Mar 29, 2024  
2017 - 2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2017 - 2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


 

Psychology

  
  • PSYC 360 - Adult Development


    Fall (3) Sinton Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201  and PSYC 202  

    This course will provide an interdisciplinary overview of current theory and research on the entire adult lifespan from young adulthood to midlife to older adulthood. Conceptual frameworks and empirical evidence related to physiological, psychological, and social dimensions of adult development and aging will be considered.
  
  • PSYC 370 - Psycholinguistics


    Fall or Spring (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): LING 220  or ANTH 204  or PSYC 201 

    Introduction to the interdisciplinary study of how humans acquire, produce and comprehend language. Topics include sentence processing and representation; speech perception,
    word retrieval, theories and methods of investigation.

      (Cross listed with LING 370 )
  
  • PSYC 402 - Exceptional Children


    Fall or Spring (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 310  

    A consideration of the problems involved in providing psychological programs for the care of exceptional children. An overview of relevant research and treatment techniques will be combined with practical experience in field settings with exceptional children.
  
  • PSYC 404 - Practicum in Community Psychology and Prevention


    Spring (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 320

    Supervised learning experiences provide opportunities to relate theoretical knowledge with the delivery of psychological services in the community. Students combine practicum with readings tailored to their placement. A wide range of community based psychological training opportunities is available. One lecture hour, field trips, and four-eight hours/week in the community.
  
  • PSYC 406 - Service Learning in Developmental Psychology


    Fall and Spring (3) Dallaire, Forestell, Zeman Prerequisite(s): PSYC 202  , PSYC 310 

    Students will engage in a service learning experience that involves five or more hours per week of observation and volunteer work at various community organizations (or field placements) for children or adolescents. Classroom meetings will involve discussion of the philosophy of service learning and will provide students with a forum to share their field observations in the context of assigned readings that address various developmental issues and theory.
  
  • PSYC 410 - Research in Developmental Psychology


    Fall or Spring (4) Dallaire, Forestell, Sinton, Vishton Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 PSYC 310   Corequisite(s): PSYC 410L (College 400)

    An examination of contemporary issues in developmental research. Research methods are considered in conjunction with a review of current literature in areas such as early socialization, cognitive development and behavior problems. Students will be required to develop and complete an empirical research project on a course-related topic.
      Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours There is a fee associated with the laboratory.
  
  • PSYC 411 - Cognition and Thinking


    Fall or Spring (4) Ball, Stevens Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 , PSYC 311   Corequisite(s): PSYC 411L (College 400)

    An examination of the research and theory that helps describe and explain the structure and function of the mind. Students will be required to develop and complete an empirical research project on a course-related topic. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours There is a fee associated with the laboratory.
  
  • PSYC 412 - Research in Personality


    Fall or Spring (4) Thrash Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 , PSYC 312  

      Corequisite(s): PSYC 412L (College 400)

    An overview of research methods in the study of personality. Specific research topics such as achievement, motivation, aggression, anxiety, cognitive styles, intelligence and abilities, interpersonal attraction, locus of control, personalogy, self concept and gender differences will be reviewed in detail. Students will be required to develop and complete an empirical research project on a course-related topic. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours There is a fee associated with the laboratory.

  
  • PSYC 413 - Research in Physiological Psychology


    Fall or Spring (4) Burk, Kieffaber Prerequisite(s): PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 , PSYC 313   Corequisite(s): PSYC 413L (College 400)

    An advanced course in physiological psychology with emphasis on the anatomical and neurochemical basis of learning and memory. Students will be required to develop and complete an empirical research project on a course-related topic. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours There is a fee associated with the laboratory.
  
  • PSYC 414 - Research Methods in Social Psychology


    Fall or Spring (4) Dickter, Schug Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 , PSYC 314  

      Corequisite(s): PSYC 414L (College 400)

    This course concerns the methods used in contemporary social psychology. The primary emphasis is on laboratory experimentation, but other methods, including field research are considered. Students will be required to develop and complete an empirical research project on a course-related topic. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours There is a fee associated with the laboratory.

  
  • PSYC 415 - Research in Animal Cognition


    Spring (4) Barnet, Porter Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 PSYC 315 . Corequisite(s): PSYC 415L (College 400)

    An examination of psychological mechanisms in animals that subserve such cognitive processes as perception, attention, working and reference memory, associative learning, spatial navigation, time perception, counting, concept learning and primate cognition. Students will be required to develop and complete an empirical research project on a course-related topic. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours There is a fee associated with the laboratory.
  
  • PSYC 417 - Research in Sensation & Perception


    Fall or Spring (4) Hilimire, Vishton Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 PSYC 317 . Corequisite(s): PSYC 417L (College 400)

    The course is concerned with the processes by which persons come to understand their environment. It considers what changes in the environment stimulate the senses and how the nervous system operates on this change to form projections about the real world. Students will be required to develop and complete an empirical research project on a course-related topic. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours. There is a fee associated with the laboratory.
  
  • PSYC 418 - Research in Abnormal Psychology


    Fall or Spring (4) Conway Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 , PSYC 318   Corequisite(s): PSYC 418L (College 400)

    This course will cover an in depth study of issues and approaches to classifying and understanding the origins of selected adult mental disorders. Students will also be required to develop and complete an empirical research project on a course-related topic. There is a fee associated with the laboratory.
  
  • PSYC 422 - Behavior Modification


    Fall or Spring (4) Porter, Raposa, Zeman Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 , PSYC 318   Corequisite(s): PSYC 422L (College 400)

    This course will acquaint students with both techniques and research issues in behavior modification. Laboratory sessions will be devoted to gaining experience with the processes described and to preparing and implementing individual research projects. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours. There is a fee associated with the laboratory.
  
  • PSYC 440 - Perception & Representation in Art and Architecture


    Fall or Spring (3) Stevens Prerequisite(s): PSYC 311  or PSYC 313   (College 200, ALV, CSI, GER 5)

    This course will cover visual perception and representation in art and architecture. Primarily, we will examine perception and representation of 3-D structure on the 2-D plane. Specific topics include balance, shape, form, growth, space, light, color, movement, dynamics, and expression. Artworks will be critiqued with respect to the visual information provided to provide depth and multi- dimensional structure and/or dynamics. A secondary literature on the relation between space and thought will be examined with respect to architecture. We will consider selected readings on space and function and on the relation between body and space, particularly with respect to the recent embodied cognition movement within Psychology. (This course is anchored in the ALV and CSI domains.) 
  
  • PSYC 442 - Psychology of Decision Making


    Fall (3) Langholtz Prerequisite(s): For Psychology: PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302 . for Business: BUAD 231  and senior social standing. Enrollment will be split 13 from Business and 13 from Psychology (GER 3)

    An examination and analysis of the cognitive factors that aid or hinder choosing alternative courses of action. The major emphasis will be on psychological processes underlying choice and judgment. Applications to business decisions and policy making will be considered. (Cross listed with BUAD 442 )
  
  • PSYC 443 - Psychology of Humor


    Fall or Spring (3) Staff

    This course covers theories (e.g., Psychoanalytic, Incongruity, Evolutionary) and applications of humor, and will feature research on cognitive, emotional, developmental, and social aspects of the complex stimulus of humor and the reflex-like laughter response. Students may never laugh again.
  
  • PSYC 445 - Psychopharmacology


    Fall or Spring (3) Burk, Porter Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 313  

    The systematic study of the effects of drugs on behavior, cognitive functioning, and emotions. Students will gain an in-depth view of neuro-transmitter systems and the mechanisms by which drugs act on these systems to alter behavior.
  
  • PSYC 447 - Cognitive Neuroscience


    Fall or Spring (3) Kieffaber, Stevens Prerequisite(s):  PSYC 201 , PSYC 313 , PSYC 311  

    This course examines neuroanatomy from a behavioral point of view. Students will learn how different parts of the brain organize into functional circuits that control various aspects of behavior, cognitive function, and emotions.
  
  • PSYC 450 - Psychology of Religion


    Fall or Spring (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202  

    Examines the works of William James, Freud, Jung and Gordon Allport in light of current psychological theory and research, emphasizing religious development and the nature, modes and consequences of individual religious experience.
  
  • PSYC 451 - Seminar in Evolutionary Psychology


    Spring (3) Kirkpatrick Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 351 

    An in-depth examination of selected topics in psychological science from an Evolutionary-Psychology perspective.
  
  • PSYC 452 - Close Relationships


    Spring or Fall (3) Pilkington Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 314 

    Examines the scientific body of knowledge concerning the development, maintenance, and deterioration of friendships and romantic relationships. Specific topics include attraction, romantic love, models of relationship satisfaction and individual differences in approaches to close relationships.
  
  • PSYC 453 - Infancy


    Fall or Spring (3) Vishton Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 310  

    This seminar explores human development during the first two years of life. Course will cover historical and contemporary perspectives of perceptual, cognitive, and social development.
  
  • PSYC 454 - Shame & Self-Respect


    Fall or Spring (3) Nichols

    This seminar explores the psychology of shame in its constructive role of enforcing ideals and honor as well as its miscarriage in the form of deep self-loathing. Discussion will be informed by readings in psychological texts as well as classic novels.
  
  • PSYC 455 - Autobiographical Memory


    Fall or Spring (3) Ball Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201  and PSYC 202  

    Autobiographical memory contains memories of our personal experiences. This seminar class will examine the unique developmental, cognitive, neural, and social properties of these memories. Classes will also examine the consequences of a dysfunctional autobiographical memory for various psychopathologies.
  
  • PSYC 470 - Topics in Psychology


    Fall and Spring (1-4) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , as determined by individual professor

    Courses concerning special topics not covered in detail in regular course offerings. Courses may be repeated for credit if the topic varies
  
  • PSYC 480 - Seminar


    Fall and Spring (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 

    Special topics of interest to staff and students will be discussed in seminar fashion. Course may be repeated; contents will vary but the credit each time is the same; three hours
  
  • PSYC 490 - Directed Readings in Psychology


    Fall and Spring (1-3) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 

    Individual supervised readings on special topics. Usually for advanced students. A student must have permission of a faculty supervisor before registering. Course may be repeated, contents and credit each time may vary according to an agreement reached between supervisor and student at the time of registration
  
  • PSYC 491 - Research in Psychology


    Fall and Spring (1-3) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 

    Individually supervised empirical investigations in the various areas of psychology. A student must have permission of a faculty supervisor before registering. This course does not meet the advanced research course requirement for the psychology major. Course may be repeated, contents and credit each time may vary according to an agreement reached between supervisor and student at the time of registration
  
  • PSYC 495 - Honors


    Fall, Spring (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302  

    Supervised research in the student’s special area of interest; (b) presentation by May 1 of an Honors thesis; and (c) satisfactory performance in a comprehensive oral examination in the field of the student’s major interest. Note: See the Department Honors section of the catalog or http:// fsweb.wm.edu/charles.
  
  • PSYC 496 - Honors


    Fall, Spring (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 , PSYC 202 , PSYC 301 , PSYC 302  

    Supervised research in the student’s special area of interest; (b) presentation by May 1 of an Honors thesis; and (c) satisfactory performance in a comprehensive oral examination in the field of the student’s major interest. Note: See the Department Honors section of the catalog or http:// fsweb.wm.edu/charles.
  
  • PSYC 498 - Internship


    Fall and Spring (1-3) Staff

    This course is designed to allow students to gain practical experience. The internship includes readings in relevant areas and a written report. The student must have a faculty member willing to supervise the internship, and a site willing to host it. A departmental handout describes the requirements in greater detail. Application required.

Public Health

  
  • PBHL 410 - Special Topics in Public Health


    Fall, Spring, Summer (1-3) Staff

    Exploration of a particular topic in Public Health. If there is no duplication of topic, courses with this number may be repeated for credit. Based on the specific course content, credits will count towards the appropriate category of the minor.  Some topics may have pre-requisites or co-requisites.
  
  • PBHL 498 - Internship


    Fall and Spring (1-3) Staff

    This course is designed to allow students to gain practical experience in public health. The internship includes readings in relevant areas and a written report. The student must have a faculty member willing to supervise the internship, and a site willing to host it. Requires written permission from the supervising faculty member and co-Directors.

Public Policy

  
  • PUBP 101 - Survey of Public Policy


    Fall or Spring (1) Staff

    This 1-credit course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of public policy. Students learn about the field through a series of guest lectures from faculty members who teach core or elective requirements for the Public Policy major.
  
  • PUBP 150 - First-Year Seminar


    Fall and Spring (4) Staff (College 150)

    An exploration of a specific topic in Public Policy. A grade of C- or better fulfills the COLL 150 requirement. Although topics vary, the courses emphasize academic writing skills, reading and analysis of texts, and discussion.
  
  • PUBP 390 - Topics in Public Policy


    Fall and Spring (3) Staff

    Selected topics in public policy. The topic to be considered will be announced prior to the beginning of the semester. This course may be repeated for credit
  
  • PUBP 391 - Seminar-Short Course in Public Policy


    Fall and Spring (1-3) Staff

    Selected topics in public policy. The topic to be considered will be announced prior to the beginning of the semester. This course may be repeated for credit
  
  • PUBP 395 - Diplomacy Lab


    Fall and Spring (1-3) Staff

    Course for students accepted into the State Department’s Diplomacy Lab program. Separate sections will be offered for each of the Diplomacy Lab projects. Instructor permission required. (Cross-listed with  .)
  
  • PUBP 396 - Non-Capstone Independent Study


    Fall or Spring (1-4)

    Directed readings/research course conducted on individual or group basis on various topics in public policy which do not rise to the level of a capstone experience. No more than 4 credits may be taken in this course.
  
  • PUBP 490 - Independent Study


    Fall and Spring (3) McBeth

    Directed readings/research course conducted on individual or group basis on various topics in public policy. The course may not be taken more than twice
  
  • PUBP 491 - Advanced Topics in Public Policy


    Fall or Spring (3) Staff

    Seminar classes, normally 10-15 junior or senior public policy majors, focusing on specific topics in public policy. Topics vary by section and semester to semester.
  
  • PUBP 495 - Honors


    Fall, Spring (3) McBeth

    Students admitted to the Public Policy Honors program will be enrolled in this course during both semesters of their senior year. Students are responsible for (a) reading a selected bibliography; (b) satisfactory completion by April 15th of an original scholarly essay; and (c) satisfactory performance on a comprehensive oral examination. A student who completes the Honors essay but does not achieve Honors may be given credit for Public Policy 490. Note: For College provisions governing the Admission to Honors, see catalog section titled Honors and Special Programs.
  
  • PUBP 496 - Honors


    Fall, Spring (3) McBeth (College 400)

    Students admitted to the Public Policy Honors program will be enrolled in this course during both semesters of their senior year. Students are responsible for (a) reading a selected bibliography; (b) satisfactory completion by April 15th of an original scholarly essay or public policy analysis; and (c) satisfactory performance on a comprehensive oral examination. A student who completes the Honors essay but does not achieve Honors may be given credit for Public Policy 490 . Note: For College provisions governing the Admission to Honors, see catalog section titled Honors and Special Programs. Note: For College provisions governing the Admission to Honors, see catalog section titled Honors and Special Programs.
  
  • PUBP 498 - Internship


    Fall and Spring (3) McBeth

    This course may be repeated for credit.

Religious Studies

  
  • RELG 100 - Critical Questions in Religious Studies


    Fall (4) Staff (College 100)

    An exploration of significant questions and concepts, beliefs and creative visions, theories and discoveries in Religious Studies for first-year students. Although topics vary, the courses also seek to improve students’ communication skills beyond the written word.
  
  • RELG 150 - First-Year Seminar


    Fall and Spring (4) Staff (College 150)

    An exploration of a specific topic in Religious Studies. A grade of C- or better fulfills the COLL 150 requirement. Although topics vary, the courses emphasize academic writing skills, reading and analysis of texts, and discussion.
  
  • RELG 201 - Introduction to Religion


    (3) Raphael (GER 4C)

    A cross-cultural and comparative study of religion, exploring various theories of religion, its origin, nature and interpretation, including an analysis of contrasting views of deity, cosmic and social order, the human problem, theodicy, moral norms and authority, and conceptions of liberation and salvation. Open to freshmen and sophomores only.
  
  • RELG 203 - History and Religion of Ancient Israel


    Fall and Spring (3) Galambush, McCall (College 200, CSI, GER 4B,5)

    An exploration of the origins and development of the ancient nations of Israel and Judah in their cultural and historical contexts. The course examines archaeological, epigraphic, and literary evidence from Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Egypt to understand both the history and worldview of the ancient Israelites. The Hebrew Bible is explored in depth as document in dialogue with but not identical to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Israel. (This course is anchored in the CSI domain, and also considers aspects of the ALV domain.)
  
  • RELG 204 - Christian Origins


    Fall and Spring (3) Daise (GER 4A,5)

    A study of the origin and development of earliest Christianity. The course focuses on the New Testament and other ancient documents with attention to the Greco-Roman historical contexts of the emerging Christian faith.
  
  • RELG 205 - Reading the Bible in Hebrew I


    Fall (3) Tobolowsky Prerequisite(s): HBRW 102  

    Review of grammar followed by readings in various genres of Biblical literature. Emphasis on syntax, vocabulary and style of the Hebrew Bible. This course introduces the student to methods of modern biblical interpretation. (Cross listed with HBRW 201 )
  
  • RELG 208 - Topics in Religious Studies


    Fall or Spring (3) Staff

    Selected topics and issues in Asian Religions, Islam, Ethics, and Western Religious History and Thought. Consult the schedule for the topic descriptions in up-coming semesters.

      Note: This course may be repeated for credit if there is no duplication of topic (Formerly RELG 307).

  
  • RELG 210 - Introduction to the History of Christianity


    Fall and Spring (3) Angelov (College 200, ALV, CSI, GER 4A)

    An introduction to Western Christianity that focuses upon selected periods, critically important movements and events, theological developments and institutional changes, with attention to the relationship between Christianity and currents in the wider culture. (This course is anchored in the ALV and CSI domains.) 
  
  • RELG 211 - Introduction to the History of Jewish Thought


    Fall (3) Kirsh (College 200, ALV, CSI, GER 4A,5)

    A study of the biblical origins of Judaism followed by an examination of representative literature from critical periods in the history of Jewish thought: rabbinic, medieval and modern. (This course is anchored in the ALV and CSI domains.)  (Formerly RELG 303)
  
  • RELG 212 - Introduction to Islam


    Fall and Spring (3) Ogunnaike (College 200, ALV, CSI, GER 4B)

    A study of the origins, major ideas, practices, institutions and development of Islam within the context of Muslim history. Students may not take both this course and RELG 150 : Islam for credit. (This course is anchored in the CSI and ALV domains.)  (Formerly RELG 300)
  
  • RELG 213 - Introduction to Hinduism


    Fall and Spring (3) Burchett, McLaughlin (College 200, ALV, GER 4B)

    An introduction to the Hindu religious traditions, exploring the diversity of religious thought and practice among Hindus today and throughout history.  The course will include topics such as: key historical developments; core teachings as found in major primary texts (the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, works of devotional poet-saints, etc.); the divine pantheon (mythology and imagery of Shiva, Vishnu, the Goddess, etc.); rituals, festivals, and practices of lived Hinduism; the role of Orientalism, colonialism, and Indian nationalism in modern Hinduism; and contemporary social and political issues relating to Hinduism in post-independence India (e.g., Hindu nationalism, communal violence, caste/untouchability). (This course is anchored in the ALV domain, and also considers aspects of the CSI domain.) (Formerly RELG 311)
  
  • RELG 214 - Introduction to Buddhism


    Fall (3) Vose (College 200, ALV, GER 4B)

    A study of the history, doctrines, practices, and various manifestations of the Buddhist tradition. The course begins with the social and religious context out of which the Buddha emerged, progresses to an exploration of Buddhism’s philosophical basis, and traces the spread of Buddhism from India and its later developments in Nepal and Tibet, Southeast Asia, and China and Japan. (This course is anchored in the ALV domain, and also considers aspects of the CSI domain.) (formerly RELG 312)
  
  • RELG 215 - History of Religion in East Asia


    Spring (3) Vose (College 200, ALV, GER 4B)

    Introduction to the religious systems of China and Japan, including the literatures, histories, thought patterns and practices of the major schools of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Shintoism. (This course is anchored in the ALV domain, and also considers aspects of the CSI domain.) (Formerly RELG 313)
  
  • RELG 221 - Religion and Ethics


    Fall (3) Sheikh (GER 7)

    An introductory study of western religious ethics. The course examines the relationships between religious belief and ethics in biblical, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Protestant and humanistic writings. The course emphasizes analytic and critical thinking skills.
  
  • RELG 250 - Readings in Religious Texts


    Fall or Spring (1-3) Staff Prerequisite(s): Completion of 202-level language. Consent of the instructor is required

    Reading and interpretive study of religious texts in their original languages. Among the languages are Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin and Sanskrit.
  
  • RELG 301 - Readings in Biblical Hebrew


    Spring (3) Tobolowsky Prerequisite(s): HBRW 201  or RELG 205   (GER 5)

    Further readings and analyses of selected biblical passages.
      (Cross listed with HBRW 202 )
  
  • RELG 302 - Torah


    Spring (3) McCall (GER 5)

    A study of the first five books of the Jewish and Christian Bibles, including questions of their composition, literary genres, historical setting, and their place in the communities that preserved them. (Formerly RELG 355)
  
  • RELG 304 - The Biblical Prophetic Books


    Spring (3) Raphael

    We will apply techniques of contemporary literary theory to the narratives and poetry of some of the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible.A study of the function and message of the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible.
  
  • RELG 305 - Biblical Wisdom: Job and Proverbs


    Fall (3) Galambush Prerequisite(s): RELG 203  or consent of instructor (GER 7)

    A study of the wisdom literature of Ancient Israel, with emphasis on Job and Proverbs. The literature will be examined within its historical, intellectual and cultural context. The course focuses on the distinctive religious and humanistic characteristics of Israelite wisdom.
  
  • RELG 308 - Topics in Religious Studies


    Fall and Spring (3-4) Staff Prerequisite(s): Often a prerequisite

    Selected topics and issues in Asian Religions, Ethics, Islam, and Western Religious History and Thought. Consult the schedule for topic descriptions in up-coming semesters.

    Note:  This course may be repeated for credit if there is no duplication of topic

  
  • RELG 309 - The Holocaust


    Fall and Spring (3) Raphael (College 200, CSI, GER 7)

    A study of religious and ethical aspects of the destruction of European Jews under Nazi rule. Readings include descriptions of these events and responses by Jews and Christians focusing on meaning, religious self-understanding, responsibility and divine and human justice. Open to juniors and seniors only. (This course is anchored in the CSI domain, and also considers aspects of the ALV domain.)
  
  • RELG 310 - Topics in Judaic Studies


    Fall or Spring (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): There is often a prerequisite or consent of instructor required.

    A study of selected topics in Jewish history, life and thought. Consult the bulletin for topic description in up-coming semesters.

     

  
  • RELG 315 - Judaism in the Greco-Roman World


    Fall (3) Daise

    This course examines the religion of Judaism as it existed in Palestine and the Mediterranean world during the Hellenistic and early Roman periods (ca 331 BCE ñ 73 CD). (Cross listed with CLCV 321 )
  
  • RELG 317 - Women in Islam: Tradition and Change


    Spring (3) Staff (GER 4B)

    A study of the changing status and role of women in Muslim society. The course focuses on the relationship between religion and culture as they shape the lives and options of women in traditional society, in the modern period and in the contemporary Islamic experience. (Cross listed with GSWS 317 )
  
  • RELG 318 - Islam in the Modern World


    Fall (3) Ogunnaike (GER 4B)

    This course focuses on sociopolitical circumstances underlying the dynamism and diversity of modern Islamic thought. Special emphasis will be given to political aspects of modern Islamic thought.
  
  • RELG 319 - Mesopotamian Religion


    Fall (3) Galambush (College 200, ALV, CSI)

    This course explores the religious culture of Mesopotamia from approximately 3000-500 BCE–from the beginning of writing and cities to the age of imperial states. Mesopotamian religious texts and artifacts provide a window into the development of core religious ideas: What is a god? What is the relationship between the divine and human realms, specifically in matters of family, livelihood, politics, and warfare? The approaches developed by the Mespotamians to these questions continue to influence modern Western worldviews, and so provide an unexpected lens through which to examine our own cultures. (This course is anchored in the ALV and CSI domains.) 
  
  • RELG 320 - Pagans and Christians in the Roman World


    Fall (3) Donahue

    This course considers the encounter between Roman religious and political institutions and the rise of Christianity, from the first through the fourth centuries A.D. Primary emphasis on Roman response to Christianity, from persecution to conversion, through Roman and Christian sources. (Cross listed with CLCV 320 )
  
  • RELG 321 - Ecology and Ethics


    (3) Staff (GER 7)

    A study of the moral and religious aspects of such problems in human ecology as pollution, overpopulation and resource depletion. The course relates these issues to religious perspectives on human nature, responsibilities to the earth and to future generations.
  
  • RELG 322 - Medicine and Ethics


    (3) Staff (GER 7)

    A study of moral and religious problems arising in such biomedical issues as abortion, human experimentation, euthanasia, genetic engineering, organ transplants and behavior control. Not open to freshmen.
  
  • RELG 323 - Warfare and Ethics


    (3) Staff (GER 7)

    A study of moral and religious issues in warfare, including classical and contemporary views. The course focuses on such topics as pacifism, just war and nuclear weapons.
  
  • RELG 324 - Contemporary Debates in Modern Islam


    (Fall or Spring) (3) Staff (College 200, CSI, GER 4B, GER 7)

    This course will explore a variety of topics pertaining to contemporary Islam in the modern world, topics shrouded in misunderstanding and misinformation: the status of women in Islam, the meaning of jihad, the existence of religious extremism, the role of religion in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Iran’s hybrid theocratic-democratic government, and the rise and spread of Islamophobia in the US and beyond, among other topics. We will approach these controversial topics with an open-mind, examining them from multiple perspectives and angles, and relying on primary source material, foundational Islamic texts, and the arguments made by those personally affected by these topics.  Students will analyze, grapple with, and learn to defend different sides of difficult, complex and oftentimes unresolvable issues. The ultimate goal of the course is to exemplify the enormous diversity of opinion that exists within modern Islam and the multitude of individuals, communities, and nations that comprise the Muslim world.  No prior knowledge of Islam is expected; the first part if the course will include a crash course in understanding the key theological principles and historical evolution of Islam. (This course is anchored in the CSI domain, and also considers aspects of the ALV domain.)
  
  • RELG 326 - Judaism in America


    (3) Raphael

    A study of the arrival of the Jews in America, the development of the religion in the new world, and the contemporary Jewish experience in America. (Formerly RELG 341)
  
  • RELG 327 - Sexuality, Women and Family in Judaism


    (3) Raphael

    This course examines sex and sexuality, marriage, divorce and family life in the Bible, Rabbinic literature, Kabbalah, Hasidism and American Judaism. (Formerly RELG 306)
  
  • RELG 328 - Midrash: Jewish Interpretation of Scriptures


    (3) Raphael

    An examination of various types of Jewish interpretation of biblical texts. The course explores not only the changing modes of commentary from Talmudic to modern times, but also the changing concerns of the commentators themselves. (Formerly RELG 339)
  
  • RELG 329 - The Rabbinic Mind


    Spring (3) Raphael

    A study of how biblical religion became Judaism. An exploration of the impact of the Talmudic rabbis - the ways they changed existing communal practice, understood their own authority to initiate such change, and consequently transformed Jewish self-understanding.
  
  • RELG 332 - Religion and Society in the Middle Ages


    (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): RELG 210  or consent of instructor (GER 4A)

    A study of Christianity from 600-1500 C.E., with special attention to the eastern and western European cultural and social settings of medieval Christian thought, belief, life and institutions. The course emphasizes primary sources, discussion, writing and qualifies for Med-Ren major.
  
  • RELG 334 - The Protestant and Catholic Reformations


    Fall (3) Angelov

    A study of personalities, institutional changes and theological movements in European and British Christianity from the Reformation through the 18th century. Includes Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anabaptism, Protestant Radicalism, the Roman Catholic Reformation, the English Reformation and Methodism and the Evangelical Revival.
  
  • RELG 335 - Modern Jewish and Christian Thought


    (3) Staff (GER 4A, 7)

    A critical examination of important texts in modern Jewish and Christian thought concerning the nature, origin, interpretation, and justification of religion. Texts selected from the writings of Moses Mendelssohn, Abraham Geiger, Mordecai Kaplan, Rudolf Bultmann, John A. T. Robinson, Joseph Fletcher, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Gustavo Gutierrez, and John Spong.
  
  • RELG 337 - African Ritual and Religious Practice


    Fall (3) Weiss (CSI, GER 4B)

    This course focuses on the diverse forms of religious practice and experience in various social and cultural contexts in Africa. The symbolic, aesthetic, and political implications of ritual, as well as the transforming significance of religious practice, will be explored. (Cross-listed with AFST 341 , ANTH 337 ).
  
  • RELG 340 - Roman Catholicism Since 1800


    (3) Staff (GER 4A, 7)

    Themes studied include church and state relations and political liberalism, the social encyclicals, papal authority and the infallibility debate, the development of dogma, Liberal Catholicism, Neo-Thomism, Modernism, Vatican II and Liberation Theology.
  
  • RELG 342 - Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion


    (3) Staff (GER 5)

    This course begins with an analysis of comedy and tragedy, and an analysis of the comic and tragic visions of life. Then it examines the world’s major religions in light of their comic and tragic elements.
  
  • RELG 345 - Religion, Colonialism, and Nationalism in North America


    Fall (3) Fitzgerald (CSI, GER 4C)

    An investigation of the role of religion in colonial and national identity in the New World. Emphasis on a diversity of perspectives including Native Americans, slaves, and women.
  
  • RELG 346 - Religion, the State, and American Politics


    Spring (3) Blazer (College 200, CSI, GER 4C)

    A critical approach to national and state politics in the United States addressing a range of religious traditions. (This course is anchored in the CSI domain, and also considers aspects of the ALV domain.)
  
  • RELG 347 - New Religious Movements in America


    Fall (3) Blazer (College 200, CSI)

    A study of new and alternative religions, past and present, with an emphasis on cultural context, historical development, and tensions with political and religious authorities. (This course is anchored in the CSI domain, and also considers aspects of the ALV domain.)
  
  • RELG 348 - African American Religions


    Spring (3) Fitzgerald (GER 4C)

    An historical, thematic, and theoretical overview of African American religions from enslavement through contemporary Caribbean and African migrations. (Cross listed with AFST 348  )
  
  • RELG 349 - American Immigration and Religion


    Fall (3) Fitzgerald (CSI, GER 4C)

    This course is designed to introduce students to a larger literature on transnationalsim, immigration and religion in America. We will analyze the Inherent transnational nature of religious traditions, assess the major waves of immigration and their relevance to America’s changing religious character, evaluate why religion is so central to immigrants’ understanding of American identity, and analyze the connection between racial/ethnic, national, religious identities. (Cross-listed with AMST 350)
  
  • RELG 350 - Eastern Christianity


    Fall (3) Angelov (College 200, ALV)

    This course surveys the history of the major Christian churches and communities in the East. We will explore topics like East/West ecclesiastical divisions and controversies, mysticism, the theological and social role of pillar saints, holy warriors, holy fools, vampires, and witches. The discussion of Orthodox communities and their theologies will throw light on the formation of secular culture and the role of the Orthodox churches in contemporary politics and society. (This course is anchored in the ALV domain, and also considers aspects of the CSI domain.)
  
  • RELG 357 - The Letters of Paul


    (3) Daise

    A study of the letters of Paul. The course focuses on the mission and message of Paul set in the context of Greco-Roman culture. It also considers the influence of Paul’s theology in the later centuries. (Formerly RELG 403)
  
  • RELG 358 - Jesus and the Gospels


    (3) Daise (GER 5)

    A study of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the multicultural, historical, and political settings in which they were composed. The course also addresses similar gospels excluded from the canon and the issues pertaining to historical Jesus.
  
  • RELG 360 - The Gods and Goddesses of India


    (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): Recommended: Prior course in Asian religion or consent of instructor (GER 4B)

    This course explores the development, character, and function of the gods and goddesses of India by looking at a variety of mythological, historical, and ethnographical sources.
  
  • RELG 361 - Modern Hinduism


    Fall (3) McLaughlin Prerequisite(s): RELG 213  or consent of instructor (GER 4C)

    A study of classical Hindu traditions in interaction with westernization and modernization. The course emphasizes 19th- and 20th-century figures, including leaders of current cults. (Formerly RELG 411)
  
  • RELG 362 - Magic, Science, and Religion


    Fall or Spring (3) (College 200, CSI)

    This interdisciplinary course explores different understandings of and interactions between the realms of “magic,” “science” and “religion” across a range of historical and cultural contexts.  Drawing together materials from the fields of religious studies, anthropology, history of science, philosophy, science studies, and the natural sciences, the course will examine and problematize standard narratives of modernity by (a) interrogating modern understandings of religion, science, rationality, and disenchantment, (b) exploring the historical origins and development of our dominant (science-based) modern Western episteme, and (c) examining unconventional ways of knowing and alternative understandings of the sacred, rationality, and enchantment.  Topics may also include: classic theories of magic, science, and religion; experiences of the extraordinary, uncanny, and non-rational; the roles of magic, science, and religion in practices and discourses of colonialism; the modern-day authority of science and the marginalization of other ways of knowing; debates regarding the nature and varieties of human consciousness; issues surrounding the method, practice, and ideology of science; and intersections of religion, magic, and science in neuroscience, quantum physics, paranormal phenomenon, and popular culture. (This course is anchored in the CSI domain, and also considers aspects of the ALV and NQR domains.)
  
  • RELG 363 - Sociology of Religion


    Spring (3) Jenkins (College 200, CSI)

    This course explores systems of belief, rituals, organizations and movements. It examines factors that influence religiosity, as well as the ways religion affects (and is affected by) other social institutions, such as the economy, politics and the educational system. (This course is anchored in the CSI domain, and also considers aspects of the ALV domain.)         (Cross-listed with SOCL 363 .)
  
  • RELG 365 - Buddhism in China


    (3) Staff Prerequisite(s): RELG 214  

    An examination of the history of Chinese Buddhism. Its goals include increasing the students’ understanding of Chinese culture as well as basic methodologies in the study of religion.
  
  • RELG 366 - Buddhism in Japan


    (3) Staff

    An examination of the history of Japanese Buddhism. Its goals include increasing the students understanding of Japanese culture and basic methodologies in the study of religion.
 

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