Religious Studies (RELIG) Courses

RELIG 100  3 Units  
Introduction to Religious Studies  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Advisory: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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.

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU

RELIG 100H  3 Units  
Introduction to Religious Studies - Honors  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Advisory: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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.

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU

RELIG 101  3 Units  
Introduction to World Religions  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Advisory: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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.

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU

RELIG 115  3 Units  
Magic, Witchcraft, Cults, and New Religious Movements  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Advisory: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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)

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU

RELIG 135  3 Units  
Religion in America  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Advisory: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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.

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU

RELIG 150  3 Units  
Introduction to Mythology  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Advisory: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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.

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU

RELIG 175  3 Units  
The Literature and Religion of the Bible  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Prerequisite: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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.

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU

RELIG 176  3 Units  
Jesus and His Interpreters  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Advisory: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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.)

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU

RELIG 180  3 Units  
Death and Dying  

Lecture: 54 contact hours

Advisory: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101H

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)

Associate Degree Applicable

Transfers to both UC/CSU