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Psychology |
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PSY 271 - Research Methods in Psychology (WID) Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Examines the research methods used in Psychology including naturalistic observation, field and laboratory experiments, and survey methods. Discusses ethical standards in research, and critiques research articles. Students design, implement, write-up, and present research study at the College’s poster session.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 and (PSY 261 or CRM 311 or SOC 311 ).
Fulfills the Writing-in-the-Disciplines requirement.
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PSY 303 - Group Dynamics Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Examination of small group behavior through experiential learning and research. Includes discussion of group formation, norms, communication, leadership, influence, and decision making.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
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PSY 305 - Theories of Learning Three Credits
Fall Semester
Surveys the functionalistic, associationistic and cognitive schools of learning - applying constructs such as limits, incentives, practice, insight, transfer, and memory to education, child rearing, and adjustment therapy.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
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PSY 309 - Industrial and Organizational Psychology Three Credits
Fall Semester
The application of psychological principles to the work setting. Topics covered include: job selection methods, psychological assessments for employment, performance appraisal, training, leadership, group decision-making, work group diversity, motivation, employee wellness, job stress, designing work space and machinery based on human capabilities.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
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PSY 311 - Theories of Counseling Three Credits
Fall Semester
Current approaches to counseling and psychotherapy (Freudian, Adlerian, Rogerian, Gestalt, Behavioral, Rational-emotive, Reality and Transactional Analysis). Integration of research and techniques.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
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PSY 315 - Psychology of Women Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Examination of how and why women behave as they do, both from the perspective of cultural beliefs and scientific research. Topics include: contemporary psychodynamic and social constructionist theories of women’s psychology; theoretical models of gender identity and gender roles as well as empirical bases for claims about gender differences; specific disorders associated with women; trends in current theory building; and language and communication bias.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
Course may be applied to the Gender & Sexuality Studies program.
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PSY 320 - Introduction to Health Psychology Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Examination of how biological, psychological, and social factors interact with and affect health, recovery and adjustment of patients with serious health problems (e.g. cancer and heart disease), the efforts people make in promoting good health and preventing illness (weight control, smoking cessation, etc.), the treatments received and the strategies used to cope with medical problems and their stress/pain.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
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PSY 323 - Sport Psychology Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Examination of theories related to sport, team behavior and sport cognition, and how psychological and social factors affect performance, behavior, and coaching. Topics include: motivation, coaching, team dynamics, mental skills and performance enhancement, confidence, drug use and eating disorders in sport, and youth sport.
Prerequisite(s): .
Course may be applied to the Sports, Science & Society program.
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PSY 341 - Research in Social Psychology Three Credits
Offered Periodically
In-depth training in conducting research in the field of Social Psychology. Students are involved in the design of the study, preparation of materials, collection of data, data analysis, and preparation of the scientific report.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 . Written consent of the Instructor required. Course may be repeated once with Instructor’s permission.
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PSY 342 - Research in Developmental Psychology Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
In-depth training in conducting research in the field of Developmental Psychology through active participation in an ongoing program of research. Students are involved in the design of the study, preparation of materials, collection of data, data analysis, and preparation of the scientific report.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 . Written consent of the Instructor required. Course may be repeated once with Instructor’s permission.
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PSY 344 - Research in Educational Psychology Three Credits
Offered as Needed
In-depth training in conducting research in the field of Educational Psychology through active participation in an ongoing program of research. Students are involved in the design of a study, preparation of research materials, collection of data, data analysis, and preparation of a scientific report.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 - General Psychology and PSY 271 - Research Methods in Psychology (WID) . Written consent of the Instructor required.
Course may be repeated once with Instructor’s permission.
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PSY 347 - Research in Health Psychology Three Credits
Offered Periodically
Training in the various facets of conducting health psychology research including hypothesis generation, study design and methods, data collection, and data analysis/interpretation. Projects may include the examination of existing data, the initiation of new projects or participation in ongoing projects at the UMASS Medical Center. Topic may include coping with cancer, eating disorders, substance abuse, etc.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 271 , PSY 320 , and Consent of instructor. May be repeated once with Instructor permission.
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PSY 351 - Child Psychopathology and Its Treatment Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Description of psychological disorders which present themselves in infancy and childhood (birth - 12 year olds). Exploration of specific treatment approaches used to date. Discussion of the impact of childhood psychopathology on the family, school system, neighborhood, and nation.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 and PSY 201 .
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PSY 411 - Counseling Practicum I Four Credits
Fall Semester
Effective listening skills: attending, questioning, paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, summarizing, self-disclosing, confronting; child and adult therapy; internship work.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 205 or PSY 311 and permission of Instructor.
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PSY 412 - Counseling Practicum II Four Credits
Spring Semester
Group therapy work; practice applying Adlerian and Gestalt theory to individual counseling; professional and ethical issues; internship work.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 411 and permission of Instructor.
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PSY 413 - Experimental Psychology Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Laboratory course in human and animal learning. Each student is expected to explore operant shaping, extinction rates, multiple scheduling, chaining, discrimination, and temporal factors in learning.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 and permission of Instructor.
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PSY 415 - Brain and Behavior Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Structure and function of nerve cells and the nervous system. Research methods in biopsychology, effects of brain damage, physiological principles underlying sleep, eating, abnormal behavior, drug effects, and memory.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
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PSY 419 - Cognitive Psychology Three Credits
Fall Semester
Examination of the principles of cognition. Among the topics discussed are perception, attention, working memory, long-term memory, imagery, language, problem solving, reasoning, and judgment and decision-making. Includes a laboratory component which gives students hands-on experience with cognitive phenomena discussed in class.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
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PSY 421 - Psychology and the Legal System Three Credits
Fall Semester
Overview of the impact of Psychology on the legal system. Topics covered include how psychological research has influenced court decisions, an examination of the insanity defense, how competency to stand trial is determined, what psychological processes are involved in jury selection and jury decision making, the accuracy of eyewitness identification, and how children are viewed in the legal system.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 .
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PSY 441 - Advanced Research Externship I Three Credits
Fall Semester
The purpose of the advanced Research Externship is to provide upper-level (3rd and 4th year) students with opportunities to gain research experience working on large federally funded NIH grants at a large universities or medical schools. Students are expected to work 10 hours a week in a research lab at Brown University, Harvard University, or UMASS Medical School.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 and PSY 261 . Open to Psychology majors. Instructor Permission required.
Completion of both PSY 441 and PSY 442 fulfills the Capstone in Psychology.
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PSY 442 - Advanced Research Externship II Three Credits
Spring Semester
The purpose of the advanced Research Externship is to provide upper-level (3rd and 4th year) students with opportunities to gain research experience working on large federally funded NIH grants at a large universities or medical schools. Students are expected to work 10 hours a week in a research lab at Brown University, Harvard University, or UMASS Medical School.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 441 . Open to Psychology majors. Instructor permission required.
Completion of both PSY 441 and PSY 442 fulfills the Capstone in Psychology.
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PSY 450 - Advanced Psychology Seminar Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Capstone course in which students will review and synthesize major empirical/theoretical areas of psychology, including abnormal, personality, learning, cognition, social, developmental, statistics and physiological.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 271 , Senior Standing in Psychology, and permission of Instructor.
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PSY 451 - Applying Psychological Principles Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Capstone course examining and evaluating psychological principles and their application in today’s society. Topics include effective studying; breaking bad habits; influencing others and improving personal relationships; dealing with self-defeating behaviors such as shyness, anger and anxiety; raising children; and improving motivation.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 271 , Senior Standing in Psychology and permission of Instructor.
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PSY 475 - Internship in Applied Psychology I Three or Six Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Each student is expected to carry out a supervised assignment in a professional setting with emphasis placed on hospitals, schools, clinics, courts, and personnel departments in the local area. Registration must be approved by the Department Chairperson, by the faculty member supervising the project, and by the institution or agency conducting the program.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing and permission of Internship Coordinator and Department Chairperson required.
Must complete the “U.S. Internship Request for Approval” process found under the myPlans tab in myHill to register for this Internship.
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PSY 476 - Internship in Applied Psychology II Three or Six Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Each student is expected to carry out a supervised assignment in a professional setting with emphasis placed on hospitals, schools, clinics, courts, and personnel departments in the local area. Registration must be approved by the Department Chairperson, by the faculty member supervising the project, and by the institution or agency conducting the program.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing and permission of Internship Coordinator and Department Chairperson required.
Must complete the “U.S. Internship Request for Approval” process found under the myPlans tab in myHill to register for this Internship.
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PSY 490 - Directed Study Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Supervised reading and research directed by Department member. Permission of faculty member directing the project and the Department Chairperson.
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PSY 496 - Independent Research Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Advanced Research Project under the direction of a Psychology faculty member.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Faculty member directing the project and the Department Chairperson.
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PSY 497 - Senior Thesis Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
A course for students who would like to explore a theory or research a topic in Psychology. By Psychology faculty invitation.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of faculty member directing the project and permission of the Department Chairperson.
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Religious Studies |
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REL 100/110 - Why Religion? The Hero’s Journey (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This seminar will look at defining journeys in Greek, Roman, Hebrew and early Christian literature and inquire how they shaped and continue to shape cultural and religious identity.
Prerequisite(s): REL 110 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 110, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/111 - Religions of the World (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This course will examine the way religion has been studied as an academic discipline. We will explore both Eastern and Western religious traditions in their historical contexts and will focus primarily on how various religious concepts are understood and practiced in these major world religions. These will include the concepts of the Holy, revelation, sacred writings, good and evil, forgiveness, creation, the human condition, salvation, and ethics. In our study of religions we will explore a variety of practices in different historical contexts but common ground will be sought to illustrate how the sacred texts of each religious tradition define and illustrate how and why these groups practice the above mentioned concepts.
Prerequisite(s): REL 111 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 111, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/112 - Saints and Sinners in Church History (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three of Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Saints and sinners, much like victors and vanquished in war, are often determined by those who triumph in Church conflicts. This course will address several Church controversies throughout the 2000 years of its history, review the issues and debates that arose through the reading of primary and secondary sources, and who in the end were considered victors, saints, and the vanquished, sinners, in Church history.
Prerequisite(s): REL 112 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 112, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/113 - Sacred Space from Mt. Sinai to Ground Zero (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
What makes a place “sacred”? Who decides whether a place is sacred? What do people do in sacred spaces? This seminar will examine the nature of sacred space in theory, history and practice with a focus on sacredness in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In addition, the course will ask if “non-religious” places can be sacred. The course includes a fieldtrip to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.
Prerequisite(s): REL 113 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 113, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/114 - The Journey Toward Religious Maturity (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining the process by which a person achieves an adult faith in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Drawing from psychology and anthropology, we explore the phases of religious development in relation to myths and symbols, and we apply that understanding to a specific person and to a theological issue, while also considering how to read, critically and analytically, a non-religious text through the lens of religion.
Prerequisite(s): REL 114 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 114, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/115 - The Subject is the Question of God (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Religious traditions were established before humans were aware that they were subjects. With awareness of subjectivity, religious traditions have to be reconstructed on what we know today about the brain and universe. How is this possible in an atheistic universe? Beyond atheism, the very significance of the human as a subject open to freedom is the question of God.
Prerequisite(s): REL 115 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 115, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/116 - Abrahamic Faith (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
This course is an investigation of the religious dimension of human experience, especially as it has been lived, understood and cherished among the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Its guiding focus is the centrality of “faith” as a relational response to God who, in line with Abraham’s foundational claim, is experienced as living. The course considers significant questions in conversation with some of the most important writings in the tradition of Western religious thought, as well as some of the basic questions that arise in the academic investigation of religion: What is the nature of religious experience? How does religion provide motivation and direction for the life of individuals and communities? How does religion nurture or inhibit human development and well-being?
Prerequisite(s): REL 116 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 116, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/117 - Gods, Myths, and Rituals in the Ancient Mediterranean (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This class investigates the diverse religions of the ancient Mediterranean world (ca. 600 BCE-400CE), including Greek and Roman religions, formative Judaism, and the earliest Christianity. The course explores the history and development of these traditions by examining topics related to issues of ritual, myth, sacred space, gender, and concepts of divinity within each group. Particular focus is placed on the ways in which these groups influenced one another and reshaped cultural and religious landscapes through competitive interaction. Through a critical analysis of the sources students will begin to understand the practices, beliefs, and experiences of the Greco-Roman world and the communities that produced them.
Prerequisite(s): REL 117 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 117, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/118 - Pilgrimage in Nature (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Stories in scriptures and the experiences of pilgrims remind us that religious life does not always take place indoors. Much of human religious experience occurs outside, in nature. We will explore this dimension of human religiosity through examination of Christian, Islamic, and Buddhist pilgrimages to such places as Lourdes, Mecca, and northern India, as well as the broader themes of nature symbolism and nature mysticism.
Prerequisite(s): REL 118 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 118, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/120 - Deviance and the Divine (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This course will use the concept of deviance as the lens through which we will study the three major monotheistic traditions of the world - Islam, Judaism and Christianity. What are the major tenets and beliefs of each? What do they share and where are the conflicts? What does each consider normative and why? When does a belief or practice cross the line in deviance? Ultimately, are they all simply deviants of one another? In our investigation, we will also look to some lesser known religious traditions as foils, such as Scientology, Raelianism, the Nation of Islam, Jews for Jesus, Mormonism, and Christian Science.
Prerequisite(s): REL 120 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 120, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/121 - Religion as Pharmakon: Poison or Cure (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
For the ancient Greeks pharmakon meant both cure and poison depending on the context. Religion functions in the same way: it can heal us but can also poison us. We will explore the ambiguity and the power-both healing and destructive-of religious traditions.
Prerequisite(s): REL 121 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 121, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/122 - Pilgrimage and Passage: Religion as “Sacred” Journey (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semester
The course begins with the premise that all religions are at their best when they are “betwixt and between,” living in the threshold, open to new and unexpected horizons. After a close reading of the Book of Exodus, which will provide the opportunity to identify various themes associated with ritual passage, we will concentrate primarily on the study of the three chief monotheistic religions of Semitic origin: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course will end with a brief exploration of Hinduism and Buddhism. Through comparative analysis of these religions, we will strive to determine similarities and differences in particular approaches to God, worship, institution, and moral conduct.
Prerequisite(s): REL 122 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 122, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/123 - Demons, Devils and Satans: Monsters of Religion (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Monotheistic traditions maintain that God is both all-powerful and just. Yet, they simultaneously speak of demons, devils, and satans - characters who threaten both God and His control over the universe. How can such an obvious contradiction stand? This course will examine the narratives and images of demonic characters, by looking at scriptural texts, interpretive materials and folklore. In our investigation, we will address such questions as: Who or what is considered Evil? How does evil exist in a world in which God is good? Is there a universal concept of Satan? Do demons and the demonic straddle traditional lines or are they tradition-specific? In other words, does each tradition create the demon most appropriate for it? What are these characters good for? What can they tell us about how each tradition conceives of itself and its place in the human-God relationship?
Prerequisite(s): REL 123 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 123, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/124 - God Doesn’t Do Religion (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
We tend to think that religion is all about God, but why? And if God “doesn’t do religion,” who does? What do we even mean by “religion” in these questions? This course will inquire into the “building blocks” of religion and human religiousness, considering the practices of Jews, Christians and Muslims from an anthropological and historical perspective.
Prerequisite(s): REL 124 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 124, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 100/126 - Critique of Religion (Core/First-Year Seminar) Three or Four Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
This course is an introduction to the critical, academic study of religion. It will touch on both personal and broader societal issues that are involved in the contemporary study of religion. It will examine several of the most prominent modern critiques of religion, as well as the various responses to those critiques. Further, it will explore and ask students to reflect on the meaning of religion in today’s culturally diverse and religiously pluralistic world. Its objectives are to acquire a basic knowledge of some of the foundational theories of religion, to acquire a working understanding of various methodologies in the critical study of religion, to reflect on one’s own understanding and experience of religion, and to reflect on the role of religion in the contemporary world.
Prerequisite(s): REL 126 is a First-Year Seminar and open to First-Year Students only.
When offered as REL 100, for 3-credits, fulfills the Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirement.
When offered as REL 126, for 4-credits, fulfills the First-Year Seminar and Religious Studies Cornerstone Requirements.
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REL 206 - Islamic Traditions Three Credits
Alternate Years: Spring 2017, 2019
Studies the Arabian environment, Muhammed (founder), Qur’an (sacred writings), and mysticism, sects, and legal and social institutions of Islam.
Course may be applied to the Middle Eastern Studies minor.
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REL 209 - Religion and Culture of the Jewish People Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
A survey of key texts, beliefs, and practices of Jewish culture and religious practice, including the Bible, classic texts, holidays and holy days, Zionism, modern American Jews, and Israel.
Course may be applied to the Middle Eastern Studies minor.
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REL 226 - Women, Slaves & Sin: Paul and the Creation of Christianity Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An investigation into the life, writings, and legacy of the Apostle Paul. The course will uncover the historical, philosophical, social, and religious forces that shaped the beliefs, practices, and experiences of the earliest Christians.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions and Moral Inquiry requirements.
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REL 230 - Topics in Religious Studies Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This seminar offers students and faculty an opportunity to investigate in some depth a specific area of the study of religion not normally otherwise addressed by the department. Topics are announced prior to registration. This course can be taken more than once with permission of the department chair.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
This course was formerly offered as REL 330 Topics in Religious Studies.
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REL 233 - American Catholic Social History Three Credits
Fall Semester
An historical presentation of the numerous social issues, conflicts, and varied solutions in American Catholicism from the late 19th century forward with emphasis on how the many issues of society impacted Catholicism. The course demonstrates how the application of faith and various theological and philosophical theories were used in resolution of social conflict.
Cross-listed with HIS 233 .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry and Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirements.
Course may be applied to the American Studies program.
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REL 236 - Faith in Christ and Religious Pluralism Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Students will grapple with the issues involved in Christianity’s engagement with other religious traditions through the lens of its understanding of Jesus. Students will look at the development of the classical doctrines about Christ and their connections to Christians’ understanding of their relationship to non-Christians in past eras. Students will also consider recent Christian attempts to address the question of pluralism.
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REL 238 - Migrants, Immigrants, Refugees: Justice Issues and Catholic Responses Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An examination of the “immigrant” dimension of the American Catholic Church, past and present, exposing the injustices experienced by the marginalized outsider/newcomer, exploring the Catholic Church’s responses to these injustices utilizing Catholic social thought, and focusing on Hispanic culture and presence in the Catholic Church and American society.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
Course may be applied to the American Studies program.
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REL 241 - Spiritual Autobiography Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
A close reading of a variety of spiritual autobiographies from the second half of the twentieth century to discern what personal spiritual, religious, and ethical values may be coming to the fore at a time when traditional expressions of communal religion are in decline. It will center on the question: what does it mean to be “spiritual” or “religious” in the twenty-first century?
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
This course was formerly offered as REL 341 Spiritual Autobiography
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REL 247 - Topics in Religious Approaches to Moral Issues Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Explores how religious traditions address moral issues, paying particular attention to assumptions about human nature and the good, the bases on which the moral system or religion(s) being studied generates arguments about specific issues, that system’s modes of moral argumentation, and its applicability to contemporary issues. The course also includes comparative analysis of the moral system relative to at least one other religious tradition.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry requirement.
This course was formerly offered as REL 347 Topics in Religious Approaches to Moral Inquiries.
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REL 248 - Christian Prayer, Liturgy and Sacrament Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An introduction to the fundamentals of Christian liturgy, including the meaning of the assembly, ritual symbol and gesture, proclamation of sacred scripture, and blessing prayers in the context of relating liturgy to life.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 249 - Sacraments, Justice, and the Moral Life Three Credits
Spring Semester
The course is an introduction to the fundamentals of sacraments, including ritual, symbol, and participation, all examined in the context of right relationship with God, others, and the material world. The seven official sacraments of the Catholic Church will be explored historically and critically according to the ways in which they may build or may destroy God’s Kingdom of justice.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-level Religious studies course.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions and Moral Inquiry requirements.
This course was formerly offered as REL 348 Sacraments, Justice, and the Moral Life.
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REL 251 - Introduction to the Old Testament Three Credits
Alternate Years: Fall 2017, 2019
Literature of the Hebrew Bible. Survey of the religious, literary, and political history of ancient Israel. Students may not receive credit for both this course and REL 260.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry and Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirements.
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REL 252 - Introduction to the New Testament Three Credits
Spring Semester
Literature of the New Testament in its religious and historical context. Life and ministry of Jesus, origins of earliest Christianity, the role of Paul, and the development of the Church.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry and Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirements.
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REL 253 - Models of the Church: Historical Developments Three Credits
Spring Semester
A study of various forms of the Church from its Apostolic beginnings, through the institutionalization process and Vatican II reforms, up to the present development of Base Christian Communities.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 254 - Global Catholicism Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Examination of the Catholic Church as it is understood in the historical, cultural, political, economic and religious context in various regions of the world. The course will utilize the documents of the five Special Synods of Bishops from Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas and Oceania Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortations in reaction to the Synods’ deliberations.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 255 - Religions in the Roman Empire Three Credits
Fall Semester
A study of ancient world views, mystery religions, gnosticism, and the rise of Christianity.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 256 - Church and Social Justice Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
An examination of the Catholic Church’s relationship to society and its responses to a variety of social, political, and economic issues.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions and Moral Inquiry requirements.
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REL 262 - Religion in America Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An examination of a variety of religious ideas, institutions, and traditions in the United States from the colonial period to the present. Special emphasis is placed upon questions of religious pluralism, religion and cultural identity, and religion in public life.
Cross-listed with HIS 263 .
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
Course may be applied to the American Studies program.
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REL 263 - Women’s Religions in the Ancient Mediterranean World Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This class will explore the critical roles played by women in the religious traditions of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, as well as Judaism and earliest Christianity. It will introduce factors that led to the decline of women’s influence as Christianity developed a more institutionalized religious system.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course , or Permission of Instructor.
Course may be applied to the Gender & Sexuality Studies program.
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REL 267 - Liberation Theology: Latin American Perspectives Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An examination of the development of liberation theology in the historical, political, economic, and cultural contexts of Latin America’s struggle to move from colonialism to freedom. The course also explores feminist theology, ecological theology, and indigenous people’s theology that are rooted in liberation theology.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
Course may be applied to the Latin American Studies program.
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REL 269 - The Muslim Jesus Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This course investigates Muslim teachings on and about Jesus. Here we will ask: What does Islam teach about Jesus? How does the Islamic portrayal of Jesus resemble/ differ from Christian teachings? What are the causes of the differences? How does Islam’s understanding of Jesus affect its understanding of and relationship with Christians and Christianity?
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
Course may count towards the Middle Eastern Studies program.
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REL 274 - The Religions of Egypt Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This course examines the diverse religious traditions of ancient Egypt by exploring how indigenous traditions reacted and adapted when encountering other cultures including Greek, Roman, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim. The course discusses how such mutual influence resulted in unique patterns of ritual and belief found only in Egypt.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course.
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry requirement.
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REL 275 - Hard Rockin’ Jews: Judaism and Pop Culture in Israel Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
For 2000 years Judaism has been a minority religion in majority “other” cultures. With the establishment of Israel, Judaism became the majority culture of a nation-state. This course examine how the religion of Judaism both influences and is influenced by the secular culture of the modern State of Israel.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Course may be applied to the Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies minors.
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REL 276 - EcoSpirituality Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This course will invite students to reflect on the insights that spiritual and religious movements of the modern West might bring to the ecological challenges faced by the world today. Students will encounter the work of several influential theologians, but they will predominantly be challenged to develop practical strategies through which they can take environmental action now, bringing spiritual reflection to the problem of physical climate change.
Prerequisite(s): One Cornerstone Religious Studies course.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 288 - Religion and Sports Three Credits
Alternate Years: Spring 2018, 2020
Most sports originated in ancient religious ceremonies and rituals. This course will examine both the religious and historical beginnings of sports, while also exploring the many phenomenal similarities between religion and sports. The course will investigate the ways that both religion and sports influence, alter, and even fulfill the spiritual, social, and psychological needs of their respective adherents.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies course
Course may be applied to the Sports, Science & Society program.
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REL 300 - The Catholic Tradition: Past and Present Three Credits
Fall Semester
A study of Catholicism from historical and theological perspectives to aid students in attaining an appreciation for the richness of the Catholic Tradition in the past and present. Scripture, sacramental life, doctrinal teachings and development, moral issues, and the future Church direction are explored.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 301 - Islam and the Bible: Jewish and Muslim Morality and Ethics Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
As brother religions vying for the same sacred history, Islam and Judaism trace the genesis of their spiritual and biological communities back to the very same founding parents. Yet Islam is not Judaism, Muslims are not Jews, and vice versa. Rather, the two traditions are, and understand themselves to be, distinct entities with distinct value systems. By comparing the Jewish and Muslim accounts of the shared Biblical ancestors, as well the often colorful exegesis on these narratives, this course will investigate various matters of moral and ethical concern to these communities and the lessons thereby imparted by each tradition.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry requirement.
Course may be applied to the Middle Eastern Studies minor.
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REL 302 - Violence and Sex in the Bible Three Credits
Spring Semester
Examines the dynamics of sex and violence in ancient Israel as they are presented in the biblical text. Topics include the construction of gender, the status of women and men in society and law, holy war, the characterization of physical violence as positive or negative, the gender of God and its implications.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry and Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirements.
Course may be applied to the Gender & Sexuality Studies program.
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REL 303 - The Virgin Mary and Visions of the Feminine in Christianity Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
The development of the Church’s understanding of the Virgin Mary and of other feminine aspects of the transcendent in Christian spirituality. The course begins with Mary’s ideological antecedents and the issue of the “historical Mary.” It explores the relationship between images of the Virgin and theologies, controversies, and heresies, as well as contemporary feminist understandings of Mary and of the divine as feminine.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
Course may be applied to the Latin American Studies program with permission of the Program Director.
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REL 307 - Buddhist Ethics Three Credits
Spring Semester
An exploration of traditional Buddhist ethics, moral arguments Buddhists have advanced about contemporary issues, and points of comparison with philosophical and Christian ethics.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry requirement.
Course may be applied to the Asian Studies minor.
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REL 310 - Catholicism-1850 to Present: History and Theology Three Credits
Spring Semester
Historically and theologically, Roman Catholicism has been a foundation stone to Western civilization. Today the Church remains as a strong influence in world society, but in the post-French Revolution era this influence has shifted in focus. This course seeks to help students to understand how and why this shift occurred and most especially to illustrate its manifestations since 1850.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 312 - Archaeology and the Bible Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Introduction to the archaeology of Palestine, with special focus on the interrelationship of excavated and textual data.
Course may be applied to the Middle Eastern Studies and Anthropology minors.
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REL 314 - Mysticism: The Experience of Transcendence Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
A study of mysticism from its origins in the Greek world to its expression in Christian and non-Christian forms. A “hands-on” approach to mystical practices is encouraged, and the reading of mystical texts is supplemented by field trips to contemplative communities.
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REL 315 - Dreams and the Sacred Three Credits
Spring Semester
A study of the role of dreams and other rites of divination in ancient and modern religious experience. Biblical and classical sources are examined, and contemporary attempts to recover the sacred dimension of dreams also are considered.
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REL 316 - Neoplatonism Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
A study of the seminal writings of the Neoplatonists, their sources, and their influence on the development of later religious traditions.
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REL 317 - Gods, Kings and Justice in the Ancient World Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
Who speaks for Justice? Where does Justice come from? This course examines these and related questions by analyzing and comparing ancient texts such as the Babylonian law code of Hammurabi, Egyptian hymns, Homer’s Odyssey, and the biblical prophets. Ancient works of art treating issues of justice are also examined.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry requirement.
Course may be applied to the Gender & Sexuality Studies and Middle Eastern Studies programs.
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REL 318 - Archaeology and Religion in Ancient Greece Three Credits
Spring Semester
This course introduces the field of archeology in the Greek world and demonstrate how archaeological remains can enlighten our understanding of Greek religion and society. The course will then examine how material evidence can help us to better understand this complex ancient culture and the world in which it developed.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course.
Considered a European History course.
Course may be applied to the Anthropology minor.
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REL 323 - Gods and War: Religion, Ideology, and Nationalism in Japan and the United States Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An exploration of how religions in Japan and the United States have helped formulate national identities and mobilize citizens for war.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Course fulfills the Moral Inquiry requirement and may be applied to the Asian Studies minor.
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REL 325 - Theology and Community Service Four Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An exploration of questions about the relationship of theology and community service in contemporary society, in the context of a search for insight and understanding into personal experiences while volunteering service in a local social service agency. Offered jointly by Religious Studies and Campus Ministry.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 327 - Vatican II: Revolution or Reform Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An in-depth reading and analysis of the principal Vatican II documents to demonstrate how Catholicism today is transformed from earlier history. Contemporary issues, as understood in the light of the Vatican II Church, are explored.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 329 - Justice, Peace, Ecology Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
The local and global environmental crisis is examined from the perspective of contemporary theological developments, recent biblical scholarship, ecumenical statements, and Roman Catholic social teaching communicated in various papal and episcopal statements on the current crisis.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 331 - Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
A systematic introduction to biblical Hebrew emphasizing grammar and vocabulary with the intention of reading short passages of biblical prose by the end of the semester. Daily preparation and active class participation mandatory.
Completion of both REL 331 and REL 332 - Introduction to Biblical Hebrew II may fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement.
Course may be applied to the Middle Eastern Studies minor.
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REL 332 - Introduction to Biblical Hebrew II Three Credits
Not Offered 2015-2016
A second semester of Biblical Hebrew which builds on the knowledge gained in the first semester. Ongoing grammar and vocabulary study along with more readings in Biblical prose and some poetry such as Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my Shepherd”). Daily preparation and active class participation mandatory.
Prerequisite(s): REL 331 or Instructor Permission.
Completion of both REL 331 - Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I and REL 332 may fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement.
Course may be applied to the Middle Eastern Studies minor.
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REL 333 - The American Catholic Experience Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
A critical examination and analysis of the peoples, events, and ideas that shaped American Catholicism from the era of discovery to the 21st century. Catholicism’s minority status and the perennial tension of being American and Catholic are used as guiding principles in this study.
Cross-listed with HIS 333 .
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 334 - The Mystery of Evil Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
In a world of violence and vengeance, enmity and injustice, disease and natural disaster, the problem of evil is an ever present reality prompting the deepest and most urgent questions for humanity. This course introduces important philosophical and theological perspectives on evil, considers the persistent challenge of theodicy, as well as the inherent limitations of theodical projects, and examines questions on the origin of evil, the possibility of human evil, the ability to name evil in the context of cultural pluralism, and the possibility of hope for overcoming evil.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore Standing
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 336 - Women in the Islamic Tradition Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
The treatment of women and women’s issues in the Islamic tradition through both primary sources (in translation) and secondary sources: women in Muhammad’s life and the role they played in Islamic society; the treatment of women and women-related issues in the Islamic tradition, including both legal and non-legal matters; and the writings of modern Muslim women scholars on Islam as they look at these same issues with a new perspective and present new interpretations.
Course may be applied to the Gender & Sexuality Studies and Middle Eastern Studies programs.
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REL 337 - The God Question: Modern Challenges to Faith and Christian Responses Three Credits
Fall Semester
This course traces the historical development of the character of both modern theism and atheism in response to certain views about human knowing that arose in the age of modern science and in confrontation with particular strains of Western Enlightenment thought. It also considers some of the changing perspectives on the divine mystery that have arisen from certain significant theological projects of recent time, among them liberation, feminist, ecological, political, and various contextual theologies.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 338 - Sex and God: Love Songs in Medieval Spain Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
An examination of the secular love poetry penned by religious scholars of the 10th-13th centuries in medieval Spain. We will explore the ways in which these pious standard-bearers of religion used sacred images and accounts from the Bible/Qur’an and exegetical traditions in their secular love poems, to both male and female beloveds, and what messages were thus embedded.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Course may be applied to the Gender & Sexuality Studies and Middle Eastern Studies programs.
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REL 340 - Jesus and Moral Decisions Three Credits
Spring Semester
Jesus and Moral Decisions challenges students to ask, “What would Jesus do?” when faced with contemporary moral decisions. Through the use of Gospels, and secondary sources, students will lead discussions and write essays that address Jesus’ answer(s) to moral decisions today.
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry and Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirements.
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REL 346 - Feast or Famine? The Mass in the Modern Age Three Credits
Fall Semester
An exploration of the theological study of the celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass, with a focus on the historical development of the Eucharist, various models of eucharistic celebration, and, the writings of John Paul II and Benedict XVI as a window on critical ecclesial and social issues that surface with regard to the Mass in the modern world.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions requirement.
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REL 351 - Heretics, Saints & Martyrs Three Credits
Not Offered 2016-2017
This course will examine the growth of the early Christian movement during Late Antiquity. Discussions will focus on a number of important themes including persecution and martyrdom, monasticism and asceticism, the development and refutation of heresies (Gnosticism, Arianism, Nestorianism), and the creation of orthodoxy in belief, creed, and ritual.
Fulfills the Catholic Intellectual Traditions and Moral Inquiry requirements.
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REL 373 - Buddhism, Nature & Environmental Ethics Three Credits
Fall Semester
An exploration of traditional Buddhist views of nature, especially in the Zen tradition, in relation to popular images of Buddhism and recent statements by Buddhist thinkers about environmental issues. Drawing from the field of Environmental Ethics, this course will also consider what a rigorous Buddhist environmental ethic might entail.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course .
Fulfills the Moral Inquiry requirement.
Course may be applied to the Asian Studies minor.
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REL 411 - Approaches to the Study of Religious Traditions (WID) Four Credits
Alternate Years: Fall 2017, 2019
An exploration of the basic questions and themes in the academic study of religions, with a focus on how the discipline of Religious Studies developed and how it continues to change.
Prerequisite(s): One 100-Level Religious Studies Cornerstone Course and three other Religious Studies Courses, or Instructor permission.
Fulfills the Writing-in-the-Disciplines requirement.
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REL 412 - Senior Thesis Three Credits
Spring Semester
Research, reflection, writing, and public presentation under the direction of a member of the Department, as well as participation in senior seminar. Normally completed in the spring semester of their senior year. This paper should demonstrate a working knowledge of academic approaches to the study of religions and focus on a topic selected by the student in consultation with a Religious Studies faculty member with whom the student consults in tutorial meetings. Students must also present their research at a colloquium.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Instructor or Department Chairperson.
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REL 475 - Internship in Religious Studies Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Prerequisite(s): Minimum 3.0 GPA and permission of Department Chairperson.
Must complete the “U.S. Internship Request for Approval” process found under the myPlans tab in myHill to register for this Internship.
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REL 476 - Internship in Campus Ministry Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
Familiarizes students with campus ministry fundamentals beyond Stonehill. Based on the particular host institution’s faith tradition and goals, students will plan retreats, justice and peace initiatives, liturgical practices and similar functions.
Prerequisite(s): Minimum 3.0 GPA and permission of Department Chairperson.
Must complete the “U.S. Internship Request for Approval” process found under the myPlans tab in myHill to register for this Internship.
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REL 477 - Internship in Parish Ministry Three Credits
Fall and Spring Semesters
A parish internship provides the opportunity to be involved in planning and carrying-out a multi-level religious education program, youth ministry activities, community service projects, and spiritual/liturgical events.
Prerequisite(s): Minimum 3.0 GPA and permission of Department Chairperson.
Must complete the “U.S. Internship Request for Approval” process found under the myPlans tab in myHill to register for this Internship.
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