23 courses with the subject RELS, 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 five major living religions, namely Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. An examination of the leading problems of religious traditions, their history and cultural context, and the approaches of world religions to ultimate questions concerning the meaning of human life. Three hours per week. Four semester hours (GN, H.) .
An overview of definitions, theories, and interpretations of religion, with the goal of understanding the range of ways people have tried to make sense of the global phenomenon of religious traditions, beliefs, and practices. Theorists whose work we will examine and critique may include Frazer, Tylor, Durkheim, Freud, Marx, Weber, Eliade, Lévi-Strauss, and others. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H.) RELS/PHIL-220. Philosophy of Religion A philosophical study of both belief itself as a psychological attitude and what has been believed about God. Particular attention is given to such questions as whether or not belief is a matter of choice and whether or not one must have a reason to believe in God. Questions about the natures of God and man, evil and immortality are also addressed. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H.)
This historical, theological, and contextual study of religion examines the African American religious experience, including: the African Background, slavery in America, the struggle for freedom and identity, the development of the Black Church, the Black Muslims, the Civil Rights movement, and the emergence of Black and Womanist theologies. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (DN, H.)
A survey of important thinkers, literature and movements typical of the Christian tradition from the early church period through the 20th century. Careful study of such writers as Clement, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Ockham, Bernard, Luther, Edwards and others is included. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H.)
Attention is given to the history, traditions, and literature of the Jewish people from their origins in the second millennium B.C.E. to the present day. Stress is given to specific religious concepts and teachings which are pertinent to modern times. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H.)
An introduction to the religious tradition of Islam. Topics to be covered may include, among others, the origins and spread of Islam; the Qur’an; faith and practices of Muslims; theology and law; Islamic art and culture; Sufi mysticism; Islam and the West; and Islamic modernism. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (GN, H.)
This course is designed to provide students with tools and context to understand the breadth, diversity, and cultural significance of the Buddhist tradition in Asia and around the world. The course will explore Buddhist tradition both thematically and historically. We will engage with topics such as Buddhist doctrine, meditation, and rituals. We will also pay attention to the lived tradition in the pre-modern and modern periods. Throughout the course we will combine ‘insider’ and scholarly approaches, reading primary sources from the tradition as well as secondary literature and visiting Buddhist communities in the local area. The course involves short lectures, readings
An introduction to the literature and thought of the Hebrew scriptures (the Christian Old Testament). Attention is given to the archeological and historical background of the Hebrew scriptures, as well as to the biblical materials themselves. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (GN, H.) RELS/PHIL/GWSS-244. Work and Meaning What is work? What’s the difference between real work, bullshit work, and play? Why do we pay people for some kinds of work and not others? Are we all just naturally lazy, or do we really want to do something meaningful with our lives? Why do so many people hate their jobs? And does what you do make you who you are? We will explore these questions and many, many more through classic and contemporary readings, impassioned discussions, and a variety of in-class experiments. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, LINQ.)
This course examines the Christian scriptures, focusing primarily on the Gospels, the Pauline epistles, and the other books of the New Testament. Attention will also be given to the historical tradition of biblical interpretation. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H.)
This course posits that religion is a tool that is available in the cultural repertoire to support those who take up the protective work of repairing our world and responding to climate emergency. The course engages environmental justice through the lens of major religious traditions such as Buddhism, Catholicism, and indigenous traditions in Africa, Asia, and North America. The course addresses foundational issues of community, language, and movement building by spiritual and religious people involved in reparative ecology. By looking closely at how the climate crisis intersects with religious practice and spirituality, we can identify strategies through which people at
Individual study of one or more selected topics in the literature of religious studies. May include preparation of a bibliography for a proposal for subsequent research. Requires consent of a member of the department who will serve as adviser. This course is graded S/U. One semester hour.
Individual study of one or more selected topics in the literature of religious studies. May include preparation of a bibliography for a proposal for subsequent research. Requires consent of a member of the department who will serve as adviser. This course is graded S/U. Two semester hours. (GN, depending on topic.)
The course will concentrate on special issues, movements, and leading figures in the study of religion. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H; possibly CCAP, DN, GN, or O depending on topic.) RELS/PHIL-313. Marx, Nietzsche, Freud Nietzsche writes, “We are not ‘men of knowledge’ with respect to ourselves.” Marx calls for the abolition of religion in order that we may “abandon a condition which requires illusions.” Freud insists that we are not “masters in our own houses”: his theory of the unconscious challenges the comfortable notion that we have unmediated access to knowledge of ourselves. Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud turn their critical energies in different directions, but they share the conviction that our consciousness is fundamentally false consciousness. For these thinkers, what we think we know about ourselves, others, and the world around us requires constant critique, and our certainties RELS/PHIL-323. What Really Matters in Life? Are you curious about what makes for a good life? Everyone wants to be happy, but the pursuit of happiness may be illusory if not guided by critical thinking. In this course, we will think together about what goods and ends ought to be pursued to live an intellectually and morally satisfying life. We will explore questions such as: Is it really possible for one to be happy without cultivating a concern for the well-being of others? Can self-interest co-exist with the ethical life? What are the marks of a life lived with authenticity? We will struggle with these questions and students will be also asked to think about and reflect on such matters in their own lives. This c
In this course, we will analyze the complex relationship between religion and ethics. In what ways might a religious ethic differ from a secular ethic? Does religious belief and/or practice augment the ethical life or not? We will also explore carefully the worldviews of Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism in an attempt to understand the context in which ethical reflection is practiced in these traditions. Then, we will examine various social issues from the perspective of these religious traditions. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, O.)
The turn of the twenty-first century has been accompanied by an alarming global increase in religiously-motivated violence. Historically, religious ideas have been used to justify both war and peace, both violence and reconciliation. This course will examine the relationship between religion and violence in various historical contexts. Topics will include: just war doctrine, crusades and holy wars; sacrificial rituals in traditional cultures; modern revolutionary and terrorist movements; and religious pacifism. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H.)
Religious diversity and difference have become crucial political and social issues in the early years of the twenty-first century. In this course, students will participate in an ongoing effort to understand, investigate, and connect with the religious diversity of our region. Readings will focus on theoretical and practical interpretations of religious diversity, primarily in a modern American context. The course will also involve frequent field trips and site visits to religious institutions and organizations near Ursinus, including but not limited to Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic sites. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (DN, H.)
An examination of the lives and events of the Civil Rights era, focusing on religious leadership, student involvement, and local empowerment. Through religious, historical, and literary readings, we will explore and analyze the personalities and proceedings of the late fifties, sixties, and seventies. Topics may include the Mississippi movement, the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. and of Malcolm X, the role of women in the movement, the black power movement, and King’s concept of the “Beloved Community,” among others. The course includes a study tour of historical Civil Rights sites in Mississippi, including meetings and dialogue with community representatives a
An examination of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation through the writings of Luther, Calvin, representatives of the Radical and Catholic reforms, and others, with attention to their social, cultural, and political context. Topics include the crisis of medieval culture, Luther’s biography and teachings, the theology of faith and grace, the creation of a Protestant culture, the radical reformers, and international Calvinism. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H.)
An exploration of the relationship between religion and human rights. Topics may include the connection between human rights and belief in God; religious traditions’ contributions and/or resistance to human rights movements and to individual rights; and the position of secular states towards religious freedom and related rights. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, O.)
Independent work on a topic in Religious Studies, under the supervision of a faculty advisor. A substantial written final product is required. Prerequisites: a written project proposal and permission of a department faculty member who will serve as advisor. Four semester hours. (XLP.)
Five other four-credit courses in Religious Studies. Religious Studies majors fulfill the writing requirement by taking a W course within the major; they fulfill the capstone and oral presentation requirements by completing RELS-404W, the senior seminar. Students pursuing honors in Religious Studies should also register for RELS-491 and RELS-492 in succession.
This course is open only to candidates for departmental honors or distinguished honors. Four semester hours. (XLP.)
A continuation of RELS-491. Prerequisite: RELS-491. Four semester hours. (XLP.) Philosophy and Religious Studies Department
Source: Ursinus College's catalog, linked per course · table learning_unit · CourseShelf publish 59
