores the mystical expressions and institutions known as Sufism within the Islamic community. Topics include the elaboration of Sufism from the core tenets of Islam; Sufi practices of ecstasy and discipline; the artistic and literary products of the Sufi experience; the institutions of Sufi orders, saints, shrines, and popular practices; and the debates among Muslims over the place of Sufism within the greater tradition of Islam.
- REL 350 - Seminar in Biblical Studies
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite REL 101, REL 102, REL 151, or REL 250 An exploration of a topic in Biblical studies, focusing on ancient texts and their interpreters from antiquity to the present.
- CLAS 201 - Classical Mythology
(LIT 201)
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 An introduction to the study of Greek mythology, with an emphasis on the primary sources. The myths are presented in their historical, religious, and political contexts. The course also includes an introduction to several major theories of myth, and uses comparative materials drawn from contemporary society and media.
- REL 250 - Truth, Belief, Dissent: Defining Insiders and Outsiders in Ancient, Medieval and Modern Religion
- Patterns in Medieval Religion:
- REL 215 - Female and Male in Western Religious Traditions
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An investigation of views about the body, human sexuality, and gender in Western religious traditions, especially Judaism and Christianity, and of the influences of these views both on the religious traditions themselves and on the societies in which they develop. The course focuses on religion and society in antiquity and the Middle Ages, but also considers the continuing influence of religious constructions of the body and sexuality on succeeding generations to the present.
- HIST 305 - Seminar: Religion and the Church in Medieval and Renaissance Politics and Society
FDR HU Credits 3 Using texts and documents from the period itself, this seminar surveys the history of the Christian church in Western Europe and its relations with its neighbors from its emergence in Late Antiquity to the eve of the Protestant Reformation. Topics include the evolution of religious orders, relations with secular powers, scholastic theology, mysticism, humanism, lay religious movements, gender, heresy, and the recurring problem of reform.
- REL 215 - Female and Male in Western Religious Traditions
- Secularization and Religion:
- REL 152 - Christianity and Modern Culture
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A study of Christian thought and cultures in the period from the Reformation to the early 20th Century. Particular emphasis is placed on the challenges posed to the foundation of religious belief and practice in a modern context and the Christian responses to these challenges.
- REL 104 - Secularity, Disenchantment, and Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A study of the decline, transformation, and/or displacement of religious thought and practice in the west. Students explore depictions of religion and secularity in the modern west from the perspective of a variety of disciplines, including some or all of the following: sociology, psychology, philosophy, theology, literature, art. These explorations address the disenchantment that is supposed to have pervaded modern secularity, and they ask if secularity offers alternatives to such disenchantment.
- SOAN 290 - Special Topics in Sociology
(when appropriate)
Credits 3-4 A discussion of a series of topics of sociological concern.
- REL 152 - Christianity and Modern Culture
- Traditions of Scripture:
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Examples of other courses that may count for the cluster include, but are not exhausted by:
- ARTH 140 - Asian Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A survey of artistic traditions from South (including the Himalayan region), East, and Southeast Asia from roughly the 1st to the 18th centuries CE. The course focuses on a wide range of media - including architecture, sculpture, painting, textiles, and book arts - that serve a spectrum of religious and secular functions. The broad temporal, geographic, and topical scope of this course is meant to provide students with a basic understanding of not only the greatest artistic achievements and movements in Asia, but also the historical and political contexts that gave rise to these extraordinary pieces of art.
- ARTH 242 - Arts of India
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course explores the artistic traditions of India from the earliest extant material evidence of the Indus Valley Civilization (circa 2500 BCE) to the elaborate painting and architectural traditions of the Mughal period (circa 16th - 18th centuries). The course analyzes the religious and ritual uses of temples, paintings, and sculptures, as well as their political role in expressing imperial ideologies.
- ARTH 253 - Medieval Art in Southern Europe
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Examination of the art and culture of Italy and Greece from the rise of Christianity to the first appearance of bubonic plague in 1348. Topics include early Christian art and architecture; Byzantine imagery in Ravenna and Constantinople during the Age of Justinian; iconoclasm; mosaics in Greece, Venice and Sicily; sculpture in Pisa; and the development of panel and fresco painting in Rome, Florence, Siena and Assisi.
- ARTH 254 - Medieval Art in Northern Europe
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Survey of the art of France, Spain, Germany, and the British Isles from circa 700 to circa 1400. Discussions include Carolingian and Ottonian painting and architecture, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, and French cathedral design and decoration during the Romanesque and Gothic periods.
- ARTH 342 - Love, Loyalty, and Lordship: Court Art of India, 1500s to1800s
FDR HA Credits 3 During the 16th-19th centuries, India's Hindu and Islamic courts, as well as British imperial forces, vied for political authority and control over the subcontinent. Despite the political and economic volatility of the time, the regional courts commissioned spectacular secular and religious arts in the form of illustrated narratives, miniature paintings, and architectural masterpieces. This course focuses on this rich artistic heritage. As we analyze the courts' painted and built environments, we investigate three recurring themes: love (of court, God and, in some cases, an individual); loyalty (to courtly values, religious ideals, and ruler); and lordship (over land, animals, and people).
- ARTH 347 - Forget Me Not: Visual Culture of Historic and Religious Memorials
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 This class analyzes the visual material of memorial sites that shape social identity. Whether simple or elaborate in their construction, these creations allow people the space to connect with and/or honor a person or event from the historic or even mythological past. This global and thematic examination of memorials considers three primary foci: the built environment of a memorial; the performative role of visitors; and the function of memory at these sites.
- CLAS 288 - Supervised Study Abroad: Rome and Ancient Italy
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-6 Prerequisite instructor consent This course traces the growth of Rome and Roman civilization from its modest beginnings to its glory during the Republic and Empire. Lectures and readings prepare students for daily visits to sites, excavations, monuments and museums in Rome and its environs, and to locations in the Bay of Naples area.
- ENGL 236 - The Bible as English Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement An intensive study of the Bible as a literary work, focusing on such elements as poetry, narrative, myth, archetype, prophecy, symbol, allegory, and character. Emphases may include the Bible's influence upon the traditions of English literature and various perspectives of biblical narrative in philosophy, theology, or literary criticism.
- ENGL 330 - Milton
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 This course surveys one of the most talented and probing authors of the English language -- a man whose reading knowledge and poetic output has never been matched, and whose work has influenced a host of writers after him, including Alexander Pope, William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Mary Shelley. In this course, we read selections from Milton's literary corpus, drawing from such diverse genres as lyric, drama, epic and prose polemic. As part of their study of epic form, students create a digital humanities project rendering Paradise Los t in gaming context. Quests, heroes, ethical choices and exploration of new worlds in Paradise Lost are rendered as a game. Students read Milton in the context of literary criticism and place him within his historical milieu, not the least of which includes England's dizzying series of political metamorphoses from Monarchy to Commonwealth, Commonwealth to Protectorate, and Protectorate back to Monarchy.
- ENGL 252 - Shakespeare
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as MRST 252. A study of the major genres of Shakespeare's plays, employing analysis shaped by formal, historical, and performance-based questions. Emphasis is given to tracing how Shakespeare's work engages early modern cultural concerns, such as the nature of political rule, gender, religion, and sexuality. A variety of skills are developed in order to assist students with interpretation, which may include verse analysis, study of early modern dramatic forms, performance workshops, two medium-length papers, reviews of live play productions, and a final, student-directed performance of a selected play.
- HIST 170 - The World of Islam: Origins to 1500
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys the political, social, and cultural history of the Islamic World from the 7th to 15th centuries, with particular attention paid to the diverse geographical and cultural contexts in which pre-modern Islamic civilization flourished. Topics include the origins of Islam in late Antiquity; the development of Islamic religious, political, and cultural institutions; the flourishing of medieval Islamic education, science, and literature; the tension among state, ethnic, sectarian, and global Muslim identities; and the emergence of a distinctly Muslim approach to historiography.
- HIST 171 - The World of Islam: 1500 to the Present
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys the political, social, and cultural history of the Islamic World from the 16th to 21st centuries, with particular attention paid to the diverse experiences of the various regions that make up the Islamic world. Topics include the emergence of the early modern centralizing states in Iran, Turkey, India, and elsewhere; the spread of Islamic religious and political practices in Africa and Asia; the colonial and post-colonial confrontation between the Islamic World and Europe; and the evolution of new political, cultural, and intellectual movements as Muslim nations in the context of globalization.
- HIST 204 - The Age of Reformation
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Examines the origins, development, and consequences of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations of the 16th century. The late medieval religious environment; the emergence of new forms of lay religious expression; the impact of urbanization; and the institutional dilemmas of the church. The views of leading reformers, such as Luther, Calvin, and Loyola; and the impact of differing social and political contexts; and technological innovations, such as printing, on the spread of reform throughout Europe. The impact of reform and religious strife on state development and the emergence of doctrines of religious toleration and philosophical skepticism; recent theses and approaches emphasizing confessionalization,"social discipline," and "microhistory."
- INTR 301 - The Irish World in Literature, Religion, and History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement This seminar seeks to immerse the student in the literature, religious traditions, history, and culture of Ireland through a range of media and methods. The primary focus of the course is on Irish literary expressions and religious beliefs and traditions, from the pre-historic period to the modern day, with a particular emphasis on the ancient Irish world. We seek to understand the major movements in Ireland that led to its great cultural achievements in the 20th century, as well as the religious and spiritual issues and tensions that run throughout Irish literature and culture.
- PHIL 214 - Religion and Existentialism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as REL 214. A consideration of the accounts of human existence (faith and doubt; death and being-in-the-world; anxiety, boredom, and hope; sin and evil; etc.) elaborated by philosophers, theologians, and literary figures in the 19th and 20th centuries. The central figures considered are Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche. Attention is paid to their significance for future philosophers, theologians, artists, and literary figures, and consideration may also be paid to forerunners in earlier centuries.
- PHIL 223 - Buddhist Philosophy
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to Buddhist philosophy. We focus on the philosophical articulation and defense of Buddhism, and reflect on issues in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and ethics. We cover the development of major schools in both Indian and Chinese Buddhism, including Abhidharma, Madhyamaka, Yogacara, Tiantai, Huayan, and Chan/Zen. We see how different traditions can be mutually informing. We also discuss the relevance of Buddhist philosophy to Western philosophy as well as empirical research.
- POV 241 - Poverty, Ethics, and Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as PHIL 241. This course introduces students to some of the most influential and compelling ethical arguments (both secular and religious) about our moral obligations regarding poverty. The course also examines the benefits and challenges of doing comparative religious and philosophical ethical analysis of a pressing moral and social problem. In particular, students will consider the arguments for and against including religiously inflected arguments in public deliberation about anti-poverty policy.
and, when appropriate, ARTH 394, POL 396, SOC 390.
- ARTH 140 - Asian Art
- Additional work in religion or other related disciplines to add up to 10 courses.
- 15 credits of 200-level or above
- Senior capstone:
- REL 399 - Senior Seminar
Credits 3 Prerequisite Religion major and senior class standing This course begins with consideration of the nature of the study of religion. The remainder of the course is devoted to the writing of an independent research project. Students will continue to meet for discussion of work in progress and instruction in the craft of researching and writing a long, multi-source independent research project.
or
- REL 493 - Honors Thesis
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Honors Thesis.
- Students seeking to graduate with honors are required to graduate with a minimum of 11 three- or four-credit courses.
One course introducing theory and method in the study of religion chosen from REL 100 or 210. This course must normally be taken before the start of the senior year.
Two courses introducing trends in the thought, practice, and/or significance of a religious tradition. At least one course must be chosen from each of two of the following religious traditions:
A group of at least three courses proposed by students in consultation with their departmental adviser before the end of the junior year, cohering in such a way as to define and inform students' particular interest in a tradition, a topic or a method of studying religion. The cluster must include at least two courses from the Religion Department and may include up to three credits from one three- or four-credit course in other related disciplines or interdisciplinary programs (e.g., anthropology, art history, classics, English, history, philosophy, political science, sociology, women and gender studies).
A limit of one non-Religion course will count toward the major including those in #3 above.
A minimum of 15 credits must be at the 200 level or above, excluding REL 210, 399, and 493.