Course Schedule

RELI 150B1 – Religion and Popular Culture

This course introduces the study of religion and popular culture. It explores how religion is represented in popular cultural forms, and how social conceptions of "religion" and "popular culture" change over time. Students will examine how differing definitions of religion, culture, and taste intersect with historical and contemporary categories of class, gender, ethnicity, and race.

RELI 160A1 – Gods, Goddesses, and Demons: Divinity in South Asia

This course is an introduction to multiple concepts of the divine in South Asia. We will explore the different ways that the religious traditions of South Asia understand supernatural beings and forces. In order to do this we will read portions of primary texts in translation, examine iconography, and watch rituals as they unfold. In addition to learning about the South Asia traditions, we will put those conceptions of the divine in conversation with those rooted in a European context, forcing you to learn to think critically about the ways people from different cultures view the world around them.

RELI 160D4 – Introduction to World Religions

This course explores the diversity of religions and religious experiences across the globe. Religions to be examined include, but are not limited to, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, as well as indigenous traditions.

RELI 160D5 – Spirituality, Ceremony, and Saints of the Southwest

An introduction to the religious history and contemporary religious diversity of the region currently known as the American Southwest. The religious landscape of this area includes the traditions of indigenous communities, Spanish colonial descendants, Mexican Americans, Anglos, and immigrants from around the globe. This class will take both an historical and thematic approach to religion in the Southwest exploring the role of religion in colonial expansion (Spain, Mexico, and the United States) and focusing on a variety of topics such as land-based spirituality, shrines, pilgrimage, folk saints, religious syncretism, and new religious movements.

RELI 203 – Religion and Medicine in the Western Healing Traditions

An examination of the intersection between medicine and healing in western healing traditions, from ancient times to the modern era. Key scientific and humanistic questions will be addressed.

RELI 211 – Life After Death in World Religions and Philosophies

This course focuses on one Big Question: "How do afterlife beliefs affect the way we live?" It builds connections among the humanities [Religious Studies and Philosophy], the social sciences [Anthropology, Psychology, and Law], and the natural sciences [Medicine] to explore the ways in which religious afterlife beliefs are approached from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Students will analyze a variety of religious afterlife beliefs through case studies, problem-based assignments, and reading/writing genres from the six disciplinary perspectives in order to tackle the Big Question as it relates to their personal, academic, and/or career aspirations.

RELI 212 – American Indian Religious Traditions

This course offers a broad introduction to the diversity and complexity of American Indian religious traditions historically and in the contemporary. Students will explore general themes in the study of American Indian religions and spirituality along with analyzing specific examples. Of particular importance are the history and effects of colonialism and missionization on Native people, continuing struggles for religious freedom and cultural survival, and historical and contemporary religious responses to social, cultural, political, and geographical changes.

RELI 220A – Reading the Bible: The Old Testament

Who hasn't heard of the story of Adam and Eve, the Ten Commandments, the tale of David and Goliath, the wisdom of King Solomon, or the "Lord's Prayer" taken from the Book of Psalms? The "Old Testament" or Hebrew Bible is arguably the single most influential anthology of books in the history of the western world. In this course, we will consider who actually wrote these books, why and for whom. We will adopt the disciplinary perspectives of a Religious Studies Scholar, a Literary Critic, and a Historian to do a deep dive into ancient Israelite culture and society, including its struggles over ancient forms of inequality. We will look at the different literary genres that appear in the Bible, explore the religious views of their authors, and consider their origins and contexts in the history of ancient Israel."

RELI 222 – Introduction to Zen Buddhism

This course is designed to introduce students to the history,teachings,and practice of Zen Buddhism in China,Japan, Korea and the United States. The course will discuss Zen from a variety of perspectives but will center around the question of the meaning of history. Zen is a tradition of Buddhism that claims to have inherited and to pass on, in an unbroken historical transmission from patriarch to patriarch, the living experience of the Buddha's enlightenment. The course will discuss how Zen's conception of its history is related to its identity as a special tradition within Buddhism, as well as its basic teachings on the primacy of enlightenment, the role of practice, the nature of the mind, and the limitations of language.

RELI 227 – Religion and Film

This course explores religion and its relationship with visual storytelling culture. We will analyze, explore, and challenge various religious, pop-cultural, ideological, and moral messages as presented in various types of film, from art house cinema to blockbuster movies, and genres ranging from horror to comedy.

RELI 233 – Philosophy of Religion

The United States is, by all accounts, a God-fearing nation: sessions of congress are opened with a prayer, and "In God We Trust" is printed on the money. On the other hand, we are a pluralistic nation, with no official religion and almost a quarter of citizens not believing in a Judeo-Christian God. Both views have long and respectable intellectual histories. In this course we will examine these intellectual histories from the perspective of philosophy. In the first part of the course, we consider the traditional arguments for theism; in the second part, we consider traditional arguments against theism. Finally, we turn to an evaluation of this way of proceeding: Do we need to be able to prove or disprove God's existence in or to be justified in believing or disbelieving?

RELI 235 – Religion, Violence, and Terrorism

This course will study critical theories about the role of religion in acts of terrorism and violence. Through the examination of a range of case studies, this course will explore ways in which religion has been the motivation and justification behind violent conflict, aggression, and persecution.

RELI 240 – Imagining the Buddha: Images of Buddhism in Asia and the West

What does it mean to imagine the Buddha? This course guides students in narrating the lives of Buddhist images by tracing their creation and movement in Asia as well as in cultural encounters within Europe and the U.S. Today art critics continue to discuss "Buddhist" elements in the work of iconic artists like Georgia O'Keefe and Mark Rothko, Tibetan mandala coloring books are being used for stress relief, and "Zen" aesthetics inform a broad range of fashion and design platforms. This course provides tools for critically reexamining the categories of "East" and "West" within this cultural moment. Through creative processes such as drawing, writing, and conversation, students interact with diverse imagery such as Chinese painted caves, Himalayan esoteric portraits of enlightened reality, and Japanese temple complexes. They interpret Buddhist texts describing the construction of buddha bodies in art, ritual, and in the mind. Students also engage with the work of contemporary performance artists inspired by Buddhist ideals of discipline and impermanence. Reflecting upon these experiences, students uncover how the categories of "East' and "West" have obscured the understanding of Buddhist art, artists, and communities. They document the ways in which power dynamics of colonialism and Orientalism have been integral to making these categories. In response to their findings, students work together to generate a virtual exhibition reimagining images of Buddhism and telling their stories.

RELI 277A – History of the Middle East: 600-1453

In this course, students take a humanistic disciplinary perspective to explore the cultural products of the pre-modern Middle East and answer questions about its historical development. Using primary sources in translation and secondary scholarship, students will explore the context of the rise of Islam; the process of conversion and expansion across the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia; the crystallization of Shi'ism and changing notions of religious authority; and the impact of Turkish migrations and Mongol conquests. They will become familiar with major genres of pre-modern Middle Eastern literary, religious, and scientific writings, and use techniques of close reading to answer questions about those texts' ideological positions and contexts.

RELI 280 – Introduction to the Bible: New Testament

This course introduces students to the New Testament in light of the contexts in which it was written and compiled, and as a window into reconstructing the world of early Christianity. The course will also examine how various Christian communities have understood the meaning and authority of the New Testament.

RELI 285 – Jews of Persia: History, Culture, Identity

This Building Connection GenEd course explores the rich and enduring history of the Jewish community of Persia, one of the oldest in the world, dating back to the sixth century B.C.E. From Cyrus the Great's liberation of the Jews to their ongoing presence in Iranian society, Persian Jews have played a vital role in shaping Persian culture, contributing significantly to literature, philosophy, science, the arts, and the economy. Through historical analysis as well as literary and political perspectives, students will examine key moments in this community's evolution, including its role in the modernization of Iran during the Pahlavi era, the impact of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the complex realities faced by Iranian Jews both in Iran and in diaspora. The course will also highlight Jewish populations in other Persianate societies such as Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as the experiences of Iranian Jewish diasporas, particularly in Israel and California, to explore themes of identity, memory, and cultural transformation. By integrating Jewish history into the studies of the Persianate societies, this course offers an interdisciplinary and inclusive approach to understanding Iranian minorities and their lasting influence within Persianate societies.

RELI 302 – Ellis Island, 9/11, and Border Walls: Religion and Immigration in the U.S.

This course will explore the central role of religion in shaping constructions of race and ethnicity in U.S. history, especially in light of immigration debates. Since the country's founding, immigrants have expanded ethnic and religious diversity in the United States in the face of powerful anti-immigrant movements. Students will engage with in-depth studies of immigrant communities who shaped the American religious and ethnic landscape, including diverse American expressions of religions such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Evangelical Protestantism, and Vodou.

RELI 303 – Spirituality and Sickness: Religion and Health in the U.S.

This course explores diverse religious and spiritual conceptions of health in the United States and their relationships to experiences of sickness and healing. It will include a critical examination of historical and contemporary cases in which religious and spiritual views of health have interacted with healthcare systems, including cases of cooperation and conflict.

RELI 304 – The Question of God

Study of the question of God from a theological, philosophical, and literary perspective.

RELI 305 – Greek and Roman Religion

Religious beliefs and cult practices in ancient Greece and Rome. All readings in English.

RELI 306 – Christianity in the Greco-Roman World

This course investigates the emergence of Christianity in the first four centuries of the Greco-Roman milieu. Topics may include: the interaction of early Christians with Jews, Romans, and Greeks; as well as differences and debates within the various forms of early Christianity itself.

RELI 316 – Sex and Salvation in Latin America

Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Social Scientist

What do witches in colonial Guatemala, nuns in a Mexican convent, born-again gang members in El Salvador, Catholics seeking in-vitro fertilization in Ecuador, and lesbian practitioners of Candomblé in Brazil have in common? Their experiences tell us something about the complex intersection of sex, gender, and religion in Latin America. This course draws on anthropological methods and scholarship to consider two central questions: (1) How do religious ideologies and institutions shape sexuality and gender in Latin America? (2) How do Latin Americans contest gender norms, patriarchy, and heteronormativity through their religious practices, thus contributing to larger processes of social change? To address these questions, this class incorporates a variety of writing projects and a focus on the social scientific study of diverse religious communities in Latin America from the pre-Columbian past to the present.

RELI 319 – Shamans, Martyrs, and Heretics: Religion and the Korean Peninsula

South Korea today is a religiously pluralistic society, where no single religion claims a significant majority. On the other side of the border, North Korea has banished religion or so people claim. How did this contemporary religious landscape of the Korean peninsula emerge? This course journeys through the history of Korea's philosophical thoughts and religious traditions in tandem with social, political, and cultural transformations on the peninsula from the early kingdoms through the contemporary era, including the Korean diaspora today. Religious and philosophical traditions this course will examine include shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, and new religious movements, as well as modern political movements with religious personalities.

RELI 321 – Women in Judaism

This course examines religion and gender through the study of women in Judaism. How do scholars construct a history of women in ancient Judaism when Jewish sacred texts are written by and for men? How have modern Jewish women accommodated feminist ideals without undermining the authority of the established tradition? What impact has the feminist movement had on Jewish communal institutions in the United States and Israel? In this course, we explore these questions and others by examining the influence Jewish religious beliefs and practices have played in the formation of Jewish women's identities, image and their understanding of power and authority. Students study the role of women in the formation of Judaism and Jewish society as a culturally constructed and historically changing category through archaeology, biblical studies, rabbinics, theology, folklore, social and political movements.

RELI 332 – The Holocaust: Witnesses and Representations

This course explores Holocaust memory and representation in Europe, Israel and the United States through various media and genres from diaries, memoirs and oral testimonies to Yiddish and Hebrew poetry, second generation graphic novels and film to memorial gardens and resistance monuments, archives and museums. We engage with some of the most fundamental questions of memory and Holocaust trauma from multiple perspectives and contexts. Is it possible to communicate the horrors of the concentration camp? Who has the right to speak about the Holocaust? How does "Jewish" memory of the Holocaust shape our understanding of the history of Nazism, genocide, World War II and its aftermath? In what ways, has Holocaust memory become associated with movements for historical justice and human rights, in particular, in the United States?

RELI 335 – Rap, Culture and God

This course is a study of popular culture and religion in African-American and Latin@ communities, with a focus on the place of rap music in the cultural identity of these traditions. The class will begin with a study of some major themes in cultural studies concerning identity, class, race, and gender in addition to a study of the role of religion in Black and Latin@ communities. We will consider the approaches and self-understandings of identity and culture in rap music with special attention to the voices of protest, resistance, and spirituality among rap artists.

RELI 336 – Spirituality, Psychology, and the Mind

Ever wonder why you believe what you believe? Ever been puzzled as to why other people believe such outrageous things? Spirituality, Psychology, and Mind (SPM) investigates the nature of beliefs and practices from a multidisciplinary perspective. We will explore different ways of studying and understanding religious beliefs and spirituality through psychological, sociological, biological, philosophical, and humanist lenses. This course aims to build connections between different ways of knowing to foster critical thinking and perspective-taking. SPM will not try to prove or disprove any religious, spiritual, agnostic, or atheist claims. But instead, it will use psychological theory and scientific research to examine how we come to believe what we do. The focus will be on scientific approaches to religion's psychological nature and function concerning health, psychopathology, and coping mechanisms.

RELI 351 – Zen, Tea, and Poetry: A Blending of Genres

This course will examine how the three genres of Zen Buddhism, the tea ceremony/tea culture, and poetry, have been presented over time as not only compatible, but as representative expressions of each other. We will consider the contemporaneous cultural, historical, and political factors that contributed to the formation of this discourse. We will also hold up to critical scrutiny the very concept of "genre" in pre-modern East Asia, as well as the distinction between "Zen Buddhism" and what may be termed "Zen culture." We will also investigate in depth how modern commentators such as Okakura Tenshin, Suzuki Daisetsu, and Hisamatsu Shin'ichi's dialogue with the West and Western models informed the now ingrained idea that the tea ceremony represents an artistic, aesthetic, and spiritual nexus of the other two genres, and indeed of East Asian Culture as a whole.

RELI 358 – Tibetan Buddhism: Liberation, Identity, and Representation

How do Tibetans Buddhists innovate while staying connected with tradition? In the Tibetan language, biographies are referred to as liberation tales. In this course, students explore the life experiences of Tibetan Buddhists striving for a variety of forms of liberation, from samsara as well as from social marginalization and political oppression. Students disassemble stereotypes about Tibet by exploring fundamental aspects of its distinct Buddhist tradition. They analyze the stories of figures as diverse as an eighth-century demon-tamer and his enlightened female partner, a contemporary artist exploring questions of identity, a Buddhist yogi seeking to move beyond the confines of the self, and a debut novelist reflecting on writing as a form of agency. Students apply their knowledge to interpret representations of Tibet in sources ranging from early texts on the nature of reality to an Instagram takeover by contemporary Tibetan female poets. In the process, they generate tools for interpreting the host of representations they encounter in their daily lives.

RELI 367 – Yoga

In this course we examine the philosophy, practice, historical roots, and development of yoga. Students are asked to use and reflect on the disciplinary perspectives of the historian to examine premodern primary texts (in English translation) that provide a window into the origins of yoga, as well as the perspectives of the anthropologist and cultural critic to examine contemporary yoga practices. Students will compare and contrast perspectives of Indian yogis and contemporary international yoga influencers in order to understand how the experience of yoga differs across time and culture and how social systems of power and inequality are both subverted and reinforced by yoga and its practitioners.

RELI 370A – History of the Jews: Modern Jewish History

Survey of major political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in the history of Diaspora Jewry: Modern Jewish history.

RELI 371A – History of Muslim Societies

Rise of Islam, creation of Islamic society, relationship of religion and politics.

RELI 372B – Early Judaism and Christianity: One Book, Two Religions Second Temple Judaism and its Legacy

This course surveys scriptures and stories, wisdom texts, histories and apocalyptic visions that Jews living in the Persian and later Greco-Roman worlds produced and circulated in Second Temple period (539 BCE -135 CE). Examining Jewish history and writings of the Second Temple period is key to understanding an important time not only in Jewish religious formation but also the emergence of early Christianity, first as a Jewish sect and later, as a separate religion.

RELI 374 – The Holocaust

Socio-economic and intellectual roots of modern anti-Semitism, evolution of Nazi policy, the world of death camps, responses of Axis and Allied governments, and responses of the Jews.

RELI 379 – Religion in German Culture

Introduction to major cultural figures of German speaking countries who have seen, imagined, or experienced what role religion may or can play in human life. An introduction to the religious discourse from the German Middle Ages to the Twenty-First Century, with an emphasis on the emergence of tolerance.

RELI 387 – The History of Anti-Semitism

This course examines various definitions of anti-Semitism and traces the history of anti-Semitism (or "anti-Judaism") from the earliest arguments between Christianizing Jews and Judaizing Christians to the birth of Islam, through the period of Muslim expansion and the Crusades, to the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and the Holocaust. It looks at the differences among various types of Christian anti-Semitism, Muslim anti-Semitism, and Jewish anti-Semitism, and concludes with a look at contemporary forms of anti-Semitism.

RELI 389 – Middle Eastern Ethnic and Religious Minorities

Overview of ethnic and religious minorities in the contemporary Middle East, study of ethnic and religious diversity and its origin and manifestations in the modern Middle East. Examination of how the concept of religious and ethnic minority has emerged as a key factor in state policies towards minorities as well as the cultural, economic, political, religious, and educational lives of its people.

RELI 406 – Religious Diversity in Healthcare: Intercultural Training

This course is designed to offer tools for engaging religious and cultural diversity within healthcare settings, which includes consideration of religious patients, religious healthcare workers, faith-based healthcare institutions, and the impact of religious communities on healthcare laws and services. To develop skills for navigating intercultural differences, students will practice applying academic approaches to religion to health-related case studies.

RELI 408 – The Renaissance

Europe between the 14th and 16th centuries with special emphasis on Italy as the seat of the Renaissance. Topics include the city states, humanism, the Church in an age of Schism and secularization, Renaissance art, the New Monarchies and European exploration and imperialism.

RELI 420 – Archaic Greek Sanctuaries

This course therefore concentrates on the evidence for Greek sanctuary sites between 1000 and 600 B.C. We examine the excavated material from numerous sanctuary sites, including architectural remains (temples and/or altars), votive offerings of bronze and clay, and any other evidence revealing religious practices during these formative years. The role the sanctuaries played in society is also considered with a view to their political, social, economic and spiritual implications for Archaic Greek life.

RELI 431 – The Divine Comedy by Dante

This course examines Dante's masterpiece, "The Divine Comedy", the poet's life and other works. The primary focus is on "The Divine Comedy" and its influence on European literature and culture. Other texts will be included.

RELI 498H – Honors Thesis

An honors thesis is required of all the students graduating with honors. Students ordinarily sign up for this course as a two-semester sequence. The first semester the student performs research under the supervision of a faculty member; the second semester the student writes an honors thesis.

RELI 506 – Religious Diversity in Healthcare: Intercultural Training

This course is designed to offer tools for engaging religious and cultural diversity within healthcare settings, which includes consideration of religious patients, religious healthcare workers, faith-based healthcare institutions, and the impact of religious communities on healthcare laws and services. To develop skills for navigating intercultural differences, students will practice applying academic approaches to religion to health-related case studies.

RELI 520 – Archaic Greek Sanctuaries

This course concentrates on the evidence for Greek sanctuary sites between 1000 and 600 B.C. We examine the excavated material from numerous sanctuary sites, including architectural remains (temples and/or altars), votive offerings of bronze and clay, and any other evidence revealing religious practices during these formative years. The role the sanctuaries played in society is also considered with a view to their political, social, economic and spiritual implications for Archaic Greek life. Graduate-level requirements include a more extensive paper than undergraduates.

RELI 150B1 – Religion and Popular Culture

This course introduces the study of religion and popular culture. It explores how religion is represented in popular cultural forms, and how social conceptions of "religion" and "popular culture" change over time. Students will examine how differing definitions of religion, culture, and taste intersect with historical and contemporary categories of class, gender, ethnicity, and race.

RELI 160A1 – Gods, Goddesses, and Demons: Divinity in South Asia

This course is an introduction to multiple concepts of the divine in South Asia. We will explore the different ways that the religious traditions of South Asia understand supernatural beings and forces. In order to do this we will read portions of primary texts in translation, examine iconography, and watch rituals as they unfold. In addition to learning about the South Asia traditions, we will put those conceptions of the divine in conversation with those rooted in a European context, forcing you to learn to think critically about the ways people from different cultures view the world around them.

RELI 202 – Myths, Legends, and Religion: Foundational Literature of the European Visual World

This literature course examines Greek and Roman classical myths and Jewish and Christian biblical stories that have frequently been represented in visual cultures over the centuries in Europe and beyond. When taught as part of a study abroad trip, the course will be customized to provide the literary background of the specific visual material students will view while abroad.

RELI 203 – Religion and Medicine in the Western Healing Traditions

An examination of the intersection between medicine and healing in western healing traditions, from ancient times to the modern era. Key scientific and humanistic questions will be addressed.

RELI 220 – Nature, Gods, and Zen: Religion in Japanese Society

This course analyzes the history of religions in Japan and the ways in which "Japanese religion" is portrayed in the contemporary world. In particular, the course examines how issues of race, ethnicity, and equity manifest in Western representations of Japanese religion, which is often essentialized, exoticized, and interpreted through a series of cultural stereotypes as the perpetual "Other" in relation to the West. In order to approach this central theme, the course adopts the disciplinary perspectives of Religious Studies, History, and Asian Studies, all of which will be synthesized through a number of writing exercises to allow for a robust analysis of Japanese religious history and practices in the original context of Japan as well as their portrayals in the West, as evident in such outlets as newspaper articles, travel guides, blogs, and YouTube clips, among others. By taking this course, students will be able to integrate multiple disciplinary perspectives to write analytically on the historical significance of Japanese religion as well as questions of race, ethnicity, and equity in representations of Japanese religion in various contexts.

RELI 227 – Religion and Film

This course explores religion and its relationship with visual storytelling culture. We will analyze, explore, and challenge various religious, pop-cultural, ideological, and moral messages as presented in various types of film, from art house cinema to blockbuster movies, and genres ranging from horror to comedy.

RELI 280 – Introduction to the Bible: New Testament

This course introduces students to the New Testament in light of the contexts in which it was written and compiled, and as a window into reconstructing the world of early Christianity. The course will also examine how various Christian communities have understood the meaning and authority of the New Testament.

RELI 304 – The Question of God

Study of the question of God from a theological, philosophical, and literary perspective.

RELI 305 – Greek and Roman Religion

Religious beliefs and cult practices in ancient Greece and Rome. All readings in English.

RELI 332 – The Holocaust: Witnesses and Representations

This course explores Holocaust memory and representation in Europe, Israel and the United States through various media and genres from diaries, memoirs and oral testimonies to Yiddish and Hebrew poetry, second generation graphic novels and film to memorial gardens and resistance monuments, archives and museums. We engage with some of the most fundamental questions of memory and Holocaust trauma from multiple perspectives and contexts. Is it possible to communicate the horrors of the concentration camp? Who has the right to speak about the Holocaust? How does "Jewish" memory of the Holocaust shape our understanding of the history of Nazism, genocide, World War II and its aftermath? In what ways, has Holocaust memory become associated with movements for historical justice and human rights, in particular, in the United States?

RELI 335 – Rap, Culture and God

This course is a study of popular culture and religion in African-American and Latin@ communities, with a focus on the place of rap music in the cultural identity of these traditions. The class will begin with a study of some major themes in cultural studies concerning identity, class, race, and gender in addition to a study of the role of religion in Black and Latin@ communities. We will consider the approaches and self-understandings of identity and culture in rap music with special attention to the voices of protest, resistance, and spirituality among rap artists.

RELI 336 – Spirituality, Psychology, and the Mind

Ever wonder why you believe what you believe? Ever been puzzled as to why other people believe such outrageous things? Spirituality, Psychology, and Mind (SPM) investigates the nature of beliefs and practices from a multidisciplinary perspective. We will explore different ways of studying and understanding religious beliefs and spirituality through psychological, sociological, biological, philosophical, and humanist lenses. This course aims to build connections between different ways of knowing to foster critical thinking and perspective-taking. SPM will not try to prove or disprove any religious, spiritual, agnostic, or atheist claims. But instead, it will use psychological theory and scientific research to examine how we come to believe what we do. The focus will be on scientific approaches to religion's psychological nature and function concerning health, psychopathology, and coping mechanisms.

RELI 350 – Hindu Mythology

Overview of the traditional Hindu narratives found in the Vedic, epic, and puranic literature. We will also examine Hindu myth in their many regional literary and artistic forms, and how these narratives influence culture, philosophy, literature, and folklore.

RELI 367 – Yoga

In this course we examine the philosophy, practice, historical roots, and development of yoga. Students are asked to use and reflect on the disciplinary perspectives of the historian to examine premodern primary texts (in English translation) that provide a window into the origins of yoga, as well as the perspectives of the anthropologist and cultural critic to examine contemporary yoga practices. Students will compare and contrast perspectives of Indian yogis and contemporary international yoga influencers in order to understand how the experience of yoga differs across time and culture and how social systems of power and inequality are both subverted and reinforced by yoga and its practitioners.

RELI 372A – Interpreting the Bible (Old Testament): Approaches to Understanding Israelite Religion and Society

The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is one of the most influential and widely studied texts in the world. For more than two millennia, it has played a central role in shaping Western culture, religion, and ethics. However, the stories, laws, and prophetic writings contained in the Bible are products of a specific time and place--embedded in the ancient Near East, where the Israelite people lived and interacted with other cultures over the course of many centuries. This course explores the contexts in which the Bible was written and compiled, drawing on literary analysis, historical criticism, and the witness of archaeology evidence. Students analyze key topics in Israelite religion and society, including the daily life of men and women, the emergence of monotheism, the role of the priesthood, development of the prophetic tradition, the political formation of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah among others.

RELI 493 – Internship

As part of the Religious Studies for Health Professionals curriculum, the internship provides first-hand experience working within a community organization or employment area that engages issues of health and religion. The internship involves 120 contact hours with a selected internship site as well as 15 academic hours to enhance the learning experience. Before enrolling, students must work with the Religious Studies for Health Professionals internship coordinator to find an appropriate internship site that fulfills the goals of the program and the students interests.