Undergraduate Program

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 purpose of this course is to explore the general development of Christianity throughout its twenty centuries of existence, paying special attention to the religious presuppositions behind Christianity and its complex relationship to its socio-cultural matrix. The course will focus on important moments in Christian history, including its inception as a Jewish religious movement set in motion by Jesus, its dissemination in the Greco-Roman world by Paul of Tarsus, its growth and triumph in the Roman Empire, the split between the Greek- and Latin-speaking churches, medieval Catholicism, the Reformation and rise of Protestantism, Christianity and the modern world, and contemporary movements and tendencies within the Christian churches.

Location

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

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

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

Homer, Virgil, and Ovid. Greek tragedy and comedy: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. The Hebrew Bible -- Abraham and Isaac, Moses and Pharaoh, Esther and Judith -- and Christianity's New Testament. The two great traditions studied in this introductory course -- classical and Biblical -- have been pondered by generations of writers and artists for thousands of years. A great deal of literary history is the story of intricately rewriting and adapting the core texts of these traditions; it has been said that the European philosophical tradition is a series of footnotes to Plato. While doing justice to any one of these authors or traditions in a single semester would be a challenge, the goal of this class is to read as much as possible of the classical and scriptural tradition in the short time we have, giving you a solid introduction to some of the key stories and ideas that have generated so much thought, conflict, and human creativity over the past two dozen centuries. First-years welcome!

Location

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

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 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

From biblical times to the present, the visual arts have played, contrary to common opinion, a vital role in the making of Jewish civilization. Judaism has, indeed, a rich tradition of architectural, decorative, liturgical, and pictorial expression, and a history of discourse (and debate) on the role that art and iconography should play in religious life. This course explores the nature and function of the visual arts in Judaism from the standpoints of social and cultural history, and material culture. Through the discussion and contextualization of artifacts from ancient to modern and contemporary time (including ancient mosaics, liturgical objects, illuminated manuscripts, paintings and photography), it will interrogate the definition of Jewish art itself, the forms in which Jews over the century have reacted, as a minority, to surrounding artistic expressions, and the ways in which artists have integrated, reinterpreted, or grappled with aspects of Jewish culture in their works.

Location

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

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

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

This course explores the early history of humans' attempts to explain and control the cosmos, taking into account the real contributions made to early science by areas of inquiry now dismissed as magic or superstition, such as astrology, alchemy, and 'natural magic.' One major theme of the course will be the continuing way in which societies have policed the boundary between what they define as 'magic' and what they dub legitimate 'science.' What is legitimate knowledge about nature, and who gets to define what counts as legitimate? The course will end around 1700, with Newton and the so-called 'scientific Revolution,' and the marginalization of astrology, alchemy and similar fields of inquiry as 'pseudo-sciences' or popular error.

Location

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

This seminar explores the intersections between religion—mostly, Protestant religion—and capitalism. How might we variously conceptualize these two social formations and their various frictions and affinities? Classic and recent theoretical works are read along with historical and ethnographic case studies.

Location

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

Examination of the intersection of religion and healing by examining the range of ways in which people understood and responded to the experience of illness and physical suffering in Greco-Roman antiquity and the various means by which they sought healing. Drawing on a range of sources, such as medical treatises, religious texts, and archaeological evidence, focus will be on: Medicine? (the development of professional medicine in ancient Greece and Rome), Magic? (magical practices, texts, and magicians as healers) and Miracles? (miracle workers such as Jesus and Apollonius of Tyana, healing religions such as the Asklepios cults and the emerging Christian movement).

Location

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

Drawing up on historical and contemporary examples, students will read a range of classic and contemporary theories that attempt to explain the complex relationship between religion and violence. Topics include sacrifice, scapegoating, war, terrorism, domination, sanctified violence, violent religious fantasy, martyrdom, end times, etc. Is religion inherently violent? What is the relationship between religion and nationality? Religion and constructions of alterity? How can a religion claim to be concerned with peace and non-violence yet promote violence? Coursework consists of significant reading, seminar discussions, several response papers, and one major book review.

Location

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

The first of a two-course sequence, this class approaches The Divine Comedy both as a poetic masterpiece and as an encyclopedia of medieval culture. Through close textual analysis of Inferno and the first half of Purgatorio, students learn to approach Dante’s poetry as a vehicle for thought, an instrument of self-discovery, and a means to understand and engage with historical reality. The course also provides insight into Biblical, Christian, and Classical traditions as they intersect with Dante’s wide-ranging concerns, spanning literature, history, politics, government, philosophy, and theology. A visual component, including illustrations of the Comedy and other artworks related to the narrative, complements the study of the text. Classes combine lectures, discussion, and a weekly recitation session, with intensive participation strongly encouraged. Dante I may be taken independently of Dante II.

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)

A close reading of the great philosophical religious classic of ancient India. We will consider historical commentaries, the impact of the text on Indian civilization, and make comparison with other significant works in the history of religions.

Location

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

This course explores key texts and Muslim thinkers across Islamic history. Through careful reading and analysis we will examine the major religious, philosophical, and political ideas of influential Islamic philosophers and theologians from the 16th-20th century. Readings include works by Muslim scholars such as Mulla Sadra (1635), Shah Waliullah (1762), ʿUthmān b. Muḥammad Fūḍī (1817), Muhammad Abduh (1905), Muhammad Iqbal (1938), Said Nursi (1960), Sayyid Qutb (1966), Abu l-Ala Maududi (1979), Ali Shariati (1977), and others. We will analyze early modern and modern theological debates in Muslim theological reflection and interpretation, drawing on the writings of these selected thinkers.

Location

(MW 4:50PM - 6:05PM)

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)

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 Internship Registration form ( https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/forms/internship-registration-form.php)

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)