DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Professors Emeriti: Catherine M. Bell, Joseph A. Grassi, Anne Marie Mongoven, O.P.
Professors: Michael J. Buckley, S.J.(
Augustine Cardinal Bea, S.J. University
Professor), Denise L. Carmody (Jesuit Community Professor), Paul G. Crowley, S.J. (
Department Chair), Diane E. Jonte-Pace, Gary A. Macy (
John Nobili, S.J. Professor), Frederick J. Parrella, John David Pleins
Associate Professors: Cynthia M. Baker, Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J., Teresia Hinga, Catherine M. Murphy, David J. Pinault, Ana Maria Pineda,R.S.M., James W. Reites, S.J., Philip Boo Riley, Francis R. Smith, S.J.
Assistant Professors: Thomas M. Beaudoin, James B. Bennett, Robert J. Brancatelli, Michael T. Castori, S.J., David B. Gray, Michael C. McCarthy, S.J.
Senior Lecturers: Margaret R. McLean, Salvatore A. Tassone, S.J., Tennant C. Wright, S.J.
The Department of Religious Studies offers a degree program leading to the Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. The department offers courses as part of the University Core Curriculum as well as a minor program for those who wish to concentrate in the study of religion and theology. The aim of the program is to foster an engaged, critical, and integrated understanding of religion in the University’s tradition of Jesuit liberal education. Because of the University’s commitment to examine diverse religious traditions, the Department of Religious Studies offers a wide breadth of courses. Because of the University’s commitment to the Catholic tradition, the department also offers a special opportunity for students to examine Catholicism in depth in an academic context.
The department offers courses in three areas: scripture and tradition; theology, ethics, and spirituality; and religions and society. Students can take their Core Curriculum courses in any area they wish, but the three courses must be in proper sequence: introductory (course numbers 1–19); intermediate (course numbers 20–99); and advanced (course numbers 100–199). The advanced course must be taken after completing 88 quarter units. Transfer students entering with 44 or more units are exempt from the three-course sequence, but are required to take two courses at any level.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR
In addition to fulfilling University Core Curriculum and College of Arts and Sciences requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students majoring in religious studies must complete the following departmental requirements:
- Four lower-division courses, one from each of three areas (scripture and tradition; theology, ethics, and spirituality; and religion and society) and an additional course from any area
- Eight approved upper-division courses after reaching junior status, including four designated religious studies seminars, with one in each of the three areas and an additional one in any areaSenior portfolio: a critical compendium of the seminar papers submitted to the faculty for evaluation
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR
Students must fulfill the following requirements for a minor in religious studies:
- One introductory-level religious studies course (1–19)
- Two intermediate-level courses (20–99)
- Four approved advanced-level courses (100–199), one of which must be a religious studies seminar. Of the seven courses, at least one must be in each of the following areas: scripture and tradition; theology, ethics, and spirituality; and religion and society
LOWER-DIVISION COURSES: SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION (SCTR)
11. Origins of Western Religion
An introduction to the study of religion through an inquiry into the origins of Western religion. Surveys the principal themes and issues of the formative period of the Judeo-Christian tradition and its historical development to the fifth century. (4 units)
19. Religions of the Book
Examines the history and religious traditions of the Hebrew Bible, giving attention to geography, politics, and belief systems of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and their development in history. Focuses on developing appropriate tools for the study of religions. (4 units)
22. The Synoptic Gospels
A survey of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke in light of the findings of modern scholarship. Special attention given to the relationships among the Gospels, the particular situations of the churches in which they were written, and the special intentions and considerations of the authors. (4 units)
23. Christ in the Four Gospels
Deals with the historical ministry of Jesus, his resurrection, and how his disciples and the church of the New Testament period interpreted Jesus’ teaching and developed their beliefs about Christ. Concentrates on the Gospel portrayal of Jesus Christ. (4 units)
24. Christian Origins: Luke/Acts
The story of Jesus is told in four different Gospels by the four evangelists. Yet only Luke added a second volume about the first generation of Christians, called the Acts of the Apostles. This intermediate-level course investigates the historical origins of Christianity, especially as recorded in Luke’s two-volume contribution to the New Testament. (4 units)
26. Gender in Early Christianity
The history of early Christianity is often portrayed as a history of, by, and about men, despite clear indications that women played a prominent role in the early church. Introduces the construction of gender in antiquity, Jewish and Greco-Roman laws and customs, the biblical canon and other Christian texts. Contemporary feminist perspectives will inform the discussion. (4 units)
27. Historical Jesus
A study of the sources, problems, and methods in the various “quests” for Jesus of Nazareth. Each phase of the quest in the 19th and 20th centuries, from Reimarus to the Jesus Seminar. Students will assess historical-critical criteria and apply these criteria to the sources in a term paper in order to construct their own versions of a “life” of Jesus. (4 units)
30. New Testament
Explores the historical and religious background of the New Testament period and concentrates on the origin and purpose of the New Testament writings and the overall meaning of the individual books. (4 units)
33. Narratives of Christian Scripture
Exploration of the stories that emerged with the Jesus event, their historicity, and their role in forming the early Christian communities. No previous knowledge of Christianity is needed. (4 units)
35. Science vs. the Bible: The Genesis Debates
Exploration of the continuing debate over the biblical stories of creation and the flood in relation to the sciences of human evolution, geology, and mythology. One focus is on historical developments in America and England in the 17th-19th centuries. The role of fundamentalist Christianity in the public school system today. (4 units)
41. Biblical Hebrew I
Introduction to the vocabulary and grammatical forms of Biblical Hebrew. (4 units)
42. Biblical Hebrew II
Completion of the grammatical forms of Biblical Hebrew. (4 units)
43. Biblical Hebrew III
Introduction to the readings of various genres of Biblical Hebrew literature and ancient Hebrew inscriptions. (4 units)
48. Jesus the Jew
In the New Testament, Jesus of Nazareth is called “rabbi”; he argues in Pharisaic terms with Jewish Pharisees; quotes the Jewish Bible repeatedly; is recognized by some as a Jewish messiah; and is eventually executed as a Judean rebel. Explores the Jewishness of the earliest Jesus movement and its traditions, and considers how a small, first-century Jewish sect ultimately becomes a world power largely ignorant of—and often hostile—to Jews and Judaism. (4 units)
UPPER-DIVISION COURSES: SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION (SCTR)
100. Biblical Poetry and Ancient Myth
Comparative study of the poetry and myths of ancient Israel and the ancient world. Focuses on the Psalms, the Song of Songs, and the Book of Job. Examines a number of Mesopotamian, Canaanite, and Egyptian myths. Discusses the methodological problem of mythic interpretation. (5 units)
101. Reading the Bible Today
Explores contemporary dilemmas related to the changing interpretation of the Bible in the postmodern, global context. Areas of investigation include the feminist/liberation interpretation, historical criticism, post-colonial interpretations, and emerging gender questions. (5 units)
105. Decoding the Bible
An exploration of the Gospels using various avenues of interpretation, including narrative, liberationist, feminist, and postcolonial methods. (5 units)
106. Person of Christ in the New Testament
Deals with Jesus’ understanding of himself and his mission as well as the New Testament interpretation given to them. Different Christologies of the New Testament studied in order to show the unity and diversity in their interpretation of Christ. (5 units)
107. Scripture and the Moral Life
Investigates the role of Scripture in the moral life of Christians with attention to the experience of discipleship, how the early Christians adapted the example of Jesus, how Christians in different cultural contexts learn from Scripture. Considers liberation theology, social scientific approaches, feminist criticism, and the role of the imagination. (5 units)
108. The Impact of the Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls, over 800 manuscripts (250 B.C.E. to 68 C.E.) were discovered in 1947-1956, one of the greatest manuscript finds of the 20th century. This course begins by exploring the manuscripts and archeological evidence of Qumran, then the impact of the scrolls on understanding Judaisms and Christianities, both ancient and modern. (5 units)
110. Gods, Heroes, and Monsters: Myth and Bible
Explores the debates about the meaning of myth in relation to the Bible and other ancient texts, with special attention to diverging theories of myth, role of the male hero, violence, feminist interpretations, problem of suffering, the relation of religion and science, etc. (5 units)
117. Eve, Adam, the Serpent, and the Rest of the Story
How do interpretations of creation stories inform contemporary cultural understandings of right and wrong, sex and gender, power and privilege, human and divine? Close readings of ancient texts paired with a wide array of modern interpretations and commentary (in a range of media - poetry, film, midrash, essays, and comics, among others), will provide the basis for our studies. (5 units)
125. Quran Interpretation
Course comprises a close reading of Islamic scripture and various forms of scriptural exegesis. Also the historical context surrounding Qur’anic revelations, diverse forms of Qur’anic interpretation in premodern and contemporary eras, including issues relating to traditionalism and modernity, women, human rights, and mystical experience. No previous coursework in Islam is required. (5 units)
126. Sufi Mysticism
Examination of the mystical tradition in Islam. Includes the discussion of personal piety, as well as institutional manifestations of mysticism, such as the tariqas or Sufi orders. Attention given to mystical dimensions of the Qur’an, as well as the dialectic between Sufi masters and legal authorities. (5 units)
128. Human Suffering
Explores issues of human suffering, justice, and belief in light of the biblical book of Job. Best for students interested in the creative arts, fiction writing, or community service. (5 units)
132. Apocalypse Now
Exploration of characteristic themes in apocalyptic literature, theories about the social origins of the apocalyptic movements of ancient Judaism and Christianity, and motifs and themes in the popular media. (5 units)
134. Transforming Exodus
Explores the ongoing religious, social and political significance of the Exodus, as well as the potential and risks that a shared tradition holds for interfaith relations. (5 units)
141. Advanced Hebrew I
Advanced grammar review and reading of select biblical narratives and poetic texts. (5 units)
142. Advanced Hebrew II
Extended reading of biblical Hebrew narratives and poetic texts. (5 units)
143. Advanced Hebrew III
Continuation of extended reading of biblical Hebrew narratives and poetic texts. (5 units)
144. Aramaic Grammar
Introduction to Aramaic grammar. Reading of biblical Aramaic texts and selections from the Targums. (5 units)
158. Postcolonial Perspectives on the New Testament
This course introduces students to postcolonial critical theory and uses it to explore the political contexts of New Testament texts, raising new questions about the ethical implications of how we read these texts today. (5 units)
198. Practicum
(1–5 units)
199. Directed Readings and Research
For religious studies majors only. (1–5 units)
LOWER-DIVISION COURSES: THEOLOGY, ETHICS, AND SPIRITUALITY (TESP)
4. The Christian Tradition
A theological examination of the Christian tradition covering such topics as religious experience and the meaning of God; Jesus in the Gospels; the development and history of the Christian churches; the relevance of Christianity in the 21st century global world. (4 units)
31. The Christ: Mystery and Meaning
An historical and theological examination of Jesus of Nazareth: the meaning of his life, ministry, death, and resurrection; the doctrine of Jesus as man and God and its application to contemporary experience; the meaning of Christ as savior in a global, multicultural world. (4 units)
38. Contemporary Catholic Theology
A treatment of recent attempts within Catholic theology to interpret and articulate ancient faith traditions regarding the meaning of faith today. Contemporary assessments of classic theologies as well as a survey of contemporary Catholic approaches to the interpretation of Scripture and traditions. (4 units)
45. Christian Ethics
Focus on the moral implications of the Christian commitment, formulation of the principles of a Christian ethic, and their application to areas of contemporary life (e.g., to wealth and poverty, violence and nonviolence, bioethics and interpersonal relations). Some sections require a SCCAP or Arrupe Center community placement. (4 units)
46. Faith, Justice, and Poverty
Examines biblical theologies of social responsibility, major theologians on poverty, and current appropriations of these traditions. Includes SCCAP or Arrupe Center community placement. (4 units)
50. Catholic Theology: Foundations
An examination of the fundamental theological issues of Catholicism such as: the experience of God, revelation and faith, the historical foundations of the tradition, the mystery of Jesus, grace, sin and redemption, the Church sacraments, and religious pluralism, etc. (4 units)
51. Catholic Theology: Spirituality
Explores some of the varied expressions of Christian faith in the Catholic Church. Examines the tools and methods of Catholic theology. Reading, reflection, and discussions encourage students to formulate theological questions. (4 units)
53. Religious Imagination
Attempts to stimulate the imagination and clarify its relation to religion through reflection, written essays, and discussions of selected pieces of literature, films, and art. (4 units)
54. Meditation
Intensive study and practice of meditation. Daily meditation required. No lectures. Class discussion, weekly brief essays. (4 units)
55. Spirituality and Literature
Uses literature (mostly modern) to discover and analyze the way spiritual themes are expressed and appreciated in this medium. (4 units)
60. Hispanic Popular Religion
Study of the popular expressions of faith of the Hispanic people, exploring their theological underpinnings. Includes both classroom and field experience. (4 units)
62. Medical Ethics in Christian Perspective
Introduction to the field of biomedical ethics, with special attention to the guidance and challenges that a Christian perspective provides. Examination of ethical principles and their application to current topics, with attention to how conflicting approaches can all claim to be “Christian.” (4 units)
65. U.S. Hispanic Theology
Acquaints students with the historical development of Hispanic theology in the United States. Attention will be given to the works of representative U.S. Hispanic theologians and to the themes and concerns that these works address. (4 units)
67. Practical Theology
Introduction to practical theological thinking in Christianity by looking at the way in which theology can strategically work on specific concrete problems within more general theological/religious frameworks. A helpful link between intro and advanced theological courses. (4 units)
71. Mysticism in Catholicism
An introduction to mysticism in the Catholic tradition and its relationship to both theology and spirituality. Special attention to the origins of the term within Catholicism, issues of gender, the relationship between hierarchy and a personal relationship with God, and historical controversies and discussions surrounding the possibility of union with God. (4 units)
72. Comparative Mysticism in World Religions
Focuses on the mystical traditions in Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Catholicism. Analyzes primary sources in their historical contexts in order to determine how contemplation leads to either peaceful or violent actions. Special attention paid to the links between these contemplative traditions in both war and nonviolence. (4 units)
75. Godwrestling: Ethics the Jewish Way
“Godwrestling” is the practice of searching, questioning, interpreting, and debating the religious/ethical understandings received from scripture and tradition. “Israel” comes directly from the idea of “wrestling with God.” Course explores scriptural and ethical reasoning from a range of Jewish perspectives, with close attention to some of the spiritual commitments and crises underlying Jewish ethical concerns. (4 units)
82. Witches, Saints, and Heretics: Religious Outsiders
Survey of the experience of religious exclusion across the realms of magic, holiness, and heterodoxy. While anchored in the pre-modern Christian tradition, the course also explores more contemporary phenomena, persons, and movements. (4 units)
83. Dialogues Between Science and Religion
Explores and dialogues with the distinct methods and ways of thinking in theology and science. Examines how the interpretations of the scientific (cosmology, biology, and ecology) and the theological worldviews of the 21st century relate to questions concerning God, origins of the universe, evolution, creativity, human experience, and ecology. (4 units)
UPPER-DIVISION COURSES: THEOLOGY, ETHICS, AND SPIRITUALITY (TESP)
103. Religious Disillusionment: Augustine through Freud
Examines the complex phenomenon of religious disillusionment with particular focus on the intellectual development of Augustine of Hippo. Will consider his serial disenchantment with various strategies for securing answers to foundational questions of his life. (5 units)
109. Hispanic Spirituality: Guadalupe
One of the most popular Marian devotions for Hispanic people (of primarily Mexican descent) is that of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Study of the history and tradition of Guadalupe, exploring its religious and spiritual significance in both the past and the present. (5 units)
111. Latin American Liberation Theology
In many parts of the world, people are murdered for their faith. The facts of martyrdom are important to document, to study, and reflect upon in order to evaluate the intertwining of faith and political realities. Focuses on the significance of one martyr, Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, whose life and death exemplify the consequence of socially conscious faith. (5 units)
112. Spirituality and Business
What role, if any, do noneconomic or spiritual factors play in business decision making? Looks at various frameworks for answering this question and the way in which business executives, employees and religious thinkers approach this issue. Through case studies, readings, and interviews, explores the diverse ways in which people apply spiritual concerns to business. (5 units)
115. Tradition and Interpretation
An examination of the status of a “Christian tradition” in light of classical, modern and post-modern theories of interpretation, and in relation to the historical developments of religious pluralism and social fragmentation. Theorists studied include Aquinas, Newman, Heidegger, Gadamer, Tracy, and Derrida. (5 units)
124. Theology of Marriage
An examination of human relationships, intimacy, sexuality, and marriage through the social sciences, philosophy, and theology, and exploration of human love in the unconditional commitment to spouse as the expression of divine love. (5 units)
125. Belief and Unbelief
The question of religious belief has been a vital part of the world’s cultures and civilizations. In the modern West, however, new and dramatic forms pose the question. Course studies why and how this is so through reading a variety of proponents of both believers and unbelievers, including Nietzsche, Camus, Freud, and Teilhard de Chardin. (5 units)
126. Spirituality and Aging
Theologians, philosophers, and developmental theorists ponder how to reach old age with wisdom and grace; some see the search for an answer as the most significant task of our maturity. Course addresses this question for those considering their own future or the aging of loved ones, as well as for those working toward a career in gerontology, religion, or psychology. (5 units)
128. Issues in Contemporary Catholicism
Attempts to chart the complex process by which Catholicism both freed itself from its traditional fear of modernity and articulated a program for apostolic insertion into the modern world. Special emphasis placed on a comparative study of the ecclesiologies of Trent, Vatican I, and Vatican II. (5 units)
131. Feminist Theologies
Through the analysis of a selected sample of feminist theological voices and themes, explores the phenomenon of feminist theologies in their emerging unity and diversity. Focuses on themes of inclusion, exclusion and representation, which have also been major catalysts in the emergence of diverse feminist theologies. (5 units)
133. God: Mystery and Trinity
Explores classical and contemporary approaches and challenges to the existence and experience of God. Focuses on the Christian experience of God, and examines the Christian understanding of God as Trinity. (5 units)
137. Theology of Death
An examination of the experience of death and the meaning of Christian hope in light of the death and Resurrection of Jesus; the meaning of the Christian symbols of judgment, heaven, hell, and the end of history. (5 units)
138. Contemporary Theology of Paul Tillich
An examination of the philosophical and theological thought of one of the great 20th-century Protestant theologians, with special emphasis on his theology of culture, and his effort to reinterpret the Christian message for contemporary people. (5 units)
139. Catholic Theology and Human Sexuality
Explores theological understanding of marriage, celibacy, and homosexuality; history, development, and critique of Catholic Church teaching on human sexuality; sexuality, God and spirituality. Readings from the Bible, classical theologians, Roman Church documents, contemporary theologians, historians and theorists. (5 units)
143. Theology and Ethics of Thomas Aquinas
A study of the life, thought, and ethics of Aquinas. Basic topics to be discussed include: the existence of God, human nature and human participation in society. (5 units)
144. Theology and the Law
A team-taught course meeting two evenings a week (Monday and Wednesday) in which two professors, one in law and one in theology, discuss a number of contemporary legal/ethical issues from both perspectives. (5 units)
150. St. John of the Cross: An Inquiry into Prayer, Contemplation, and Union with God
Examines the writings, life, spirituality and theology of St. John of the Cross, a 16th-century Spanish mystic, and the implications of his writings for a theologically informed spirituality. (5 units)
151. Issues in Theology and Science
Explores how theology and science arrive at views of the world and the basis of conversation between theology and
science. Theoretical applications drawn by exploring Galileo, Darwin, evolution, cosmological theory, and ecological
theology. (5 units)
153. Catholic Themes in Literature
Investigates a Catholic vision through novels and other literature either written by Catholics or using Catholic themes. Extensive reading, writing of reflective essays, and class discussion. (5 units)
154. Theology in the Daily News
An examination of religious and theological dimensions of contemporary culture through critical analysis of current events. (5 units)
155. Catholic Social Teaching
Explores the evolution of Christian social thought as it has developed and expanded throughout the Church’s history. Special emphasis on the Church’s relationship to the world since Vatican II. Critical analysis of recent pastoral letters. (5 units)
157. Ethics in the Health Professions
Introduction to the major issues in biomedical ethics. Basic principles of biomedical ethics, genetic interventions and reproductive technologies, euthanasia, professional responsibilities, confidentiality, and public policy issues regarding the system of delivery of health care. (5 units)
159. Ethics of War and Peace
Examination of the history of moral deliberation about war and peace in Western religious traditions, as well as contemporary, theological, and philosophical analyses of the diverse moral principles that those traditions have generated. Studies the application of theological and moral reasoning to contemporary wars. (5 units)
161. Environmental Ethics
Critical exploration of environmental ethics: the theological and philosophical principles underlying contemporary ecological attitudes; issues such as the rights of nonhuman animals, mass extinction of species, corporate responsibility, human population control, and the moral dimensions of global ecological dilemmas; development of an integrated theological understanding of human life on earth. (5 units)
162. Feminist Visionary Ethics
Considers a range of social practices and public policies from feminist ethical and religious perspectives. In addition to developing analytical tools by which to assess these contemporary practices and policies, the course explores visions of feminist futurists, and a desirable and ethical society. (5 units)
163. Christianity and Politics
An ethical investigation into the relationship between Christianity and the political order and into the contemporary experience of this relationship, drawing on Scripture, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin. A special focus on contemporary issues of Christianity and political ethics. (5 units)
167. Christian Ethics and Global Human Rights
Examines challenges for Christian ethical thought and practice posed by the new interactions of a globalized community. (5 units)
169. Jesuit Perspectives
Overview of the Jesuits, their origin and history, their view of education, their ethical and spiritual world view. (5 units)
170. Homosexuality and Catholic Theology
Examines Church teaching and contemporary discourse about homosexuality. Scripture, natural law, and recent teaching by the Roman magisterium are analyzed. The meaning of homosexuality, the emergence of the gay liberation movement, and theological perspectives are considered. (5 units)
171. Mysticism in Action
What kind of action results from contemplation in mystical traditions, East and West? Studies the links between contemplation and action in both Zen and Catholicism, focusing on the works of Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh and Catholic monk Thomas Merton. Examines how and why contemplation can be useful in making difficult ethical decisions, such as support for or opposition to war. (5 units)
173. Religion, Science, and the Environment
Recognizing that religion and earth’s ecology are inextricably linked, course re-examines attitudes toward the natural world and the relationship between scientific and religious perspectives on nature. Topics include historical roots of the eco-crisis, cosmology, and eco-theology. Arrupe Center community project may be included. (5 units)
175. Women’s Theologies from the Margins
Women of diverse cultural communities enrich theology by voicing their lived experience from global and local perspectives. Course explores the theological works of African, Asian-American, and U.S. Latina women in their historical and cultural contexts. (5 units)
176. Finding Your Own Spirituality
A theological and personal exploration of the desire for meaning in one’s life, looking at “meaning,” through famous religious quests: theological, mystical, and worldly. Students examine what is real and ideal, and the room left for God, no matter which tradition. (5 units)
181. Christian Sexual Ethics
This course will cover basic presuppositions for sexual ethics in a Christian context. It will deal with the specific topics of the morality of sexuality, lust and cybersex, contraception, homosexuality, and nonmarital sex. (5 units)
182. Peacemaking: Theological Models, Modern Examples
Investigates the theological issues surrounding understandings of peace and peacemaking. Looks at the causes and dynamics of conflict and violence (interpersonal and global); the theological bases of peacemaking; the causes and dynamics for the institution of peace (interpersonal to global); nonviolence; conflict resolution; activism and peace movements. (5 units)
183. Spiritual Exercises and Christian Theologies
This course pursues the questions: What are ‘spiritual exercises,’ and what makes such exercises Christian? Examines the Greek philosophical origins of spiritual exercises as well as their appropriation in Christian theology. (5 units)
184. Jesus in Cross-Cultural Perspectives
An exploration and study of selected significant and diverse interpretations of Jesus of Nazareth, and of the historical and cultural contexts that have shaped images and theologies of Jesus Christ (or Christologies). Approaches include biblical, Asian, African, Latin American, and feminist interpretations. The aim is critical exposure to the cross-cultural diversity of understandings of Jesus within Christianity itself. (5 units)
185. Rahner: Foundations of Christian Faith
A careful and critical reading of Karl Rahner’s theology, with focus on his understandings of the human person, grace, and Christ within the context of Catholic faith. (5 units)
186. Christology and Religious Pluralism
An examination of such major theologians as Karl Rahner, Jacques Dupuis and Roger Haight on the meaning of Jesus Christ in relation to non-Christian religions. (5 units)
187. Christ and Catholic Theology
A study of contemporary Catholic Christology approached as Christology “from below.” Initial consideration of some fundamental theological concepts and then Jesus Christ as a historical figure and object of faith. Course pivots around Jesus’ proclamation of the “Kingdom of God” and considers his history through the resurrection. (5 units)
193. The Rise and Meaning of Modern Atheism
An exploration of the religious and philosophical factors giving rise to modern atheism, and to the role and meaning of atheism within religious discourses today. (5 units)
198. Practicum
(1–5 units)
199. Directed Readings and Research
For religious studies majors only. (1–5 units)
LOWER-DIVISION COURSES: RELIGION AND SOCIETY (RSOC)
7. South Asian Religious Traditions
Introduction to the major religious traditions of India and neighbors: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam; historical development of each faith, what is distinctive in each tradition; and particular attention to the ways in which these traditions have influenced each other. (4 units)
9. Ways of Understanding Religions
Introduces the categories by which religion is formally studied. Explores distinct perspectives or ways of thinking about religion (e.g., psychological, phenomenological, anthropological, theological, and sociological); also considers a variety of religious data (e.g., symbols, myths, rituals, theologies, and modern communities). (4 units)
10. Asian Religious Traditions
Addressing Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Japanese Zen, focuses on four different religious issues and how each Asian tradition has defined the nature of the divine; human effort versus faith and devotion; social ethics versus inner mystical experience; and the interplay of religion and culture. (4 units)
18. Religion and Culture: Africa
Introduces the study of religion from the social perspective of how religion shapes African cultures and is thoroughly shaped by them in turn. Examines texts, history, ritual practices, and modern forms of engagement with the world. (4 units)
19. Religion and Culture: Egypt
An investigation of the ways in which Egyptian culture has been shaped by the religious traditions of ancient pharaonic polytheism, Coptic Christianity, and Islam. Attention to the influence of pharaonic religion on Coptic Christian and Egyptian Muslim ritual practices, including how these are reflected in the writings of contemporary Egyptian Muslim authors. (4 units)
33. Maya Spirituality
Introduces the spirituality of the Maya, and its roots in Mesoamerican culture. Course focuses on the contemporary public re-emergence of ancient practices, with attention to Maya participation in evangelical religions, and enculturated Catholicism. (4 units)
41. Women’s Spiritualities
Examines women’s spiritualities in diverse religious, social, political, historical and contemporary contexts. Attention to women’s interpretations of experiences of the sacred, understandings of self-knowledge, spiritual praxis, personal relations, and solidarity with others. (4 units)
45. Muslims in America
An in-depth look at the Muslim community in the United States and exploration of Islamic practices in America. Attention to the contribution of Muslims locally in the Bay Area. The course aims to provide students with a context for building greater understanding of American Muslim life, beliefs, and practices. (4 units)
46. African Religions
Examination of African history and its many cultures through the lens of key religious ideas, practices and cosmologies. The power of history, geography and political domination over the shaping of religion is matched by the power of religion as a medium of cultural expressiveness and political resistance. (4 units)
49. Religion, Politics and Civil Society
What should be the relationship between religion, politics and civil society? Some people think that particular religious tradition should play no part; others believe that it should. This course considers these arguments as well as exploring the interplay between religion, political behavior and civil engagement, not only in the United States but around the world. (4 units)
50. Longings for Immortality
From close readings of core texts in the Western tradition, ranging from Gilgamesh to Dante’s Divine Comedy, and critical analyses of recent films, such as “Contact” and “What Dreams May Come,” this course will examine relation between afterlife beliefs and codes of conduct for life in this world. (4 units)
51. Religion in America
Traces the development, character, and impact of religion in America from the precolonial era to the present. Course readings and discussions will center on the relationship between religion and the development of American culture. Includes Native American traditions; slavery and religion; the rise of revivalism; gender; religion and war; immigration; and modern pluralism, etc. (4 units)
65. Early Christianity
A selective survey of the history of the Christian church from its beginnings through the fifth century. Examines the origins of Christianity within Judaism and the Greco Roman world, and studies how it moved from a marginal apocalyptic sect in Judaism to the exclusive religion of the Roman Empire. Also investigates some of the practical outcomes of Christian belief in the way it was lived. (4 units)
76. Representing the Holocaust
Interdisciplinary in design, the course explores how various forms of representation (personal narratives, fiction, theology, ethics, film, music, art, and liturgy) create different meanings about the Holocaust. (4 units)
80. Protestant Christianity
Origins and development of Protestant thought and Protestant ecclesiastical institutions. Special attention to U.S. Protestant Christianity and its impact on U.S. political and social life. (4 units)
81. Islam
Introduction to the Islamic tradition focusing on the dialectic between normative theology and popular devotion. Readings include the Quran, Sufi literature, and devotional poetry. Discussion of Quranic concerns in the Sunni and Shia traditions, ecstatic mysticism, Islamic law, and contemporary issues relating to the status of women, Westernization, and modernity. (4 units)
82. Shia Islam
Introduction both to Islam in general and to the Shia tradition within Islam. History and development of Shia doctrine, with particular attention to forms of Shia ritual in India. No previous coursework in Islam required. (4 units)
85. Hinduism
Exploration of the historical development, theologies, symbols, rituals, scriptures, social institutions, and 20th-century politics of Hinduism, primarily in India. Main focus on the interaction of religion and culture. (4 units)
86. Buddhism
Exploration of the whole Buddhist tradition, including Indian origins, Theravada traditions of Southeast Asia, Mahayana traditions of Central and East Asia and Buddhism in the West. Emphasis on cultural impact of religion, Buddhist philosophy and practice, and modernizing tradition. (4 units)
88. Chinese Religions
Focuses on the historical development of Chinese religions—Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and their philosophies, as well as the interface between folk religion, society, and political institutions in traditional and modern China. (4 units)
89. Japanese Religions
Focuses on the historical development, doctrines, institutions, aesthetics, and literature of the religious traditions in Japan—Shinto, Buddhism, folk, and new religions. Special attention to Zen Buddhism and modern Shinto. (4 units)
91. Native Spiritual Traditions
Introduction to Native American spiritual traditions in the Americas. Examines myth, the diversity of ceremonial practices, and the historical and political contexts in which native peoples have manifested and adapted their religious ways, with an emphasis on their recent reaffirmation of indigenous traditions. (4 units)
99. Sociology of Religion
Using early and American Christianity, examines how various social forces shape the religious beliefs and practices of people of faith. Draws on a number of sociological perspectives, looking both at their historical and philosophical underpinnings and at what they can tell us about faith in the modern world. (4 units)
UPPER-DIVISION COURSES: RELIGION AND SOCIETY (RSOC)
104. Ways of Worship in Silicon Valley: Looking Around
This course uses the department’s ongoing Local Religion Project, which attempts to learn about religion, community, and diversity in the Bay Area. Guidelines for an individual research project will help provide experience and evidence of theoretical issues and will also aid the (multimedia) documentation of this area’s vital religious landscape. Prerequisite: Majors, minors, honors students or permission of instructor. (5 units)
110. Film and Religion
Explores film as a medium for religion today. Examines theological, mythological, and moral themes; changing portrayals of religious leaders and groups; and the mutual influence of religious belief and filmmaking in the 20th century. (5 units)
111. Inventing Religion in America
Explores the spiritual creativity that stands at the center of the American experience and asks what characteristics facilitated such religious diversity. Looks at beliefs and practices, and also historical contexts. Includes Mormons, Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Nation of Islam, Scientology, and Heaven’s Gate, etc. (5 units)
115. Tibetan Buddhism: A Cultural History
Provides an overview of Tibetan religious history and the fundamental beliefs and practices of Tibetan religious traditions. Focuses on devotional traditions centering around saints, sophisticated systems of meditation and ritual, and the experience of women in Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Also explores visual media such as iconography and cinema. (5 units)
119. Media and Religion
Examination of the religious, theological and ethical issues and perspectives raised by various media: print, visual, audio, multimedia, and virtual. Special attention will be given to the nature of their relationship and the religious and spiritual issues currently present in their interface. (5 units)
121. Representing Religion in World Cinema
Examines films from various cultures and the ways religion is portrayed, stereotyped and represented in them. Investigates both sacred texts and traditions of specific religions and the ways film enhances, provokes or misrepresents various religious themes and motifs. (5 units)
123. Religions@Silicon Valley
Is something unique happening in Silicon Valley’s religious landscape? This seminar addresses that question through different perspectives on the Valley’s culture, scholarly approaches to the Buddhist, Catholic, and Muslim experiences in America, and interactions with local congregations. (5 units)
130. East Asian Buddhism
Explores in depth the major traditions of East Asian Buddhism. Following a brief survey of their teachings and history, focuses on several traditions (Chan/Zen, Pure Land Buddhism, and Soka Gakkai) that are represented in the Silicon Valley area, and examines in depth the practices advocated by these traditions, as well as the social implications of these practices. (5 units)
141. Religion and Ecology: Contemporary Voices
An examination of religious attitudes toward nature in contemporary North America, and such emerging perspectives as deep ecology, eco-feminism, earth-based religion, spiritually grounded environmental activism, and contemporary cosmology. Considers how religious outlooks affect human beings’ lived relationship with the greater natural world. (5 units)
144. Gender, Body, and Christianity
Focuses on attitudes and perceptions about the body and gender roles in the history of Christian thought. Topics include ritual nakedness in early Christianity; the appropriation of sexual stereotypes from Greco-Roman culture; sexual practice in Christian communities; gender metaphors for the Divine; changing gender roles in Church and Society. (5 units)
154. Islamic Jesus
Investigation of various understandings of Jesus in Islam, beginning with an introduction to Islamic theology and Qur’anic Christology, emphasizing Muslim scriptural understandings of Jesus as a prophet and healer, followed by representations of Jesus in Sufi mysticism, medieval Islamic folklore, and modern Arabic literature, with consideration of how Jesus can play a role in Muslim-Christian dialogue. (5 units)
160. U.S. Catholics in American Culture
Examines Roman Catholicism in North America from Colonial times to the present, the mutual influence of Roman Catholicism and American society on the formation of various ecclesiologies, and ways of living in tension between two allegiances and two life-worlds: Catholic and American. (5 units)
164. Religion, Race, and Ethnicity in America
Religion and race constitute two of the central threads of the American experience. Course traces their complex relationship by examining the interaction of religion with race and ethnicity in a variety of social and historical contexts. Particular attention paid to the shifting meanings of racial and ethnic categories, and how other categories of analysis, especially class and gender, both illumine and complicate the relationship of religion with race and ethnicity. (5 units)
168. Gender and Judaism
Explores ideas and images of Jewish “femininity,” “masculinity,” and “queerness” generated by Jewish and non-Jewish cultures throughout history to the present. Considers the political/economic, religious, and other cultural dimensions of these images and ideas. (5 units)
170. Religion, Gender and Globalization
Using feminist ethics as a framework, this course examines the ethical issues at the intersection of religion and globalization and unpacks the implications of this intersection for women. Focuses on the human rights of women and examines ways in which globalization has affected, supported or undermined the human rights of women and the role of religion in their lives. (5 units)
173. Modern Jews and Judaism: Text and Film
Explores the ideas and experiences that have shaped Jews and Judaism in the modern period through a variety of readings and films. Topics include enlightenment and emancipation, Hasidism and secularism, Zionism and socialism, immigration and assimilation, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, denominationalism, feminism, Jewish Renewal, and the future. (5 units)
176. Religion in the Making of = American Identities
Provides historical and in-depth coverage of selected themes in the modern U.S. religious landscape, surveying themes and institutions in U.S. religion past and present, tracing the development of U.S. religion from the early 17th century to the post-World War II era. (5 units)
179. Magic, Science, and Religion
A study of the primary texts in the study of religion as a social and cultural phenomenon—Durkheim, Weber, Eliade, etc. Attempts to demonstrate the historicity of the ways in which “religion” has been identified, compared, and envisioned, as well as introduce the issues that affect how intellectuals, pundits, and policy makers talk about religion. (5 units)
180. Religion in the Theories of Freud and Jung
Examines religion in the theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Focuses on the interpretation of religious belief and practice from the perspective of depth psychology, theological responses to the thought of Freud and Jung, and the impact of psychoanalysis on contemporary culture. Also listed as PSYC 159. (5 units)
184. Race and Religion in the United States
Course begins with an examination of the living situation of people of African descent in the United States, as well as an analysis of their social context—economic, educational, and political aspects. Considerations are then given to the effects the Christian message has had in this situation. (5 units)
185. Gender in Asian Religions
The participation of women in religion (Hinduism, Islam, and East Asia) as shaped by notions of female purity and pollution. The role of such beliefs within religious communities. Marriage, sexual segregation, menstruation, motherhood, monasticism, and shamanism. (5 units)
188. Religion and Violence
Examines the historical and contemporary relationships between religious ideologies and personal and institutional practices of coercion, force, and destruction. (5 units)
190 and 190R. Islam: Reformation and Modernity
Comparative study of contemporary Islam. Beginning with the study of origins and basic doctrines of Islam, course will study its development to the modern world. Main focus will be on Islam’s interaction with different cultures, emphasizing political implications of the rise of revivalism. (5 units)
191. Religions of Colonized Peoples
Analyzes from an insider perspective the role of religion both in the process of colonizing Africa and in the process of resistance to colonization. Includes an examination of the role of religion in the African struggle against political oppression, economic injustices, racism and cultural imperialism. Students will then critically analyze the socio-political implications of religion in their own contexts. (5 units)
198. Practicum
(1–5 units)
199. Directed Readings and Research
For religious studies majors only. (1–5 units)
