Paul A. Dietrich (Professor of Liberal Studies), Director
The academic study of religions is coextensive with the broad field of humane learning in which questions pertaining to the meaning of human existence are most prominent. The study of religions in the University is therefore taken up in close conjunction with the humanities, arts, letters, and the several sciences.
In course offerings, two emphases prevail: first, the scholarly analysis and transmission of the literature and forms of the world's religions; second, the sensitization of the student to the value of religious studies for appreciating his/her cultural and social existence. Thus, courses are designed to illuminate religious traditions in historical depth as they inform modern cultures generally, and the individual within American cultural situations in particular.
The offerings in Religious Studies do not constitute a pre‑professional program. They are intended to extend and deepen the student's education in the liberal arts.
Courses
U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G = for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.
Religious Studies (RELS)
U 100 Introduction to the Study of Religion 3 cr. Offered intermittently.An inquiry into the literary and historical phenomena of religion in relation to the symbolic, cultural and social expressions of selected major world religions.
U 106H Introduction to Old Testament Studies 3 cr. Introduction to the literature and history of ancient Israel and to modern methods employed in studying Israel's religion as an academic discipline.
U 107 Introduction to New Testament Studies 3 cr. An introduction to the literature and history of early Christianity and to the scholarly methods used in studying the New Testament.
U 130S Sociology of Religious Cults 3 cr. Same as SOC 130S. Offered spring. Unconventional religious groups in American society. Topics include recruitment, conversion, commitment, defection, leadership, belief systems, organizational structure and change.
U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R‑9) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one‑time offerings of current topics.
U 198 Internship Variable cr. (R‑6) Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.
U 232H Buddhism 3 cr. Offered autumn. A historical introduction to the development of Buddhist thought and practice in the cultures of Asia and the West.
U 233 Traditions of Buddhist Meditation 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq. or coreq., RELS 232H. A critical and phenomenological introduction to meditation as the Buddhist method of systematic inquiry into the nature of the mind and its role in the construction of experience.
U 252L Medieval Allegory 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Study of creative allegories of the spiritual quest or journey and critical interpretive allegories of sacred texts. Typical authors include Gregory of Nyssa, Dante, the Pearl poet, Farid ud‑Din Attar.
U 276 Contemporary Religious Thought 3 cr. (R‑6) Offered alternate years. Study of selected major critical and constructive proposals in modern religious thought in various traditions.
U 295 Special Topics Variable cr. (R‑9) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one‑time offerings of current topics.
UG 301E American Indian Religion and Philosophy 3 cr. Prereq., lower‑division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr. Same as NAS 301E. A study of selected ethical belief systems; origins, world views; religious ceremonies and the way they have been affected by Western civilization.
UG 312 The Legacy of Paul 3 cr. Offered alternate years. The life and letters of Paul; the structure of the Pauline understanding of the Christian faith; the legacy of Paul in later Christian thought.
UG 335 Western Religious Thought I 3 cr. Offered autumn. Selected studies in the intellectual history of western religions, alternating between studies of periods and seminal thinkers. Emphasis will be on the ancient and medieval periods.
UG 336 Western Religious Thought II 3 cr. Offered spring. Selected studies in the intellectual history of western religions, alternating between studies of periods and seminal thinkers. Emphasis will be on the late medieval and early modern periods.
UG 360 Classics of Buddhist Literature 3 cr. (R-6) Offered spring. Close reading of a selection of core Buddhist texts drawn from various Asian cultures and spanning the three main phases of the tradition.
U 365 South Asian Religious Traditions: Hinduism 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years. Same as AS and LS 365. Critical exploration of selected aspects of Hindu thought, narrative and practice, both in contemporary and historical perspective. Focus primarily on India, but with consideration of Hinduism’s transformation and impact beyond South Asia.
UG 370 Mysticism 3 cr. (R‑6) An inquiry into the literature and interpretation of mysticism in the major religious traditions. Each offering will focus on a specific tradition or period.
UG 381 Comparative Ethics 3 cr. Prereq., lower‑division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr. An examination of models for cross‑cultural study, concentrating on the formation and exercise of values in eastern cultures as approached from the standpoint of western students.
U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R‑12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one‑time offerings of current topics.
U 396 Independent Study Variable cr. (R‑6)
UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R‑12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one‑time offerings of current topics.
UG 496 Independent Studies 3 cr. (R‑9) Prereq., consent of instr. Work on selected problems by individual students under direct faculty supervision.
Faculty
Professors
Paul A. Dietrich, Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1981 (Director)
Alan Sponberg, Ph.D., University of British Columbia, 1980
Assistant Professor
Megan Williams, Ph.D., Princeton, 2002
Adjunct Professor
Thomas R. Lee, Ph.D., University of California, 1979