RELIGION DEPARTMENT FALL2008 COURSEOFFERINGS

RELIGION DEPARTMENT FALL2008 COURSEOFFERINGS

RELIGION COURSES Course Title Instructor Block REL 1-1 Introduction to Religion Fr. David O Leary E+ MW 10:30-11:45 AM REL 10-14 Religion & US Politics 1600-Present Heather Curtis E+MW 10:30-11:45 AM REL 21-1 Introduction to Hebrew Bible Peggy Hutaff F+ Tu/Th 12:00-1:15 PM REL 35-1 Introduction to Christianity Heather Curtis I+ MW 3:00-4:15 PM REL 44-1 Introduction to Hinduism Joseph Walser 11 T 6:30-9:00 PM REL 48-1 Introduction to Islam Kenneth Garden J+ TR 3:00-4:15 PM REL 99-1 Theory and Method Religion Elizabeth Lemons 1 T 9:00-11:30 AM REL 152-1 Islam & Modernity Kenneth Garden G+ MW 1:30-2:45 PM REL 192-7 Mahayana Buddhism Joseph Walser 2 W 9:00-11:30 AM REL 192-17 God & Evil Elizabeth Lemons F+ TR 12:00-1:15 PM REL 199-1 Senior Honors Thesis Faculty CO-LISTED RELIGION COURSES Course Title Instructor Block REL 4-1 Art, Ritual, & Culture Eva Hoffman E MW 10:30-11:20 AM REL 5-1 Arts of Asia Ikumi Kaminishi D+ TR 10:30-11:45 AM REL 25-1 Medieval Architecture Karen Overbey G+ MW 1:30-2:45 PM REL 68-1 Martin Luther: The Man & His Era Daniel Brown J+ TR 3:00-4:15 PM REL 125-1 Medieval Architecture Karen Overbey G+ MW 1:30-2:45 PM REL 134-1 Myth, Ritual, & Symbol Angela Jenks N+ TR 6:00-7:15 PM REL 157-1 Theories of Spritiual Development George Scarlett 7 W 1:30-4:00 PM REL 194-1 King David & the Israelite Monarchy Joel Rosenberg W 4:30-7:15 (Arr.) Joseph Walser Department Chair Associate Professor 126 Curtis Street, Room 305 joseph.walser@tufts.edu Asian religions RELIGION FACULTY Heather Curtis Assistant Professor 126 Curtis Street, Room 302 heather.curtis@tufts.edu Christianity, religion in America Kenneth Garden Assistant Professor 126 Curtis Street Islam, Islamic Revival, Sufism Peggy Hutaff Senior Lecturer 126 Curtis Street, Room 301 peggy.hutaff@tufts.edu Bible and Feminist theologies Elizabeth Lemons Senior Lecturer 126 Curtis Street, Room 301 elizabeth.lemons@tufts.edu Religion and culture, philosophy and religion Reverend David O Leary Senior Lecturer, Chaplaincy Goddard Chapel david.oleary@tufts.edu Catholicism, medical ethics, world religions

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Courses taught by Religion Faculty REL 0001-01 Introduction to Religion Fr. David O Leary E+MW 10:30-11:45 AM An introduction to the field of religion to give the student an understanding of the basic elements of the subject: the major characteristics, the forms and expressions, and the contributions to man's personal and social orientation REL 0010-14 Special Topics: Religion & US Politics 1620-Present Heather Curtis E+MW 10:30-11:45 AM Co-listed with HIST 179-08, AMER 194-03 In God We Trust, One Nation Under God, God Bless America, : phrases like these alert us to the on-going influence of religion on American public life. This course explores the role of religion in shaping American civic engagement and political activity from the seventeenth century to the present, aiming to put contemporary events in broader historical context. Key topics and themes include: the relationship between church and state in the colonial period; the role of religion in the American Revolution; faith and the founding fathers; religion and social activism in the antebellum era (especially anti-slavery and women s rights); religion, race and Civil Rights; Roman Catholics and American politics

from 19 th century Nativism to JFK; spirituality and social protest in the 20 th century (labor reform, pacifism; debates about abortion); the rise of the religious right; religion and American politics post-9/11; and the 2008 presidential election. REL 0021-01 Introduction to Hebrew Bible Peggy Hutaff F+ TR 12:00-1:15 PM We will study the Hebrew Bible to become familiar with the works of its individual authors, and to gain an understanding of the historical circumstances in which they wrote, as well as to survey the historical development of ancient Israel's religious beliefs and institutions. Topics will include the life of Moses, the production of Israel s codes of law, the construction of theological language and imagery, the rise of the monarchy and the temple, accounts of creation, psalms and wisdom literature and the lives and legacies of the Israelite prophets.

REL 0035-01 Introduction to Christianity Heather Curtis I+ MW 3:00-4:15 PM Co-listed with HIST 39-02 This course surveys the development of Christianity from the first century to the present. We will study the key figures, events and issues that helped shape the Christian tradition in a variety of cultural, social and historical contexts. In addition to exploring the major ideas, institutions and practices associated with Christianity, we will pay close attention to the diverse forms and expressions that Christian faith and life have taken in different time periods and among a range of communities. REL 0044-01 Introduction to Hinduism Joseph Walser 11 T 6:30-9:00 PM Aspects of Hinduism, ancient and modern. Readings include the more important texts of the tradition. Emphasis on issues of God, gods, the soul, ritual, and caste duties. Modern Hindu practices in India and the impact of the Ramayana on religion and politics.

REL 0048-01 Introduction to Islam Kenneth Garden J+ TR 3:00-4:15 Islam in its many facets. Pre-Islamic Arabia, the Prophet, the Qur'an, the prophetic traditions, tradition and customs, law, theology, major denominations, philosophy, and mysticism. REL 0099-01 Theory & Method in the Study of Religion Elizabeth Lemons 1 T 9:00-11:30 AM The seminar aims to enhance students' capacity to analyze and discuss theoretical and methodological issues in the academic study of religion. We will explore selected important modern texts that raise enduring questions about such issues as the nature of religious phenomena, their purpose in societies, and their comparability across cultures. In addition, we will consider recent work by scholars of religion that critiques earlier perspectives and/or raises new issues. Discussion of three case studies will facilitate analysis of the benefits and liabilities of various methodological and theoretical perspectives. Through analysis of significant approaches and issues, students will develop an understanding of their own presuppositions and perspectives in relation to the field of religious studies. Required for all Religion majors. Prerequisites: two REL courses or instructor s permission.

REL 0152-01 Islam & Modernity Kenneth Garden G+ MW 1:30-2:45 PM The encounter between Islam and modernity and the diverse ways Muslims have responded to the challenges posed by modernity. Discourses of various Muslim thinkers from the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, and Europe will be examined. REL 0192-07 Mahayana Buddhism Joseph Walser 2 W 9:00-11:30 AM This seminar will take a close look at the origins and development of Mahayana Buddhism, from its early days as a new religious movement to its late religious and political developments in Tantric Buddhism. Special attention will be paid to the innovations brought about by Mahayanists in the areas of philosophy, the ritual and magical capital, and preaching and missionary activity.

REL 0192-17 God & Evil Elizabeth Lemons F+ TR 12:00-1:15 PM What is evil and how is it related to God? Why does God allow evil? Is evil proof that God does not exist? How can we account for injustice and suffering? How should we respond? This class will explore works by important 20th- and 21st-century western scholars and religious thinkers who responded to suffering and atrocities in modern times by reflecting on the meaning of evil and God. In particular we will focus on their ideas about what evil means for human beings: e.g., what evil tells us about God s existence/ nature, how evil is related to sin, and how humanity should respond to injustice and suffering. Through consideration of influential contemporary perspectives, the course aims to foster students ability to think critically and constructively about evil, a vital theological/ philosophical and moral issue. REL 0199-01 Faculty Senior Honors Thesis

CO-LISTED RELIGION COURSES REL 0004-01 Art, Ritual, & Culture Eva Hoffman E MW 10:30-11:20 AM Co-listed with FAH1 Major monuments and themes of world art and architecture from ancient times to the fourteenth century. How art functioned in relation to ancient cults and civilizations, with emphasis on religion; how images and buildings expressed and served the beliefs of Greco-Roman polytheism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism; how art was created and viewed; how power was invested in images and how these images affect us today. Includes field trips to local museums. Students must also register for a recitation. REL 0005-01 Arts of Asia Ikumi Kamimishi D+ TR 10:30-11:45 AM Co-listed with FAH 5 Major monuments and themes in the religious and secular arts of India, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan: their meaning and place in cultural history. Focus on indigenous developments and cross-cultural influences.

REL 0025-01 Medieval Architecture Karen Overbey G+ MW 1:30-2:45 PM Co-listed with FAH 25 Selected holy sites are followed through successive campaigns of construction, rebuilding, and redecoration in the changing contexts of the city: Dura Europos; Old St. Peter's; Hagia Sophia; Hildesheim/Maria Leach; San Marco/Sant'Ambrogio; Santiago de Compostela; Saint Denis; Canterbury/Reims; Chartres; Notre Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Structure and materials, iconography and symbolism, function and decoration are analyzed. (May be taken at 100 level with consent; see below.) REL 0068-01 Martin Luther: The Man & His Era Daniel Brown J+ TR 3:00-4:15 PM Co-listed with HIST 116, GER 68 Survey of German theater from the period of Enlightenment to the present; theater in the context of social and political developments. The course will analyze concepts of theater/ drama by German speaking writers, the political/social function they assigned to theater, and the role of theater in current cultural politics.

REL 0125-01 Medieval Architecture Karen Overbey G+ MW 1:30-2:45 PM Co-listed with FAH 125 Selected holy sites are followed through successive campaigns of construction, rebuilding, and redecoration in the changing contexts of the city: Dura Europos; Old St. Peter's; Hagia Sophia; Hildesheim/Maria Leach; San Marco/Sant'Ambrogio; Santiago de Compostela; Saint Denis; Canterbury/Reims; Chartres; Notre Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Structure and materials, iconography and symbolism, function and decoration are analysed. (Also offered as lower-level.) REL 0134-01 Myth, Ritual, & Symbol Angela Jenks N+ TR 6:00-7:15 PM Co-listed with ANTH 132 Various approaches to myth, ritual, and symbol including functionalist, structuralist, and psychological. Topics include dreams, landscape shamanism, and fairy tales, along with issues of performance, representation, authenticity, and history. REL 0157-01 Theories of Spiritual Development George Scarlett 7 W 1:30-4:00 PM Co-listed with CD 157 The nature of spiritual development as understood by various cultures and religions. Studies major works by preeminent philosophers and psychologists in the field, including Cassirer, Kohlberg, Oser, Fowler, Freud, and Erikson. Examines the imagery and thought in aesthetic creations. Provides case studies of individuals and communities as illustrations of different theoretical perspectives. REL 194-01 King David and the Israelite Monarchy Joel Rosenberg W 4:30-7:15 PM (Arr.) Co-listed with JS 136 King David was ancient Israel's most pivotal leader, who transformed Israel from a loose confederation of tribes to a dynastic monarchy with a capital in Jerusalem, fashioning a people into a nation in a more complex sense. The story of his acquisition and use of power is told in the biblical books 1 and 2 Samuel and the first two chapters of 1 Kings, which present a critique of kingly power and an examination of both the strengths and failings of Israel's first dynastic king. The course explores these and related biblical narratives, viewed in the light of modern historical and literary study, and cultural theory.

Religion Major Requirements Theory and Method in the Study of Religion After taking two courses in the department, students must take Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (REL 0099), offered in the fall. Diversity Requirement (four courses) Must be courses in four different religious traditions. Depth Requirement (three courses) All three courses in one subfield; one must be a doctrinal course (covering theological and philosophical aspects) and two must be above 100-level courses. Two Additional Courses Religion Minor Requirements Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (one course) After taking two courses in the department, students must take Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (REL 0099), offered in the fall. Depth Requirement (three courses) Students should have exposure to at lest three different religious traditions. This may be accomplished through classes in which tree different traditions are taught, OR through three courses, each focused on a different religious tradition, OR through some combination thereof. Additional Course One course numbered above 100.