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2014-2015 PILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES Dr. Kip H. Redick, Chair McMurran Hall 105 (757) 594-8827 [email protected]

Faculty presuppositions. Students who take only a few courses in Professor: K. Rose, Schweig, Strehle, Teschner, philosophy benefi t by enhancing their persuasive, expres- Underwood sive, and analytic skills. A liberal arts degree in general Associate Professor: Redick, Silverman, and a philosophy degree specifi cally situates students in J. M. Thompson, Timani the deepest refl ections of humanity, empowering them to Assistant Professor: Jelinek, Park go into a broad range of practical professions that make use Lecturer: Homan, Hutchinson of critical reasoning and necessary communication skills Emeriti: Campbell, Beauchamp, Powell in a dramatically changing world.

Mission Statement The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies The mission of the Department of Philosophy and offers the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, the Bachelor of Religious Studies is to foster rational investigation toward Arts in Philosophy with concentrations in Pre-Seminary the great philosophical questions of existence, knowledge, Studies or Religious Studies and a minor in philosophy. and religious thought and practice. The department These concentrations allow students to explore their pri- focuses on engaging students in ways of knowing and mary areas of interest while pursing a Philosophy degree. believing in diverse cultures and in the ancient, The Pre-seminary concentration provides the student medieval, modern and contemporary world. with a broad view of various religions and a focus on the The faculty seeks to cultivate a learning environment discipline of while at the same time applying in which students broaden their perspectives, refi ne their religious concepts to issues of value and practice. The thinking, and learn to reason and communicate in a critical, concentration seeks to prepare the student for further studies clear, and consistent manner. Students and faculty work in beyond those encountered in their undergraduate together addressing timeless questions related to the human education. Students who concentrate in pre-seminary search for meaning, truth, value and . studies are expected to do a practicum in the religion of their choice. The area provides opportunity to do fi eld Majoring in Philosophy and Religious Studies at work at churches, mosques, synagogues, and Buddhist and CNU prepares students for graduate study in diverse fi elds Hindu temples. including philosophy, theology, seminary, law, education, and international studies, as well as for living a productive The Religious Studies concentration enables students and creative life in any vocation. In addition to preparing to engage in the empathetic and critical analysis of people for a profession in these fi elds and for an enriched religious traditions in order to understand their historical life generally, philosophy is also an entry point for a variety development and their present character. As an academic of other professions. Philosophy majors enter graduate discipline, religious studies does not seek to promote school for advanced degrees in various humanities dis- or to censure any particular creed, institution, or way of ciplines and then go on to college-level teaching. Others life. Rather, it involves the exploration and clarifi cation enter graduate programs in business administration or law, of diverse religious traditions with particular attention for which training in logical analysis and value-awareness towards their similarities and differences. As a part of a provides an excellent background. According to the Law liberal education, religious studies fosters curiosity about School Admission Council data, philosophy/theology stu- the world’s religious traditions and an awareness of one’s dents rank fi rst or second highest in performance on the own religious and cultural heritage both through knowledge LSAT among a set of 29 disciplines surveyed. Addition- of the religious traditions infl uencing one’s own personal ally, philosophy majors have among the highest rates of life and culture and also through knowledge of other acceptance to law school of any major. The offerings of traditions having comparable infl uence in the lives of other the department fully prepare students for graduate work persons and in other cultures. Such awareness should aid in philosophy and religious studies as well as for the con- in understanding and articulating personal convictions in tinuation of their education in other academic disciplines. relation to matters of religious concern. A central focus Students who minor in philosophy are enriched in their of the religious studies concentration is the Vision Course understanding of their major fi eld of study by gaining Series. These courses explore the diverse visions of life broader insight into its intellectual history and theoretical opened up by religious traditions. They also provide insight into how cultures shape and are shaped by religions.

199 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES 2014-2015

Advising 4. Select one (3 credits) Historical Studies: RSTD 319, See the University Registrar to formally declare your 335, 350; PHIL 317, 348 or 349; major/minor and/or add a concentration. They will be able 5. Select one (3 credits) Value Analysis: RSTD 312, to assign the appropriate adviser in order to discuss career 315, 326W, 337, 338; PHIL 304, 306, 308, 315, 319, possibilities, requirements, and scheduling. For all other 337 or 376; questions you may contact the department secretary at 6. Select one (3 credits) Comparative Studies: RSTD (757) 594-8827. 236, 310, 318, 330, 340 or 345; 7. Select two (6 credits) courses in PHIL and/or RSTD; The Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy 8. Submit a portfolio of all written work completed in In addition to requiring successful completion of the all written philosophy and religious studies courses liberal learning curriculum, the Bachelor of Arts degree in taken at CNU; philosophy requires successful completion of the following 9. Successfully complete the CNU Philosophy and Reli- courses in major and elective studies: gious studies departmental comprehensive exam. 1. PHIL 101, 205, 451, 490W; 2. PHIL 201, 202; Those who complete the pre-seminary studies concen- 3. Select one (3 credits) Ethics/Value Analysis: PHIL tration are encouraged to take elective courses that support 304, 315, 319, 337, 376 or 384; the concentration. Students interested in scholarship or 4. Select one (3 credits) /: teaching are strongly encouraged to pursue language studies PHIL 305, 317, 320 or 308; in Greek, Latin, or German. Students interested in practical 5. Select four (12 credits) 300-400 level courses in PHIL ministry should consider language studies in Spanish. and/or RSTD; 6. Submit a portfolio of all written work completed in RELIGIOUS STUDIES PROGRAM all philosophy and religious studies courses taken at Dr. Kenneth T. Rose, Director CNU; McMurran Hall 129 7. Successfully complete the CNU Philosophy and (757) 594-7965 Religious Studies departmental comprehensive ex- [email protected] amination. The Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy Religious Studies Concentration PRE-SEMINARY STUDIES PROGRAM The concentration in religious studies can benefi t Dr. Kip H. Redick, Director those responsible for instructing others in religious mat- McMurran Hall 109 ters (whether as paid professionals or as volunteers). (757) 594-7801 Generally, in fact, any person responsible for dealing with [email protected] other persons in counseling and healing roles should have The Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy some knowledge of the function of religion in the lives of Pre-Seminary Studies Concentration individuals and cultures. Sensitive understanding of these The pre-seminary studies concentration will prepare matters can only enhance one’s effectiveness. the undergraduate student for further graduate seminary In addition to requiring successful completion of the education in a number of religious traditions. This con- liberal learning curriculum, the concentration in religious centration will give students a broad view of religion and studies requires successful completion of the following: foster the necessary intellectual methods that open them 1. PHIL 101, 205, 451, 490W; to focused studies in particular traditions. Courses taken 2. RSTD 211, 212; to fulfi ll the requirements of the pre-seminary studies 3. Select three (9 credits) Comparative and Historical concentration will challenge personal beliefs by present- Studies: RSTD 220, 232, 260, 256, 270, 318, 319, ing opportunities to understand the world’s diversity of 330, 335, 340 or 350; religious expression and thereby provide a greater context 4. Select three (9 credits) courses in PHIL and/or RSTD, for understanding in a world where people of various two at the 300-400 level.. religious traditions interact regularly. 5. Submit a portfolio of all written work completed in In addition to requiring successful completion of all written philosophy and religious studies courses the liberal learning curriculum, the concentration in pre- taken at CNU; seminary studies requires successful completion of the 6. Successfully complete the CNU Philosophy and Reli- following: gious Studies departmental comprehensive exam. 1. PHIL 101, 205, 451, 490W; Those who complete the religious studies concentra- 2. RSTD 361, 362, 491; tion are encouraged to take elective courses that support 3. Select one (3 credits) Visions course: RSTD 220. the concentration. 232, 260, 265, or 270;

200 2014-2015 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

The Minor in (18 credits) THE CURRICULUM IN PHILOSOPHY Dr. Dawn Hutchinson, Director McMurran Hall 105A PHIL 101. Critical Thinking I (3-3-0) LLFR (757) 594-8828 Fall and Spring. [email protected] Designed to impart the basic skills of logical reasoning in natural languages: analyzing statements for consistency, The Philosophy of Law is a liberal arts inquiry into implications, contradictions; distinguishing fact from opin- the foundations of law and an examination of law from ion and evaluating testimony; distinguishing inference and the point of view of traditional topics in philosophy such argument from other discourse; analyzing and evaluating as ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy arguments using arrow diagrams; addressing vagueness of language. The minor will approach these issues from and ambiguity by a more precise rendering of language. global and comparative, classical, modern, and postmodern Satisfi es the logical reasoning foundation requirement. perspectives.

1. PHIL 205, 321W, 425; PHIL 195. Special Topics (3-3-0) 2. GOVT 316; Topics vary, determined by the special interests and needs 3. Select one: PHIL 337 or RSTD 321; of students and the expertise of faculty. 4. Select one: LDSP 386; GOVT 240, 327; or PHIL 304. PHIL 201. Ancient and (3-3-0) AIGM The Minor in Philosophy and Religious Studies Fall and Spring. (18 credits) A study of the philosophical thought of the European, Philosophy supports other programs at the University Middle Eastern, and Far Eastern cultures from ancient wherever critical thinking and a sharpened sense of values times to 1500 A.D. Readings from original sources will are important. The general areas of ethics, , po- include topics such as early Greek explanations of the litical philosophy, and theology will be of special interest physical world, ’s theory of abstract forms and his to students concentrating in the humanities and the social account of political obligation, Aristotle’s theory of the sciences. The areas of , theory of knowledge, philoso- , Epicurean and Stoic accounts of the highest moral phy of science, and philosophy of good, Medieval arguments for ’s existence, Confucian mind, with their stress on reasoning and logic, will be of and Taoist concepts of the individual and society, Buddhist interest to students concentrating in the natural sciences, and Hindu views of self and world and the signifi cance of mathematics, and computer science. Courses in Indian, meditative techniques and practices. Japanese, Chinese, and comparative philosophy provide a familiarity with non-Western cultures that is of value to PHIL 202. (3-3-0) AIWT those who are enrolled in international studies programs. Fall and Spring. A study of the philosophical thought of the European, The minor requires: Middle Eastern, and Far Eastern cultures from 1500 A.D. to 1. PHIL 101 or 205; and the late eighteenth century. Readings from original sources 2. a minimum of 15 credits above the 100-level. will include topics such as Descartes’ theory of mind and 3. At least two courses must be taken at the 300- or body, Hobbes’ social contract theory, Berkeley’s denial 400-level. of the material world, Hume’s attack on , Kant’s theory of the phenomenal and noumenal worlds, Neo- Confucian conceptions of the Tao, and Zen Buddhism’s Practicum Program in Philosophy view of knowledge and enlightenment. The internship program provides opportunities for stu- dents interested in applying critical thinking, value analysis, PHIL 205. The Anatomy of Thought (3-3-0) LLFR and philosophical concepts generally, to fi elds and profes- Fall and Spring. sions outside the academic setting. Students are placed in This course is designed to strengthen reasoning skills by national and regional environmental programs, hospices, examining the fundamental structures of argumentation in national intelligence agencies, in hospital administrations, natural and formal languages. The course focuses on basic and in local church and religious organizations. reasoning methodologies and common reasoning errors in deductive and inductive arguments. Special attention will be given to the commonalities and distinctions between discourse in formal and natural languages. Satisfi es the logical reasoning foundation requirement.

201 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES 2014-2015

PHIL 207. Ethical Issues in Business: A Critical Think- stressing value and decision in the individual; the distinc- ing Approach (3-3-0) LLFR tion of facts from values; rules versus ends; generalization Fall or Spring. and moral rules; the ground and nature of moral obligation; Designed to impart the basic skills of critical thinking and freedom; moral responsibility; the justifi cation of punish- reasoning in everyday language: analyzing arguments for ment; the viability of egoism; the relativity of moral values. validity, using both inductive and deductive arguments, At every stage the student is provided opportunities to bring increasing argument cogency, identifying common falla- his/her new theoretical and conceptual material to bear on cies, analyzing statements for consistency, implications, the analysis of moral problems in real-life situations. contradictions; distinguishing fact from opinion; identify- ing inference and argument; addressing vagueness and PHIL 305. The Quest for Truth (3-3-0) AIGM ambiguity in language. This course focuses on applying Prerequisite: PHIL 101, ENGL 223. these skills to ethical issues raised within a business set- Alternate years. ting. Satisfi es the logical reasoning foundation requirement. This course explores some of the main questions of hu- man knowledge raised in the fi eld of epistemology. What PHIL 215. Philosophy and Literary Theory (3-3-0) is the origin and extent of knowledge? What are the kinds AIWT of knowledge? What are the degrees of certainty? How Fall or Spring. reliable is the testimony of others? What is the relation- The course will study and explore recent developments in ship between language and the world? What distinguishes literary theory and their relevance to traditional philosophi- deductive from inductive reasoning? How reliable is cal topics concerning the nature of knowledge, language, memory? Can we trust our knowledge of the past? How and reality. The course will consider the way in which does knowledge differ from ? philosophy has impacted literary theory. The focus will be on contemporary literary theory and criticism. Among the PHIL 306. Search for Beauty (3-3-0) AICE contemporary schools of Western literary theory, seminal Prerequisite: ENGL 223. writings in the areas of Cultural Studies, Semiotics, Struc- Alternate years. turalism, Poststructuralism, Deconstruction, Psychoanaly- This course confronts the student with the artwork and its sis, Marxism, Feminist Theory, and Queer Theory, will be elementary descriptive terminology. It considers the general read and discussed. Readings will be from primary sources signifi cance of the fi ne arts and aesthetic value in the life of by such as writers Saussure, Freud, Barthes, Foucault, man by a systematic treatment of these problems: expres- Derrida, and Kristiva. sion; creativity; the objectivity of the aesthetic judgment; the nature of the aesthetic experience; aesthetic qualities PHIL 252. (3-3-0) AIGM and the aesthetic object; the analysis of aesthetic value; Fall or Spring. art and morality. The course will survey recent literature in the area of Afri- can Philosophy and explore African philosophy historically PHIL 307. Current Trends in Modern Thought (3-3-0) and in terms of its relevance to contemporary Western Phi- Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. losophy and non-. Topics will include: Alternate years. philosophy in post-colonial Africa; contemporary Muslim This course is an examination of the most important topics in North Africa; the nature of mind, body, self and theories of the leading philosophers of the 20th century. identity and the moral order in indigenous African world- Selections from original works of major British, American views; African views of power and leadership; the role of and Continental philosophers will be studied. Topics in- individual and community; African thought and Western clude the nature and role of science, theories of language science; Colonialism, Postcolonialism and African culture; and truth, the validity of epistemology and ontology, the racism and culture; the feminine and African moralities; nature and structure of human existence, and the founda- African ontology; African epistemology; and treatment of tions of moral action. the in African thought. PHIL 308. (3-3-0) PHIL 295. Special Topics (3-3-0) Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. Topics vary, determined by the special interests and needs Offered once every three years. of students and the expertise of faculty. Topics will include an analysis of the nature and attributes of God with special reference to the problem of evil, ar- PHIL 304. Ethics and Current Value Questions guments for the , the nature of religious (3-3-0) language, the relation of faith and revelation to reason and Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. sense-experience, the epistemological status of miracles, Fall or Spring. the role of the concept of God in metaphysics, and the A systematic study of central problems of right action, relationship of religion to science.

202 2014-2015 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

PHIL 312. American Philosophy (3-3-0) PHIL 320. Scientifi c Reasoning (3-3-0) Prerequisite: PHIL 201, 202 or junior standing or Prerequisite: ENGL 223. consent of instructor. Alternate years. Offered once every two years. An analysis of scientifi c reasoning in the natural and social This course is a study of American philosophy focusing sciences. Topics to be discussed will include the role of on issues in such movements as , Prag- observation and its relation to theory, the nature of abstrac- matism, , and the Philosophy of Language. tion, generalization, experimentation, induction, probabi- Major American philosophers such as R. W. Emerson, D. listic and statistical reasoning, the role of mathematics, Thoreau, C. S. Peirce, John Dewey, and and the use of deductive models of explanation, theory as may be treated as well as important contemporary fi gures interpretation, the role of language, the epistemological sig- in the fi elds of , moral philosophy and nifi cance of the history of science, the distinction between the philosophy of language. the humanities and the sciences, and the relation between technological thinking and scientifi c thinking. PHIL 315. Philosophy of Gender (3-3-0) Prerequisite: ENGL 223. PHIL 321. WI: Legal Reasoning (3-3-0) This course will focus upon recent literature in the phi- Prerequisite: ENGL 123, ENGL 223 and sophomore losophy of Feminism. Feminist critiques of knowledge, standing. metaphysics, history, morality, philosophical anthropology, Alternate Years. and social institutions will be examined and discussed. The Students learn how argumentation functions in the trial course will deal with such topics as ideals of masculinity and the court of appeals, choice of law theory, rule/policy and femininity, feminine and masculine paradigms, the analysis, and the role and impact of statutes and precedence. social construction of reality, human nature, reason, sex The kind of reasoning that is involved in applying law to and gender, ego and self, autonomy, caring and maternal individual cases will be studied. The course will examine thinking, the implications of feminist thought for concepts theories of legal decision making and legal interpretation of language, authorship, literature, and the feminist claims from its enlightenment origins through post-realist legal concerning the epistemological role of theory, practice and thought. Partially satisfi es the writing intensive require- experience. The philosophy of non-Western cultures will ment. be considered in the light of the feminist critique. PHIL 326. WI: Philosophy in the Movies (3-3-0) PHIL 317. (3-3-0) AIWT Prerequisite: ENGL 123, ENGL 223, and junior stand- Prerequisite: ENGL 223. ing. This course is a study of existentialism from its 19th-century Alternate Years. beginnings with Kierkegaard and Nietzsche to the work This course is a philosophical and experiential exploration of Jaspers, Heidegger, and Sartre. Topics that will be of philosophical concepts within popular fi lm. Course will treated include the existentialist view of human existence, focus on different themes each time it is taught. Themes the concepts of anxiety, dread, and the absurd, the will to will include images of good and evil, images of the fu- power, and the signifi cance of human mortality. Both the ture, science, technology, and humanities’ relationship to methodological foundations of existentialism in the phe- the environment; images of women, love and sex; images nomenology of Husser and its literary roots in such writers of justice, the law, and the cosmos. Partially satisfi es the as Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Camus will be treated. writing intensive requirement.

PHIL 319. Philosophy of Love and Sexuality (3-3-0) PHIL 337. Radical Evil and the Philosophy of Law Prerequisite: ENGL 223. (3-3-0) Alternate Years. Prerequisite: ENGL 223. This course will trace the development of the concept of Alternate Years. Eros (sexual love, desire) through selected readings from describes “radical evil” as the rational the Western philosophical tradition. Topics to be covered choice to make the propensity to do evil supreme among include the attainability of “true love,” the ethical impera- the maxims of action. He claims that it is mysterious and tives of faithfulness and monogamy, the roles of masculin- inscrutable. Evil threatens human reason for it challenges ity and femininity, and the categorization of “normal” and the hope that the world makes sense. Whether expressed in “abnormal” sexual behavior. This course will focus upon secular or theological claims, evil poses the problem about he several issues: 1) why the question of Eros is fundamentally world’s intelligibility. This course will distinguish different a question of human existence; 2) why certain sexual values kinds of evil according to degrees of volition and cognition have become privileged in our culture; and 3) if these values covering the spectrum from ‘irresistible impulse’ as in insane are conducive to living a good life. Authors to be studied homicide, to ‘malice aforethought’ that defi nes murder, include Plato, Augustine, Freud, Jung, Kristeva, Sartre, de through ‘wanton vileness’ that warrants the penalty. Beauvoir, and Merleau-Ponty.

203 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES 2014-2015

PHIL 344. Yoga: Philosophy and Practice (3-3-0) for additional credit up to a maximum of two times with AIGM the consent of all affected instructors. Prerequisite: ENGL 223. Alternate Years. PHIL 376. Environmental Ethics (3-3-0) Yoga is not dominated by any one tradition, yet its impact Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. on mystical religious traditions has been powerful. This Alternate years. course explores the backdrop of the six systems of Indian The course will analyze the major philosophical issues in foundational to later Hindu culture, thought and practice the fi eld of environmental ethics. Some of the topics will to understand the rich vision and many forms of yoga. include the historical roots of the environmental crisis, a Readings will include primary texts, such as the Bhagavad land ethic, intrinsic natural value, biocentrism, and biodi- Gita, select Upanishads, the Yoga Sutra, as well as modern veristy, the role of science and the scientifi c method, the scholarly studies. The phenomena of yoga will also aesthetic value of nature, animal rights, strong and weak an- be examined comparatively with some of the mystical- thropocentrism, Ecotheology, Deep Ecology, Ecofeminism, philosophical systems in other major world religions. environmental economics, Buddhist and Taoist attitudes toward nature. In addition to Western metaphysical and PHIL 348. Asian Philosophy (3-3-0) ethical systems, nonWestern cultures and primal societies Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. will be considered. The course will read and discuss major Alternate Years. articles and essays in the literature of the environmental This course is an in-depth study of the history of one of the movement. major traditions in Asian philosophy using original source material. Specifi c content will be determined by the instruc- PHIL 379. Philosophy of Language (3-3-0) tor, but areas of emphasis may include Chinese, Japanese or Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. . Topics will include varieties of knowl- Fall. edge, liberation and enlightenment, the nature of the self Philosophy of language seeks to understand the nature of and substance, techniques of meditation and concentration, language in the context of traditional concerns about the and theories of action. This course is repeatable once for nature of knowledge and reality. Philosophy of language a total of six credits with the consent of the instructor. asks and attempts to answer questions such as: What is language? What is meaning? How do uses of language PHIL 349. (3-3-0) understand one another? What is the connection between Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. names and the objects to which they refer? Are the truth Alternate Years. and falsehood of our statements determined by the world, A study of the history of Islamic philosophy using original or by our linguistic conventions? Can we think without source material. The origins of Islamic thought will be ex- language? Do we have an innate linguistic faculty or do we amined in Greek and Neo-Platonic philosophy and in the learn to speak by observing the behavior of other speakers? literary tradition founded in interpretations of the Koran. The attempts to answer such questions are the source of Such thinkers as Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Al-Ghazali, Al-Arabi, various philosophical theories about language. and Rumi will be read and discussed with an emphasis on the development of the philosophical and religious themes PHIL 382. WI: Technology, Self and Society (3-3-0) in the tradition of . Prerequisite: ENGL 223. Alternate years. PHIL 370. Philosophy Seminar Abroad (3-3-0) This course will examine the nature of technology in terms Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. of how it relates to traditional philosophical issues in the The Philosophy Seminar Abroad is an in depth study of theory of knowledge, metaphysics, religion, philosophical a central issue or problem in the philosophical/religious anthropology, the distinction between human and machine, traditions of Eastern or Western thought. This course and in theories of culture and social values. Current devel- will be taught on-site in a region central to the genesis opments in information technology, telecommunications, or perpetuation of the issue or problem. The seminar will artifi cial intelligence, natural language processing, and include classroom orientation, lectures, discussion group computer technology will be considered in particular. The activities, visits to sites of signifi cance related to the central course will combine traditional philosophical concerns with theme of the course. Contact may include activities prior the latest developments in technology. Partially satisfi es to departure, on-site, and upon return. Criteria for admis- the writing intensive requirement. sion into the Philosophy Seminar Abroad may include an application process at the discretion of the instructor. In PHIL 384. Medical Ethics (3-3-0) addition to tuition, there will be a charge for travel, accom- Prerequisite: ENGL 223. modations, and some activities, which will be published Fall or Spring. well in advance of the trip. This course will be repeat-able The focus is on value issues in medicine. The aspects of

204 2014-2015 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES moral theory relevant to problems in medicine are treated, PHIL 490. WI: Senior Seminar (3-3-0) and recent biomedical technology is examined briefl y to Prerequisite: ENGL 223 and PHIL 451, and philosophy discover where value issues arise. The moral problems at- major. tending birth and death are treated, and the begin- Fall or spring. ning of human life, severe congenital defects, rights of the The course has a seminar format in which students are dying, the defi nition and the determination of death. Moral guided in the writing of a major research paper. In addi- issues in the relation between the provider and tion to instructor supervision, students provide feedback, the patient are treated: confi dentiality, informed consent, commentary, and analysis of each other’s work. Required how much the patient should be told, screening for genetic for all philosophy majors. Partially satisfi es the writing disease, etc., experimenting with human subjects. intensive requirement.

PHIL 386. Values and Postmodernity (3-3-0) PHIL 491. Practicum (credits vary 1-3*) Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. Prerequisite: philosophy major with senior standing. Alternate years. Offered on request. The rapid changes of the twentieth century, often called This course provides opportunities for students interested in a postmodern era, have signifi cantly challenged modern applying critical thinking, value analysis, and philosophical enlightenment ideals of individuality, , justice, and concepts generally, to fi eld and professions outside the aca- the good life. This course will consider, from the perspec- demic setting. Students are placed in national and regional tive of postmodernity, the dynamic relationship between environmental programs, hospices, national intelligence the personal and the political. This course will also explore agencies, and in hospital administrations. Course may be what factors may have led to this devaluation of values or repeated for a maximum of three credits. “nihilistic” attitude, as well as how we can again instill our culture and our lives with meaning, even if not in any PHIL 495. Special Topics (3-3-0) absolutist sense (the “revaluation” of values). Prerequisite: six hours of philosophy or consent of instruc- tor. PHIL 395. Special Topics (3-3-0) Topics vary, determined by the special interests and needs Prerequisite: three hours of philosophy or consent of of students and the expertise of faculty. instructor. Topics vary, determined by the special interests and needs PHIL 499. Independent Study (3-3-0) of students and the expertise of faculty. Prerequisite: Philosophy major with senior standing, con- sent of instructor and Department Chair. PHIL 425. The Constitutional Theory (3-3-0) Offered on request. Prerequisite: PHIL 205, ENGL 223 or consent of the This course involves a research project involving substan- instructor. tial reading on a specifi c problem, theme, or the work of an This course explores the purpose, nature, and interpretation individual philosopher. The research is supervised by a staff of constitutions with particular emphasis on the United member who must approve the project before registration. States Constitution. Students will examine Plato, Aristotle, A research paper is required. Locke, Hobbs, Rousseau, the Federalist, John Rawls, U.S. Supreme Court decisions, foreign constitutions, and con- THE CURRICULUM IN temporary theories of constitutional interpretation. In doing RELIGIOUS STUDIES so, students will explore the tension between contemporary politics and fundamental values as well as the role of the RSTD 195. Special Topics (3-3-0) judiciary in resolving that tension. Topics vary, determined by the special interests and needs of students and the expertise of faculty. PHIL 451. The Great Philosophers (3-3-0) Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. RSTD 211. Religions of the East (3-3-0) AIGM Fall or Spring. Fall and Spring. This course is a comprehensive examination of the writings This is an introduction to major religious traditions of the of one or more of the major thinkers of the ancient, me- world, including indigenous religions, , Bud- dieval period or modern periods in philosophical thought. dhism, Taoism, , Shinto and other religions Course content will change periodically and the course (i.e., , Baha’i, and Japanese new religions). In the is repeatable twice for a total of nine credits with the course of exploring the historical and conceptual aspects consent of the instructor. of these religions, thematic issues, such as myth, ritual, the problem of evil, and the epistemological status of religion will be addressed.

205 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES 2014-2015

RSTD 212. Religions of the West (3-3-0) AIWT explores the effects of such media upon the actions and Fall and Spring. beliefs of people belonging to various religious traditions. Using the same approach described in the preceding entry, Media that convey sacred communication to be explored this course will explore a number of ancient and modern include; sacred scriptures and holy books such as the TNK, religious traditions, such as , , the , the , etc.; sacred oral communication as , Islam, modern Western religions (Protestant- found in non-literate traditions; sacred artifacts that convey ism, Mormonism, Christian Science, and contemporary information such as burial sites; the possibility of sacred movements). electronic communication; and sacred visual communica- tion such as iconography and possibly photography and RSTD 218. The Qur’an (3-3-0) AIGM fi lm. Alternate Years. This course will discuss the Qur’an and its commentaries. RSTD 260. The Vision of Buddhism (3-3-0) AIGM Students will learn Islamic religious beliefs, the nature of Alternate Years. God, human role and , eschatology, and life after Buddha taught a way to overcome suffering. His teach- death in the Islamic tradition based on the scripture. Also, ing proved so attractive that it rapidly spread across Asia, students will study and analyze controversial and sensitive becoming the dominant religion in Asian countries. Bud- verses on the concept of jihad, the status of women, and dhism is a tradition of meditation, philosophical analysis, Christianity and Judaism from an Islamic point of view. and religious worship that continues to shape much of In this course, the students will be asked to do a compara- Asian religious thought and has recently become infl uential tive study of the Qur’an and the Bible and discuss and as well in the West. This course will approach Buddhism analyze the similarities and differences between the two through an analysis of scripture, philosophical texts, and scriptures. important teachers, both ancient and modern.

RSTD 220. The Vision of Hinduism (3-3-0) RSTD 265. The Vision of Judaism (3-3-0) AIWT Alternate Years. Alternate Years. An ancient Hindu visionary proclaimed, “Truth is one, This course offers an introduction to the diverse religious though religious teachers call it by many names” (Rig- life of the Jewish people, including the varieties of Israelite Veda). In other words, truth is universal and not the posses- religion, Jewish life after the Babylonian Captivity and after sion of any one religion. Yet, due to the different contexts the destruction of the Second Temple, the rise of rabbinical within which human beings experience the sacred, there are Judaism, medieval mystical and pietist movements, and many different ways of envisioning the universal truths of trends in recent centuries. Special attention will be given religion. Hinduism is rich with such visionary encounters to such topics as the Israelite conception of God and God’s with truth, as expressed, for instance, in the Vedas, the relationships to the and goddesses of Canaan and Upanishads, , and Yoga. Depending on the focus of surrounding regions, law, prophecy, the land of Israel, the the course when it is offered, these topics may be addressed , Kabbala, Hasidism, and modern Jewish reform along with others, such as the guru-disciple relationship, and renewal movements. worship of the gods, temple architecture and rituals, caste, paths to enlightenment, mythology, devotional poetry, and RSTD 270. The Vision of Islam (3-3-0) AIGM religious philosophy. Alternate Years. This course will be an introductory survey of Islam, RSTD 232. Visions of Christianity (3-3-0) AIWT one of the most signifi cant religious traditions in world Fall and Spring. history. We will cover major events in Islamic history as This course is an introduction to major events, persons, well as important rituals, practices and teachings to get a issues, and ideas within the development of the Christian sense of how Islam shapes the daily lives of its followers. tradition. Topics of discussion include: doctrines of God, We will study the life of the Prophet Muhammad, read the role of rituals and sacraments, the , the church selections from the Qur’an (in English translation), and Christology, salvation, Scripture, creation, sin, faith and listen to recordings of professional reciters to get a sense reason, and eschatology. The course explores the diversity of the important aural aspects of Muslim life. We will pay of ancient and modern expressions of Christianity. particular attention to Sufi sm, Islam in America, and major issues facing Muslims in the contemporary world. RSTD 236. Sacred Communication, Sacred Journeys (3-3-0) AIWT RSTD 295. Special Topics (3-3-0) Alternate Years. Topics vary, determined by the special interests and needs This course is a study of the religious signifi cance of vari- of students and the expertise of faculty. ous media of sacred communication. Religion is conveyed through multiple means of communication. This course

206 2014-2015 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

RSTD 310. Myth, Symbol, and Ritual (3-3-0) Is comparative theology a foundational discipline or just Prerequisite: ENGL 223. another name for syncretism? This course, which has an Alternate Years. optional service-learning component, will also prepare Everyone knows that myths are false, symbols are students to be future leaders in interfaith dialogue and arbitrary, and rituals are meaningless gestures, right? civic engagement. WRONG! Myths are actually important articulations of truths, symbols have deep resonance, and rituals defi ne RSTD 319. Religion and American Identity (3-3-0) our ways of interacting with each other. This course will Prerequisite: ENGL 223. explore three important aspects of world religions: myths, Alternate Years. symbols and rituals. We will critically examine, discuss Americans have always had imaginative ways of expressing and write about various dimensions of myth, symbol and religious identity. This course exposes students to the ritual, noting similarities as well as differences across institutional structures of American society and the fl uid religious and cultural boundaries. Our main concern will role of the individual within that society, Students will be to understand how religions shape our ways of thinking analyze concepts, patterns, and issues that affect the and living rather than debating alleged claims of “truth” organization of American society, shape individual thought or “falsity.” and social mores and mold the relationship between individuals and American society at large. RSTD 312. Religion and the Arts (3-3-0) AICE Prerequisite: ENGL 223. RSTD 321. The Church and the State (3-3-0) AIWT Alternate Years. Alternate Years. People have always had imaginative ways of expressing There is no more controversial issue these days than the themselves in their religious lives. This course focuses on relationship between church and state. Some believe that the human drive for creativity and self-expression through religion is a private matter and best left out of the political a study of religious invention. Students will examine arena because it creates division and confl ict. Others argue creative works both structurally and within their cultural that religion is an essential aspect of our lives in general and historical contexts. This course will explore religion as and an indispensable element of our corporate existence in it is expressed in music, dance, architecture, poetry, drama particular, laying the foundation of our most sacred political and the visual arts. concepts. In this course we will explore the religious heri- tage of modern ideals in Puritanism and the Reformation, RSTD 315. Women in Islam (3-3-0) AIGM trace the growth of secularism in the modern world from Prerequisite: ENGL 223. the times of the Enlightenment, and address contemporary Alternate Years. issues related to the relationship of church and state This course will discuss the role and status of women in Muslim societies from the rise of Islam in the seventh RSTD 326. WI: Religion in the Movies (3-3-0) century to the present. The focus will be on women and Prerequisite: ENGL 223 and junior standing. sexuality, the rise of Islamic feminism, women in the Fall or Spring. Shari‘a (Islamic Law), women in art and literature, and the A theoretical and experiential exploration of religious role of Muslim women in politics. This course will help concepts within popular films. Concepts considered students understand how religion and culture have shaped, will include: Rudolph Otto’s Mysterterium Tremendum affected, and infl uenced women’s role in Muslim societies et Fascinans, fi lm as postmodern bard, sacred time and throughout the centuries, and how religion and culture have space, spiritual journey, spiritual mediation, icons, hiero- also clashed over women’s issues. phanic phenomena, transcendence, and Paul Schrader’s understanding of Transcendental Style in Film. Theories RSTD 318. of Religious Pluralism of religious experience from the following authors will be (3-3-0) AIGM integrated into the examination of fi lm as a medium of reli- Prerequisite: ENGL 223. gious communication: Rudolph Otto, , Peter Alternate Years. Berger, Clifford Geertz, Walter Ong, Marshall McLuhan, This course will discuss the theologies of religious Evelyn Underhill and Paul Schrader. Partially satisfi es the pluralism and comparative theology from multi-religious writing intensive requirement. perspectives. Students learn how theologians step into the territory of the other, study the tradition of the other, RSTD 330. Christian Prayer and Spirituality (3-3-0) and come back to refl ect on their own traditions based on AIWT what they have learned from the other. We will attempt to Prerequisite: junior or senior standing or consent of in- answer the following: What is the relationship between structor. theology of religions and comparative theology? Can Alternate years. comparative theology dispense with theology of religions? Christianity, like other religions, has an inward spiritual or

207 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES 2014-2015 mystical dimension that has nurtured a continuous stream RSTD 340. Mindfulness, Meditation and Happiness of mystics, saints, and spiritual visionaries over the last two (3-3-0) millennia. For example, John Tauler, a 14th Century mystic, Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. taught that “prayer is the ascent of the mind to God.” In this Alternate Years. course, we will explore the lives, teachings, and spiritual Obituaries for religion are not uncommon, yet religion practices of a wide array of Christian spiritual teachers from shows no signs of disappearing from human experience. the beginning of Christian history to the present day. Along Individual religions die; yet new ones replace them. Reli- the way, we will focus on the stages of the mystical life as gion itself is thus an inexhaustible source of ever new and it has been charted by the spiritual masters of the Christian exotic ways of life. Reading contemporary and classical mystical life. More broadly, we will study the teachings of theorists of religion, this course will attempt to uncover the the Christian mystics for insights into the nature of religion, theological, philosophical, and bio-historical conditions the validity of contemplative experience, and the meaning that energize the continuous appearance of new religions. of human existence. RSTD 345. Scriptures of the World (3-3-0) AIGM RSTD 335. Primal Religions: Myth, Ritual, and Oral Prerequisite: ENGL 223. Expression (3-3-0) AIGM Alternate Years. Prerequisite: ENGL 223. This course is an examination of the way religious peoples Alternate years. communicate using written texts, which focuses on one way This course will focus on religions that occur in non-literate religion is communicated. The primary goal of the course cultures such as Native American and Australian Aboriginal is to deepen student’s understanding of the complexity, societies. We will compare and contrast these oral tradi- subtlety, and variety of various modes of textual use tions with literate traditions. These traditions will be drawn refl ected by the great religious traditions of the world. from ancient and contemporary examples. Topics to be In refl ecting on these rich scriptural practices, students considered include: the use of dance, vision quest, song, should realize a new appreciation for the intricacies of the bard, magic, , myth, paintings and other arts their own religious traditions. The course aims to develop in the traditions of primal regions. student knowledge of uses of sacred scriptures that range from repositories of ritual to enumerators of ethical RSTD 337. Religion and Ecology (3-3-0) proclamations, from prompts for sacred chant to legal Alternate Years. documents that require multiple layers of commentary. Environmental concerns have become extremely important, underlying the contemporary discussion of environmental RSTD 350. Thinking About God (3-3-0) AIWT responsibility are some basic religious questions: What is the Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. place of human beings in the natural world? Are there limits Alternate Years. to the responsibility that humans have toward other species? From a position of unquestioned absolute rule over West- Are human beings of nature or above nature? Answers to ern intellectual life as late as the thirteenth century, God these questions are informed by answers to more obvious in recent centuries has been eclipsed by humanity and its religious questions: What is the meaning of life? What is concerns. God is now marginal to the learned discourse of our purpose, if any, in the cosmos? These questions will be the academy, government, and the media. But God has not explored by looking at religious traditions, both ancient and gone away, for God is now as popular as ever in America contemporary, east and west. Finally, the course will explore and also in the Muslim world. This rebirth of passionate a rising concept, ecological spirituality. concern with God is one of the most signifi cant religious events of recent times. In this course, we will trace the RSTD 338. Pilgrimage on the Appalachian Trail theological and philosophical revolutions that brought (3-3-0) about these startling reversals in the fortunes of God. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Offered Summer Term 1 only. RSTD 361. Hebrew Bible (3-3-0) AIWT Hiking the Appalachian Trail can be understood as a kind of Prerequisite: ENGL 223. modern spiritual journey. This class will be an experiential Spring. exploration, hiking the Appalachian Trail, comparing and This course concerns the writings of the Old Testament contrasting the experience of walking through the wilderness and their role in the development of Hebrew religion. Ar- with traditional pilgrimages, and communicating with others chaeological, literary, and cultural backgrounds are used to who are themselves not in the class, but hiking the trail illumine the historical, legal, prophetic, and poetic sections for their own reasons. Class members will learn, through of the writings. reading, journal writing, and interpersonal communication, how pilgrim backpackers experience communitas in relation to both persons and their environment.

208 2014-2015 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

RSTD 362. New Testament (3-3-0) AIWT RSTD 491. Practicum/Internship (credits vary 1-3) Prerequisite: ENGL 223. Prerequisite: philosophy major with senior standing. Fall. Offered on request. This course explores the place of Jesus in the writings This course provides opportunities for students interested in of early Christianity to include the canonical writings of applying critical thinking, value analysis, and philosophi- the four gospels and the writings of Paul, and the non- cal concepts generally, to fi eld and professions outside the canonical writings of the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel academic setting. Students are placed in local church and of Mary. religious organizations or non-profi t organizations.

RSTD 366. Bhagavad Gita and Sacred Hindu Texts RSTD 495. Special Topics (3-3-0) (3-3-0) AIGM Prerequisite: philosophy major with senior standing and Prerequisite: ENGL 223. six hours of religious studies or consent of instructor. The diverse corpus of literature that constitute the sacred As needed. texts of Hindu traditions, such as Vedas, Upanishads, and Topics vary, determined by the special interests and needs the Puranas, is the general focus of this course. Among of students and the expertise of faculty. these texts, the Bhagavad Gita is the most prominent, the most loved, and the most commented upon by Hindu tradi- RSTD 499. Independent Research (3-3-0) tions over the millennia. Often thought of as the bible of Prerequisite: philosophy major with senior standing, India, it is indisputably one of the important sacred texts consent of instructor and Department Chair. of the world, next to the Bible and the Qur’ran. It presents Offered on request. a synthesis of the philosophical and religious systems of A research project involving substantial reading on a Hindu traditions, and projects a vision of the world and the specifi c problem, theme, or the work of an individual human condition that has held the fascination of Western philosopher. The research is supervised by a staff member thinkers for at least two centuries. who must approve the project before registration. A research paper is required. RSTD 370. Religious Studies Seminar Abroad (3-3-0) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Extended summer term, alternate years, The Religious Studies Seminar Abroad is an in depth study of a central issue or problem in the religious traditions of Eastern or Western thought. This course will be taught on- site in a region central to the genesis or perpetuation of the issue or problem. Criteria for admission into the Religious Studies Seminar Abroad may include an application process at the discretion of the instructor. In addition to tuition, there will be a charge for travel, accommodations, and some activities, which will be published well in advance of the trip. This course is repeatable for a total of six credits with the consent of all affected instructors.

RSTD 395. Special Topics (3-3-0) Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. Fall and Spring. Topics vary, determined by the special interests and needs of students and the expertise of faculty.

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