Allegheny College: Religious Studies Catalogue

There is no area of human thought or action that falls outside the concern of religious thinkers. All religious traditions teach about ultimate values and their relationship to our worldly lives. Some of the traditions are the oldest extant bodies of thought. The religions of the world are an ancient and living source for values.

The courses in Religious Studies are divided into three groups. The function of these courses is the study of the sources, history, nature, and relevance of religion.

The Major

Religious Studies majors are required to have a GPA of at least 2.0 in Religious Studies at graduation. All department courses taken at Allegheny on a letter-grade basis are included in that calculation, with the exception of repeated courses for which only the most recent grade counts. No more than two Religious Studies courses may be taken Credit/No Credit; one of these must be RS 600, which is only offered Credit/No Credit.

The major in Religious Studies leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree and requires the successful completion of 38 semester credit hours in Religious Studies. A major program should include at least one course from each of the following groups:

The Judeo-Christian Tradition
(Religious Studies 120, 130, 145, 147, 180, 230, 240, 250, 260);

History of Religions
(Religious Studies 115, 117, 140, 150, 160, 165, 170, 270, 280*-*-);

Religious Thought, Action and Phenomena
(Religious Studies 175, 200, 225, 227, 340, 345, 440, 475);
and Religious Studies 580, 600 and 610.

The Minor

A minor in Religious Studies consists of at least 20 semester credit hours of courses in Religious Studies including Religious Studies 580.

An examination of religious beliefs, trends, and practices in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syria-Palestine, from prehistory to the conquests of Alexander the Great. Topics include the history and development of the different religious cultures, the role of sacrifice, kingship, prophecy, mythology, different ideas about the nature of the divine world, and the distinctions between “official” and “popular” religious culture. Students have an opportunity to read primary sources reflecting the diversity of religious beliefs and practices among the civilization of the ancient Near East.

An examination of religious beliefs, trends, and practices in ancient Greece, the Hellenistic empire founded by Alexander the Great, and Rome and its empire, from prehistory to the reign of Constantine. Topics include the history and development of the religious cultures of Greece and Rome, the role of augury, astrology and magic, the philosophical challenge to traditional religion, the spread of the mystery religions in the Hellenistic era, and the origins and growth of the Jesus movement. Students have an opportunity to read primary sources reflecting the diversity of religious beliefs and practices among the Greeks and Romans.

An investigation of the faith and history of ancient Israel as chronicled in the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament). Both literary and historical critical methods are used to understand ancient Israelite religion and its gradual evolution into the faith that is the basis of Christianity as well as modern Judaism.

A literary and historical critical examination of the various inter-pretations of Jesus Christ, his life and mission, as preserved in the writings of the New Testament. The New Testament is also inves-tigated as an expression of the faith of the earliest Christian communities and as a reflection of the issues that concerned them.

An introduction to the Islamic faith through its history and its practice from the seventh century to the present. We consider the way Islam has adapted and changed through time and over different regions, balancing universal aspects of the faith with the particular adaptations encountered in the lived experience of Muslims. Using a variety of media, including music and art, we examine the voices of Arabic-speaking Muslims (in translation), but also Persian, Turkic, and American expressions.

A survey of the Jewish experience, examining the historic forces that shape the belief and practices of Judaism. We examine issues in Jewish life such as the relationships among God, Torah, and (the people) Israel through ritual, sacred literature, and theology. Topics include Jewish faith and practice, the Bible from a Jewish perspective, rabbinic literature, the importance of Zionism and the State of Israel, and movements within American Judaism.

An examination of the Hindu way of life from its origins to modern sectarian movements. Emphasis is given to the fundamental problems of human existence and their solution in the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Puranic literature. Includes an examination of the importance of sacrifice, the sacramental and social structure of life, myth, the Hindu temple, puja, festivals and pilgrimage.

An examination of the life and teachings of the Buddha, the rise of the Therevada and Mahayana schools, and the spread of Buddhism to Tibet and Japan (e.g. Pure Land and Zen sects). Major consideration is given to such issues as suffering, non-self, dependent origination, karma, rebirth, world renunciation, meditation and nirvana.

An examination of the origin of Zen, its development in China, and its transmission to Japan forms the historical background for an investigation of the nature of Zen, its philosophy, method of attaining enlightenment, monastic life and important masters (e.g. the Sixth Patriarch, Dogen, Basho, Hakuin). The course also examines the influence of Zen on Japanese cultural phenomena like poetry, tea, painting, rock gardens and the martial arts.

A study of the major traditions of China, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and folk religion. The Chinese religion is considered on four levels: the personal, the family, community, state. The course concludes with a look at religion in contemporary China: Maoism and its decline and the Buddhist struggle to survive.

An introductory course exploring the basic issues and concerns in 20th-century religious thought around the world and across traditions. Topics include: key religious figures; the place of religious thought in the contemporary world; religion, skepticism, and secularization; religion, violence, and conflict; religion and globalization; religious social ethics and political liberation; religious pluralism and diversity; religion and ecological crisis; religion and technology.

A social history of Protestant, Catholic, and non-Christian groups in the U. S. context; the role of women and African Americans in various religions is included along with the emergence of sects and denominations, and the religious faiths of immigrant and ethnic populations. Issues of civil religion, regionalism, and racism in American religions are also explored.

An exploration of the on-going historic encounters between Judaism and Christianity and the impact of those encounters on the theology, liturgy, and sacred festivals of both monotheistic faiths. Students explore the constructive potential in the relationship between these two faith communities in the face of both Anti-Semitism and Philo- Semitism.

An introduction to the study of Christian ethics considered within an ecumenical framework, focusing on the primary issues that arise for any ethic that is identifiably Christian. This inquiry also involves learning to analyze and construct moral arguments. Among the moral issues discussed are abortion, genetic engineering, euthanasia, war and peace, and church-state relations. This course may alternatively be counted toward a philosophy major or minor.

A study of the cosmology, myths, supreme beings, ritual process, types of religious authority, millenarian movements, messianism, and eschatology in selected peoples of North America and Africa.

(also listed as Philosophy 212)

An examination of the problem of the self in a cross-cultural context. The Eastern traditions are represented by early Buddhism, the Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Sankara, Taoism and Zen Buddhism. The Western tradition is represented by the existential thought of Soren Kierkegaard, the dialogical philosophy of Martin Buber, the deconstructive theology of Mark C. Taylor, and others. This course may alternatively be counted toward a philosophy major or minor. Prerequisite: At least one course in Philosophy or Religious Studies.

An examination of constructions of gender in the literature, languages, and cultures of the Middle East from the seventh century through the present. We contrast the constructions of gender in the Islamic Middle East with those in Jewish and Christian worlds. No previous knowledge of the Arabic language, Islam, or the Middle East is assumed.

A critical examination of religious and spiritual themes in selected women’s autobiographies of the 19th and 20th centuries. Authors may include Harriet Jacobs, Ann Morrow Lindberg, Virginia Foster Durr, Dorothy Day, Maya Angelou, and the Delaney Sisters. Prerequisite: A previous course in Religious Studies or Women’s Studies.

An exploration of feminist critiques of traditional Western theological views of God, human nature, Christ, sin, and other significant doctrines. Women reformulate religious understandings from theological criteria and women’s experience. Authors include Rosemary Radford Ruether, Carol Christ, Judith Plaskow, Elizabeth Johnson and Mary Daly.

(also listed as Philosophy 227)

An exploration of the philosophical study of religion, particularly in light of the contest between traditional modes of religious expression and the rise of a critical mentality in the modern West. Issues to be addressed may include the ethics of belief, theories of rationality and their relevance to religion, the problem of evil, religious experience, and the epistemic status of belief in God. Prerequisite: A previous course in Religious Studies.

Investigations of selected topics relevant to both the religion of Israel and Christianity through the use of the biblical texts. Topics will vary and the course may be repeated for credit if the topic is different.

A study of the development of the Christian tradition from the New Testament era to the papacy of Gregory the Great at the dawn of the seventh century. Particular attention is given to the various controversies that determined the shape of Christian doctrine and the social and cultural factors that defined the church as a part of the Roman imperial society.

A study of Western Christianity from the fall of the Roman empire to the end of the religious wars in Europe in 1648. The medieval era and the Renaissance are studied in terms of theological, intellectual, and social movements, the growth of nationalism, and the impact of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation.

A historical survey of Christianity from the 17th century to the middle of the 20th century. Students explore theological shifts in relation to important political and social changes that have altered the relationships of the Christian churches to Western culture.

A survey of the social and political history of the Islamic Middle East from the seventh to the eighteenth centuries. Topics include the development of the Islamic empires, the beginnings of the Ottoman empire, and the earliest Shi’ite government. Although the course has an emphasis on the Islamic Middle East, Jewish and Christian historical understandings are also considered.

A survey of the political, religious, and social history of the Islamic Middle East from the early eighteenth through the early twenty-first century. Special attention is paid to changes in intellectual currents of the Middle East due to colonization as well as the regions of Islamic Central Asia (including Afghanistan) and Islamic North Africa. Issues related to Muslim migrants to the United States are also considered.

A survey of the Christian Social Justice movement in America from Charles Finney to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement. Attention is focused on contemporary theological expressions of Christian social justice, including liberation theology and the debate concerning homosexuality and the church. Faith-based communities such as the Sojourners Community and the Church of the Savior are examined, as are regional activist communities such as the Thomas Merton Center and Pax Christi. Students are expected to participate in an existing social justice cause or movement, or design and implement a basic social justice action in the local community.

An examination of the understanding, attitudes and treatments of death in contemporary Western culture. Theological, sociological, ethical and medical understandings about death and dying and their impact upon society’s understanding of mortality are explored. Attendant phenomena such as grief, bereavement, funeral practices, suicide, and the portrayal of death in art, literature and music are also examined. Prerequisite: Upperclass standing or permission of the instructor.

(also listed as Environmental Science 360)

An exploration of the intersection between religion and ecology, and how religion can both contribute to and help address environmental problems. Topics include religion’s role in shaping human relationships with nature, ecological themes that cut across religions and worldviews, and issues of environmental justice as it relates to gender, race, and class. In considering how religious communities can address ecological problems, students take part in service learning projects in local congregations or environmental groups. Prerequisite: ES 110 or at least one course in Religious Studies.

An upper-level course enabling in-depth study of a particular theological issue across various perspectives. Topics change each time the course is offered. Students are asked both to analyze critically the work of various thinkers and to engage in their own constructive theological thinking. Prerequisite: Religious Studies 175.

(also listed as Psychology 475)

An examination of the Judeo-Christian religious belief and experience from psychological and religious studies perspectives. Cognitive, theological, historical-critical, and psychodynamic theories are explored and applied to empirical studies and biographical accounts of the faith lives of men and women, past and present. The course is mainly discussion, based on primary sources.

This course may not be taken on a credit/no credit basis.

A course involving preparation for the Senior Project such as preliminary research and project proposal. Credit: Two semester hours. To be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis.

A course consisting of the presentation and defense of the Senior Project.

Sophomore Seminar

Kabbalah: The Jewish Mystical Tradition

An examination of the rich and varied traditions of Jewish mysticism, including Kabbalah. Students consider the nature, aims and goals, major historical trends, and basic themes and key concepts of the kabalistic worldview. We explore the Jewish mystical quest through a range of primary and secondary sources. Our exploration includes an investigation of the ways in which modern Hassidism makes mystical experience available to the masses. Written assignments and oral arguments and presentations are emphasized. No prior knowledge of Judaism or of Jewish mysticism is required.