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Religious Studies Courses

SUMMER A 2009 UPPER DIVISION

REL 3102 CD-PROBLEM OF EVIL

CRN: 51236

TR 1240-1610

Instructor: M. TREYZ

Why does a good God allow bad things to happen?  Why do good people do bad things? How are evil and suffering related?  What role does free will play?  These are some of the questions we will be asking over the course of the semester.  We will examine the traditional answers to these problems, beginning with the biblical story of Job and moving to answers involving Satan, process theology, evil as a "soul-making" mechanism, and the standard eschatological solutions of heaven and hell.  We will look beyond theology to the work of social psychologist Philip Zimbardo in his book The Lucifer Effect.  Finally, we will turn to the fiction of holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel and Roman Catholic writer Flannery O'Connor in their works "The Night" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Those with practical experience in evil are encouraged to attend.

 

SUMMER B 2009 UPPER DIVISION

REL 3936 BIBLE AND MORAL DISCOURSE

CRN: 50678

MW 1810-2140

Instructor: T. SIMPSON

This class is an examination of the manner in which the Christian Bible has been and is employed in moral, political, and cultural discourse.  After considering the structure of both testaments of the Bible and the circumstances surrounding their emergence, the course examines historical and contemporary ways in which the Bible has been used in public debates, focusing on such topics as slavery, modern capitalism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, homosexuality, immigration, abortion, and end of life issues.  A central aim of the course is to teach students skills needed to reach the Bible and Biblical passages with regard to matters of current and historical moral controversy.  The course also seeks to assess what value the Bible may hold in clarifying contemporary moral controversies and in contributing to contemporary public discourse.

FALL 2009 UPPER DIVISION

REL 3102 CD-RELIGION AS CULTURE

CRN: 82598

MW 1630-1745

Instructor: J. INGERSOLL

This course will introduce students to one of the primary approaches to Religious Studies: the Social Scientific Study of religion as culture. We will begin with a unit examining classical theorists (Durkheim and Weber) and current theoretical developments and exploring some key methodological issues.  In Units Two and Three we will draw on case studies illustrating religious diversity in the United States to refine/apply our understandings of theory and method.  This course is required for the religious studies minor.

REL 3241 NEW TESTAMENT

CRN: 82599

TR 925-1040

Instructor: E. DANIELL

This course will be a study of the four Gospel narratives using scholarly critical methods. This is not a literal approach to the text but an examination of its content and message within the cultural context of the ancient world.  The study will also include conflicting scholarly interpretations of Paul’s writings. Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to: 1) identify various types of Biblical critical methods; 2) display critical thinking in the preparation and use of scholarly materials in a Classroom PowerPoint Presentation; 3) write well organized, grammatically correct descriptions of the scholarly approaches to the New Testament in essays and exams; 4) answer questions about the content of the Gospels and Paul’s letters.

REL 3930 HISTORY AND CULTURE OF CHRISTIANITY

CRN: 82600

TR 1340-1455

Instructor: L. AMMON

 

This course is a survey of the History of Christianity from antiquity to present.  We will examine some of the diverse forms of practice and belief that Christians embodied in a variety of time periods and cultural contexts since the first century. Using categories such as global/local, official/popular, orthodox/heterodox, we will explore a variety of Christianities across history and the globe. The purpose of this course is to give students an introduction to the issues, both historical and contemporary, that shape the production and understanding of the history of Christianity and Christian communities. A secondary purpose of this course is to introduce students to the method of producing and interpreting history of Christianity, encouraging critical engagement with primary and secondary texts. Students in this course will develop a broad understanding of various currents of practice and belief in the History of Christianity which can be deepened in subsequent course work.

REL 3936 SCIENCE AND RELIGION

CRN: 82601

MW 1500-1615

Instructor: M. TREYZ

This course explores the relationship between science and religion.  We will ask if there is any common ground between these two fields, how that mutual ground might be uncovered, and why it is necessary for us to plow this earth.  We will begin our investigation with an historical introduction moving from Aristotle through Galileo and Darwin to the Scopes trials.  We will then investigate a variety of positions from the perspective of scientists and theologians.  Topics will include subjects as varied as the Big Bang theory and Intelligent Design, bio-ethics and chaos theory.