USP Codes are listed in brackets by the 1991 USP code followed by the 2003 USP code (i.e. [M2<>QB]).

1000. Introduction to Religion. 3. [C1, G1<>CH, G] Introduces world religions and shared characteristics. Draws on various academic approaches to religion study, emphasizing similarities and differences among wide variety of religions. (Normally offered once a year)

2040. Religions of the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 3. [(none<>CH, G] Analyzes origins and early years of three major religions that arose in the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Looks at historical development, political and cultural context, and structure of each religion.

2060. Nature and Spirit. 3. [C1<>(none)] Examines classical principles of Christian theology in light of contemporary ecological issues. Focuses on how Christian thinkers have addressed the question of the relationship between humans, God and nature.

2070. Gender and Religion. 3.0 [C1<>(none)] Aims to help students understand how religion constructs and reinforces gender roles in religion and society. Looks at traditional gender roles in Christianity and the transformation they have undergone in the past century or so. Cross listed with WMST 2070.

2080. Holocaust. 3. [C2<>CH] Survey of the destruction of European Jewry, 1933-1945. Cross listed with HIST 2080. Prerequisite: HIST 1120 or 2110.

2110 [1010]. Introduction to the Old Testament. 3. [C1, G1<>CH] Introduces students to the books of the Old Testament and people whose way of life they describe. Pays particular attention to religion of the Israelites, their history and culture. Focuses on different historical circumstances in which the books were written. (Normally offered once a year)

2150. New Testament Survey. 3. Introduces academic study of the New Testament. Focuses on questions of history, religious and cultural context, occasion and purpose for writing the different books and theological development of early Christianity.

2175. The Life and Teaching of Jesus. 3. [C1<>(none) Explores life and teachings of Jesus within religious, cultural and political context of first-century Palestine. Studies Jewish, Greek and Roman influences on Palestine; then, examines affect of those influences on the gospels (both canonical and non-canonical).

2200. Contemporary American Religion. 3. [C1<>CH, D] The U.S. is home to more world religions and to more versions of those religions than any other nation on the planet. This course examines how the U.S. has shaped these religions and the impact these religions have had in turn on U.S. society and culture.

2225. History of Christianity. 3. [C1<>(none)] Traces Christianity from its beginnings to late twentieth century. Cross listed with HIST 2225.

2250. American Religious History I (To 1865). 3. [(none)<>CH] Traces the history of religion in America through the Civil War. We will pay particular attention to the intertwining of religion and colonialism; the tension between emerging Protestant hegemony and religious pluralism; and the roles religion has played in justifying oppression and pursuing liberty in American history. Cross listed with HIST 2250. Prerequisites: None.

2252. American Religious History II (1865-1945). 3. [(none)<>CH] Traces American religious history from the Civil War through WWII. Focuses on how race/ethnicity, class, gender, and national origin affected religion, and explores how Americans used religion in oppressing and liberating people; marking and erasing difference; and exporting values abroad as well as reforming society at home. Cross listed with HIST 2252. Prerequisites: None.

2255. Introduction to Judaism. 3. Descriptively analyzes Judaism. Initially focuses on history of Judaism from its origins in Ancient Israel to modern period. Then it studies the religion itself, analyzing its beliefs and practices and how they influence Judaism's adherents.

2320. History of Islam. 3. [(none)<>CH, G] Focuses on the origins of Islam and its early formation, its growth and spread across the world, and its intellectual, spiritual and historical character.  Time will also be spent on the formation of Islam in the modern world and how that impacts the views and actions of its members.  Prerequisites:  None

2450. Traditional African Religion. 3. [(none)<>CH, G] Surveys traditional African religions, both ancient and contemporary. Cross listed with AAST 2450. Prerequisite: AAST 1000 or RELI 1000.

2500. Special Topics in Religion. 1-3 (Max. 6). Permits occasional investigation of different subjects in academic study of religion.

3150. Feminist Christian Thought. 3. [C1<>(none)] In recent decades Christianity has undergone important changes with regard to the place of women in the church. Adresses historical and theological discussions that have accompanied those changes. Also addresses how feminism and religion affect one's belief system. Cross listed with WMST 3150. Prerequisites: junior standing and at least one course in women's studies or religious studies.

3180. Drama and Religion. 3. [C3<>(none)] Drama and religion seek to communicate ideas about the ultimate meaning of human life. Both influence and are influenced by the culture from which they developed. Examines plays that are influenced by the Bible, Greek plays whose concepts have influenced Christianity over the centuries and modern plays that address religious issues. Cross listed with THEA 3180. Prerequisite: junior standing.

3200. Religion and American Culture. 3. [C1<>(none)] Explores the role of religion in the history of American culture. It considers how developments in American religious history have reflected larger trends in American society, and how those developments have in turn helped shape American society and culture. Prerequisites: one lower-level course in religious studies, American history, or American studies.

3225. Apocalypse: The History of the End. 3. The apocalyptic End of Time has become the subject of much speculation, especially since the beginning of the new millennium. Analyzes such speculation as a religious phenomenon in both ancient and modern religions, and attempts to understand its social, cultural and personal impacts. Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor.

3270.  Jesus in America. 3.  Examine the interplay between American religion and American culture by focusing on representations of Jesus.  Students study a wide variety of movements within American Christianity; discuss issues of pluralism, inter-religious contact, and diversity within American religion and culture; and explore relationships between religion and America’s popular and elite cultures.  Cross listed with AMST 3270.  Prerequisites:  USP WB course.

3400.  Religion in the American West. 3. [(none)<>CH, D] Considers the religious history of the American West from Pre-Columbian times to the present, paying special attention to the ways the West affects religious belief and practice.  Themes of contact and conflict will be particularly important in our study, as will the changing perceptions of the West.  Prerequisites:  USP WB course.

4000. Theories of Religion. 3. Investigates different theories proposed to explain religion and methods used to investigate them. Pays primary attention to influential thinkers and theorists of the past century. Prerequisite: RELI 1000 and junior standing.

4090. Film and Religion. 3. [C1<>(none)] Movies use religion to convey messages; they debate religious issues and use religion to debate non-religious issues. This course analyzes how film makers use religion and religious themes to transform religions into advocates for social issues and to shape religion’s role in society. Popular films drawn from many genres. Prerequisites: 6 hours of 2000-level or higher literature courses or religion courses or consent of instructor.

4100. Steal Away: African American Religious Culture. 3. [(none)<>WC, D] This mid-level writing-intensive seminar is a comparative study of African American religious celebration, primarily in the context of Afro-Christianity, but touching on Islam, Candomble, "Voodoo," Santeria, and Rastafarianism. Cross listed with AAST 4100. Prerequisites: 3 hours of 3000 level course in African American studies or history; and W1.

4113. Medieval Religious Dissent. 3. [C1<>(none)] Religious dissent in the Middle Ages included what might be called heresy, but also encompasses such marginal groups as Jews and witches. Examines development of orthodoxy and persecution of religious diversity between eleventh and sixteenth centuries within the historical context of the times. Cross listed with HIST 4113. Prerequisite: HIST 1110, 4100 or 4110.

4150. Christians, Jews and Muslims in Iberia. 3.[C1, G1<>(none)] Focuses on how, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, these three religions have interacted and influenced each other and Iberian culture in general. Readings from numerous figures, from Maimonides to Goytisolo. Prerequisites: junior/senior standing. No knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese is required.

4190. Women and the Bible. 3. Explores depictions, roles and statuses of women found in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Introduces ways biblical portraits of women have been used in recent centuries to develop theologies of, by and for women. Cross listed with WMST 4190. Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor.

4260. Judaism in the Modern World. 3. Studies Jews and Judaism from pre-modern period to present. Traces migration of Jews from Europe to the USA and Israel, while examining radical changes that transform the religion. Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor.

4400. Internship in Religious Studies. 1-4 (Max. 4). Application of the academic discipline of religious studies to work outside the university classroom. Students must meet with the Religious Studies internship director in advance to identify the internship’s component and grading criteria. Internships requiring a faith commitment on the intern’s part are not eligible for credit. Not to be used for graduate credit. Prerequisites: 12 hours of religious studies, including RELI 1000 and RELI 4000 or its equivalent; advanced standing as a religious studies minor, consent of internship director.

4500. Special Topics in Religious Studies. 1-3 (Max. 12). Presents from semester to semester a variety of important topics in the academic study of religion. Prerequisite: RELI 1000 or consent of instructor.

4900. Independent Study in Religion. 1-3 (Max. 6). Primarily for juniors and seniors who can benefit from independent study of topics in religious studies not covered in course offerings. Guidance provided by faculty member in the appropriate field. Prerequisites: 9 hours in religious studies and consent of instructor.

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