Religion (REL)
REL 150 Religions of the World Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Summer.
Course Description: Survey of major and minor religions around the world with relevant historical and cultural elements.
CORE 42: MOTR RELG 100; World Religion (attribute MO59)
REL 250 Religions of East Asia and Oceania Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Spring (even-numbered years).
Course Description: Survey of major and minor religions with relevant historical and cultural elements, focusing primarily on religious traditions with origins in East Asia and Oceania.
CORE 42: MOTR RELG 100; World Religion (attribute MO59)
REL 251 Religions of the West Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Fall (even-numbered years).
Course Description: Survey of major and minor religions with relevant historical and cultural elements, focusing primarily on religious traditions with origins in West Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
CORE 42: MOTR RELG 100; World Religion (attribute MO59)
REL 252 Religions of South Asia and Africa Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Fall (odd-numbered years).
Course Description: Survey of major and minor religions with relevant historical and cultural elements, focusing primarily on religious traditions with origins in South Asia and Africa.
CORE 42: MOTR RELG 100; World Religion (attribute MO59)
REL 260 Introduction to Biblical Studies Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Spring (odd-numbered years).
Course Description: Introduction to the method and content of Biblical scholarship, covering the Jewish (Hebrew) Bible and the Christian (Greek) New Testament, with some discussion of relevant apocryphal and non-canonical texts.
CORE 42: MOTR RELG 100; World Religion (attribute MO59)
REL 263 Religion of the Hebrew Bible Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion .
Course Description: Introduction to the major elements of the Hebrew Bible from the perspective of contemporary biblical scholarship.
CORE 42: MOTR RELG 101O; Religious Texts, New Testament, Old Testament (attribute MO59)
REL 265 Religion of the New Testament Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: Introduction to major elements of the New Testament from the perspective of contemporary New Testament scholarship.
CORE 42: MOTR RELG 101N; Religious Texts, New Testament, Old Testament (attribute MO59)
REL 325 World of Islam: People, Cultures and Societies Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: An introduction to the fundamentals of Islam, and a survey of cultures, traditions, social life, and history of Islamic societies. The course provides an interpretation of current events in the world of Islam. Special topics of interest would include the origin and history of Islam; religious life (belief and practices, and observance); Islamic cultures; Islamic arts, literature, and architecture; economic applications of Islam; Islamic laws and theology; marriage and Muslim families; women's rights and position in Muslim families and society; political Islam (Islamic groups: modern and militant Islamic movements, the question of leadership); and, Islam and the West. The course is, however, open to the type of interests that students show in the subject matter. Same as SOC 325.
REL 345 Religion and Society Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: An examination of the nature of religion as a social phenomenon, surveying major themes in the sociology of religion, such as the history of attempts to define religion, empirically grounded in the diversity of world religious traditions. Prerequisite(s): SOC 110 or any previous course in philosophy, religion, or humanities.
REL 350 Philosophy of Religion Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: Study of classical and contemporary philosophical inquiry into the nature of religion and questions about God and ultimate reality. Same as PHL 350. Prerequisite(s): Any previous course in philosophy, religion, or humanities.
REL 360 Selected Topics in Religion Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: Specialized course work in the study of religion, normally a comparative exploration of a theme considered across a variety of global religious traditions. May be repeated as content varies for a maximum of 6 credits.
REL 361 War, Peace, and Religion Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: A course in comparative religious ethics thematically exploring a variety of global religious traditions, both East and West, examining their respective scriptures, doctrines, histories, and contemporary examples through the lens of their various perspective on violence and nonviolence. Special emphasis will be given to the resources each has available for nonviolent responses to interpersonal and international conflict. Same as PAX 361.
REL 365 Selected Topics in Peace and Conflict Studies Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: Specialized course work in interpersonal and/or international conflict studies. May be repeated as content varies for a maximum of 9 credits.
REL 370 Selected Topics in Comparative Philosophy Credits: 3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: Specialized course work in non-Western philosophy. May be repeated as content varies for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Same as PHL 370. Prerequisite(s): Any previous course in philosophy, religion, or humanities.
REL 450 Independent Research/Project Credits: 1-3
Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.
Course Description: Investigation of a research problem, project, or topic on an individual conference basis. Consent of departmental chairperson is required. Students are normally expected to discuss proposed work with REL faculty two semesters before registration is anticipated. May be repeated with departmental approval for a maximum of 6 credits.