Religious Studies (REL)
Associate Professor Stratton; Assistant Professor Blanchard; Instructor Wise.
Religious Studies examines the way a person or community makes sense out of life (world views) and the way a person or community acts out and lives in a world view (practices). The study of religion includes (1) exploration of the nature and meaning of the religious dimensions of human experience; (2) study of the major traditions which remember and transmit religious experience and expressions; (3) encouragement of an inquisitive, analytical and open approach to multiple religious perspectives; and (4) exploration of the ethical frameworks in various religious perspectives.
Many graduates of Alma's Religious Studies program have continued their studies in graduate schools or seminaries. Others have entered church work, chaplaincies, teaching, social work agencies, personnel offices, communications, journalism, law and business or have volunteered for service in VISTA and the Peace Corps.
Major Requirements
- Thirty-six credits in Religious Studies including REL 103, 400 and 500 (senior thesis and oral examination).
- Remaining program of study will be constructed on an individual basis in consultation with members of the department.
- Foreign language study (either ancient or modern, depending on the student's academic interests) is strongly encouraged for all majors.
Minor Requirements
- Twenty-four credits in Religious Studies including REL 103 and 400.
- Remaining program of study will be constructed on an individual basis in consultation with members of the Department.
Four credits from REL, with the exception of practicum or independent study courses, count towards the Distributive Requirements in the Humanities.
| REL 100. | The Divine Call | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 credits | ||
| Explore the call of God to individuals and to humanity as a whole. Working primarily from the Judeo-Christian perspective, students read and reflect on the call of God to characters of both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, to religious leaders of the eastern and western traditions, and to select individuals outside the Judeo-Christian perspective. | ||
| REL 101. | Biblical Tradition I | |
 |
4 credits | |
| Introduction to the Hebrew Bible from its origins to the Babylonian Exile (587-6 B.C.); focuses on history, literature and interpretation. Examination of assumptions and methodology. | ||
| REL 102. | Biblical Tradition II | |
|
4 credits | |
| Introduction to the New Testament, its history, environment, literature and interpretation. Formative years of Judaism and growth of the Christian community. | ||
| REL 103. | Introduction to World Religions | |
|
4 credits | |
| An introduction to the histories, major figures, sacred texts and belief systems of selected "world religions" such as Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and/or newer religious movements such as Mormonism or Baha'i Faith. | ||
| REL 105. | Christian Traditions | |
|
4 credits | |
| Examination of history of Christian thought and traditions from early church through modern period. Analysis and interpretation of selected documents. | ||
| REL 106. | Reformation and Protestant Traditions | |
|
4 credits | |
| Examination of Reformation and various Protestant traditions. Analysis and interpretation of various documents. | ||
| REL 107. | Religion in America | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Examination of history of religious thought and traditions in America. Analysis and interpretation of selected documents. Non-traditional forms of religion also included. | ||
| REL 130. | Creation Stories and the Religious Traditions | |
 |
4 credits | |
| Examination of diverse creation myths from many cultures and the role cosmologies play in forming a culture's worldview. | ||
| REL 140. | Jesus in Gospel and Film | |
| 4 credits | ||
| An introduction to the context, life, and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth through the media of film, primary texts (canonical and non-canonical gospels), and secondary texts in biblical criticism. | ||
| REL 150. | Good Life in World's Religions | |
|
4 credits | |
| Examination of what constitutes a good life according to Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. | ||
| REL 180-*380. | Topics in Religion | |
| 4 credits | ||
| REL 181-*381. | Topics in Biblical Study | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Topics may include Torah, Paul's Letters, Prophetic and Wisdom Literature, Synoptic Gospels, and/or Biblical Ethics and Social Problems. May be repeated for credit for distinct topics. | ||
| REL 202. | Feminist Religion | |
|
4 credits | |
| This course addresses questions about women in various religious traditions and examines the ways feminist theory interacts with the study and practice of religion. | ||
| REL 210. | Biblical Ethics and Community Service | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Examines the Biblical ethic which underlies the religious understanding, worship and community service of Jewish and Christian religious communities. Opportunities to participate in community service agencies and programs. | ||
| REL 215. | Philosophy of Religion | |
|
4 credits | |
| Examination of classical and contemporary issues in the philosophy of religion such as arguments for and against the existence of God, religious language, the relation between faith and reason, the evidential value of religious claims, and the relationship between morality and religion. Also listed as PHL 215. | ||
| REL 216. | Themes in Existentialist Literature | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Examination, evaluation and discussion of selected subjects — the individual, freedom, responsibility, anxiety, hope, death, meaning of life — as treated in various essays, short stories and dramas. Focus on analysis and interpretation of texts. Also listed as PHL 216. | ||
| REL 217. | Wisdom of the Far East | |
|
4 credits | |
| Exploration of the major religious traditions and philosophical systems of the Far East: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. History, thought and contemporary role of these non-Western religions and philosophies. | ||
| REL 218. | The Heritage of Judaism | |
|
4 credits | |
| Explores history of the birth, growth and expansion of Judaism. Examines and studies world views, values, practices and customs for their implications in understanding contemporary Judaism and its influence and impact on modern world. | ||
| REL 219. | The Heritage of Islam | |
|
4 credits | |
| Explores the history of Islam, influence of Mohammed and expansion and impact of Islam on East and West. Examines the Koran and practices and customs of Islam in light of Islam's world view, values and influence. | ||
| REL *220. | Bible and Society | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Permission | ||
| Explores how the social context (ethnic, economic, class, etc.) of faith communities shapes the study, understanding, and use of scripture in worship and impacts the values and daily lives. Emphasis on lectionary readings shared by Protestants and Roman Catholics, and the Hebrew scriptures. (Cross listed as SOA 221). | ||
| REL 225. | Environmental Ethics | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Examination of ideas of nature, relation of humans to nature and human responsibilities to, for and with nature from Western (inherited and current), alternative Western (deep-ecology, ecofeminism, Gaia) and Eastern perspectives. Focus on understanding various environmental ethical perspectives and their personal, social and environmental consequences. | ||
| REL 230. | Religion and Science | |
|
4 credits | |
| Examination of the relationship between religion and science through both historical and contemporary issues. | ||
| REL 250. | Christian Ethics | |
| 4 credits | ||
| An exploration of current Christian debates on ethical issues such as human reproduction, homosexuality, pacifism and just war, racism, nationalism, genetic engineering, and/or economic and environmental justice. Prior knowledge of Christian traditions is helpful but not required. | ||
| REL 299. | Independent Study | |
| 2-4 credits | ||
| Permission | ||
| REL *380. | Topics in Religion | |
| 2-6 credits | ||
| Depending on Topic | ||
| Selected topics in religious studies. May be taken more than once. Only two registrations count toward a Major in Religious Studies. | ||
| REL *385-*386. | Practicum | |
| 2-6 credits | ||
| Permission | ||
| REL *399. | Independent Study | |
| 2-6 credits | ||
| Permission | ||
| Individual study of particular subject in religion. Intensive acquaintance with selected part of the literature through planned program of reading. | ||
| REL *400. | Theory and Method in Religious Studies | |
|
4 credits | |
| Upper level seminar addresses current issues in the field of religious studies (such as postmodernism, postcolonialism, disability studies, and/or queer theory), approaching these issues with a variety of disciplinary methods (such as historical, theological, phenomenological, ethical, and/or anthropological). Required for, but not limited to, majors and minors in religious studies. | ||
| REL *500. | Senior Thesis | |
|
4 credits | |
| Permission | ||
| Individual research culminating in preparation of major paper and departmental oral examination. | ||