The following descriptions of courses being offered by the Department of Religion in Fall 2022 were submitted by the course instructors.
Specific information regarding the dates, times, and locations of these courses may be found in the Registrar’s official webpage: Schedule of Courses for Fall 2022.
If you are looking for a complete syllabus for a course, check the Syllabi page or click on the course title below for availability.
IDS 2935 Identity in American Buddhism – Mario Poceski
How are religious identities constructed, and how they intersect with other key identities, fashioned by diverse individuals or communities, within the context of modern life? The course explores this essential question via the lenses of the historical growth and ongoing transformation of Buddhism in America. To that end, it also analyses the ways in which Buddhists try (or fail) to reconcile their multiple identities with the central Buddhist doctrine of no-self.
The focus of the course is on the key processes of identity formation as important factors in the making of American Buddhism, and the complex patterns of interaction among discrete identities. Students explore the historical events and central issues that continue to shape the growing presence of Buddhism as an integral part of America’s remarkably diverse religious and cultural landscapes, in relation to the ways individuals and communities fashion overlapping identities based on religious affiliation, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or nationhood.
The course adopts a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating perspectives and methodologies from several academic disciplines: religious studies, history, Asian studies, anthropology, and sociology. Students learn and reflect on these and other related issues by critically engaging with select readings, lectures, discussions, experiential learning, research, and writing.
IDS 2935 Religion and Social Movements – Anna Peterson
How do social movements emerge? Why do people join? How do they create change? And what does religion have to do with all of this? Social movements are organized, collective efforts to change policies, institutions, and attitudes. This class explores the distinctive ways in which religion enters into the formation, identity, practices, and outcomes of various movements. We will focus particularly on the role of religion in civil rights and anti-racist organizing, but we will also examine movements focused on environmental protection, LGBTQ rights, animal rights, gender justice, and other issues as well.
IDS 2935 Nature, Spirituality and Popular Culture (online) – Bron Taylor
Beginning with the period since Walt Disney began making animal-focused documentaries and animated films in the 1930s, continuing up through the blockbuster motion picture Avatar (2009) and the Animal Kingdom Theme part further expressing its themes, this course takes a global tour examining the religious, spiritual, ethical, and political dimensions of artistic productions, scientific representations in museums, and other cultural inventions (such as theme parks), in which nature takes center stage. We will explore the international cultural tributaries, influences, and controversies such productions engender, for they constitute important ways that environmental ethics, and quests for environmentally sustainable livelihoods and lifeways, are expressed and promoted. The course will enhance students’ abilities to interpret these cultural productions and their evocative power, explore their own reactions to these social phenomena, whilst learning to think more deeply about their own places in, and obligations to, the natural world. (H and N)
IDS 2935 God, Humanity & Evolution – Jonathan Edelmann
How do we think about science and religion? What language do we use? What is evolution? How does evolution shape our thinking about ourselves, the world, or another world? How are these questions interconnected? This course teaches the work of scholars and scientists from a diverse range of traditions. By the course content students will learn internationally from religious, philosophical, and scientific authors on reality, its development, and the beings who experience it. Students will produce written documents to develop their own understanding and approach to the course content, and they will learn to reflect on their own beliefs, practices, and academic disciplines in relation to this course.
REL 2121 American Religious History (online) – Rachel Gordan
This course offers an introductory overview of the American religious experience from an historical and cultural perspective. The interaction of American religions and cultures is examined in three chronological periods: 1) Colonial America 1500-1800 2) Nineteenth Century, and 3) Twentieth Century. (H and D)
REL 2300 Introduction to World Religions (online) – Carol Rodriguez and Michael Schuster
When you complete this course, you will be able to:
- Explain basic world views, rituals, and beliefs of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Chinese religions, Japanese religions, Indigenous Religions, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
- Problematize the category of religion and identify your own working definitions.
- Identify the social, political, and cultural factors that come into play in the formation and understanding of a given religion. –
- Equipped with this knowledge of different religious traditions, and the contexts in which they thrive, identify your own vantage point, as well as engage with different cultures and countries in an informed, respectful manner. (H and N)
REL 2341 Intro to Buddhism (online) – Mario Poceski
The course is a broad survey of the essential beliefs, doctrines, and practices that over the centuries have fashioned the identity of Buddhism as a pan-Asian religion that transcends ethnic, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. The course covers the historical development of the major Buddhist traditions, including the formulation of key doctrinal tenets and religious practices, the growth of the monastic order, and the formation of new religious ideals and doctrines by the Mahāyāna tradition. We will also explore the spread and transformation of Buddhism outside of India, including China and the Western world, before and during the modern period. (H)
REL 2388 Indigenous Religions of the Americas – Robin Wright
This course introduces the student to the historical and contemporary religious beliefs and practices of Native peoples of North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean. With such a vast and diverse universe to study, our approach will (1) through the eyes of ‘deep-time’, we will discuss the interconnections among indigenous cultures throughout the Americas, highlighting key themes that appear recurrently; (2) discuss central features of the religions of the major historical civilizations (Maya, Inca, Cahokia); and (3) discuss the histories of indigenous religious traditions in the colonial context, and the perspectives of contemporary indigenous spiritual specialists and theologians. (H) (WR 4) (D)
REL 2600 Jews, Judaism and Jewishness – Yaniv Feller
This course introduces students to the Jewish religious tradition in its various historical and contemporary manifestations. We will be asking: how has Judaism changed, over time? What divisions does it have, and how does it respond to the challenges of modernity? To answer these questions, our readings and discussion will cover core Jewish “stories” and their ongoing impact on the Jewish religious tradition, Jewish beliefs and practices, key literary classics of the Jewish tradition, varieties of classical and modern Jewish religious expression (for instance, philosophy and mysticism), and the contemporary Jewish movements. Although this is not a history class, we will proceed chronologically in order to appreciate the historical development of Judaism and the roles that memories of the Jewish past play in motivating Jewish religious practices and commitments.
REL 3022/ RLG5937 Myth and Ritual – Robin Wright
This course examines the theories and methods in the anthropological and religious studies of myths and rituals. Examples will be primarily drawn from indigenous cultures of the Americas, and other areas of the world (the Pacific). Students can expect to learn how to interpret the symbolism and meanings of myths and rituals. We will discuss the place of myth and ritual in both traditional and non-traditional societies and the importance of both in mediating historical change. We will explore how mythic images pervade contemporary films and franchises. (WR 4) (H) (N)
REL 3099 Spirituality and Health Care – Erin Prophet
In the twenty-first century, spirituality and health care are intersecting in new ways. Traditional and indigenous medical practices are increasingly being sanctioned by and integrated with Western biomedicine. Health providers are expected to be aware of patients’ spiritual needs. Students will learn about: The historically shifting boundaries between medicine, psychology and religion in the West. How to evaluate the health impact of patients’ religious and spiritual beliefs and practices. Whether and how the effects of spiritual practices can be measured. The latest findings from the cognitive science of religion, including theories regarding the innateness of religious ideas. Finally, they will evaluate different models for integrating traditional and alternative therapies with Western biomedicine and learn best practices for assessing and meeting patients’ spiritual needs. (WR 2)
REL 3148 Religion and Violence – Terje Ostebo
The relations between religion and violence has long posed challenges both for ordinary life and for the academic study of religion. Religions sometimes contribute to violence or justify it, but they can also help achieve peaceful solutions to violent conflicts. Religious rituals themselves can be extremely violent, and some scholars argue that violence lies at the heart of religion itself. This class explores violence within religion, religiously motivated violence, religious justifications of political violence, and religious rejections and resolutions of violence. Throughout the course, readings will address a variety of religious traditions in different regions and historical periods. We will also explore a variety of approaches to religious studies and to comparative ethics, including both descriptive and normative studies. (H and N) (WR 2)
REL 3249 The Christian Gospels – Erin Prophet
The Christian gospels are some of the most influential documents in history. This course introduces students to critical approaches to comparing the gospels and understanding how they were edited and interpreted in the early years of Christianity. Students will learn how traditions about Jesus developed and understand the role of controversies about faith, history, knowledge, power and gender. They will also understand the latest scholarship about when the gospels were written and whether they can be considered as historical documents. In addition, they will learn how to think about the gospels that did not make it into the New Testament. Finally, they will learn how techniques that were developed in the study of the gospels have informed the entire field of the critical study of religion. (H) (WR 2)
REL 3938 Jews and Popular Culture – Rachel Gordan
What is Jewish popular culture and what does it tell us about Jews, American history, and popular culture? In this class, we’ll be learning about 20th century American Jewish history through the lens of popular culture, and we’ll be learning about popular culture while thinking about history, religion, culture, and ethnicity. Our focus will be on changes that occurred at midcentury, but students are invited to think about more contemporary examples of Jewish popular culture in their individual projects. A special feature of this course is that we will also be learning from some special guest speakers, from all over the world, about different aspects of Jews and popular culture. (H) (WR 2)
REL 3938 Religion and the Paranormal – Erin Prophet
As many as three-quarters of Americans hold at least one paranormal belief. What does this tell us about the future of religion? We will examine the paranormal as an “other” category for both religion and science. Organized religion uses it to distinguish the miraculous from unsanctioned activities like witchcraft and the occult. Science frames itself as the opposite of superstition. And yet in a “disenchanted” world, it’s important to ask why we continue to be fascinated with the paranormal, as seen in the explosion of the topic in film (horror, superheroes), television, gaming and manga. This course takes a multi-methodological approach that includes critical theory, folklore studies, laboratory research, and cognitive science. It also examines the role of the paranormal in human experience of healing and psychological transformation. Topics include telepathy, precognition, UFOs, government-sponsored research (US and Soviet), cryptozoology (Bigfoot, etc.), hauntings, curses and taboos, near-death experiences, possession (including erotic encounters), mediums, and channeling. Students will learn to look critically at both the phenomena and attempts to explain them. (H) (WR 4)
REL 4103/RLG 5199 Religion and Nature in North America – Bron Taylor
This course critically examines the roles played by “religion” and “nature” during the evolution of the cultural, political, and environmental history of North America. Specifically, it considers questions such as: • What are the various and contested ways terms such as “religion” and “nature” are understood, and do such understandings enhance or constrain our ability to apprehend their reciprocal influence in American cultural, political, and environmental history? Have the habitats of North America shaped human consciousness, including “religious” or “spiritual” perceptions, ritualizing, and ethical practices, and if so, how? This question will be in mind throughout the course, from an examination of the cultures of the continent’s “first peoples,” to religionists, environmentalists and scientists in the 20th century. How and to what extent have religions of various sorts influenced human behavior in ways that contributed to the transformation of North American ecosystems? What roles have religiously-shaped concepts of nature played in American political history? For example, how have notions such as “natural theology” “natural law” and understandings of “sacred nature” influenced social life and natural systems during the history of the United States? How have religion-related nature discourses, attitudes, and practices been shaped by, and shaped European cultures, and later, by such developments in international spheres? (H)
REL 4221 The Pentateuch: The Pentateuch I – Robert Kawashima
The modern study of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) effectively began in the nineteenth century, when scholars, through painstaking critical analysis of the biblical text, discovered that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) was written not by one author — Moses, according to venerable tradition — but by several, over the course of several centuries. It was “the Documentary Hypothesis,” as this discovery came to be called, that laid the foundation for the modern discipline of biblical studies. In this course, we will take the analysis of the Pentateuch into its original sources as our starting point, and begin carefully reading our way through it, from the creation of the world to the exodus from Egypt. We will discover that modern interpretation, rather than stripping the Bible of its literary brilliance, has actually helped restore the original luster of its narrative art. Various secondary readings will raise other issues — historical and literary — necessary to a critical understanding of this foundational book, or rather, collection of composite books.
REL 4371/RLG 6709 Islam in Africa – Benjamin Soares
This course provides a comparative and historical survey of Islam and Muslim societies in their diversity in sub-Saharan Africa with particular emphasis on the period from 1800 to the present. Important themes in this course include the changing relationship between Islam and state power, Islamic education, Islamic legal traditions, Sufism, slavery, the challenges of colonial rule, reform, religious encounters, and the postcolonial secular state. The course will also draw attention to current issues relating to Islam in contemporary Africa such as youth, popular culture, the politics of gender and sexuality, conflict, and contemporary Islamist/jihadi movements.
REL 4400/ RLG 5937 Religion and Psychology – Jonathan Edelmann
How does psychology illuminate the nature of religion? This course examines the history of philosophy and of religion on psychological theories of consciousness, intelligence, cognition, as well as the mind’s role in the construction of knowledge, ignorance, and morality. Students will learn to articulate their own psychological models to explain human experience, belief, and well-being while in conversation with the world’s leading theorists.
Covers history of philosophy and religion on psychological theories of consciousness, intelligence, cognition, as well as the mind’s role in the construction of knowledge, ignorance and morality, and it facilitates students in articulating their psychological models to explain human experience, belief, and well-being.
REL 4933 Senior Seminar (Comparative Religions) – Robert Kawashima
The comparative method, practiced in varying forms in a number of disciplines (biology, linguistics, literature, etc.) compares, say, species, languages, and texts, in an attempt to account for both what unites as well as differentiates these objects of study. Generally speaking, they either arise from an historical relation. According to comparative grammar, for example, the Romance languages all descend historically from Latin. Or they arise from certain universal properties intrinsic to the objects under consideration. According to Chomsky, for example, all natural human languages derive formally (not historically) from an innate mental faculty he calls “universal grammar,” so that even wholly unrelated languages still share a core of crucial grammatical features. Comparative religion, in the same way, might be said to identify and account for the similarities and differences that exist between religions. What is religion? And what similarities, both historical and formal in origin, exist between religions? (WR 6)
REL 4936/RLG 5365 Women and Islam – Ali Mian
This course surveys the key debates in Muslim gender studies and is divided into three thematic cores: (1) Historical Foundations, (2) Critical Interventions in Texts, and (3) Critical Observations of Practice. The first set of readings will give students a solid grounding in the history of gender in Islam using Leila Ahmed’s Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate (Yale University Press, 1992) and Nadia Maria El Cheikh’s Women, Islam, and Abbasid Identity (Harvard University Press, 2015). In the second part of the course, we will examine how feminist scholars intervene in both historical and contemporary Islam by re-interpreting scriptural, legal, and moral-theological texts. Students will benefit from the work of amina wadud (Qur’an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman’s Perspective), Kecia Ali (Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur’an, Hadith, and Jurisprudence), and Zahra Ayubi (Gendered Morality: Classical Islamic Ethics of the Self, Family, and Society). The final set of readings will turn to anthropological scholarship to examine lived religion and situated practices in various contexts, including Senegal, India, and the US. Students will read Joseph Hill’s Wrapping Authority: Women Islamic Leaders in a Sufi Movement in Dakar, Senegal (University of Toronto Press, 2018), Katherine Lemons’ Divorcing Traditions: Islamic Marriage Law and the Making of Indian Secularism (Cornell University Press, 2019), and Shabana Mir’s Muslim American Women on Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity (University of North Carolina Press, 2016). This course is discussion-based and will enable students to conduct research and complete several writing projects.
REL 4936 Ethics After the Holocaust – Yaniv Feller
The Holocaust is an epoch-making event that challenges many of our basic ideas about the modern world, human nature, and God. In this course, we examine some of the difficult questions raised in its aftermath. When is evil radical and when is it banal? Are comparisons to the Holocaust helpful or insensitive? Was God in the death camps? Is it possible to forgive such atrocities, and if so, who has the right of forgiveness? In our search for answers, we will read canonical thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, Martin Buber, Frantz Fanon, and Emmanuel Levinas. We will put these philosophical and theological discussions in conversation with various media such as art, film, and even Instagram posts.