DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION s p r i n g 2 0 1 1 c o u r s e g u i d e
S p r i n g 2 0 1 1 C o u r s e s REL 6 Philosophy of Religion Elizabeth Lemons F+ TR 12:00-1:15 PM REL 10-16 Religion and Film Elizabeth Lemons D+ TR 10:30-11:45 AM REL 22 Introduction to the New Testament Peggy Hutaff F+ TR 12:00-1:15 PM REL 36 Christianity and Globalization (REL 194/04) Heather Curtis G+ MW 1:30-2:45 PM REL 40 History of Religion in America Heather Curtis E+ MW 10:30-11:45 AM REL 44 Introduction to Hinduism Brian Hatcher J+ TR 3:00-4:15 PM REL 53 Introduction to the Religions of China Joseph Walser 1 T 9:00-11:30 AM REL 104 Feminist Theologies Peggy Hutaff H+ TR 1:30-2:45 PM REL 152 Islam & Modernity Alnoor Dhanani L+ TR 4:30-5:45 PM REL 192-23 Rebels, Saints and Reformers: Religion in Colonial India Brian Hatcher 7 W 1:30-4:00 PM REL 192-24 Tibetan Buddhism of the Himalayas Joseph Walser 10 M 6:30-9:00 PM REL 192-25 Islam in America Rosemary Hicks 12+ W 6:00-9:00 PM REL 196 Religions and International Relations David O Leary 11 T 6:30-9:00 PM REL 199 Senior Honors Thesis Courses Co-Listed with Religion REL 65 REL 78 REL 98 REL 120 REL142 Introduction to Yiddish Culture Gittleman C-LST JS 65 Jewish Women Ascher C-LST JS 78 Music and Prayer in the Jewish Tradition Summit C-LST JS 192-04 Armenian Art, Architecture & Politics: Fourth to Fourteenth Century Maranci C-LST FAH 120 Jewish Experience on Film Rosenberg C-LST JS 142
R e l i g i o n F a c u l t y Kevin Dunn Department Chair Associate Professor Department of English kevin.dunn@tufts.edu Biblical Studies Rosemary Hicks Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow Center for the Humanities at Tufts rosemary.hicks@tufts.edu Islam in the United States Heather Curtis Assistant Professor Eaton Hall, Room 316A heather.curtis@tufts.edu Christianity, Religion in America Peggy Hutaff Senior Lecturer Eaton Hall, Room 316B peggy.hutaff@tufts.edu Bible and Feminist Theologies Alnoor Dhanani Lecturer Eaton Hall, Room 313 alnoor.dhanani@tufts.edu Islamic Intellectual History Elizabeth Lemons Senior Lecturer Eaton Hall, Room 316B elizabeth.lemons@tufts.edu Religion and Culture, Philosophy and Religion Kenneth Garden Assistant Professor Eaton Hall, Room 313 ken.garden@tufts.edu Islam, Islamic Revival, Sufism *on leave Spring 2011* Reverend David O Leary Senior Lecturer, Chaplaincy Goddard Chapel david.oleary@tufts.edu Catholicism, Medical Ethics, World Religions Brian Hatcher Professor Packard Chair of Theology Eaton Hall, Room 312 brian.hatcher@tufts.edu Hinduism and Religion in modern South Asia Joseph Walser Associate Professor Eaton Hall, Room 314 joseph.walser@tufts.edu Asian Religions
R e q u i r e m e n t s The Religion Major Ten courses distributed as follows: Foundation Requirement After taking two courses in the department, students must take REL 99 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion. Diversity Requirement (four courses) Students should have exposure to at least four different religions traditions through classes in which four different traditions are taught, or through four courses, each focused on a different religious tradition, or through some combination thereof. Depth Requirement (three courses) Students must choose a religious tradition, the traditions of a geograph ical region, or a religious textual tradition and take at least three classes in that specialty. One of the three courses must be in the doctrinal (theological and philosophical) aspects of religion and two must be 100-level courses. Two Additional Courses The two courses can be listed or cross-listed within the department. The Religion Minor Five courses distributed as follows: Foundation Requirement After taking two courses in the department, students must take REL 99 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion. Diversity Requirement (three courses) Students should have exposure to at least three different religions traditions through classes in which three different traditions are taught, or through three courses, each focused on a different religious tradition, or through some combination thereof. Upper-division Requirement One other course at the 100-level that does not count for any of the above requirements.
C o u r s e D e s c r i p t i o n s REL 6 Philosophy of Religion Elizabeth Lemons F+ TR 12:00-1:15 PM C-LST PHIL 16 This course offers an introduction to the philosophical analysis of major religious issues. We will explore such topics as the nature of religion, religious experience, and ultimate reality, the problem of evil or suffering, and the relationship between faith and reason and between religion and science. By exploring different philosophical approaches to the study of religion-- including existential, phenomenological, linguistic and comparative, students will develop constructive responses to the variety of ways in which philosophers analyze religious beliefs and practices in diverse world religions. REL 10-16 Religion and Film Elizabeth Lemons D+ TR 10:30-11:45 AM Some contemporary films depict religion, whether favorably or not, and many involve religious themes. In this class we will explore the mythological, theological and ideological approaches to film analysis proposed by scholars of religion; we will also consider film as an art form and draw on film theory (e.g., Marxist, psychoanalytic, feminist, cultural studies). By analyzing a variety of films, we will assess how religion and the religious are portrayed. In particular, we will seek to identify persistent themes and tensions in the depiction of religion/religious issues. This course counts toward the Film Studies and Mass Communications Minor. REL 22 Introduction to the New Testament Peggy Hutaff F+ TR 12:00-1:15 PM We will study the origins of Christianity and the evolution of its earliest beliefs and practices, as reflected in the writings ultimately selected for its canon. Topics will include: Jesus and his interpreters, Paul and his letters, beginnings of the church, interaction between Christians and their Jewish and Greco-Roman environments, and women s participation in the shaping of early Christian history. Occasional readings from non-canonical literature will add perspective.
REL 36 / 194-04 Christianity and Globalization Heather Curtis G+ MW 1:30-2:45 PM C-LST HIST 09 This course explores Christianity as a global religion. We trace the development of Christianity as a world movement beginning in antiquity, but focus especially on the expansion of Christianity across the globe through exploration, trade, conquest and mission from the 16th century to the present. We examine the multifaceted cultural encounters between European Christians and native religious traditions during the early modern period; the emergence of indigenous expressions of Christian faith and practice in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East; the relationship between western Christian missionary movements and the rise of European colonial empires; the on-going transformations of Christian traditions in post-colonial societies; the world-wide spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century; and the development of Christian internationalism in an era of increasing globalization. Emphasis on Christianity in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement. REL 40 History of Religion in America Heather Curtis E+ MW 10:30-11:45 AM C-LST HIST 31, AMER 180-02 This course is about religion in America from the arrival of European immigrants in the 16th and 17th centuries to the present. We will study major figures, events and issues that have helped to shape American religious history, while paying particular attention to the ways that social and cultural contexts have influenced religious experience in different times and places. Throughout, we will ask how religion has impacted the history of the United States, and, conversely, how religious traditions have been transformed by American culture. Key topics and themes include encounter and colonization; revivalism and reform; church and state; gender and women s history; spirituality and devotional life; slavery and race relations; immigration and ethnicity; innovation and secularization; and pluralism and diversity. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement.
REL 44 Introduction to Hinduism Brian Hatcher J+ TR 3:00-4:15 PM An overview of the Hindu religious tradition, combining historical and textual study with investigation of contemporary practice. Promotes critical reflection on Hindu beliefs, social structures, popular customs, and rituals. This course meets the Humanities and World Civilization distribution requirements and can be counted ONLY as one or the other. It also meets the East Asian Culture and Diasporas culture option. REL 53 Introduction to the Religions of China Joseph Walser 1 T 9-11:30 AM C-LST CHNS 71 This course will cover the major religious traditions of China. We will trace the development of and interactions between Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism from the Shang dynasty to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the mutual influence between the philosophical, political, literary and economic aspects of each religion. REL 104 Feminist Theologies Peggy Hutaff H+ TR 1:30-2:45 PM Feminism, says theologian Judith Plaskow, is a process of coming to affirm ourselves as women/persons - and seeing that affirmation mirrored in religious and social institutions. This course will survey the impact which the growth of feminist/ womanist consciousness during the last four decades has had on the religious commitments of women, as well as on traditional religious institutions, beliefs, and practices. We will explore new approaches and methods which recent feminist scholarship has brought to the study of ancient religious texts and other historical sources, and will assess how the inclusion of women s perspectives is challenging, enlarging, and enriching the craft of theology itself. Also to be considered: the rise of new women s rituals and alternative spiritualities, and the relationship of religious feminism to other struggles for human dignity and liberation.
REL 152 Islam & Modernity Alnoor Dhanani L+ TR 4:30-5:45 PM The radical transformation in human societies, economies, institutions, and world-views over the past 200 years known as modernity has posed challenges to all religious traditions. This course discusses the responses of Muslim intellectuals from the nineteenth century to the present regarding the challenges of intellectual modernity, responses which are broadly categorized as Liberal Islam, Muslim Modernism, Progressive Muslims, Islamism, Wahhabism, etc. We will read writings of Muslim intellectuals, novelists, and discuss the impact of modernity on art, architecture, and urban spaces. While the subject matter is vast, we will primarily focus on discussions regarding the role of religion in public life, the place and role of Islamic Law, debates on the architecture and form of political and state institutions, discourses on gender and human rights, and the reevaluation of the Islamic tradition(s). REL 192-23 Brian Hatcher Rebels, Saints and Reformers: Religion in Colonial India 7 W 1:30-4:00 PM Directed reading and study on religious change in India from the rise of British hegemony through Indian independence, with special emphasis on investigating a range of Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh movements and leaders in light of current critical scholarship. This course meets the Humanities distribution requirement.
REL 192-24 Joseph Walser Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhism of the Himalayas 10 M 6:30-9:00 PM This course we will survey the development of Tibetan Buddhism, as it is practiced in Xinjiang China and Nepal. The course will focus on two types of monastic specialties: ritual/yogic practice and philosophical/debate. We will also delve into the lives of Tibetan Nuns and lay forms of practice, especially among Newar Buddhists in Nepal. Finally, we will examine some of the impact of China s Tibet policy on the lives of ethnic Tibetans living in China. REL 192-25 Islam in America Rosemary Hicks 12+ W 6:00-9:00 PM This class is designed to teach you about many of the movements and trends that are a part of the Muslim landscape of the United States, as well as to help you learn to think about how the many current understandings of this history impact contemporary life. Importantly, the development of Islam in America has not happened in a power vacuum of supposed religious freedom, as we will discuss, but within the context of multiple power dynamics and power structures. Therefore, in this class we will investigate historical actors and events, as well as explore some of the assumptions often involved in talking about religion and Islam in the United States. REL 196 Religions and International Relations David O Leary 11T 6:30-9:00 PM An exploration of religion as both a transnational and subnational force in international relations, focused on five of the world s major faith groups/ spiritual paths: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. How a region s religious traditions and practices play, or should play, a central role understanding a region. This course fulfills the distribution requirement in Humanities, and the World Civilization requirement. Prerequisite: REL 01 Introduction to Religion
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