Lafayette College · Courses

REL

50 courses with the subject REL, 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.

REL 101Religions in World Cultures

This course introduces students to the academic study of religion through a consideration of Buddhism,

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 102Contemporary Religious Issues

An exploration of how religious people and ideas shape contemporary life. The course examines relig

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 103Religion, Myth, and Fantasy

A study of the nature of fantasy and the fantastic and their relation to religion and religious expression, in both West and

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 104Saints, Mystics, Ecstatics

An introduction to the comparative and historical study of religion through an examination of three often interrelated types of religious

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 1xxOne 100-level REL course

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 201The Biblical Imagination: Torah, Prophets, Writings

Introduction to the religion of ancient Israel; examination of biblical perspectives on the gr

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 202Christian Scriptures

In this class, we read and study the Christian Scriptures, also known as the New Testament. Besides looking

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 203Religion and the Literary Imagination

This course interprets the religious meanings and implications of a selection of twentieth-century novels. The focus is upon the probl

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 204India's Religious Texts: Sacred Word, Sacred Sound

This course introduces the oral and written traditions of South Asian religions including Hinduism,

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 207The Quran

Over one billion Muslims believe that the Quran contains the literal words of God. This course attempts to orient studen

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 209Sacred and Scared: Strange Tales and Popular Religions in East Asia

Exploring the rich tradition of ghost stories and fantasy tales of the oddities ( zhiguai ) in East Asia, this course provides a compreh

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 211Hinduism: Unities and Diversity

An introduction to the vast, complex religious traditions of India known as Hinduism, with readings from some classic works of

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 212Buddhism: From India to Asia and Beyond

An introduction to the development of Buddhism and its spread throughout Asia. The course begins with the rise of Bu

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 213Judaism: Faith, Communities, Identity

An introduction to the religion, history, and literature of the Jewish people. Among the areas covered ar

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 214Christianity: From Jesus to the Third Millennium

A study of the main branches of Christianity-Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Prote

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 215Islam: History, Faith, and Practice

An introduction to Islam, a religion that flowered into a world civilization. It covers the vast and dynamic range of Muslim religious

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 216Religions in Africa: Contemporary and Historical Expressions

This course is an introduction to the study of traditional African religious systems, thought, and experience. The course exp

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 217Latina/o Religions: Not Just Catholicism

A Study of the religious traditions of Latinas and Latinos in the United States. The course looks at various forms o

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 218Confucianism: Self and Society

Revolving around the themes of self and society, this course explores the philosophical and cultural history of the Confucian tradition fro

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 222Interreligious Cooperation and Conflict

This course explores the intersection of religion, ethics and politics through the lens of interreligious cooperation and conflict

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 223Religious Healing and Health

An examination of how various religious traditions understand sickness and health and how they try to restore wholeness

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 224Religious Ethics

A study of the bases of normative claims about behavior in various religious

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 225Sex, Gender, and Religion

How have religions helped shape attitudes about traditional gender roles? This course explores ideas about gender and sexuality

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 226Jewish-Christian Relations: From Enmity to Dialogue?

Judaism and Christianity claim common roots, yet historically defined themselves often as adversaries. Throughout most of history, Christia

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 228Religion and Politics in Africa

This course is a critical introduction to the study of politics and the way religious forces and discourses have shaped and continue to shape general notions of the goo

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 231Religions in American History and Culture

From the religious traditions of Native Americans to the religions brought to this continent by Europeans, Africans, and

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 232Religions in Latin America

This course focuses on how religious practices and beliefs have contributed to culture, ethnic identity, and public life

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 233Female Divinities and Demons in East Asia

This course examines the popular female deities and demons in East Asia. We will discuss the various forms in which women figu

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 240Theories of Religion

What is religion? What is the nature of religious belief? What roles does religion play in society? How can we study and understand religion?

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 250Anthropology of Religion

As the United States and European colonial powers expanded into places like Africa, Native North America, Melanesia, and Australia (to name a few), dif

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 260Global Muslim Literature and Film

This course introduces students to global Muslim culture and civilization through literature and film. Geographic regions include the Mid

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 301Philosophies of Religion

An examination of central problems and current issues in the philosophy of religion as treated in classic texts of the field: definiti

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 304Spirituality and Transformation: From Sufism to Self-Help

This course explores different conceptualizations of spirituality and transformation primarily throug

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 306Jewish Responses to the Holocaust

Investigation of a reactions to the Holocaust in a variety of genres, such as theology, philosoph

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 307Jews in Poland, Culture and Memory

The course traces the development of Jewish civilization in Poland, the spiritual and demographic heart of Judaism, examining distinctiv

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 308Visual Culture and Religious Identity

This course introduces the concept of visual culture as a window into the study of religion. Secondary texts are juxtaposed with prim

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 309Jews in the Americas

This course analyzes Jewish religious practice throughout the Americas. We compare Jewish life in multiple local and national contexts, evalu

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 310Sacrifice: Ritual and Violence

What do the Eucharist, the ritual slaughter of oxen, and military service have in common? They all share sacrificial elements; the giving

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 312Religious Body and Sexuality (Asia Focused)

The body constitutes a contested site of religious practices, identity politics, gender discourses, and social norms. This course explores

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 322Spirits of Capitalism: Spirit Possession and Witchcraft in Africa and the Diaspora

This seminar explores the relationship between global capitalism and phenomena like spirit possession and "witchcraft" in different historical and cultural con

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 32520th-Century African American Religions

This seminar examines African American religion as a social institution that emerged in the wake of slavery and the failure

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 330The Cult Controversy in the United States

An exploration of religious movements in the US often popularly known as “cults” such as the Peace Mission, the Nation of Islam, the Int

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 340Culture, Life and Death in Islamic West Africa

The purpose of this course is to familiarize upper level undergraduate students with the cultural and historical specificities of Islamic communities in West Africa. With reference to the introduction of Islam into West Africa via the Qad

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 350Religions on the Move Dynamic Approaches to the Religious History of the Americas

Typical narratives of religious history in the Americas start with the arrival of Christian Europeans on the eastern seaboards who then i

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 351360 Special Topics

These courses study subjects of current interest to students and members of

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026.json
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 351-360Special Topics1

These courses study subjects of current interest to students and members of the staff.

Subject: REL
Credits (min): 1
Credits (max): 1
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 390391 Independent Study

Open to junior or senior Religion majors or minors. Students select a specific area of interest for reading

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026.json
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 390-391Independent Study1

Open to junior or senior Religion majors or minors. Students select a specific area of interest for reading and investigation in consultation with the faculty adviser and subject to the approval of the department. Students confer regularly with advisers on their work and prepare an essay on an approved subject. Open to other qualified juniors or seniors with permission of the department.

Subject: REL
Credits (min): 1
Credits (max): 1
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 490Senior Capstone

Students who major in religion develop a capstone project under the direction of a

Subject: REL
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

REL 495-496Thesis1

Students desiring to take honors should inform their department advisers by the end of the second semester of the junior year. Honors work involves a guided program of independent reading and research culminating in a thesis on a topic to be selected by the student in consultation with his or her adviser and approved by the department. All honors projects must be conducted in accordance with the established written guidelines available in the department. Honors candidates enroll in REL 496 only upon successfully completing REL 495.

Subject: REL
Credits (min): 1
Credits (max): 1
Type: course
Edition: 2025-2026
Source: lafayette.smartcatalogiq.com

Source: Lafayette College's catalog, linked per course · table learning_unit · CourseShelf publish 59