16 courses with the subject RELG, 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.
RELG 101Introduction To The Old Testament3
Credit(s): 3 This course provides a historical introduction to the religious life and thought of ancient Israel by analyzing the literature of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible). In order to properly diagnose this material, students are introduced to a variety of modern methodological approaches. Special emphasis is placed on reading this diverse collection of writings as literary products of their original social and historical contexts, having been composed within the cultural milieu of the ancient Near East. From this perspective, the course examines how ancient Israelites/Jews produced and used these texts to respond theologically and ideologically to their lived experiences. Course Level: Undergraduate
Credit(s): 3 This course provides a historical introduction to the earliest Christian movements by analyzing the literature of the New Testament. In order to properly diagnose this material, students are introduced to a variety of modern methodological approaches. Focus is placed on the distinct nature of individual documents, especially the way that each sets out the purpose of Jesus and his followers in a unique way, reflecting the theological diversity within early Christianity(ies). As a way of understanding these texts, the course devotes particular attention to the Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds in which early Christianity originated and developed, exploring the various social contexts and historical events which impacted the formation of the Christian movement. Course Level: Undergraduate
Credit(s): 3 An introduction to the beliefs, practices and underlying spiritual values of the major religions of the world, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Field trips to temples, a Greek Orthodox cathedral and other religiously related institutions will be included. Course Level: Undergraduate
Credit(s): 3 This interdisciplinary course presents the Hebrew and Christian scriptures as testaments to humanity’s spiritual yearning and hope for justice in this world. We will examine the dominant themes of the books of the Old and New Testament, the process through which they become canonical and the historical struggles over their meaning and relevance for issues of social ethics. Course Level: Undergraduate
Credit(s): 3 A travel abroad study tour to sites in Israel relevant to the history and culture, biblical events, biblical backgrounds, and church history of these sites. Archaeological, geographical, historical, literary and biblical materials are correlated with sites and features in each region visited.
RELG 310Prophets And Prophecy In The Old Testament3
Credit(s): 3 Prophets played a crucial role in the social, political, and religious life of ancient Israel, as indicated by the amount of space afforded to prophetic literature in the scriptural canon. This course introduces students to the prophetic movement in ancient Israel, surveying the Old Testament books from Isaiah through Malachi and seeking to understand the unique message of each prophet. Emphasis will be placed on cross-cultural and comparative study of prophecy in the ancient Near East as well as the transformation of prophetic activity during the Second Temple period. Course Level: Undergraduate
RELG 312Social Scientific Approaches to the New Testament3
Credit(s): 3 The New Testament is a collection of ancient documents written for readers who were socialized in the Mediterranean world during the time of the Roman empire. As such, the cultural resources upon which the authors and readers draw can seem foreign to modern interpreters. What is needed is an interpretive framework that enables modern readers to understand the world in which the biblical text was written. This course examines the social and cultural dimensions of the New Testament and explores how the perspectives, theories, and models generated by research in the social sciences can inform the modern interpretation of the New Testament. Course Level: UG
Credit(s): 3 The Gospels were written at different times and for different purposes. Although they make use of many of the same traditions, each Gospel presents a unique portrait of Jesus. This course introduces students to the canonical Gospels of the New Testament and many non-canonical Gospels as an avenue into the life and ministry of the historical Jesus. It examines methodologies used in studying the Gospels, their historical and cultural setting, and the unique portrait of Jesus provided by each of the Gospel writers, all of which serves as a basis for an introduction to the study of the historical Jesus. Course Level: Undergraduate
Credit(s): 3 This course will explore the impact of the Christian religion on western society and culture. Various historical periods and geographical regions will be selected to illustrate the role Christianity has played in the development of social structures and institutions, cultural norms and systems, as well as popular movements. Attention will also be paid to Christian relations with other religious traditions and competing contemporaneous ideologies. Course Level: Undergraduate
Credit(s): 3 An introduction to the religious history of America from European contact in the last 15th Century to the early 21st Century. Primary emphasis is on the interplay of religion, politics, and identity in American society. Topics covered include pre-Columbian Native beliefs, religion and colonial life, religious “awakenings” and diversity, church-state relations, as well as religion’s evolving relationship with science, politics, “secular” culture, and economics.
One of the following HIST 102 , HIST 201 , HIST 202 , or permission of the instructor. Course Level: Undergraduate Crosslistings: HIST 331
RELG 336The European Renaissance3
Credit(s): 3 This course considers the Renaissance movement within the broader context of political and economic developments of late-medieval and early-modern Europe. The course will focus on the conditions of 15th century Florence that contributed to the artistic, literary, and philosophical developments of the 15th century. The course will trace the diffusion of the Renaissance across the Italian Peninsula and then to Europe north of the Alps. It will also explore the uses to which the artistic developments of the Renaissance were put, as well as the long-term impact of the Renaissance on European culture.
Credit(s): 3 This course will explore late-medieval reform movements that pre-dated the Protestant Reformation. It will also trace the Reformation from its bi-polar centers of Wittenberg and Zurich to its spread across Europe. It will investigate the conditions that contributed to the fragmentation of the movement and will consider the efforts of the Catholic Church to respond to the Protestant challenge. The course will be attentive to the ways in which the Reformation was both affected by and affected developments in early-modern politics and economics.
Credit(s): 3 A study of the geography, archaeology, history, and culture of the Old Testament, intertestamental, and New Testament periods (3000 B.C. to A.D. 135).
Credit(s): 3 This course provides students the opportunity to undertake advanced study on various issues or themes in Religious Studies. Topics will vary from year to year, as selected by the instructor. Repeatability: This course may be repeated once with a different topic for a total of 6. Course Level: Undergraduate
Subject
RELG
Credits (min)
3
Credits (max)
3
Credit unit
Credit(s)
Type
course
Repeatable
Repeatability: This course may be repeated once with a different topic for a total of 6.
Credit(s): 3 The Dead Sea Scrolls have been described as the most important archeological find of the 20th century. Since their discovery in 1947, this collection of over 900 manuscripts (written between the 3rd century BCE and the 1st century CE) has been the subject of concentrated study and intense debate. After years of excavation, reassembly, and translation, the Dead Sea Scrolls have profoundly shaped the modern understanding of ancient Judaism and early Christianity. This course will examine a number of the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with the communities responsible for their composition and preservation. We will consider their message within the appropriate historical and theological contexts, as well as their significance for later Jewish and Christian traditions. Course Level: Undergraduate
Credit(s): 3 The apostle Paul was the greatest missionary and most influential theologian in early church. His epistles, which are the earliest surviving Christian documents, comprise a large portion of the New Testament canon. This course will introduce students to the life, letters, and theology of the apostle Paul, understood within the appropriate historical and cultural contexts. It will consider various methodological approaches for reading Paul’s letters as well as how the Pauline legacy was received and interpreted by others in the early church. Course Level: Undergraduate
