RELIGIOUS STUDIES COURSE OFFERINGS

SPRING 2007

RELG 102-Introduction to World Religions
Dr. Aaron Gale
M/W/F 10:30-11:20
209 Armstrong Hall
3 hrs-NO Prerequisite

This course introduces students to five of the most widely recognized religions in the world today: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Despite some commonalities, each religion is unique regarding its history and practice. Therefore, the goals of this course are primarily twofold: 1. to provide students with an understanding of how each religion evolved historically and spiritually 2. to explore the contemporary practice of each religion. In addition, we will study some of the interactions that have taken place among the religions. This will allow students to place two or more religions side-by-side and examine their similarities/differences. Ultimately, then, students will learn the basic tenets of each faith in order that they may gain the ability to discuss each religion and its corresponding history, practice, and relationship to other faiths.

RELG 293E-Special Topic: History of American Christianity
Professor Jane Donovan
M/W/F 11:30-12:20
312 Clark Hall
3 hrs-NO Prerequisite

This course explores the history of Christianity in the United States , from its introduction by the Anglicans of Jamestown and the Pilgrims and Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to the emergence in recent years of the politically powerful Christian Right. We will consider the uniquely American merger of religion and politics in a nation without an established church, where republican political thought, democratic polity, and a commitment to individual freedom create a competitive religious marketplace. Important theological developments that have shaped Christianity in American will be discussed, including millennialism, the Holiness Movement, Pentecostalism, Fundamentalism, the Social Gospel Movement, and Dispensationalism. We will see the role of Christian commitments in important political events such as the Abolition, Temperance, and Civil Rights Movements.

RELG 293J-Special Topic: Christology-Who is Jesus?
Dr. Ken Ramsey
T/Th 1:00-2:15
312 Clark Hall
3 hrs-NO Prerequisite

This course will examine the biblical, historical, and theological roots of Jesus as "The Christ". Beginning with a foundational look at the idea of a Messiah/Christ, the course will seek to trace the development of this idea as it became applied to Jesus of Nazareth. An exploration of different types of Christology in pre-modern, modern, and postmodern thought will take place. The role and significance of "Christ" in the wider scope of culture and religion will also be evaluated.

RELG 303-Studies in Christian Scripture
Dr. Aaron Gale
M/W/F 12:30-1:20
112 Armstrong Hall
3 hrs-NO Prerequisite

This course is an academic exploration of the content and background of the texts that comprise the New Testament. Therefore we will utilize scholarly methods of examination. We will examine the historical, cultural, and religious settings of the texts as well as the intention and theology of the various authors. We will also explore how the texts themselves provided the historical setting, and aided in the development of, early Christianity. Ultimately, then, this course aims to: 1. Investigate the content and context of the Gospels, epistles, and the Book of Revelation. 2. Introduce the student to the different scholarly methods of interpretation that are used in the academic study of Christian Scriptures, and 3. Provide students with the knowledge necessary to identify and explain the various strands of religious/historical/ethical thought contained within the New Testament.

RELG 492-Directed Study
Dr. Aaron Gale
Time: TBA
3 hrs-PREREQUISITE-Instructor's Permission

Directed study, reading, or research.

RELG 493D-Special Topic: Philosophy/Religion of Yoga
Dr. Siegfried Bleher
M/W/F 11:00-11:50
3 hrs-PREREQUISITE-at least one completed RELG course

This course is an overview of the philosophical principles, practices and historical development of yoga from the time of the Vedas and Upanishads to the Bhagavad Gita, to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Svatmarama. Yoga philosophy is compared with the other philosophical and religious traditions of India , such as Samkhya philosophy and Buddhism, and with "perennial philosophy". Yoga is seen to be both a cosmology of the structure and functioning of the universe as well as, and primarily, a means for transforming consciousness and liberating it from conditioned experience. As such it is partly a worldview and partly experiential. This course is likewise both didactic and experiential, and consists of two lectures and one practice per week. The main text (which is required) is "The Yoga Tradition: its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice" by Georg Feuerstein. Other recommended texts include "The Philosophy of Classical Yoga", by Georg Feuerstein, and "The Eye of Spirit: An Integral Vision for a World Gone Slightly Mad", by Ken Wilber. The following yoga props will be required: a non-skid mat, two blocks (non-foam), a yoga belt and three firm blankets.

RELG 493E-Special Topic: Religious Pluralism
Dr. Daniel Borsay
T/Th 1:00-2:15
3 hrs-NO Prerequisite

Many religions exist and there is a multitude of interpretations of the various religions. What are we to make of this? Pluralism renders acute questions of truth: Which religion is true? Are all of them true? Are none of them true? Is there some way to accord them all some truth? Pluralism also raises political and social and ethical questions: How should one deal with religions or worldviews other than one's own? Can and should one be critical of religions and worldviews other than one's own? Is a pluralistic society a good thing? How should one live in a pluralistic society? Jews and Christians, Christians and Muslims, liberal Christians and conservative Christians, the religious and the secular-all these pairs (and there are many more) point up the problem of pluralism and its contemporary relevance. We will explore these issues through relevant readings, lectures, and discussion.

RELG 493F-Special Topic: Biblical Ethics/Current Issues
Dr. Daniel Borsay
T/Th 11:30-12:45
101 Clark Hall
3 hrs-NO Prerequisite

The course explores what biblical ethics is and how it is done. We will be looking at biblical texts and interpretations of biblical texts. One of our goals is to pinpoint problematic areas in need of further work. We will also consider how biblical ethics is similar and dissimilar to secular ethics. All this will be done with special consideration given to current issues, such as abortion, war, sexual ethics, world poverty, euthanasia, relations between religions, relations between the religious and the non-religious, and so on. Students will write a paper, take some exams, discuss and debate issues in class.

RELG 494E-Seminar: God, Evil, and Society in the Biblical World
Dr. Aaron Gale
M/W/F 9:30-10:20
G15 Woodburn Hall
3 hrs-PREREQUISITE-at least one completed RELG course

This course will examine the nature of God, evil, and society from the Old Testament era to the end of the New Testament era. We will examine such topics as the evolution of the Devil, the development of monotheism, and what life was like religiously, economically, and socially for the ancient Jews, Christians, and pagans of the ancient world. We will also study the interactions that took place among the various peoples, as well as outside influences from other cultures such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans.

In the course of this endeavor, we will utilize primary sources such as the Bible and various apocryphal texts as well as examine what modern scholars have to say. We will also "dig in the dirt" to see what archaeology can tell us about the ancient biblical world.

RELG 495-Independent Study
Dr. Aaron Gale
Time: TBA
1-6 hrs-PREREQUISITE-Instructor's Permission

Supervised study of topics not available through regular course offerings.

RELG 497-Research
Dr. Aaron Gale
Time: TBA
1-6 hrs-PREREQUISITE-Instructor's Permission

Independent research topics.

For a list of last semester's courses go to:
Summer/Fall 2006 Courses