Religious Studies Courses
Various methodological approaches to the academic study of religion, with examples of religious life and thought drawn from a variety of cultures. This course is required of all majors and minors.
This introductory course examines the socio-cultural constructs called "religion" and "violence" with the help of academic theories and theorists in order to consider relationships between the two. The course introduces theories of evil, violence, and hatred, using historical and contemporary case studies on such topics as terrorism and genocide.
This comparative study of religions highlights complexity in world religions. Topics, such as texts, practices, and deities, organize the study of different pairs of religions.
This introductory level course examines the place and function of religion in modern culture by examining the way stories are (or are not) identified as religious in news media. Drawing on various historical examples—from print to digital media--the course introduces students to the academic study of religion through case studies of how religion is commonly represented in the media, paying particular attention to the possible motives and practical consequences to classifying claims, actions and organizations as religious or not. As part of the core curriculum, this course addresses the ability of students to deal with questions of values, ethics, or aesthetics as they are represented in the humanistic fields of religious studies and history. The course is broad in scope and takes a global perspective of religion and news media and the relationship between all points of view on these subjects. The emphasis of the course is the history and appreciation of religion, media, and culture.
Instead of assuming that religion is a distinct aspect of the human, one that interacts only with elements of elite or high culture, this course examines the ways that the beliefs and behaviors that we commonly classify as religious are a part of everyday culture—in particular, the ways that they are produced by and in turn influence popular culture. Myths, rituals, and traditions circulate all throughout mass culture via print, radio, television, and now the web. The course therefore introduces students to a set of recent, historical examples where the scholar of religion can shed light on the workings of contemporary day-to-day life. As a part of the core curriculum, this course addresses the ability of students to deal with questions of values, ethics, or aesthetics as they are represented in the humanistic fields of learning regarding the study of religion, film, art, music, and online media. The course is broad in scope and takes a global perspective on religion and popular culture as well as the relationship between all points of view on these subjects. The emphasis of the course is the history and appreciation of religion and popular culture.
This course is an introduction to the myths and practices of what contemporary scholars call ancient Greek religion. It examines the problem of defining "religion," and translating specific ancient greek terms as "religion," and the implication involved in this process.
This course explores how digital environments work using the study of religion. The course will focus on the ways social and cultural practices operate in digital environments. The course will also introduce students to methods for studying digital culture.
Introduction to the books of the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible as it is known in Judaism, in their historical setting, with emphasis on textual analysis and on literary forms and their function and use in the past and present.
Introduction to the Hellenistic world of early Christianity, examining the early traditions about Jesus that were organized into the Gospels and the letters of Paul.
This course is a broad, interdisciplinary introduction to the ways in which “science” and “religion” have been defined.
This course considers popular film as a site for investigating and critiquing religion in America. Historically significant, as well as currently popular, films are examined in relation to academic writings about film and religion in order to gain a greater understanding of the role religious rhetoric, imagery, and concepts play in American popular culture.
This introductory level course examines the construction of religion through law, politics, and the nation-state. Students are introduced to the role of religion in liberal political theory, secularism, and the modern rise of the nation-state. This course will be particularly helpful to students interested in religious studies, history, political science, law, and philosophy.
This course offers a survey of religious themes and movements related to Buddhism in various Asian countries and North America. The topics include historical narratives, interpretations of texts, transformations of rituals, diaspora and identity, nationalism and politics, and Buddhism in contemporary culture.
Introductory survey of the major religious traditions of Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto.
Examination of this event, and scholarship on it, from various historical and critical perspectives.
A study of some of the leading schools and interpreters of Judaism and a review of modern developments including the Holocaust and the State of Israel.
Examination of African influence throughout the Americas (e.g., Candomblé in Brazil, Vodou in the Caribbean, African-American religions in North America), focusing on the interplay between religion, culture and politics.
This course surveys the history of a very influential school of modern, Western religious thought called religious existentialism. We will review the major texts, authors, and themes of this eclectic movement. The course will include study and discussion of texts by Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Buber, Heidegger, de Beauvoir, Sartre, Fanon, Derrida, Cixous and Zizek.
The role and place of women in several religious traditions, ancient and modern.
An introduction to the traditions of Islam, including their history, texts, intellectual debates, and contemporary practices.
A survey of psychological and social theories used to study religion, drawing on different cultural and historical data of relevance to the approaches surveyed.
Survey of major philosophical formulations of the nature and role of Jews and Judaism, written by select Jewish thinkers.
Examines contemporary depictions of apocalypse and dystopia in popular media.
This course offers a survey of religious themes and movements in American culture from the period before European colonization to the present. It is of particular use for students interested in American history, law, American studies, religious studies, and cultural studies.
This Honors course offers a survey of religious themes and movements in American culture from the period before European colonization to the present.
This one credit course involves monthly films, discussions, and attending either the annual Day or Aronov Lecture.
Analytical and critical study of a number of books of the Bible; each book is examined and evaluated as an example of a particular literary genre. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This cross-disciplinary course introduces students to the methods of the digital humanities by applying those methods to the study of religion. Students will learn a variety of digital methods and tools and apply those to data drawn from religious studies. Students do not need a background in computing or religious studies.
Investigates the intersections of various social divisions and identities with religious labels and practices by analyzing case studies from South Asia.
This core writing course analyzes retellings of ancient tales within contemporary popular culture, investigating versions of two specific stories, the Ramayana and Journey to the West, to address issues surrounding myths and cultural identity and the ways people adapt stories for various ideological purposes, including the politics of translation, adaptation, and classification. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Media overage of Muslims in the United States and Europe often focus on some kind of comparison or contrast between Islam and "the West." This course examines how ideas of Islam and the West have been co-constructed. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
From Hercules to Achilles, to Odysseus, and from Oedipus Rex to Medea, myths of the ancient Greek world are as popular today as they were thousands of years ago. Why do we re-tell those ancient myths today? What makes something a myth? What’s the difference between a myth and a story? How did scholars try to explain the origin and function of myths? Do we produce myths today? The course will address those questions by looking at several myths of the ancient Greco-Roman world but also will look at the theories scholars developed in order to understand those stories. The course examines the history of differing theories of myth, conceived as a sub-type of narrative. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This Core Writing course explores a wide range of rituals in diverse religious, social, and cultural contexts. We examine various theories about the definitions, meanings, and roles of ritual. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Critical examination of the 2,000-year-old relationship focusing on areas of commonality and difference. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Examines the resort to religion in the rhetoric and actions of selected public figures. Appeals to religious values will be critically analyzed in relation to the writings and works of persons such as Dorothy Day, Desmond Tutu, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Malcolm X, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Oscar Romero, Martin Luther King, or Sojourner Truth. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Supervised research of the student's choice. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours for differing topics. Speak with the professor before registering.
Supervised research of the student's choice. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 hours for differing topics. Speak with the professor before registering.
Specific context will be determined by faculty responsible for the course that semester. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours for differing topics.
Specific context will be determined by faculty responsible for the course that semester. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours for differing topics.
Specific context will be determined by faculty responsible for the course that semester. May be repeated for a maximum of May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours for differing topics.
REL 400 is an independent research course in which the student conducts Honors Thesis research under the guidance of a thesis advisor. Research projects will include the development of an original research question; in-depth research into relevant secondary and primary sources; a prospectus outlining the proposed thesis; a 15-25 page long essay with reference notes and annotated bibliography; and an oral presentation of the research. Students will meet regularly with the thesis advisor throughout the semester during which which the course is undertaken. Talk to the REL advisor for more information.
Explores the phenomenon known as genocide by examining its relationship to the religion in both its institutional and theological frameworks.
This Writing course will look at the roles and implications of myths and rituals in the American South, using the UA campus as its own case study and talking about how notions of “the past” come to be invented in different ways for different social purposes through memorials and monuments. Because the course carries the Core “W” designation, an important component of the seminar is the culminating term paper, which we will take through the writing process throughout the semester. This includes brainstorming, drafting, peer editing, and revising. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Examination of the theories and methods used to study the relations between religious narrative and behavioral systems, with a focus on myth and ritual. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Investigates the Gospel of Mark through the disciplines of contemporary biblical, literary, and cultural criticism. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This course is a study of how various agents (both Muslim and non-Muslims) construct, debate, and refute ideas about Islam in popular culture and academic sources. We will pay particular attention to how scholars attempt to make sense of such diverse accounts, the assumptions that they make, and the roles that they play in debates over the nature of Islam.
Examines classic and contemporary theories of religion such as functionalism, structuralism, Marxism, and psychoanalysis. Emphasis may vary with each offering.
A seminar on method in the study of religion and popular culture based in the ongoing projects of seminar participants.
Supervised research of the student's choice. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 hours for differing topics. Speak with the professor before registering.
Supervised research of the student's choice. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 hours for differing topics. Speak with the professor before registering.
Specific context will be determined by faculty responsible for the course that semester. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours for differing topics.
Specific context will be determined by faculty responsible for the course that semester. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours for differing topics.
A seminar offered spring semester of each year for seniors pursuing a major or minor in religious studies or minor in Judaic studies. The professor and subject of the seminar rotate through the four areas of the curriculum. Required of all majors and minors in the Department. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours for differing topics.