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.
This course investigates various conceptions of love in world religions. The assumption of this course is that the theme of love, though interpreted in many different ways, is a key component of a religious experience of the world and of the Sacred. In many of the worlds religions, an understanding of love or compassion is an indispensable moment in the gaining of wisdom.
A study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, including both ancient and modern developments in their cultural contexts.
The architecture, manuscript illumination, painting and other visual arts of Christianity explored within the contexts of contemporary history.
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.
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.
Major trends and traditions in the arts, literatures and languages, religions and philosophies of China.
The course surveys six religious traditions founded and developed in Asian including two from India: Hinduism and Buddhism, two from China: Confucianism and Taoism, and two from Japan: Shinto and Japanese New Religions. The survey of each religion includes: 1. a primary or sacred text, 2. contemporary practices in Asia, 3. contemporary practices in America, and 4. depictions in modern media. The course studies how the central tenets and teachings of Asian religions create the cultural roots of contemporary Asian cultures and how these teachings have influenced America's religious diversity.
Hi, my name is Kimberly Meyer and I am a first year transfer student at the University of Arizona! The study of classics has always fascinated me since I first got bit with the Greek bug after reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series in the fifth grade. Having this opportunity to study Ancient Greek will allow me to dive deeper into the literature, history, and art that I love so much without the changes a translation can make to the original text. My favorite aspect of classics is the personal, human side of language and history, so being able to further connect with ancient people through their language really excites me.
I am deeply grateful to receive the Greek Language Tuition Award and for the opportunity to study Ancient Greek through GRK 112. As a triple major in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, & Law, Religious Studies, and History, I see Ancient Greek as directly connected to the questions that shape my academic interests.
Learning Ancient Greek will allow me to engage with the Septuagint rather than relying on modern English translations. Being able to read the text in its original language will help me better understand how meaning is shaped by context, structure, and word choice, and will strengthen my ability to analyze the text more accurately –– both with respect to my own faith and to how interpretive traditions have developed over time.
Just as importantly, my interest also comes from my love of history. Ancient Greek gives readers access to one of the linguistic foundations of the world around us. It offers a deeper look into how people in the Greco-Roman world communicated with one another, understood other cultures, and preserved their thoughts, beliefs, and motivations in writing. Because these texts helped shape law, literature, philosophy, politics, and theology, studying Ancient Greek feels like a necessary step in truly understanding the traditions that continue to influence the modern world.
Get ahead with Religious Studies!
The Religious Studies program has scholarship funds available to cover summer tuition for any declared major taking RELI courses during the 2026 Summer Session.
Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come basis, based on the availability of funds.
To apply for this funding:
Both the RELI BA & RSHP BS are flexible majors, each requiring 10 courses with no prerequisites, which can be taken in any order. (6 courses must be at the 300 level or higher.)
Questions? Contact Prof. Karen Seat at kkseat@arizona.edu