Department of Religious Studies
RANDALL STYERS, Chair
Barbara Ambros (57) Japanese Religions, East Asian Religions, Buddhism, Religion in Asian Diaspora Communities
Yaakov S. Ariel (48) Judaism and Evangelical Christianity in America, Messianic Movements and Missions, Christian-Jewish Relations
Bart D. Ehrman (19) New Testament Interpretation and Textual Criticism, Early Christianity
Carl W. Ernst (42) Islamic Studies, Sufism, Religions of West and South Asia
Jodi Magness (54) Archaeology of Palestine, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Ancient Synagogues, Early Judaism
Juliane Hammer (53) Islamic Studies, Gender in American Muslim Communities, Modern Muslim Approaches to the Qur'an
Lauren Leve (56) Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia, Ethnography of Religion, Globalism and Postcoloniality
Evyatar Marienberg (17) Rabbinic Judaism and Jewish Law, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Contemporary Catholicism
Todd Ramón Ochoa (65) Religion in Latin America and the Caribbean, Ethnography of Religion, Critical Cultural Theory
Zlatko Plese (49) Religion in Late Antiquity, Greco-Roman Philosophy and Religion, Gnosticism and Manichaeism
Randall Styers (52) Cultural History of the Study of Religion, Modern Western Religious Thought, Critical Cultural Theory
Brandon Bayne (61) Religion in the Americas, Global Christianity
Jessica A. Boon (55) Medieval and Early Modern Christian Thought, Mystical Traditions, Spain and the New World
Andrea Cooper (59) Modern Jewish Thought and Culture
Joseph Lam (64) Hebrew Bible, Biblical Hebrew, Comparative Semitic Grammar
David Lambert (15) Hebrew Bible, Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Brendan Thornton (40) Religion in Latin American and the Caribbean, Evangelical Christianity, Ethnography of Religion
Jason Bivins, Religion in the United States, Critical Cultural Theory
Philip Gura, Religion and American Literature
Jonathan Hess, Modern Judaism
Charles Kurzman, Islamic Movements
Bruce Lawrence, Islamic Studies, Sufism
Fred Naiden, Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Albert Rabil, Renaissance and Early Modern History, Women's Studies
James Rives, Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Omid Safi, Islamic Studies
Adjunct Associate Professors
Anna Barry Bigelow, Islamic Studies, Religions of South Asia, Religion and Conflict
Christian O. Lundberg, Critical Cultural Theory, Rhetoric, Cultural Studies
Barry Saunders, Ritual Studies and Biomedicine
Margaret Wiener, Indonesian Religions
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Maria Doerfler, Early Christianity
Levi McLaughlin, Religious Traditions of Japan and China, Buddhism in Modern Society
Peter I. Kaufman
William J. Peck
Jack M. Sasson
John H. Schutz
Ruel W. Tyson
John Van Seters
The graduate program in religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill deals with religion both as a distinctive human experience and as a mode of culture and history. Both orientations define religion as a broad area of human existence, and students are encouraged to explore the tension between those two general approaches. The interests of the department's faculty express the variety of methodological orientations in such study, and faculty members in other departments of the University offer strong interdisciplinary support.
The Graduate School of the University offers two degrees in religious studies: the master of arts and the doctor of philosophy. The Department of Religious Studies also sponsors the joint Duke-UNC Graduate Certificate in Middle East Studies. The M.A. program introduces students to the general problems and methods in the study of religion. Specific requirements include:
Thirty hours of course credit, including RELI 700 and one "gateway" graduate seminar
A written comprehensive examination in the student's specific field of study
A thesis of three to six credits and an oral defense of the thesis, and
Demonstrated competence in a modern foreign research language
The Ph.D. program is primarily intended to prepare students for a career in university and college teaching and research in religious studies. It currently offers specialization in ancient Mediterranean religions, Islamic studies, medieval and early modern studies, religion in the Americas, religion and culture, and religions of Asia.
Ph.D. students should expect to take at least 18 hours of course work beyond the M.A. level. Other requirements in the doctoral program include:
Completion of requirements specific to one of the specialty fields of study noted above
A set of written and oral doctoral examinations specific to the student's field of study
Demonstrated reading competence in a second modern foreign research language, and
A doctoral dissertation and an oral defense of the dissertation
Additional information about the graduate program in religious studies is available at the department's Web site: religion.unc.edu.
Details on the joint Duke-UNC Graduate Certificate in Middle East Studies are available at this Web site: mideast.unc.edu/gradcertificate.shtml.
Courses for Graduate and Advanced Undergraduate Students
401 Introductory Biblical Hebrew I (3). The first part of a two-semester introduction to the grammar of biblical Hebrew.
402 Introductory Biblical Hebrew II (3). Prerequisite, RELI 401. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. The second part of a two-semester introduction to the grammar of biblical Hebrew.
403 Intermediate Classical Hebrew I (3). Prerequisite, RELI 402. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. A consolidation of the fundamentals of classical Hebrew grammar via readings of biblical texts of various genres (including both prose and poetry).
404 Intermediate Classical Hebrew II (3). Prerequisite, RELI 403. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. Further readings of classical Hebrew texts, focusing on biblical poetry as well as early postbiblical material (e.g., nonbiblical texts from Qumran, Mishnah/Tosefta).
409 Greek New Testament (GREK 409) (3). Prerequisite, GREK 222. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
410 Aramaic/Rabbinic Hebrew (3). Prerequisites, RELI 403 and 404. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. Reading texts in rabbinic Hebrew or in biblical and/or talmudic Aramaic, with appropriate grammatical instruction.
411 Advanced Akkadian (3). Prerequisites, RELI 403 and 404. Readings in literary, epistolary, and juridical texts.
412 Ugaritic (3). Prerequisites, RELI 403 and 404. Readings in the alphabetic texts of Ras Shamra and a study of the elements of Ugaritic grammar.
413 Biblical Coptic and Early Egyptian Monasticism (3). Coptic, the last stage of Egyptian, a living language in the Roman and Byzantine period. Thorough grounding in the grammar of the Sahidic dialect as a basis for reading biblical monastic and Gnostic texts.
414 Syriac (3). An introduction to the grammar of Classical Syriac for the purpose of reading Syriac Christian texts from late antiquity. Knowledge of another Semitic language (e.g., Hebrew, Arabic) would be an asset but is not required.
420 Post-Holocaust Ethics and Theology (3). This course examines the challenges posed to ethics and theology by the Holocaust. We will address philosophical and moral issues such as the problem of evil, divine omniscience, omnipotence, suffering, theodicy, representation, testimony, and an ethics of memory.
421 Religion and Science (3). This course explores the complex relation between religion and science in the modern world. Public disputes over teaching evolution in American schools serve as a central case study of this.
423 Ethnicity, Race, and Religion in America (3). Prerequisite, RELI 140. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. A theoretical inquiry into ethnicity, race, and religion as constituents of personal and communal identity. Emphasis on global migrations, colonial and postcolonial relations, diasporic communities, and issues of religious pluralism.
424 Gender Theory and the Study of Religion (WMST 424) (3). An examination of contemporary gender theory, with particular focus on its application to the study of religion.
425 Psychology of Religion (3). A critical exploration of the concept of religious experience as defined by such authors as William James and Sigmund Freud.
426 The Sacrifice of Abraham (3). This course examines philosophical interpretations of the attempted sacrifice by Abraham of his beloved son, offering a comparative approach. The incident in Genesis is remarkably succinct for its controversial subject matter. We will compare this event with representations in Greek drama, the New Testament, and the Qur'an.
427 Spirit Possession (3). This course explores the phenomenon of spirit possession and introduces students to various theoretical and methodological approaches to its academic study. In addition to critically engaging with accounts of spirit possession from around the world, students will explore various related themes of gender, power, and religious and cultural change.
428 Religion and Anthropology (ANTH 428, FOLK 428) (3). See ANTH 428 for description.
429 Religion and Society (SOCI 429) (3). See SOCI 429 for description.
438 Religion, Nature, and Environment (3). A seminar on concepts of nature within religions and a variety of world-wide spiritual traditions. Emphasis on sacred space, place, and pilgrimage as a vital intersection of religion and nature.
441 History of Religion in America to 1865 (3). An examination of primary sources in the history of American religion from the precolonial era to the Civil War.
442 History of Religion in America since 1865 (3). An examination of primary sources in the history of American religion since the Civil War.
443 Evangelicalism in Contemporary America (3). Juniors or seniors only. Examination of evangelicalism and its role in American society, politics, and culture. Exploration of its various subdivisions and its relation to such movements as fundamentalism, pentecostalism, revivalism, and premillennialism.
444 Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Judaism (JWST 444, WMST 444) (3). The seminar examines the developments in gender roles and in sexuality in contemporary Judaism.
445 Asian Religions in America (ASIA 445) (3). A study of intercultural interaction and interreligious encounter focusing on Asian religions in America, 1784 to the present.
446 Christian-Jewish Relations throughout the Ages (3). An exploration of the varied and complex relationships which have developed between Christianity and Judaism, from the first century to the 21st century.
450 Sexuality in Jewish Tradition and History (3). This course deals with various topics related to sexuality and marriage in Jewish tradition and history: sex outside of marriage, wedding ceremonies, regulation of marital sex, menstruation, homosexuality, and more.
454 The Reformation (HIST 454) (3). See HIST 454 for description.
465 Monotheistic Mysticism (3). In medieval Jewish Kabbalah, Christian mysticism, and Islamic Sufism, devotees attempt to express direct experiences of an infinite God. This course examines theories of mystical language, particularly the negation of language, the turn to the visual and the body, and the tension between communal and individual expressions of the divine.
480 Modern Muslim Literatures (3). Stresses the diversity of modern Islamic experience by examining the works of various Muslim authors. Genres may include travelogues, memoirs, novels, sermons, and treatises, among others.
481 Religion, Fundamentalism, and Nationalism (PWAD 481) (3). An exploration of explosive combinations of religion and politics in the Iranian revolution, the Palestinian movement, Hindu nationalism in India, and Christian fundamentalism in America.
485 Gender and Sexuality in Islam (3). This course approaches constructions of gender and sexuality in Muslim societies in diverse historical and geographical contexts. It focuses on changing interpretations of gender roles and sexual norms. Themes include gender in Islamic law, sexual ethics, masculinity, homosexuality, marriage, and dress.
487 Mountains, Pilgrimage, and Sacred Places in Japan (ASIA 487) (3). This course explores the role that mountains and pilgrimage have played in Japanese cosmology and how they relate to methodology of studying place and space.
488 Shinto in Japanese History (ASIA 488) (3). This course discusses the development of Shinto in Japanese history and covers themes such as myths, syncretism, sacred sites, iconography, nativism, religion and the state, and historiography.
489 Animals in Japanese Religion (ASIA 489) (3). Permission of the instructor. This course examines the cultural construction of animals in Japanese myth, folklore, and religion.
501 The History of the Bible in Modern Study (3). This course will examine how the modern historical-critical enterprise of biblical scholarship arose, out of what historical circumstances, for what purposes, and to what effect. What are its major aspects? How does it relate to other forms of academic and theological inquiry? How has this enterprise fared in recent times?
502 Myths and Epics of the Ancient Near East (FOLK 502) (3). Permission of the instructor. An examination of Babylonian, Canaanite, Egyptian, Hittite, and Sumerian texts from the prebiblical era, focusing on representative myths, epics, sagas, songs, proverbs, prophecies, and hymns.
503 Exploring the Dead Sea Scrolls (JWST 503) (3). A comprehensive introduction to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the different Jewish groups connected with them.
504 Readings in Hebrew Bible (3). This course will examine a major corpus of the Hebrew Bible with attention to the full range of historical-critical issues. Attention will be paid as well to early forms of biblical interpretation and their use in the religious life of subsequent communities.
512 Ancient Synagogues (CLAR 512, JWST 512) (3). Prerequisite, RELI 110. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. This is a course on ancient synagogues in Palestine and the Diaspora from the Second Temple period to the seventh century CE.
522 19th-Century Critiques of Religion (3). Permission of the instructor. An exploration of influential 19th-century critiques of religion, including texts by such thinkers as Feuerbach, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Stanton, Douglass, and Freud.
524 Ethnographic Approaches to Contemporary Religion (3). Critical exploration of exemplary contemporary ethnographies of religion focusing on the ways that ethnographic methods and writing styles shape knowledge of religious and cultural life in various traditions and parts of the world. Topics considered include field work, culture, ethics, and the challenges of interpreting and representing religious experience.
525 Seminar in Religion and Literature (3). Seminar topic varies.
527 Religious Metaphor and Symbol (3). This course explores the myriad and complex issues related to the function of metaphor and symbol in religious language.
528 Rituals and Rhetorics of Religion (3). An examination of ritual, allegory, and symbol as modes of religious expression in cultic and literary contexts.
530 Genealogies of Religion (3). This seminar explores the historical development of "religion" as a concept and object of academic scholarship through the critical study of key texts and foundational debates about religion in Western thought.
534 Religious Ethics and Issues in Contemporary Medicine (3). Seniors or graduate students only. Examination of religious-ethical dimensions of such issues as the dying patient, organ transplants, abortion, prolongation of life, and experimentation on human beings, drawing on theory from the traditional Western religions and the social sciences.
540 Mormonism and the American Experience (3). Prerequisite, RELI 140. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. Exploration of the history, beliefs, and practices of Mormons. Will include visits to Latter-Day Saints services, guest speakers, and discussion of race and gender in the contemporary church.
541 Evangelicalism from a Global Perspective (3). The course will examine the evangelical tradition from a global perspective, exploring the tradition from its early rise in Europe to its impact on the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
542 Religion and the Counterculture (3). The course examines the interaction between the values and messages of the counterculture and religious groups, ideas, and practices during the Vietnam War era. It also investigates the impact of countercultural norms and styles on the current American religious scene.
565 Medieval Jews and the Bible (3). This course explores the Jewish interpretation of the Bible, focusing on important commentaries from influential medieval Ashkenazi and Sephardic thinkers.
566 Jewish Legal Literature (3). This course explores many aspects of the Halakhah, the Jewish traditional legal system, focusing on issues such as rituals, holidays, religious obligations and prohibitions, and laws regulating sexual activity.
569 Interfaith Marriages and Intimacy in World Religions (3). This seminar explores the topic of intimate relations between people who consider themselves, or are considered by others, to be part of different religious groups. We will explore cases in which such relations achieve the social sanction of marriage and cases in which the relations are of a more temporary nature.
574 Chinese World Views (ANTH 574, ASIA 574) (3). See ANTH 574 for description.
580 African American Islam (3). An historical examination of African American Islam in the United States. Explores the intellectual, cultural, social, and political roots of black Islam in addition to its diverse doctrinal, ritual, and institutional manifestations.
581 Sufism (ASIA 581) (3). Permission of the instructor. A survey of Islamic mysticism, its sources in the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad, and its literary, cultural, and social deployment in Arab, Persian, Indic, and Turkish regions.
582 Islam and Islamic Art in South Asia (ASIA 582) (3). A survey of the formation of Islamic traditions in the subcontinent from the eighth century to the present, with emphasis on religion and politics, the role of Sufism, types of popular religion, and questions of Islamic identity.
583 Religion and Culture in Iran, 1500Present (ASIA 583) (3). Iran from the rise of the Safavid empire to the Islamic Republic. Topics include Shi'ism, politics, intellectual and sectarian movements, encounters with colonialism, art and architecture, music, literature.
584 The Qur'an as Literature (ASIA 584) (3). A nontheological approach to the Qur'an as a literary text, emphasizing its history, form, style, and interpretation.
585 Religion and Culture of Turkey (3). This course will cover the history of Turkey from the Byzantine period until contemporary times. Key aspects of Turkish culture (architecture, music, poetry to arts) will be covered.
586 Women and Gender in Japanese Religions (3). This seminar explores the roles of women in the religions of Japan (including Buddhism, Shinto, folk religions, pilgrimage, new religions movements, and new spirituality culture) from goddesses, shamans, nuns, and pilgrims to demons, temptresses, and lesser human beings. The course traces these themes across Japanese socioeconomic and religious history.
590 Topics in the Study of Religion (3). Permission of the instructor. Subject matter will vary with instructor but will always be focused on a particular problem or issue.
592 Religious Conflict and Narrative in India (HNUR 592) (3). See HNUR 592 for description.
602 What Is Scripture? Formations of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Canon (JWST 602) (3). The course traces the past and continued canonical processes that define what the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament has been and is today, with a focus on the history of biblical interpretation.
603 The Bible and Its Translation (3). This course explores the translation of the Hebrew Bible in the West, with a view toward identifying religious and ideological trends.
607 Problems in Early Christian Literature and History (3). Prerequisite, RELI 104, 207, or 208. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
608 The Messiah and the Apocalypse (3). Ideas concerning the Messiah and the end of the world held by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Emphasis on the beginning of the Christian era.
617 Death and Afterlife in the Ancient World (3). Examinations of practices and discourses pertaining to death and the afterlife in the ancient civilizations of Near East, Greece, and Rome.
662 Advanced Seminar in Contemporary Catholicism (3). This advanced seminar is for undergraduate and graduate students who have at least a basic knowledge about Catholicism. The range of topics to be discussed is open and will depend on students' interests and suggestions.
665 Body and Suffering in Christian Mysticism (WMST 664) (3). Permission of the instructor for nonmajors. Medieval Christians consistently focused on the suffering body as a means of reflecting on Christ's sacrifice. This course considers how medical theories of cognition, gender, and pain influenced the potential role of the body in medieval mystical experience.
668 Spanish Religions: Peninsular Convivencia and Colonial Encounter (3). Strong background in medieval and early modern studies and permission of the instructor required for undergraduates. This course studies Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the medieval Iberian kingdoms, then interreligious discourse in the colonial expansion to Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines, by deploying theories concerning race, gender, sexuality, and postcoloniality.
681 Readings in Islamicate Literatures (ARAB 681, ASIA 681) (3). Permission of the instructor. Study of selected religious, literary, and historical texts in Arabic, Persian, or Urdu.
688 Observation and Interpretation of Religious Action (ANTH 688, FOLK 688) (3). Permission of the instructor. Exercises (including field work) in learning to read the primary modes of public action in religious traditions, e.g., sermons, testimonies, rituals, and prayers.
691H Honors in Religious Studies (3). Permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Required of all students reading for honors in religious studies.
692H Honors in Religious Studies (3). Permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Required of all students reading for honors in religious studies.
696 Independent Study (3). Advanced undergraduate or graduate standing and permission of the instructor. Subject matter should be arranged with a specific instructor.
697 Capstone: Undergraduate Seminar (3). Majors only. Concentrating on a different theme each year, this departmental seminar introduces the different areas and approaches in religious studies.
Courses for Graduate Students
700 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (3). Graduate standing in religious studies or permission of the instructor. A basic problems and methods course required of all graduate students in religious studies.
702 Religion and Literature of Israel (3). A study of the religious traditions in ancient Israelite literature from the twelfth through the second centuries BCE.
703 Critical Approaches to the Study of the Hebrew Bible and its History of Interpretation (3). Exploration of current critical approaches to the study of the Hebrew Bible, including those oriented toward a study of its interpretive history.
704 Readings in Religions of the Ancient Near East (3). Focusing on the Mediterranean religions before Alexander, the course consists of readings of original documents in translation, illustrating theology and cult, as well as on the major history of religions interpretations.
707 Early Christian History and Literature (3). Permission of the instructor. A critical study of the history and literature of early Christianity from Paul to Irenaeus, with texts to be read in the original languages.
712 Early Jewish History and Literature (3). Permission of the instructor. An examination of the main varieties of pre-rabbinic Judaism: Hellenistic Judaism, apocalyptic Judaism, and the Judaism of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
718 Readings in Greco-Roman Religion (3). Permission of the instructor. Opportunity for reading of ancient documents representing the more important religious trends of the Greco-Roman world.
720 Critical and Comparative Lineages in Religion and Culture (3). Exploration of intellectual lineages shaping the contemporary study of religion and culture.
721 Theories of Religion and Culture (3). Permission of the instructor. Studies in early modern, Enlightenment and Romantic political, philosophical, and literary texts.
723 Critical Approaches to Religion and Culture (3). Graduate standing in religious studies or permission of the instructor. Exploration of various forms of contemporary critical thought (including gender theory, critical race theory, and postcolonial studies) in order to assess the value of these critical tools for the study of religion.
724 Ethnographic Research Methods: Ethnography of Religion and Religious Formations (3). This course engages the practices, politics, ethics, and epistemology of ethnography as a technique of data production, analysis, and representation. While we will privilege issues and themes related to the study of religion, the course offers a broad, multidisciplinary approach to the construction and execution of ethnographic research.
729 Religion and Modernity (3). Graduate standing in religious studies or permission of the instructor. This course examines the relationships between religion and modernity, both as conceptual categories and through ethnographic studies of religion and/in modern life.
734 Studies in the Rhetoric of Images (3). Permission of the instructor. Selected readings on image production, exhibition, and interpretation, with consideration of different ritual and cultic settings.
735 Critical Works in Religion and Literature (3). Permission of the instructor. Textual analysis of several theoretical and literary works dealing with selected problems in religion and literature.
740 Approaches to the Study of American Religions (3). Graduate standing in religious studies or permission of the instructor. Consideration of methods, theories, and interpretations that have been influential in the study of American religion.
741 Themes in African American Religious History (3). Graduate standing in religious studies or permission of the instructor. A historical and thematic survey of the religions of African Americans from the precolonial era to the present.
742 Religion and Literature in America (3). Graduate standing in religious studies or permission of the instructor. A study of the religious tradition in American literature from the Puritan period to the present.
743 Current Trends in American Judaism (3). The course aims at examining the current developments in American Judaism: cultural, spiritual, liturgical, as well as social and institutional.
744 Readings in American Religion to 1865 (3). An examination of primary sources in the history of American religion from the precolonial era to the Civil War.
745 Readings in American Religion since 1865 (3). An examination of primary sources in the history of American religion since the Civil War.
746 The Christian-Jewish Encounter in America (3). Course examines the Christian-Jewish encounter in America from the 17th century to the present. Analyzes both theological and social interactions.
760 Approaches to Medieval and Early Modern Studies (3). Graduate standing in religious studies or permission of the instructor. An introduction to the problems and methods in the study of medieval and early modern religion in the West.
780 Methods in Islamic Studies (3). Principal topics will include the history of Islamic studies; problems of anti-Islamic bias; use of textbooks, primary sources, novels, films and the Internet; teaching the Qur'an; the Muslim presence in Europe and America; modern Muslim thinkers; gender studies; and other related subjects. Gateway course.
782 Islam and Reform (3). Exploration of reformist intellectual movements in modern Muslim societies, paying close attention to the case of post-revolutionary Iran and examining the compatibility of Islam and human rights, women's rights, democracy, and fresh hermeneutical approaches to scriptures.
785 Critical Genealogies of Middle East Studies (3). Permission of the instructor. This seminar is the core course for the graduate certificate in Middle East studies. It is an introduction to critical issues in the study of the Middle East, focusing on classic works of the humanities and social sciences.
801 Seminar in Biblical Studies (3). Topics vary; consult the department.
803 Advanced Hebrew Readings (3). Required preparation, proficiency in Hebrew. Primary readings in portions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Pentateuch, Deuteronomistic History, prophetic texts, Psalms) or in non-biblical texts (pre-exilic inscriptions, Dead Sea Scrolls) with attention to issues of interpretation.
807 Hellenistic Religious Texts in Greek (3). Studies in Greek texts drawn from early Christianity, Judaism, and other religions of the Greco-Roman World.
808 The Apostolic Fathers (3). Required preparation, proficiency in Greek. Permission of the instructor. A study of selected works of the Apostolic Fathers, including Barnabas, Ignatius, and Polycarp.
809 Textual Criticism of the Greek Bible (3). Required preparation, proficiency in Greek. Permission of the instructor. Reconstruction; application of text-critical principles.
810 Readings in Early Jewish and Christian Apocalyptic (3). Permission of the instructor. Readings from apocalyptic texts in the original languages.
812 Diaspora Judaism (CLAR 812) (3). Permission of the instructor for undergraduates. Seminar examines the evidence for the ancient Jewish communities of Egypt, Rome, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia.
813 Readings in Talmud (3). Permission of the instructor. An introduction to the study of the Babylonian Talmud in the original Hebrew and Aramaic, with the traditional commentaries. The emphasis is on understanding Talmudic logic.
814 Problems in Rabbinic Historiography (3). Prerequisite, RELI 712. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. Examination of the methodological problems of using rabbinic materials as sources for the history of Judaism in the period after 70 CE.
817 Ancient Rhetoric and Early Christianity (3). Permission of the instructor. Survey of the development of rhetorical theory and practice through the Hellenistic and Roman Period. Explores the connection between rhetorical tradition and early Christian literature.
818 The Gnostic Scriptures (3). Prerequisite, RELI 413. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. Close reading and interpretation of ancient Gnostic texts found near Nag Hammadi in Egypt.
819 Ancient Philosophy and Early Christianity (3). Required preparation, proficiency in Greek and/or Latin. Survey of the Hellenistic schools of philosophy and their impact on early Christian theories of the universe, ethics, cultural history, and salvation.
821 Seminar in Religion and Culture (3). Permission of the instructor. Topics vary; consult the department.
823 Postcolonial Approaches to the Study of Religion (3). Permission of the instructor. An examination of major themes in contemporary postcolonial thought, and the application of this work to the study of religion.
835 Space, Place, and Religion (3). This interdisciplinary graduate seminar focuses on religion, space, and place in the United States.
838 Topics in Religion and Law (3). This course examines selected themes in legal and social theory relating to the position of religion in contemporary American society.
840 Seminar in American Religion (3). Topics vary. May be repeated for credit.
841 Religion and Social Issues in America (3). Historical analysis of the relationship between religious developments and social issues in America. Topics may include economics, politics, and social reform.
842 Religion and Cultural Contact in America (3). Examination of religion in America through instances of intercultural contact. Topics vary.
843 Roman Catholicism in America (3). A seminar on Roman Catholicism in the United States that also considers developments elsewhere in the Western hemisphere. Focus is on ritual practice and visual culture.
866 Medieval Religious Texts (3). Permission of the instructor. Selected texts which illumine significant aspects of medieval religious culture are read in the original languages.
867 Texts of the Catholic and Protestant Reformations (3). Permission of the instructor. Selected texts which illumine significant aspects of the Catholic and Protestant Reformations are read in the original languages.
870 Methods and Topics in the Study of Western Religious Traditions (3). Permission of the instructor. Exploration of one enduring issue in the history of the Western Christian tradition. The instructor selects several case studies that illustrate both the topic and the developments within traditions.
881 Islamic Thought (3). Required preparation, proficiency in Arabic and/or Persian. Advanced study of major Islamic thinkers and topics, based on original language texts and modern scholarly interpretations.
885 The Study of Asian Religions and the Construction of the Field (3). Introduction to major approaches and methodological questions in the study of Asian religions. This course serves as a gateway course.
890 Topics in the Study of Religion (39). Graduate standing in religious studies or permission of the instructor. Topics vary.
891Topics in Islamic Studies (3). Graduate seminar on critical issues in Islamic studies. Topics vary.
900 Readings and Research (39). Permission of the instructor.
990 Preliminary Preparation (121).
993 Master's Research and Thesis (3).
994 Doctoral Research and Dissertation (3).
Courses for Graduate and Advanced Undergraduate Students
412 20th-Century Polish Literature and Culture (PLSH 412) (3). See PLSH 412 for description.
444 Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Judaism (RELI 444, WMST 448) (3). See RELI 444 for description.
451 1492: The Expulsion of the Jews from Spain (HIST 451) (3). See HIST 451 for description.
464 Imagined Jews: Jewish Themes in Polish and Russian Literature (SLAV 464) (3). See SLAV 464 for description.
465 Literature of Atrocity: The Gulag and the Holocaust in Russia and Eastern Europe (PWAD 465, SLAV 465) (3). See SLAV 465 for description.
469 Coming to America: The Slavic Immigrant Experience in Literature (SLAV 469) (3). See SLAV 469 for description.
476 Borderlands: Religion and Ethnicity in Modern East Central Europe (HIST 476) (3). See HIST 476 for description.
485 Modern East European Jewish History (HIST 485) (3). See HIST 485 for description.
486 Shalom Y'all: The Jewish Experience in the American South (AMST 486) (3). See AMST 486 for description.
503 Exploring the Dead Sea Scrolls (RELI 503) (3). See RELI 503 for description.
512 Ancient Synagogues (CLAR 512, RELI 512) (3). See RELI 512 for description.
602 What Is Scripture? Formations of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Canon (RELI 602) (3). See RELI 602 for description.
697 Capstone Course: Themes and Methodologies in Jewish Studies (3). Required of majors in religious studies with a concentration in Jewish studies; graduate students may enroll. Concentrating on a different theme each year, the course offers intensive grounding in key areas of and approaches to Jewish studies. Combines exploration of broad topics with scholarly rigor and specificity.