INTRO TO JUDAISM

A historical overview of Jewish belief and practice as these have crystallized and changed over the centuries. Special attention to ritual and worship, the forms of religious literature, central concepts, religious leadership and institutions, Israel among the nations.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Beth A Berkowitz
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 6 Info
• 3 points

HINDUISM

Considers efforts since 1900 to synthesize a coherent understanding of what Hinduism entails, sometimes under the heading of sanatana dharma. Using a rubric provided by the Bhagavad Gita, explores philosophical/theological (jnana), ritual (karma), and devotional (bhakti) aspects of Hindu life and thought.

• MW 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: John S Hawley
  CULPA: 28 Info
• 4 points

HINDUISM - DISCUSSION

• W 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• W 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• R 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• R 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: John S Hawley
  CULPA: 28 Info
• 0 points

INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN RELIGIOU

INTRO NAT AMER RELIGIOUS

There are over 800 distinct Native American nations currently within the borders of the United States. This course offers a broad introduction to the diversity of American Indian religious systems and their larger functions in communities and in history. We will explore general themes in the study of Native American religious traditions as well as look at some specific examples of practices, ideas, and beliefs. Of particular importance are the history and effects of colonialism and missionization on Native peoples, their continuing struggles for religious freedom and cultural and linguistic survival, and the ways in which American Indians engage with religion and spirituality, both past and present, to respond to social, cultural, political, and geographical change.

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Tiffany Hale
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 3 points

MILLENNIUM: APOCALYPSE AND UTOPIA

Study of apocalyptic thinking and practice in the western religious tradition, with a focus on American apocalyptic religious movements and their relation to contemporary cultural productions, as well as notions of history and politics.

• MW 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Elizabeth Castelli
  CULPA: 17 Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Religious Histories of New York City

Religious Histories of NY

This class examines different religious histories of New York City from the early 1800s through the 1950s. We will explore how different religious traditions were shaped by the city and its diversity, and how those people and institutions left their imprints on the city we live in today. The first half of the semester focuses on intersecting themes of religion and capitalism, religion and gender and sexuality, and on the social dynamics of the city’s symbolic meanings as place of refuge and liberation (for domestic and foreign migrants) or as a locus of sin in need of moral reform. The second half of the semester turns to case studies of different neighborhoods including Harlem, the Lower East Side, Williamsburg, and Flushing. How did different religious communities conceptualize “the neighborhood” in relation to the larger city, and how did they grapple with diversity and change? Students will also be introduced to archival collections of the East Harlem Protestant Parish and several settlement houses located at the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary and at Butler Library.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Gale L Kenny
  CULPA: 5 Info
• 4 points

QURAN

This course conceives of the Qur’ān as a living text in constant flux through interactions with other religious traditions.  It focuses on developing an understanding of the Qur’ān’s form, style, and content through a  close reading of comparable religious texts.  Major topics covered include the Qur’ānic theory of prophecy, its treatment of the Biblical tradition (both that of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament), and its perspective on pre-Islamic pagan religion.  The central goals of the course include the ability to (a) analyze primary religious sources in a critical and objective manner and (b) construct coherent arguments based on concrete evidence.   In a class of this nature, class members will naturally hold or develop a wide variety of opinions about the topics covered.  The goal is not to adopt a single opinion concerning the interpretation of a particular text, but rather to support personal conclusions in a clear logical manner.

• TR 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Najam I Haider
  CULPA: 8 Info
• 4 points

GUIDED READING AND RESEARCH

Prerequisites: the instructors permission.

• Instructor: Elizabeth Castelli
  CULPA: 17 Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Gale L Kenny
  CULPA: 5 Info
• 1-4 points

SENIOR RESEARCH SEMINAR

Working research seminar devoted to helping students produce a substantive piece of writing that will represent the culmination of their work at the College and in the major.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Gale L Kenny
  CULPA: 5 Info
• 4 points

RELIGION LAB

In their research, scholars of religion employ a variety of methods to analyze texts ranging from historical documents to objects of visual culture. This course acquaints students with both the methods and the materials utilized in the field of religious studies. Through guided exercises, they acquire research skills for utilizing sources and become familiarized with dominant modes of scholarly discourse. The class is organized around a series of research scavenger hunts that are due at the start of each week's class and assigned during the discussion section (to be scheduled on the first day of class). Additional class meeting on Thursdays.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Najam I Haider
  CULPA: 8 Info
• 4 points

Religion and the Afro-Native Experience

Religion and Afro-Native

African Americans and Native Americans have a shared history of racial oppression in America. However, the prevailing lenses through which scholars understand settler colonialism, religion, and black and indigenous histories focus overwhelmingly on the dynamics between Europeans and these respective groups. How might our understanding of these subjects change when viewed from a different point of departure, if we center the history of entanglements between black and native lives? How does religion structure the overlapping experiences of Afro-Native peoples in North America?

From political movements in Minneapolis, Oakland, and New York City to enslavement from the Cotton Belt to the Rio Grande, this class will explore how Africans, Native Americans, and their descendants adapted to shifting contexts of race and religion in America. The course will proceed thematically by examining experiences of war, dislocation, survival, and diaspora.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Tiffany Hale
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 4 points