The earliest endeavors of the Western intellectual tradition
were concerned with understanding nature, understanding the
human encounter with the divine, understanding human nature,
and understanding the whole—the cosmos—within which each of these
encounters occurred. Accordingly, philosophy and religion were
among the central concerns of intellectual life, and indeed
the first academy was a philosophical institution that brought
these endeavors under one "roof." Thus the Department of Philosophy
and Religion harkens to a mission that quite literally was at
the historical origin of the academy (indeed, of Western civilization)
and proves, no less today than 2,500 years ago, to be an animating
principle of intellectual life and culture. Today this traditional
mission has been broadened to include philosophy and religion
as they have developed in East Asia and South Asia.
Given this broad mission and the inherent difficulty of accomplishing
it, we see the following objectives as crucial: the development
of critical, analytical habits of mind in our students through
the close reading of major works in the history of philosophical
and religious thought and contemporary reflections upon them;
the development of communicative skills—both oral and written—that
produce the self-confidence to engage in sustained examination
of difficult ideas, through classroom engagement in discussion
and extensive writing assignments, whether through essay examinations,
response papers, journals, term papers, extensive research papers,
or senior theses; the development of a sense of context—historical
and conceptual—that saves critical analysis from becoming historically
irrelevant or idle logic-chopping, through the requirement that
all courses be grounded in and make ready reference to the historical
intellectual concerns of the two disciplines; the development
of the capacity to synthesize ideas and to create new wholes
in response to new (and/or renewed) intellectual concerns through
assignments that engage students where they are in their own
lives, while recognizing that this entails sharing the responsibility
for the choice of those assignments with the students themselves
as epitomized in the Senior Thesis course; and the development
in each student of a critical appreciation of her or his own
intellectual growth through the building of a portfolio of essays
and term and research papers written under the direction of
the department faculty and accumulated from the moment of declaration
of the major through the senior capstone experience.
The Department of Philosophy and Religion offers students the
opportunity to major or minor in religious studies. Courses
in religion are offered as electives for the entire student
body but may not be counted toward a major in philosophy. Majors
are encouraged to focus their studies around particular themes,
such as investigating the relationship of religion to art, culture,
or women.
THE RELIGIOUS STUDIES MAJOR: Minimal requirements for a major
in religious studies are the general College requirements, plus
completion of nine courses, seven of which must be selected
from the religion offerings (RE or PR), and must include
RE103,
241, and
375.
The remaining two courses may be chosen from RE
or PR offerings or may be selected from a list of courses from
other disciplines that has been authorized by the religion faculty.
At least five of the total courses for the major must be at
the 300 level with at least two at the 300 level taken in the
senior year, one of which must be in religion. Courses must
total at least thirty credit hours.
HONORS: Students wishing to qualify for honors in the department
must successfully complete RE376,
Senior Thesis, and earn a grade of A- or better.
THE RELIGIOUS STUDIES MINOR: Requirements for a minor in religious studies include
RE103 and
241,
plus three additional courses in religion designated RE or PR, at least
two of which must be at the 300 level. The religious studies minor must
total at least eighteen credit hours.
RE 103. RELIGION
AND CULTURE 4
An introductory study of the
nature of religion, the interaction of religion and culture,
and the function of religious belief in the life of the individual.
Consideration will be given to such phenomena as myth and ritual,
sacred time and space, mysticism, evil, conversion, and salvation.
Readings will be drawn from classical and modern sources. (Fulfills
humanities requirement.) The Department
RE 201. HEBREW
SCRIPTURES 3
An introduction to the Old Testament
and the beginnings of the Talmud. In addition to the primary
sources, commentaries and special studies will be used. Particular
attention will be given to the Jewish ideas of theology, history,
and ethics and to their effect on later Christian thought. Offered
alternate years. The Department
RE 202. CHRISTIAN
SCRIPTURES 3
An introduction to the New Testament
and the statements of the early church councils. In addition
to the primary sources, commentaries and special studies will
be used. Particular attention will be given to the Christian
ideas of theology, history, and ethics. Offered alternate years. S. Murray
RE 204. RELIGIOUS
ETHICS: JUDEO-CHRISTIAN 3
A survey of the development of
Western religious ethics. Areas studied will include Biblical
ethics, Monastic and Talmudic ethics, the ethics of Augustine
and Aquinas, Reformation ethics, Puritan ethics, nineteenth-century
frontier church ethics, and the modern ethical systems of American
Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Judaism. Offered alternate
years. S. Murray
RE 205. WOMEN,
RELIGION, AND SPIRITUALITY 3
An exploration of women's religious
experience in crosscultural and historical terms with primary
emphasis on images and roles of women in the Western cultural
traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Considering
religious mythology, belief, and practice against the background
of broader social and political realities, the course devotes
special attention to contemporary developments in feminist theology
and the tension between traditional and alternative modes of
spirituality. (Fulfills humanities requirement; fulfills LS2
requirement.) M. Stange
RE 211. WESTERN RELIGIONS 3
A study of the history, beliefs, and rituals of the major religious traditions of the West,
particularly Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Department
RE 213. RELIGIOUS
TRADITIONS OF INDIA 3
An introduction to the thought
and culture of India through its religious traditions. The course
emphasizes the history, beliefs, rituals and symbols of Hindu
traditions and gives attention to the Jain, Buddhist, Islamic,
and Sikh traditions in India. (Designated a non-Western culture
course; fulfills humanities requirement.) J. Smith
RE 214. RELIGIOUS
TRADITIONS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 3
An introduction to the thought
and cultures of China and Japan through their religious traditions.
The course emphasizes the history, beliefs, rituals, and symbols
of Buddhist traditions and gives attention to the Confucian,
Taoist, and Shinto traditions. (Designated a non-Western culture
course; fulfills humanities requirement.) J. Smith
RE 215. ISLAM 3
This survey of the religion of
Islam uses the Hadith of Gabriel as its organizing principle.
This canonical hadith divides Islam into three dimensions: submission,
faith, and doing what is beautiful. We will explore Islamic
religious ideals, schools of Islamic learning, and historical
and contemporary issues pertaining to each of the three dimensions.
(Designated a non-Western culture course; fulfills humanities
requirement.) L. Silvers-Alario
RE 220. ENCOUNTERING
THE GODDESS IN INDIA 3
An introduction to the Hindu
religious culture of India through a study of major Hindu goddesses.
The vision (darsan) of and devotion (bhakti) to the feminine
divine image will be explored. An interdisciplinary approach
will explore the meaning of the goddess in literature, painting,
poetry, religion, and sculpture. (Designated a non-Western culture
course; fulfills LS2 requirement.) J.
Smith
RE 225. RELIGION AND ECOLOGY 3
Explores the intersection of religion and ecology by examining causes of the
environmental crisis, how views of nature are conditioned by culture and
religion, and the response from naturalists, scientists, and religionists who
are concerned about the environmental crisis. The lectures and readings will
approach these issues from a variety of religious perspectives and will
include Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Native American, feminist,
pragmatist, and scientific voices. (Fulfills humanities requirement.) S. Murray
RE 230. TOPICS IN RELIGION 3
The study of a selected special
topic in religion. May be repeated with the approval of the
department. (RE230N is designated a non-Western course.) The Department
RE 241. THEORY
AND METHODOLOGY IN THE STUDY OF RELIGION 3
An introduction to the theory
and methodology of the study of religion. The course will provide
an overview of basic theoretical approaches such as the historical,
sociological, anthropological, phenomenological, philosophical,
and comparative. Issue identified by theorists from traditionally
marginalized groups will be explored, as well as strategies
for examining religion in relation to various forms of cultural
expression such as literature and the arts. The
Department
RE 303. RELIGION
IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN SOCIETY 4
A study of the backgrounds and
contemporary forms of American religions. Attention will be
given to the institutional, liturgical, and doctrinal patterns
of these religions and the application of their principles to
such social problems as the state, education, the family, sex,
human rights, and war. Prerequisites: two courses in
the following: philosophy, religion, history, economics, psychology,
and sociology, or permission of instructor. Offered alternate
years. The Department
PR 324. PHILOSOPHY
OF RELIGION 4
An investigation of the fundamental
paradoxes of religious belief. Questions to be considered will
include the arguments for the existence of God, the problem
of suffering and evil, the nature of mystical knowledge, and
the rise of modern religious skepticism. Prerequisite: one
course in philosophy or religion or permission of instructor.
Offered alternate years. J. Smith
PR 325. JAPANESE
BUDDHISM 4
A study of selected classical and contemporary thinkers who
see philosophy as intertwined with classical praxis. Emphasis
will be on Buddhist thinkers such as Kukai, Dogen, Shinran,
and Nishitani. Prerequisite:
one course in philosophy or religion or permission of instructor.
Offered alternate years. (Designated a non-Western culture course.) J. Smith
PR 326. TIBETAN
BUDDHISM 4
A study of selected classical
and contemporary Tibetan thinkers who see philosophy as intertwined
with religious praxis. The course focuses on the Vajrayana form
of Mahayana Buddhism that is on central element in the culture
of Tibet, as well as its Mahayana Buddhist background in India.
Emphasis is on the central ideas of wisdom, compassion, emptiness,
dependent arising, and the two truths in such thinkers as the
Prajhaparamita, Nagarjuna, Candrakirti, and the Dalai Lama.
Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or religion or
permission of instructor. Offered in alternate years. (Designated
a non-Western culture course.) J. Smith
RE 330. ADVANCED
TOPICS IN RELIGION 4
The study of a selected special
topic in religion. May be repeated with the approval of the
department. Prerequisite: one course in religion or the
approval of the instructor. The Department
RE 371, 372. INDEPENDENT
STUDY 3, 3
A reading course in a religious topic, tradition, or thinker not available in this depth in
other courses. Prerequisite: permission of department. The
Department
RE 375. SENIOR
SEMINAR 4
Advanced study of a topic that
reflects upon religion and the study of religion. Prerequisite:
senior standing in religious study major. J.
Smith, M. Stange, or L. Silvers-Alario
RE 376. SENIOR
THESIS 3
Individual conferences with senior
majors in the areas of their research projects. Prerequisite:
senior standing in religious study major. J.
Smith, M. Stange, or L. Silvers-Alario
