Exploration of the nature of religion as manifested in the variety of religious experiences and expressions, including symbols, myths, rituals and religious literature. The Bible serves as a primary text.
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Introduction to the Old Testament
The history, literature and teachings of the Old Testament
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Introduction to the New Testament
The history, literature and teachings of the New Testament
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Old Testament Prophets
Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14
Study of the phenomenon of prophecy and the prophets in their historical context, with emphases on the literary forms of prophetic literature and the social, political and religious values of the prophets.
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Wisdom Literature
Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 Jesus and the Gospels Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 (1) Exploration of early Christian gospels, both canonical and non-canonical, focusing on the distinctive features of each of the four canonical gospels and the relationships among the synoptic gospels. Return to the home page Paul’s Life and Thought Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 Introduction to the writings and social world of Pauline Christianity. Topics include Paul and "the Jews," his collaboration and conflict with women and slavery in early Christianity. Includes examination of how Paul's authority is appropriated by later Christian authors and how the character Paul is portrayed in early Christian fiction. Return to the home page Religious Approaches to Meaning Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 Exploration of approaches to life's meaning from skepticism through existential humanism, pragmatic "will to believe," and Stoic and biblical Wisdom, Augustinian faith and Christian self-renunciation and service. Return to the home page Judaism Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 Examination of the development, beliefs and practices of Judaism. Historical and sociological issues related to Judaism's interaction with other cultures, and especially with Christianity, are considered. Return to the home page Religions of the World Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 Nature of religion and principal features of living religions. Important ideas and practices of major religions examined in historical and cultural context, with emphasis on the human quest for meaning and integrity. Return to the home page Religion and Literature Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14,P.Interpretation of novels, poems, plays, chiefly modern, with emphasis on religious and moral significance, aiming to illumine our human pilgrimage and moral quests. Recent texts have included works by Tolstoi, Hesse, Sayers, Sartre, Buck, Pirandello, O'Connor, Percy, Endo and Carver. Return to the home page Christian Classics Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 Intepretation of texts expressing the devotional tradition of Christian faith, with emphasis on their time, place and ecclesiastical tradition, as well as the perennial human issues they raise. Recent courses have included works by Tolstoi, Hesse, Sayers, Sartre, Buck, Pirandello, O'Connor, Percy, Endo and Carver. Return to the home page Christian Thought Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 Developments in Christian thinking through periods of crucial formulation and change, such as the sixteenth-century Reformations or the Enlightenment and early Romanticism. Attention to such issues as interpretation of Scripture and the relation of head and heart in faith. Return to the home page Faith and Ethics Prerequisites: Religion 12, 13, or 14 Study of human values and conduct in light of the basic affirmations of Christian faith. Topics include the nature of moral reasoning, the use of the Bible in Christian ethics, the relationship between religious faith and moral life, and contemporary ethical problems Return to the home page
(2) Study of modern quests for the historical Jesus, beginning in the nineteenth century and focusing on contemporary historical research.