Religious Studies

Religious Studies Option, Professor Paul Dietrich, Advisor: 

Religion has been taught as an academic discipline at the University of Montana since 1924.  Located within the Liberal Studies Program, the study of religion is pursued in the University in an interdisciplinary setting that offers opportunities for exploration and discovery in many areas of the humanities, art, and sciences.  Our Religious Studies courses emphasize the scholarly analysis and interpretation of the history, literature, beliefs, myths, symbols, rituals, ethical and legal codes, and communities and institutions of the world's religious traditions.

We investigate how the world's religions address enduring human questions and influence responses to daily problems, and we explore how religious traditions shape lives and societies, from the emergence of the earliest civilizations to 21st-century global conflicts.  Our students engage ideas about the good life and death, suffering and happiness, war and peace, revelation and salvation, God, mysticism, and religious experience. The curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad and deep understanding of religion as a field of human activity and inquiry. Students acquire the skills necessary to investigate specific religious traditions in historical depth and to understand the forms, expressions, and roles of religion in the world today. 

Bachelor of Arts - Liberal Studies; Religious Studies Option

College Humanities & Sciences

Catalog Year: 2016-2017

Degree Specific Credits: 44

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Religious Studies Lower-Division Requirements

Rule: 20 credits.

Minimum Required Grade: C-
20 Total Credits Required

Introduction to the Humanities

Rule: Take the following 2 courses. 8 credits.

Note: WRIT 101 is a pre-requisite or co-requisite. General Education fulfillment: LSH 151L and 152L satisfy both the "approved writing course" and "Literary & Artistic Studies".

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description LSH 151L - IntrHumanities:Greek,Bible,Rom
Offered autumn. Prereq., eligibility for WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) based on writing placement examination. General survey of the field of Humanities in Western civilization, comparing and contrasting the Greco–Roman with the Jewish and Christian traditions.
 0 To 4 Credits
Show Description LSH 152L - Humanities Medieval to Modern
Offered spring. Prereq., eligibility for WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) based on writing placement examination. General survey of the field of Humanities in Western civilization, in the modern period.
 0 To 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 8 Total Credits Required

Introduction to Asian Humanities

Rule: Take the following course. 3 credits.

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Show Description LSH 161H - Asian Humanities
Offered autumn. Coreq., LS 151L or consent of instr. Selective survey of classical South and East Asian perspectives on the humanities. Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are the primary traditions considered.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Near Eastern/Mediterranean courses

Rule: Choose one of the following courses. 3 credits.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description RLST 204H - Intro to the Hebrew Bible
An introduction to the history, religion, and literature of ancient Israel and to modern methods in Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) studies. Includes an introduction to the history and religions of ancient West Asia.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 205 - Introduction to New Testament
An introduction to the history, religion, and literature of earliest Christianity and to modern methods in New Testament studies. Includes an introduction to the history and religions of the ancient Mediteranean.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 221 - Judaism
An introduction to Judaism as a religion and to the history of Jewish peoples (in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas) from antiquity to modernity.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 225 - Christianity
Introduction to the historical development of Christian thought and practice in the cultures of late antiquity and the medieval and modern periods.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

South or East Asian courses

Rule: Choose one of the following courses. 3 credits.

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Show Description RLST 232H - Buddhism
A historical introduction to the development of Buddhist thought and practice in the cultures of Asia and the West.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 234X - Hindu Religious Traditions
Same as SSEA 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.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 236X - Chinese Religions
An exploration of the development of thought and practice in and the interactions between the major religious movements of Chinese religion: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and fold religion/animism.
3 Credits
Show Description RLST 238X - Japanese Religions
Offered at least once every two years. An introductory exploration of Japan's unique religious synthesis of Buddhist, Shinto, Taoist, Confucian and folk/shamanistic traditions.
3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Religious Studies Upper-Division Requirements

Rule: 24 credits.

Minimum Required Grade: C-
24 Total Credits Required

Theory & Method in the Study of Religion

Rule: Take the following course. 3 credits.

Note: Please see a Liberal Studies advisor for possible course substitution approval.

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Show Description RLST 300 - Theory & Method Study of Relig
A survey of modern theories and methods in the study of religion. Overview of sociological, anthropological, psychological, phenomenological, comparative, cognitive, and other approaches to the question, What is religion?
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Religious Studies Courses

Rule: Choose 5 of the following courses. 15 credits.

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Show Description AAS 347 - Voodoo, Muslim, Church
Offered intermittently. Same as HSTA 347. The African-American religious experience encompasses Islam, Christianity, Santería, voodoo, and many others. In this course, students will examine the history of religious expression within the African-American community from the colonial era through the twentieth century. Central to the course is the question, “How did religion shape the experience of the African-American community?” Students will also examine the ways in which religious practice influenced social, political, and cultural changes in American history.
 3 Credits
Show Description AAS 417 - Prayer & Civil Rights
(AM) Same as HSTA 417. HSTR 200 and only open to majors and minors in history or consent of instructor. This course explores the meaning of public prayer in the Civil Rights Movement. Built around the question, "Does religion help or hinder the pursuit of social change?" this class combines historical and religious studies inquiry to trace changes in civil rights activists' efforts to make use of religion. By focusing on a particular religious practice - in this case prayer - in a specific, but limited period of time, this course challenges students to consider how meaning is formed through historical action and study the social significance of religious practice. This formed through historical action and study the social significance of religious practice. This course complicates prevailing ideas about the normalcy of African-American religious practitioners' prayer, invites students to examine their assumptions about the nature of prayer, and traces how religion spilled out of sanctuaries into the streets during the civil rights era.
 3 Credits
Show Description NASX 304E - Native American Beliefs/Philos
Offered Autumn and Spring.   A study of selected ethical systems; origins, world views; religious beliefs and the way they have been affected by western civilization.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 310 - Topics in Biblical Studies
(R-6) Selected topics in modern Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and New Testament studies. Focus on history, literature, and religions of ancient West Asia, the Mediterranean and North Africa. Topics vary from year to year and include: Israelite religion; prophets and prophecy; biblical history and historiography; ancient Gospels; the letters and communities of Paul; early biblical interpretation; archaeology and iconography of ancient religions; religion and politics in the Bible.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 320 - Anct Judaism & Early Christnty
(R6) Survey of the history and literature of ancient Judaism and early Christianity. Topics include: the emergence of Judaism and Christianity in the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires; religions of ancient West Asia and the Mediterranean; stories of Jewish and Christian origins; the historical Jesus; the early rabbinic movement; the Dead Sea Scrolls; Paul between Judaism and Christianity.  
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 335 - Western Religious Thought I
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 336 - Western Religious Thought II
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 353 - Topics in South Asia Religions
(R-6) This course will examine select topics of central importance with respect to the history of interaction between the major religions (Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism) of South Asia.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 354 - Topics in East Asia Religions
(R-6) This course will examine select topics of central importance with respect to the history of interaction between the major religions (Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and folk animism and shamanism) of East Asia.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 360 - Classcs of Buddhist Literature
(R-6) Close reading of a selection of core Buddhist texts drawn from various Asian cultures and spanning the three main phases of the tradition.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 366 - Tibetan Civilization
An exploration of the history and culture of a unique civilization that has influenced greatly the cultures of Himalayan, East, and South Asia. Special attention will be given to Tibetan religions, but these will be explored within the context of the society's political, social, economic, and other cultural developments.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 367 - Approaches to Study Zen Bddhsm
An exploration of both key developments in the history of Zen Buddhist thought and practice and the variety of ways that Zen has been studied by Western popular and academic cultures.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 368 - Contem Buddhism in S & SE Asia
As with other major religions, modernity and globalization have presented profound challenges to Buddhist traditions.  In this course we will explore various contemporary issues that have affected Theravada Buddhist societies--colonial and post-colonial revivalism, religious nationalism, women's rights and social reform--as case studies in some of the major ways in which religions have confronted modernity.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 369 - Contemplative Tradtions Asia
An exploration of the rich and diverse approaches to mental transformation and cultivation of gnosis as developed by several of Asia's major religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 370 - Mysticism
(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.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 376 - Contemporary Religious Thought
(R-6) Study of selected major critical and constructive proposals in modern religious thought in various traditions.
 3 Credits
Show Description RLST 391 - Special Topics
(R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
 1 To 12 Credits
Show Description RLST 392 - Independent Study
(R-6) Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.
 1 To 6 Credits
Show Description RLST 491 - Special Topics
(R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
 1 To 12 Credits
Show Description RLST 492 - Independent Study
(R-9) Prereq., consent of instr. Work on selected problems by individual students under direct faculty supervision.
 1 To 9 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 15 Total Credits Required

Liberal Studies courses with Religious Studies content

Rule: Choose two Liberal Studies courses from the following. 6 credits.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description LSH 326 - Stories East and West
Offered intermittently. A course in Comparative Literature, examining similar genres (creation stories, fables, novels, short stories) in literature from Europe, America and India.
 3 Credits
Show Description LSH 329 - Fathers & Daughters in Lit
Prereq., WRIT 101. Examines how relationships between fathers and daughters have been represented, celebrated and critiqued in literature in the Western world, from antiquity to the present. Includes discussion of changing patriarchal formations, symbolic and adoptive fatherhood, incestuous rape, homosexuality and role reversals. Texts include Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, romantic poetry, novel, and graphic novel. Both male and female authors.
 3 Credits
Show Description LSH 342 - Topics Comparative Lit & Rel
Offered every second semester. Same as SSEA 342. These courses compare major traditions, texts and trends in two or more world civilizations or cultures. Works of literature and/or philosophy are examined in their historical contexts, and in relation to each other.
 3 Credits
Show Description LSH 368 - Shakespeare: Comedy & Tragedy
Offered yearly.  An investigation of the differences, but also affinities, between the two fundamental Shakespearean genres.
 3 Credits
Show Description LSH 391 - Special Topics
(R–9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one–time offerings of current topics.
 1 To 9 Credits
Show Description LSH 392 - Independent Study
(R–12) Offered intermittently. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.
 1 To 12 Credits
Show Description LSH 484 - Novel Ancient and Modern
Offered yearly. Two antithetical models for the construction of a novel.
 3 Credits
Show Description LSH 491 - Special Topics
(R–9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one–time offerings of current topics.
 1 To 9 Credits
Show Description LSH 492 - Independent Study
(R–9) Offered intermittently. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.
 1 To 9 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 6 Total Credits Required

Modern and Classical Language Requirement

Note: Students must demonstrate fourth semester proficiency in a second language either by completing four semesters (recommended to be subsequent) with a grade of C- or better, or by receiving an equivalent score on a competence exam.