RELIG 100 3 Units
Introduction to Religious Studies
This course is an introductory study of religion, with emphasis on religious experience, the origins and function of religion, and the various modes of religious expression. Necessarily broad in scope, this course will draw on Eastern, Western, ancient, and modern religious phenomena to help students understand various religious components, such as myth, ritual, scripture, art, doctrine, and mysticism.
RELIG 100H 3 Units
Introduction to Religious Studies - Honors
This course is an introductory study of religion, with emphasis on religious experience, the origins and function of religion, and the various modes of religious expression. Necessarily broad in scope, this course will draw on Eastern, Western, ancient, and modern religious phenomena to help students understand various religious components, such as myth, ritual, scripture, art, doctrine, and mysticism. This course is intended for students in the Honors Program but is open to all students who desire more challenging coursework.
RELIG 101 3 Units
Introduction to World Religions
This course is an introduction to the major religious traditions of the world with an emphasis on the beliefs, practices, and histories of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism.
RELIG 115 3 Units
Magic, Witchcraft, Cults, and New Religious Movements
Through an examination of magic and witchcraft, the course introduces the study of the beliefs and practices, past and present, associated with new religious movements, sometimes referred to as cults. Topics examined include ritual, symbolism, altered states of consciousness and healing, as well as syncretism, change and the social roles of these beliefs and practices. The course also examines examples of various historical religious influences on new religious movements. (Formerly RELIG 110)
RELIG 135 3 Units
Religion in America
This course is an introduction to the diverse expression of religion in the United States. Although limited by the history and geography of one country, the course necessarily draws from religions around the globe to help students understand how religion has grown and developed in the U.S. So, this course deals with a wide variety of expressions of religion, including the Puritans, slave religion, the religious reform movements, the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim communities, the African American religious experience, Eastern religions in America, and contemporary syncretistic religious movements.
RELIG 150 3 Units
Introduction to Mythology
This course is an introduction to myth and its function in culture through an examination of creation stories, end-of-the world stories, hero stories, and trickster stories. Although focusing on the narrative expression of religion, this course necessarily draws from many traditions, including Native American, Greek, Roman, European, Islamic, Chinese, Hindu, and Japanese traditions of myth. In addition, this class will examine modern American myths.
RELIG 175 3 Units
The Literature and Religion of the Bible
This course covers The English Bible as literature and as religion including an examination of the types of literature found in the Bible, the historical and religious context in which the literature was developed and an extensive reading of the two testaments. This course is also offered as ENGL 175. RELIG 175 is the transferable equivalent of ENGL 075. A student taking RELIG 175 may not earn credit for ENGL 075. RELIG 176 3 Units
Jesus and His Interpreters
This course is a study of images and interpretations of Jesus with three principle divisions: Jesus and the gospels or biblical tradition; Jesus and the historians, including the quest of historians and theologians for the Jesus of history; and Jesus and the arts (Jesus in art, music, film, and the literary arts, such as novels, poems, and plays.)
RELIG 180 3 Units
Death and Dying
This course is a study of dying, death, and bereavement. Medical, ethical, legal, philosophical, and religious considerations will be explored. (This course is also offered as PHIL 180) 