Course Descriptions, Fall 2004
Staff
REL 203 Religious Traditions of China
REL 204 Religious Traditions of Japan
REL 224 Myth in Classical/Contemporary Religious Traditions
REL 302 Introductory Hebrew
REL 384 Beginning Greek
REL 485 New Testament Seminar: Graeca
Chapple, Chris
REL 402 Indian Philosophy
Clayton, Phillip
REL 461 Philosophy of Science & Philosophy of Religion
REL 485 Pneumatology: Re-thinking Spirit for a Modern World
In classical Christian theology God was understood as pure Spirit, dwelling outside time and above the world; humans made in the image of God, possessed souls; and the rest of the world existed for divine and human use and enjoyment. This seminar rethinks each of these doctrines in light of contemporary challenges: challenges from the sciences, problems about miracles and divine action, neuroscientific accounts of the person, the environmental crisis, and the problem of evil. Drawing especially from philosophers, feminists and environmentalists, we examine contemporary options for constructing a new systematic theology of the Spirit.
Davis, Stephen
REL 275 Life, Death, & Survival of Death
De Troyer, Kristin
REL 350 Studies from the Diaspora: Judith, Esther, Tobit
The three books offer very different perspectives on how to live as a Jew outside the land among foreigners. The course aims at categorizing, comparing and evaluating the offered life-styles.
REL 436 Parties and Identities in the Book of Nehemiah
Dube, M.
REL 282 Methods of Biblical Interpretation
Ferrell, Lori Anne
REL 442 Recent Historiography
This seminar is designed to acquaint students in Religion and Humanities programs with current historiography of British Religious, Social, Political and Literary studies and trends in the scholarship since 1990, and the location of that work in British historiographical tradition. Students will be required to write a major review essay, a class presentation, and prepare an annotated course syllabus. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor.
REL 460 Calvinism’s Contact History
Helmer, Christine
REL 302 Backgrounds of Contemporary Theology
This course offers a selected study of major theologians from the Reformation to the twentieth century who continue to enter into the contemporary theological discussion.
REL 408 Theology: System and Method
The course will investigate the systematicity of a systematic theology from both a philosophical and theological perspective. The course will also examine the methods together with their epistemological rationale, which are suited to systematic-theological articulation. Readings will be selected from representative thinkers, such as Anselm of Canterbury, Tanner, Kidwell et. al., Jenson, Rahner and von Balthasar.
Horn, Patrick
REL 363 Major Interpreters of the study of Religion
This course will provide an introduction to methodological issues in the study of religion through readings of classical theories of religion (e.g., Hume, Feuerbach, Durkheim, Freud) revealing the rise of the human sciences in the post-Enlightenment West.
Kassam, Zayn
REL 228 The Religion of Islam
Introduction to the Islamic tradition: its scripture, beliefs, and practices and the development of Islamic law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism. Special attention paid to the emergence of Sunnism, Shi’ism , and Sufism as three diverse expressions of Muslim interpretation and practice, as well as gender issues and Islam in the modern world.
Kim, Stephen
REL 310 Theology & Ministry
An introductory lecture/seminar course in the study of the ecumenical and global context of theology and ministry to investigate the implications of the “globalization” of our faith like in today’s religiously and culturally plural world. Emphasis will be on the theological interpretation of the issues of religious pluralism and “globalization” (or “glocalization”), and their implications of theology and practice of Christian faith and mission in the global village.
Kucheman, Clark
REL 296 Ethics, Economics, & Public Policy
MacDonald, Dennis
REL 362 New Testament Exegesis & Critical Method
This course is designed for intermediate and advanced students of the New Testament to improve their skills in exegesis. In addition to traditional exegetical methods, this course seeks to integrate also newer interpretive strategies, such as social- scientific readings, literary criticism, and various kinds of intertextual strategies, including mimesis.
REL 409 Q, Mark and Thomas
A preparation for independent research on the Synoptic gospels and the Gospel of Thomas. Special attention is given to the reconstruction of the synoptic Sayings Gospel (Q) and the relationship of this reconstruction to the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Thomas.
Marshall, Ellen
REL 316 Feminist Ethics
After an introduction to feminist thought, this course explores the methods and issues associated with feminist theological ethics. We will survey the work of Protestant and Catholic scholars and also make use of film and literature to further the study.
REL 403 Theories of Justice
This course acquaints students with different theories of distributive justice. For example we might compare J.S. Miller, John Ryan, and Amartya Sen. We will also consider more recent literature on restorative versus retributive justice.
Min, Anselm
REL 438 Recent Christologies
This course is an in-depth discussion of some of the most recent and substantial works in Christology. We will study about five most important works published since 1990.
REL 471 Nietzsche
This is an in-depth discussion of Nietzsche’s philosophy based on four of five most representative works. Special attention will be paid to his notions of eternal return, will power and transvaluation of values and his impact on postmodernism.
Parker, Joseph
REL 267 Resistance to Monoculture: Theory & Practice
This course will examine theoretical and experiential models of historical and contemporary resistance to monocultural patterns of knowledge and social relations. This resistance historically has been and continues to be modeled by imperial and capitalist relations and by selected European scientific systems. Other topics to be discussed include Curanderismo, Santeria, Chinese science and medicine, environmental degradation, Wicca, and other indigenous scientific, healing and spiritual traditions.
Riley, Gregory
REL 349 Jesus & Christ: Christologies of N.T. Era
An examination of the varied ways in which early Christian communities viewed the person of Jesus.
REL 485 New Testament and Greco-Roman Religions
A study of the Greco-Roman religions and their relationship to and influence on the New Testament.
Robbins, Michael
REL 489 Advanced Greek Grammar & Reading
Rose, Jenny
REL 323 The Origins & Influence of the Zoroastrian Tradition
The course will examine the Indo-Iranian roots of the oldest prophetic religion, its main beliefs and practices, and its impact on other significant religions and philosophies from the Greeks to Nietzsche. The course will be open to a maximum of 15 students. Assessment will be through class participation in weekly seminars, and the presentation of two 10-15 page papers.
Ruprecht, Louis
REL 335 Islam & the Modern World
Designed, on the one hand, to offer seminary and graduate students a working knowledge of the religion of Islam and its holy book, the Quran. On the other hand, it is designed to give these same students some more critical conception of Modernity – what it is, and why it presents such a challenge to certain forms of anti-modern, anti-liberal religiosity which calls itself “fundamentalism.” Clearly, the aim of the course is to situate the current conflicts in some larger historical and theoretical framework.
REL 415 Liberation, Democracy & Their Critics
Aristotle suggests that “every ethical theory presupposes a politics.” Most ethical theory over the course of past two centuries has presupposed some form of modern Liberal democracy. That presupposition has come under severe attack in the past twenty years. This course will survey several of the most eloquent proponents of that attack (Alasdair MacIntyre, Stanley Hauerwas) as well as some of the Liberalism’s staunchest defenders (Jeffery Stout, Martha Nussbaum, Charles Taylor). If we can gain some better sense of what Liberalism and Democracy actually are, and what Multiculturalism actually prescribes, then we may be in a better position to survey both merits and demerits of this debate.
Schneider, Tammi
Introduction to the study of the Hebrew Bible
REL 453 Women in the book of Genesis
Taves, Ann
REL 302 History of Christianity II
A history of Christianity from the reformation to the present which focuses on the worldwide expansion of Christianity in the modern era and the diversity of forms which Christian faith and practice have taken in different time periods and cultural contexts. Extensive use will be made of primary sources as means of illuminating historical and historiographical issues.
Torjesen, Karen
An examination of timeliest critiques of androcentric approaches to the study of religion and society, studies which emphasize the recovery and/or creation of female images and roles in religion, and efforts to reframe the study of religion and society in light of feminist critiques and reconstruction’s. The course will highlight the dynamic relationship between critical, separatist, and integrationist approaches to the study of women and religion.
Verwijls, Pertonella Simone
REL 415 Aramaic
Wimbush, Vincent
REL 336 Textures of Early Christianity
A multidisciplinary stud of the fabric--rituals/practices; infrapolitics; social orientation; rhetorical and ideological formations--of an ancient Christian community (Corinty). Implications for the general historical and comparative study of religion will be discussed.
REL 474 Christian Scriptures: Origins, Politics, & Phenomenology
An advanced seminar that will explore the origins, historical development, politics, and phenomenology of Christian "scriptures" in the West. Readings will include ancient historical and modern and contemporary primary materials. Theoretical and comparative works will be engaged.
