RelS 2001. Introduction to World Religions. (3)
Introduction to the academic study of the world’s major religious traditions, including their beliefs, practices, sacred texts, and moral codes. Religions to be examined may include Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Native American traditions, and African traditions.

RelS 3010. History of Western Philosophy I: Ancient and Medieval. (3)
Same as Phil 3010
Development of European philosophy from the early Greeks to theRenaissance. Typically included are Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,St. Augustine, and St. ThomasAquinas.

RelS 3020. History of Western Philosophy II: Modern. (3)
Same as Phil 3020.
Development of European philosophy from the Renaissance to theEnlightenment. Typically included are Hobbes, Descartes,Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume,and Kant.

RelS 3030. History of Western Philosophy III: 19th-20th Century. (3)
Same as Phil 3030.
Development of European and American philosophy from the Enlightenment tothe mid-20thcentury. Philosophers and schools may include Hegel, Marx; Mill,Nietzsche, Russell, James,Dewey, Sartre, Whitehead, and Wittgenstein, and idealism, pragmatism,process thought,existentialism, and analytic philosophy.

RelS 3050. Introduction to Religion. (3)
Introduction to the study of religion with reference to its historical,philosophical, and ethicalsignificance. The meaning of religious institutions, texts, and worldviews will be exploredthrough the study of selected traditions.

RelS 3230. Philosophy of Religion. (3)
Same as Phil 3230.
Issues such as the nature of religion, arguments for the existence of God,the problem of evil,faith and reason, religious experience, immortality, myth and symbol, andalternative religiousphilosophies.

RelS 3250. Biblical Studies. (3)
Introduction to the interpretation, history, and theology of the HebrewBible and New Testament. Modern methods of biblical scholarship, such as hermeneutics andform/source criticism.

RelS 3270. World Religions. (3)
Survey and comparison of the beliefs and practices of the major worldreligions including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

RelS 3290. Jesus Inside and Outside the Gospels. (3)
Comparative study of portrayals of Jesus as they have evolved over the past two millennia.Topics may include the differences between the Synoptic and Johannine materials,Jesus in the non-canonical gospels, the way Jesus is depicted in texts from other religions (e.g., Quran, Gandhi’s “What Jesus Means to Me”), and visualdepictions of Jesus in modern media such as film, television and the internet.

RelS 3300. Early Christianity. (3)
Topics may include God, faith, the role of the Church, and the nature of human beings in the thought of figures such as Paul, Augustine and Luther; alternatives to Orthodoxy such as Gnosticism and Pelagianism; the impact of science and historical criticism in thinkers such as Hume, Schleiermacher, and Feuerbach.

RelS 3305. Modern Christian Thought. (3)
Examination of the development of Christian thought from the 16th century tocontemporary times. Topics may include: the thought of figures such as Luther,ics of reformers and fundamentalists in modern times; the continuing importance and vitality of Sufism today.

RelS 3310. Contemporary Religious Thought. (3)
Topics such as religious existentialism, hermeneutics, liberationtheology, fundamentalism, andfeminist theology.

RelS 3350. New Religious Movements. (3)
Examination of new and emerging religious movements. Topics may include recent apocalyptic and messianic movements, Mormonism, Baha'i, Soka Gakkai, Christian Science, the Unification Church, and Santeria.

RelS 3400. Introduction to Judaism. (3)
Central practices and beliefs of the Jewish tradition; historical developmentof Judaism from its origins to the reestablishment of the state of Israelwith thematic attention given to the concept of Jewish identity. Textsinclude primary sources (e.g., Hebrew Bible, Mishnah) as well asnoted Jewish fiction.

RelS 3500. Introduction to Islam. (3)
Central practices and beliefs of Islam; readings from the Qur'an, hadith, and other primary sources (in translation); and contemporary issues in Islam which might include the status of women, Nation of Islam, and Islamic fundamentalism/revivalism.

RelS 3520. Sufism and Islamic Mysticism. (3)
The rise of ascetic and mystical tendencies in Islam; the development of Sufism and the Sufi brotherhoods; the conflict between Sufism and Islamic law, and their eventual reconciliation; anti-Sufi polemics of reformers and fundamentalists in modern times; the continuing importance and vitality of Sufism today.

RelS 3900. Religion and Popular Culture. (3)
Exploration of "popular religion" in American culture, utilizing both scholarly and mainstream materials. Topics may include holiday celebrations, tensions between sciences (or science-fiction) and religion, western appropriations of eastern traditions,and religion in the mass media.

RelS 3950. Religion, Morality and Film. (3)
Examination of the new religious possibilities, new religious visions, and moral consequences created by the emergence of modern film. Topics may include a st, from apostasy to increased religious devotion.

RelS 4040. Augustine and Aquinas. (3)
Same as Phil 4040
Selected works of the major religious philosophers of the Middle Ages with emphasis on their views on topics such as God, sin, human nature, free will, faith, and politics.

RelS 4200. Religion in America. (3) 1
Introduction to the religious experiences of Americans from colonial timesto the present. Topicsmay include Native American religion, Puritanism, Mormonism, spiritualism,Reform Judaism,Catholic modernism, Islam, fundamentalism, and African-American religion.

RelS 4210. Spirituality in America. (3)
Examination of the recent history of spirituality in American culture, stressing the lives of seers, mystics, and American prophets from the last 100 years. Topics include Native American spiritual practices, western ("New Age") appropriations of native spiritualities, mysticism, meditation, religious eclecticism, the problems of interpreting ecstatic behaviors, altered states of consciousness, and new religious movements in America.

RelS 4215. Utopian/Radical/Revolutionary. (3)
Exploration of how religious reformers set out to change, revive, or revolutionize American society. Examination of questions including: What does it mean to create the "good society" in a setting where the people rule? What kinds of personal qualities (virtues) and social institutions must be sustained in order to hold such a society together? How is it possible to educate or otherwise equip American citizens to rule themselves and their society?

RelS 4220. Theories of Religion. (3)
Leading theoretical and philosophical approaches to the study of religion.

RelS 4230. Religions of the African World. (3)
Same as AAS 4230.
An overview of religion from Africa to the Diaspora. African cosmologyand religions among various African peoples such as the Yoruba, and the Dogon of Mali. African origins of Westernreligions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Various religionsamong African peoples inthe diaspora such as Santeria, Voodooism, Rastafarianism, as well asChristianity, Black Judaismand the Nation of Islam. Special attention to African survivals inreligion in the Diaspora. Therole of religion as a toot of liberation and in community and economicdevelopment.

RelS 4240. Death and the Afterlife. (3)
Introduction to the general beliefs and practices associated with death and the afterlife in several world religious traditions. Topics may include religious perspectives on the process of dying, treatment of the body, methods of grieving, views of suicide and martyrdom, and contemporary issues surrounding death and the afterlife.

RelS 4250. African-American Religion. (3)
Same as AAS 4250.
Survey of the development of African-American religion from colonial timesto the present,including an examination of both theological arguments and spiritualexperiences.

RelS 4260. Religion and Literature. (3)
Examines how religious institutions, beliefs, and values have been presented in and challenged within novels. Readings include works by authors from various religious communities as well as theoretical work done by scholars working in the field of religion and literature.

RelS 4270. Women and Religion. (3)
Formerly RelS 4370.
Multicultural exploration of the role of women and female divinities in diverse religious traditions; readings from ancient myths to contemporary feminist theology.

RelS 4280. Religious Dimensions of the Holocaust. (3)
Introduction to the experiences of Jewish and Christian communities during and after the Holocaust. Topics include: repression of Jewish worship under the Nazis; the response of Christian communities to Jewish persecution; Jewish and Christian post-Holocaust theologies; Holocaust memorials; varied individual responses to the Holocaust, from apostasy to increased religious devotion.

RelS 4290. Pilgrimage. (3)
Exploration of the central role played by pilgrimage in world religious traditions, including study of its vital social and religious functions. Examples from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, as well as theoretical readings on the phenomenon of pilgrimage.

RelS 4295. Religion, Sport and Spirituality. (3)
A comparative study of the ancient and modern Olympics with an emphasis on the religious character of these games. Questions explored may include: why were the games shut down by the newly Christianized Roman Empire? And why were they revived in the nineteenth century?

RelS 4300. Metaphysics. (3)
(Same as Phil 4300, Formerly RelS 4600.)
Prerequisite: one upper-level course in philosophy or religious studies. Topics may include personal identity and human nature; space, time, matter, and causality; freedom and determinism; teleology; conceptions of divinity; and world views and paradigm shifts.

RelS 4450. Modern Judaism. (3)
Key issues and historical events shaping Judaism in the modern world, including Zionism, the development of Jewish denominations, the Holocaust, Middle east conflict, women's roles in Jewish life, and the development of Judaism in the United States. No previous knowledge of Judaism is required; all readings are in English.

RelS 4460. Judaism in the South. (3)
Examination of the historical and cultural development of Judaism in the American south. Topics may include Jewish immigrants, issues of assimilation, Jews and the Civil War, Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, the Leo Frank case, the Temple bombing in Atlanta, and contemporary issues in Southern Jewish life.

RelS 4480. Islamic Fundamentalism and the Modern World. (3)
Modern Islamic movements including modernization, secularization, and fundamentalism. Emphasis on fundamentalist views on women, politics, popular religious practice, and violence; Muslim responses and alternatives to fundamentalism.

RelS 4490. Topics in Judaism. (3)
Examination of selected topic in Judaism. May be repeated if topic varies.

RelS 4570. Special Topics in Islam. (3)
May be repeated if topic varies. Investigation of a specific theme, figure(s),or text(s) within Islam, such as Islamic ethics, historical portrayals of Muhammad, or the Nation of Islam.

Rels 4580. Life of Muhammad. (3)
Study and contrast of various perspectives of the life of the Prophet Muhammad including medieval Muslim hagiographies, medieval European polemics, and modern reinterpretations of both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Rels 4610. Hinduism. (3)
Same as Phil 4610.
Introduction to Hindu religion and philosophy, with some consideration of Indian Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, and contemporary thought.

Rels 4612. Hindu Sacred Texts. (3)
Introduction to the classic religious texts in the Hindu tradition. Readings include selections from the Rig Veda, the Upanishads, the Satapatha Brahmana, the Yogasutras, the Mahabharata (including the Bhagavad Gita), devotional poetry, and writings from several modern Hindu religious leaders. All reading in English translation; no prior knowledge of Hinduism necessary.

Rels 4615. Buddhism. (3)
Same as Phil 4615.
Historical introduction to the Buddhist tradition, tracing its developments in India, Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, Japan, and the West.

Rels 4620. Confucianism and Taoism. (3)
Same as Phil 4620.
Historical introduction to Chinese religion and philosophy, tracing developments in Confucianism and Taoism. Some consideration given to Chinese Buddhism and popular religion.

Rels 4625. Zen and Shinto. (3)
Same as Phil 4625.
Historical introduction to Japanese religion and philosophy, tracing developments in Shinto, folk religion, and various Buddhist schools. Special consideration given to Zen Buddhism.

Rels 4628. Topics in Asian Religion. (3)
Investigation of a selected topic within Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese, and/or Japanese religion. Possible topics include classical Taoist philosophy, new religions in Japan, Tibetan Buddhist texts, and human rights in Asian religion. May be repeated if topics varies.

RelS 4630. Comparative Study of Mysticism. (3)
Theoretical and methodological investigation of mystical experiences and traditions.

RelS 4640. Religion and Sexuality: The Problem of the Erotic. (3)
Beginning with a reconstruction of ancient Greek and Roman sexual attitudes, the course examines how these attitudes and practices were inherited by, and changed by, later Jewish and Christian communities. After a study of the new medieval language of heresy and expulsion in Europe, the course turns to modern rehabilitations of Classical ideas in thinkers such as Freud and Foucault.

RelS 4650. Religion and Ethics. (3)
Same as Phil 4650.
Study of the relation between religion and morality, including bothEastern and Western religious perspectives. Topics may include suchissues as warfare, social justice, sexual ethics, and issues in modernmedicine.

RelS 4670. Church and State. (3)
Same as Phil 4670.
Philosophical and theological perspectives on the relationship betweenchurch and state. Issuessuch as conscientious objection, school prayer, the "free exercise" ofreligion, and Islamic attitudes toward the state.

RelS 4680. War, Peace, and Religion. (3)
Comparative study of attitudes towards war and peace in major religious traditions. Topics may include the Christian just-war tradition; Islamic notions of jihad; Buddhist renunciation and pacifism; the writings of Gandhi; nuclear arms and the status on noncombatants; civil disobedience and conscientious objection; and religiously motivated terrorism.

RelS 4690. Secularism, Liberalism and Religion. (3)
Exploration of the role of religion and religious values in the modern, secular state with an emphasis on developments in the past thirty years. Topics may include the defense of the principles of modern Liberalism from within religious traditions, and various critiques made by communitarians, Marxists, and Neo-Traditionalists.

RelS 4700. Issues in Religious Studies. (3)
Examination of a selected topic in religion. May be repeated if topic varies, but only six credit hours may be applied toward the major.

RelS 4870. Honors Thesis: Research. (1-6)
Prerequisites: consent of instructor and HonorsProgram director.
Readings on research preparatory to honors thesis.

RelS 4880. Honors Thesis: Writing. (1-6)
Prerequisites: RelS 4870H, consent of instructor andHonors Program director.
Writing or production of honors thesis or project.

RelS 4950. Independent Research. (1-3)
Prerequisite: consent ofinstructor.
Designed to provide students with the opportunity to do more advanced workin an area in whichthey already have had regular course work. Not to be used as a substitutefor regular upper-levelcourses.
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