Undergraduate Program

Examination of the texts of the New Testament, as well as other ancient sources, in an attempt to reconstruct a picture of Christianity in its beginnings. We will study the New Testament and the early Jesus movement within the wider context of Second Temple Judaism and the Greco-Roman world. Issues such as the development of the canon, the divisions with the Jesus Movement between Jews and Gentiles, the different understandings of the figure of Jesus, the conflicts which shaped the institutional development of the early church, and the conflict between Rome and the early church will receive particular attention and analysis. We will approach the texts of the New Testament as we would any other texts in antiquity, namely from an historical perspective. Students will be exposed to the traditional tools of biblical scholarship. No previous knowledge of the New Testament or of early Christianity is assumed.

Location

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

An introduction to the religious and cultural development of Judaism. Will emphasize Judaism as a living tradition, one which has been subject to both continuity and change among its practitioners throughout its history.

Location

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

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

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This course introduces the religious and intellectual traditions of classical China and Japan, with a particular emphasis on literary sources and the history of ideas.  We begin with the origins of Chinese civilization and proceed chronologically to the development of Chinese Buddhism when we shift our focus to Japan and refocus on Buddhism and the native Shinto Japanese tradition, culmination in the study of Zen.  A special emphasis will be placed on the evolution of ideas leading us literally from Confucius to Zen.

Location

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

This course explores the history and interpretation of the Quran from early to modern times. Students will be introduced to the principles of interpretation employed by classical Muslim scholars; comparative approaches between the Muslim Sunni, Shi'a, and Sufi exegesis traditions; and contemporary interpretations of the Quran. Through close readings of primary source texts in English translations, students will analyze how classical Muslim scholars approached Quranic interpretation. In the modern period, the course focuses on new approaches to the Quran such as historicism and psychoanalysis as well as postcolonial and feminist interpretations of the scripture. Students will discuss ongoing debates related to issues such as gender, power, justice, and politics. The course requires no prior knowledge of Islam or the Quran.

Location

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

In this course, students will examine the various traditions of the ancient Greek and Roman underworld and afterlife. The course will take an interdisciplinary approach and draw on a diverse and engaging selection of content including ancient literature in translation (epic, philosophy, and drama), archaeological sites and and the material record, and the disparate evidence for mystery cults. Students will hone skills in writing and critical thinking and leave the course with a firm understanding of Greek and Roman views on death, its value as a window into the diverse identities and experiences of the ancient world, and its reception in the modern world (from Dante's Inferno to the 2020 video game Hades). The course assumes no previous knowledge of Greek and Roman antiquity.

Location

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

Like the religious leader, the stand-up comedian is attempting to make sense and meaning of the world around us; providing social commentary through their performative stand-up acts on topics like: suffering, healing, evil, community, absurdity, race, gender, ethics and justice. Through the work of stand-up greats like Don Rickles, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Moms Mabley and more contemporary comedians like Seinfeld, Chapelle, Ellen, Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, this class will examine the question of ‘what’s so funny?’ by examining the cultural and religious discourse of stand-up comedians.  Exploring the role of stand-up comedian by way of cultural roles like the trickster, griot and preacher, this class put the critical thinking of the stand-up in conversation with critical religious, race, and gender scholars. 

Location

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

The Bridging the Gap program is designed to combat the toxic polarization in our country, give students the skills they need to find common ground across deep divides, solve problems in their communities, thrive in the workplace of the future, and support students in their own character formation journey." - Interfaith America

All undergraduate students are invited to learn how to have courageous conversations and to explore solutions to one of America's most pressing social problems, such as abortion, police reform, racial disparities in public health, and immigration reform.

Location

(R 6:15PM - 7:45PM)

This course surveys the art and architecture of the Islamic world from the seventh century to the present. It investigates a wide range of artifacts, buildings, and cities from Spain to India around three interrelated themes: piety, power, and propaganda. This class discusses key monuments, from religious buildings such as the Ka‘ba in Mecca to the architecture of leisure in palaces and gardens. It introduces students to the significance of text on sacred artifacts such as the Qur’an and religious buildings such as mosques to ceramicware of everyday life. It explores the transformation of prominent capital cities of Isfahan, Istanbul, and Cairo under dynastic development, as well as the production of luxurious textiles and glassware in their court workshops as reflections of political power and glory. By studying royal patronage of lavishly ornamented history books, the course shows how kings propagated their legitimacy to rule during political crises. In this class, students will develop a clear sense of the history of the Islamic world through studying its objects and buildings. They will also improve their analytical skills through visual analysis and critical writing.

Location

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

This course examines the role of religion in the politics of the Middle East. In the first part, the course introduces key concepts and terms necessary for understanding contemporary Middle Eastern politics and political discourse. The second part focuses on the central issues from the late 19th-century through to the Arab Spring, such as the emergence of constitutionalism, Arab nationalism, the rise of Islamism, the debate on Islam’s compatibility with liberal democracy, Islamic feminism, and the concept of post-Islamism. The third part of the course illustrates these issues with five corresponding case studies which provide insight into the trajectories of political Islam in Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Egypt. Throughout this course, we will pay particular attention to gender issues and women’s participation in civil society, government, and religion.

Location

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

Buddhism has been practiced in Tibet since at least the seventh century CE. This course will examine the historical development of the diverse traditions of philosophy, contemplation, and devotionalism that emerged under what is now conventionally known as “Tibetan Buddhism.” The first half of the semester will focus on origins: we will study canonical religious texts, Tibetan mythology, and significant trends in religious practice. After building that base, we will devote considerable attention to Tibetan Buddhism in the modern world; particularly in the era following the Tibet’s annexation by China in the 1950s. This will include treatments of Tibetan Buddhism “in exile” – both within the Tibetan diaspora and the broader global community – as well as its role in contemporary Tibetan human rights advocacy as a form of “liberation theology.” We will be discussing the movement for Tibetan independence, Tibetan Buddhism’s relationship to pop culture, how Tibetan Buddhism has flourished among non-Tibetans, and more. Students will be expected to conduct independent research. No prior knowledge of Buddhism required.

Location

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

Although often only discernible to those in the know, Jewish superheroes and Jewish characters have long inhabited the pages of comic books of all sorts. From Superman to X-Men, from Art Spiegelman's Maus to Rutu Modan's The Property, this class explore the history, impact, and diverse facets of Jewish graphic storytelling while interrogating what makes these comic books complex Jewish narratives.

Location

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

This course will study the life and career of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. We will examine the beginning of Prophet Muhammad’s message in Mecca, the migration to and establishment of the Islamic state in Medina, and the conquest of Mecca. We will seek to understand the social and political background of the Prophet’s message and the impact of that message on his historical context. We will focus on the doctrinal, social, and political positions of the Prophet and their impact on the early beginnings of Islam and later Muslim society. Furthermore, we will analyze the different approaches historians have adopted in interpreting and understanding the life of the prophet.

Location

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

This course explores the material expression of religious traditions of the AmericasNorth, Central, and South America. Material forms like dance, dress, art, music, and architecture will be considered. In examining these material realities, the course illuminates the role that creative agency plays in the outward materializing of religious doctrines and beliefs. Class format includes lectures, discussions, presentations, and practitioner demonstrations.

Location

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

This is a survey course on religious traditions in China covering Buddhist, Daoist, and popular religion, while Confucian theorization and ritualization of ethics will also be included. The course aims at broadening your understanding of religion in general and deepening your conception of China as a cultural entity.

Location

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

How does a country with five percent of the world's population, a country that nominally values freedom above all else, come to have nearly a quarter of the world's incarcerated people? In this survey course we investigate the history of imprisonment in the United States--as theorized and as practiced--from the founding of the republic to the present day. Special attention is paid to the politics, economics, race politics, and religious logics of contemporary mass incarceration, and to the efforts afoot to end mass incarceration.

Location

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

he second 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 the second half of "Purgatorio" and the entirety of "Paradiso," students learn how to approach Dante’s 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 Dante’s 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. No prerequisites. Freshmen are welcome. Part of the Dante Humanities Cluster.

Location

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

Recent years have seen a renewed sense of nationalism, only this time tinged with an underlying and powerful religious dimension. This class seeks to illumine this religious nationalism from a comparative perspective. Using an analytical frame, we will examine the historical rise of religious nationalism, its key elements and defining features, before examining a set of particular case studies (e.g., India, Pakistan, Israel, the United States).

Location

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

What is Jewish-Israeli identity? This course explores Israeli cinema as a powerful cultural arena in which the meanings of Jewishness, Israeliness, and the “New Jew” are continually represented, imagined, performed, and contested. From early films after the Holocaust that sought to forge a unified national identity to contemporary works that question narratives of power, trauma, ethnicity, and occupation, we will approach cinema as both an artistic expression and a site where ideology, memory, and belonging intersect. Through the critical examination of film form, narrative, and ideology, we will examine cinema as technology, industry, and a cultural medium, paying attention to how questions of trauma, nationalism, militarism, Ashkenazi and Mizrahi representations, and Jewish-Arab relations are articulated on screen. Ultimately, the course considers Israeli cinema not just as a reflection of society but as an active force in shaping the imagination of nationhood and identity itself.

Location

(T 4:50PM - 7:30PM)

Boasting two thousand years of uninterrupted presence on the land, Italian Jewry is the oldest Jewish community of the European Diaspora. Located at the center of the Mediterranean basin, over the centuries it was enriched by the contribution of a variety of Jewish internal traditions (autochthonous, Ashkenazi, and Sephardic, among the main ones), while at the same time developing a very complex relation with the surrounding non-Jewish environment. Such dynamics paradoxically reached their apex with the institution, starting in the sixteenth century, of ghettos, i.e., Jewish segregated quarters. Established in 1516 and in existence until 1797, the ghetto of Venice was the first of such settlements and was to give its name to all subsequent ethnic enclosures in modern history. Surrounded by water and walls, physically separated from the Christian population of the city―although, as a matter of fact, not isolated from it―Venetian Jews developed their own communal institutions, an elaborate system of religious and social practices, and articulated a rich cultural and intellectual life.

The course will examine the most relevant aspects of the Italian Jewish experience in its Venetian declination during the existence of the ghetto. Through the examination of a variety of documentary, literary, and artistic sources, both Jewish and non-Jewish, we will explore the conditions that concurred in making sixteenth-eighteenth century Venetian Jewry exemplary among Italian communities, and unique in the context of the European Diaspora.

Location

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

Though we often assume that religion deals with the spirit or the soul, the earliest Christians were deeply and primarily concerned with the body. In this course, we examine the multiple and various early Christian debates and practices relating to the body focusing in particular on issues related to physical suffering, death, sexuality, identity, and asceticism. Topics include: early Christian debates over the nature of the body and its relationship to personal identity and the nature of the self; conflicting ideas about the nature of Jesus incarnated, crucified, and resurrected body; gender, sexuality, and the bodies of men and women; Christian valorization of physical suffering and the bodies of the ill; the cult of the martyrs and the cult of the relics; the rise of asceticism and the bodies of saints.

Location

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

This class center African American religiosity—examining African religious retentions in America from the 17th century to the present.  We will examine religious traditions of African Americans that include Voodoo, Black Hebrew Israelites, Moorish Movement, Five Percent Nation, Christianity, Rastafarianism and the Nation of Islam.  Themes of liberation, humanity, nationhood, love, language, identity, and culture will be explored throughout the semester.  Students will learn about religious plurality and how cultural experience shapes religious interpretation.

Location

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

This course is an introduction to Islamic mysticism, commonly known as Sufism. By exploring English translations of classical and contemporary Sufi literature, along with their artistic works, the course traces the significance of Islamic mysticism in religion, philosophy, art, and literature in both medieval and modern Muslim societies. In addition to theoretical and historical analysis, this course will emphasize how Sufi thought and practice have shaped—and found expression through—diverse artistic forms such as visual arts, music, and dance.

Location

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

The aim of this course is to study the major issues in contemporary Islam and Muslim societies from the 20th to the early 21st centuries. Attention will be devoted to the patterns of interaction between the Muslim world and the West because it is our assumption that these patterns contribute to the major political, economic, cultural shifts and religious mobilizations that have occurred in the understanding and practice of Islam across the globe. The course will explore the responses of contemporary Muslim societies and intellectuals to issues such as gender, human rights, environment, interfaith relations, fundamentalism, science, ethics, religious reform, governance, secularism, modernity, and globalization.

Location

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

Hindu traditions, particularly those composed in the Sanskrit language, have included philosophers and theologians from ancient times. Subjects range from logic to theories of human salvation and offer practical, mystical, and theoretical proposals and doctrines. We will begin with the so-called Six Systems touching on logic, yoga, and ritual and then work our way through important writers such as Sankara, Ramanuja, and esoteric practitioners such as Abhinavagupta and Ksemaraja. Our focus will be primary sources in translation and reliable scholarship.

Location

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

How has China come to terms with imported religious traditions throughout its long history? How has China changed through the influence of foreign faiths? And how did the imported religions change after taking root in China? Chinese religion is characteristically syncretistic. In addition to the indigenous traditions represented by Daoism and Confucianism, Buddhism, which was introduced to China during the first millenium AD, has “conquered” China but has also been “appropriated” into Chinese social norms. Chinese Buddhism is firmly established in the academic study of religion. In contrast, Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—remain “alien” in most parts of the Chinese religious landscape. What was the socio-religious and geopolitical environment like during the importation of the different faiths? This course will address this question by examining the processes by which Buddhist and Abrahamic religions were imported to China.

Location

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

Explore the connections between pagans and Christians in ancient Rome. See how pagan religious, cultural, & architectural trends influenced later Christian traditions. How did the rise of Christianity transform the ancient city and society of Rome?

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

In this 2-credit course, registered concurrently with one of the CLST/RELC short-term study abroad courses, students will further develop the topic and ideas that researched and presented on-site during the study abroad course into a full research paper or project. This course will require additional readings and research, weekly meetings with the instructor(s) to discuss the process of research and writing, and editing of the final project beyond the work required for the study abroad course. Some of this work will take place prior to departure, while the bulk of the writing and editing will take place after returning to campus. Students will be encouraged to develop these projects for submission to the URochester Research Expo, the Journal of Undergraduate Research, or other outlet beyond the confines of the course.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Were you to drive around Rochester and count churches, synagogues, mosques and temples you would end up with a number in the hundreds. You would also find out that many of these buildings dedicated to religious beliefs are often nearly empty or sparsely attended on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. A few would have large numbers of believers, but only a few. That was not the case fifty or fewer years ago. The decline in the numbers of active religious practitioners in Rochester and elsewhere is referred to as secularization, and the focus of this course is to come to grips with what secularization is and what it entails for the future of religion in western Europe, Noth America, Australia and New Zealand.

Since it is the most common form of religious practice in the developed world, we will focus on Christianity – Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical. To understand secularism, it’s important to understand its antecedent – Christendom. From roughly the late fourth century to the beginning of the twentieth, Christianity was part of the air everyone breathed even if they weren’t particularly religious or even religious at all. Complex social and political forces have led to the decline of religious practice in many parts of the world, and we will examine phenomena like the fusion of church and state that existed in Europe well into the 18th century, the emergence of scientific empiricism as a worldview that emerged in the 18th century Enlightenment along with the internal tensions and dysfunctional behavior of modern religious leaders has also led to decline in religious identity and practice.

Concomitantly, the decline in religious practice relates to a crisis of epistemology. Is there such a thing as truth and truthful existence in an increasingly non-religious world? Can we lead authentic, healthy lives without an ethical or moral system that is not theistic?

Location

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

This advanced seminar focuses on topics, methods, and theoretical models in the study of religion. Specific subjects are determined on a yearly basis. Restricted to Senior religion majors or by permission of Instructor. Course time will be determined with consultation of enrolled students.

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 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)

Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, Seniors identify a topic, develop a project plan, conduct substantive work, and present their findings or creations in a final written report, portfolio, performance, or presentation. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, Seniors identify a topic, develop a project plan, conduct substantive work, and present their findings or creations in a final written report, portfolio, performance, or presentation. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)