Academics

Religion > Course Descriptions

112 Religious Values in Cultural Context
This course explores fundamental religious questions such as the nature of evil, the meaning of suffering, concepts of the transcendent, and how traditions define a religious life.  Using field trip experiences and a lecture/discussion format, we will read primarily autobiographical writings from Judaic, Hindu, Native American, Buddhist, and shamanic traditions.  (Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

114 The Self and Salvation
All spiritualities deal with the human self (defined in various ways) and a spiritual goal, in the Christian West spoken of as “salvation.”  Different spiritualities above all offer various paths toward these various goals of spiritual realization.  We will explore and compare some of them to find if there are parallels or convergences between these various religions world-views.  We will read and discuss representative texts from the various religious traditions.  (Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

116 Chicago: A Rainbow of Religions
Chicago is the most religiously diverse city on the planet.  The course will study several of the world’s major sacred traditions and then explore the ways in which these traditions have been translated into the fabric of American life, specifically in the greater Chicago area.  We will discuss the experience of diversity in American religious life and aim at achieving both a theoretical and practical grasp of some of the religions that have made a home in our metropolis. (Cross-listed as American Studies 116. Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

207  Introduction to Islamic Cultures and Civilizations
(Cross-listed as Asian Studies 207, History 207 and Islamic Studies 207.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

210 Religions of Indigenous Peoples
Our increased awareness of global community has given rise to a new interest in the religions of indigenous peoples. This course will explore the religious heritage of Native Americans, Africans, and Australian aborigines and other indigenous peoples. (Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

211 Judaism
The course will structurally investigate concepts, myths, and metaphors of ancient and modern Judaism, its coherent design, and by way of comparison with other religions such issues as “this worldly/other worldly,” motive and deed, mythical self-transcendence, and the contributions of Judaisim to human spirituality. This course is partially funded by a gift from the Jewish Chatauqua Society.

212 Christianity
This course explores the great historical moments of Christian history; the teachings of Jesus, the voice of Paul, the church fathers, the early creed, the schism between eastern and western Christianity, the medieval church, the major branches of the Reformation, and the development of Christianity into its contemporary forms.  Discussion will focus on both the theology and practice of Christianity in its two thousand year development.

213 Islam
This course examines the history of Islam, the teachings of different philosophical schools, and the literature of Islamic societies. The roots of the religious tradition as well as its development in different cultural contexts will be examined. Students will read texts drawn from Middle Eastern, Asian, European, and North American Muslim sources. (Cross-listed as Asian Studies 213. Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

214 Hinduism
This course examines the teachings of the Hindu religious tradition as presented in the earliest writings of the tradition, as well as in dramas, epic narratives, and contemporary religious practice.  In the course of the semester, we will visit Hindu Temples in the Chicago area as we explore the historical, social, and cultural context of Indian religious themes as they continue to be practiced in the 21st century.  Texts range from philosophical musings about the nature of the universe to the story of a king who loses his wife to a 10-headed demon.  (Cross-listed as Asian Studies 214.  Meets Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

215 Buddhism
An introduction to the origins of Buddhism in India as well as to the major cultural and historical influences on the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia, particularly in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Tibet, China, and Japan.  The course will examine various forms of Buddhist practice including devotion, ethics, sangha membership, meditation, rituals, and festivals.  (Cross-listed as Asian Studies 215.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

216 Chinese Religions
Focusing primarily on the teachings of the Confucian (and neo-Confucian), Daoist, and early Chinese Buddhist traditions, we will explore the concepts and practices of these communities within their historical, cultural, and social contexts.  Reading narrative, poetic, and classical texts in translation that present such ides as the ethics of human-heartedness, the relativity of all things, and the importance of self-sacrifice, we will discuss what teachings these masterful texts offer 21st century questioners.  (Cross-listed as Asian Studies 216.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

221 Shakespeare and Religion
(Cross-listed as English 221.)

235 Religion in Contemporary America
A study of current developments in American religion with focused discussion on the new religious right, the liberation left, alternative religions, trends within Judaism, Catholicism after Vatican II, and New Age spirituality. (Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

240 Religious and Ethical Perspectives on the Environment
The current environmental crises rest on a layer of philosophical and religious assumptions that are currently being challenged. Are human beings the center of the universe? Is humankind’s mandate to dominate nature? Does nature belong to human beings or do human beings belong to nature? This course will address the relationship of the divine and the human sphere of nature from various religious perspectives. Contemporary Judaic, Christian, and Islamic ecological visions and action programs will be considered. In addition, the course will include religious views and practices of certain native cultures of North and South America, the Australian aborigines, and African tribes as well as ecological perspectives derived from South and East Asian religious cultures. (Cross-listed as Environmental Studies 240. Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

248 Crusade and Holy War in Medieval Europe
(Cross-listed as History 248.)

255 Islam and Modernity
The relationship of Islam and the Western World can be understood in terms of a “conflict of civilizations.” This course will explore the history and implications of these two opposing models. The focus of discussion will be not only on the past but also on the present and future possibilities for interaction between the Muslim world and the West. This course is partially funded by a gift from the Islamic Cultural Center in Northbrook, Illinois. (Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

275 Female Religious Images in the West
Individual religious traditions have incorporated female images and ideals in different ways as goddesses, priestesses, and saints. The objective of this course is to examine ways in which the divine has been expressed in specifically female forms, as well as to examine the characteristics of female religious experience. Specific figures include Inanna, the central goddess figure of ancient Sumer; Eve and Sarah from the Hebrew Bible; Mary and female monastics from the Christian tradition; and contemporary Jewish, Christian, and Muslim women actively participating in their traditions. (Cross-listed as Women’s and Gender Studies 275.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

276 Female Religious Images in Asia
Goddess figures in India, China, and Japan are studied in this class along with the roles of human women in particular Asian religious traditions. This class explores the experiences of Buddhist nuns, Hindu and Muslim female saints, traditional healers, and shamans. Readings are drawn from religious texts, myths, and short stories from specific Asian cultures. (Cross-listed as Asian Studies 276 and Women’s and Gender Studies 276. Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

300 Approaches to the Study of Religion
What is religion?  What important theories have emerged about the origins of religion?  This course explores a variety of academic approaches to the study of religion, emphasizing the methodologies of religious studies as an autonomous discipline.  The course will focus on the studies of religionists as well as those framed by psychologists, sociologists, and scholars from other disciplines.  Prerequisites:  Junior standing and 2 Religion courses, or permission of instructor.

305 Judaism: Classic Texts
Beginning with a solid basis in texts from Hebrew Scripture (Tanakh) we will study other master texts of Judaism emphasizing, in historic context, both the elements of continuity and of change in the outlook of Jewish sacred authoritative texts from ancient to modern times.  Prerequisite:  Religion 211 or permission of instructor.

306 Christianity:  Classic Texts
This course would include the study of the twenty-seven books in the Christian Testament, especially the four gospels and some of the fourteen letters attributed to Paul.  It would also include some of the following material not in the Christian Testament but produced early in Christianity:  The Didache, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Judas, the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius, writings of the church fathers, etc.  Prerequisite:  Religion 212 or permission of instructor.

307 Roman and Medieval Christianity
(Cross-listed as History 304.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

311 Greek and Roman Religion
(Cross-listed as History 302 and Classical Studies 302.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

312 In Search of the Historical Jesus
Close examination of various portraits of Jesus: in the four gospels of the Christian Testament, in early noncanonical gospels, in recent appraisals of Jesus in scholarly works, in literature, and in film. Primary focus on the perennial attempt to reconstruct the historical Jesus. Prerequisite: Religion 201, 202, or 203 or consent of the instructor.

314  Contemporary Hindu Pilgrimage:  India and Chicago
The course explores the ritual practice of pilgrimage at major pilgrimage sites in India, and at parallel temples in the Chicago area.  Using extensive field visits and the framework of pilgrimage as the structure of the course, the class prepares for and visits 5-6 Hindu temples in the Chicago area to observe rituals being performed, speak with practitioners, and experience festival worship.  Through reading and film, we examine the history, literature, ritual traditions, art, and music of Hindu pilgrims.  Following specific pilgrimage routes, we explore this religious practice as it is conducted within 21st century cultures of expanding global communities, in India and in Chicago.  The class will use primary source texts, maps, field visits to temples, film, and research to understand Hindu religious communities in India and Chicago.  Prerequisite:  Religion 214 or permission of instructor.  (Cross-listed as Asia Studies 314.   Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

316  Topics in Asian Religions: Pilgrimage in Asia
Using a seminar format, this course will explore pilgrimage sites in a range of different Asian cultures including India, China, Japan, Korea, and Pakistan.  Students will choose a specific pilgrimage site and religious tradition as the focus of their research.  Through reading, film, discussion, research, and student presentations, we will examine the roles of pilgrims and traders, sacred place and sacred time, and the ritual elements present in Asian pilgrimage practices across different religious traditions including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Prerequisite:  Religion 213, 214, 215 or 216 or permission of instructor.  (Cross-listed as Asian Studies 316.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

317  Islamic Culture(s) in South Asia
(Cross-listed as Asian Studies 317, History 317, and Islamic Studies 317.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

319 The European Reformations: 1200-1600
(Cross-listed as History 320.)

320 Topics in Comparative Religion
This course will explore a topic common to both Asian religions and the religions of the Middle East. Examples of such topics are mysticism, prayer, social ethic, the concept of the self, and teaching on death and the afterlife. This course is partially funded by a gift from the Herbert and Abra Portes Fund.  Prerequisite: Any Religion course or permission or instructor.  (Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

321 Conversations Across Traditions
Conversations among some of the major spiritual traditions have a long history.  Examples of possible topics: Jewish/Christian Conversations; Jewish/Muslim Conversations; Christian/Muslim Conversations; Jewish/Buddhist Conversations; Christian/Buddhist Conversations; Hindu/Christian Conversations.  The focus of the course will be on the mutual illumination possible in this kind of dialogue.  Prerequisite:  Any Religion course or permission of instructor.

322 Religious Existentialism
An epoch of European philosophy and religious thought culminated in the great system developed by Hegel. In its wake came a literature of protest, beginning with the Danish philosopher and religious thinker Søren Kierkegaard and moving through a later generation of European intellectuals who came to maturity between the two world wars. Included are Jewish voices such as Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig as well as Christian writers such as Paul Tillich and Gabriel Marcel. Readings include texts by these religious existentialists. Prerequisite: Any Religion course or permission of  instructor. (Cross-listed as Philosophy 322.)

325  History of Islamic Thought
By reading and discussing original works (in translation), this course will illustrate spiritual themes, as well as ethical and political theories, espoused by various Islamic scholars and philosophers from the 7th century CE to the present, with a focus on the Middle and Modern Periods (10th cent - present). The readings will include works from the “central Islamic lands” (North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia), as well as works by Muslims in Europe and the Americas. Additionally, the readings will address the intellectual exchange between Muslims and the West, especially during and after the European Enlightenment. By the end of the course, the student will be familiar with the various intellectual developments and currents throughout the history of Islamic civilization, which helped transform Islam from a faith into a model for society and government.  Prerequisite: one course in Islam.  (Cross-listed as Islamic Studies 325.  Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement.)

390 Sociology of Religion
(Cross-listed as Sociology and Anthropology 390.)

490 Research Project and Symposium
Independent research plus discussion of that research in meetings of seniors and faculty.  Open to senior majors and others with permission of the department.

495 Senior Thesis and Symposium
Senior thesis project plus discussion of that research in meets of seniors and faculty.  Open to senior majors and others