FALL 2026
Full course descriptions available below
CAS RN 101/JS 120: The Bible
Introduction to the great canonical anthologies of Jews and Christians. Students will learn to read for historical context and genre conventions; study classical and modern strategies of interpretation; and create a collaborative commentary or piece of “fan-fiction.” Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 103: Religions of Asia
This course is an introduction to the religious traditions of India, China, Korea, and Japan. The course will cover aspects of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto. We will study the classical forms of each of these traditions and also consider some of the ways they have adapted to the challenges of the modernity. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 104/JS 121: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in historical and cultural context, origins to the present. Examines diversity of practices, belief systems, and social structures within these religions. Also addresses debates within and between communities as well as contemporary controversies and concerns. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 106 A1 (Ali): Death and Immortality
Death is an inescapable fact of life. In all human societies, death poses practical as well as religious, philosophical, and ethical questions. Focusing on ideas, actions, feelings, and objects associated with death, this course explores how a range of historical and present-day traditions, cultures, and individuals have addressed big questions like: Do we have a “self” that dies? Is there an afterlife? If so, how is it informed by our lives in this world? as well as questions like What should we do with dead bodies? How can we come to terms with the deaths of people close to us—and our own mortality? Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 106 C1 (Frankfurter): Death and Immortality
Why is death such a central preoccupation of religious traditions around the world and through history? Why do we recoil from corpses, and why are funerals constructed the way they are (and how do they fail)? Where do souls end up after they leave their bodies, and why do they sometimes haunt us or visit us? Drawing on ancient religious texts and journalistic reports on modern funerary practices, as well as anthropological and religious-studies analysis, this course will confront the major traditions, concerns, fears, and practices around death – all as one area of the study of religion. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 200: Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Religion
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS Religion major, or consent of instructor. – 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. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 203/CI 268/XL 368: Religion and Film
Religions and films are world-building engines. They create — and re-create — a visioning of society as a world of justice, of lived myth, of fantasy, of ideology: a world we may long to live in or a world we wish to avoid at all costs. This course explores such worlds by examining the ways in which religious beliefs, practices and people are portrayed in popular film from the 1960s to the present. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 208/HI 213: Sacred and Secular Power in Christianity and Islam
Explores the relationship between sacred and secular power within the Christian and Islamic traditions, with a focus on how their foundational texts and earliest communities established models for negotiating the porous boundary between the sacred and the secular. Also offered as CAS HI 213.
CAS RN 210: Buddhism
A historical and critical introduction to the major themes of Buddhist thought and practice in India and Southeast Asia, with special attention to the transmission of Buddhism to Tibet and the modern West. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 211/LC 261: Chinese Religion
A historical survey of Chinese religions from the ancient period to modern times. Covers cosmology, divination, philosophy, divine kingship, ancestors, art, the Silk Road, death and afterlives, popular deities, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 213: Hinduism
The course will provide the student with the opportunity to study on an introductory level Hinduism, the majority religion of India and Nepal. It is structured for the student who has had little or no previous background in the study of Hinduism from either an anthropological perspective or from a literary and historical point of view. It will focus on the development of the Hindu textual tradition, the philosophy and mythology it expounds, and the ritual practices related to it. Emphasis will be placed on how Hindu traditions adapted to changing historical conditions. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings.
CAS RN 214: Islam
Nearly one of every four people on the planet is a Muslim. Exploring Islam’s origins in 7th century Arabia, surveying its vibrant intellectual traditions across and beyond the medieval Middle East, and understanding its contested place in the life of communities today, this course prepares students to understand the range of ways Muslims engage the world, from poetry to politics and from marriage to martyrdom. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 216/JS 110: Judaism
Systematic and historical introduction to doctrines, customs, literature, and movements of Judaism; biblical religion and literature; rabbinic life and thought; medieval mysticism and philosophy; modern movement and developments. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 217: Anime to Zen – Japanese Religions
From Anime to Zen, this course introduces Buddhism, Shinto, Christianity, and new religious movements across modern Japan. Students explore multisensory works of art and culture, examine digital media in religious practice, and reflect on the individual in a globalized world. Effective Fall 2026 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration (AEX), The Individual in Community (IIC), and Digital/Multimedia Expression (DME).
CAS RN 239: Religion and Science
Examines the complex relationship between science and religion, focusing on historical episodes (e.g., the “Galileo Affair”) and current controversies (e.g., “Intelligent Design” movement’s influence on school curricula, “Spirituality and Health” research, and “Ecology and Religion.”) Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 245/PH 245: The Quest for God and the Good
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). – An interactive seminar, investigating the meaning and purpose of human life, the significance of God or an Absolute, the role of contemplation and action in the spiritual quest, relationships between philosophy and religious thought, East and West. Effective Fall 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings.
CAS RN 296/AA 296: Religion and Hip Hop
Uses digital media studies to explore diverse religious expressions in hip hop culture. Through critical reading, community field trips, and hands-on technology usage, students consider an often overlooked element in the study of hip hop culture: religion. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 312/RN 612: 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. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 317/CL 216: Greek and Roman Religion
Survey of ancient Greek and Roman religions and their development from earliest beginnings to the eclipse of paganism. Theories and practices of these religions, comparisons with other religions, and relationships to Judaism and Christianity. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS CL 317. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 328/JS 255/RN 628/STH TX 828: Modern Judaism
Encounters between Judaism and modernity from the Renaissance and Reformation; the Spanish expulsion and creation of Jewish centers in the New World; emancipation and its consequences; assimilation, Reform Judaism, Zionism, the American Jewish community, non-European communities, Jewish global migration, and modern antisemitism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 338/JS 348/PH 495/RN 638/STH TT 811: Philosophy and Mysticism – Jewish and Islamic Perspectives
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASEN 120 or WR 100 or WR 120). An interactive seminar — a thematic introduction to mysticism and philosophy, with a focus on the dynamics of religious experience. Readings will be drawn from medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophy; Sufi mysticism and philosophy; Kabbalah, Sufi poetry, Hebrew poetry from the Golden Age of Muslim Spain. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings.
CAS RN 383/AA 383/RN 683/AA 683: African Diaspora Religions
This course introduces students to religions of the African Diaspora, with a specific focus on the Caribbean and the Americas. Religious traditions such as Africana Christianity, Cuban Santería, Haitian Vodou, Brazilian Candomblé, and African American Spiritualism will be explored. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 384/JS 260/RN 684/STH TX 884: The Holocaust
Rise of German (and European) antisemitism; rise of Nazism; 1935 Nuremberg Laws; the initial Jewish reaction; racial theory; organizing mass murder including ghettos, concentration camps, killing squads, and gas chambers; bystanders and collaborators (countries, organizations, and individuals); Jewish resistance; post-Holocaust religious responses; moral and ethical issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 397/PH 456/RN 697: Topics Philosophy and Religion
Topic for Fall 2026: Heidegger’s Lectures on the Phenomenology of Religion. We will slow-read Heidegger’s Winter 1920-21 lectures and related philosophical and theological literature. Among the authors Heidegger engages is the Apostle Paul, who remains a major figure in late 20th– and early 21st-century political theology. We will read Heidegger to understand why Paul has remained vital. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 468/AN 568/RN 768/STH TX 868: Symbol, Myth, and Rite
Examines ways of understanding ritual and its resurgence; working through some of the most important approaches to ritual in the social sciences and religious studies; beginning with how ritual relates humanity to the sacred, to the problem of meaning and its role in creating and potentially transforming boundaries. Course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 532/AN 532: Literacy and Islam in Africa
Examines the Islamization of Africa and literary traditions. Students learn about African texts written in the Arabic script (Ajami) and the spread of Islam and its Africanization throughout the continent. Texts written by enslaved Africans in the Americas are examined.
CAS RN 561/IR 561: Religion and International Relations
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing and consent of instructor. – Explores the role of religion in contemporary international relations. Reviews scholarly and policy literature, case studies, and texts from anthropology, sociology, political science, and religious studies to elucidate religion’s intellectual and operational diversity in world affairs.
CAS RN 612/RN 312: Buddhism in America
The transplantation and transformation of Buddhism in the United States. Time period ranges from the 18th century to the present, but the emphasis is on contemporary developments, including the new Asian immigration, Jewish Buddhism, feminization, and engaged Buddhism. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 628/RN 328/JS 255/STH TX 828: Modern Judaism
Encounters between Judaism and modernity from the Renaissance and Reformation; the Spanish expulsion and creation of Jewish centers in the New World; emancipation and its consequences; assimilation, Reform Judaism, Zionism, the American Jewish community, non-European communities, Jewish global migration, and modern antisemitism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 638/RN 338/JS 348/PH 495/STH TT 811: Philosophy and Mysticism, Jewish and Islamic Perspectives
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASEN 120 or WR 100 or WR 120). An interactive seminar — a thematic introduction to mysticism and philosophy, with a focus on the dynamics of religious experience. Readings will be drawn from medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophy; Sufi mysticism and philosophy; Kabbalah, Sufi poetry, Hebrew poetry from the Golden Age of Muslim Spain. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings.
CAS RN 683/RN 383/AA 383/AA 683: African Diaspora Religions
This course introduces students to religions of the African Diaspora, with a specific focus on the Caribbean and the Americas. Religious traditions such as Africanized Christianity, Cuban Santería, Haitian Vodou, Brazilian Candomblé, and African American Spiritualism will be explored. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 684/RN 384/JS 260/STH TX 884: The Holocaust
Rise of German (and European) antisemitism; rise of Nazism; 1935 Nuremberg Laws; the initial Jewish reaction; racial theory; organizing mass murder including ghettos, concentration camps, killing squads, and gas chambers; bystanders and collaborators (countries, organizations, and individuals); Jewish resistance; post-Holocaust religious responses; moral and ethical issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 697/RN 397/PH 456: Topics in Philosophy and Religion
Topic for Fall 2026: Heidegger’s Lectures on the Phenomenology of Religion. We will slow-read Heidegger’s Winter 1920-21 lectures and related philosophical and theological literature. Among the authors Heidegger engages is the Apostle Paul, who remains a major figure in late 20th– and early 21st-century political theology. We will read Heidegger to understand why Paul has remained vital. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 768/RN 468/AN 568/STH TX 868: Symbol, Myth, and Rite
Examines ways of understanding ritual and its resurgence; working through some of the most important approaches to ritual in the social sciences and religious studies; beginning with how ritual relates humanity to the sacred, to the problem of meaning and its role in creating and potentially transforming boundaries. Course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Critical Thinking.