2019-2020 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]
Religion/Jewish Studies Courses
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Religion
Jewish Studies (JWST)
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JWST 010R - (HP) The Bible: Ancient and Modern Perspectives Semester Hours: 3
Every Other Year
Various genres of biblical literature and teachings are studied against the background of contemporary Near Eastern civilizations and in light of the findings of modern biblical research and archaeology.
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JWST 012F - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3
Fall
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. Consult the class schedule for proper category listing. Students may take only one 12F or 12S seminar.
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JWST 012S - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 1-3
Spring
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. Students may take only one 12F or 12S seminar.
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JWST 014F - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3-4
Fall
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format
with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to
first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is
offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and
only one 14S or 12S seminar.
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JWST 014S - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3-4
Spring
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and only one 14S or 12S seminar.
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JWST 019R - (HP) Post-Biblical Writings Semester Hours: 3
Every Other Year
Selections from post-Biblical works in prose and poetry. Readings from medieval, philosophical, mystical and ethical writings with special reference to Judah Halevi and Maimonides.
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JWST 020 - (HP) The American Jewish Experience Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course provides a general introduction to American Jewish history, from the 1654 settlement of 23 Jews in New Amsterdam to the thriving community of today’s United States, and explores major themes of the American Jewish experience such as immigration, acculturation, socioeconomic progress, political behavior, anti-Semitism, Zionism, community formation, and contributions to popular culture. Highlighting the evolution of Judaism in America, the course contextualizes the history of religious life within the broader range of social experience and cultural expression.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Same as HIST 032 . Credit for this course or HIST 032 , not both. [Formerly, JWST 101R (HP) Special Topics in Jewish Studies: American Jews and Judaism; JWST 101B (HP) Jews and Judaism in America.]
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JWST 036 - (HP) The Holocaust: Memory and Representation Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
An introduction to “Holocaust Studies” – the academic study of the mass destruction of European Jewry during World War II – including its history and aftermath, aesthetic representations and theoretical issues. The theme throughout will be the question of Holocaust “memory.” How have the terrible events of the past entered our consciousness and shaped our culture today?
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Same as HIST 036 . Credit for this course or HIST 036 , not both.
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JWST 048 - (IS) Israel: Myth and Reality Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course provides a general introduction to Israel studies, viewing the contemporary state of Israel through historical, political, sociological, religious, and cultural lenses. A small country attracting a great deal of attention, Israel functions both as an ordinary society and as a highly controversial symbol. In order to unpack the complex relationship between the myth and reality of Israel, the course begins with a history of its ancient and modern origins, then surveys contemporary Israeli politics and society, and concludes with an analysis of the meaning of Israel for Israelis, Palestinian Arabs, American Jews, and others around the world.
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JWST 049 - (HP) Post-Holocaust Jewish Thought Semester Hours: 3
This course introduces students to the post-1945 engagement of Jewish thought with religion, politics, race, and sexuality. It will survey major trends and open the space for in-depth readings of Jewish thinkers who write in the shadow of – but are not limited by – Holocaustic historical memory. Topics will include discussions on the ethics of survival, the role of political empowerment, the heritage of those defeated by genocide, changing conceptions of race and gender, and the space for a global justice project
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Credit given for this course or RELI 049 , not both.
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JWST 055 - (HP) Eternal Enemies or Ancestral Siblings?: Fabrications of the Jewish-Muslim Divide Semester Hours: 3
Every Other Year
Dynamics of the relationship between Islam and Judaism. Arab-Israeli conflict viewed against the multidimensional aspect of the Jewish existence in the Middle East.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
None
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JWST 060 - (IS) The Comedy of Difference: Jewish Humor in America Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course provides an interdisciplinary and multimedia look at a popular American art form – Jewish humor. Like all comedy, the Jewish variety deals with the central themes of the human experience: family, love, sex, religion, politics, prejudice, identity, and other cultural norms – all premised upon the divisions and diversity characteristic of American society. At the same time, Jewish humor is a central element of modern Jewish culture, and its study sheds light on contemporary Jewish experience as well.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Same as CLL 120. Credit for this course or CLL 120, not both.
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JWST 090 A-Z - (HP) Special Topics in Jewish Studies Semester Hours: 3
Once a Year
Designed to treat special subjects or themes dealing with some major spiritual, political and social issues facing the Jewish people. The subject is chosen at the discretion of the department but with the students’ interest in view. Such themes as the dynamics of rabbinic Judaism; philosophy of ancient Israel; foundations of Jewish mysticism, etc., are considered.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule. (Formerly, JWST 101A-Z)
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JWST 100 - Departmental Honors Candidacy: Essay Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
Research and writing of a substantial essay in the field of Jewish Studies.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Open only to senior majors who are eligible for departmental honors and who secure, before registration, written permission of the faculty adviser who will supervise the essay.
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JWST 107R - (HP) Women in the Hebrew Bible Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
A literary analysis of the many representations of women found in the Hebrew Bible. Through a close reading of biblical literature and in dialogue with various forms of feminist scholarship, this course examines issues such as patriarchy and its relation to the production of Old Testament literature; gender relations; goddess worship; violence against women; the political, legal, economic and religious standing of ancient Israelite women.
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JWST 108R - (HP) Modern Jewish Intellectuals Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
An examination of major Jewish intellectuals from the period of the Jewish Enlightenment (ca. late 18th century) to the present. An initial inquiry as to the definition of the term “intellectual” leads us to the larger question of the Jewish intellectual and his or her relation to the Jewish and non-Jewish world. Among the figures to be read are Karl Marx, Theodor Herzl, Emile Durkheim, Franz Kafka, Georg Simmel, Sigmund Freud, Anzia Yezierska, Rosa Luxemburg, Simone Weil, George Steiner, Hannah Arendt, Philip Roth, Amos Oz, Cynthia Ozick, and Saul Bellow.
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JWST 119R - (HP) Blacks and Jews: Interrelation in the Diaspora Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
An examination of the relations between African-American and Jewish-Americans in the United States from the period of the “Grand Alliance” (ca. 1910-1967) to the current moment of “crisis.” Through the investigation of literature, sociological analysis, historical case studies, opinion pieces, and works of art, this course illuminates the complex and shifting relations between African-Americans and Jewish-Americans and their significance for questions of identity in the modern United States.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Same as AFST 119 , HIST 119 .
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JWST 140R - (HP) Senior Seminar: Jewish Studies Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Concentration on a particular topic of interest and small group discussions leading to a required essay on a topic chosen by the student.
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JWST 192 - Internship in Jewish Studies Semester Hours: 1-6
Fall, Spring, Summer
This internship provides students with an opportunity to apply the academic study of Jews and Judaism to practical situations.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Must be a declared JWST major or minor , have a minimum GPA of 2.5, and pass a screening interview with instructor or department chairperson. For each semester hour, students will work a minimum of 28 hours on-site in addition to completing a minimum of 10 hours of academic work that will include reading, research, and a final paper or project that situates the internship experience within the broader framework of the academic study of Jews and Judaism. Also required, but not counted as part of the 10 hours of academic work, are a minimum of three meetings with a faculty adviser – one at the beginning, another at mid-term, and the final at the end of the work experience. Grades will be based on both on-site evaluation and academic work. An on-site evaluation of “poor” will result in a grade no higher than a C. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
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JWST 196 - Senior Essay Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Research and writing of a substantial essay in the field of Jewish studies.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Open only to senior majors who have secured, before registration, the
written permission of the faculty adviser who will supervise the essay.
May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
Religion (RELI)
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RELI 010 - (HP) What Is Religion? Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring, Summer
This course is designed to introduce students to the academic study of religion. Students will be introduced to some of the methodological tools scholars use to think critically and constructively about religious traditions. It also provides an opportunity to learn about the historical, scriptural, ritual and theological claims of at least two distinct religious traditions. In this way students gain concrete information about the way religious beliefs and practices shape the world. Students are introduced to how scholars study religious traditions in a pluralistic context and are afforded opportunities to practice their own skills at orally communicating academic approaches to the study of religion in a pluralistic world.
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RELI 012 - (HP) Introduction to Western Religious Traditions Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
Survey course concentrating on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Students compare
various forms of myth, ritual and sacred scripture, and analyze the structure
of religious community and experience.
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RELI 012F - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3
Fall
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. Consult the class schedule for proper category listing. Students may take only one 12F or 12S seminar.
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RELI 012S - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 1-3
Spring
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. Students may take only one 12F or 12S seminar.
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RELI 013 - (HP) From Flesh to Faith: Community and Conflict in the New Testament Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
This course examines ways that early Christian faith(s) developed in the first century (including views of Jesus’ humanity and divinity, portrayals of the Virgin Mary, the relationship of Judaism to Christianity, and the roles of women in the church). Students will read the New Testament alongside non-canonical early Christian writings to develop an appreciation for the diversity of early Christian belief and practice. Students will come to know the content and themes of each of the New Testament writings, to identify different literary portrayals of Jesus, to work with establishing criteria for establishing the historical Jesus, to recognize important differences in early Christian belief, and to be familiar with the development of Christian orthodoxy.
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RELI 014F - (CC, HP) First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3-4
Fall
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format
with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This
course is offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and
only one 14S or 12S seminar.
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RELI 014S - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3-4
Spring
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format
with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This
course is offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and
only one 14S or 12S seminar.
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RELI 015 - (CC) Introduction to Eastern Religious Traditions Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
Survey course concentrating on Indian, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, with some
attention to the religions of China and Japan. Emphasis on tracing two basic lines
of Eastern religious behavior and thought: sectarian and folk devotionalism, and
the elite philosophical and meditational traditions.
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RELI 016 - (CC, HP) Religions of India Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
This course examines the central traditions, ideas and practices of the major religious traditions of India including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Sikhism. Major themes explored in a comparative context include: violence and eroticism, death and immortality, wisdom and ritual.
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RELI 017 - (HP) Lost Christianities Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course explores the varieties of Christianity that co-existed from Jesus’
death in the middle of the first century through the end of the second century.
Included in these are Jewish-Christians, Marcionites, Montanists, and Gnostics.
Students will read a variety of primary texts in translation to understand better
the struggle between forms of early Christianity and the way that one form became
dominant and, thus, “orthodox.”
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RELI 018 - (HP) What Is Catholicism? Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
There are many versions of the branch of Christianity called “Catholicism,” and many ways people throughout history have practiced it. This class asks what various Catholic communities have meant by the word “Catholic,” explorers its major global varieties and common contested characteristics, and studies aspects from theology and ethics to history and popular culture.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
(Formerly (HP) Sacraments, Sex and the City: An Introduction to Catholicism.)
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RELI 019 - (CC) Introduction to Buddhism Semester Hours: 3
Once a Year
This course is an introduction to the wide range of Buddhist ideas and practices that have developed within the diverse regions of Asia, with focus on southern Asia. This course will also introduce students to the various Buddhist literary and artistic expressions. The course covers a wide range of Buddhist traditions (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana), as well as a discussion of Buddhism’s transfer from Asia to the West.
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RELI 020 - (HP) Magic, Miracle, and Medicine in the Greco-Roman World Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
The interrelated concepts of magic, miracle (religion), and medicine in antiquity have long been topics of great interest and debate among scholars of antiquity. Magical incantations, for example, may appear to be similar to prayers, and physicians in antiquity might act like magicians. This course explores these – and many other related – issues in an attempt to identify, where possible, social constructions of the categories of magic, miracle, and medicine, and the prejudices that accompanied them.
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RELI 021 - (HP) Gods and Sages - Religious Wisdom in the Ancient World Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will examine ancient approaches to questions about the human condition and attempts to come to know the good, the true and the beautiful. Religious and philosophic thought provided distinct, often conflicting, but at times overlapping answers to such issues. A study of these various theories, as addressed by thinkers from the Greco-Roman traditions, will not only introduce some of the most profound meditations on these central human concerns, but will also provide the conceptual background necessary to understand the development of Western religious traditions (particularly Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism).
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RELI 026 - (IS) Mindful America Semester Hours: 3
Once a Year
This course will introduce students to the diverse forms in which Buddhism has emerged in America. It will explore how American Buddhism is lived by immigrants as well as by American converts and will integrate insider and outsider accounts with historical and ethnographic approaches.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
(Formerly Buddhism in America.)
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RELI 028 - (HP) Greco-Roman Religions Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This class surveys the variety of religions and religious practices current in the Mediterranean world from the time of classical Athens through to the height of the Roman Empire. We will look at the religions of Greece, Rome, Hellenized and Roman Egypt, and Judea.
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RELI 030 - (IS) Paganism and Magic: Eco-Spiritualities of Enchantment Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will introduce the myths, histories, and rituals of contemporary spiritualities oriented around nature, paganism, and magic, with a particular focus on gender and race, as well as on the political and ecological dimensions of these contemporary forms of spirituality.
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RELI 033 - (HP) Interfaith Leadership and Literacy for Business Semester Hours: 3
As businesses operate in an increasingly diverse world, religion is an important aspect of globalism and diversity that often gets overlooked. Religion as an academic subject refers to the study not only of traditions like Buddhism and Protestantism, but also the study of diffuse spiritualities and secularisms that are modern iterations and rejections of religion, as well as examination of the genealogy and limitations of the term “religion” itself. Trends in best practices suggest that businesses will increasingly need “interfaith leaders”–employees who are comfortable thinking and talking about religion and various people’s orientation toward it, for the purpose of understanding contexts, welcoming diversity, designing accommodations, and mediating conflict.
This class introduces students to basic knowledge about religious traditions, discusses the scope and limits of religion and secularism as concepts, and cultivates both academic and experiential learning needed for interfaith leadership for business.
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RELI 035 - (CC, HP) Living Buddhism Semester Hours: 3
Once a Year
This introductory course examines Buddhism’s application to the lives of ordinary people, demystifying the seemingly esoteric elements of the Buddha’s teachings in order to explore their relevance to daily existence. The course applies central Buddhist concepts in the realms of the mind, body, and environment, including the global environment.
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RELI 036 - (CC, HP) Modern Gurus: Yoga and Selling Spirituality Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course explores the contemporary relevance of “spiritual masters,” and asks whether they are merely a means to consume spirituality or are actually revolutionary and transformative. We will attempt to situate the term “spirituality” within specific socio-political and cultural contexts that grew out of European colonialism, modernity and science, secularity, and religion. The course will encourage students to think critically and creatively by applying analytical reasoning across the writings and talks of both Eastern and Western “spiritual masters.” It will also engage students in written and oral assessments in order to develop an awareness about, and knowledge of, cultural productions from Asia and Europe through a comparative, evaluative frame.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
(Formerly Modern Spiritual Masters)
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RELI 040 - (CC, HP) Yoga, Psychology and Health Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
How did we come to link yoga, psychology and health? This course will explore the Indian roots of yoga in key texts (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, The Upanishads, and The Bhagavad-Gita); the reception of yoga in Western psychology (Freud and Jung); and the mystical dimensions of yoga. The course will consider these three topics as they specifically relate to the concepts of language, memory, and meditation.
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RELI 045 - (HP) Cults: Law, Media, Memory Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will explore those controversial religions that we call “cults.” How and why do such alternative religious groups emerge? Why do people join – and stay? What role does the media play in stigmatizing emergent religions? What are the implications of these groups for law and public policy? Possible topics include: Scientology, Jonestown, New Age religions, the occult, Rastafarianism, Hindu gurus, Heaven’s Gate, utopian communes, Waco and the Oklahoma City bombing, and the sacramental use of peyote in the Native American Church.
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RELI 049 - (HP) Post-Holocaust Jewish Thought Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course introduces students to the post-1945 engagement of Jewish thought with religion, politics, race, and sexuality. It will survey major trends and open the space for in-depth readings of Jewish thinkers who write in the shadow of – but are not limited by – Holocaustic historical memory. Topics will include discussions on the ethics of survival, the role of political empowerment, the heritage of those defeated by genocide, changing conceptions of race and gender, and the space for a global justice project.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Credit given for this course or JWST 049 , not both.
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RELI 050 - (CC) Islam Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
A study of the rise of Islam within the context of the cultural social and religious
conditions of pre-Islamic Arabia, Muhammad’s religious message and the Koran,
development of theology, law, and consolidation of Sunnism. Attention given to
the concept of nonseparation of state and religion in Muslim thought, to the experience
of women, and to themes in comparative art, architecture and ritual.
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RELI 051 - (CC, HP) Sex and Diversity in American Islam Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course investigates the plurality of Muslim experiences in North America. It is structured around three main topics: (1) the history and heritage of the Muslim slaves brought to the continent, (2) the emergence of an indigenous African-American Islam, and (3) the immigration of Muslims from the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Studying these extremely different North American Muslim experiences (both socially and culturally), we will discuss questions of identity, and quests for authenticity. We will raise the question of whether a distinctively “American Islam” is emerging.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
(Formerly Islam in North America.)
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RELI 060 - (HP) Heretics, Skeptics and Freethinkers Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will look at religion from the perspective of the outsider: those who have challenged more traditional or institutionalized religious expressions; who have questioned the nature and/or existence of God(s); who have offered alternatives to a religious world view. This approach will allow us to appreciate the vital role dissent has played in the history of religious thought.
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RELI 065 - (HP) Sex and Death: Sacrifice and Martyrdom Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course examines the role of sacrifice and martyrdom in world religions, both as a real phenomenon and as a symbol. What roles do discourses and practices of sacrifice and martyrdom play in different cultural contexts? How did they arise as an ideal, and why are these ideals so often connected to eroticism? The course may also consider why the religious discourse of sacrifice and martyrdom remains a motivating force in secular societies.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
(Formerly Sex and Death: Perspectives on Martyrdom in the Ancient World.)
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RELI 066 - (HP) Demonology: Religion and the Dark Side Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course investigates demons, the dark side and underworlds, and the various ways they are conceptualized and personified in religious traditions. We will begin with historical origins and theoretical groundings, move on to explore contemporary demon traditions, and end with a case study of Satan. The course will make use of primary sources in literature, liturgy and material culture.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
[Formerly (HP) Satan and Hell.]
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RELI 067 - (HP) Evil: Religious, Philosophic and Scientific Perspectives Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
If God is good, then why is the world filled with such evil? Is the reality of evil an argument against the existence of God? And if God is not responsible for evil, then who is? What leads humans to do such horrible things to one another? The “problem of evil” is central to both theology and the philosophy of religion, and has been so for thousands of years. However, evil is not simply a problem for the religious but is one of the deepest challenges in creating just and stable human communities. In this course we will examine how both religious thinkers and secular philosophers have come to terms with evil. We will also look at contemporary scientific research on empathy and cruelty and consider what insight this may provide into the dark side of human nature.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Credit given for this course or PHI 067 , not both.
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RELI 068 - (HP) Apocalypse: Now and Then Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
What is it about our time that makes it ripe for an apocalypse? From video games to movies, we return again and again to envisioning the end of the world. This course will look at the history of the apocalypse in mythology and religion, and will also analyze the particular currency of apocalyptic thinking in our present day. Our studies will take us from the popular interest in Mayan calendars and zombies, to contemporary philosophers, independent filmmakers, economists, environmentalists, novelists, poets and painters.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Credit given for this course, RELI 014F or 014S [when it was offered as First Year Seminar: Apocalypse Now and Then (fall 2013)]. (Formerly RELI 014S, when it was offered as Special Topics: Apocalypse Now and Then.)
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RELI 070 - (CC, HP) Karma Cola: New York’s Hindu Communities Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will explore the historical, philosophical, social, and ritual dimensions of lived Hinduism in the greater New York area. Course will feature field visits to Hindu temples, as well as in-class speakers.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
[Formerly (CC, HP) New York’s Hindu Communities.]
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RELI 072 A-Z - (HP) Living With Major Thinkers in the Study of Religion Semester Hours: 3
Once a Year
This course is designed to introduce students to some of the major thinkers who have pondered well and deeply about religion through close readings of one particular theorist each year. One year, students will read Nietzsche, another year Foucault, etc. Students will learn to read theory in general by learning how to read the work of a major thinker.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.
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RELI 075 - (CC) Mysticism and the Spiritual Quest Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Mysticism is traditionally defined as the yearning for direct connection to a transcendent reality and is referred to as the esoteric dimension of religious search. Though evident as a global phenomenon, mystical traditions most notably developed in the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as in the many religious traditions of India, China, Japan and ancient Greece. A cross-cultural exploration of the meanings, definitions, practices and common themes of mysticism via a study of original texts (in translation) from different parts of the world.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Credit given for this course or PHI 102 , not both.
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RELI 076 - (HP) History of Irish Spirituality Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course explores the history of Irish mysticism and spirituality and relates them to other important topics in Irish history and literature. By reading a wide variety of texts (both pre-dating Christianity in Ireland and composed during the 1,500 years of Christianity in Ireland), and by focusing on the competing claims of various traditions and traditional practices, students will come to a richer understanding of Irish spirituality.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Same as IRE 076 . Credit given for this course or IRE 76, not both.
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RELI 077 - (HP) Religion and Media Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will explore the intersections between religion and media. Theory and substantive examples from the worlds of religions, news, and art are examined in sections dealing with materiality, orality, literacy, image, internet, and new media. Assignments include weekly writing assignments and a final project.
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RELI 080 - (CC) Life, Death and Immortality Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
“Life,” “death,” and “immortality” are perhaps the ultimate “big questions” confronting human beings. Humans are aware of their mortality; they are able to reflect on the fragility and the value of life and to ponder the possibilities of an afterlife. This class will explore multiple approaches to these questions. We begin with a consideration of the religious, literary and philosophic answers set out in antiquity. Then we turn to the modern era and consider these issues from both philosophical and scientific perspectives.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Credit given for this course or PHI 103 , not both.
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RELI 085 - (CC) Comparative Religious Ethics Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Religions and cultures often have different values. Even when they share the same value, they often mean something quite different by it. This course is designed to introduce students to different religious frames of value and to involve them in wrestling with how to compare and adjudicate different religious ethics with sensitivity and fairness. Ultimately the course seeks to enable students to cultivate the skills necessary to negotiate the different ways of valuing that co-exist in a global world. Major themes explored in a comparative context include: action and agency, obligation and intention, moral authority and diversity.
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RELI 086 - (CC, IS) Religion and Medicine Semester Hours: 3
Once a Year
This course will introduce students to the overlap between medicine and religion, and teach the skills needed for negotiating issues that arise in health care due to religious diversity. A key element of the course will focus on developing an interdisciplinary perspective; readings will come from multiple disciplines, and discussion will focus on evaluating the usefulness, quality, and integrity of different disciplinary approaches. Ultimately the goal is to craft an integrated and critical perspective on major areas of overlap between religion and medicine.
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RELI 088 - (CC, HP) Alternative Medicine and Religion Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will introduce students to the religious roots of various alternative medical systems such as homeopathy and Ayurveda. We will consider alternative notions of healing and cure in light of their social and historical context.
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RELI 089 - (CC, HP) Dying Across Cultures: Asia and Beyond Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will explore practices of dying in diverse religious cultures. When loved ones die, what individual and communal rituals do different traditions prescribe? How do they think about ancestors, memories, and the afterlife? In addition to studying cultural practices regarding what happens after death, we will also consider how different religions think one should live when approaching death. The course will focus on perspectives from Asia; other religious cultures may be covered. Special attention will be paid to learning to dialogue across cultural differences.
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RELI 090 A-Z - (HP) Special Topics in Religion Semester Hours: 1-3
Studies in such special topics as psychology of religion; religion in America; new religious movements; religion, media and American culture; and religion and the liberal arts. For additional information on these courses, visit the Department of Religion website.
Current Special Topics
RELI 141F: Dangerous Ideas
This course has multiple sections in multiple departments (see list below). If any one of the sections listed below is closed, just register for another one. They are all the same course and will meet together.
Ideas matter. Concepts such as cultural identity, the meaning of and practices around food, democracy, faith, race, freedom, gender have inspired social movements, shaped ways of life and political systems, and dramatically influenced the lives of individuals. Scientific ideas (such as evolution, species extinction, climate science) also have power to shape our lives. Powerful ideas can be dangerous, generating turmoil and destabilizing the status quo, or supporting the status quo when change is needed, or creating unanticipated consequences.
This one-credit course explores some powerful ideas and way(s) in which they may be dangerous, provocative, or influential. Each week a faculty member from a different department will explore a concept that has shaped human experience across time and space.
Attendance and participation in discussion activities are obligatory and a brief reflection paper at the end of the course will be required. The course is available only on a pass/D+/D/fail basis. Register for any one of the cross-listed sections for the course. They all have the same title, “Dangerous Ideas”, and they will all meet together as one course.
Cross listed with ANTH 188K (A), CRN 94403; ENGL 008Q (A), CRN 94410; HIST 006M (A), CRN 94361; MUS 151 (B), CRN 94635; PHI 051 (A), CRN 94244.
RELI 141I (A), CRN 23811: Identity, Community and Conflict: Search for Meaning and Justice in a Fractured World
(Sophomore Global Problem Seminar)
We live in an increasingly polarized society, both at home, and on the global stage. Extremist political movements are challenging democratic norms; egalitarian moral values are being undermined by a resurgent nationalism and nativism; and religion, which many turn to as a source of unity and comfort, often contributes to the sense that we are living in a fractured and broken world. How can one make sense of this? How does one find meaning at such a time? Is it possible to create just communities in the midst of such political tribalism?
This interdisciplinary course (philosophy, religion, drama) will explore these topics through an integration of philosophic material with a deep reading and performance (including student in-class performances/readings) of the dramatic texts.
Cross-listed with DRAM 110A (01), CRN 23695
RELI 141M: (HP) Religion Goes to the Movies
This course explores how film, as a medium, engages various religions and religious themes. While religion serves as the organizing conceit of the course, our discussions and analyses will require us to consider how films tell stories about religion’s intersection with gender, race, sexuality, colonialism, and the environment (among other subjects). The course syllabus will incorporate films dialoguing with a variety of religious traditions, a range of filmic genres (i.e., romantic comedy, drama, horror, etc.) and various transnational cinematic industries. While we will engage how films depict religious institutions, faith, and ritual, we will also contemplate how film consumption has its own religious characteristics.
RELI 141R: (HP) Religion and Revolution
This course introduces students to the relationship between religion and revolutionary movements in Latin America, the Global South, and among racialized communities in the US. We will critically explore social, artistic, and intellectual networks that found inspiration in religious sources for their struggle for political change. Topics include struggles for social, sexual, racial and ecological justice. This course will be useful for students interested in Religion, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Radio, TV and Media, Politics and Public Policy, Global Studies, History, Literature, Anthropology, International Relations, and Sociology.
Cross listed with LACS 015I (A), CRN 94139.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. May be repeated three times for a maximum of 9 semester hours when topics vary. (Formerly, RELI 141 A-Z)
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RELI 100 - (HP) Modern Religious Thought Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
The advent of the Modern Age (post-14th century) ushered in a period of religious creativity and individual exploration that challenged not only orthodoxy but religion itself. Faith, scripture, and God were no longer simply objects of devotion; they were now open to moral critique and scientific examination. This course considers the historical impact of these new approaches to religion, and the provocative questions it raised: What if religion is more about feeling than thought? What if belief is about what works rather than what is true? Is the truth of religion even significant for belief?
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Any undergraduate RELI, JWST , or PHI course.
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RELI 101 - (HP) Jesus in Myth, Tradition and History Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course examines literary and historical records of Jesus’ life. Students will examine canonical and non-canonical accounts of Jesus’ life in order to identify individual authors’ theological emphases. In addition, students will learn the history of the quests for the historical Jesus from the Enlightenment to modernity, and they will work with the established methods and criteria for establishing the historical Jesus.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Any RELI or JWST course .
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RELI 102 - (HP) Birth of Christianity Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will introduce students to the literature and history of Christianity from the New Testament to Constantine, roughly the first four centuries of Christian history. Students will encounter theories about the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem through the Roman Empire; discuss scholarly arguments relating to the persecution of Christians and their responses; recognize a variety of forms of early Christianity; understand the social and political issues surrounding the canonization of the New Testament; and understand the complex issues surrounding early Jewish-Christian relations.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Any RELI or JWST course or permission of the instructor.
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RELI 103 - (CC) Warrior Saints: An Introduction to the Sikh Religion Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will introduce students to the phenomena, beliefs, practices and central teachings of Sikhism. Its main focus will be the often misunderstood alliance between mysticism and politics in the Sikh religion exemplified by the figure of the Warrior-Saint (or Saint-Sipahi). Other topics for discussion include the role of gender, construction of memory, and Sikh responses to modernity.
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RELI 104 - (CC, HP) Buddhist Thought Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will explore and examine core Buddhist ideas and their interpretation and development within and across major schools of Buddhism - which may include Theravada (Southern), Mayahana (Eastern), Vajrayana (Northern), and Western Buddhism. An outline of the key ideas and concepts will be critically explored, with an emphasis on assessing their relevance for today. Students will be encouraged to reflect critically upon these ideas in light of their own experience and its multiple modern contexts.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
RELI 015 , 016 , 019 , 026 , 035 , 075 , 080 , 103 , 118 , 125 ; PHI 017 , 060 , 102 , 103 ; GEOG 114 , or permission of instructor.
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RELI 106 - (HP) African-American Religion Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course explores African-American religious practice, a practice which has played a central role in the world views and social contexts of black people in the United States, and thus in American history as well. The course explores the traditional religions of enslaved Africans, 20th-century nationalist faiths, and contemporary black religious diversity. African-American peoples’ religious journeys have led through Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Rastafarianism (and other religions), but have almost always involved the realities and rhetorics of “black,” “white,” and “race.” The course emphasizes three intertwined approaches: critical analysis of the history and hermeneutics of race; close reading of primary sources; and first-hand field trips and “race experiments.”
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
RELI 012 , 013 , 015 , 016 , 018 , or 050 .
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RELI 107 - (IS) The Stuff of Religion: Art, Artifact and Immanence Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will study lived religion in relation to, and through, architecture, fashion, music, food, souvenirs, art and ritual artifacts. While the study of religion has long been dominated by abstract concerns (such as beliefs in the afterlife), this course will focus on how religion is embodied in everyday life, making use of local areas – NYC, Long Island, etc. – as our classroom.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Any RELI or JWST course , or permission of instructor.
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RELI 109 - (HP) Sex and the Body in Religious Studies Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course is designed to introduce the major contemporary theoretical moves scholars use to help them think about the force of sexuality and the body in religion (which we often think is only about the soul, spirit, belief). The bulk of the class involves close readings of selected contemporary theorists and issues. In the last two weeks of class, we will practice using these theorists as lenses for bringing into focus the role of the body, sexuality, and gender in a sampling of texts that record Daoist meditation practices.
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RELI 121 - (HP) The Religious Mind Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will introduce students to the cognitive study of religion. The methods of evolutionary studies, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience are now being used to investigate religious belief, behavior and traditions. This approach offers fresh perspective into a number of issues within the study of religion, opens up new ways of understanding the power of religion to shape our lives, and raises important questions about the nature of religious beliefs.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Any RELI, JWST , PHI , or PSY course, or permission of the instructor.
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RELI 125 - (CC, HP) Buddhism and Psychology Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course explores Buddhism as a non-scientific kind of psychology. Students read key Buddhist texts and explore their contemporary application by studying recent changes in the diagnosis of depression in different countries in Asia where Buddhism plays a cultural role. This course considers the pros and cons of medical globalization and of the universalization of biomedical disease categories, as well as the ways in which emotions and desires are experienced and approached in different cultures. Students will also explore whether religion is able to provide cultural protectors against certain forms of mental disease and examine the consequences of the interaction of Buddhist cultural forms with Western biomedical technologies and truths.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Any one of the following courses: RELI 010 , 015 , 016 , 019 , 026 , 035 , 040 , 075 , 077 , 086 , 104 , 118 ; ANTH 117 ; or ASST 021 , 011 .
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RELI 130 - (HP) Thinking Mysticism: Sex and Power Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Due to the private nature and the ineffability of mystical experience, this course begins by questioning the very possibility of thinking about mysticism. It explores the works of major theorists in the academic study of mysticism and charts the most important debates where mystical writings are set within broader sociopolitical and religious contexts. Many of these critiques view mystical knowledge through the lens of gender and power to reveal in discussions of mysticism a male-dominated and Eurocentric discourse.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
RELI 010 , 012 , 015 , 016 or 075 . [Formerly (HP) Thinking Mysticism in the Academy: Gender and Power.]
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 RELI 140 A-Z - Special Topics in Religion Semester Hours: 1-3
Periodically
Studies in such special topics as psychology of religion; religion in America; new religious movements; religion, media and American culture; and religion and the liberal arts. For additional information on these courses, visit the Department of Religion Web site.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.
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RELI 150 - (IS) Approaches to the Study of Religion Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Examination of basic methodological issues and problems in the modern study of religion. Discussion of theories of religion from several points of view, e.g., sociological, psychological, anthropological and philosophical. Attention to such problems as the relativity of knowledge and belief, the nature of interpretation, the status of functional explanation, and the explanation of human behavior. Course is designed to promote the development of students’ critical analysis and the oral communication of critical approaches to the study of religion.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Any RELI or JWST course or permission of instructor.
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RELI 151 - Violence and Religion in South Asia Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Do religions justify and cause violence or are they better seen as forces for peace and tolerance? This course examines the relationship between violence and religion in South Asia. Themes discussed include but are not limited to: the rise of communal and separatist movements; inter-religious conflicts; religious nationalism; role of colonialism and Western models of modernity in framing contemporary debates about religious violence.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
RELI 015 or 016 .
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RELI 152 - (HP) Women in Early Christianity Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course will examine the representations of women in early Christianity,
focusing primarily on the first four centuries of Christian history. Students
will be introduced to constructions of sex and gender in ancient Greek and Roman
philosophy and medical literature and the role of women in contemporaneous pagan
and Jewish cultures. From there the course will focus on intra-Christian conflicts
involving the role of women, in particular, martyrdom, orthodoxy and heresy, and
asceticism. Throughout the course, students will wrestle with the problem of using
ancient sources to determine social practice.
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RELI 153 - (CC) Political Islam Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course examines the political dimensions of Islam. We will trace back the roots of Islam centered political ideologies, situating them within their historical and social contexts. We will investigate social, political, economic, and religious agendas of traditionalist, modernist, as well as fundamentalist Muslim movements. Focusing on a set of chosen Muslim countries, we will explore what motivates individuals to join political movements, drawing on Islam as a main reference system. Students will get acquainted with basic political concepts of the Islamic tradition, and the way these concepts are negotiated vis-à-vis modern institutions and values such as the nation state, secularism, democracy and human rights.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Same as PSC 109 .
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RELI 154 - (HP) American Catholicism Now Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Explorations of varieties of Catholicism in the United States: 1) as a common spiritual impulse across different times and contexts; 2) as a highly differentiated religion whose members both shared and contested its meanings; and 3) as a prism for understanding historical developments for America and Americans in general. The course begins by trying to define Catholicism, including close reading of primary sources, and concludes with reflection upon a semester-long reading of Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain. Each offering will include specific emphases, from expressions of sacramentality to social justice to sexuality issues.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
RELI 010 , 012 , 013 , 014F , 014S , 015 , 016 , 017 , 018 , 050 , 070 , 075 , 080 or 085 . (Formerly (HP) Varieties of American Catholic Experience.)
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RELI 157 - (CC) Sikh Mysticism Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course examines the nature, role and meanings of Sikh thought,
religion and culture by looking at what mysticism is, and what it
contributes to modern Sikh consciousness and culture. Expressions of
Sikh mysticism as found in the writings of the Sikh Gurus will be
presented in comparative context. One of the aims of this course is to
show how Sikh mysticism draws attention to the way in which we
construct ourselves and notions of reality.
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RELI 158 - (HP) Religion in Everyday Life Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This class goes behind the headlines of general perceptions of religion to see faiths close up. It tests the idea that understanding religion starts with understanding the people that live it — and the person who’s studying it. Using methods from anthropology, literary studies, and cultural studies, each student chooses a local religious community as his or her site for semester-long field work, including self-analysis, participant-observation, interviews, and readings of bodies, literature, and material culture. At the same time, students read some of the best ethnographic studies of religion from the past decade.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
RELI 010 , 012 , 013 , 014F , 014S , 015 , 016 , 017 , 018 , 050 , 070 , 075 , 080 or 085 . (Formerly (HP) Studying American Religion From the Ground Up.)
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RELI 160 - (HP) Religion, Secularism & Conflict Resolution Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
An essential tenet of Religion and Interfaith Studies is not tolerance but involves seeing the very dignity of different secular-religious cultures. Furthermore, peace building efforts world-wide aim to operationalize the resources religions possess for conflict resolution. However, recent works in the field of Peace Studies go beyond treating religion as either a force for violence or peace, by drawing a wider geo-political frame. This course will therefore broach Conflict Resolution by drawing a broader theoretical context that includes questioning both religious revelation and secular reason – and in so doing chart a history of secular liberal peace-building to explore its limits and possible alternatives.
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RELI 191 - Undergraduate Research in Religious Studies Semester Hours: 1-3
Fall, Spring
Individualized plan of study developed by student in consultation with, and with the approval of a member of the faculty, approved by Religious Studies Adviser who will serve as tutor for the course.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Approval of instructor and Religious Studies Adviser. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
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RELI 192 - Internship in Religious Studies Semester Hours: 1-6
Fall, Spring, Summer
This internship provides students with an opportunity to apply the academic study of religion to practical situations.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
RELI 010 , minimum GPA of 2.5 and screening interview with instructor or department chairperson. For each semester hour, students will work a minimum of 28 hours on site in addition to completing a minimum of 10 hours of academic work that will include reading, research, and a final paper or project that situates the internship experience within the broader framework of the academic study of religion. Also required, but not counted as part of the 10 hours of academic work are a minimum of three meetings with a faculty adviser – one at the beginning, another at mid-term, and the final at the end of the work experience. Grades will be based on both on-site evaluation and academic work. An on-site evaluation of “poor” will result in a grade no higher than a C. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
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RELI 193 - Departmental Honors Candidacy: Essay Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
Research for and writing of a substantial essay in religion. Open only to religion majors who are eligible and desire to graduate with departmental honors. Interested students must secure, before registration, written permission of the instructor who will supervise the essay. The Honors Essay will be evaluated by the department.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
May be repeated for credit once if taken in consecutive semesters.
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