Courses

The Religion Department's particular strengths are in the areas of ethics and death studies, biblical text and language study, and a close connection to the interdisciplinary program in Archaeology and Culture of the Ancient Near East.

Regularly-taught subjects in religion include courses in the following general areas of interest:

Comparative Religions

  • After Death and Dying
  • Asian Religions
  • Introduction to World Religions
  • Islam
  • Judaic Studies: From the Exodus to the Romans
  • Judaic Studies: Talmud to Today
  • Protestantism in the Modern World
  • The Rise of Islam (HIST 232)
  • Topics in Comparative Religions

Biblical Studies

  • Biblical Topics: Exodus
  • Biblical Topics: The Gospels of Mark and Thomas
  • Biblical Topics: King David
  • New Testament Faith & History
  • Old Testament Faith & History
  • Old Testament Women
  • Readings in Old Testament Narrative (HEBR 221)
  • Readings in the Pauline Epistles (GRK 222)
  • Readings in the Prophetic Books and Wisdom Literature (HEBR 222)
  • Readings in the Synoptic Gospels (GRK 221)
  • The Sayings of Jesus

Ethics, History, Philosophy, and Theology

  • Biblical Archaeology
  • Christian Social Ethics
  • Death and Dying
  • Early History and Theologies of Christianity
  • History and Culture of the Ancient Near East
  • Medieval Philosophy (PHIL 302)
  • Religion and Reason (PHIL 227)
  • Psychology of Religion
  • The Hellenistic-Roman Cultural World

Ancient Languages

  • Biblical Greek Grammar and Readings I & II
  • Biblical Hebrew Grammar and Readings I & II
  • Greek and Hebrew Reading Courses (see above)
  • Latin Grammar and Readings I & II
  • Latin Readings and Culture I & II

Experimental courses and First-Year Seminars are sometimes offered. Recent experimental courses include Catholic Moral Theology and Building Pyramids in Ancient Egypt. A fall First-Year Seminar, Diggin' Jesus? Archaeology & the New Testament, has been offered regularly in recent years.

The department offers a Religion minor and an interdisciplinary Biblical Languages minor.

For more information, please refer to the College Catalog.