Religious Studies

 

Religious Studies Minor

Courses in religious studies are intended to acquaint students with the history, beliefs, and practices of the world's religions and the methods for studying them.

The minor in religious studies consists of 15 semester hours in religious studies. PHIL 3200, PHIL 3300, and ANTH 4750 may be counted in the 15 hours.

How to declare a religious studies minor:

• Instruction Sheet
• Adding a Religious Studies Minor

 

Religious Studies Classes

 

Current Religious Studies Course Offerings:

RS 2030: Religion and Society. Three credits. An introduction to the academic study of world religions, with an emphasis on the ways religion both influences and is influenced by society and human behavior.

RS 3010: The Bible: Its Origin and Content. Three credits. How the Bible came into being, including the origin of manuscripts, principles of textual criticism, inspiration, inerrancy, history, and translations.

RS 3020: Comparative Religion. Three credits. The meaning of religion in life, both ancient and modern. The impact of intellectual and emotional commitment upon conduct is emphasized through a study of world religions.

RS 3040: The History of Christianity. Three credits. Main developments in the doctrinal affirmations of the Christian church and their Biblical background.

RS 4020: Jesus of Nazareth. Three credits. The life of Jesus presented against the historical, religious, geographical, and archaeological background of the world of the first century A.D. and in light of recent discussions, movements, and books.

RS 4050: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Three credits. Historical development of the idea of one God through Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; their relation to other religions of the world.

RS 4800: Readings in Religious Studies. Three credits. Directed study concerning a particular problem or thinker within religious studies.

 

Courses Currently in Development

RS 4030: Indigenous Religions. Three credits. Historical, social, and cultural development of the world's indigenous religions and their relation to other religions of the world.

RS 4050: Western Religions (Changing Title). Three credits. Historical development of the idea of one God through Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; their relation to other religions of the world.

Cults and New Religious Movements. Three credits. This course examines how new religious movements emerge, develop, and interact with the larger society and surveys "cult" controversies," asking why some NRMs gain cultural legitimacy while others do not.

Religion and Law. Three credits. This course addresses the complex and contested relationship between religion and the law by examining how debates over the proper relationship of "church and state" and the limits of religious freedom have developed and changed over time.

Global Christianity. Three credits. This course examines global Christianity as a discipline and will explore the socio-religious power-dynamics of Christianity around the globe.

Religion and Film. Three credits. This course looks thematically and comparatively at the capacity of religion and of film to pattern society and examines the contexts in which religion in film, religion through film, and religion as film are studied by scholars of religion.

Women and Religion. Three credits. This course examines changing conceptions of women's roles in various religious traditions, with particular attention to the ways in which religious beliefs and practices have influenced and are influenced by feminism and struggles for gender equality both within and outside religious institutions.