Chair of Undergraduate Studies: David Martinez, S 405, 702-8232

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Lucy Pick, S 306B, 702-8278,
lucypick@uchicago.edu

Web: divinity.uchicago.edu/academics/ugradReligiousStudies.html

Program of Study

The field of Religious Studies engages perennial questions about religion and human society. It investigates religions and how they shape and are shaped by human cultures. The program in Religious Studies exposes students to different sources, problems, and methodologies in the study of religion. Students explore one particular question in depth by writing a senior paper. The program is designed to attract students who wish to take interdisciplinary approaches to the study of religion, including those that are historical, philosophical, theological, sociological, or literary-critical. The interests of such students may be descriptive, explanatory, or normative.

Program Requirements

A major in Religious Studies consists of twelve courses, including one introductory course and a two-quarter senior seminar. It is preferable that students consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies and declare their major in Religious Studies before the end of their second year. Students and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will work together to create a program of study. The goal is to develop depth in one area so that a satisfactory B.A. paper will be written in the fourth year.

Students will typically be permitted to count up to two language courses at the second-year level or above if they are pertinent to their B.A. paper research. Placement credit may not be used for these courses. With the consent of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, students may also count two additional extra-departmental courses toward the major. Students are encouraged to explore more than one religious tradition through their course work.

Introductory Course. Students in Religious Studies are required to take Introduction to Religious Studies (RLST 10100). It need not precede other course work in the major, but students are advised to have completed it by the end of their second year. It will typically be offered every year during Autumn Quarter. This course will introduce students to some of the central themes in Religious Studies; its particular focus will vary according to the interests of the individual instructor.

Course Distribution. Religion is expressed in many forms throughout the world's cultures, and the academic study of religion therefore requires multiple perspectives on its subject. Students of religion should have some knowledge of the historical development of specific religious traditions, understand and critically engage the ethical and intellectual teachings of various religions, and begin to make some comparative appraisals of the roles that religions play in different cultures and historical periods. To introduce students to these multiple perspectives on religion and to provide a sense of the field as a whole, students are required to take at least one course in each of the following areas. To identify the areas, refer to the boldface letter at the end of each course description.

(A) Historical Studies in Religious Traditions: courses that explore the development of particular religious traditions, including their social practices, rituals, scriptures, and beliefs in historical context (RLST 11000 through 15000, 20000 through 22900).

(B) Constructive Studies in Religion: courses that investigate constructive or normative questions about the nature and conduct of human life that are raised by religious traditions, including work in philosophy of religion, ethics, and theology (RLST 23000 through 25900).

(C) Cultural Studies in Religion: courses that introduce issues in the social and cultural contingencies of religious thought and practice by emphasizing sociological, anthropological, and literary-critical perspectives on religion, and by raising comparative questions about differing religious and cultural traditions (RLST 26000 through 28900).

Senior Seminar and B.A. Paper. The two-quarter senior sequence (RLST 29800 and 29900) will assist students with the preparation of the required B.A. paper. During May of their third year, students will work with a preceptor to choose a faculty adviser and a topic for research, and to plan a course of study for the following year. These must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students will take part in the B.A. Paper Seminar convened by a preceptor during Autumn and Winter Quarters. This seminar will allow students to prepare their bibliographies, hone their writing, and present their research. Students will register for RLST 29800 in the Autumn Quarter and for RLST 29900 in the Winter Quarter. The B.A. paper will be due early in the Spring Quarter. The length is typically between thirty and forty pages, with the upward limit being firm.

This program may accept a B.A. paper or project used to satisfy the same requirement in another major if certain conditions are met and with the consent of the other program chair. Approval from both program chairs is required. Students should consult with the chairs by the earliest B.A. proposal deadline (or by the end of third year, when neither program publishes a deadline). A consent form, to be signed by both chairs, is available from the College adviser. It must be completed and returned to the College adviser by the end of Autumn Quarter of the student's year of graduation.

Grading. Religious Studies majors must receive quality grades in all courses in the major. Nonmajors may take Religious Studies courses on a P/F basis if they receive the prior consent of the faculty member for a given course. Faculty will determine the criteria that constitute a Pass.

Honors. Honors are awarded by the Divinity School's Committee on Undergraduate Studies. Students who write senior papers deemed exceptional by their faculty advisers will be eligible for consideration for graduation with honors. To be considered for honors, students must also have a 3.5 GPA or higher in the major and a 3.25 GPA or higher overall.

Summary of Requirements

                                  1      Introduction to Religious Studies (RLST 10100)

                                  1      course in historical studies in religious traditions

                                  1      course in constructive studies in religion

                                  1      course in cultural studies in religion

                                  6      additional courses in Religious Studies

                                  1      B.A. Paper Seminar (RLST 29800)

                                  1      B.A. Paper (RLST 29900)

                                12

Faculty

A. Boden, C. Brekus, K. Culp, A. Davidson, W. Doniger, J. Elshtain, M. Fishbane,
T. Frymer-Kensky, F. Gamwell, W. C. Gilpin, A. Hollywood, D. Hopkins, M. Kapstein,
H. Klauck, B. Lincoln, C. Lindner, J.-L. Marion, D. Martinez, F. Meltzer, P. Mendes-Flohr,
M. Mitchell, M. Murrin, M. Nussbaum, W. Olmsted, L. Pick, M. Riesebrodt, J. Robinson,
R. Rosengarten, S. Schreiner, W. Schweiker, W. Sullivan, K. Tanner, D. Tracy,
C. Wedemeyer, A. Yu

Courses: Religious Studies (rlst)

Boldface letters in parentheses refer to the areas noted in the preceding Course Distribution section.

10100. Introduction to Religious Studies. (=RELH 10100) Required of Religious Studies majors. This course introduces students to some of the central concerns, problems, and materials of Religious Studies. Students are exposed to a range of primary and secondary source material grouped around a set of themes chosen by the instructor. Possible themes include canon, prophecy, revelation, initiation, priesthood, sacred space, discipline, and ritual. J. Z. Smith. Autumn.

12000. Introduction to the New Testament. (=BIBL 32500, FNDL 28202, NTEC 21000/32500) This course is an immersion in the texts of the New Testament with the following goals: through careful reading to come to know well some representative pieces of this literature; to gain useful knowledge of the historical, geographical, social, religious, cultural, and political contexts of these texts and the events they relate; to learn the major literary genres represented in the canon (i.e., "gospels," "acts," "letters," "apocalypse") and strategies for reading them; to comprehend the various theological visions to which these texts give expression; and to situate oneself and one's prevailing questions about this material in the history of interpretation. M. Mitchell. Winter. (A)

22000. Saints in the Medieval World. (=HIST 11700) How was holiness constructed in the Middle Ages and how did this change from period to period and from place to place? Who decided who was holy and who was not? This course examines the different things saints did for their communities and how, why, and by whom they were remembered. L. Pick. Autumn, 2004. (A)

 

22301. Martyrdom in Early Christianity. Greek and/or Latin helpful but not required. In this course we study both the phenomenon and the literary genre of martyrdom in early Christianity. We read and compare primary sources that include Christian narratives such as the Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas and the Martyrdom of Polycarp, Jewish texts such as 2 and 4 Maccabees, and non-Christian Greco-Roman texts describing the trials and deaths of figures such as Socrates. Topics for discussion include the role martyrdom may have had in either promoting or deterring the growth of the early church as well as the relationship between the phenomenon of martyrdom and the rich literary tradition surrounding it. J. Spittler. Spring, 2005. (A)

22400. Tolkien: Medieval and Modern. (=FNDL 24901, HIST 29900) For course description, see History. R. Fulton, L. Pick. Spring, 2005. (A)

22500. Death and the Afterlife in American Religion. (=HIST 18401) This course is a history of the rituals, beliefs, and images surrounding death in American culture from the colonial period to the present. W. C. Gilpin. Spring, 2005. (A)

22600. Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. (=FNDL 24300, HIST 12500) For course description, see History. C. Fasolt. Spring, 2005. (A)

22700. The Jews in Medieval Spain. (=HIJD 41900) This course may not be used as credit for both the Religious Studies major and the civilization studies requirement in general education. This course examines the methods of exegesis and hermeneutical theories developed by the Jews from the ninth to the fifteenth century. The various approaches, from the early achievements of Saadia Gaon to the laconic literalism of Abraham Ibn Ezra to the long exegetical essays by Isaac Abarbanel, are studied in relation to concurrent trends in Islam and Christianity. The use of Bible in sermons, poetry, polemics, philosophy, and kabbalah are also considered. Extra session offered to students with reading knowledge of Hebrew. J. Robinson. Winter, 2005. (A)

23701. The Free and Bound Will: Erasmus and Luther. (=FNDL 28501) In this course we engage in a close reading of two seminal texts on the theme of human freedom, namely, Erasmus's The Freedom of the Will and Martin Luther's fiery response to Erasmus, The Bondage of the Will. The course thereby provides insight into a formative moment in Western religious and moral thinking about human freedom and action, but also engages larger questions about the relation between religious claims for divine action and beliefs about human capacities. In this way, the course examines the thought of Luther and Erasmus against the backdrop of basic topics in theological ethics. W. Schweiker. Autumn, 2004. (B)

24201. Indian Philosophy I: Origins and Orientations. (=DVPR 30200, HREL 30200, SALC 20901/30901) A survey of the origins of Indian philosophical thought, emphasizing the Vedas, Upanisads, and early Buddhist literature. Topics include concepts of causality and freedom, the nature of the self and ultimate reality, and the relationship between philosophical thought and ritual or ascetic religious practice. D. Arnold. Winter. (B)

24202. Indian Philosophy II: The Classical Traditions. (=DVPR 30300, HREL 30300, SALC 20902/30902) PQ: RLST 24201. This course is an immersion in the texts of the New Testament. Continuing and building upon SALC 20901/30901, we focus on the development of the major classical systems of Indian thought. The course emphasizes Indian logic, epistemology, and philosophy of language. M. Kapstein. Spring. (B)

 

24301. Religion, Intuition, Irony: Schleiermacher's On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers. (=FNDL 21802, GRMN 24301) What is religion? The German Protestant theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher answers this question in his artful 1799 Speeches in an effort to convince his friends, the Romantics of post-Enlightenment Berlin, that they possess the true spirit of religion despite their contempt for religiosity. Topics include the cognitive status of religious intuition, the relation of individual experience to religious institutions and traditions, the plurality of religions, the continuities and discontinuities between Enlightenment and Romantic thought on religion, and the role of rhetoric in the philosophy of religion. Reading and discussion in English. Optional discussion section in German. A. Burant. Winter, 2005. (B)

24801. Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Philosophy of Religion. (=PHIL 24801) This course focuses on the eighteenth-century philosophical challenge to rational religion, as well as on the most important eighteenth- and nineteenth-century responses to that challenge. Writers examined include Hume, Kant, Schleiermacher, and Kierkegaard. D. Brudney. Winter. (B)

25001. Religion and the First Amendment. (=PHIL 21416/31416, RETH 31600) This course covers the major legal issues in this area, focusing on the relationship between the Establishment clause and the Free Exercise clause. Some background reading in philosophy (e.g., Hobbes, Locke) begins the class, and some comparative reading about other countries (especially India) ends it. M. Nussbaum. Spring. (B)

25003. Jews and the Radical Enlightenment. (=CMLT 27400, JWSC 24700, HUMA 28902) For course description, see Humanities. P. Maciejko. Winter, 2005.

25100. Augustine's Confessions. (=FNDL 27600, HUMA 22700) For course description, see Fundamentals. W. Olmsted. Autumn, 2005. (B)

25500. The Free and Bound Will: Erasmus and Luther. (=FNDL 28501) In this course we engage in a close reading of two seminal texts on the theme of human freedom, namely, Erasmus's The Freedom of the Will and Martin Luther's fiery response to Erasmus, The Bondage of the Will. The course thereby provides insight into a formative moment in Western religious and moral thinking about human freedom and action, but also engages larger questions about the relation between religious claims for divine action and beliefs about human capacities. In this way, the course examines the thought of Luther and Erasmus against the backdrop of basic topics in theological ethics. W. Schweiker. Autumn, 2004. (B)

25600. The Ethics of Albert Camus. (=FNDL 22301) For course description, see Fundamentals. J. Elshtain. Autumn, 2004.

25701. Environmental Ethics. M. Krafton-Hogue. Spring, 2005. (B)

25800. Martin Buber's Philosophy of Dialogue. (=FNDL 21400, HIJD 36700) This course is a close reading of Buber's I and Thou and other texts. P. Mendes-Flohr. Winter, 2005. (B)

25900. Medieval Philosophy. (=JWSC 24600, JWSG 34600, PHIL 23600/33600) PQ: PHIL 25000. For course description, see Philosophy. J. Stern. Winter. (B)

26400. Milton's Paradise Lost. (=FNDL 21900, GNDR 21600, HUMA 20800) For course description, see Fundamentals. W. Olmsted. Autumn, 2004. (C)

27102. Mircea Eliade, Patterns in Comparative Religion: Classics in the Study of Religion. (=FNDL 23803, RELH 29200) For course description, see Religion and the Humanities. J. Z. Smith. Spring, 2005.

27500. Medicine and Culture. (=ANTH 24300/40300, HIPS 27300) For course description, see Anthropology. J. Comaroff. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05. (C)

27700. Music of South Asia. (=MUSI 23700/33700, SALC 20800/30800) PQ: Any 10000-level music course or consent of instructor. For course description, see Music. P. Bohlman. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05.

27900. Thinking with Stories. (=RELH 23802, FNDL 23802) For course description, see Religion and the Humanities. J. Z. Smith. Spring, 2006.

28100. Rewriting the Past: Narrative, Ritual, and Monument. (=AASR 30001, BPRO 28100, FNDL 23102, HUDV 27100, PSYC 25400) PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing. For course description, see Human Development. B. Cohler, P. Homans. Winter, 2005. (C)

28601. Goethe's Faust. (=FNDL 26400, GRMN 28601) Goethe's epic dramatic poem Faust stands with Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost as a masterpiece of world literature that reinterpreted the received religious tradition of the day in a way that had lasting effects on modern conceptions of God, creation, the existence of evil, and humanity's place in the cosmos. The sixty-year span of its composition, from the early 1770s to 1832, was a time of great intellectual, cultural, and political upheaval in Europe, the New World, and Goethe's native Germany. In this course we read the complete text of Goethe's drama as a creative expression of its author's reactions to these revolutionary events and movements. D. Simmons. Winter, 2005. (C)

28700. Innocence and Insight in the Novel: F. M. Dostoevsky and Henry James. (=CMLT 22300/32300, ENGL 22806/43502, ISHU 27502/37502, RLIT 30401,RUSS 27501/37501) For course description, see Slavic Languages and Literatures (Russian). L. Steiner. Autumn, 2004. (C)

29700. Reading and Research Course. PQ: Consent of faculty supervisor and Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

29800. B.A. Paper Seminar. RLST 29800 and 29900 form a two-quarter sequence that is required of fourth-year majors. This course meets weekly to provide guidance for planning, researching, and writing the B.A. paper. Autumn.

29900. B.A. Paper. PQ: Consent of Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. RLST 29800 and 29900 form a two-quarter sequence that is required of fourth-year majors. A second quarter of seminar attendance is required for students while in RLST 29900. The purpose of this course is to assist students in the preparation of drafts of their B.A. paper, which are formally presented and critiqued. Winter.