Religious Studies (REL) courses
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REL 615 Topics in Biblical Studies
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 101 or REL 102. Advanced study of canonical and non-canonical texts and related subjects. Examples: Genesis, The Social World of Ancient Israel, Dead Sea Scrolls, Historical Jesus, Acts as History and Literature, Revelation and Apocalyptic Literature. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 510. Cannot receive credit for both REL 510 and REL 615 for the same topic.
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REL 635 Topics in Religion and Culture
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 100 or REL 131. Explores advanced issues in the study of religion as a component of cultural life including issues of gender, race, and ethnicity. Examples of topics: Religion and Politics; Religion, Media, and Popular Culture; Religion and Visual Culture; American Religious Communities; Lived Religion; Bible Belt Religion; Food and Religion; Women and Religion. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 530. Cannot receive credit for both REL 530 and REL 635 for the same topic.
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REL 645 Topics in Religions of Asia
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 110. Studies of advanced topics in the comparative religions of Asia or in the history of a particular religious tradition. Topics may include material ranging from ancient history to the present day. Examples: Colonialism, Religion and Culture, Yoga, Fundamentalism. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 540. Cannot receive credit for both REL 540 and REL 645 for the same topic.
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REL 655 Topics in Religions of Europe and the Middle East
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 330, REL 340, or REL 350. Selected topics of advanced content in Judaism, Christianity, and/or Islam. Examples: Jewish Mysticism; Jewish Philosophy; The Spirituality of Martin Luther and John Calvin; Women in the History of Christianity; Islamic Law and Ethics; Sufism. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours as topics change. May be taught concurrently with REL 550. Cannot receive credit for both REL 655 and REL 550 for the same topic.
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REL 675 Archaeology and the Bible
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 101 or REL 102. Archaeological discoveries in their relation to the literary, cultural, and religious background of the Bible. Methods and objectives of archaeological research, including a brief history of Near Eastern archaeology. May be taught concurrently with REL 570. Cannot receive credit for both REL 570 and REL 675.
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REL 685 Theories of Religion
Prerequisite: permission of department head.This required course for graduate students surveys influential theories of religion from the Enlightenment to the present. Students will write a major research paper involving theoretical perspectives learned in the course. May be taught concurrently with REL 580. Cannot receive credit for both REL 580 and REL 685.
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REL 711 Seminar in Religions of Asia
This seminar will examine a specific topic or tradition within Asian religions. Students can expect to do focused reading, discussion, and research on a particular subject related to the Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and/or other traditions of Asia. Historical and contemporary material, along with critiques of scholarship in the field, may be considered. May be repeated once if topic is different.
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REL 731 Seminar in Biblical Studies
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 730. This seminar examines a specific topic within the history and literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and/or New Testament. Students can expect to do focused reading, discussion, and research on a particular historical, literary, and/or methodological issue pertaining to the topic. Variable content course. May be repeated once if topic is different.
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REL 751 Seminar in Religions of Europe and the Middle East
Detailed study of selected persons, authors, movements, and eras in the history of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or other religions of Europe and the Middle East. Variable content course. May be repeated once if topic is different.
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REL 771 Seminar in Religion and Culture
Recommended Prerequisite: REL 770. A seminar applying various perspectives to individual religious practice and religious institutions in selected Western and non-Western societies. May be repeated once if topic is different.
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REL 796 Readings in Religious Studies
Prerequisite: recommendation of the Religious Studies general graduate advisor and permission of instructor.Arranged program of readings for the individual student directed by a member of the graduate faculty. Before enrolling in the course, student and instructor must sign an agreement that details the course requirements. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours when topics vary.
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REL 799 Thesis
Prerequisite: recommendation of the Religious Studies general graduate advisor and permission of student's thesis advisor.The student will prepare an in-depth thesis on a clearly-defined topic within his or her area of specialization. Before enrolling in the course, student and thesis advisor must sign an agreement that details the course requirements. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours.