Religion Courses
RE/PY 3731. Problems in Ethics and Social Philosophy.
Cat. I
This course will examine in depth selected problems in ethical theory and social philosophy. The specific content or emphasis will be determined by the instructor.
Suggested background: knowledge of either RE/PY 2731 or PY 2712.
RE 3721. Topics in Religion.
Cat. I
The purpose of this course is to expose students to somewhat more advanced or specialized study in religion. The focus will vary, but the material will be drawn from a particular religious thinker, a particular religious tradition or a particular historical or contemporary problem.
Suggested background: three other courses in religion.
RE/PY 2731. Introductory Ethics.
Cat. I
This course will review at an introductory level theories of ethics, individual figures in the history of ethics, and selected problems in ethics. The emphasis will be on philosophical or religious ethics depending on the instructor.
RE 2724. Religions of the East.
Cat. II
The purpose of this course is to examine, from the perspectives of history text, practice, and philosophy, some or all of the following religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. The course will attend to the social context in which these religions began, their relations with their culture, their rituals and their continuing influences in the East and West.
Suggested background: PY/RE 1731 and RE 2721.
This course will be offered in 2009-10 and in alternating years thereafter.
RE 2723. Religions of the West.
Cat. II
The purpose of this course is to examine, from an historical, doctrinal, scriptural and philosophical perspective, major Western religions. The course will focus primarily on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Other religions will be examined. The course will attend to the social context in which these religions developed and will examine their continuing influence on Western society.
Suggested background: RE/PY 1731 and RE 2721.
This course will be offered in 2008-09 and in alternating years thereafter.
RE 2722. The Problem of Evil.
Cat. I
Notions of good and evil shape many of our day to day religious and philosophical claims and arguments. This course concerns questions and approaches to what is often called "evil," through a study of classical and contemporary texts and problems. The focus of the course will vary, but will include metaphysical, moral, and political ideas about kinds and relations of goods and evils from different religious and philosophical perspectives. This study takes into account notions of error, ignorance, wrong-doing, freedom and responsibility evident in contemporary religious and philosophical debate.
RE 2721. Religion and Culture.
Cat. I
The purpose of this course is to examine how the two institutions of religion and culture interact and mutually influence one another. To do this a variety of definitions of religion and culture will be presented as well as an analysis of how religion interacts with such cultural phenomena as economics, politics, the state, war and the basic problem of social change. The purpose of this is to obtain a variety of perspectives on both religion and culture so that one can begin to articulate more clearly the different influences that occur in the development of one's own personal history and the culture in which one lives.
Suggested background: knowledge of key terms and concepts as given in PY/RE 1731.
RE/PY 1731. Introduction to Philosophy and Religion.
Cat. I
This course provides an overview of key concepts, methods and authors in both fields. These introduce the student to the types of reasoning required for the pursuit of in-depth analysis in each discipline. Emphasis on topics and authors varies with the particular instructor.
Last modified: