Religion Department Course List: Spring 2025
CAS RN100
Introduction to Religion
James Hill Jr. | MWF, 11:15 AM-12:05 PM
Religion matters. It makes meaning and provides structure to life, addressing fundamental questions about body, spirit, community, and time. But what is it? How does it work in our world? This course explores religion in ritual, philosophical, experiential, and ethical dimensions. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. 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 103
Religions of Asia
Yair Lior | MWF, 10:10 AM-11:00 AM
Study of Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Focus on the world view of each tradition and the historical development of that world view. 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 106 A1
Death and Immortality
Laura Harrington | T/R 11:00 AM-12:15 PM
Death is an inescapable fact of life, and all religious and philosophical traditions attempt to come to grips with it. This course will explore the ways a range of Euro-American and Asian religious and philosophical traditions have sought to accept, deny, defeat, negotiate or transcend death. Do we have a “self” that dies? Is there an afterlife, and how is it informed by our lives in this world? How do afterlife models reflect community demands for justice and agency? Drawing on pre-modern and contemporary texts, films, and visual imagery, we will cover topics including selfhood, reincarnation, resurrection, rites of passage, ancestor worship and cryogenics. 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 203/CAS CI 268/CAS XL 270
Religion and Film
Laura Harrington | MWF, 1:25PM-2:15PM
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. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 206
Scriptures in World Religions
Diana Lobel | MWF, 1:25PM-2:15 PM
Introduction to scriptures in world religions, investigating the ways sacred books express, interpret, and make possible religious experience and ethical reflection. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. This course fulfills units in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS RN 209
Religion, Health, and Medicine
Anthony Petro | T/R, 9:30 AM-10:45 AM
How religious and moral narratives inform approaches to biomedicine from the nineteenth century to the present, including understandings of disease, illness, health, sexuality, and the body. Topics include medicine and prayer, alternative medicine, and boundaries between medicine and religion. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 249/CAS JS 379
Islamophobia
Adam Seligman | MWF, 11:15 AM-12:05 PM
Explores historical and contemporary manifestations of Islamophobia and antisemitism. Students are exposed to wide range of relevant written and visual texts as well as theoretical approaches. Includes active learning component and collaborative presentations by students. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
RN 294/AA 294
Religion and Black Popular Music
James Hill Jr. | MWF 2:30 PM-3:20 PM
In Religion and Black Popular Music, students examine the interplay between religious themes and Black popular music, analyzing cultural significance and social impact. The course emphasizes interpreting and appreciating the role of religion in shaping artistic expression and collective identity.
CAS RN 322/CAS JS 252/CAS RN 622/STH TX 822
History of Judaism
Steven Katz | T/R, 12:30 PM-1:45 PM
This class surveys Jewish history from the classical period to modern times. It covers: the destruction of the 1st Temple; the encounter with Hellenism; the Roman period; the destruction of the 2nd Temple; the rise and influence of rabbinic Judaism; the medieval era under Muslim and Christian rule; medieval antisemitism; Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah); and philosophy (Maimonides). For the modern era we will discuss: the Renaissance; the Reformation; the complex issue of Emancipation; coming to America; the growth of American Judaism; religious reform; modern antisemitism; and Zionism. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 326/CAS JS 246/STH TX 818/CAS RN 626
Jewish Mysticism
Yair Lior | MWF, 12:20 PM-1:10 PM
This course explores the rich world of Jewish Mysticism from its earliest roots to its contemporary expressions in the 21st century. We look at the interaction between Jewish mystics and major western schools of thought such as Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Aristotelianism, and Sufism. The course also introduces students to the Kabbalistic tradition and its various historical manifestations. No prior knowledge of Hebrew or other themes in Jewish studies required. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 345/CAS RN 645/STH TX 845
Shariah Law
Kecia Ali | T/R, 9:30AM-10:45AM
Shariah Law looks behind the stereotypes and headlines–despotic rulers, barbaric punishments, women’s oppression–to understand the origins, history, and structure of Islamic law. Explores its implementation in various times and places, modern transformations, and contemporary debates over legal reform. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
RN 350
Comparative Religious Ethics
Catherine Klancer | T/R, 12:30 PM-1:45 PM
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). – This course invites students to consider what organized religion has to offer those seeking to live a good life by looking at the ethical teachings of two Western (Judaism and Christianity) and two Eastern (Confucianism and Buddhism) traditions. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS RN 356/GRS AA 356/GRS AA 656/GRS RN 656
Digital Religion
Margarita Guillory | T/R, 11:00 AM-12:15 PM
How has technology impacted religion? This hands-on course explores how digital technologies like the Internet, social media, gaming, and artificial intelligence have changed the way that people think about religion. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Writing-Intensive Course, Creativity/Innovation. Pre-req: First-Year Writing Seminar
CAS RN 365/CAS RN 665/CAS AH 325
Art, Media, and Buddhism
April Hughes | T/R, 2:00 PM-3:15 PM
Examines how textual, visual, and material forms of religious expressions have been conceptualized by Buddhists as well as how Buddhist objects are understood and re- contextualized in the West. Topics include: self- immolation; museums; war propaganda, and pop culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration
CAS RN 382/HI 349/AA 382/GRS AA 882/GRS RN 682
History of Religion in Pre-Colonial Africa
Thornton | MWF, 1:25PM-2:15PM
The study of the development of religious traditions in Africa during the period prior to European colonialism. An emphasis on both indigenous religions and the growth and spread of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the continent as a whole. Also offered as CAS AA 382 and CAS HI 349. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.
CAS RN 410/CAS HI 410/CAS RN 710/ STH TX 87? (waiting for # from STH)
Religion, Community, and Culture in Medieval Spain
Deeana Klepper | R, 3:30 PM-6:15 PM
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). – Interactions between Muslims, Christians, and Jews in medieval Europe’s most religiously diverse region — from the establishment of an Islamic al-Andalus in 711 CE to the final Christian “reconquest” of the peninsula and expulsion of the Jews in 1492 CE. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 420/CAS PH 409/CAS RN 720/CAS PH 609/STH TX 879
Maimonides
Michael Zank | M, 6:30 PM-9:15 PM
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. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
RN 432/RN 732/WS 432/ STH TX 810
Gender, Sexuality, and Buddhism
April Hughes | T/R, 11:00-12:15
Examines gender and sexuality in various Buddhist cultures from a broad range of time periods such as ancient India, medieval China, and modern America. Topics include: family, the body, lust, abortion, and menstruation. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 450/ RN 750
Topics in Religion, Science, and Medicine
Daigengna Duoer | M, 2:30-5:15
May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Topic for Spring 2025: Healing and the Body in East Asian Religions. From Ayurveda to Zen, this course explores diverse healing practices and understandings of the human body across various East Asian religious traditions. Covering topics such as Buddhist medicine, Daoist remedies, Mongolian shamanism, and Shinto purification rituals, we discuss how different East Asian religions interpret the body within their philosophical and cosmological frameworks, as well as how practical healing applications were developed and performed. Effective Fall 2021, this course carries a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 452/CAS PH 496/CAS RN 752/STH TT 838
Topics in Religious Thought
Diana Lobel | TR, 2:00PM-3:15PM
Topic for Fall Spring 2025: What is happiness? How can we achieve a balanced, healthy, fulfilling life? Classical thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, Chuang Tzu; Stoic, Epicurean, Confucian, Buddhist paths; comparison with contemporary studies on happiness and mindfulness. This course fulfills units in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings. Pre-req: CAS WR 120 or equivalent and one course from among the following: Religion, Philosophy, Core Curriculum (CC 101 and/or CC 102).
CAS RN 453/CAS RN 753/CAS WS 453
Topics in Religion and Sexuality
Siobhan Kelly | T, 3:30 PM-6:15 PM
Exploration of key topics and themes in the study of religion and sexuality, especially as they intersect with gender, race, and politics. Historical periods and religious contexts vary according to instructor. Topic for Spring 2025: Queer and Trans Religion. Religious language figures prominently in both attacks on and affirmations of queer and trans existence. We use religious studies and queer and trans studies to analyze fiction, film, and poetry that explores the relationships between gender, sexuality, and religion. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 460/CAS RN 760/STH TX805 /CAS JS 460
Seminar on the Holocaust
Steven Katz | T/R, 3:30 PM-4:45 PM
This course will examine historical, ethical and religious issues arising from the Holocaust. We will discuss antisemitism and ideology; what communities were considered “other”; human motivation regarding collaborators, perpetrators and bystanders; the role of individuals, organizations and governments; the treatment of women; the ethics of resistance; the behavior of the Jewish Councils; and attitudes to the existence of God during and after the Holocaust. We will also compare the Holocaust to contemporary crises now occurring around the world. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS RN 470/CAS RN 770/CAS HI 407/STH TX871
Topics in Medieval Religious Culture
Jennifer Hunt | W, 2:30-5:15
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar ( e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120). – Topic for Spring 2025: TBA. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.