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RELS 1000 Introduction to Religion
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Examines the various methods scholars employ for describing and understanding religious phenomena. The course focuses on the various dimensions of religious belief, experience, and practice and explores the main religious themes, such as the nature of God, the human condition, and salvation, in the context of different religious traditions. It also draws attention to the values that religions promote and to the major religious issues commonly discussed in academic and/or public circles. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2000 Catholicism: Spirit and Methods
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
This course is a basic Introduction to Catholicism. It covers such topics as faith, the Gospels and Jesus, the Christian God, community sacrament, liturgy and worship, the meaning of church, spirituality, Catholic Social Teaching, and the "Catholic Imagination". | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2001 The Study of Religions
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Examines the various methods scholars employ for describing and understanding religious phenomena. The course focuses on the various dimensions of religious belief, experience, and practice and explores the main religious themes, such as the nature of God, the human condition, and salvation, in the context of different religious traditions. It also draws attention to the values that religions promote and to the major religious issues commonly discussed in academic and/or public circles.<br><br><i>RELS 2001 replaced RELS 1000 and RS 100. Students who have already taken either RELS 1000 or RS 100, should not enroll in RELS 2001 as they will not receive credit toward graduation for both courses. Students who have questions should consult with their Academic Advisor or the CLAE Dean's Office.<i> | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2020 Asian Religions
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A survey of those religious traditions usually labeled "Eastern," namely, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Chinese and Japanese religions, and the various forms of Buddhism. A brief history, the major scriptures, and the beliefs and rituals of each religious tradition are covered. Current developments, especially the presence of some of these religions in the Western world are also explored. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2030 Western Religions
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A survey of those religious traditions usually labeled "Western," namely, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Also included are prehistoric religion, the religions of contemporary nonliterate societies, and several religions of ancient civilizations. The historical background, the major religious developments, and the beliefs and rituals of the main religious traditions are outlined. Some problems, such as secularization, which these great religions face in the modern world, will be discussed. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2120 Introduction to Judaism
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to the essentials of basic Judaism: beliefs, practices, customs, ceremonies, holidays, and institutions of the Jewish people. Current trends in contemporary Jewish life, as well as the concerns of the Jewish people are examined. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2140 Gender and Religion
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
This course examines, from women's perspectives, their experience in a variety of religious traditions. It examines the relationship between religious definitions of women and their social status, analyzes the causes of women's subordination in some religious traditions, compares the values of such traditions with those values affirmed in religious traditions primarily shaped by women, and presents feminists' and womanists' critical theories relating to dogmas, traditions, and ethics. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2150 The Rise of Christianity
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of the historical setting, theological controversies and institutional development of early Christianity. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2160 Reformation Era
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to the origin and development of Protestantism, from Martin Luther to the Treaty of Westphalia. An examination of the Catholic Reformation, including the founding of the Society of Jesus and the Council of Trent. A study of the history and development of Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Reformation and the Radical Reformation. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2170 Religion in the United States of America
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An historical introduction to the variety of religious orientations in the U.S.A. together with a consideration of the relationship of religion to American culture. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2180 Black Religion in America
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Introductory exploration of the spirituality and religious understandings of African Americans, attending to gender and class, and the identification of related key social streams. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2190 20th Century American Jewish Life
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An examination of the immigration of Jews to America and the development of Orthodox Reform and Conservative Judaism in response to the American experience. Jewish survival in America and religious developments indigenous to America are addressed, including contemporary issues of anti-Semitism, relationships to Israel, the Holocaust, interfaith activities, and the Jewish cultural renaissance. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2220 From Adam to David
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A survey of portions of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) and the historical [z]books of the Hebrew Bible (Joshua through 2 Kings). | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2230 Prophets and Visionaries
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A survey of portions of the books of the prophets, the Wisdom writers, and the apocalyptic visionaries in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2240 Jesus and Gospels
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A survey of the gospels in the Christian Testament (New Testament): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2250 Paul and Revelation
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A survey of the letters of Paul and the Book of Revelation (the Apocalypse) in the Christian Testament (New Testament). | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2290 The Bible as Religious Literature
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A literary-historical survey of the biblical writings, concentrating on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and their influence of the New Testament. Attention is also paid to post-biblical literature influenced by the Bible (e.g. Milton's Paradise Lost). | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2300 Catholic Theology Today
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introductory survey of Roman Catholic Theology both in its traditional form and in the light of its transformation during and since Vatican Council II, focusing chiefly on doctrinal issues: God, Christ, Revelation, the Church, relationship to the modern world. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2310 Introduction to Theology
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A basic introduction to the nature and method of theology using both classical and contemporary theologians as models. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2340 Christian Ethics
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to the field of Christian ethics, this course discusses the sources of Christian moral thought and the ways in which Christians have approached a variety of moral issues, e.g., war, economic and social justice, sexuality. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2350 Christ in Faith Fiction and Film
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to Christology, concentrating on the narrative depiction of Christ in the New Testament and in selected short stories, novels, and films. The course begins by comparing the gospels in the context of the developing understanding of Jesus in early Christianity and proceeds to study the Christ image in various works of fiction and film. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2360 Religion and Film
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to religious themes, perspectives, stories and traditions in film. Special attention is paid to the unique ways in which cinematographic techniques can convey religious meanings and perspectives. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2400 Social Ethics
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A survey of selected contemporary social ethics issues. Interest will focus on the disciplined methods of understanding the nature, function, and validity of values in socially structured situations. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2420 Religion and Science in the West
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of changing relations between religious outlooks and scientific methods, from the 17th to the 20th century. Special attention is paid to the shifting boundaries between "religion" and "science." | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2440 Sexuality & Love: Contemporary Christian Thought
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An examination of human sexuality and its relationship to love, human and divine. Besides reviewing the history of Christian attitudes to sex from biblical times to the present, it will address such issues as homosexuality, gender roles, changing attitudes towards marriage and celibacy, theories of psychosexual development, etc. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2450 Sex, Race and Class: Feminist/Womanist Ethics
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to white feminists' and black womanists' ethical thought. This course explores important themes in religious ethics, such as how to discern the good, the relationship between love and justice, and between objectivity and subjectivity. It provides an introduction to women's critical contributions in ethics and theology. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2470 Jews and Judaism in Modern World
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An examination of the Jewish experience from the French Revolution to Auschwitz and the post-War era. The course focuses on modern Jewish life and times in Germany, Russia, Poland, France, England, America, and Israel. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2480 The Holocaust
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
This course examines events leading up to the Holocaust and the systematic decimation of European Jewry during the Third Reich. The course will trace the historical roots of anti-Semitism, the societal impact of WWI and WWII, the rise of Hitler and the Nazis' annihilation of six million Jews. Students will explore their own personal responses to the information learned and the implications of the Holocaust for society. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2490 Violence, Nonviolence and Religion
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
This course examines the ways in which Christianity has both encouraged violence and condemned it, while proposing ways of stopping the cycle of violence and enabling its victims to heal from its destruction. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2500 The Quest For God today
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
The contemporary search for the meaning of life as expressed in literature, psychology, and theology. This course explores both Christian and non-Christian forms of spirituality, from prayer and social action to recovery movements, focussing on the individual's experience of the divine. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2510 Theology and Literature
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An investigation of theological themes such as faith, the search for meaning, the mystery of suffering, death, conscience, hope and love. It uses a variety of literary texts, classic and contemporary, in the course of an experiential reflection of these topics in the light of the Christian tradition. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2520 American Jewish History and Thought
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Unfolds the rich and fascinating story of three centuries of Jewish life in America. Jewish immigrants from many lands have come to America and redefined a new identity. Sephardic Jews came to these shores in Colonial times. German Jews developed a special acculturation in the 19th century. Eastern European Jews flooded here in the wake of Russian persecutions. How these three separate waves of Jewish immigration linked American Jewry to the broader stream of Jewish history is analyzed and discussed. Students are introduced to the historical processes which compose the Jewish experience in America. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2550 Theology of Christian Marriage
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of Christian marriage from a number of perspectives: historical (from Old Testament Judaism through early Christianity to today); theological (the meaning of Christian commitment in relation to God, the community, and the couple themselves); psychological (questions of intimacy, sexuality, faithfulness, developmental stages in the life process, effective communication in marriage). | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2560 God and The Human Condition
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introductory course in theology which uses literature and film to explore basic questions about human existence, such as the following: What forces or powers,chance, luck, fate, providence, are at work in our lives? What are the natures and causes of human tragedy, suffering and evil, and what difference might faith in God make in responding to them? | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 2580 Issues in Christian Love
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Exploration of the traditional doctrines of Christian love, agape and caritas, and their related doctrines of grace and sin. Special attention is paid to the issues raised by gender differences, and to recent attempts by feminist theologians to reconstruct a model of Christian love in terms of care. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3000 Philosophy of Religion
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of the philosophical issues raised by religious practice and religious belief. In addition to arguments for the existence of God, the course will include the following topics: the problem of evil and attempted solutions, the epistemological significance of religious belief, the relationship between religious belief and religious practice, and the role of religion in contemporary society. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3010 Anthropology of Religion
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to current anthropological approaches to the study of religion. The main themes include symbolism, myth, magic, and witchcraft. Contemporary viewpoints on primitive religions and on the great religions are discussed. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3020 Contemporary Religious Movements
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An investigation into the presence and significance of religious movements (sects, cults) in the West, especially those which became prominent since the 1960s. These movements are examined from historical, psychological, sociological, and theological perspectives. The social, religious, and legal implications of this new religious pluralism are also discussed. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3030 Hinduism
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
History of Hinduism from its classical and pre-classical origins to contemporary manifestations. Studies in religious and philosophical movements, their change and continuity in the development of religious thought and institutions. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3050 Islam
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Understanding and living with religion, politics and culture in the Middle East. This course studies the origin and growth of Islamic civilization, emphasizing the principal religious teachings, including selections from the Quran, the life of the Prophet Muhammad, and later developments in Sufi mysticism, sectarian differences, and the recent Muslim experience in America. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3060 Buddhism
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
History of Buddhism from its origins to later manifestations, differentiations into Mahayana and Theravada. Also, a study of major philosophical schools and Buddhist institutions in South Asia and East Asia. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3061 Buddhisms in America
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction of the major events and issues in the history of America's encounter with Buddhism, with a focus on the last few decades. Topics include basic teachings and history of Buddhism, Buddhist traditions in America and their respective emphases, adaptation of Buddhist teachings and practices to American social ethos, and influences of Buddhism on American culture. Background knowledge in Buddhism will be helpful but is not required. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3210 Psalms
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of the prayers of Israel in their worship settings, their symbolism and imagery, mythological elements, poetical style, and literary forms. Comparison with the Qumran Hodayot and New Testament hymns. The use of the psalms in the New Testament hymns. The use of the psalms in the New Testament and their meaning in the canonical context are examined. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3220 Wisdom Literature
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of the books of Proverbs, Job and Qohleth and several psalms in the Hebrew canon, and of the books of Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon in the larger canon. Wisdom themes in the inter-testament, rabbinic and Gnostic literature are traced, and in the New Testament special attention is given to the Johannine and Matthean Christologies and the Corinthian Correspondence of Paul. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3240 Feminist Biblical Interpretation
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Focuses on texts that deal with the following issues: female subordination/male dominance; images of God; power and leadership in institutional religion; differences in the ways African Americans and white Americans read the Bible; women in Israelite societies, in early Judaism, in the Jesus movement, and in Gnosticism. Students read major American and European feminist/womanist literary criticism. This course also hosts lectures or panel discussions for the UDM community. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3260 Synoptic Studies
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An examination of one of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, or Luke): its sources, composition, distinctive theological and Christological emphasis, historical community context, place in the canon, contemporary relevance. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3310 The Christian God
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of the experience of God as Father, as Jesus, as Spirit: its New Testament formulations (as well as its Jewish-scriptural background), its Patristic development and conciliar definitions, is medieval theological elaboration, this contemporary re-interpretation (Rahner, Moltmann, Tillich, Lonergan) and relevance. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3320 Modern Christian Theologians
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to the thought of some influential modern interpreters of the Christian message, Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox. After a survey of developments in Christian theology since the Enlightenment, the course will focus chiefly on the work of a few seminal thinkers representing the major traditions. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3330 Theology of Karl Rahner
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to the thought of the greatest Catholic theologian of modern times, and the theological revolution he created before and after Vatican II. Beginning with his early devotional and philosophical works, it will examine carefully some of the major essays from his multi-volume Theological Investigation, as well as other works. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3340 Theology of Death and Resurrection
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An approach to the deepest of life's mysteries, using literature and theology to shed light on the darkness of human destiny. The New Testament accounts of Jesus' death and resurrection will be studied, along with experiential attempts to confront (or avoid) the reality of dying, and the means various religions and cultures employ to deal with death or to envision an afterlife. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3370 Black Theologies
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A focused study of black theologies which have developed through the African Diaspora. Special attention is given to current developments. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3380 Latin American Liberation Theology
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to liberation theologies through reading major theorists; understanding the significance of connecting faith with action; and exploring the dynamics of social analysis. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3390 Ecology and Justice
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An exploration of relationships between justice and the environment, the varied religious meanings and ethical dimensions, and global connections and implications. Special application is made to ecology in the Detroit metropolitan area. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3430 Ethics and Economic Theories
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An in-depth analysis of the underlying assumptions about human nature, community, and social justice as expressed in contemporary economic theories. Economic theories, as expressions of social values, are analyzed in light of religious teachings, particularly Jewish and Christian teachings, in social ethics. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3450 Ethical Theories and Society
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An examination of some of the more important theories as they relate especially to social order. Emphasis is on recent works in the field. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3470 Catholic Social Thought
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An examination of the positions major Christian thinkers have proposed on the responsibility of men and women towards each other, government, the legitimacy of dissent, and issues of justice. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3480 Justice: Contemporary Issues and Theories
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An examination of contemporary problems of justice in the areas of economics, law, government, and international relations. These issues are analyzed in the light of philosophical and religious theories of justice. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3490 American Religious Social Thought
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to theologically-oriented social thought in America from colonial times to the present. Special attention is paid to key thinkers and the issues of democracy and social ethics. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3500 Religion and Psychology
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An exploration of the interface between psychology and religion, as each addresses such issues as the nature of human beings, the development of conscience, freedom, the quest for meaning, the origins of the idea of God, the nature of faith, etc. A blend of readings from both disciplines will be included, with special attention to humanistic psychology and its approach to the problem of becoming fully human and fully alive. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3510 Pastoral Theology
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of different approaches to and understandings of ministry operative throughout Christian history and the concepts and visions of church that underlie them. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3530 Dynamics of Spiritual Growth
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
This course examines in depth the spiritualities of the founders of the Jesuits and Sisters of Mercy as models for understanding spirituality in general. Through this study students will explore the meaning of spirituality, spiritual growth, and applications and integration of spirituality with other aspects of life. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3550 Poets, Mystics and God
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
The reality of the divine, as revealed to the great mystics and poets of the western tradition, including Juliana of Norwich, St. John of the Cross, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and T.S. Eliot. Beginning with such classic studies as those of William James and Evelyn Underhill, the course examines mysticism in the Jewish and Christian scriptures as well as its later manifestation. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3570 Spiritual Autobiographies
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A careful reading of some of the great religious autobiographies, beginning with The Confessions of St. Augustine and proceeding on to such 20th century classics as the works of Gandhi, Dorothy Day, and Anne Frank. Each student also writes an account of his or her own spiritual journey up to the present. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3580 Theology of the Imagination
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of human creativity and the way the imagination works to disclose the divine. The role of imagining in dreams, scientific discovery, art and literature are explored en route to a deeper understanding of the process of religious revelation. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3590 Religion, Health and Healing
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Explores the ways in which health, illness and healing are integrally related to religious and moral concerns, beliefs and practices in all cultures. Special attention to the ancient healing traditions of shamanism and energy medicine. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3755 On the Divine
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
This religious studies course explores the human search for, experience of, understanding of, and relationship with the divine. The course follows an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on psychology, sociology, philosophy, and theology along with the student's own experience and reflections. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 3980 Special Topics
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An exploration of selected topics in the study of religion. | 1 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4020 Asian Religions
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Examination of major Asian religions in their cultural and historical settings, with attention to the spirituality and values fostered by each. Traditions under consideration will include Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism, etc. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4021 Traditions in China
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An exploration of the historical and contemporary currents of thought and practices in Chinese culture. The development of each of the 'Three Teachings, i.e. Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, will be traced, and the interactions among them and their manifestations in the daily lives of Chinese people will be examined. A brief survey of popular and minority religions in China will also be included. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4130 Christianity and World Religions
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Explores the problem of religious pluralism in the contemporary world. This course concentrates on: 1) a description and evaluation of the main theologies of religion, and 2) and examination of the relationships which the major world religions, namely, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, have developed over the last few decades. Special emphasis is placed on the current movement towards dialogue and the many official documents that relate to dialogue. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4132 Religions and Global Wellbeing
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
What are the major world religions' responses to and critiques of capitalistic globalization and the social problems following from it? And do the traditional teachings they appeal to have something in common, upon which a realistic global ethics can be built? This course explores the ways in which traditional religious teachings and ethics are relevant and applicable to the current socio-economic condition of global interdependence, and prompts students to view themselves as citizens of the global village who have global responsibilities. By guiding students to examine different religious' responses to globalization and globalized problems, this course will help instill an appreciation of other religions as well as a sensitivity for cultural diversity, both of which are much needed in the contemporary conflict-ridden world. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4140 Gender and Religion
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Examination from a gender standpoint of the experiences of women and men in various religious traditions, including issues of social status, leadership, teachings, ethics, reform. The course will be taught from a (pro) feminist/womanist perspective. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4141 Gender in Asian Religions
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Diverse Asian traditions such as Hindu traditions, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto, and shamanism, are often intertwined with one another. Together they present a complicated mixed picture when it comes to women and gender relation. This course focuses on the tension between the elevation of the life-giving feminine, the 'cosmic' subordination of women in the male scripts, and the confluence and contestation among different sub-traditions. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4220 Torah and Historical Writings
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) and the historical books (Joshua through II Kings). Use of contemporary contemporary methods of critical interpretations of the major stories and their theological insights, humor and enduring power. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4230 Prophets Wisdom and Apocalyptic
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of the major and minor prophets, the Wisdom literature and the emergence of the Apocalyptic in the book of Daniel. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4240 The Four Gospels
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A survey of modern scholarship on the Gospels. Religious and political conditions of the Greco-Roman world of the first century of the Common Era. The formation of the Gospels, the quest for the historical Jesus movement. The distinctive approaches of the four evangelists, and the relationship of canonical to no-canonical gospels. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4250 Acts, Letters, Revelations
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
A study of the development of the primitive church, its Christologies/theologies, lifestyles and leadership conflicts in the context of the political, religious and social currents of the Greco-Roman world of the first century of the Common Era. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4310 Introduction to Theology
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to recent developments in understanding the theological task through the study of classical and contemporary theologians and theological movements. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4320 Classical and Contemporary Catholicism
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Exploration of the historic Catholic tradition from the patristic to the modern era, with special attention to the philosophical and theological foundations and implications of key beliefs, symbols, doctrines and rituals. Focus on the distinctiveness of Roman Catholicism. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4340 Christian Ethics
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to the foundations of Christian morality in the New Testament and their later development, including contemporary theology and present-day issues and questions (nuclear war, abortion, social justice, etc.) | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4430 Sexuality and Justice
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Explores western concepts of gender and sexuality in order to analyze how such concepts have effected the religious quest for social justice regarding women, racialized groups, the poor, and humanity's relationship to nature. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4440 Sexuality and Love in Contemporary Christian Thought
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
The nature of human sexuality and its relationship to love. Contemporary theories of psychosexual development. History of Christian teaching regarding sex. Changing attitudes toward sexuality, homosexuality, married love and celibacy. Sexuality and gender roles. Sexual love and its relationship to religious love. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4450 Sex, Race and Class: Feminist/Womanist Ethics
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An introduction to Christian feminist and Womanist ethics. Topics may include the re-visioning of love, justice, sexuality, and the common good. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4470 Jews and Judaism in the Modern World
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
The historical processes affecting Jews, Judaism and Jewish life from the time of the French Revolution to Auschwitz and the post-War era of today. Modern Jewish life and times in 19th and 20th century Germany, Russia, Poland, France, England, America and Israel. The dynamics of emancipation and enlightenment, Jewish life in Eastern Europe, the impact of Jewish life on Western European culture. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4680 Catholic Health Care Ethics
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
An examination of moral problems in health care from the perspective of Catholic moral theology and selected Church writing. Fundamental moral concepts in the Catholic tradition are applied to topics such as reproductive technology, end-of-life care, physician-assisted suicide, abortion, contraception and resource allocation. The course will also expose students to moral views from other faith traditions as well as from secular health care ethics literature. | 3 | 0 | 0 | | |
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RELS 4950 Directed Readings
| Credit Hours | Recitation/Lecture Hours | Studio Hours | Clinical Hours | Lab Hours |
Private readings on a selected problem. Permission of instructor required. | 1 | 0 | 0 | | |
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