All Courses that apply toward the major

 

 

COURSES FOR SPRING 2013

COURSES FOR SUMMER 2013

COURSES FOR AUTUMN 2013

 

 


 

 

 

 


 

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Spring 2013

JSIS B 220 Introduction to the New Testament Williams TTh 11:30-1:20

JSIS B 352 Hinduism Van Dyke MW1:30 - 3:20.

JSIS B 380/CHID 380 Theories in the Study of Religion Lindholm TTh 1:30-3:20Th
Provides a variety of approaches to the study of religion centered on examining the relationship between religion and modernity in the tradition of post-enlightenment, Euro-American scholarship. Examines theories of religion across disciplines: history, anthropology, sociology, Marxism, feminism, postmodernism, political theology, and Freudian psycho-analytical theory.

JSIS 490/NEAR E Prayers and Poems: Jewish Traditions Sokoloff MW 2:30-3:50
This course examines traditional Jewish prayers side by side with modern poems that draw on those classical sources. Class readings introduce students to Jewish liturgy and include texts by Israeli and American poets who rethink matters of faith, the language of religion, and the role of tradition in contemporary Jewish life. Any student taking the course who needs 5 credits rather than 3 may sign up for independent study and do some extra assignments (either NEAR E 490 or HEBR 490)

JSIS 490 American Megachurches Wellman M 2:30-5:20
American Megachurches (2,000 in attendance each week) have exploded in growth; 40 percent of American churchgoers attend these churches. If we don’t understand them we not only don’t understand American Christianity, we don’t understand global Christianity. In this course, we look at the usual subjects: Aimee Semple McPherson, Rob Bell, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, and Mark Driscoll in Seattle, but we will also use several lenses: historical and sociological; the emerging field of human geography; but also the kinds of desires that these churches nurture and reproduce—what kind of humans are these religious cultures forming? And how does this desire mix with our own culture and the culture of late modernity? Each student will choose their own megachurch to study, whether it be a church in our region; a church from history, or a church from abroad.

JSIS 490 A Special Topics in Religion: Islam and Muslims in China Talant
Mawkanuli This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the lived experiences of Muslims in contemporary China. Students will examine how Islam informs culture and creates social and spiritual meaning for Muslim individuals and communities. We will study Muslims’ understanding of their own faith; the relationship of Islam to the political, economic and social lives of individual Muslims; how Islam shapes people’s sense of culture and identity; and the unity and diversity of Muslim communities in different parts of China from anthropological, historical, and sociological perspectives.

JSIS B 502 Religion in Comparative Perspectives: Invention of Religion, Innovation in Religion Tokuno MW 3:30-5:20
Related Courses
(This list is not definitive. To find other related courses please click here.)

ANTH 313 Peoples of Africa Kenworth WF 2:30-4:20
This course offers a survey of pre- and post-colonial social worlds in sub-Saharan Africa. Close attention will be paid to representations of African societies, and anthropological approaches to understanding contemporary issues such as nationhood, violence, development, and identity. Of particular interest to students working or studying abroad in sub-Saharan Africa, as the course will develop skills for thinking critically about contemporary African societies and their representations in the West.

 

ANTH 318 Peoples and Cultures of the Islamic Middle East Perez TF10:30-11:50
This course provides an introduction to the anthropological study of Islam and Muslims in the Middle East. Using contemporary ethnographic accounts of Muslim communities, this course will examine some of the complexities of religious meaning and practice. Approaching Islam as a lived experience, this course will consider questions of ritual practice, ethical self-formation, gender, modernity, religion and politics, and other critical themes.

ART H 311 Art of Imperial China Wang MWF 9:30-10:50

ART H 317 Chado Japanese Esthetics Olson TTh 2:30-4:20

ASIAN 206 Literature and Culture of South Asia from Tradition to Modernity Dubrow MWF 12:30-1:20

ASIAN 263 Bhagavadgita Pahlajrai MW 1:30-3:20


ASIAN 498 Literature of Love and Liberation: Introduction to Urdu Poetry in South Asia Ahmad TTh 1:30-3:20

CHID 380 Theories in the Study of Religion Lindholm TTh 1:30-3:20 + Quiz sections F

CLAS 430 Greek and Roman Mythology Stroup daily 11:30-12:20
Principal myths found in classical and later literature

ENGL 310 Bible as Literature Streitberger TTh 11:30-1:20

HSTAM 333 Late Middle Ages Urbanski TTh 430-650 PM

HSTAS 453 Chinese History 1276-1895 Guy MWF 1:30-3:20

HSTEU 305 European Witch Trials O’Neil TTh 11:30-12:50 Quiz sections F

SCAN 370 The Vikings Leiren MTWTh 1:30-2:20

SIS 498 US and the World: Religion and US Foreign Policy Wellman M 2:30-5:20

WINTER 2013

JSIS B 202 Introduction to World Religions: Eastern Traditions Tokuno TTh 1:30-3:20

JSIS B 254 American Religion Wellman TTh 1:30-3:20
Seeks to understand religious diversity in the American context and the varieties of religions in the American historical horizon including religious minorities, American Protestants, public religious expressions, and new American religions.

JSIS B 307 Religion and World Politics Gill TTh 10:30-11:50
This course explores the intersection of religion and politics in various regions of the world, including the U.S., Europe, Middle East, Latin America, and other regions. Presents a historical perspective on religion alongside contemporary issues in religion, politics, and church-state relations. Given the short, 10-week quarter system, we will not be able to cover every religious tradition. Instead of doing a superficial survey of religion and politics in each region of the world, we will focus most of our attention developing a theoretical framework based on the Christian world, then turning our attention to Islam in the last 2-3 weeks.

JSIS B 407 Political Islam and Contemporary Islamist Movements Robinson
TTh 1:30-2:20
This seminar will examine 3 Islamist movements (movements to reform Muslim society through the capture of the modern state and the establishment of Islamic practices, especially Islamic law). The goal is to understand how Islamist movements have shaped the both regional politics and the emergence of global political Islam. The course will start by reading briefly on the history of modernist Islam and the rise of Islamist theory and political parties. Then the course will look at 3 parties in their regional Islamic context (Pakistan, Palestine, Indonesia). The final part of the course will focus on student’s own research.

JSIS B 472 Topics in Early Christianity: The Legacy of Paul Tite WF 1:30-3:20
One of the most significant figures in first century Christianity was Paul of Tarsus. Indeed, some have gone so far as to claim him as the founder of Christianity. Paul’s dynamic and challenging sense of mission resulted in his extensive founding of Christian communities. Within the social network of these communities, he entered heated debates with competing Christian leaders/groups regarding the social and theological identity of Christianity. Paul’s most obvious impact, however, is his significant literary output. Indeed, most of the New Testament is comprised of his letters, or letters written in his name. This course offers an introduction to Paul, his letters and his legacy. Our exploration will focus on three aspects of Paul and his legacy: reconstructing the historical Paul (who was he, when did he live, how was he portrayed in Acts?); exploring Paul and his communities through his letters (as primary sources, this will be the focus of the course); and how Paul was used by other early Christian writers (e.g., letters written in his name, narrative and apocalyptic use of Paul as an authoritative figure into the second century, etc). Our focus in this course will be upon reading the primary texts in English translation, using assigned secondary readings (supplemented by lectures) as a background for reading these texts. A mixture of lecture and discussion will frame this course.

JSIS B 526 Political Islam and Islamic Fundamentalism Robinson M 1:30-4:20
Focusing on recent analysis of Muslim civil society and the Islamic public sphere, this course examines political Islam as a phenomenon produced at the intersection of universalistic and particularistic political cultures and in the spaces between political, religious, and social authority. The aims of this course are to introduce students to the complexities of issues surrounding Islamic political movements in contemporary Muslim societies and to learn to examine Islamic political movements through critical analyses that take into account historical, social, and cultural perspectives; to assist students in engaging in reflective knowledge production, examining discipline-specific suppositions of method and analysis as well as the overt contents of the sources; and to assist students in placing their reading and research within the intellectual genealogies of established scholarship.

JSIS 481/MUSIC 445 Performance, Power, and Identity in Africa Ellingson
F 1:30-3:50

JSIS 490/590 Women in Buddhism: Seminar in Buddhist Studies Tokuno
MW 3:30-5:20
The course will explore issues of gender and sexuality in Buddhism based on readings of canonical texts, biographical narratives, ethnographical reports, and modern scholarships. Discussion topics will include: question of methodology and feminist perspectives; religious institution and patriarchy; gendered symbols and their interpretations; doctrinal egalitarianism and androcentric practice. Students will learn about a wide spectrum of roles of and attitudes toward women and the feminine reflected in Buddhist doctrine, practice, and experience both in pre-modern and modern/contemporary contexts, and how they are informed by a complex of factors, including social-institutional norms and soteriological ideals of Buddhism. We will begin with consideration of methodology and feminism, followed by discussion of India, Tibet, Southeast Asia (Thailand), and East Asia (China, Korea, Japan). The penultimate session will cover women’s participation and leadership in new religious movements in India, Taiwan, and Japan.

JSIS 590 Heterodox Cosmologies and Social Behavior Williams Th 3:30-6:20
What relationships exist between myths about the origins and nature of the cosmos and social behavior or lifestyle? This seminar will focus on this question with particular regard to cosmological myths that are often considered more “dualistic,” or that imagine the cosmos to be the product of, and under the control or influence of, forces other than the highest “god” or most sublime level of reality. Examples that will likely be treated include Platonic/Middle Platonic/Neopythagorean philosophical traditions; select instances of heterodox early Christian speculation (e.g., texts from the Nag Hammadi Coptic library; the North African writer Arnobius of Sicca); Hermetic literature (e.g., the Poimandres); Manichaean, Mandaean and Islamic mystical texts; and medieval Christian heterodox traditions such as the Cathars.
Fascination with most of these traditions stems from their association with esoteric or “heretical” teachings. They have evoked a very large bibliography of research, with the majority devoted to philologically oriented studies on recovered sources (editions, translations); description and comparison of deviant mythologies; theories about their origins and interconnections; and reconstructing the history of the theological conflicts surrounding them. There has also been significant interest in the impact of these traditions on social and political history, again primarily in terms of the historical significance and consequences of socio-political conflicts between “orthodox” and “heretical” factions.

Related Courses (this list is not definitive. To find other related courses please click here.

ASIAN 203 Literature and Culture of Ancient and Classical India TTh 1:30-3:20

ASIAN 411 Buddhist Literature Cox TTh 1:30-3:20

CLAS 430 Greek And Roman Mythology Volker MWF 09:30-10:20

CLAS 435 The Ancient Novel Connors MWF 9:30-10:20

ENGL 211 A Literature from 1500-1800 Hansen TTh 1:30-3:20

HONORS 211 Indian Literature and Popular Film Pauwels TTh 12:30-2:20

HSTAM 518 Late Antiquity; Jerusalem and the Holy Land - From King David to the Dome of the Rock. Walker M 1:30-4:20.
Readings will focus on the ancient and early medieval periods, but students will also have the opportunity to explore various aspects of the city and region's modern history (esp. on pilgrimage and the history and politics of archaeology) through papers and presentations. Syllabus at
https://catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/jwalker/30392/

HIST 388 Jerusalem Walker TTh 10:30-11:50
History majors receive priority enrollment but interested students from other majors will have access to any unfilled spots.

PHIL 345 Moral Issues of Life and Death Emmerman TTh 7:00-9:20PM
Examination of such topics as war and murder, famine relief, capital punishment, high-risk technologies, abortion, suicide, and the rights of future generations.

PHIL 418 Jewish Philosophy Rosenthal TTh 11:30-1:20
Introduces the central concepts and themes of Jewish philosophy. Focuses either on debates within a particular historical period - e.g., medieval or modern; or on a topic - e.g., reactions to the Enlightenment or to the Holocaust. Prerequisite: at least one previous course in philosophy.

PHIL 440 Ethics Roberts MWF 2:00-3:20
Critical examination of the concepts and judgments of value, including an analytical treatment of the notions of good and bad, right and wrong, and obligation. Emphasis varies from quarter to quarter.

PHIL 467 Philosophy of ReligionHildebrand MWF 9:00-10:20
Study of selected topics and problems in the philosophy of religion, such as: arguments for the existence of God; the problem of evil; atheism; faith; religious experience and revelation; the attributes of God; miracles; immortality; and the relation between religion and morality. Readings from historical and contemporary authors.

SCAND 370 The Vikings Leiren MTWTh 10:30-11:20
Vikings at home in Scandinavia and abroad, with particular emphasis on their activities as revealed in archaeological finds and in historical and literary sources. Offered: jointly with HSTAM 370.


Autumn 2012

JSIS B 145 Introduction to Judaism Pianko TTh 1:30-3:20.
This class explores the question: what is Judaism? However, the course will not provide a single definitive answer—such as a specific belief, set of ritual practices, or shared texts and myths. Instead, our investigation of Judaism will illustrate the limitations of any effort to identify a single, static conception of Judaism. Judaism, this course argues, can only be understood as a dynamic religious tradition that has developed many forms (most of which no longer exist today) during a more than 3000-year history that has spanned nearly the entire globe. The goal of this course is to enable students to compare and contrast these diverse expressions, both past and present, that have called themselves “Judaism.” Students will gain the tools for this analysis by engaging with primary sources ranging from the Bible to modern Jewish philosophy, by investigating the liturgical and holiday cycles, by familiarizing themselves with Jewish history, and by discussing Jewish beliefs and practices. Particular attention will be paid to innovations
introduced during the last two hundred years in Europe and the United States. No prior knowledge of Judaism is required or expected.

JSIS B 201 Introduction to World Religions: Western Traditions Wellman TTh 1:30–3:20.
Western religions dominate nearly three quarters of the world's populations. Understanding them and discovering their richness and depths is as important as understanding one's own identity. This critical course in the history of the religions of humankind opens windows into the reasons and movements that shape who we are today. It is a course in the comparative introduction to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but it also challenges us to understand the heritage of our world and both the positive and negative contributions that these religions have made and still made today. While each of these traditions arose within the Middle East their influence has spread across all the continents. We will track these diverse traditions in their historical development, examing their ideas, practices and consequences on global culture.

JSIS B 322 Gospels and Jesus of Nazareth Williams TTh 2:30-4:20.
This course studies the earliest traditions about Jesus of Nazareth. Students will become familiar with key elements in the modern analysis of ancient Christian "gospels," discuss various modern approaches to the study of these texts, and explore the modern debate about what can and cannot be learned from such sources about the historical figure Jesus of Nazareth. Virtually all of these earliest traditions about Jesus of Nazareth are found in Christian sources--i.e., sources composed by persons who were in some way or another devotees of Jesus. The majority of the earliest Jesus tradition that has survived is to be found in four writings which constitute roughly half of what is now the Christian New Testament: the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The New Testament (=NT) is a collection of individual writings that were written by early Christians over a period of many years. Christians were writing other things during this period, and in the earliest generations there was no universal agreement on a single collection of NT writings. Various collections with different shapes appeared among Christian communities in different parts of the Mediterranean world, and only gradually, over many generations, did there emerge a standardization of these collections into something closely approximating what is presently called the NT. The NT has become the second part of the Christian Bible, the "scriptures" in which Christians see special testimony to divine revelation. Although the bulk of the earliest Jesus tradition has survived because it came to be included in the NT, there is a significant quantity of other surviving gospel material produced by early Christian communities--writings such as the Gospel of Thomas, for example. This non-NT material is sometimes important for reconstructing Jesus' teaching. But these non-NT gospels are also interesting in their own right, as examples of differing constructions of Jesus' religious significance among ancient Christian communities.

JSIS A 329 B/ANTH 330 Religion, Identity, and Cultural Pluralism Johnson 12:30-2:50

JSIS B 408 Early Church Williams MW 2:30-4:20.
This course focuses on the history and literature of Christianity during the second and third centuries CE, and the relation between Christianity and the history and culture, especially religious culture, of the period. We will be reading examples of a wide variety of early Christian literature, from the more official to the more popular, from the more "orthodox" to the "heretical." This is the period during which Christianity expanded numerically from a tiny minority movement to become the largest religious movement in the Roman Empire. The course gives attention to some of the factors and dynamics that account for this general success, while surveying the rich diversity in belief and practice attested during this period of development. The wide variety of "Christianities" from this period include some strikingly different interpretations of tradition, scripture, family, society, nature, life and death.

 

JSIS 484 A/584A Religion in Japan Tokuno MW 3:30-5:20.

JSIS B 501 Approaches to the Study of Religion Novetzke Th 11:30-2:20.
This course provides graduate students working on religion in some way with a variety of approaches to the study of religion centered on examining the relationship between religion and modernity in the tradition of post-enlightenment, Euro-American scholarship. The central thesis of this course is that what we understand to be “religion” today was fashioned out of Western modernity, similar to other “modern” ideas such as science, democracy, the modern state, humanism, and capitalism. Religion is not a relic from a pre-modern period or the purview of non-modern, non-Westernized, irrational societies, but rather is the creation of the modern world itself. We will examine this thesis in relation to sociology, anthropology, history, psychoanalysis, postmodernism, feminism, and nationalism discourse. My goal is to provide students with opportunities for future study and ideas for critically thinking about the history and role of religion in public culture today. For students interested in pursuing this thesis in the rest of the world outside European and North American societies, I offer a seminar called “Religion and Modernity in the Rest of the World”.

Related Courses (This list is not definitive. To find more related courses please click here.

ASIAN 207B SPECIAL TOPICS: INDIAN MYTHOLOGY optional W; Pauwels TTh 12:30-2:20 F discussions (NB: optional substitute for RELIG 352)

ASIAN 207 A Thousand and One Narrators Dubrow MW 1:30-3:20

CLAS 320 Greek and Roman Private an Public Life Kamen daily 9:30 – 10:20
Study of the civic and social practices and institutions of everyday Greek and Roman private and public life, including the family, social classes, the courts and legal systems, military service and war, technology and the trades, money and banking, agriculture and rural life. Many lectures illustrated by slides.

CLAS 430 Greek and Roman Mythology Stroup daily 11:30 -12:20
Principal myths found in classical and later literature.

HEBR 414 Elementary Biblical Hebrew MWF Martin 10:30-11:50

HINDI 502 Readings in Medieval Hindi Literature: Avadhi Pauwels Currently scheduled to meet TTh 10:30-12 (will likely change to TThF 10:30-11:20)

HSTAM 314 The World of Late Antiquity Walker MTTh 1:30-2:50

HSTAM 370 The Vikings Leiren MTWTh 1:30-2:20

ART H 317 Chado; Japanese Esthetics Olson T 2:30-4:20 + quiz

ENGL 211 Medieval and Renaissance Literature MTWTh 11:30-12:20

HSTAS 211 History of Chinese Civilization Guy Daily 9:30 – 10:20

HSTAS 212 History of Korean Civilization Nam MTWTh 10:30-12:20 + Quiz

NEAR E 220 Introduction to Ancient Near East Martin MWF 1:30- 2:50

PHIL 240 Introduction to Ethics Roberts MWF 1030-11:20 + quiz
Critical introduction to various philosophical views of the basis and presuppositions of morality and moral knowledge. Critical introduction to various types of normative ethical theory, including utilitarian, deontological, and virtue theories.

PHIL 346 Personal Values and human Good Baker TTh 11:30-12:50
Examination of the idea of a good human life. Emphases differ from year to year. Typical topics include happiness and prudence, rationality and life plans, personal values and the meaning of life, autonomy and false consciousness, self-respect and self-esteem, honesty and self-deception, faith and "vital lies."

SOC 357 Sociology of Religion MW 12:30-2:20 + quiz
The relations between religion, polity, economy, and social structure; in particular, the political, economic, and social impact of religious beliefs and organizations, as well as the social determination of these beliefs and organizations; the rise of secularism, the rationalization of modern life, and the emergence of political quasi-religions.

 

Summer 2012

Term A+B
RELIG 201 Introduction to World Religions: Western Traditions Kim MWF 2:20 - 4:00 PM

Term A
RELIG 240 Hebrew Bible Martin MTW 9:10 - 12:20

RELIG 354 Buddhism Tokuno Daily 1:10 - 3:20

RELIG 380 Theories in the Study of Religion Novetzke MTWTh 9:10 - 11:50
Study of religion as a general human phenomenon. Manner in which different methods of inquiry (phenomenology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, archaeology, philosophy, theology) illuminate different aspects of religion and help to shape our conceptions of its nature.

NEAR E 496/596 C Introduction to Shamanism Talant Mawkanuli TTh 2:20-5:10
This course aims at introducing students to the historical development of Shamanism in Siberia and Inner Asia with a survey of various interpretations of shamanism as a social phenomenon and practices in different societies. Shamanism as both an ancient and a universal phenomenon transcends ethnic, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. The course will also survey the cultural ecology, social life, languages, religious beliefs and
cultural world of the people in the region that sustain Shamanism. No special knowledge of Shamanism and the region on the part of students is presumed. The course will consist of lectures, reading assignments, and class discussions and will make extensive use of films and other audio-visual materials.

HONORS 210 B - The Triune God in East and West Webb TWThF 1:50-3:20
This course will study the history of the symbolism of the Triune God from its origin in the imagery of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament through its diverging interpretations as either an experiential or a speculative symbolism, leading eventually to the separation of the Eastern and Western Christian traditions over these differences and their implications. The text for the course will be Professor Webb’s manuscript of a book in progress, which will be distributed to students in PDF form. Classes will consist mainly of discussion of topics selected from the various chapters.

TERM B
NEAR E 496/596 D The MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA: Anthropological Perspectives on Comparative Muslim Societies Talant Mawkanuli TTh 2:20-5:10
This course is an introduction to Comparative Muslim Societies in the Middle East and Central Asia from anthropological perspectives. It is an ethnographic survey course which examines the unity and diversity of Muslim communities in different locations. This course aims to acquaint students with the significant linguistic, cultural and political diversity of Muslim societies and help them develop an understanding of Islam as lived experience with a focus on the everyday lives of Muslims in these societies. We will focus on how Islam informs culture and creates social and spiritual meaning for individual Muslims and Muslim communities. We will identify and examine some of the shared “fundamentals” of the religion; the Muslims’ understanding of their faith; the relationship of Islam to the political, economic and social lives of individual Muslims and how Islam shapes people’s sense of identity. No prior knowledge of or exposure to Islam on the part of students is presumed. However, some background in the Middle East and Central Asian Muslim world would be helpful, but not essential. The course will consist of lectures, reading assignments, and class discussions. In addition, it will make extensive use of films and other visual media materials.

Term B
Religion 254 American Religion: Answering your questions Wellman MTWTh 9:20 -11:50
Ever wonder, why is America so religious? Why can NO ONE become president if they are not Christian? Ever wonder where the whole idea of religious freedom came from? Ever wonder why religion is always so tied up in all of our civil ceremonies? Ever wonder why the most religious among us are the most excited about war? Ever wonder if religion is the reason we go to war? Ever wonder why many of our presidents felt so strongly about religion? Well, come to this class, and your questions will be answered. We will look at the origins of American religion, American religious separation of church and state, American religion and foreign policy, as well as how RELIGION JUST MAY DETERMINE WHO BECOMES PRESIDENT THIS COMING FALL!

 Spring 2012

RELIG 212/NEAR E 212 Qur' an, Gabbay TTh+QUIZ 1:30 - 2:50
Considered the Word of God by Muslims, the Qur’an is the scriptural foundation of Islam and the source of spiritual inspiration as well as legal, social, and moral teachings. This course will introduce the Qur’an as both sacred object and historical artifact and will explore the significance it occupies in the Islamic tradition. Among the Qur’anic themes to be considered are: eschatology and the afterlife; stories of earlier prophets such as Adam, Noah, and Abraham; images of Jesus and Mary; legislation; and the role of women. The Qur’an’s enactment through recitation – whether in daily prayers,  gatherings in shops or homes, or to treat illness – will also be examined, for it is through recitation that believers affirm their dedication to God and Islam. This course will also acquaint students with the many critical debates associated with the Qur’an, its collection and codification.

RELIG 220 New Testament, Williams MTWTh 10:30 -11:20

RELIG 320/ANTH 322 Comparative Study of Death, TTh 2:30-4:20

RELIG 354 Buddhism, Tokuno MW 3:30-5:20
The course is a historical introduction to Buddhism in South Asia and East Asia. We will focus on origin and development in India and later acceptance and adaptation in East Asia to understand religious ideals, theories, and practices. We will also pay attention to contextual factors that contributed to the formation of Buddhism, especially in East Asia where indigenous traditions' influence resulted in new philosophical schools, exclusive focus on meditation practice, esoteric Buddhism, and popular devotional Buddhism. Instructor's lecture will not be a summary of the required course readings; nor will it always be a close reflection of our readings' interpretation. She may sometimes problematize the textbook narratives and assertions to explore alternative perspectives or introduce new material and evidence to consider. Class discussion and written assignments are to develop student's own critical thinking on the issues raised and questions asked in lecture and reading.

RELIG 380/CHID 380 Theories in the Study of Religion, Novetzke TTh 11:30-1:20
Provides a variety of approaches to the study of religion centered on examining the relationship between religion and modernity in the tradition of post-enlightenment, Euro-American scholarship. Examines theories of religion across disciplines: history, anthropology, sociology, Marxism, feminism, postmodernism, political theology, and Freudian psycho-analytical theory. Offered jointly with CHID 380.

RELIG 400 Jewish Mysticism, Jaffee MW 11:30-12:50
Jewish esoteric thought from antiquity to early modern times. Emergence of Spanish Kabbalah. The thought of Isaac Luria and its immense influence in Jewish history through other movements-specifically the mystical messiah. Sabbetai Sevi, and the rise of Hasidism. Recommended: RELIG 201 or RELIG 210.

RELIG 490A/590 Seminar in Buddhist Studies: Engaged Buddhism, Tokuno TTh 3:30-5:20
Engaged Buddhism is a term coined by a Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh in 1960s in reference to the contemporary movement of socially engaged Buddhist action and practice in response to war and political situation in Vietnam. The term gradually gained currency and has come to refer more broadly to other movements, ideology, practice, and action informed by Buddhist values and principles and aimed at transforming individual, society and politics. It also has gained legitimacy among scholars as a category of research on contemporary Buddhism as the publications over the last two decades demonstrate. Many scholars argue that engaged Buddhism is strictly a modern phenomenon since it represents new forms of Buddhism that arose in response to colonialism and modernity; as such it is antithetical to the traditional Buddhist ideal of ending human suffering through radical detachment (or dis-engagement) from the world. For these scholars engaged Buddhism stands for the fourth vehicle that comes on the heel of the traditional three vehicles, or the earth vehicle because of global issues engaged Buddhism addresses, or neo-Buddhism that represents reformist Buddhism to meet the needs of particular time and place. Other scholars opt to view Buddhism to have always been engaged socially and politically and that engaged Buddhism in modern period is simply the latest manifestation of the perennial Buddhist goal (end of suffering) and motivation (compassion). Regardless whether it represents rupture or continuity, engaged Buddhism deserves serious attention for what it can contribute to the study of religion in history and modern/contemporary society.

RELIG 490B/NEAR E 364 Islam and Muslims in China, Mawkanuli (no grads)
Introduces the lived experiences of Muslims in contemporary China. Examines Muslims' understanding of their faith; the relationship of Islam to the political, economic, and social lives of Muslims; how Islam shapes people' s sense of culture and identity; and unity and diversity of various Chinese Muslim communities.

JSIS 490C/RELIG 490C Religion and Culture: Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture, Wellman M 2:30-5:20
In 1951, H. Richard Niebuhr, the less known but many would argue superior theologian to his better known brother Reinhold, penned the classic Christ and Culture. Niebuhr sought to excavate and outline, across the history of Christianity, five ideal types to describe the relation of faith and culture, religion and culture, Christianity and culture. Niebuhr’s five types included: Christ against culture; the Christ of culture; Christ above culture; Christ and culture in paradox, and finally, the one Niebuhr tended to favor, Christ the transformer of culture. Niebuhr drew on his encyclopedic knowledge of Christian history and thought to synthesize the vast complexity of relations between Christianity and its various cultures. His work was a classic that no one has surpassed. Many have tried. We will study the original and the various critics of the work. This is about Christianity and culture, but the framework and thinking can be used to apply to other religions and cultures. The course invites an intense examination of Niebuhr’s work and his critics; students, however, are encouraged to bring their own research, on whatever religion, to examine and present for their final papers, in light and in critique of Niebuhr’s classic.

RELIG 501 Theories for the Study of Religion, Novetzke W 11:30-2:20
This course provides graduate students working on religion in some way with a variety of approaches to the study of religion centered on examining the relationship between religion and modernity in the tradition of post-enlightenment, Euro-American scholarship. The central thesis of this course is that what we understand to be “religion” today was fashioned out of Western modernity, similar to other “modern” ideas such as science, democracy, the modern state, humanism, and capitalism. Religion is not a relic from a pre-modern period or the purview of non-modern, non-Westernized, irrational societies, but rather is the creation of the modern world itself. We will examine this thesis in relation to sociology, anthropology, history, psychoanalysis, postmodernism, feminism, and nationalism discourse. My goal is to provide students with opportunities for future study and ideas for critically thinking about the history and role of religion in public culture today. For students interested in pursuing this thesis in the rest of the world outside European and North American societies, I offer a seminar called “Religion and Modernity in the Rest of the World”.

RELIG 510 Graduate Colloquium, Tokuno W 5:30 - 7 PM

Related Courses (This list is not exhaustive.)
ARAMIC 421 Biblical Aramaic, Martin MWF 10:30-11:50

ASIAN 207 Indian Mythology, TTh 1:30-3:20+discuss

ASIAN 498 Indian Philosophical Literature, Pahlajrai MW 1:30-3:20

ASIAN 498 Survey of Urdu Literature, Dubrow TTh 1:30-3:20

HINDI 421 Readings Modern Hindi Literature: short story

NEAR E 452 Biblical Song of Songs, Martin MWF 1:30-2:20

SIS 202 202 Cultural Interactions in an Interdependent World, Robinson

SIS 337 Collective Violence and the State Chirot MW 1:30 - 3:20
We will seek to understand why politically inspired, state sponsored genocidal mass murder occurred in the twentieth century. Four of the worst cases will be examined: the Nazi Holocaust, Stalin’s starvation policies and mass purges in the Soviet Union, the destruction of a quarter of Cambodia’s population by the Khmer Rouge, and the Rwandan genocide. While the course will bring up some other cases, these four will be the main topics of the readings, films, and lectures. By the end of the course students will have a better understanding of why these events took place, what the consequences were, and what might have been done, if anything, to prevent them.

SISSA 512 Research Design Seminar, Robinson T 1:30 - 4:20
 

WINTER 2012

(Times and days of course instruction may change. Please be sure to check the Time Schedule)

 RELIG 202 Intro to Religious Traditions: Eastern, Tokuno MW 130-320.
Students will be introduced to the history, beliefs, and practices of major religious traditions of India and East Asia--Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. They will learn the essential elements of the religions--myth and legend, significant scriptures and doctrines, paths of transformation, ritual and moral codes. They will also learn how Buddhism in East Asia modified, and was modified by, the religious orientations of indigenous traditions.

RELIG 254 American Religion, Wellman TTh1:30-3:20.
An approach to religion(s) within American culture. The history of religion(s) in America, the early centuries and the contemporary period, looking at how religious market of American culture has changed over time. We also look at home grown religions in America, as well as the more recent debates over public religion and politics in the contemporary period.

RELIG 322 Gospels and Jesus of Nazareth, Williams TTh 2:30-4:20.
This course studies the earliest traditions about Jesus of Nazareth. Students will become familiar with key elements in the modern analysis of ancient Christian "gospels," discuss various modern approaches to the study of these texts, and explore the modern debate about what can and cannot be learned from such sources about the historical figure Jesus of Nazareth.
    
RELIG 352 Hinduism Novetzke, MW 1:30-3:20.
What is Hinduism? A religion? A philosophy? A way of life? This course, which assumes no prior knowledge of Hinduism or India, explores the fundamental components of the collection of stories, rituals, poems, songs, actions, philosophies, beliefs, images, places, practices, and concepts that together shape the many ideas of Hinduism in India. We will study Hinduism from its most ancient rudiments to contemporary politics on the subcontinent, observing the many ways Hinduism has been determined in specific contexts. During the quarter you will have a chance to read several texts that are central to various forms of Hinduism, including yogic texts, the Upanishads and Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, stories from the ancient "mythic" texts or puranas, and the writings and speeches of modern Hindu figures. You'll also experience the two Indian epics in unique forms: you will read the Ramayana in comic book format and watch a theatrical production of the Mahabharata. By the end of the course students with have a fluency in the vocabulary of Hinduism, through key terms, images, and practices set in their historical and cultural contexts.

RELIG 415 Modern Jewish Thought, Pianko TTh 2:30-4:20.
What is Judaism? Is it a religion, a nation, an ethnicity? These are the questions we will explore through the lens of modern Jewish thinkers. The class will provide opportunities to delve into the changing meaning of Judaism, and more generally, the transformation of identity in the modern period. Although the course is listed as a 400 level course, there are no prerequisites and students of all backgrounds are welcome to participate. This course fulfills the w requirement. Learning goals for students include:
-to think critically about the evolution of a religious tradition; to understand how modernity challenged revealed religions; to explore how religion responded to the shift toward secularism and science; to use the past as a guide for a deeper understanding of why religion plays an increasingly important role around the globe today

RELIG 426 "Gnosticism" and Early Christianity, Williams MW 2:30-4:20.
Certain forms of religious expression from the early centuries of Christianity were eventually condemned by "orthodox" Christian authorities as "heretical." Among the earliest and most interesting of these were a variety of writers and movements who considered the creator God of biblical tradition to be a "lesser god," inferior to a far more transcendent and sublime divine entity. Original writings from such movements are preserved among the works in the important "Nag Hammadi Library," a collection of writings (gospels, revelations, treatises, etc.) discovered in the later 1940's near the Egyptian village of Nag Hammadi, and we will give special attention to this collection and related sources from the period. These often contain interesting and sometimes
rather elaborate mythologies about the origin of the world, the nature of the true God and the lesser god(s) of creation, the origin of evil, and the nature and destiny of humanity. At a time when there was still no fixed Christian Bible or uniform organization, such elaborate myths of origin and eschatology constituted some of the earliest attempts at a systematic articulation of Christian doctrine in relation to Jewish tradition and Greco-Roman philosophy. The Nag Hammadi collection includes other writings that do not necessarily-or at least so clearly-involve these mythologies but do exemplify interesting "alternative" Christian literatures claiming to convey "secret" revelation of one sort or another. Fundamental features of what eventually became Christian orthodoxy were shaped through controversy over such doctrines and literatures.

RELIG 502 Comparative Theories of Religious Experience, Wellman M1:30-4:20.
We will look at the theoretical idea of fundmentalism. Beginning with its early history in American Christianity and then moving on to name other religions, in particular Islamic movements. What is the adequacy of the term and can/should it be discarded, changed, and rethought?

RELIG 510 Graduate Colloquium, Tokuno W 5:30 - 7 PM.

ART H 515  Art History Seminar, Bogel W1:30-4:30.
Japanese medieval handscroll paintings that depict Buddhist and Shinto religious subject matter. Two visiting faculty members from Japan who are experts on the subject (Yamamoto Satomi and Takagishi Akira). Those with Japanese language skills and   background in Japanese religions. Taught in Japanese and English.

ASIAN 206 Literature and Culture of Ancient and Classical India, Dubrow MWF11:30-12:50 + discus.

ASIAN 207 Languages and Literature of Southeast Asia, Shapiro MW 1:30-3:20.

ASIAN 411 Buddhist Literature, Cox TTh 1:30-3:20.

HEBR 428 Inscriptions from Biblical Times, Martin MWF 10:30-11:50.

HSTEU 401 Renaissance Italy O'Neil

NEAR E 200-level Death and Afterlife in the Ancient NE, Martin MWF 1:30-2:20.

SIS 526 ANTH 526 Grad Seminar Political Islam, Robinson W 1:30-4:20.

SIS 407/SISB 4xx Political Islam and Contemporary Islamist Movements, Robinson TTh 1:30-3:20.

SIS 490R/CHID 498C Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting: World Cultures through the Asian Martial Arts, Novetzke TTh 11:30-1:20.

 

   

CONTACTS
Program Coordinator, Loryn Paxton
Box 353650
Seattle, WA 98195
(206) 543-4835
►lpaxton@uw.edu

Graduate Advising, Paula Milligan
(206) 543-6001
►milligan@u.washington.edu

Student Advising, Linda Iltis
Transfer credits from another university to UW, inquire about learning abroad programs etc
(206) 543-6001
►iltis@uw.edu