47 courses with the subject RELG H, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
An introduction to the study of religion from multiple perspectives: overviews of several religions with classroom discussion of primary sources; cross-cultural features common to many religions; theories of religion and approaches to its study and interpretation.
This course is a general survey of the religion of Islam, encompassing history, beliefs, sacred texts (Qur'an and ?adith) and their interpretation, religious law, Sufism, philosophy, art, and science. Particular attention is given to Muslim practice and to Islam as a total way of life. Salient topics include modernity and modernism; statism, nationalism and imperialism; as well as gender, sexuality, marriage, and the family.
An introduction to stories of the weird and supernatural in Japan and a reflection on genre and the scholarly enterprise of taxonomy-making. Readings from Buddhist miracle plays, early modern puppet drama, etc., supplemented by scholarly secondary sources.
The Hebrew Bible, which is fundamental to both Judaism and Christianity, poses several challenges to modern readers. Who wrote it, when, and why? What was its significance then and now? How does one study the Bible from an academic point of view? Using literary, historical, theological, and archaeological interpretive tools, this course will address these questions and introduce students to academic biblical studies.
This course introduces the student to the history, texts, rituals and lived experiences of Judaism as it was practiced, recorded and documented across history and geography as well as the many forms and expressions Judaism encompasses today.
An introduction to the New Testament and early Christian literature. Special attention will be given to the Jewish origins of the Jesus movement, the development of traditions about Jesus in the earliest Christian communities, and the social contexts and functions of various texts. Readings will include non-canonical writings, in addition to the writings of the New Testament canon.
This course examines representations from figural forms to abstractions, found objects and beautiful writing to understand the power of sacred imagery. We will examine formats from medieval manuscripts and painted walls to films, panoramas and comic books to observe the dynamics that emerge among viewers and images in spatial contexts ranging from altar pieces, sculpture, stained glass and painting in neo-Gothic churches, calligraphy in mosque and shrine interiors, deity icons in Hindu temples and potent fabrics in Buddhist monastic complexes. Crosslisted: VIST.
An introduction to the theological & philosophical claims raised in Black Religion & Liberation Thought in 20th C America. In particular, the course will examine the multiple meanings of liberation within black religion, the place of religion in African American struggles against racism, sexism and class exploitation and the role of religion in shaping the moral and political imaginations of African Americans.
An introductory course covering the variegated expressions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Sikhism in South Asia.
Focusing on the East Asian Buddhist tradition, the course examines Buddhist philosophy, doctrine and practice as textual traditions and as lived religion. Crosslisted: East Asian Languages & Cultures, Religion
Why are people always predicting the coming endtime? This course will explore the genre of apocalypse, looking for common themes that characterize this form of literature. Our primary source readings will be drawn from the Bible and non-canonical documents from the early Jewish and Christian traditions. We will use an analytical perspective to explore the social functions of apocalyptic, and ask why this form has been so persistent and influential.
An introduction to the primary characters and stories of Greek and Roman mythology including cosmic creation, Olympian and other deities, and heroes both as they appear in Greek and Roman literature and art and as they are later represented in modern art, music, and film. Crosslisted: Classical Studies, Comparative Literature, Religion
An examination of the history of Jerusalem as well as a study of Jerusalem as religious symbol and how the two interact over the centuries. Readings from ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary sources as well as material culture and art.
Close reading of the 13 letters attributed to the apostle Paul and critical examination of the place of Paul in the development of early Christianity.
An examination of the representations of women and gender in early Christian texts and their significance for contemporary Christianity. Topics include interpretations of Genesis 1-3, images of women and sexuality in early Christian literature, and the roles of women in various Christian communities.
The phenomenon of Gnosticism examined through close reading of primary sources, including the recently discovered texts of Nag Hammadi. Topics include the relation of Gnosticism to Greek, Jewish, and Christian thought; the variety of Gnostic schools and sects; gender imagery, mythology and other issues in the interpretation of Gnostic texts.
This course will examine the background for and the key events, figures, philosophies, tactics, and consequences of the modern black freedom struggle in United States. The period from 1955-1965 will receive special attention, but the roots of the freedom struggle and the effect on recent American political, social, and cultural history will also be considered.
This course surveys European religious history from the early fifteenth century, when Martin Luther ignited debates about sin, faith, and salvation, to the end of the nineteenth, when Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed the death of God. We will trace the evolution of Christian and Jewish religious traditions, their encounters with the cultures of the “New World,” and their interactions with cultural and intellectual developments such as the rise of toleration, the Enlightenment, revolutions, Romanticism, and secularization. Crosslisted: HIST,RELG.
This course combines language instruction with hands-on collaborative work of literary translation. Students enrolled will be involved in intensive studies of the Persian language, in particular its Dari variant. This will be coupled with course readings on the history and literature of the Persophone Hazara community in Afghanistan and translation practices using contemporary Persian Hazara poems collected from Hazara poets in exile across the world. COML 100 Intro to Persian is recommended. Crosslisted: RELG, COML.
This course will explore the intellectual thought of novelist, writer, activist, James Baldwin. The course will cover four decades of James Baldwin's fiction and non-fiction writings. Students will also be asked to read relevant biographical materials that help to contextualize Baldwin's life and literary corpus.
Readings in medieval Jewish, Christian and Islamic mystical thought with a focus on the Zohar, Meister Eckhart, the Beguine mystics Hadewijch of Antwerp and Marguerite Porete, and the Sufi Master Ibn ’Arabi. The texts are a basis for discussions of comparative mysticism and of the relationship of mysticism to modern critical theories.
This course provides a chance to work in the Haverford College archives, with guidance provided on how to analyze primary source evidence. Over the course of the semester we will debate and answer questions such as: How has Haverford College's status as a school of Quaker origin been significant and does that legacy remain relevant today? What is the purpose of a values-based undergraduate liberal arts education in the hyper-competitive, debt-fueled and increasingly consumerist educational marketplace found in the contemporary United States? Crosslisted: HIST, RELG Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or above.
We will explore the origins, existential, and ethical dimensions of Rhythm and Poetry (RAP) music. Giving attention to RAP songs written and produced by African American artists, including Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, and Kanye West, we will analyze their work with an interest in understanding a) the conceptions of God and the good reflected in them, b) how these conceptions connect to and reflect African American social and cultural practices, and c) how the conceptions under consideration change over time.
An exploration of gender in Judaism and Christianity through a study of feminist and queer thinkers who critique and contribute to these traditions. Topics include sex/gender difference, the gender of God, and the nature of divine authority. Prerequisite(s): Familiarity with philosophical and/or theoretical inquiry is recommended
This course introduces students to the different views of gender and sexuality in Islamic thought, and situates these views within Muslim histories and societies. We will draw on primary sources, historiographical work, ethnographies of Muslim societies, fiction, poetry, and play. One major focus will be on homosexuality in Islam and Muslim societies. In the course of this examination we will also have a chance to question what “homosexuality” is and whether this term can be applied cross-culturally and cross-religiously. To think critically about homosexuality in Islam will thus compel us to reconsider homosexuality and Islam at once.
Anarchism emerged in the nineteenth century as an important transnational sociopolitical philosophy and religious movement. Course participants will analyze anarchism as a political philosophy and as a social movement, from the nineteenth century labor movement to the ongoing global justice movement.
This course will investigate the historically shifting roles of religion in American society and the increasing prevalence of religious diversity throughout the country. The class will consider the functions of religion within settler colonialism, slavery, and immigration, and explore how religion has shaped popular culture, the legal system, and American identity. The class will also examine the role of religion within changing notions of gender, sexuality, and race.
This course explores Western religious thought in the 19th century, when religion's defenders and critics alike developed new ways of thinking about its role in modern life, asking: Is religion rational, or is it a leap of faith? Is religious doctrine true, or is it an ideology? Do religions support an unjust status quo, or do they offer a radical alternative? Is religion necessary for morality, or is it a hindrance? Lottery Preference: Senior majors/minors, junior majors/minors, then all others.
This course explores the complex relationship between religion and politics in the U.S. We ask: what, exactly, is religious freedom? What do we mean by the separation of church and state? In what ways has religion shaped U.S. democracy? And how do citizens navigate the tensions between their religious commitments and democratic allegiances?
This course analyzes the dynamic relationship between queer theories and religious discourse. With an emphasis on LGBTQIA+ experiences, perspectives, and practices, we will use a theological and ethical lens across (a few) religions to explore concepts, sacred texts, and relational possibilities that constitute contemporary ideas about religion and queerness.
Since its emergence in the seventeenth century, Quaker theology has been known for supporting the autonomy and power of women, and for empowering women's independence in both religious and business spheres. This course explores the ideas and experiences of some of the individual women and situations that have sustained and enlivened that religious autonomy across time, geography, and cultures. Lottery Preference: Religion majors
An examination of the religious meanings and powers of blood in the Middle Ages. Readings will cross theology, philosophy, medicine, law, and literature, compare blood symbols in Judaism and Christianity, and explore Christian claims about "Jewish" and "Muslim" blood. Special attention will be given to blood as the stuff of medieval selfhood, blood as food, and the rise of blood--with an eye toward the present--as a form of racial lineage.
An introduction to theories of the nature and function of religion from theological, philosophical, psychological, anthropological, and sociological perspectives. Readings may include: Schleiermacher, Marx, Nietzche, Freud, Tylor, Durkheim, Weber, James, Otto, Benjamin, Eliade, Geertz, Foucault, Douglas, Smith, Berger, Haraway.
This multidisciplinary seminar will focus on the life, art and legacy of Tupac Shakur, with special emphasis on the political, social, theological, aesthetic, and economic dynamics that informed Shakur's art and activism. Participants will engage a variety of classic and contemporary texts, albums, and films in order to explore the connections between relevant American and black political, religious and artistic traditions and movements and to situate Tupac Shakur as a black artist and intellectual preoccupied with questions about how gender, race, class, violence, power, capitalism, and sexuality intersect and function to perpetuate social suffering and injustice.
This seminar offers close reading and analysis of the parables of Jesus in the New Testament gospels and the Gospel of Thomas. The class will consider various modes of interpretation, including comparative study, redaction criticism, theological interpretation, and literary analysis of the parables as extended metaphors or allegories.
A critical study of prominent ethical and political themes in Augustine’s religious thought: the character of the good life; the meaning of and relations between love of God and love of neighbor; Christ and the moral life; freedom, virtue, and evil; idolatry’s reach; sexuality and its discontents; the purposes and limits of political society; war and peace. Seminar format emphasizing close readings of On Christian Doctrine, Confessions, and City of God.
An exploration of the meaning and function of ritual, and of the ways that rituals shape bodies, habits, and identities. Special attention will be given to the relationship between ritual and gender. Readings include Durkheim, Mauss, Bourdieu, Butler, and Mahmood. Prerequisite(s): at least one 200 level in the department, or instructor consent
An examination of religion, ethics, and politics in Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (in translation). As we work through Hegel’s monumental text, we will consider its influence over modern and contemporary discussions of gender, domination, ethical conflict and religious pluralism. Prerequisite(s): At least one 200-level course in philosophy, political theory, or religious thought, or permission of the instructor.
Drawing on fiction, biography, critical theory, film, essays, and memoirs, participants will explore how certain African American artists, activists, and religionists have resisted, represented, and reinterpreted sex, sexuality, and gender norms in the context of capitalist, white supremacist, male supremacist, and heteronormative cultures. Crosslisted: Africana Studies, Religion Prerequisite(s): 200-level Humanities course, or instructor consent
This course uses medieval Arabic prose and poetry – most of them with English translations – as well as contemporary academic literature to introduce students to the intricate and embattled histories of Blackness in classical Islam. While our understanding of B/blackness in the Euro-American context is heavily determined by the constraining experience of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, notions of B/blackness and ideas of anti-racism also exhibit a wider and richer genealogy if we shift our attention to the wider Indian Ocean world that encompasses Africa, Arabia, Persia, and Asia. Pre-requisite(s): One course in Religion, Anthropology, Arabic or Middle Eastern Studies, or permission of the instructor
This seminar explores the development of pacifism or the philosophy of nonviolence, particularly yet not exclusively in the American context, from the middle nineteenth century to the latter part of the twentieth century. Students will consider different articulations of pacifism and nonviolent direct action and the social-historical context in which modern pacifism emerged, focusing on movements for racial justice, gender liberation, economic justice, and against nationalism.
How did Freud think about religion? When did Freud think about religion? In this seminar, students will read a number of different texts in which Freud rereads religious stories, retells Jewish jokes, interprets religious practices, bodies, and experiences, and offers prophecies of his own. Attention will be given to Freud's relationship to Judaism, and the role of the critique of religion in the emergence of psychoanalysis. Pre-requisite(s): At least one 200-level course in Religion, English, or German Studies, or permission of the instructor.
Advanced study of the development of Judaism from the biblical period to the talmudic period. What constitutes Israelite religion? By what processes does it become rabbinic Judaism? What were its various manifestations along the way? Readings are drawn from the Bible, the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Hellenistic Jewish literature and rabbinic literature.
A practical methodology course which prepares senior Religion majors to write their senior theses.
Senior Thesis
Teaching Assistant
Independent Study
Source: Haverford College's catalog, linked per course · table learning_unit · CourseShelf publish 59
