Courses in the Philosophy/Religion Department
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Philosophy Classes
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101 | Introduction to Philosophy.
The meaning and scope of philosophy and the major problems with which it is concerned. Fall, spring.
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105 | Logic.
How arguments are formulated and evaluated, analysis of the role of language in communication and training in the detection of common fallacies. Includes categorical, propositional, and predicate logic. Fall.
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110 | Philosophy and Literature.
Major philosophic theories of literature, from ancient to modern times, including the use of literature as a vehicle for philosophic ideas. Specific examples will be considered. Spring.
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300 | Topics in Philosophy.
A special topic or topics including practical applications of philosophy or the relationship of philosophy to other aspects of life. Offered as needed.
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301 | Philosophy of Religion.
An inquiry into the scope and function of religion, the nature and destiny of human beings, the existence and nature of God and other selected problems.
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304 | Ethics.
An examination of the major ethical theories of ancient and modern times and their impact upon traditional and contemporary ethical problems. Special attention is paid to the development of ethical thinking and the application of ethical theory to contemporary moral problems.
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321 | Science, Skepticism and Faith.
Basic course in epistemology and metaphysics. Topics include the distinction between scientific and non-scientific types of knowledge (if any), the difference between “belief” and “knowledge” (if any), theories of “truth”, and the case for and implications of skepticism.
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325 | Theology on Film.
See Religion 325 for course description.
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328 | Liberation Theology.
See Religion 328 for course description.
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329 | Feminist Thought.
See Religion 329 for course description.
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332 | Contemporary Social Philosophy.
Exploration of public or social morality and principles. Topics include the nature and meaning of equality, the moral justification of state authority, the nature and value of rights, the balancing of liberty and security, and the prospects for a shared morality in a pluralistic society.
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344 | Biomedical Ethics.
Ethical issues created by recent advances in medical technology, including questions such as the relationship between the health care provider and the patient; truth and information; autonomy and diminished capacity; and genetic engineering within the context of moral reasoning.
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351 | Classical and Hellenistic Philosophy.
Examination of the philosophical systems of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Special attention given to the work of Plato and Aristotle.
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352 | Christian Heresies and Orthodoxies.
See Religion 352 for course description.
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353 | Modern Philosophy.
Exploration of the foundations of modern philosophy, including the contributions of Descartes, Hume and Kant.
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354 | 19th and 20th-Century Christian Theology.
See Religion 354 for course description.
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400 | Senior Thesis.
Senior research project stressing the application of research skills and the synthesis of knowledge in the discipline of philosophy.
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Religion Classes
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101 | Reading the Bible.
The texts and history of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. Survey of the ways that the Bible has been read from ancient times to the present, with examples, and their implications for the understanding of the text and the reader’s beliefs. Introduction to the transmission, translation, and reception of the biblical texts. Fall.
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102 | Religions of the West.
Survey of major monotheistic traditions in the West: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Emphasis on the major forms of these three faiths including Traditional and Reform Judaism, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity, and Sunni and Shiite Islam. Attention will be given to historical origins, daily practices and holidays, and contemporary issues. Fall.
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105 | Religions of the East.
Primal religions, religion in Africa, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shintoism, introducing the basic concepts and concerns of these religions. The major emphasis is on the religions of India, China and Japan. Spring.
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106 | Religions in America.
Emphasis on Christianity, Judaism, Afro-American and Native American traditions in America, religion’s role in shaping American culture and special attention to recent developments. Fall.
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108 | Myth, Ritual and Symbol.
An exploration of the world’s dominant religious and secular worldviews focusing on the myths, rituals and symbols contained in their sacred texts. The material is divided equally between Western and Eastern religions. Critical thinking techniques and strategies are emphasized in a learning environment in which students work collaboratively to produce and assess their own knowledge of the material. Fall.
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110 | World Christianities.
Study of the contemporary situation of the Christian tradition worldwide. Focus on Christianity in discrete geographical areas, and the diversity and richness of Christian cultures. Areas of study include Eastern Orthodoxy, Christianity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the rise of Pentecostalism, and Christians in relation to other religious traditions. Spring.
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114 | Christian Social Ethics.
Contemporary social problems and their relationship to Christianity. Attention given to the historical development of various Christian approaches to social issues, emphasizing current social engagement.
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118 | Drugs and Religious Experience.
An exploration of the ritual use of hallucinogenic drugs in sacred culture. The central issue of the course is the relationship between such drugs and religious experience Examples are taken from various traditions from the Americas and Asia. May Term only.
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300 | Topics in Religion.
A special topic or topics, including specific religions or the relation of religion to other aspects of life.
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301 | Philosophy of Religion.
See Philosophy 301 for course description.
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302 | Studies in Eastern Religion.
An intensive study of one of the religious traditions of the East. Possible topics include Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese religions and Japanese religions, with one selection per term. Special attention is given to worldview, literature, rituals and practices. (Also listed as History 302)
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303 | Old Testament/TANAK: Text and Ideology.
Exploration of the scriptures shared by Jews and Christians, including in-depth study of selected texts, with emphasis on their variety, the cultures that produced them, and modern controversies that concern their interpretation and reflect theology, political, and cultural differences.
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304 | New Testament: Text and Ideology.
Exploration to the scriptures unique to Christianity, including in-depth study of selected texts, with emphasis on their variety, the cultures that produce them, and modern controversies that concern their interpretation and reflect theological, political, and cultural differences.
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306 | Issues in American Religious History.
Specific issues and movements in American religion and their interrelationships with the larger American culture. Special attention is placed on the impact of these issues and movements on the contemporary situation. Topics include social Christianity, fundamentalism and pentecostalism, civil religion, church and state, sects and cults and denominational history.
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307 | Sociology of Religion.
Methods and issues of the qualitative approach to sociology of religion. Emphasis on the construction, maintenance and function of religious organizations and groups; and, the construction of religious identity, and the function of religious worldviews and ritual processes in maintaining that identity.
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308 | Native American Sacred Traditions.
An introduction to the worldviews and sacred traditions which form the basis of American Indian social, political, economic and material structures. Emphasis is on the intrinsic relationship between religion and culture in American Indian societies. A variety of cultures are examined, including tribes from the Great Lakes, Plains and Southwest.
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310 | Women in World Religions.
Themes and issues in the traditions and texts of Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions with particular attention to the role of women. Topics will include: images of women in sacred scriptures and historical traditions, ritual practices, sources of religious authority, and psychological and ethical implications of feminist approaches to religion.
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316 | Religion in/and American Education.
An exploration of the legal issues related to professional educators and the place and role of religion in the public schools; the diversity of religious traditions within school communities; and religious perspectives that students and parents may bring into the public school setting.
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319 | The Origins of Protestantism.
Principal figures and religious, political, social, and economic factors that contributed to the development of Protestantism from the 16th through the 18th centuries.
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325 | Theology on Film.
Exploration of theological issues reflected in popular films, with special attention to “narrative theology” and the relationship between religious beliefs and the media.
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328 | Liberation Theology.
During the 20th Century a number of movements within Christianity turned to the teachings of Jesus and Hebrew prophets, and Marxist social analysis, to argue and work for social justice. Examines the origins of Liberation Theology in Latin America in the 1960s and the Black Power struggle in the U.S. Other topics include Feminist, Womanist, Ecological and Gay/Lesbian liberation theologies.
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329 | Feminist Thought.
Feminist approaches to literary theory, anthropology, psychology, ethics, and philosophy, and their possible effect on contemporary theology and biblical analysis.
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330 | Advanced Studies in the Bible.
A detailed study of portions of the Jewish and/or Christian scriptures. Topics may include: prophecy and apocalyptic, the Synoptic gospels, the Pauline letters, myth and parable. Emphasis is on both historical and literary approaches to the Biblical texts.
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335 | Religion and Fantasy.
Explores the mutual involvement of religion and fantasy (including science fiction and tales of the supernatural), from the Bible to the present. Contemporary theories of the fantastic, and their philosophical and theological implications. readings from a wide variety of fantasy literature and film.
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352 | Christian Heresies and Orthodoxies.
Development of Christian theology from Jewish and Hellenic thought. Focus on major leaders, thinkers, and movements during this time. Emphasis on Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, and Aquinas.
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354 | 19th and 20th-Century Christian Theology.
Continental Theology from Schleiermacher and Hegel to the present. Will include dialectical thinkers, existentialists, feminists, and liberationists.
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Advanced and Special Classes
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199 | Exploratory Internship.
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299 | Experimental Course.
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399 | Professional Internship.
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400 | Senior Research Project.
A special project stressing the application of research skills and the synthesis of knowledge in the discipline(s) of philosophy and/or religion. Required of all majors. Spring.
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451 | Independent Study.
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499 | Advanced Experimental Course.
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Faculty
