Religion Department Course Offerings '07-'08 

Fall Semester 

RELI 110 The World's Religions: An Introduction  
Instructors: Carnahan, McDaniel 

This course introduces students to the teachings, practices, spiritualities, and histories of many world religions. The religions include to be covered include Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Jainism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and indigenous traditions. Since this course introduces Asian religions in an abbreviated way, students who take this course may also wish to take Introduction to Asian Religions. 

RELI 111 Asian Religions: An Introduction 
Instructor: Gorvine 

This course introduces students to religious traditions rooted in Asia. It examines a wide variety of primary and secondary sources to help students recognize and understand the many different ways in which Asian religious communities have attempted to understand the nature of the world (both this world and beyond), human society, and the individual person’s place therein. It includes attention to narrative and philosophical texts, ritual practices, religious experiences, social relationships and historical developments.  

RELI 112 Exodus 
Instructor: Sanders 

This course examines the content and significance of this influential book in the Bible. It offers a focused way of beginning to learn about biblical literature by examining one book that has shaped countless generations of Jewish and Christian thinkers and that has deeply influenced Western literature. Attention is given to the various genres contained in the book and how its message can be relevant to today. The course aims to provide some basic hermeneutical skills as well as promote a positive attitude towards Torah.

RELI 225 Buddhism  
Instructor: Gorvine 

This course is an introduction to Buddhism, spanning its origins in India, its spread throughout Asia, and its arrival in the West. The course will explore the core doctrines, practices and key historical developments that have shaped the Buddhist tradition in India; consider the ways this tradition has been assimilated in an Asian context; and finally reflect upon the perspectives of leading Buddhist writers and practitioners on the relevance of Buddhism for modern society. 

RELI 230 History of Christianity to 1500 
Instructor: Sanders 

The development of Christian thought and institutions from 100-1500 CE. Questions surrounding the formation of orthodoxy, the interplay between religion and politics and the variety of ways in which Christians practiced their faith will be discussed. 

RELI 321 Religion and Democracy  
Instructor: Carnahan 

An exploration of the relationship between various democratic and religious traditions.  The course investigates the limitations on religious speech and action necessary to life in a democratic society.  It also examines the impact of various religious traditions in establishing cultural conditions that encourage or oppose the existence of democratic polity.

RELI 392 Process Philosophy/Theology 
Instructor: McDaniel 

In the twentieth century a form of philosophy emerged called “process philosophy.” It is influenced by the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. As the name suggests, it sees the whole world as a dynamic process of becoming, emphasizing that all living beings are dependent on all others, and that even God is “in process” along with the world. Many Christians have been developing ‘process theologies’ that interpret key Christian beliefs with help from Whitehead; and some Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims have done the same. The first part of this course introduces students to the philosophy of Whitehead and its religious expressions, with special focus on Christian process theology. The second half turns to ways in which process philosophy is being applied to a wide range of contemporary social issues: environmental concerns, educational reform, economic theory, world religions, and inter-religious dialogue. 

RELI 461 Topics: Death and Eternal Life 
Instructor: Farthing 

An examination of the significance of mortality and visions of life beyond death in a variety of religious traditions. The meaning of death and the hope for immortality will be explored in relation to a wide range of perspectives, from an acceptance of death as part of human finitude to religious visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, and reincarnation. Prerequisite: junior standing. 

Spring Semester 

RELI 110 The World's Religions: An Introduction 
Instructors: Harris, McDaniel, Sanders 

This course introduces students to the teachings, practices, spiritualities, and histories of many world religions. The religions include to be covered include Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Jainism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and indigenous traditions. Since this course introduces Asian religions in an abbreviated way, students who take this course may also wish to take Introduction to Asian Religions. 

RELI 111 Asian Religions: An Introduction
Instructor: Gorvine 

This course introduces students to religious traditions rooted in Asia. It examines a wide variety of primary and secondary sources to help students recognize and understand the many different ways in which Asian religious communities have attempted to understand the nature of the world (both this world and beyond), human society, and the individual person’s place therein. It includes attention to narrative and philosophical texts, ritual practices, religious experiences, social relationships and historical developments.  

RELI 115 Christianity: An Introduction 
Instructor: Sanders 

Why do Roman Catholics have more books in their Bible than Methodists? Why do some churches refuse to baptize infants? This course surveys the key beliefs and practices of Christianity such as God, creation, sin, redemption, baptism, heaven and hell. Both the unity and diversity within Christendom are examined. This course does not presuppose prior acquaintance with Christianity. 

RELI 124 Introduction to the New Testament 
Instructor: Carnahan   

This course is an introduction to the texts of the New Testament in their historical contexts, using methodologies of modern biblical scholarship (primarily literary, historical, form and redaction criticisms and other methods). The course examines the New Testament canon and associated non-canonical Gnostic texts in light of Hellenistic Jewish and Greco- Roman texts, history, culture and material remains of the first centuries 

RELI 223 Hinduism 
Instructor: Gorvine  

This course is designed as an introduction to the myriad forms of South Asian religious expression designated as “Hinduism.” The course will survey Hinduism’s historical roots and developments, philosophical and ritual innovations, social and ethical ideals, and influential works of literature, relying on both primary and secondary sources. The latter part of the course will center on issues of ongoing relevance to modern day tradition, analyzing, for example, Hindu understandings of religious art and worship, influential works of modern Indian fiction, and current scholarship on contemporary issues and communities. 

RELI 231 History of Christianity since 1500
Instructor: Sanders 

A survey of Christian thought and institutions from 1500 to the present. Special attention is given to the Protestant Reformation and the ongoing impact of cultural trends on Christian beliefs and practices. 

RELI 270 Ecotheology: Religion, Animals and the Earth 
Instructor: McDaniel  

 In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries an important form of religious thinking is emerging called ecotheology. It involves exploring how spirituality is connected with an appreciation of the earth and its many forms of life and how the earth needs to be protected from excessive exploitation. There are Christian versions of ecotheology, Jewish versions, Buddhist versions, and many others, including feminist versions called ecofeminism. In this course we look at a wide variety of forms of ecotheology. A special component of the course focuses on human relations to animals, with attention to the animal rights movement and constructive religious responses to it. 

RELI 319 Religion and Violence  
Instructor: Carnahan 

An investigation of the ways in which religious traditions influence the human use of violent force.  The course explores approaches to the justification and limitation of violence within various religious traditions.  It also examines contemporary sociological theories about the relationship between religious practice and belief and the use of violence.

RELI 337 Contemporary Buddhist Thought 
Instructor: McDaniel  

Religions evolve over time. In the twenty-first century Buddhists are developing ways of thinking and approaches to life that are explicitly intended to be relevant to people throughout the world. Some forms of contemporary Buddhist thought engage in dialogue with the natural sciences; others stress the relevance of Buddhism to environmental concerns; still others emphasize the role that Buddhism can play in enabling people to live spiritually in an age of consumerism. Special focus is on contemporary Zen and Tibetan writing. The course includes an engaged component that involves undertaking a regular practice of breathing meditation or doing a creative art project at the end. 

RELI 366 Religion and Literature 
Instructor: Harris  

An exploration of selected fiction, poetry, and certain kinds of nonfiction such as autobiography and biography to discern how the artist portrays spiritual experiences and perceptions and presents theological themes. Literature from ancient times to the present may be considered. Prerequisite: any course carrying the LS code or permission of the instructor. 

RELI 411 Topics: The Language and Literature of Tibetan Pilgrimage 
Instructor: Gorvine 
TBA

RELI 451 Topics: Catholicism and Orthodoxy 
Instructor: Farthing 

A survey of central themes in the history, beliefs, and practices of Greek Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, followed by a consideration of critical issues facing Orthodoxy and Catholicism in the contemporary world. 

RELI 497 Senior Thesis 
Instructor: Harris  

Building upon the theoretical and methodological principles explored in previous coursework in religion, a program of research will be developed in consultation with a departmental thesis advisor. Individual projects will be subject to peer-review prior to final presentation before the department faculty. 

* * * For up-to-date meeting times, places, and courses open for enrollment, check the college's Course Offerings.  For a full listing of courses offered by the department, see the Hendrix Catalog.