RLST - Religious Studies
RLST 100
Introduction to Religious Studies
An introduction to the academic study of religion exploring cross-culturally some of the fundamental ways in which people experience and understand religion. Questions addressed include: What is religion? What are the basic forms of religious life? What connections exist among self-identity, the sacred, and society? How do those connections help to establish meaning and values in human existence? How is religious knowledge possible? Readings include primary religious texts and critical reflections on religion. Intended primarily for freshmen and sophomores or students with no prior work in the religious studies department. Units: 6.
RLST 191
Directed Study in Religious Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
RLST 210
Hinduism
A survey of the religious and philosophical elements that constitute the broad system of beliefs known as Hinduism. Emphasis is placed on intellectual history, but dominant patterns of ritual and religious experience are also covered. Readings include primary texts and associated commentaries. Units: 6.
RLST 215
Buddhism in India and Tibet
An introductory survey of Buddhist thought and practice in India and Tibet. The historical development of key Buddhist concepts and schools is emphasized. Readings include translations of Buddhist canonical works. Units: 6.
RLST 216
Buddhism in China and Japan
An introductory survey of Buddhist thought and practice in China and Japan. The history of key Buddhist concepts and schools in East Asia is the primary focus. Readings include translations from East Asian Buddhist canonical works. Units: 6.
Also listed as East Asian Studies 216
RLST 240
Islam
An introduction to Islam. Students will study primary sources beginning with the Quran and ending with a contemporary Muslim writer. Attention will be focussed on both the theological development of Islam and its lived experience as witnessed through the arts and architecture. Units: 6.
RLST 260
Christianity through the 15th Century
An examination of the major developments in Christian thought and practice from its origin to the late Middle Ages. Topics include the formation of doctrine in the early church, Christian heresies, the cult of martyrs, the development of the monastic tradition, and the rise of the papacy. Units: 6.
RLST 270
Christianity in the Modern World
A study of Christian history from the Reformation to the present. Topics include the origins of Protestantism, the Counter Reformation, Pietism, Deism, Liberal Theology, the Vatican Councils, Dialectical Theology, Fundamentalism. Special attention to the impact of modernity (e.g., the rise of science, the development of the historical critical method, pluralism, secularization). Units: 6.
RLST 280
Quran
A thorough examination of the Quran and what we know about its historical context from early sources. The ways in which the Quran has become a civilization book, molding the thought and artistic expression of all later Muslims while being re-interpreted and re-contextualized as new cultural demands arise, will also be explored. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
RLST 285
Hebrew Prophets
This course will cover the phenomenon of prophecy as it appears in the Hebrew Bible. We will focus especially on the major books of prophecy—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—but will turn our attention also to some of the minor and non-writing prophets as well. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
RLST 290
Religion in Ancient Egypt: Pyramids, Wisdom, and Eternal Life
We will examine the religious tradition of Egypt as it developed in the old, middle, and new kingdoms. Ideas about eternal life as detailed in the Pyramid Texts and embodied in the Pyramids will be closely studied, along with the tradition of wisdom literature. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
RLST 330
Rationality and Religious Belief
An examination of the range of views on the relationship between reason and religion, focusing in particular on theistic belief. Questions addressed include: Can God’s existence be proven? Is faith different from ordinary belief? Does mystical experience provide adequate grounds for religious belief? Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
RLST 335
Cairo: Islam in Context
An examination of the place of Islam within medieval and modern Cairo. We will read historical and creative texts in order to better understand how this religion and social system constructed what we know as Cairo. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RLST 240 or consent of instructor
RLST 350
Gandhi
An examination of the life, times, and thought of Mohandas Gandhi, emphasizing the religious concept of satyagraha (holding fast to the truth) and the philosophy of non-violence as the central precepts in his effort to transform Indian society and ultimately of his global influences. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
RLST 390
Tutorial Studies in Religious Studies
Advanced research, arranged and carried out under the direction of an instructor. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RLST 391
Directed Study in Religious Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
RLST 399
Independent Study in Religious Studies
Advanced research, arranged in consultation with the department. Students planning an honors project should register for this course, for one or more terms. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RLST 400 Topic for Spring 2010: Religion, Self-Deception, and Alienation Units: 6. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
Themes in Modern Western Religious Thought
A critical survey of one or more of the distinctive themes in the religious thought of the West since the Reformation.
Is religion a source or a remedy for self-deception and/or alienation? Thinkers studied include Camus, Freud, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and Ernest Becker.
RLST 420
Systems of Buddhist Philosophy
A detailed examination of five schools of Buddhist philosophy. Close study of each school’s explanation of key doctrines such as no-self, interdependent arising, samsara, nirvana, and enlightenment further clarifies the historical development of Buddhist thought in India and China. Readings emphasize primary texts (in translation). Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RLST 215 or 220 and sophomore standing
RLST 500
Seminar: Kierkegaard
Intensive study of the works of the Danish philosopher/theologian considered to be the father of Existentialism. Concentration on Kierkegaard’s view of the self and its relation to his stages of existence, with particular attention to his view of faith. Some consideration to the historical context of his thought and his influence on 20th-century theology and philosophy. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of the instructor.
RLST 510
Seminar: Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhism is perhaps the most widely known form of Buddhism in the West and also the most widely misunderstood. This course provides a detailed look at the history and doctrines of Zen Buddhism in China and Japan. Combining the use of original source materials (in translation) with an emphasis on intellectual history, the course covers specific doctrines that have differentiated the major schools of Zen. Units: 6.
Also listed as East Asian Studies 510
Prerequisite: RLST 220 or RLST 216
RLST 550
The Hajj to Mecca
A course examining the institution of the Hajj to Mecca through the history of Islam. We will begin with an examination of what we know about pre-Islamic religious practices in Mecca, but the heart of the course will consist of a close reading of historical pilgrimage narratives, ranging from Ibn Jubayr to Richard Burton. Along the way we will also give attention to pilgrimage in other religious traditions. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RLST 240 recommended
RLST 560
Seminar: The Problem of Evil
An examination of one of the classic problems of philosophy of religion; the course will examine both traditional theistic analyses of the problem (is the existence of an omni-god incompatible with the existence of evil?) as well as more recent, non-theistic analyses of evil as a social phenomenon. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RLST 330 or consent of instructor
RLST 570
Mary through the Ages: Historical and Cultural Perspectives on the "Mother of God"
Over the centuries the cult of Mary has inspired both intense devotion and condemnation among Christians. In this course we will use material and textual evidence to examine the figure of Mary and the ways in which she has been understood and interpreted from the earliest days of Christianity through the present day. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor
RLST 580
Islam and Globalization
This class offers both an introduction to theories of globalization and examines how Islam has interacted over the last generation with stresses related to globalization. Readings will include works by Edward Said, Oliver Roy, V.S. Naipaul, Abdellah Hammoudi, Orphan Pmuk and Colin Thubron. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RLST 240
RLST 590
Tutorial Studies in Religious Studies
Advanced research, arranged and carried out under the direction of an instructor. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RLST 591
Directed Study in Religious Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
RLST 599
Independent Study in Religious Studies
Advanced research, arranged in consultation with the department. Students planning an honors project should register for this course, for one or more terms. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RLST 600
Seminar in Methodology
An examination of approaches to the study of religion selected from a school of thought or a more eclectic group of authors. Students are encouraged to draw upon previous coursework. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Two courses in religious studies or consent of instructor
RLST 690
Tutorial Studies in Religious Studies
Advanced research, arranged and carried out under the direction of an instructor. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RLST 691
Directed Study in Religious Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
RLST 699
Independent Study in Religious Studies
Advanced research, arranged in consultation with the department. Students planning an honors project should register for this course, for one or more terms. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.