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The Religion major is designed to serve as a focus of a liberal arts education for the general student and as a pre-professional foundation for those pursuing the study of religion beyond the baccalaureate degree. Some courses in the Religion Department are cross-referenced or cross-listed with other programs of study in the College—e.g., African American Studies, East Asian Studies, Jewish Studies, and Gender and Women's Studies. While offering a broad focus in the humanities and in the study of religion, the major also affords an opportunity for concentrated study in particular religious traditions and specific areas of religious thought and practice. Students who contemplate graduate study in religion or professional study in seminary or rabbinical school after graduation are advised to consult with the chair or other members of the department as early in their undergraduate careers as possible. Entry-Level Courses and Sequence Suggestions. The Department of Religion offers nine introductory courses dealing with traditions and topics in the scholarly study of religion. These courses—101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, and 109—have the same purpose but draw on different traditions and topics. These courses may best meet the needs of students who seek only one course in Religion, or they may serve as a first course for students who plan further study in the department. They are not, however, prerequisites for coursework at the 200 level. The department also offers several "First-Year Seminar Program" (FYSP) courses and "Colloquia for First- and Second-Year Students" as indicated in the course listing. Seminars (taught at the 300 level) require the consent of the instructor, and students taking them will ordinarily have done previous 200-level coursework in subject matter relevant to the topic of the seminar. Major. The major consists of 27 hours in the department. Under ordinary circumstances, no more than one course from FYSP or Colloquia for First- and Second-Year Students may be counted in the 27 hours required for the major. Also, no more than one of the nine "Introduction to Religion" (RELG 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, and 109) courses may be counted in the 27 hours required for the major. Students majoring in Religion must complete the following: (1) Take one designated core course at the 200 level in at least 4 of the 10 areas in which coursework is offered. The 10 areas, and courses that fall within each area, are listed below. The "core" courses are those marked with an asterisk (*). American Religious History: 282*, 284*, 285 Christian History: 216*, 217*, 218* East Asian Religions: 235*, 236*, 238* Ethics: 245*, 246*, 247, 248*, 249 Gender and Religion: 261*, 262*, 263 Islam: 270*, 271, 272*, 274 Jewish and Christian Scriptures: 205*, 206*, 208* Judaism: 250*, 251*, 252, 255, 258 Modern Religious Thought: 225*, 226*, 227*, 228 South Asian Religions: 231*, 232, 233* (2) Take at least one additional course at the 200 level in one of the four areas in which they have taken a "core" course, thus forming a small concentration. The second 200-level course need not be a "core" course. (3) Take one seminar at the 300 level. Majors are encouraged to take the seminar within the area of their concentration. Students planning graduate or professional study in Religion or simply seeking an enhanced and more comprehensive major are encouraged to consider the following additions to their course of study beyond the basic 27 hours required for the major: a. RELG 299 Research Methods and the Academic Study of Religion; b. RELG 399 Capstone Project and/or RELG 401 Senior Honors; and c. at least one year of foreign or classical language study at the college level. Minor. Majors in other departments or programs may minor in Religion by taking at least 5 courses totaling 15 hours. One of these courses must be a seminar. Minimum Grade. Students must earn a C– or higher in any Religion course they wish to count for the major or minor. Capstone Project and Honors. A Religion major has the opportunity for an extensive writing and research experience in one of two modes: a Capstone Project or an Honors Project. These projects allow students either to synthesize their studies across religious traditions or disciplines or to pursue more in-depth scholarship in a particular field or subject matter. Credit hours for a Capstone or Honors Project should be over and above the basic 27 hours required for the major. (1) Capstone Project. The Capstone Project is a one-hour independent research and writing project undertaken with permission of the instructor in conjunction with most 300-level and some 200-level courses. A Capstone Project is open to any junior or senior Religion major. The project involves completing a research paper (approximately 25 pages) on a topic approved by the instructor. (2) Honors. Honors work is done in the student's senior year and culminates in a written Honors thesis and oral defense. There are two modes possible for undertaking an Honors Project. a. As an extension of a Capstone Project. Religion majors who successfully complete a Capstone Project in either their junior year or the fall semester of their senior year may submit an application to the department for further research on that topic. If it is accepted, the student will enroll for a three-hour Honors Project to revise and refine the Capstone Project into an Honors thesis of 40 to 55 pages in length. Students are encouraged to work within their area of concentration for the major. In most cases the original instructor will serve as the thesis director, and two additional readers will be part of the Honors Committee. At the end of the semester, the student will submit the Honors thesis to the department and defend it in an oral exam conducted by the committee. b. As a two-semester independent project. This mode of undertaking an Honors Project is open to qualified religion majors whose research interests do not fit into the topical scope of the existing course offerings, but who nonetheless wish to work closely with a Religion faculty member while pursuing an independent project of scholarship. Students wishing to pursue Honors in this mode must submit an application and prospectus for the proposed research project to the department by April 15th of their junior year. If accepted, the student will enroll for three hours in both semesters of the senior year and produce a written thesis of 40 to 55 pages. The thesis director and two additional readers will make up the Honors Committee. At the end of the senior year, the student will submit the Honors thesis to the department and defend it in an oral exam conducted by the committee. Transfer of Credit. Students wishing to transfer credit toward the Religion major are advised to provide the department with as much information about the transferred course as possible (including the syllabus, papers, and exams). The department will not normally count more than six hours of transfer credit toward the major and does not normally accept transferred courses to satisfy distribution requirements in the major. Students should seek preapproval from the chair for coursework they intend to take elsewhere and transfer to Oberlin. Winter Term. Faculty in the Religion Department sponsor a wide variety of Winter Term projects, particularly projects related to their areas of scholarly expertise. Students planning projects are invited to approach individual faculty members to discuss their ideas and plans.
FYSP 124. Seeing War and Peace through Religious Traditions 4 hours, 4HU, CD, WRi Next offered 2006-2007. FYSP 156. The Ethics of Biotech 4 hours, 2HU, 2NS, WRi First Semester. For description, please see "First-Year Seminar Program" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 14. Ms. Cruz, Ms. McClure FYSP 158. Taoism 4 hours, 4HU, CD, WRi First Semester. For description, please see "First-Year Seminar Program" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 14. Mr. Dobbins FYSP 172. The Religious Thought of Mohandas Gandhi 4 hours, 4HU, CD, WRi First Semester. For description, please see "First-Year Seminar Program" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 14. Ms. Richman FYSP 184. Genesis Through the Centuries 4 hours, 4HU, WRi First Semester. For description, please see "First-Year Seminar Program" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 14. Ms. Chapman Introductory Courses 101. Introduction to Religion: Religion as a World Phenomenon 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. This course explores the nature of religion as mirrored in a number of traditions, which may include Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. After a brief survey of them, various theories are taken up to help identify common structures and functions that cut across religions. These structures, rather than specific beliefs, will be the points of comparison. Enrollment Limit: 35. Mr. Dobbins 103. Introduction to Religion: Material Religion 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WR First Semester. Highlighting foundational approaches, this course introduces the study of religious systems of Southern Asian Hinduism and Buddhism, North American Christianities and Oceania by considering the circulation, veneration, and manufacture of material culture such as relics, icons and amulets. Accumulation, transaction, and disappearance of religious objects reveal how origins of traditions are imagined, how religious thought and practice are formed, and how substance and symbolism, ritual and exchange, and history and politics of production affect an aura of sacrality. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Gade 105. Introduction to Religion: African Religions and Their Thought Systems 3 hours, 3HU, CD First Semester. An introduction to the philosophical basis of African society through a study of various African Religions: traditional religions as well as Islam and Christianity, especially in their indigenized forms. This study also examines the underlying nature of African religious thought, the function of myth and ritual, and the complex and profoundly sophisticated African concepts of the spiritual universe. Consideration will be given to the relationship between religion and culture in various societies. Questions will be raised regarding the different ways religion is conceived in various cultures: African and non-African, Western and non-Western. Enrollment Limit: 35. Mr. Miller 108. Introduction to Religion: Women and the Western Traditions 3 hours, 3HU, CD Next offered 2006-2007.
201. The Bible in the Christian Communities of Asia, Africa and Latin America 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. This course traces the evolution of methods of biblical interpretation in Christian communities within Asia, Africa and Latin America. It will begin with an exploration of the reception and shaping of the Bible in pre-colonial Christian communities and move through communities established by western missionaries and finally focus on indigenous Christian communities in the post-colonial era. Several modes of biblical exegesis emerging from these three regions will be studied and critiqued. These include: cultural criticism, cross-textual hermeneutics, the dialogical model, multi-faith hermeneutics, the indigenous model and postcolonial criticism. Enrollment Limit: 35. Ms. Chapman 205. Hebrew Bible in its Ancient Near Eastern Context 3 hours, 3HU, CD First Semester. An introduction to the literature, religion, and history of ancient Israel as contained within the Hebrew Bible and to the methods of interpretation used by modern scholars to understand this ancient text. Biblical writings will be studied within the context of other ancient Near Eastern religious, legal and literary texts. Thematic emphases will include: the emergence of monotheism, the divine/human relationship, the mediation of priest, prophet and king, and issues of canon. No previous knowledge of the Hebrew Bible is assumed. Identical to JWST 205. Enrollment Limit: 40. Ms. Chapman 208. New Testament and Christian Origins 3 hours, 3HU, WR Second Semester. An introduction to the academic study of the New Testament in its ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts. This course explores early Christian writings as Jewish sectarian literature and as early Christian foundational scripture. Thematic emphases include: the diversity of early Christian writings, Christianity within first-century Judaisms, the evolution of the Jesus narrative, and the rise of institutional Christianity. No previous knowledge of the New Testament is assumed. Identical to JWST 208. Enrollment Limit: 40. Ms. Chapman 226. Modern Religious Thought in the West: 19th to mid-20th Century 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. An analysis of developments in Western philosophy of religion and theology from the 19th to the mid-20th century. Central topics to be examined include: theological responses to modern scientific and historical consciousness; secular critical analyses of religion; debates on the human condition; and efforts to address cultural and religious issues arising from the devastation of the two world wars. Some of the thinkers to be studied include: Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Buber, Tillich, R. Niebuhr, A. Cohen and J. Plaskow. Enrollment Limit: 40. Mr. Kamitsuka 227. Contemporary Religious Thought in the West 3 hours, 3HU Next offered 2006-2007. 228. Recent Developments in Christian Theology 3 hours, 3HU, CD Next offered 2006-2007. 231. Origins and Development of Hinduism 3 hours, 3HU, CD First Semester. A study of the Hindu tradition in India, from its origins to the development of the later devotional movements. Textual study focuses on ritual hymns, renunciatory texts, devotional poems, and classical mythology. Attention is also paid to analysis of religious practices, especially as they vary according to social location and gender of adherents. Societal aspects of Hinduism to be explored include religious constructions of "caste," notions of religious kingship, and gendered perceptions of the divine. The last section looks at the ways in which the early Buddhist movement developed out of Hindu roots. Enrollment Limit: 35. Ms. Richman 233. Religion in Modern India 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WR Second Semester. A study of the effect of colonial rule and social change on Indian religious traditions. We examine theological tracts and debates, mythological and ritual texts, oral traditions, and contemporary novels about religion. Topics include: social mobility and orthodoxy, religious roots of the Gandhian movement for independence, changing rituals within the joint family, religion in the present-day political sphere, and Hinduism in the West. Enrollment Limit: 35. Ms. Richman 235. Chinese Thought and Religion 3 hours, 3HU, CD First Semester. A historical survey of the three major religious and philosophical traditions of China: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Attention is given to how each comprehends the world, and translates its ideal into philosophical thought, religious practice, and social and moral imperative. Interaction and mutual borrowing among the three will be examined to show how each was changed or inspired by the others and matured under their influence. Identical to EAST 151. Enrollment Limit: 65. Mr. Dobbins 236. Japanese Thought and Religion 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. A survey of the development of Shinto and Buddhism in Japan and the roles they play in Japanese culture and society. Among the topics discussed are the ancient myths of Shinto, the transmission of Buddhism to Japan, the emergence of native forms of Buddhism (e.g. Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren), and the use of Shinto as a nationalistic ideology. Identical to EAST 152. Enrollment Limit: 65. Mr. Dobbins 245. Modern Moral Issues in Religious Perspective 3 hours, 3HU Next offered 2006-2007. 247. Feminist Ethical Issues 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WRi Next offered 2006-2007. 249. Issues in Medical Ethics 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This course offers an analysis of selected issues in medical ethics and the methods of ethical reasoning used to study these issues, focusing on attendant religious, moral, and legal questions. Topics to be addressed include such issues as death and dying, medical research and human experimentation, privacy and informed consent, genetic engineering, and public health and the allocation of scarce resources. Enrollment Limit: 40. Ms. McClure 250. Intro to Judaism 3 hours, 3HU, CD First Semester. Identical to JWST 150. For description, please see "Jewish Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 40. Mr. Socher 252. Medieval Jewish Thought: Law, Mysticism and Philosophy 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. Identical to JWST 152. For description, please see "Jewish Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 35. Mr. Socher 255. Theology, Science and the Secularization of Europe (1200-1800) 3 hours, 1.5HU, 1.5SS, WR First Semester. Identical to HIST 205 and JWST 255. For description, please see "History" or "Jewish Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 45. Mr. Miller, Mr. Socher 258. Introduction to the Talmud: Argument and Interpretation 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WR Second Semester. Identical to JWST 258. For description, please see "Jewish Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 35. Mr. Socher 261. Gender Theory and the Study of Religion 3 hours, 3HU, CD Next offered 2006-2007. 262. Feminist Religious Thought in Multicultural Perspective 3 hours, 3HU, CD Next offered 2006-2007. 263. Roots of Religious Feminism in North America 3 hours, 3HU, CD Next offered 2006-2007. 270. Islam 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WR First Semester. Survey of the religious tradition of Islam. Lectures and readings present a global perspective, covering sources of tradition such as the Qur'an, the experience of the early Muslim community, theology, and law; and further historical development of Islamic thought and practice in Muslim communities such as patterns of Islamic polities and the impact of Sufism in an expanding Muslim world. Topics include movements of resurgence and reform and other key aspects of modern Muslim experience. Enrollment Limit: 40. Ms. Gade 271. Islamic Authorities: Law and Society 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. Survey of flexible Islamic understandings of how to apply religious ideals within modern Muslim social experience, grounded in legal traditions and anthropology of law. Emphasis on Muslim visions of moral order, community and nation, highlighting postcolonial ideologies of "Islamic statehood" and progressive agendas. Consideration of key symbols and rhetorics of Muslim politics, as well as educational institutions and mass media that propagate diverse perspectives on fundamental questions of authority in contemporary Islam. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Gade 272. Introduction to the Qur'an 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. Introduction to the Qur'an, the sacred scripture of the Islamic religious tradition. Topics include: approaches to the idea of revelation and the history of the written text, its overall content and themes, development of Qur'anic Sciences such as grammar and interpretation, the style and poetics of the Qur'an, and the Qur'an as a source of law, theology, aesthetics, politics, and practices of piety such as recitation. Emphasis on reading the Qur'an in English-language interpretation. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Gade 282. Survey of American Christianity 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. Introduction to major issues, figures and movements in American religious history and American Christianity. Attention will be given to persistent themes such as individualism, the search for community, religion and reform, religious conservatism and innovation, and the religious nature of American culture. Class, race, ethnicity and gender will also be addressed as we explore American religious experience in all its diversity. The goal is to better understand the place of religion in American society, and to evaluate its past impact and future role. Enrollment Limit: 35. Mr. Miller 284. The History of the African American Religious Experience 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. An introduction to the religious movements and institutions of African Americans from the period of slavery to the present. Topics include: African religions; slave religion; independent black Protestant churches; gender and race relations in American church life; politics in black churches; missionary efforts to Africa and the Caribbean; Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, Pentecostalism; the civil rights movement; modern role of religion in African American life. Enrollment Limit: 35. Mr. Miller 285. Evangelicalism in the United States 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This course will explore Evangelicalism from its 19th century beginnings to the present, including: its relationship to 19th century moral controversies such as slavery, abolition, women's rights and temperance movements; the social gospel movement; fundamentalism versus modernism; diversification as a post-WWII movement; evangelism versus social action; and the continuing issues of race, class, and gender. Reformed, Arminian, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, and Holiness traditions will also be explored. Evangelicalism will also be informed by studies from sociology of religion, psychology, and anthropology. Enrollment Limit: 35. Mr. Miller 299. Research Methods and the Academic Study of Religion 3 hours, 3HU, WRi Second Semester. This course provides an opportunity for Religion majors to reflect on knowledge acquired in their coursework and to develop skills relevant to graduate study. Topics may include: methodologies and approaches in the academic study of religion, research and professional skills, examination of landmark studies in religion, the history of religious studies in the academy, and the process of carrying out a research project. Note: Recommended for Religion majors in their junior year, especially students considering graduate study. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Richman
303. Anthropological Approaches to the Study of the Bible: Kinship and the Family in Ancient Israel 3 hours, 3HU, WR Second Semester. This course examines the structure and function of the kinship unit known as the "House of the Father" in the Hebrew Bible. The function of the "natal family" or "house of the mother" will also be identified and explored. Modern ethnographic studies of kinship will provide a comparative framework for conceptualizing the Israelite family. Topics include: patterns for brokering marriages, patterns of inheritance, perceptions of intimacy, the practice of blood vengeance, royal succession, and evidence for household religion. Prerequisites: RELG 205 or 208 and consent of instructor required. Identical to JWST 303. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Chapman 322. Seminar: Pure Land Buddhism 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WR First Semester. Unlike many forms of Buddhism, Pure Land is primarily devotional in outlook and practice. This seminar examines its origins and development, particularly in Japan. Topics include: devotional practices in early Buddhism, the Pure Land scriptures, religious practices such as visualization, meditation and chanting the Buddha's name, and the teachings of Honen, Shinran, and Ippen. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Mr. Dobbins 326. Seminar: Religion in the South Asian Diaspora 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WRi First Semester. This course focuses on how Indian religions travel and develop outside of India, especially in the UK, the U.S., and Canada. Topics include: new kinds of performance for Indian epics (Ramayana, Mahabharata) and religious dance; selective transmission of certain religious texts rather than others; distinctive forms of proselytizing and outreach in the diaspora context; transnational networks of religious preachers; and styles of mosque, temple, and gurudwara building. Prerequisites: RELG 231 or 233 and consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Richman 339. Seminar: Approaches to Religious Ethics 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WRi Next offered 2006-2007. 340. Seminar: Ethical Issues in Death and Dying 3 hours, 3HU, WRi First Semester. This course offers students the opportunity to explore religious, philosophical, and ethical concerns relating to the human condition of finitude. Course materials are drawn from writers working from religious perspectives as well as from diverse fields such as social psychology, thanatology, and fiction. Particular focus is on the fact of death, grief, and death in a medical context. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. McClure 343. Seminar: Selected Topics in Modern and Contemporary Religious Thought: Religious Existentialism 3 hours, 3HU, WRi Second Semester. This seminar examines some of the classic figures in 20th-century religious existentialism within the Christian and Jewish traditions such as Rahner, Buber, Soloveitchik, and Tillich. These thinkers are studied in the context of religious existentialism's forerunners (e.g., Pascal, Kierkegaard) and its contemporaneous secular philosophical influences (e.g., Sartre, Camus, Heidegger). Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Mr. Kamitsuka 353. Seminar: Moses Maimonides: Philosophy and Law 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WRi Second Semester. Identical to JWST 353. For description, please see "Jewish Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 15. Mr. Socher 366. Seminar: Feminist Interpretations of Evil 3 hours, 3HU, WRi Next offered 2006-2007. 371. Seminar: Islam and Modern Social Change 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. Consideration of roots of modern Muslim movements of revival, renewal, and reform, emphasizing the diversity of modes by which Islam is viewed as a vehicle for religious and social change. This course highlights Islamic thought, as well as sociological and anthropological perspectives, for Muslim societies and contexts in which Muslims represent a religious minority. Topics include "orientalism," understandings of liberation and resistance, nationhood, law, gender, education, contested and revitalized practices, and projects of piety under conditions of worldwide "Islamic awakening." Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Gade 372. Seminar: Southeast Asian Religious Systems 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WR Next offered 2006-2007. 385. Seminar: Selected Topics in American Religious History 3 hours, 3HU Next offered 2006-2007. 387. Seminar: Religion and U.S. Social Welfare Policy and Social Work Practice: A Historical Perspective 3 hours, 3HU, WR First Semester. This course focuses on the religious origin of social welfare institutions within the U.S., including Protestant, Catholic and Jewish traditions (Jewish sects, African American congregations, and conservative Protestant movements, to name a few), which have provided material, financial, and spiritual support. Given the constitutional clause establishing the separation of church and state, religious institutions established voluntary institutions that provided social support. This course also has a service-learning component. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Mr. Miller 399. Capstone Project 1 hours, 1HU Consent of instructor required. Projects can be sponsored by Ms. Chapman, Mr. Dobbins, Ms. Gade, Mr. Kamitsuka, Ms. McClure, Mr. Miller, Ms. Richman, and Mr. Socher. 401. Senior Honors 2-5 hours, 2-5HU, WR Consent of instructor required. Projects can be sponsored by Ms. Chapman, Mr. Dobbins, Ms. Gade, Mr. Kamitsuka, Ms. McClure, Mr. Miller, Ms. Richman, and Mr. Socher. 995. Private Reading 1-3 hours, 1-3HU Consent of instructor required. Projects can be sponsored by Ms. Chapman, Mr. Dobbins, Ms. Gade, Mr. Kamitsuka, Ms. McClure, Mr. Miller, Ms. Richman, and Mr. Socher. |
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