RE 103  Understanding Religions

This course is an in-depth investigation of religion from a variety of perspectives employed in the contemporary study of religion. With attention to religion as a global, cross-cultural human phenomenon, we will examine multiple traditions, geographical locations and historical periods, with particular focus on Buddhism and Mesoamerican religion. Exemplary scholarly approaches to the study of religions from the humanities and social sciences will provide a basis for empathetically exploring religious self-understandings while also critically examining them within larger political, social and cultural contexts.

Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry requirement; fulfills non-Western and Global Cultural Perspectives requirement.

W/F
12:20 - 1:40

RE 105W  American Gods: Religious Diversity in the U.S.

An introduction to the diversity of religions in America and to basic categories and questions in the academic study of religion. The United States is one of the most religiously diverse nations on earth. This course investigates that diversity, in the past and in the present, and explores traditions imported to America, recent traditions born in America, and/or traditions indigenous to the Americas. Students will explore what counts as “religion” in America and how religious traditions shape and are shaped by other forms of difference (race, class, gender, age, sexuality, etc.)

Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry requirement, Global Cultural Perspectives and Cultural Diversity requirement.

Counts toward American Studies.

Sec. 001: T/TH 2:10 - 3:30

Sec. 002: T/TH
3:40 - 5:00 

RE 215  Islam

A basic introduction to Islamic scripture, rituals, and spiritual practices. Roughly one out of every five people on this planet today identify as Muslim, and yet Americans know relatively little about a religious tradition having such a profound influence on world history and culture and which continues to impact contemporary life. Whereas media images tend to distort its message and dilute its meanings, we will give Islam far more careful consideration, approaching this religion as the rich and multi-faceted tradition that it is. Covering some core beliefs and practices shared by most Muslims, we will emphasize the complexity and diversity of Muslim cultures; while adopting a global perspective for a global religion, we will also take a historical look at Muslims in the U.S.

Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry requirement; fulfills non-Western and Global Cultural Perspectives requirement.

RE 218R Hindu Myth

This course is an exploration of the Hindu gods and goddesses of India through their myths.  For centuries Indians have been telling stories about the gods through sacred scripture, folklore and pilgrimage traditions, and more recently in comic books, television series and films. Through close readings of India’s mythic and epic texts communicated through diverse media, we gain an introduction to Hinduism as a dynamic, living religious tradition. Anyone attempting to understand the complexities of Indian culture, politics and society will soon encounter the gods and goddesses of the Hindu tradition. Besides introducing students to these fascinating figures and their stories, the course seeks to explore broader topics in the study of religion including theories of myth, the politics of gendered visions of the divine and the effects of the medium on the transmission of religious messages.

Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry, Global Cultural Perspectives requirements.

Offered as Explorations of Religious Studies through Research.

Counts toward Asian Studies.

RE 2221 Buddhism: An Introduction

An introductory survey to the Buddhist tradition, focusing on its history and development, key doctrines and practices, geographic spread, and cultural adaptations. Students will examine the intellectual and philosophical history of Buddhism in detail as well as explore how Buddhism functions as a living, practical tradition, with an emphasis on material culture.

Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry and Global Cultural Perspectives requirement.

Counts toward Asian Studies

RE 230C  Bible Wars

The Bible is often at the center of contentious issues within American culture. A Constitutional ideal separating church from state does not prevent people from grounding their values in interpretations of these sacred texts. This course then provides a critical examination of what the Bible says, or does not say, on a range of polarizing topics, including abortion, birth control, same sex relations, capital punishment, migrant workers, and economic exploitation. Our goal in doing so is not primarily to choose sides, but to better understand how the Bible continues to impact contemporary society.

Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry and Global Cultural Perspectives requirement.

RE 230C God, Sex, Love

A cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary investigation of how the social and cultural significance of sexuality has been shaped by religious discourse, myth, doctrine and ritual.  Religious approaches to the divine have played a decisive role in the formation of society and culture, both in the United States and around the world, including approaches to love, sex, and marriage. However, within any religious tradition there are-and always have been-transgressive voices who have challenged and subverted these approaches. Among the questions the course may pursue are: How have various forms of sexual expression come to be seen as normal and respectable, while others are seen as deviant?  How is religious discourse about gender and sex shaped by discourses about race and class? How has passionate love served as a metaphor for the expression of religious experiences, such as the union of the soul with God?  How have people sought to “channel” sexual energy to pursue spiritual projects, as in tantra and religious celibacy?  How have religious communities provided space for non-normative expressions of gender and sexuality?

Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry requirement. Counts towards Gender Studies. 

RE 230D  Religion and Society

What is the intersection between religion and social life, and what ought it be? What conceptual and descriptive tools do we need in order to find out? People tend to make assumptions about religion, religion and society, religion and politics, religion and freedom, religion and science, etc. In this class, we think through these topics, in order to interrogate our own preconceptions and how they may facilitate or block our capacity to understand how social worlds emerge, unravel, and remake themselves.  An introduction to religious studies methods and theories, the exact topics the course takes up will vary according to the instructor. 

Fulfills TM requirement for Religious Studies majors and minors. Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry requirement.

RE 330D  Religion and Madness

What is the line between religion and madness? Who gets to decide and what are the consequences? How did psychiatric understandings of religious identities historically develop and how have they impacted American religious lives? This course critically engages these questions to examine the association of religious identities, behaviors and beliefs with madness or mental illness during the 19th and 20th centuries. We will uncover how gender, sexuality, race, and politics in the United States have impacted assessments of madness, and the power dynamics inherent to labeling and categorizing certain traditions as religions while declaring others the product of deviance or mental illness. This course employs a mad studies theoretical perspective that challenges the historical and contemporary dominance of the psychiatric lens and privileges the voices of those deemed mad.

Fulfills TM requirement for Religious Studies majors and minors; counts toward Gender Studies.

Prerequisite: One prior Religious Studies or Gender Studies course or permission of the instructor.

RE 375   Things: Studying Religion Through Material Culture

A cross-cultural examination of sacred objects, icons, so-called fetishes, commodities, relics, and other bodies of evidence that allows us to unpack the colonial legacies of academic classifications and to reassess the category of religion. Along the way, we will interrogate distinctions between objects and persons, and rethink relations between the living and the dead. This is an advanced seminar, emphasizing independent research and collaborative learning, open to RE majors and minors in their third or fourth years; others are encouraged to contact the instructor for permission.

Prerequisite: Open to RE majors and minors in their third or fourth years; others are encouraged to contact the instructor for permission.