Apr 25, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2017-2018 
    
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Undergraduate Record 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Course Descriptions

 

Public Policy
  

  • PPOL 4760 - International Financial Institutions

    What are the IFIs and how have they influenced development policy and country outcomes? What factors do internal and external politics play in their operation and the panoply of international aid efforts? Are groups like “50/60 years in enough” and the Meltzer report right? Come explore IFIs (the IMF, the World Bank, and the Multilateral Development Banks) in a seminar setting examining policy in practice. Cross-listed with PLIR 5060.



    Credits: 3
  

  • PPOL 4770 - Policy Implementation

    Class will work with community partners in CVille area in a hands-on experiential setting. Course will investigate how domestic policy, especially social welfare policy, is implemented, tracing the strands from congressional acts through the administrative agencies and finally to the administrators at the local level. One goal is to help students better understand the instruments of public policy and the choices available for policy design.



    Credits: 3
  

  • PPOL 4991 - Capstone Seminar

    Students will produce a report providing an analysis of the problem, the policy options available, and their action recommendations. Students will improve their ability to work in teams and hone their written and oral presentation skills.



    Credits: 3
  

  • PPOL 4993 - Independent Study

    Independent study in the field of public policy and leadership.



    Credits: 1 to 3
  

  • PPOL 4999 - Independent Study

    Independent study for international student studying abroad.



    Credits: 1

Religion-African Religions
  

  • RELA 2700 - Festivals of the Americas

    Readings will include contemporary ethnographies of religious festivals in the Caribbean ans South, Central, and North America, and increase their knowledge of the concepts of sacred time and space, ritual theory, and the relationships between religious celebration and changing accounts of ethnicity.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 2750 - African Religions

    Introduces the mythology, ritual, philosophy, and religious art of the traditional religions of sub-Saharan Africa, also African versions of Christianity and African-American religions in the New World.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 2760 - African Religions in the Americas

    Studies the African religious heritage of North America, South America, and the Caribbean.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 2850 - Afro- Creole Religions in the Americas

    A survey course which familiarizes students with African-derived religions of the Caribbean and Latin America



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 3000 - Women and Religion in Africa

    This course examines women’s religious activities, traditions and spirituality in a number of different African contexts. Drawing on ethnographic, historical, literary, and religious studies scholarship, we will explore a variety of themes and debates that have emerged in the study of gender and religion in Africa. Topics will include gendered images of sacred power; the construction of gender through ritual; sexuality and fertility; and women.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 3351 - African Diaspora Religions

    This seminar examines changes in ethnographic accounts of African diaspora religions, with particular attention to the conceptions of religion, race, nation, and modernity found in different research paradigms. Prerequisite: previous course in one of the following: religious studies, anthropology, AAS, or Latin American studies



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 3730 - Religious Themes in African Literature and Film

    An exploration of religious concepts, practices and issues as addressed in African literature and film. We will examine how various African authors and filmmakers weave aspects of Muslim, Christian and/or traditional religious cultures into the stories they tell. Course materials will be drawn from novels, memoirs, short stories, creation myths, poetry, feature-length movies, documentaries and short films.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 3890 - Christianity in Africa

    Historical and topical survey of Christianity in Africa from the second century c.e. to the present. Cross listed with RELC 3890. Prerequisite: A course in African religions or history, Christianity, or instructor permission.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 3900 - Islam in Africa

    Historical and topical introduction to Islam in Africa. Cross-listed as RELI 3900. Prerequisite: RELA 2750, RELI 2070, RELI 2080, or instructor permission.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 4085 - Christian Missions in Contemporary Africa

    : An examination of Christian missions in Africa in the 21st Century. Through a variety of disciplinary lenses and approaches, we examine faith-based initiatives in Africa–those launched from abroad, as well as from within the continent. What does it mean to be a missionary in Africa today? How are evangelizing efforts being transformed in response to democratization, globalization and a growing awareness of human rights?



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 4100 - Yoruba Religion

    Studies Yoruba traditional religion, ritual art, independent churches, and religious themes in contemporary literature in Africa and the Americas.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELA 4510 - Advanced Topics in African Religions

    This topical course provides upper level undergraduate students in Religious Studies an opportunity for advanced coursework in African Religions



    Credits: 3

Religion-Buddhism
  

  • RELB 2054 - Tibetan Buddhism Introduction

    Provides a systematic introduction to Tibetan Buddhism with a strong emphasis on tantric traditions of Buddhism - philosophy, contemplation, ritual, monastic life, pilgrimage, deities & demons, ethics, society, history, and art. The course aims to understand how these various aspects of Tibetan religious life mutually shape each other to form the unique religious traditions that have pertained on the Tibetan plateau for over a thousand years.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2100 - Buddhism

    Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantrayana Buddhist developments in India.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2120 - Buddhist Literature

    Introduces Buddhist literature in translation, from India, Tibet, and East and South East Asia.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2130 - Taoism and Confucianism

    Surveys the major religions of Chinese Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2135 - Chinese Buddhism

    This course examines the ways in which Chinese Buddhism differs from the Buddhisms of other countries. The first half of the course introduces Buddhism with a focus on the historical development of the tradition.The second half of the course surveys several philosophical schools and forms of practice including Huayan, Chan, Pure Land, and Tantric Buddhism.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2165 - Buddhist Meditation & the Modern World

    This course offers a survey of Buddhist meditation traditions in India and Tibet, an introduction to the ways that meditation is adapted and used today throughout many areas of life, and a chance to practice secular meditation techniques in a contemplative lab. In class meetings are experimentally based.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2252 - Buddhism in Film

    This course is an introduction to Buddhism and an exploration of the place of Buddhism within contemporary Asian, European, and North American cultures through film. The goals are 1) to identify longstanding Buddhist narrative themes in contemporary films, 2) to consider how Buddhism is employed in films to address contemporary issues, and 3) to gain through film a vivid sense of Buddhism as a complex social and cultural phenomenon.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2450 - Zen

    Studies the development and history of the thought, practice, and goals of Zen Buddhism.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2715 - Introduction to Chinese Religions

    This course serves as an introductory survey of religious life in China, with emphasis on everyday religious practice over doctrine. Through primary texts (in translation), we will explore key figures and texts, core concepts, and ritual traditions with reference to the cultural, historical, political and material contexts in which they were conceived and expressed.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2770 - Daoism

    Studies Daoist philosophy and religion within the context of Chinese society and history.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 2900 - Buddhist Meditation Traditions

    The goal of this course will be to examine different conceptions of Buddhist meditation and how these different conceptions affect the nature of practice and the understanding of the ideal life within a variety of Buddhist traditions. Thus, the study of Buddhist meditation traditions reveals not just intricate forms of practice, but reveals the nature of the good life and how one lives it.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 3000 - Buddhist Mysticism and Modernity

    Buddhist Mysticism and Modernity



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 3030 - Mindfulness and Compassion: Living Fully Personally and Professionally

    This course provides an in-depth experience in contemplative practices to prepare students to live more fully, be more engaged & compassionate citizens & professionals, & navigate life’s stressors with greater clarity, peace of mind, & healthy behaviors. Besides mindfulness training, this course will also foster the cultivation of compassion and prosocial qualities. For more info: http://pages.shanti.virginia.edu/Mindfulness__Compassion/.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 3150 - Seminar in Buddhism and Gender

    This seminar takes as its point of departure Carolyn Bynum’s statements: “No scholar studying religion, no participant in ritual, is ever neuter. Religious experience is the experience of men and women, and in no known society is this experience the same.” The unifying theme is gender and Buddhism, exploring historical, textual and social questions relevant to the status of women and men in the Buddhist world from its origins to the present day.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 3160 - The Religions of Japan

    This course is a survey of religions in Japan as well as their roles in Japanese culture and society. The topics that will be discussed are syncretism between Buddhism and Shinto, the development of uniquely Japanese forms of Buddhism, the spontaneous emergence of Pure Land Buddhism, the use of Shinto as a nationalistic ideology, and the role of Christianity. No prerequisites; but a basic knowledge of Buddhism or Japanese history is useful.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 3190 - Buddhist Nirvana

    This seminar will examine what Buddhists mean when they talk about Nirvana. We’ll begin with how the concept of Nirvana develops in the culture in which Sakyamuni Buddha lived and taught, explore how different forms of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Tibet, China, Japan, and in the west developed new ideas about what Nirvana is and how it can be experienced. We’ll read classic sutras on the topic, as well as books and essays by contemporary Zen Masters.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 3408 - Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy

    Tibet possesses one of the great Buddhist philosophical traditions in the world. Tibetan Buddhist thinkers composed comprehensive and philosophically rigorous works on human growth according to classical Buddhism, works that surveyed ethics, meditation practice, the nature of personal identity, and enlightenment itself. In this seminar we will read and discuss famous Tibetan overviews of Buddhist philosophy. Pre-Requisites: One prior course in religion or philosophy recommended



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 3655 - Buddhism in America

    This course is a seminar that examines the development of Buddhism in America going from its earliest appearance to contemporary developments.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELB 4520 - Advanced Topics in Buddhism

    This topical course provides upper level undergraduate students in Religious Studies an opportunity for advanced coursework in Buddhism



    Credits: 3

Religion-Christianity
  

  • RELC 1050 - Introduction to Christian Traditions

    Explore Christianity in its modern and historical contexts, combining an examination of current historical and theological scholarship, worship, and practice. The emphasis is on modern American Christianity.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 1210 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

    Studies the history, literature, and religion of ancient Israel in the light of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Emphasizes methods of contemporary biblical criticism. Cross listed as RELJ 1210.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 1220 - New Testament and Early Christianity

    Studies the history, literature, and theology of earliest Christianity in light of the New Testament. Emphasizes the cultural milieu and methods of contemporary biblical criticism.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2000 - The Bible and Its Interpreters

    Surveys Jewish and Christian interpretations of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). Examines how the Bible becomes sacred scripture for Jews and Christians.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2050 - The Rise of Christianity

    This course traces the rise of Christianity in the first millennium of the Common Era, covering the development of doctrine, the evolution of its institutional structures, and its impact on the cultures in which it flourished. Students will become acquainted with the key figures, issues, and events from this formative period, when Christianity evolved from marginal Jewish sect to the dominant religion in the Roman Empire.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2060 - The Reform and Global Expansion of Christianity

    How did Christianity become a global religion with hundreds of denominations and nearly two billion adherents? In this course, we will explore the reform and expansion of Christianity in the second millennium of the Common Era, from the high Middle Ages to the present day.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2215 - Mormonism and American Culture

    This course is designed to add substantive depth to a general understanding of American religious pluralism and insight into the socio-historical context of American religion through the study of Mormonism. In addition to introducing Mormonism’s basic beliefs and practices, the course will explore issues raised by Mormonism’s move toward the American mainstream while retaining its religious identity and cultural distinctiveness.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2245 - Global Christianity

    The story of Christianity’s emergence in the Middle East and its migration into Europe and then North America is just one aspect of Christian history, which also has a rich and long history in Africa, Asia and other parts of the global South. This course looks at the shape Christianity is taking in non-Western parts of the world and how this growth impacts Christianity in the West.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2330 - History of Christian Social and Political Thought I

    Surveys the history of Christian social and political thought from the New Testament to 1850 including the relation of theological ideas to conceptions of state, family, and economic life.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2340 - History of Christian Social and Political Thought II

    Surveys the history of Christian social and political thought from the rise of Social Gospel to the contemporary scene. Considers ‘love’ and ‘justice’ as central categories for analyzing different conceptions of what social existence is and ought to be.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2360 - Elements of Christian Thought

    This course considers the complex world of Christian thought, examining various perspectives on the nature of faith, the being and action of God, the identity of Jesus of Nazareth, the role of the Bible in theological reflection, and the relationship between Christian thought and social justice. Students will read various important works of Christian theology and become acquainted with a range of theological approaches and ideas.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2401 - History of American Catholicism

    Historical survey of American Catholicism from its colonial beginnings to the present.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2460 - The Spirit of Catholicism: Its Creeds and Customs

    The course will trace the origins and development of Roman Catholic doctrine in light of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The following topics will be treated: the nature and person of Christ as examined in the first ecumenical councils from Nicaea (325) to Chalcedon (451); the nature of the Church and its authority vested in bishops and the pope; original sin, grace, and justification; the rise of hte Reformation in western Christianity;



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 2850 - The Kingdom of God in America

    This course examines the influence of theological ideas on social movements in twentieth- and twenty-first-century America and investigates how religious commitments shape everyday living, including racial perception and economic, political, and sexual organization. The course will examine the American Civil Rights Movement, late 1960s counter-cultural movements, and recent faith-based community-development movements and organizing initiatives.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3006 - Augustine’s City of God

    A text-focused class that will read the entire City of God, supplementing that work with several other of Augustine’s smaller texts (particularly letters and sermons) to attempt to understand that work’s argument, paying attention to the various audiences to which it was addressed, and to Augustine’s larger thought as captured in that one great and difficult book



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3009 - Protestant Theology

    This course uses the category of protest to understand western Christian thought in the modern period. We examine the rise and development of Protestant thought, considering how Christians conceptualized challenges to established ideas, norms, and institutional structures during and after the Reformation.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3030 - Jesus and the Gospels

    This course focuses on Jesus of Nazareth as an historical figure, that is, as he is accessible to the historian by means of historical methods. Our most important sources of information on Jesus are the canonical Gospels, and so much of the course will involve reading and attempting to understand these texts. We will attempt to reconstruct at least the broad outlines of Jesus activity and teachings, keeping in mind the limits of our sources.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3040 - Paul: Letters and Theology

    Intensive study of the theological ideas and arguments of the Apostle Paul in relation to their historical and epistolary contexts.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3043 - Themes in Eastern Orthodoxy: An Introduction

    This course is an introduction to the thematic core of the Orthodox Christian tradition. There is first reviewed the major elements of the Orthodox faith, its theology and doctrine, that developed over the course of the Byzantine era, This study is followed by an examination of writings on scripture and tradition, iconography. liturgy and sacrament, as well as the relationship of Orthodox Christianity to the culture.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3045 - History of the Bible

    The history of the formation, transmission, translation, forms and uses of the Christian Bible from the 1st to the 21st century.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3055 - American Feminist Theology

    Contemporary theological models for American Christian feminists. The primary goal is to understand the various types of Christian feminism that exist in America today and how these theologies contribute to or challenge American feminism. Prerequisite: introductory religious studies and SWAG courses recommended.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3056 - In Defense of Sin

    Exploration of transgression in Judaism and Christianity with a focus on the Ten Commandments and the seven deadly sins. Reflection on who determines what is sinful and why. Close reading of texts challenging the wrongfulness of acts and attitudes long considered sinful, with critical attention to the persuasiveness of religious rules.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3058 - The Christian Vision in Literature

    Studies selected classics of the Christian imaginative traditions; examines ways in which the Christian vision of time, space, self, and society emerges and changes as an ordering principle in literature and art up to the beginning of the modern era.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3077 - Theologies of Liberation

    “Liberation Theology” has emerged in modern contexts of violence and oppression as a faithful form of critique and protest. It radically contextualizes the pervasive scriptural emphasis on freedom from injustice and exploitation. In this course, we will examine the larger biblical narrative of human suffering and divine justice and the way it is reanimated in global theologies of liberation, including Latino/a, Black, and feminist theology.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3090 - Israelite Prophecy

    This course examines the phenomenon of prophecy in ancient Israel. We will read in translation most of the stories from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament about prophets (Moses, Deborah, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha), as well as the books attributed to prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and The Twelve). Each primary text will be considered in its historical, cultural, and political contexts.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3150 - Salem Witch Trials

    Salem Witch Trials



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3181 - Medieval Christianity

    Studies the development of Christianity in the Middle Ages and how it reflected upon itself in terms of theology, piety, and politics. Cross-listed as HIEU 3181.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3200 - Medieval Church Law

    Surveys the origins and development of the law of the Christian Church, the canon law, from its origins to its full elaboration in the ‘classical period’, 1140-1348. Readings and exercises from original sources will focus on general principles of the law, using marriage law as the particular case.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3211 - American Christian Autobiography

    This course examines Americans’ self-perceptions and religious analysis in light of dominant American values, notable national and international events, cultural trends, and Christian doctrine. Among the autobiographers are Henri Nouwen and Anne Lamott.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3215 - American Religious Innovation

    This course is about America’s newer religious movements: Scientology, Nation of Islam and Mormonism. The class will be using theories of ritual and text to understand how religious communities constitute themselves around an originating vision and retain a sense of continuity notwithstanding dramatic change. We will ask also why these three movements have created such crisis for the American state and anxiety among its citizens.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3222 - From Jefferson to King

    A seminar focused upon some of the most significant philosophical and religious thinkers that have shaped and continued to shape American religious thought and culture from the founding of the Republic to the Civil Rights Movement, including Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jane Addams, William James, Reinhold Niebuhr and Martin Luther King, Jr. We will explore how their thought influenced the social and cultural currents of their time.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3231 - Reformation Europe

    Surveys the development of religious reform movements in continental Europe from c. 1450 to c. 1650 and their impact on politics, social life, science, and conceptions of the self. Cross-listed as HIEU 3231.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3240 - Medieval Mysticism

    Introduces the major mystical traditions of the Middle Ages and the sources in which they are rooted.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3245 - American Church State Conflict

    An analysis of America’s church-state conflicts and enduring questions that have tested and contributed to its evolving understanding of First Amendment guarantees of church disestablishment and freedom of conscience.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3270 - Salvation in the Middle Ages

    Studies four topics in medieval Christian thought: How can human beings know God? How does Jesus save? How does grace engage free will? How does posing such questions change language? Authors include Athanasius, Irenaeus, Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, Anslem, Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther, and some modern commentators.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3280 - Eastern Christianity

    Surveys the history of Christianity in the Byzantine world and the Middle East from late antiquity (age of emperor Justinian) until the fall of Constantinople.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3292 - The Book of Job & Its Interpretation

    A seminar on the biblical book of Job (with attention to its literary artistry and compositional history) and its subsequent interpretation.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3360 - Judaism and Christianity

    Studies the relationship between Judaism and Christianity from the origins of Christianity as a Jewish sect through the conflicts of the Middle Ages and modernity; and current views of the interrelationship.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3447 - History of Christian Ethics

    Survey of development of Christian ethical thought and teaching from beginnings through Reformation era. Major ethical themes are traced through the centuries, as the church’s scripture, evolving doctrine, and emerging tradition interact with secular society, politics, and philosophy. Readings will be taken mostly from primary texts, such as the Bible and the writings of selected Christian thinkers.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3470 - Christianity and Science

    Christian Europe gave rise to modern science, yet Christianity and science have long appeared mutual enemies. In this course we explore the encounter between two powerful cultural forces and study the intellectual struggle (especially in Galileo, Newton, Darwin, and Freud) about the place of God in the modern world.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3480 - Dynamics of Faith

    Studies a variety of contrasting contemporary accounts of the character and status of ‘religious faith.’



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3550 - Faith and Reason

    Studies approaches to the relation between reason, faith, doubt, and certainty in selected classical writings (e.g., Aquinas, Pascal, Kant, Kierkegaard, William James).



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3610 - Female Saints in the Western Tradition

    This course is a study of the lives of female saints from the early Christianity through the present. The course focuses on the theological writings of female saints as well as exploring the cultural/historical importance of canonization. Prerequisite: one religious studies course.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3620 - Modern Theology

    Who are the great modern Christian theologians? What do they have to say to us? What do they argue about? Who did they offend and why? In this seminar we shall read major works by four of the truly great modern theologians of the twentieth century. Two are Protestant (Karl Barth and Paul Tillich), and two are Catholic (Karl Rahner and Henri de Lubac).



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3625 - Christ

    This course is an introduction to Christology, that part of Theology concerned with the claim that Jesus is the Christ. How is this doctrine built up from Scripture, Church Councils, and the Fathers? What roles do heresies and creeds play in the construction? What events in the life and death of Jesus are most relevant to Christological claims? Particular attention is given to Jesus’s preaching of the Kingdom of God.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3650 - Systems of Theological Ethics

    Examines one or more contemporary systems of Christian ethics, alternating among such figures as Reinhold Niebuhr, C.S. Lewis, Jacques Ellul, and Jacques Maritain.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3675 - Women in Ancient and Medieval Christianity

    Why were women excluded from the priestly hierarchy of the church? How did male clerics subsequently circumscribe women’s roles in the church? And how did women respond? These are the questions that we will explore in this course on the intersection between gender and power in pre-modern Christianity.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3681 - Cultural Catholicism

    Exploration of Roman Catholic experience outside structure of the Holy See (for example, devotions, pilgrimages, shrines, art, fiction, cinema, television), particularly as committed Catholics argue over how to honor their spiritual tradition in day-to-day life. Study of current challenges wrought by women, Jews, and gays. Special attention paid to contemporary intellectuals and artists who criticize John Paul II while fiercely guarding their own.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3685 - Christianity, Gender, and Sexuality

    This class engages debates about Christianity, gender, and sexuality in past and present. Topics addressed include: biblical treatments of sex, gender, and sexuality; theological views of the human in patristic, medieval, and modern theology; Christianity, feminism, and feminist theology; sexuality and sexual ethics; and queer theology.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3690 - The Gospel of John and Its Interpretation

    A close reading of the Gospel of John, this course considers literary, historical, and theological issues. Questions raised include: What is distinctive about the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospel of John in comparison with the synoptic gospels. Why was this gospel so important for the development of Christian theology? Some attention will also be given to the book’s reception history, especially its role in the early centuries of the church.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3695 - Sex and Creation in Christianity

    What is the origin of human sexuality and what are it’s purposes? What do sexual identities as male and female have to do with the Christian doctrines of Creation, the imago Dei (image of God), original sin, and salvation? Are male and female complementary or incidental? What value does the Christian faith five to the body? How should we view the body with respect to our sexuality. Premarital sex, dating, cohabitation, and marriage.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3700 - The Revelation to John and Its Interpretation Throughout the Centuries

    Course considers both the book’s meaning in the original first-century context and its reception through the ages in music, art, literature, film, politics, and theological works.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3715 - Walker Percy and Flannery O’Connor

    The course covers the major fiction of two important American writers of the twentieth century who challenged and tested the modern temper with a Christian imagination and vision of the human condition



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3770 - Flannery O’Connor and Walker Percy

    This course covers the major fiction of two important American writers of the twentieth century who challenged and tested the modern temper with a Christian imagination and vision of the human condition.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3790 - Augustine of Hippo

    Examines the life and thinking of Augustine of Hippo, a major figure in Christian history and a formative influence on Christian thought to this day. Prerequisite: Any RELC course or instructor permission.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3795 - Theology, Spirituality and Ethics of Sustainability

    Primarily through the readings of theologians from the Protestant, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, this course explores theological, spiritual and ethical perspectives on the environmental issues that are becoming increasingly important across the globe.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3804 - American Catholic Social and Political Thought

    This seminar examines American Catholic social and political thought.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3810 - Cultural Catholicism

    Exploration of Roman Catholic experience outside structure of the Holy See (for example, devotions, pilgrimages, shrines, art, fiction, cinema, television), particularly as committed Catholics argue over how to honor their spiritual tradition in day-to-day life. Study of current challenges wrought by women, Jews, and gays. Special attention paid to contemporary intellectuals and artists who criticize John Paul II while fiercely guarding their own Catholic identities. Can we reduce Catholicism to a set of rules? If instead Catholicism asserts itself as a way of living, how does this mindset take shape and from where does it take its spiritual cues?



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3835 - Christian Art

    Among other topics, this course explores the derogation of Jews as ‘the people without art’; the theological implications of Augustine’s renumbering of the commandments; the Protestant backlash against Catholic art in the Counter-Reformation; and the controversy surrounding the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which published twelve cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3880 - Religion in Children’s Literature

    This course examines the great fairy tales and works of children’s literature for their capacity to communicate moral norms and to instill virtue..The stories that are read raise a host of theological questions that touch on the meanings of faith, grace, good and evil, sin, forgiveness, and redemption. Stories included: Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Wind in the Willows, Narnia Chronicles, and fairy tales of Andersen, the Grimms, and MacDonlad



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3890 - Christianity in Africa

    Historical and topical survey of Christianity in Africa from the second century c.e. to the present. Cross listed with RELA 389. Prerequisite: a course in African religions or history, Christianity, or instructor permission.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 3910 - Women and the Bible

    Surveys passages in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and the New Testament that focus specifically on women or use feminine imagery. Considers various readings of these passages, including traditional Jewish and Christian, historical-critical, and feminist interpretations. Cross-listed as RELJ 3910. Prerequisite: Any religious studies course or instructor permission.



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 4025 - Family Values

    Exploration of family structures and norms, specifically of what came to be known in the United States as ‘family values’ in the early 1970s, with particular attention to the Family Research Council and James Dobson’s ‘Focus on the Family’ today. How are family values enforced and transmitted through religious communities, social pressures, and laws?



    Credits: 3
  

  • RELC 4044 - Religion and the American Courts

    What is the nature of religion and its role in American society? This seminar will explore the limits of spiritual convictions in a liberal democracy which guarantees religious freedom. This course will examine: 1) the First Amendment; 2) legal methodology; and 3) the contemporary debate over whether citizens and public officials have a duty to refrain from making political and legal decisions on the basis of their religious beliefs.



    Credits: 3
 

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