Religious Studies

This is an archived copy of the 2012-13 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalogs.uchicago.edu.

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Contacts

Undergraduate Primary Contact

Director of Undergraduate Studies Lucy Pick
S 306B
702.8278
Email

Website

http://divinity.uchicago.edu/academics/undergraduate.shtml

Program of Study

The program in Religious Studies introduces students to the academic study of religion. Students in Religious Studies learn how to think, talk, and write about religion in a way that is well-informed, rigorously critical, and responsibly engaged. The study of religion investigates the way human societies construct practices, seek meanings, and pose questions about their world. These investigations may be constructive, cultural, and/or historical. Since it touches all facets of human experience, the study of religion is a crucial conversation partner with other fields of study and draws on the entire range of humanistic and social scientific disciplines. Students in the program are able to explore numerous religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, and are exposed to the sources, problems, methods, and methodologies of our diverse areas of study, including Biblical and Historical Studies; Ethics, Theology, and the Philosophy of Religions; as well as History of Religions, Anthropology, Sociology, and Religion and Literature. The interests of our students may be descriptive, explanatory, and/or normative.

Program Requirements

A major in Religious Studies consists of twelve courses, including one introductory course and a two-quarter senior seminar. It is preferable that students consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies and declare their major in Religious Studies before the end of their second year. Students and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will work together to create a program of study. The goal is to develop depth in one area so that a satisfactory BA paper will be written in the fourth year. Students are encouraged to explore more than one religious tradition in their courses. Students who wish to receive credit in the major for non-departmental courses must submit a petition to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Such requests are decided on a case-by-case basis. NOTE: The Office of the Dean of Students in the College must also approve the transfer of all courses taken at institutions other than those in which students are enrolled as part of a study abroad program that is sponsored by the University of Chicago. For more information, visit Examination Credit and Transfer Credit .

Introductory Course

Students in Religious Studies are required to take RLST 10100 Introduction to Religious Studies. It need not precede other course work in the major, but students are advised to have completed it by the end of their second year. It will typically be offered every year during Autumn Quarter. This course will introduce students to some of the central themes in Religious Studies; its particular focus will vary according to the interests of the individual instructor.

Course Distribution

Religion is expressed in many forms throughout the world's cultures, and the academic study of religion therefore requires multiple perspectives on its subject. Students of religion should have some knowledge of the historical development of specific religious traditions, understand and critically engage the ethical and intellectual teachings of various religions, and begin to make some comparative appraisals of the roles that religions play in different cultures and historical periods. To introduce students to these multiple perspectives on religion and to provide a sense of the field as a whole, students are required to take at least one course in each of the following areas. To identify the areas, refer to the boldface letter at the end of each course description. Note: Some courses do not show an area because they are cross-listed from another department; in these cases, the area can be identified by the RLST number range (see below).

A. Historical Studies in Religious Traditions: courses that explore the development of particular religious traditions, including their social practices, rituals, scriptures, and beliefs in historical context (RLST 11000 through 15000, 20000 through 22900).

B. Constructive Studies in Religion: courses that investigate constructive or normative questions about the nature and conduct of human life that are raised by religious traditions, including work in philosophy of religion, ethics, and theology (RLST 23000 through 25900).

C. Cultural Studies in Religion: courses that introduce issues in the social and cultural contingencies of religious thought and practice by emphasizing sociological, anthropological, and literary-critical perspectives on religion, and by raising comparative questions about differing religious and cultural traditions (RLST 26000 through 28900).

Senior Seminar and BA Paper

The two-quarter senior sequence (RLST 29800 BA Paper Seminar and RLST 29900 BA Paper) will assist students with the preparation of the required BA paper. During May of their third year, students will work with the preceptor to choose a faculty adviser and a topic for research, and to plan a course of study for the following year. These must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students will take part in the BA Paper Seminar convened by a preceptor during Autumn and Winter Quarters. This seminar will allow students to prepare their bibliographies, hone their writing, and present their research. Students will register for RLST 29800 BA Paper Seminar in the Autumn Quarter and for RLST 29900 BA Paper in the Winter Quarter. The BA paper will be due the second week of Spring Quarter. The length is typically between thirty and forty pages, with the upward limit being firm.

This program may accept a BA paper or project used to satisfy the same requirement in another major if certain conditions are met and with the consent of the other program. Approval from both departments is required. Students should consult with the departments by the earliest BA proposal deadline (or by the end of their third year, if neither program publishes a deadline). A consent form, to be signed by both departments, is available from the College adviser. It must be completed and returned to the College adviser by the end of Autumn Quarter of the student's year of graduation.

Grading

Religious Studies majors must receive quality grades in all courses in the major. With consent of instructor, nonmajors may take Religious Studies courses for P/F grading. Faculty will determine the criteria that constitute a Pass.

Honors

Honors are awarded by the Divinity School's Committee on Undergraduate Studies. Students who write senior papers deemed exceptional by their faculty advisers will be eligible for consideration for graduation with honors. To be considered for honors, students must also have a 3.5 GPA or higher in the major and a 3.25 GPA or higher overall.

Summary of Requirements

RLST 10100	Introduction to Religious Studies	100
One course in historical studies in religious traditions		100
One course in constructive studies in religion		100
One course in cultural studies in religion		100
Six additional courses in Religious Studies		600
RLST 29800	BA Paper Seminar	100
RLST 29900	BA Paper	100
Total Units		1200

Minor Program in Religious Studies

The minor in Religious Studies requires a total of seven courses. is required of all minors. The remaining six courses should be chosen to reflect a broad understanding of the academic study of religion. Of these six, students must take at least one course in each of our three areas of study [Historical Studies (A), Constructive Studies (B), and Cultural Studies (C)]. Courses in the minor may not be double-counted with the student's major(s) or with other minors, and may not be counted toward general education requirements. Courses in the minor must be taken for quality grades, and more than half of the requirements for the minor must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers.

The student must complete a substantial (at least 10–15 pages) paper or project. This work should engage critically with primary source materials and exemplify methodological sophistication in the study of religion, and should earn a grade no lower than B-. It is expected that this paper will normally be written as part of the student's course work for the minor. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will approve the paper for fulfillment of this requirement.

Students who elect the minor program in Religious Studies must meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies before the end of Spring Quarter of their third year to declare their intention to complete the minor. Consent to complete a minor forms are available from the student’s College adviser or online at https://college.uchicago.edu/sites/college.uchicago.edu/files/attachments/consent_minor_program.pdf .

Sample Program

The following group of courses would satisfy a minor in Religious Studies:

RLST 10100	Introduction to Religious Studies	100
RLST 11005	Introduction to the Hebrew Bible: Jewish Thought and Literature	100
RLST 12000	Introduction to the New Testament	100
RLST 21600	Early Monasticism	100
RLST 24201	Indian Philosophy I: Origins and Orientations	100
RLST 24202	Indian Philosophy II: The Classical Traditions	100
RLST 27302	Buddhism in South Asia	100

Religious Studies Courses

RLST 10100. Introduction to Religious Studies. 100 Units.

This course introduces some of the central concerns, problems, and materials of Religious Studies. Students are exposed to a range of primary and secondary source material grouped around a set of themes chosen by the instructor. Possible themes include canon, prophecy, revelation, initiation, priesthood, sacred space, discipline, and ritual.

Instructor(s): L. Pick Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): Required of students who are majoring in Religious Studies.
Equivalent Course(s): RELH 10100

RLST 11004. Jewish Thought and Literature I: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 100 Units.

The course will survey all twenty-four books of the Hebrew Bible, clarify its precise relationship to the Old Testament, and introduce critical questions regarding its central and marginal figures and ideas, its literary qualities and anomalies, the history of its composition and transmission, its relation to other artifacts from the biblical period, its place in the history and society of ancient Israel, Judah and Judea, its relation to the larger culture of the ancient Near East, and the rise of canonicity and hermeneutics. Student responsibilities include primary and secondary readings, attending lectures, full participation in discussion sections, a guided visit to the Oriental Institute museum, a final exam on the lectures, and a final paper synthesizing the discussion sections.

Instructor(s): S. Chavel Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): JWSC 20004,BIBL 30800,NEHC 20404,NEHC 30404

RLST 11005. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible: Jewish Thought and Literature. 100 Units.

This course will survey the contents of all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, and introduce critical questions regarding its central and marginal figures, events, and ideas, its literary qualities and anomalies, the history of its composition and transmission, its relation to other artifacts from the biblical period, its place in the history and society of ancient Israel, and its relation to the larger culture of the Ancient Near East. Texts in English. (A)

Instructor(s): J. Stackert Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): May not be both used to meet the general education requirement and count toward the courses required for the Religious Studies major.

RLST 12000. Introduction to the New Testament. 100 Units.

For course description contact Divinity.

Equivalent Course(s): BIBL 32500,FNDL 28202

RLST 20401-20402-20403. Islamic Thought and Literature I-II-III.

This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. Taking these courses in sequence is recommended but not required.

RLST 20401. Islamic Thought and Literature I. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 600 to 950, concentrating on the career of the Prophet Muhammad; Qur'an and Hadith; the Caliphate; the development of Islamic legal, theological, philosophical, and mystical discourses; sectarian movements; and Arabic literature.

Instructor(s): T. Qutbuddin Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): NEHC 20601,SOSC 22000

RLST 20402. Islamic Thought and Literature II. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 950 to 1700. We survey such works as literature, theology, philosophy, sufism, politics, and history that were written in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. We also consider the art, architecture, and music of the Islamicate traditions. Through primary texts, secondary sources, and lectures, we trace the cultural, social, religious, political, and institutional evolution through the period of the Fatimids, the Crusades, the Mongol invasions, and the "gunpowder empires" (Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals).

Instructor(s): F. Lewis Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): Taking these courses in sequence is recommended but not required. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Equivalent Course(s): NEHC 20602,SOSC 22100

RLST 20403. Islamic Thought and Literature III. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 1700 to the present, exploring works of Arab intellectuals who interpreted various aspects of Islamic philosophy, political theory, and law in the modern age. We look at diverse interpretations concerning the role of religion in a modern society, at secularized and historicized approaches to religion, and at the critique of both religious establishments and nation-states as articulated by Arab intellectuals. Generally, we discuss secondary literature first and the primary sources later.

Instructor(s): A. El Shamsy Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): NEHC 20603,SOSC 22200

RLST 20501. Islamic History and Society I: The Rise of Islam and the Caliphate. 100 Units.

This course covers the period from ca. 600 to 1100, including the rise and spread of Islam, the Islamic empire under the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs, and the emergence of regional Islamic states from Afghanistan and eastern Iran to North Africa and Spain.

Instructor(s): F. Donner Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Not open to first-year students
Note(s): Taking these courses in sequence is recommended but not required. This sequence meets the general eduation requirement in civilization studies.

RLST 20801. Introduction to Islamic Law. 100 Units.

This course introduces students to the structure and central concepts of Islamic law, and explores its implementation in practice through its long history. The course pursues two parallel strands of inquiry. One weekly class meeting is dedicated to a close reading and discussion of primary legal texts in translation. In the second meeting, we trace the historical role of Islamic law in Muslim societies, beginning with the emergence of localized normative traditions and ending with a consideration of the nature of Islamic law in the modern globalized world. All readings in English.

Instructor(s): A. El Shamsy Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): NEHC 20025,ISLM 30025,LAWS 80212

RLST 21400. Latin American Religious, New and Old. 100 Units.

This course will consider select pre-twentieth-century issues, such as the transformations of Christianity in colonial society and the Catholic Church as a state institution. It will emphasize twentieth-century developments: religious rebellions; conversion to evangelical Protestant churches; Afro-diasporan religions; reformist and revolutionary Catholicism; new and New-Age religions.

Instructor(s): D. Borges Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 29000,CRES 29000,HCHR 38900,HIST 39000,LACS 29000,LACS 39000

RLST 21403. Race and Religion in the Americas. 100 Units.

This course explores the intricate and complex relationships between race and religion. To do this, the class will focus on examples from religions of the Caribbean and the United States from the 19th and 20th centuries, including Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Afro-Caribbean religions. We will use these examples to understand and compare the different ways in which religion and race have been constructed together, and to think through key terms and concepts for the study of religion and race, such as diaspora, cultural continuity and change, hybridization, and nationalism. (A)

Instructor(s): A. Rocklin Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): CRES 21403

RLST 21600. Early Monasticism. 100 Units.

This course examines early monasticism from its origins among the desert fathers of the Greek and Syriac East to its development in the Latin West, especially in Italy and Spain, concluding with the Carolingian reformation of monasticism in the ninth century. We will examine such themes as monastic rules, monastic hagiography, women in monasticism, ideas of virginity, and the economics of monasticism. (A)

Instructor(s): L. Pick Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): HIST 11900

RLST 22101. Women, Gender, and Religion in America. 100 Units.

This course asks how religious communities have shaped gender roles in colonial North America and the United States, and how individuals have both reproduced and challenged the dominant gender discourses of their time. Among other topics we will discuss witchcraft accusations in early America, the ideology of “Republican motherhood” during the American Revolution, the controversies over women’s religious leadership in the nineteenth century, the rise of “muscular Christianity” at the turn of the twentieth century, and recent debates over homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and women’s ordination. Requirements: class attendance and participation; a class presentation; a midterm exam; and a final exam.

Instructor(s): C. Brekus Terms Offered: Winter

RLST 23302. The Theology of Martin Luther. 100 Units.

Martin Luther's theology was a major force in the development of Western theological thought and ecclesiastical development. This course introduces students to the main themes of Luther's theology by reading several of his most important texts that address the various themes and controversies he confronted throughout his lifetime. Such texts include "The Freedom of the Christian," "The Babylonian Captivity of the Church," "The Bondage of the Will," "On the Councils and the Church"," and "Against the Heavenly Prophets," as well as selections from his exegesis of Galatians, Genesis, and the Gospel of John. These readings will provide students with Luther's understanding of justification by faith, the nature of freedom, the sacramental controversies over the Eucharist, and the role of authority and the church. The different genres will also show the importance of exegesis and polemics in the thinking of Martin Luther.

Instructor(s): S. Schreiner Terms Offered: Winter

RLST 23403. What Is Enlightenment? 100 Units.

What is enlightenment? How does one become enlightened, and who is enlightened? In Euro-American civilization, the eighteenth-century Age of Enlightenment championed the powers of human reason against religion and superstition to achieve scientific progress. Buddhism in the nineteenth century was represented by the heirs of Enlightenment as a religion for the Enlightenment to the point of not being a religion at all. Both traditions offer pathways to freedom (or liberation?) that draw on our rational capabilities, and both sponsor the production of knowledge that re-visions our place in the world. But they seem to be opposed: how could reason reject “religious” beliefs but also take part in “religious” traditions that aim to bring certain kinds of persons into being? We compare the mental models, discourses, methods of analysis, world-images, and practices of these traditions of enlightenment to assess the kinds of disciplines that their theoreticians and practitioners acquire and use.

Instructor(s): M. Browning, Staff Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Third or fourth-year standing

RLST 23603. Cosmos and Conscience: Looking for Ourselves Elsewhere. 100 Units.

Science and religion are two ways, among many others, that people can seek to know about reality: how do we construct ordered pictures of the whole—cosmos or civilization—and how do we relate to them in terms of action? How do we know what we do not know, and what does that kind of “knowledge” mean for the orientation and direction of human existence? How would cultural biases be affected by knowing that there are others “out there” in the universe, should we discover them? From various perspectives, this course addresses these questions of the origins, structures, and ends of reality as we look for ourselves—seek understanding of the human condition—in the cosmos but also in complex religious and cultural traditions. Whereas in our popular culture, science is often identified with the realm of knowledge and religion is simply “belief” or “practice,” the course also seeks to trace the rational limits of science and the rational force of religion with respect to the ethical problem of the right and good conduct of human life.

Instructor(s): W. Schweiker, D. York Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Third- or fourth-year standing
Equivalent Course(s): BPRO 23000,ASTR 23000

RLST 23605. Aquinas on God, Being, and Human Nature. 100 Units.

This course considers sections from Saint Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica. Among the topics considered are God's existence; the relationship between God and Being; and human nature.

Instructor(s): S. Meredith Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): FNDL 20700,CLCV 23712

RLST 23902. Self-Cultivation and the Way in Traditional Chinese Thought. 100 Units.

In this course we will explore three distinct but interrelated modes of self-cultivation and the contemplative life from premodern China: those exemplified by the Laozi, and in particular by those artists and philosophers who drew upon the text; by the Chan tradition in Tang and Song Buddhism; and by the Song Neo-Confucian philosopher and exegete Zhu Xi (1130-1200). We will read classic texts in these modes (and a few modern ones too) closely, attuning ourselves as best we can to their original contexts, and we will brood together on how we might use them in our own contemplative lives. Central to the course will be careful consideration of the different understandings of the Way (Dao) found in our texts, and how these different Ways structured conceptions of the ideal human life.

Instructor(s): P. Copp Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): EALC 23902

RLST 24201. Indian Philosophy I: Origins and Orientations. 100 Units.

A survey of the origins of Indian philosophical thought, emphasizing the Vedas, Upanisads, and early Buddhist literature. Topics include concepts of causality and freedom, the nature of the self and ultimate reality, and the relationship between philosophical thought and ritual or ascetic religious practice. (B)

Instructor(s): M. Kapstein Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): DVPR 30200,HREL 30200,SALC 20901,SALC 30901

RLST 24202. Indian Philosophy II: The Classical Traditions. 100 Units.

Continuing and building upon SALC 20901/30901, we focus on the development of the major classical systems of Indian thought. The course emphasizes Indian logic, epistemology, and philosophy of language. (B)

Instructor(s): D. Arnold Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): RLST 24201
Equivalent Course(s): DVPR 30300,HREL 30300,SALC 20902,SALC 30902

RLST 24713. Augustine's Confessions. 100 Units.

Augustine’s Confessions recount not only his own conversion(s), but seek to facilitate a conversion in his readers and, thereby, inaugurate a new form of meditative reading. Like Cicero’s Hortensius, the text which prompted his long return to God, they thus belong to a genre of discourse known as protreptic in antiquity and designed to turn the reader towards the pursuit of wisdom. Of course, the Confessions as a confession participate in a number of other genres, and, thus, our analysis will have to take into account its generic complexity in order to understand how seeks to be read.

Instructor(s): C. Wild Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): FNDL 24713,CLCV 26512

RLST 25902. The Philosophical Interpretation of Scripture in the Middle Ages: The Problems of Evil and the Book of Job. 100 Units.

An important genre of philosophical writing during the Middle Ages was the commentary, both commentaries on canonical philosophical works (e.g., Aristotle) and on Scripture. This course is an introduction to medieval philosophical exegesis of Scripture, concentrating on the Book of Job and the philosophical problems of evil and suffering. Authors will include Saadiah, Maimonides, and Aquinas, and readings will include both their commentaries on Job and their systematic philosophical discussions of the problems of evil. (IV)

Instructor(s): J. Stern Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): PHIL 26100,HIJD 36100,JWSC 26250,PHIL 36100

RLST 26800. The Mahabharata in English Translation. 100 Units.

A reading of the Mahabharata in English translation (van Buitenen, Narasimhan, Ganguli, and Doniger [ms.]), with special attention to issues of mythology, feminism, and theodicy. (C)

Instructor(s): W. Doniger Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): FNDL 24400,HREL 35000,SALC 20400,SALC 48200

RLST 27302. Buddhism in South Asia. 100 Units.

Buddhism has been an important presence in South Asian religion and culture since its origins in northern India some 2500 years ago. In this course, we will survey the history of ideas and practices in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism from its earliest traces to the present. (C)

Instructor(s): C. Wedemeyer Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SALC 27301

RLST 27600. The Art of Ancestral Worship. 100 Units.

For course description contact Art History.

Equivalent Course(s): ARTH 20100,ARTH 30100,EALC 24900,EALC 34900

RLST 27605. Religion, Gender, and Agency. 100 Units.

,Religion, Gender, and Agency. This course will explore the tensions around the question of agency as addressed in literature on religion and gender. We will look at various accounts of agency (liberal, post-structuralist, instrumental, material/relative, and others) in order to evaluate the resources and limitations of these models for thinking about agency in cross-cultural contexts. We will explore the following questions: What conceptual tools do we use to measure and talk about agency: resistance? consent? capacity to affect transformation? Under what conditions and in what contexts is a particular act or set of acts an instance of agency and can such contexts be elaborated in advance of action(s)? Are there specifically gendered, classed, and racialized forms of agency? For instance, what do we learn when we compare the agency available to women relative to men of the same class and race or relative to men and women of a different class and race? ,We will also investigate how these debates might inform our thinking about what counts as 'feminist' politics. Finally, we will ask why has religion become a particularly vexed site for thinking about agency? We will draw on theoretical materials from the fields of religious studies, political theory, anthropology, and philosophy as well as specific case studies including ethnographies of Christian evangelical and Muslim African-American women in the U.S., Egyptian women’s piety movement, and women’s ancestral spirit possession in Malaysia, amid others.

Instructor(s): Larisa Reznik Terms Offered: Autumn 2012
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 21907

RLST 28205. Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. 100 Units.

We will engage in a rigorous quarter-long close reading of Dostoevsky’s 1867 novel with the intention of unfolding as fully as possibly its significance in the history of literary form, philosophical thought, and social critique. To this purpose we will also read selected texts from such contemporaries as Friedrich Nietzsche and Karl Marx, as well as a sampling of critical responses to Dostoevsky’s novel and its adaptations in other media.

Instructor(s): R. Bird Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Required of new Fundamentals majors; open to others with consent of instructor.
Note(s): Slavic and Fundamentals majors get first priority.
Equivalent Course(s): FNDL 20100,RUSS 27505,RUSS 37505

RLST 28206. Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov. 100 Units.

We will read and interpret The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky. Among major themes are the nature of human guilt in relation to God and society; the problem of evil, and how the existence of evil in the world affects religious beliefs; the pros and cons of “freedom,” and what the word might have meant to Dostoevsky; and love.

Instructor(s): R. Bird and S. Meredith Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Required of new Fundamentals majors; open to others with consent of instructors.
Note(s): Slavic and Fundamentals majors get first priority
Equivalent Course(s): FNDL 20200,RUSS 26204

RLST 28809. Modern Rewritings of the Gospel Narratives. 100 Units.

This interdisciplinary course focuses on the literary dimension of the gospels and on their artistic reception in modern culture. Starting from a presentation of narrative theory, it asks whether religious and secular narratives differ in structure, and illuminates narrative conventions of different media and genres. Both thematic aspects (what aspects of the gospels are selected for development in modern adaptations?) and features of presentation (how do different media and styles transform similar content?) will be considered. Principal works include Johann Sebastian Bach, The Passion According to St. Matthew (1720); Ernest Renan, The Life of Jesus (1865); Nikos Kazantzákis, The Last Temptation of Christ (1955); Pasolini, The Gospel According to Matthew (1964); José Saramago, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ (1991); Norman Mailer, The Gospel According to the Son (1997); and Monty Python, Life of Brian (1979). Secondary readings include Mieke Bal, Narratology, and Bultmann, History of the Synoptic Tradition.

Instructor(s): Olga Solovieva Terms Offered: Spring 2013
Equivalent Course(s): CMLT 34409,GRMN 24413,GRMN 34413,RLIT 34400,CMLT 24409

RLST 29700. Reading and Research Course. 100 Units.

Terms Offered: Autumn, Winter, Spring
Prerequisite(s): Consent of faculty supervisor and Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Note(s): Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form.

RLST 29800. BA Paper Seminar. 100 Units.

This class meets weekly to provide guidance for planning, researching, and writing the BA paper.

Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Consent of faculty supervisor and Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Note(s): RLST 29800 and 29900 form a two-quarter sequence that is required of fourth-year students who are majoring in Religious Studies.

RLST 29900. BA Paper. 100 Units.

This class meets weekly to assist students in the preparation of drafts of their BA paper, which are formally presented and critiqued.

Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): RLST 29800 and 29900 form a two-quarter sequence that is required of fourth-year students who are majoring in Religious Studies.