Religious Studies

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

RELS 100 THE NEW TESTAMENT. 3 HOURS. GEN ED B-II
An introduction to the historical, literary, and cultural approaches to the New Testament with a view toward understanding and interpretation. (every semester)

RELS 101 THE OLD TESTAMENT/HEBREW SCRIPTURES. 3 HOURS. GEN ED B-II
An introduction to the historical, literary, and cultural approaches to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) with a view toward understanding and interpretation. (every semester)

RELS 102 INTRODUCTION TO RELIGIOUS STUDIES. 3 HOURS. GEN ED B-II
An introduction to religious studies providing methodological bridges between traditions and addressing major beliefs, ethical practices, symbols, and social institutions of several religions. (every semester)

RELS 103 RELIGIONS OF ASIA. 3 HOURS. GEN ED E
Introduction to the history, doctrines, and practices of the major religions of India, China and Japan.

RELS 202 RACIAL JUSTICE. 3 HOURS, GEN ED C.
An examination of (1) the major perspective that came together to form the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s; (2) the accomplishments and failures of that movement; and (3) the issues of racial justice that remain today.

RELS 300 THE LIFE OF JESUS. 3 HOURS.
An investigation of the nature, content, and major interpretations of the sources for the life and teachings of Jesus. (every year)

RELS 301 LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF PAUL. 3 HOURS.
A study of the life and thought of Paul in its historical and cultural setting; concentration on the principal themes in Pauline thought which have been influential in Christian tradition. (every year)

RELS 302 BUDDHIST RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. 3 HOURS, GEN ED E.
Introduction to the history, fundamental doctrines, and practices of the three main Buddhist traditions (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana) in their global contexts.

RELS 303 HINDU RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. 3 HOURS. GEN ED E.
A study of the central beliefs, ethical practices, symbols, and institutions of the Hindu traditions, examining patterns of its unity, diversity, and encounter with modernity.

RELS 304 JUDAIC RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. 3 HOURS. GEN ED E.
A survey of Jewish religious traditions, Jewish history and literature from the Greco-Roman period to the present.

RELS 305 CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. 3 HOURS. GEN ED B-II.
A survey of the doctrines, ethical codes, rituals, and institutions of the three main Christian traditions: Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism.

RELS 306 ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. 3 HOURS. 3 HOURS, GEN ED E.
Terminology, history, social institutions, beliefs, rituals, ethical systems, and world views associated with the religious tradition of Islam. Examination of the West’s views of Islam and Islamic views of the West.

RELS 307 NATIVE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. 3 HOURS, GEN ED E.
A survey of North American Indian religious traditions from European contact to present, including beliefs, practices, and cultural institutions.

RELS 308 EAST ASIAN RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. 3 HOURS, GEN ED E.
Introduction to the history, fundamental doctrines, and practices of the three classical East Asian traditions: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Attention will be directed toward how the traditions became interpreted in China, Korea, and Japan.

RELS 312 ANCIENT NEAR EAST TEXTS.
The course surveys a broad number of ancient Mesopotamian and other Western Asian genres of literature which shed light upon the literary remains of Israel found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Included are cosmologies, cosmogonies, flood narratives, prophecies, historical annals which deal with the kings of Israel and Judah, wisdom literature, theodicy, omen texts and others.

RELS/PHIL 315 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or religious studies.
A systematic study of such problems as the nature and existence of God, the relation of faith and reason, human nature and destiny, immortality, evil, and the problem of religious language.

RELS/PHIL 323 SOCIAL ETHICS. 3 HOURS, GEN ED B-II.
Perspectives and issues involved in the public pursuit of justice in a religiously and philosophically diverse society. Cross–listed as PHIL 323. One short field trip.

RELS 325 RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA. 3 HOURS, GEN ED C.
A study of the ways religion is understood and expressed by varying segments of American society.

RELS 326 SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM. 3 HOURS.
Introduction to the history, literature, and religion of the Jewish people from the beginning of the Persian period (mid-6th c. B.C.) to the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-135 A.D.).

RELS 330 RELIGION IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH. 3HOURS.
Survey of the religious cultures of the American South from the colonial period to the present. The course will look at a variety of religious expressions in institutional life, thought, literature, and music.

RELS 382 BIBLICAL LANGUAGES I. INTRODUCTORY HEBREW. 3 HOURS, GEN ED A-II.
A study of the vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of Biblical Hebrew. May be taken either as a foreign language course or as a free elective. May be taken either as a foreign language course or as a RELS elective.

RELS 383 BIBLICAL LANGUAGES II. INTERMEDIATE HEBREW. 3 HOURS, GEN ED A-II.
Prerequisite: RELS 382.
Further development of an understanding of the fundamentals of the Hebrew language with special attention to the reading of selected portions of the Hebrew Bible. May be taken either as a foreign language course or as a RELS elective.(every other spring)

RELS 384 BIBLICAL LANGUAGES III. INTRODUCTORY GREEK. 3 HOURS, GEN ED A-II.
A study of the vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of Koine Greek. May be taken either as a foreign language course or as a free elective. May be taken either as a foreign language course or as a RELS elective.

RELS 385 BIBLICAL LANGUAGES IV. INTERMEDIATE GREEK. 3 HOURS, GEN ED A-II.
Prerequisite: RELS 384.
Further development of an understanding of Koine Greek with readings in the New Testament and Hellenistic literature. May be taken either as a foreign language course or as a RELS elective. (every other spring)

RELS 386 INTRODUCTORY ARABIC I. 3 HOURS, GEN ED A-II
A study of the basic grammar, syntax and vocabulary of Arabic, concentrating on developing fundamental skills in writing, reading and speaking the language. May be taken either as a foreign language course or as a RELS elective.

RELS 387 INTRODUCTORY ARABIC II. 3 HOURS, GEN ED A-II
Continuation of the study of the grammar, syntax and vocabulary of Arabic, with a stress on cultivating listening skills along with developing further skills in reading, writing and speaking the language. May be taken either as a foreign language course or as a RELS elective.

RELS 390 INTRODUCTORY PALI I. 3 HOURS.
A study of the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of the Pali language with a stress on reading primary textual material from a variety of Pali sources.

RELS 391 INTRODUCTORY PALI II. 3 HOURS.
Further study of the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of the Pali language with a stress on reading a wide variety of canonical, commentarial and post-canonical texts.

RELS 399 STUDY ABROAD. 3 HOURS.
Supervised study of religion in a study abroad program. May be repeated for different study abroad locations.

RELS 401 RELIGIOUS STUDIES SEMINAR. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisite: One religious studies course or permission of instructor.
A seminar with rotating topics designed primarily for advanced students in religious studies. May be repeated for different topics.

RELS 402 RELIGIOUS STUDIES AS A DISCIPLINE. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisite: One course in religious studies or permission of instructor. The questions, interpretations, and methods which shape the academic study of religion.

RELS 415 OLD TESTAMENT THEMES. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisite: RELS 101 or permission of instructor.
Examination of such major Old Testament themes as creation, covenant, human being, sin, righteousness, truth, and faithfulness.

RELS 426 DEAD SEA SCROLLS. 3 HOURS.
Introduction to the discovery, authentication, contents, and main ideas of the Dead Sea Scrolls; the community that produced them; the controversies that have surrounded them; and the archaeology of the nearby ruins.

RELS 430 CHRISTIANITY TO 1517. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisite: RELS 100 or 102, and one history course.
An investigation of the development of Christian thought and institutions from the first century of the Church until the Reformation.

RELS 431 CHRISTIANITY FROM 1517 TO THE PRESENT. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisites: RELS 100 or 102 or 305, and one history course.
An investigation of the development of Christian thought and institutions from the beginning of the Reformation to the present.

RELS 440 JUDAISM. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisite: Junior standing.
An integration of the history, literature, religion, art, and music of eastern European and American Jewry in order to provide the student with a cultural experience in Judaism. A field trip to a Nashville synagogue is required.

RELS 445 THE RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF ISRAEL. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisite: One religious studies course or permission of instructor.
A study of the development of ancient sacred traditions of the Hebrew people and their formative influence upon the structure of the five books of Moses.

RELS 499 RESEARCH IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES. 3 HOURS.
Prerequisite: Open only to religion majors with a 3.0 grade point average in their senior year. Directed study and research in one area of religious studies. (on demand)

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