College of Arts & Sciences

Religion

Chair Deeana Klepper

Director, Undergraduate Programs Michael Zank

Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities Wiesel

William Goodwin Aurelio Professor Fredriksen

Professors Hart, Katz, Levine, Neville, Olson, Prothero, Seligman

Associate Professors Eckel, Klawans, Klepper, Korom, Lobel, Zank

Assistant Professors Ali, Cogan, Lehrich, Michael

Professors Emeriti Berger, Mason, Swartz

The academic study of religion provides students with an excellent cross-cultural grounding in the humanities and social sciences and is a challenging and personally rewarding area for those preparing for careers in law, journalism, social work, professional service in religious institutions, and for graduate study leading to teaching careers in religious studies. Students of international relations frequently find a major or minor concentration in religion particularly helpful for understanding the influence of long-standing ideological conflicts on contemporary events. Students in the natural sciences frequently find a minor concentration in religion appealing given the moral complexity of technology and the medical and health sciences.

Students planning to concentrate in religion should contact the department office for a detailed outline of requirements.

Concentrators and co-concentrators must meet with the departmental Director of Undergraduate Programs in order to choose a faculty advisor. Concentrators will then consult their faculty advisor regularly when planning their programs of study.

Concentration in Religion (1510)

Ten courses completed with a grade of C or higher. All concentrators must take two 100-level courses, two 200-level courses, two 300-level courses, and CAS RN 495. The three additional required courses may be taken at the 200, 300, or 400 level, with no more than one at the 200 level. Concentrators are strongly encouraged to take CAS RN 103 and 104. Alternatively, they may take one course in “Religious Traditions” (CAS RN 100, 103, or 104) and one in “Comparative Themes” (CAS RN 101, 102, 106, 108, 121, or 122). Students who have successfully completed CAS CC 101 (Core Humanities I) or CAS CC 102 (Core Humanities II) or both may substitute these courses for the required 100-level religion course(s).

Religion concentrators may elect either 1) a general program of study that ensures broad exposure to at least three areas of specialization, or 2) a specialized program that ensures expertise in one particular area of specialization. Students in the general program are required to take at least two courses in each of three chosen areas of specialization (as indicated below). Students in the specialized program are required to take at least five courses in their area of specialization; in addition, they must take four courses outside their chosen area: CAS RN 495 and three other courses. Major concentrators in either program may, with the approval of their advisor, count toward the concentration a maximum of two related courses taken in other departments. Students who have completed both CAS CC 101 (Core Humanities I) and CAS CC 102 (Core Humanities II) and who have applied those courses toward the required 100-level religion courses will normally not be allowed to count any additional courses from other departments toward the concentration.

Areas of specialization are: Christian studies, comparative philosophy of religion, East Asian studies, Islamic studies, Judaic studies, religion in America, religion and culture, and South Asian studies.

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Concentration in Anthropology & Religion (2219)

For information about this joint concentration, see Anthropology.

Concentration in Classics & Religion (1546)

For information about this joint concentration, see Classical Studies.

Concentration in Philosophy & Religion (1520)

For information about this joint concentration, see Philosophy.

BA/MA Concentration in Religion (1510)

The BA/MA concentration in religion is a flexible program that can be designed to meet a broad range of intellectual and personal needs—including the needs of those students preparing for teaching careers in secondary education. The concentration consists of at least 18 courses (including CAS RN 495) completed with a grade of B or higher, 10 of which must be at the 500 level or above. Admission to the program is competitive and normally occurs at the beginning of the student’s junior year. Students considering the program should consult with an advisor as early as possible in order to formulate an appropriate plan of study. They should also meet with the departmental Director of Undergraduate Programs to discuss the application procedure. Please refer to Special Courses and Programs under College of Arts & Sciences on this site for general information about BA/MA programs.

Minor Concentration in Religion (1510)

Six courses completed with a grade of C or higher, including one course at the 100 level and at least one but not more than two courses at the 200 level. The remaining courses must be taken at the 300 level or higher. Core Curriculum students may substitute either CAS CC 101 or CAS CC 102 for the required 100-level course. Students who take CAS RN 103 and 104 may count both of those courses toward the minor, which they would then complete with at least one but not more than two 200-level courses, and the remaining courses at the 300 level or above. All minor concentrators who do not complete both CAS RN 103 and 104 must take courses above the 100 level in at least two different religious traditions. Minor concentrators may, with the approval of their minor advisor in the Department of Religion, count toward the concentration one course taken in another department.

Minor Concentration in Judaic Studies (1585)

See Judaic Studies.

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Courses

Courses marked with a (†) satisfy divisional studies requirements.

†CAS RN 100 Religion and Culture

Introduction to the history of religions with special emphasis on the classical periods of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and to the scientific study of religion. Attention is focused on the cultural contributions of religion in ways that invite further investigation and study. Lobel, Purohit. 4 cr, either sem. (HU)

†CAS RN 101 The Bible

Designed for the student who will take only one or two courses in religious studies, this course introduces the Bible as a foundational source of Western culture. In addition to basic knowledge of Hebrew and Christian scriptures, the student may expect to gain an appreciation of biblical themes in Western literature and art. Zank. 4 cr, 2nd sem. (HU)

†CAS RN 102 Sacred Journeys

An introduction to the comparative study of religion through scriptural images, travelers’ accounts, and mystical reflection on the theme of the sacred journey in religious quest in Native American traditions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Hudson. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

†CAS RN 103 Religions of the World: Eastern

Study of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Focus on the world view of each tradition and the historical development of that world view. Korom, Eckel. 4 cr, either sem. (HU)

†CAS RN 104 Religions of the World: Western

Continues but does not presuppose CAS RN 103. The study of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Introduction to the development, thought, practices, and influence of these religions. Ali, Swartz. 4 cr, either sem. (HU)

CAS RN 106 Death and Immortality

Examines death as religious traditions have attempted to accept, defeat, deny, or transcend it. Do we have souls? Do they reincarnate? Other topics include cremation, ancestor worship, apocalypse, alchemy, AIDS, near-death experiences, otherworld cosmologies. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 111 Multireligious America

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 122 Religion in America II

A survey of the history of religion in the United States from the Civil War to the present, focusing on a series of religious controversies that highlight the pluralistic and conflictive nature of American religious history. Knowles. 4 cr, 1st sem.

†CAS RN 201 The Hebrew Bible

Study of the literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the religious faith to which these writings bear witness within the context of the history of the ancient Israelite community. Klawans. 4 cr, 1st sem. (HU)

†CAS RN 202 From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of Christianity

Places Jesus of Nazareth in his contemporary religious and social context of Second Temple Judaism; accounts for the origins and growth of Christian life, belief, and spirituality up to the second century, as reflected in the writings of that period. Fredriksen. 4 cr, 1st sem. (HU)

CAS RN 204 Topics in Religion and the Visual Arts

Explores interplay between religion and art through the study of historical and contemporary examples. Topic changes each year. May be repeated for credit. Topic for Spring 2010: The Bible at the Movies. Examines themes, religious ideas, and social settings of biblical texts and modern films, considering the creation of ideas of gods, faith, religion, gender roles, and other theological and social issues. Lenk. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 209 Roman Catholicism

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 210 Buddhism

A historical introduction to the major themes of Indian Buddhist thought and practice with special attention to the development of Buddhism in Tibet. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 211 Chinese Religion

A historical survey of Chinese religion. Covers ancient mythology, cosmology, shamanism, and ritual; the traditional state cult, Daoist mysticism, and immortality; Buddhist schools and Non-Confucian worldview; and sectarian movements and popular cults. Michael. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 212 Christianity

Introduction to Christian thought and practice in a world context, origins to present. Topics include sin, salvation, sacrament, sacred text, bodies and souls, community, authority and the individual, Christians and non-Christians, and the challenge of modernity. Knust. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 213 Hinduism

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 214 Islam

The rise and spread of Islam from the seventh century to the present; introduction to its central beliefs, institutions, and practices, and its impact on the religious and cultural history of Asia and Africa. Continuity and change in the modern period. Ali, Purohit. 4 cr, either sem.

CAS RN 215 Japanese Religion

Introduction to Japanese religions, including Shintoism and Zen, Pure Land, and Tantric Buddhism. Focus on Zen Buddhism and its cultural expression in both geido (way of the arts) and bushdo (way of the warrior). Brief examination of the modern Japanese philosophy of religion. Cogan. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 216 Judaism

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 219 Mysticism and Philosophy: Medieval Jewish Perspectives

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 220 The Holy City: Jerusalem in Time, Space, and Imagination

Jerusalem as a holy city: its importance in historical experience and theological understanding of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Zank. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 239 Religion and Science

Examines the complex relationship between science and religion, focusing on historical episodes (e.g., the “Galileo Affair”) and curent controversies (e.g., “Intelligent Design” movement’s influence on school curricula, “Spirituality and Health” research, and “Ecology and Religion.”) Wegter-McNelly. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 240 Made in God's Image: The Divine-Human Relationship

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 242 Magic, Science, and Religion

Boundaries and relationships between magic, science, and religion from late antiquity through the European Enlightenment. Topics include transformation of pagan traditions, distinctions between learned and popular traditions, and changing assumptions about God and nature. Klepper. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 245 Religious Thought: The Quest for God and the Good

Introduction to religious thought, exploring the aims of human life, the place of God in the good life, and the role of contemplation and action in the spiritual quest. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Augustine, Maimonides, Ghazzali. Lobel. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 247 Religion and Healing

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 301 Varieties of Early Christianity

Surveys the many different and often competing forms of Christianity that arose and flourished in the second to the seventh century, from the “apostolic period” to the Arab conquest in the Middle East. Lenk. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 302 Early Christian Women

An examination of the lives, concerns, and roles of women during the first four Christian centuries. Engages texts that present women as disciples, missionaries, ascetics, and church leaders, with attention to ancient gender constructions. Lenk. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 303 Christian Thought I

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 304 Christian Thought II

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 305 The Bible in the Medieval World

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 307 Medieval Christianity

Explores Christian beliefs and practices in medieval Europe within and outside formal church structures. Topics include accommodation of pagan culture, constructing identity, clerical and lay piety, heterodox practice and institutional response, and encounter with non-Christian traditions. Klepper. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 312 Buddhism in America

The transplantation and transformation of Buddhism in the United States. Time period ranges from the eighteenth century to the present, but the emphasis is on contemporary developments, including the new Asian immigration, Jewish Buddhism, feminization, and engaged Buddhism. Cogan. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 313 Hinduism in America

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 318 Religion and American Foreign Policy

Introduction to the historical roots and contemporary relevance of religion for American foreign policy. Uses conventional chronological approaches to explore key themes that illustrate the role of religion as input and object of American foreign policy. Also offered as CAS IR 318. Podromou. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 319 Midrash: Classical Rabbinic Biblical Interpretation

Explores rabbinic biblical interpretation in its literary, cultural, and historical context (second to seventh centuries CE). Examines how the rabbis read the Bible, and what these interpretations tell us about Jews and Judaism in the ancient world. Lenk. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 320 Readings in Classical Hebrew

Prereq: CAS LH 212 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. Surveys, in original Hebrew, selections from ancient Jewish religious texts, from Hebrew Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Rabbinic literature. Reviews grammar and syntax as needed. Attention to development of Hebrew language in historical context. Theme of readings for Spring 2010: Judaism and Justice, Human and Divine. Also offered as CAS LH 320. Klawans. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 321 Wisdom Tradition in Ancient Israel and Judaism

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 322 History of Judaism

Major trends in post-biblical Judaism; academy and synagogue; Mishna and Talmud; Babylonian diaspora; medieval poetry, philosophy, and mysticism; codes of law; organization of the Jewish community “in exile”, the land of Israel; Jewish, Islamic, and Christian civilizations. Levine. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 323 Classical Jewish Thought

Basic human and religious issues as they have been understood within the classical Jewish framework of God, the people of Israel, and Torah: good and evil, creation, the relationship of human beings to God and to one another. Lobel. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 324 Introduction to Rabbinic Literature

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 325 Jewish Mysticism

Analysis of the development of Jewish mysticism from the biblical to the early medieval era. Emphasis on the forms of mysticism—and the texts in which they are embedded—from the rabbinic era. No knowledge of Hebrew is required. Katz. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 328 Judaism in the Modern Period

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 329 Modern Jewish Thought

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 330 American Judaism

Surveys reciprocal relations between American society and culture, Jews and Judaism in major periods. Analysis of texts, images, and imaginative works are used to reflect patterns of modernization in a comparative perspective with other Jewish communities and other American minorities. Levine. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 333 Anti-Semitism

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 334 Dead Sea Scrolls

Examination of the ancient Hebrew documents discovered in the Judean desert. Their authorship; the theological significance of the Scrolls; their relations to Ancient Judaism and early Christianity; the controversy over their release and publication. Klawans. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 335 Judaism in the First Century

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 337 Gender and Judaism

Prereq: CAS RN 101 or CAS RN 216 or CAS AN 260. Jewish monotheism examined from the perspectives of gender theory, feminism, and homoeroticism. Themes include religion and gender, women and homosexuals as “other” in Jewish and Christian thought, difficult traditional texts and their reappropriation, issues in contemporary spirituality. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 340 The Quran

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 341 Islamic Mysticism: Sufism

Rise and development of the mystical movement in early Islam; analysis of the thought of leading Sufi brotherhoods, their organization, liturgy, and religious life; the impact of Sufism on classical and postclassical Islam. Purohit. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 344 Islam and the West

Examination of religious and intellectual interaction of Islam and the West during the Middle Ages: philosophy, theology, jurisprudence, mystical thought, and ethical theory. Literary and scientific influences also considered. Ali. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 345 Islamic Law

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 347 Islamic Theology and Philosophy

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 360 Daoist Religion

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 362 Chinese Medicine

Prereq: junior or senior standing. A wide range of traditional Chinese health and religious practices, interpreted in light of ancient concepts of body and mind, illness and health, and the like. Techniques are discussed, as well as magical, ritual, and popular healing. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 363 Zen Buddhism

A study of Zen teachings and practices as a sect of Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, as a philosophic system, and as a pattern of culture. Michael. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 364 Buddhist Literature

Focuses on Buddhist sutras and other literature to explore key issues of doctrine, philosophy, and praxis in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions of Buddhism. Topics include the Buddha’s life, practicing the path, emptiness, and interdependence. Michael. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 375 Culture, Society, and Religion in South Asia

Ethnographic and historical introduction to the Indian subcontinent with a focus on the impact of religion on cultural practices and social institutions. Korom. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 384 The Holocaust Background of German (and European) anti-Semitism

Rise of Nazism and early oppression, initial Jewish reaction, mechanics of destruction, ghettos, camps, world response and nonresponse, literature of the Holocaust, and religious implications. Katz, Levine. 4 cr, either sem.

CAS RN 387 Anthropology of Religion

Prereq: CAS AN 101 or consent of instructor. Myth, ritual, and religious experience across cultures. Special attention to the problem of religious symbolism and meaning, religious conversion and revitalization, contrasts between traditional and world religions, and the relation of religious knowledge to science, magic, and ideology. Korom. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 388 Oral Tradition as Verbal Art

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 389 Moses and the Origin of Monotheism

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 390 New Testament Literature

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 397 Topics in Philosophy and Religion

Topic for Fall 2009: Narratives and Meanings. What is the philosophical and religious importance of narrative? What do the stories we tell ourselves and each other reveal about who we are? This course parallels a series of interdisciplinary lectures by visiting and Boston University professors in the Institute for Philosophy & Religion. Speight. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 401, 402 Senior Independent Work

Prereq: approval of the Honors Committee. 4 cr each, 1st & 2nd sem.

CAS RN 413 Gender in Medieval Christian Mysticism

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 415 Traditional African Religions in the Diaspora

Exploration of original West African religions and their survival in the Americas: Cadomble, Umbanda, Macumba in Brazil; Santeria in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere; Sango in Trinidad and Tobago; and Vodun in Haiti. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 420 Maimonides

A study of major aspects of the thought of Maimonides. Primary focus on the Guide of the Perplexed, with attention to its modern reception in works by Baruch Spinoza, Hermann Cohen, Leo Strauss, and others. Also offered as CAS PH 409. Zank. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 425 Topics in South Asian Religions

Specific aspects of South Asian religions within a historical or comparative/phenomenological framework. Two topics are offered 2009/2010. Students may take one or both for credit. Fall 2009: Religion and Politics in South Asia. Explores the relationship between religion and politics in colonial and post-colonial South Asia through readings of primary texts as well as debates on religious reform/revival, nationalism, caste, and partition. Spring 2010: South Asian Religions and Diaspora Studies. A survey of the diffusion of South Asian religions out of the Indian subcontinent from the nineteenth century to the present. Korom, Purohit. 4 cr, either sem.

CAS RN 427 Topics in American Religion

Topic for Spring 2010: TBA. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 430 Topics in East Asian Religions

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 435 Women, Gender, and Islam

Prereq: CAS RN 104 or CAS RN 214 or equivalent. Investigates the way Muslim religious discourse, norms, and practices create and sustain gender and hierarchy in religious, social, and familial life. Looks at historical and contemporary challenges posed to these structures. Ali. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 439 Jewish Bioethics

Prereq: junior standing or consent of instructor. Exploration of Jewish perspectives on life, death and dying, abortion, the new reproductive technologies, organ transplantation, and genetic engineering. Examination of the impact of the Nazi doctors, racial hygiene, euthanasia, and genocide on contemporary bioethics. Grodin. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 441 Hermeneutics

Analysis of literary works, ancient and modern, informed by hermeneutical theories of Heidegger, Gadamer, and Ricoeur. Attention to structure and meaning of symbol, myth, narrative; religious, philosophical, and poetic discourse; problems of self, world, and the Divine. Olson. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 443 Problem of Evil

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 449 Dante's Journey to God

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 450 Philosophy of Religion

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 451 Topics in Continental Philosophy of Religion

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 452 Topics in Religious Thought

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 453 Topics in Religion and Sexuality

Topic for Fall 2009: The Body and Sexuality in Classical Religious Texts. Treats foundational primary sources in translation on sex and the body in several world religions. Consideration of differences in sources: genre, gender, modern/classical. Traditions include Greek, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist. Michael. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 468 Symbol, Myth, and Ritual

Historical overview of ritual behavior, the role of symbolism in the study of culture, and the narrative quality of worldview and belief. Emphasis on verbal performance and public display events in specific cultural contexts. Seligman. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 469 Critique of Religion

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 470 Topics in Medieval Religious Culture

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 495 Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Religion

Origins and history of the academic study of religion. Different constructions of religion as an object of study and the methods that arise from them. The role of the humanities and social sciences in understanding religion’s place in history and contemporary experience. Lehrich. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 498 Topics in Ancient Christianity

Topic for Fall 2009: Augustine, Conversions, and Confessions. Explores the changes in Augustine’s spiritual convictions from his dozen years as a Manichaean heretic, through his discovery of Neoplatonism, to his new understanding of Paul’s letters, and his brilliant revisioning of his journey in the Confessions. Fredriksen. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 499 Topics in Judaic Studies

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 524 Topics in Religion and Literature

Prereq: junior standing and one course in literature, or religion, or consentof instructor. Two topics are offered Spring 2010. Students may take one or both for credit. Topic for Section A1: Epic and Empire. Investigates the relationship between politics, religion, and ideology in the epic traditions of Gilgamesh, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. Attends not only to the formation of these epics but also to their contemporary significance. Topic for Section B1: What Defines Jewish Literature? Study, attentive to social contexts, of works written in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, and German from the seventeenth century to today. Various genres: autobiography, novel, short fiction, and parable. Writers include Glückel, Peretz, Agnon, Kafka, Bellow, Oz. (Readings in English translation; original languages optional.) Also offered as CAS XL 560. Hudson, Gillman. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 543 Spiritual Affinities in Practice

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS RN 555 Dante’s Hell

A close reading of one text, Dante Aligheri’s Inferno, with attention to its medieval contexts: philosophical, theological, and historical. Analysis of the poetic means by which Dante represents both human evil and human hope. Bi-lingual text. Lectures and discussion in English. Also offered as CAS LI 555 and CAS XL 383. Costa. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 556 Dante: The Divine Comedy II: Purgatorio and Paradiso

Focus on the literary, philosophical, and theological ideas Dante uses to represent his experience of himself and of human nature. Bi-lingual texts. Lectures and discussions in English. Also offered as CAS LI 556. Costa. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 560 The Politics of Religion, Ethnicity, and Nationalism in International Relations

Prereq: junior standing. Explores causes, consequences, and patterns of resurgent religion, ethnicity, and nationalism in post-Cold War international relations, using interdisciplinary scholarship, policy literatures, and case studies. Rosenberg. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 561 Religion and International Relations

Prereq: junior standing and consent of instructor. Meets with CAS IR 561. Explores the role of religion in contemporary international relations in the context of questions about the common core of modernity. Reviews scholarly and policy literature, and case studies, in order to elucidate religion’s intellectual and operational diversity in international relations. Prodromou. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 583 Literature of Memory V: Faith and Destruction

Prereq: junior, senior, or graduate standing. Examines the role of faith—as question, outcry, and absurdity—during and after the Holocaust. The role of faith in catalyzing resistance or causing resignation to evil, the varieties of faith, and the faith and doubt of survivors are examined. Is faith after devastation possible? How were survivors’ beliefs transformed? Is absurd faith still faith? Wiesel. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS RN 584 Literature of Memory VI: Biblical Choices

Prereq: junior, senior, or graduate standing. Examines some of the fateful decisions faced by biblical characters, from Adam and Eve through David. Is there a biblical theology of decision-making? What is the nature of choice and human agency in the biblical economy? Morality, narrative, and theology serve as guiding issues. Close reading of biblical and secondary texts. Wiesel. 4 cr, 1st sem.

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