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39 courses found.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES (L23)  (Dept. Info)Arts & Sciences  (Policies)SP2025

L23 Re St 207Scriptures and Cultural Traditions: Text & Tradition3.0 Units
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----11:30A-12:50PTBAGreenPaper/Project/Take Home20204
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3073Global War on Terrorism3.0 Units
Description:This course presents an historical assessment of the GWOT from the perspective of its major participants: militant, Salafi Islamists, especially al-Qaeda and its affiliates and offshoots including ISIS, and the nation states that oppose them, namely, the United States and its allies. It seeks to answer such questions as what is militant Islamism and how has it interpreted jihad to justify committing terrorist acts in the name of restoring the caliphate? What is the nature of the GWOT and how has it become the new rubric of war in the 21st century? We cover the rise of militant, Sunni Islamism in Egypt during the 1960s and '70s, Islamic jihad in Afghanistan during the 1980s, the origins of "al-Qaeda" in 1988, jihad in Bosnia, Chechnya, Algeria, and Sudan during the 1990s, al-Qaeda terrorist attacks against the U.S. during the 1990s, 9/11 and the Bush Doctrine, the war against the Taliban and the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2001-02, and the subsequent spread of Islamic jihad in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North and East Africa, Western Europe, and the United States, and the respective nation states' responses. The course concludes with an analysis of the current state and likely future of the GWOT. Just how long will this conflict last, and in what ways, how and why is it likely to end?
Attributes:A&S IQHUM, LCDArchHUMArtHUMBUHUM, ISENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:C Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L22 3073  L75 3073  L75 5073  L97 3073Frequency:Every 1 or 2 Years / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01-T-R---1:00P-2:20PTBAKnappPaper/Project/Take Home151519
Actions:Books
02-T-R---2:30P-3:50PTBAKnappPaper/Project/Take Home151517
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3180The Abuse Crisis in Modern Christianity3.0 Units
Description:For over a quarter-century, journalists have broken story after story about sexually abusive clergy in the U.S., many of them serial abusers of children and adolescents. While most accounts have focused on Catholic priests, many have also emerged of abusive evangelical and other Protestant ministers. The stories have illuminated how church bureaucrats have consistently protected abusers and subverted the efforts of victims and their families to seek recompense, accountability, and justice. These protections have often succeeded because of churches' political connections to law enforcement and legislators who have helped hide perpetrators and stymie survivors. Together we will analyze this cautionary tale about religion and politics by contextualizing it within the broader history of Christianity in the United States and beyond. Is this a case simply of a few bad apples or of institutional corruption? How has the church's response been shaped by fear of scandal, antipathy toward secularism, and theological teachings on gender and homosexuality? How does sexual abuse fit into the history of the church as a hierarchical institution? What challenges has the crisis posed to people of faith who are committed to the church, and can trust be repaired? Readings include legal case studies, internal church correspondence, victims' statements and criminal justice reports, documentary films and memoirs, and both journalistic and scholarly analysis of the clergy sex abuse crisis in the U.S. church. We will also hear directly from a variety of visting guests. WARNING: Many of our readings contain difficult accounts of abuse as well as the subsequent trauma most victims suffer. If this subject matter is triggering for you and you'd like to speak with me about whether or not to take it, I'll be glad to help you think through it.
Attributes:A&S IQHUMArchHUMArtHUMBUHUMENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:CP Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L57 3180  L77 3180  L98 3180Frequency:None / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----11:30A-12:50PTBAGriffithPaper/Project/Take Home202013
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3183The Jews of North Africa3.0 Units
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----4:00P-5:20PTBAJayPaper/Project/Take Home30302
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L23 Re St 3262The Early Medieval World: 200-10003.0 Units
Description:This course begins with the crisis of the Roman Empire in the third century and the conversion of the Emperor Constantine to Christianity in 312. We will study the so-called "barbarian invasions" of the fourth and fifth centuries and the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West. The Roman Empire in the East (and commonly known as the Byzantine Empire after the seventh century) survived intact, developing a very different style of Christianity than in the lands of the former western empire. Apart from examining Christianization in the deserts of Egypt or the chilly North Sea, we will discuss the phenomenon of Islam in the seventh century (especially after the Prophet Muhammad's death in 632) and the Arab conquests of the eastern Mediterranean and north Africa. In the post-Roman world of the West we will read about the Anglo-Saxons, the Carolingians, and the Vikings. In exploring these topics we will have to think about the relationship of kings to popes, Emperors to patriarchs, of missionaries to pagans, of cities to villages, of the sacred to the profane. Our attention will be directed to things as various as different forms of monasticism, the establishment of frontier communities, the culture of the Arabian peninsula, magic, paganism, military tactics, Romanesque churches, sea travel, manuscript illumination, the architecture of mosques, early medieval philosophy, the changing imagery of Christ, holiness, and violence as a redemptive act.
Attributes:A&S IQHUM, LCDBUHUM, ISENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:CPA Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L22 3262  L22 5262Frequency:Every 2 Years / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----11:30A-12:50PTBAPeggPaper/Project/Take Home30170
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3304Modern Islam3.0 Units
Description:What does it mean to be modern? Should a religious tradition adapt in response to modern technological, political, economic, or social change? If so, how? These are just some of the questions that Muslim thinkers and believers have asked themselves since the 18th and 19th centuries, as they have engaged the global transformations commonly known as 'modernity'. Our examination of modern Islam in all its diversity considers a wide range of themes. These can include: new approaches to reading the Qur'an and Scripture; the impact of material goods and modern technologies; women's religious authority; Islamic law in the courtroom and nation-state; democracy, politics, and social activism; traditionalism and environmentalism; as well as the often fraught debates around the emergence of groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The course's geographical center of gravity is the Middle East, and we also consider other key regions including sub-Saharan Africa and the United States. By the end of the course, students will have gained an understanding of key Muslim responses to the global transformations commonly known as modernity. They will acquire the skills to critically analyze widely used concepts such as 'tradition' to explore in depth both the work of Muslim intellectuals and the everyday experiences of ordinary believers in modern times. Pre-Requisites: Introduction to Islamic Civilization preferred but not required.
Attributes:A&S IQHUM, LCDArchHUMArtHUMBUHUM, ISENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:CPA Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L75 3301Frequency:Every 2 Years / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----2:30P-3:50PTBAWarrenPaper/Project/Take Home20201
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3330The Holocaust: History and Memory of the Nazi Genocide3.0 Units
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----9:00A-9:50ATBAWalkePaper/Project/Take Home80220
Actions:Books
A----F--9:00A-9:50ATBAWalkePaper/Project/Take Home2070
Actions:Books
B----F--10:00A-10:50ATBAWalkePaper/Project/Take Home20100
Actions:Books
C----F--9:00A-9:50ATBAWalkePaper/Project/Take Home2020
Actions:Books
D----F--10:00A-10:50ATBAWalkePaper/Project/Take Home2030
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3340Topics in East Asian Religions: Faith and Salvation in East Asia: Pure Land Buddhism3.0 Units
Description:This course is an introduction to Pure Land Buddhism, one of the most popular forms of Buddhism all over East Asia, from its inception to the 21st century. Centered around the worship of a buddha called Amitabha (C. Amituo; K. Amita; J. Amida), Pure Land Buddhism is a complex tradition that during its long history has included sophisticated visualization practices, simple vocalizations, elaborated doctrinal discussions, and apocalyptic worldviews. In this course, students will adopt a multidisciplinary approach and explore the history, literature, art and practices of Pure Land Buddhism in China, Korea and Japan. In particular, the course will focus on the relationship between devotionalism, practice and salvation; and on discourses about human nature and their implications in terms of approaches to Buddhism. In other words, what do we do when the world as we know it seems to be ending? Students will read primary sources drawn from a wide range of genres - meditation manuals, letters, canonical scriptures and hagiographic narratives. They will familiarize themselves with the most important figures, deities and texts of the Pure Land traditions in East Asia, and they will study the arts and material culture of Pure Land Buddhism, one of the richest in East Asia. No prior coursework on Buddhism or East Asia is required. Fulfills premodern elective for EALC major.
Attributes:A&S IQHUM, LCDArchHUMArtHUMBUHUM, ISENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:CP Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L81 3340  L04 3340  L05 3340  L51 3340Frequency:Every 1 or 2 Years / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----1:00P-2:20PTBAPolettoPaper/Project/Take Home1980
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3355Gender and Power in Religious Thought3.0 Units
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01-T-R---2:30P-3:50PTBABialekPaper/Project/Take Home12112
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3370Terrorism and Counterterrorism3.0 Units
Description:What is terrorism, when is it used, and how can we stop it? This course will tackle these challenging questions, examining both the use of terrorism in political conflict and the ways in which states have responded to these threats. Crucially, we will engage in critical discussions about the definition of terrorism - is one person's terrorist really another person's freedom fighter, as the saying goes? We will also explore the strategic logic of terrorism - why do individuals choose to engage in this practice and why it is an effective or ineffective tactic of political violence? Importantly, we will also examine the psychology of terrorism, investigating how the mass public and state leaders react to and cope with terrorist violence. Specific examples of potential topics include: the use of terrorism in anti-colonial and separatist movements, the history of terrorism in the United States from the Ku Klux Klan to jihadism, the post 9/11 "War on Terror," and the resurgence of white nationalist terrorism around the world. By the end of this course, students should have a clear understanding of what terrorism is, why groups choose this strategy, how citizens and political leaders respond to this violence, and the implications this has for countering terrorism and extremism around the globe today. Note: This course counts towards the undergraduate International Politics subfield.
Attributes:A&S IQSSCArchSSCArtSSCBUBAENS
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:C Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L32 3300Frequency:Unpredictable / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01-T-R---2:30P-3:50PTBAWaynePaper/Project/Take Home404024
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L23 Re St 3405American Religion, Race, and Law3.0 Units
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----1:00P-2:20PTBALeePaper/Project/Take Home2080
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3552Topics in Korean Literature and Culture: Power, Miracles and Self-cultivation in Korean Buddhism3.0 Units
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----4:00P-5:20PTBAPolettoPaper/Project/Take Home1940
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 359Travelers, Tricksters, and Storytellers: Jewish Travel Narratives and Autobiographies3.0 Units
Description:Jewish literature includes highly fascinating travel accounts and autobiographies that are still awaiting their discovery by a broader readership. In this course, we will explore a broad range of texts originating from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. They were written by both Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews hailing from countries as diverse as Spain, Italy, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire. Among the authors were pilgrims, rabbis, merchants, and one savvy businesswoman. We will read their works as responses to historical circumstances and as expressions of Jewish identity, in its changing relationship to the Christian or Muslim environment in which the writers lived or traveled. Specifically, we will ask questions such as: How do travel accounts and autobiographies enable their authors and readers to reflect on issues of identity and difference? How do the writers produce representations of an "other," against which and through which they define a particular sense of self? This course is open to students of varying interests, including Jewish, Islamic, or Religious Studies, medieval and early modern history, European or Near Eastern literatures. All texts will be read in English translation. Please note: L75 559 is intended for graduate students only.
Attributes:A&S IQHUM, LCDArchHUMArtHUMBUISENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:CPA Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L75 359  L22 3599  L74 359  L75 559Frequency:Every 4 Years / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01-T-R---2:30P-3:50PTBAJacobsPaper/Project/Take Home20205
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 3660The Sephardic Experience: 1492 to the Present3.0 Units
Description:In the public perception, modern Jews divide into two subethnic groups: Ashkenazi and Sephardi, or European and Middle Eastern Jews. However, this is an oversimplification that does not do justice to the diversity and complex history of Jewish identities, which are often multilayered. Strictly speaking, Sephardi Jews trace their ancestral lines or cultural heritage to the medieval Iberian Peninsula, present-day Spain and Portugal. That said, according to some scholars, Sephardi Judaism did not even exist before the general expulsion of Spanish Jewry in 1492 and is the result of their subsequent migrations within the Mediterranean and transatlantic worlds. We will start with an introduction into the history of Spanish Jews prior to 1492, asking to what extent memories of pre-expulsion Iberia are at the heart of Sephardi identity. We will then follow the migratory path of Sephardi exiles to North Africa, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, the Netherlands, and the Americas. The questions we will explore include: in what sense did Sephardim form a transnational community? How did they transmit and transform aspects of Spanish culture in form of Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) language and literature? How did they become intermediaries between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire? What was their role in Europe's transatlantic expansion and the slave trade? How did Ottoman and North African Jews respond to European cultural trends in the nineteenth century and create their own forms of modernity? How did the Holocaust impact Sephardi Jews?
Attributes:A&S IQHUM, LCDArchHUMArtHUMENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:CPA Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L75 366  L22 3856  L75 566Frequency:Every Third Semester / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01-T-R---11:30A-12:50PTBAJacobsPaper/Project/Take Home15151
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L23 Re St 368Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion3.0 Units
Description:What is religion, and how can we study it? Do we need an answer to the first question to pursue the second? Why, and toward what ends, might we undertake such study? This course considers these questions through the investigation of significant attempts to study religion over the past century, paying particular attention to the methods, motivations, and aims of these works. Is the study of religion an effort to disprove or debunk it, or perhaps to support it? What would each mean? Is it an effort to describe the indescribable, or perhaps to translate complex beliefs and practices into a language in which they can be discussed by others? Why would such a translation be helpful, and to whom? Is the study of religion an investigation of a social phenomenon, an organization of communities, a specific formation of individuals, or perhaps a psychosis or illusion, evidence of the workings of power on our lives and the difficulty of bearing it? What is at stake in defining religion in these ways, and then in undertaking its study? In this course, we will discuss major theoretical approaches to the study of religion in relation to these questions and others, toward a better understanding of what religion might be and how it might be studied today. NOTE: This course is required for Religious Studies majors and minors. It is recommended that this course be taken after completion of L23 102 Thinking About Religion. Consult instructor before enrolling if you are a first-year student.
Attributes:A&S IQHUMArchHUMArtHUMBUETHENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:C Fees:
Course Type:HomeSame As:L57 368Frequency:Annually / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01-T-R---1:00P-2:20PTBAGreenPaper/Project/Take Home1580
Actions:BooksSyllabus
Syllabi are provided to students to support their course planning; refer to the syllabus for constraints on use.

L23 Re St 3690Reading Sex in Premodern England: Medieval Sexualities3.0 Units
Description:How do we understand representations of gender, sexuality, and erotic desire from a time when, as one scholar puts it, "normal wasn't"? How do we understand same-sex desire before "sexuality" was an active concept? How can we tell whether expressions of physical affection and love are "just" conventional or are deeply felt? Medieval literature brings with it many period-specific and culturally-specific constructions: courtly love; Christ as bridegroom and mother; woman as Eve and Virgin Mary; Nature as goddess (and Nurture too). We will consider how various discourses-medical, religious, legal, political, economic-inform literary representations of gender and sexuality. We will read love lyrics, mystical writings, autobiographies, romances (like the Roman de Silence-about a girl raised as a boy), canonical texts by writers like Chaucer, and anonymous debate poems about whether same-sex or heterosexual intercourse is preferable. We will consider long-eclipsed genres like the pastourelle-a narrative of attempted "seduction" (and often rape) of a maiden discovered in an outdoor scene. Our concern will be not only to place these texts in their historical contexts, but to consider what has been inherited and what has been lost from these traditions. What do we still suffer and what might we wish to recover? Fulfills the medieval historical requirement.
Attributes:A&S IQHUM, SDBUHUME LitMEDENH
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:CPA Fees:
Course Type:IdentSame As:L14 369  L77 369AFrequency:None / History
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----10:00A-11:20ATBARosenfeldNo Final25210
Actions:Books

L23 Re St 374Of Dishes, Taste, and Class: History of Food in the Middle East3.0 Units
SecDays       TimeBuilding / RoomInstructorFinal ExamSeatsEnrollWaits
01M-W----3:00P-4:50PTBAYucesoyPaper/Project/Take Home12125
Actions:Books
Label

Home/Ident

A course may be either a “Home” course or an “Ident” course.

A “Home” course is a course that is created, maintained and “owned” by one academic department (aka the “Home” department). The “Home” department is primarily responsible for the decision making and logistical support for the course and instructor.

An “Ident” course is the exact same course as the “Home” (i.e. same instructor, same class time, etc), but is simply being offered to students through another department for purposes of registering under a different department and course number.

Students should, whenever possible, register for their courses under the department number toward which they intend to count the course. For example, an AFAS major should register for the course "Africa: Peoples and Cultures" under its Ident number, L90 306B, whereas an Anthropology major should register for the same course under its Home number, L48 306B.

Grade Options
C=Credit (letter grade)
P=Pass/Fail
A=Audit
U=Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
S=Special Audit
Q=ME Q (Medical School)

Please note: not all grade options assigned to a course are available to all students, based on prime school and/or division. Please contact the student support services area in your school or program with questions.