Undergraduate Program

Religion has been and continues to be deeply embedded within human history, society, and culture in multiple and varied ways. People have long turned to religion to illuminate fundamental, “ultimate” questions about the meaning and purpose of human life while, at the same time, religion has also shaped and influenced how people live their everyday lives in the mundane world. In this course, students will explore and be introduced to (a) the complex interconnections between religion and national identity, politics, gender, sexuality, as well as everyday practices related to eating, dress/adornment, family life, etc., (b) the ways in which religion has variously been defined with respect to the sacred, belief, ritual, practice, and experience, and (c) the major approaches to the academic study of religion and central debates within the field of the study of religion.

Location

(MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Examination of the texts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament for Christians) in their religious, historical, and literary contexts. In this course, students will learn the history of the Ancient Israelite people from their origins down through the post-Exilic period. Study of the texts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) enable us to explore what we can know about Ancient Israelite society and culture, the rise and fall of Israel as a nation-state, religious and theological debates about the role of God in shaping history and the problem of suffering, as well as the writing of the biblical texts and the development of the canon.

Location

(MWF 10:25AM - 11:15AM)

The basic teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism as to human nature and the paths to liberation. We shall investigate particularly the ways in which early Vedism, classical Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism conceive of the cosmos, meaningful human existence, and life’s ultimate goals. Readings include original sources in translation, such as the Upanisads, the Bhagavadgita, and Buddhist scriptures in both Mahayana and Nikaya-based traditions.

Location

(TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Framed as a historical introduction to Islamic traditions, this course will explore the political, social, and intellectual histories of Islam as a global tradition from its emergence through the modern period. The goal of the course is to introduce students to the central texts, personalities, events, geographies, institutions, and schools of thought that make up Islamic histories. We will begin by tracing Islam’s political history as it spreads from the Arabian Peninsula and encounters diverse cultures and peoples, before moving on to discuss the development of intellectual sciences and social institutions. In the process of studying Islamic histories, the course will engage several critical issues in the academic study of Islam such as orientalism, authority and writing history, authenticity, and gendered representations of Muslim societies.

Location

(TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Can mere mortals acquire godhood? Daoist practitioners believe so, following the correct methods of cultivation. The belief in and practice of apotheosis encapsulates Daoist thought on nature and the human body. This course will look into the self-deification methods of Daoism, from meditative materialization to moral behavior, as well as alchemy and qi manipulation. Examining these practices deepens our appreciation of Daoist cosmology and theology. In addition to the standard Daoist classics such the Daodejing (Tao-te-ching), the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu), and other texts collected in the current Daoist Canon, this class will discuss ancient manuscripts discovered via archaeological digs in the recent decades.

Location

(MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course discusses beliefs, ethics, rituals, and changes in Buddhism over time and geography. In addition to the foundational concepts, we will look into the original form of Buddhism as it is still practiced in Southeast Asia (except for Vietnam) and Mahayana Buddhism, the newer form, in China and its neighboring countries. We will examine the specific regional adaptions of Buddhism, including those in Thailand, China, and the US.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This introduction to Hinduism focuses on the development of religions and practices in India before the advent of Islam.  Using primary sources in translation, we will study the poetry and mythology, the philosophical and religious practices that form the core of Hindu traditions.  Beginning with Vedism and Brahmanism, our focus turns to the patheon of deities that become elemental to practices of ritual, devotion, and philosophical interpretation.  Scholarship from the critical study of religion will augment our readings; lectures and discussion will center on the historical evolution of ideas and religious behaviors.

Location

(TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Much English literature — older classics as well as much newer work — presupposes a knowledge of Genesis, the Gospels, Revelation, Homer, Virgil, Plato and Aristotle, the Greek Tragedians, and the many other books and authors who make up the classical and scriptural canons. While one cannot hope to cover the whole output of Athens and Jerusalem (and Rome and Alexandria and Constantinople and beyond) in a single semester, this class offers both an introductory overview of these massively important bodies of writing and a deep focus on some key works. In addition to readings in the biblical and classical traditions, we will further consider some of the literatures which shaped them, as well as later influential scriptures beyond the Abrahamic religions: for instance, the epics and hymns of ancient Mesopotamia, the funerary literature of Egypt, and key texts from Vedic, Taoist, and Buddhist traditions. All are welcome; no prerequisites.

Location

(MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This course explores the artistic legacies of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, two of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 20th century. From their hometowns in Hibbing, Minnesota, and Montreal, Quebec to the cultural haven of Greenwich Village in NYC; from a Zen monastery in California to the vibrant streets of Mumbai, India—this course will embark on an immersive journey through Dylan’s and Cohen’s spiritual quests that illuminate intersections between art, literature, religion, and human experience. Through a close analysis of their lyrics, music, and cultural impact, students will gain a deeper understanding of how these two artists gave voice to the hopes, fears, and restlessness of a generation grappling with rapid political and social upheavals they witnessed, from the civil rights and anti-war movements to the sexual revolution. The course will delve into the themes present in Dylan’s and Cohen’s works, such as the relationship between sexuality and the divine, the haunting questions surrounding evil and the Holocaust, the search for social justice and redemption, an exploration of death and darkness, and recognition of life’s dualities. Exclusive access to archival audio-visual materials will enhance each class session while guest speakers who had personal connections with Dylan and Cohen will provide unique perspectives that enrich students’ learning experience.

Location

(TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course will examine texts written by Jewish, Muslim, and Christian mystics in different historical and geographic locales. We will begin by developing an understanding of mysticism within each Abrahamic religion before focusing on the mystical expressions of practitioners in testimonies and poetry. One of the main questions that we will explore will be the nature of the relationship between the mystic, their purported experience, and their textual report (i.e. the memoir). The role of gender in mysticism will be foregrounded, whether via texts written by women, by men “thinking with” women, or men that imagine themselves as “feminine.”

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

In Black Gospel Music, we will examine the historical development of gospel music, beginning with 19th century slave spirituals and ending with an examination of 21st century gospel music practices. Throughout this course, we will attempt to answer the following questions: what is gospel music how are the parameters of the genre defined? How has gospel music participated in constructions of black identity and spiritual formation? How has the sound and presentation of gospel music evolved, i.e. instrumentation, vocal aesthetic, performance persona, and technique?
Lectures and discussions will also highlight some of the perpetually controversial tensions that have come to define gospel music history and culture. Such tensions involve the commercialization of gospel music, the ambiguity of lyrical meaning, gospel music's flirtations with sensuality and sexuality, and debates about what constitutes authentic gospel music.

Location

(MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

While race, religion and sports may not seem to marry, they are not strange bedfellows. Where religion has proven not to be the catalyst for racial reconciliation, sometimes sports has. This class seeks to trace notable historical markers of American race relations through sports and its intersections with religion.  By engaging the biographies of sport legends such as boxers Jack Johnson, Joe Louis and Muhammid Ali, baseballer Jackie Robinson, and tennis goats Author Ash and Serena Williams we will explore an American history of racial and religious plurality.

Location

(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

Drake, Sexxy Redd, Kodak Black and several other contemporary rap artists operate within long traditions of hip hop that make religious claims.  This course provides an overview of histories and contexts of hip hop genres (trap, conscious, dance/party, mumble, drill…) in correlation with contexts of Black religious groups (Black Israelites, Moorish Science Temple of America, Five Percenters, Christianity, Nation of Islam, Yoruba, Atheism…).  This course will be interactive, consisting of listening parties, (guests) lectures, DJ presentations, discussions, and a field trip to a Black religious and/or hip hop experience. By the end of the class, students will have a playlist that professes a religious claim.

Location

(MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

This course is a survey of courtly art and monumental architecture in South Asia from 2500 BCE to the present. It spends some time exploring where, when, why, and for whom these examples of art and architecture were made to understand what they mean in their historical and geographical contexts. This course is also designed to help improve students’ “visual literacy” by looking at the art and architecture of South Asia. Students will develop their analytical skills by comparing and contrasting formal, spatial, and material aspects of artifacts and structures in discussions during the lectures and assignments at home. They will also develop their critical thinking and research skills through weekly readings and semester research projects. By the end of the course, students will not only have a clear sense of South Asian art and architecture in Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic contexts but will also be able to “see” and perceive objects and buildings of their multicultural world in a different light.

Location

(TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

This course examines the complicated relationship between religion and society in China. It takes a sociological approach, emphasizing that religion should be studied as a social phenomena that closely interacts with the development of society at large. The focus is on contemporary times from the end of the 19th century through present. During this period of time, China experienced tremendous change. This course introduces how such change impacted on and was expressed through religion, religiosity, and religious politics.

Location

(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This course explores religion, food, and eating in Modern Judaism. Beginning with biblical prohibitions and rabbinic laws, the course traces the early relationship between Jewish religious practices and cultural foodways up to the present day. Examining the cultural, social, historical, political, and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food that has both sustained and distinguished Jewish communities among their neighbors will allow us to situate contemporary Jewish food practices in space and time.

Location

(TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

For as long as there have been movies, filmmakers have used the medium of film to explore concerns central to the study of religion: how does (or doesn’t) God act in the world? What worlds do “religious” institutions engender and what room do these worlds afford for individual will and desire? Within and outside these structures, how is one to be good? Special attention will be paid to questions of representing metaphysics, of ethics, and of power and agency, particularly vis-à-vis gender and sexuality.

Location

(TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

The first of a sequence of two, the course approaches 'The Divine Comedy' both as a poetic masterpiece and as an encyclopedia of medieval culture. Through a close textual analysis of 'Inferno,' and the first half of 'Purgatorio,' students learn how to approach Dantes poetry as a vehicle for thought, an instrument of self-discovery, and a way to understand and affect the historical reality. They also gain a perspective on the Biblical, Christian, and Classical traditions as they intersect with the multiple levels of Dantes concern, ranging from literature to history, from politics to government, from philosophy to theology. A visual component, including illustrations of the 'Comedy' and multiple artworks pertinent to the narrative, complements the course. Class format includes lectures, discussion, and a weekly recitation session. Intensive class participation is encouraged. Dante I can be taken independently from Dante II. No prerequisites. Freshmen are welcome. Part of the Dante Humanities Cluster.

Location

(MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

What did drama look and feel like in the Middle Ages? How much can we know about performances that took place well over 600 years ago? We have two main goals ahead of us in this course: to read the major extant works of drama in Middle English, and to stage a medieval play. Along the way, we will discuss the texts themselves, the manuscript history of the surviving plays, their performance history, their relation to drama on the Continent, the religious opposition to them, sixteenth-century attempts to de-Catholicize them, their ultimate suppression after the Reformation, and their revival in twentieth-century England and North America.

Location

(TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Ritual is a key component of all religions. What many don't realize is the extent to which sociologists, psychologists, and scholars of religion have highlighted the central importance of emotion in ritual and religious.  Rituals have long been a way in which humans produce, channel, and manage their emotions - joy, grief, sorrow, anger, wonder, anxiety, etc.  At the same time, ritual is fast disappearing in our increasingly angst ridden and fractured post-modern world.  In this course, students will explore the psychology and sociology of ritual and emotion through the analysis of classic theorists such as Durkheim, Freud, Turner, van Gennep, and Schechter before turning to an extended meditation on the works of Byung Chul Han such as The Burnout Society and The Disappearance of Ritual.

Location

(W 3:25PM - 6:05PM)

This seminar examines the contested representations of Orthodox Jews in American popular media since the late 20th century. Departing from earlier romanticized portrayals, contemporary narratives by non-Orthodox Jewish creators often reflect anxieties about cultural division within American Jewry. We will analyze select literary, cinematic, and televisual works featuring ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) characters to explore how these representations contribute to the ongoing dialogue between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews. Through critical analysis, we will investigate themes of acculturation, Americanization, and Jewish continuity, considering how these narratives grapple with the cultural contestation fueled by perceived threats of assimilation and the challenges posed by uncompromising orthodoxies.

Location

(T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

The category of “guilt” floats between theology, psychology, and criminology. Sometimes as a feeling, sometimes as a purported objective condition, guilt stars in big stories moderns tell about what it is to be a member of a society, what it is to be a religious person, and how it feels to be a creature with sexual appetites. Meanwhile, for legal and mental health professions, proof of guilt is used to sort the good from the bad, the normal from the deviant, and the socially respectable from the socially disposable. Not all is so dour, however. Guilt lives in confession, denunciation, and in criminal sentencing, but it is also the stuff of jokes, of ethnic pride, and of eroticism. Toward an anatomy of guilt, in this course we will draw on the works of Freud, Nietzsche, Arendt, Foucault, Janet Malcolm and Sarah Schulman, and we will wrestle with the films—and complicated legacies—of Alfred Hitchcock and Woody Allen, two filmmakers who are preoccupied with (and implicated by) guilt, as feeling and as fact.

Location

(MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

The course examines the intricate interplay between religious diversity and imperial governance within the vast territories of the Ottoman Empire, which governed what we now know as the modern-day Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. This course not only explores how Jews, Christians, and Muslims coexisted and interacted within the Empire but also analyzes how its institutions managed to integrate such diverse populations. Through a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from primary sources, memoirs, and travelogues, the course explores how religious identities intersected with issues of loyalty, legal systems, sexuality, conversion, taxation, and military service—shaping the complex tapestry of Ottoman society. Students will have the chance to analyze and interpret accounts from both insiders—Jews, Christians, and Muslims under Ottoman rule—and outsiders like European visitors who observed these multireligious settings. In addition to examining how the Ottomans succeeded in holding these diverse populations together, the course will also discuss the reasons for their failure over the 19th and 20th centuries; the impact of Tanzimat reforms, nationalism, and wars on an increasingly fragile political order.

Location

(W 3:25PM - 6:05PM)

This course will provide a non-partisan introduction to the conflict between these two national movements. Discussion will focus on an examination of historical documents, in addition to understanding of how it plays out in literature and film.

Location

(TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course will provide a non-partisan introduction to the conflict between these two national movements. Discussion will focus on an examination of historical documents, in addition to understanding of how it plays out in literature and film.

Location

(TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course will examine the varieties of thought about, and practice of, civil disobedience within social movements, with an emphasis on contemporary activism. When, why, and how do communities choose to push back against structures of violence and injustice? Throughout the semester, we will study canonical texts? of modern resistance history speeches, writing, direct action protests, art and will consider the role of this form of counter-conduct within larger campaign strategies to build power from below and get free.

Location

(T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

The first of a sequence of two, the course approaches 'The Divine Comedy' both as a poetic masterpiece and as an encyclopedia of medieval culture. Through a close textual analysis of 'Inferno,' and the first half of 'Purgatorio,' students learn how to approach Dantes poetry as a vehicle for thought, an instrument of self-discovery, and a way to understand and affect the historical reality. They also gain a perspective on the Biblical, Christian, and Classical traditions as they intersect with the multiple levels of Dantes concern, ranging from literature to history, from politics to government, from philosophy to theology. A visual component, including illustrations of the 'Comedy' and multiple artworks pertinent to the narrative, complements the course. Class format includes lectures, discussion, and a weekly recitation session. Intensive class participation is encouraged. Dante I can be taken independently from Dante II. No prerequisites. Freshmen are welcome. Part of the Dante Humanities Cluster.

Location

(MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

An investigation of important methodological contributions to the critical study of religion. The class will be conducted as a seminar. In class, papers and discussion will constitute the work of the course. One hundred and fifty pages of reading per week.

Location

(T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

This course offers undergraduate students a structured, credit-bearing opportunity to gain experience in supervised teaching within a college-level classroom setting. Under the mentorship of a faculty member, students assist in course delivery, lead discussions or labs, support instructional design, and participate in pedagogical reflection. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Independent Study Registration form (https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/forms/independent-study-form.php)

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Independent Study Registration form (https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/forms/independent-study-form.php)

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)