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Religious Studies 1 Religious Studies 1 RELS:1080 Introduction to the New Testament 3 s.h. History, religion, and thought of early Christians as recorded Religious Studies in the New Testament. GE: Values and Culture. Chair RELS:1130 Introduction to Islamic Civilization 3 s.h. Survey of texts, ideas, events, institutions, geography, • Morten Schlütter communities, literature, arts, sciences, and cultures in Undergraduate major: religious studies (B.A.) Islamic communities and societies since the 7th century. GE: Undergraduate minors: religion and media; religious International and Global Issues; Values and Culture. Same as studies HIST:1030. Graduate degrees: M.A. in religious studies; Ph.D. in RELS:1225 Medieval Religion and Culture 3 s.h. religious studies Religion in Europe from classical antiquity to dawn of the Faculty: https://clas.uiowa.edu/religion/people/faculty Reformation; the religious element in traditions such as art, Website: https://clas.uiowa.edu/religion/ architecture, literature. GE: Historical Perspectives. Same as HIST:1025. Courses RELS:1250 Modern Religion and Culture 3 s.h. European and American religious life from Renaissance to Religious Studies Courses 21st century; focus on specific themes, such as secularism, regionalism, pluralism. GE: Historical Perspectives. Same as RELS:1000 First-Year Seminar 1 s.h. HIST:1050. Small discussion class taught by a faculty member; topics chosen by instructor; may include outside activities (e.g., RELS:1323 Life in the Biblical World 3 s.h. films, lectures, performances, readings, visits to research Examination of world depicted in Old and New Testaments facilities). Requirements: first- or second-semester standing. of the Bible; archaeological evidence, ancient art, historical accounts, geography, and Bible text used to examine RELS:1001 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam 3 s.h. background of biblical text, shedding light on different aspects Introduction to sacred literature, beliefs, and rituals of of daily life in antiquity from different points of view from Late Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as historical and Bronze Age through Roman period. Same as CLSA:1323. contemporary relationship between these three Abrahamic religions. GE: Historical Perspectives. RELS:1350 Introduction to African American Religions 3 s.h. RELS:1015 Global Religious Conflict and Diversity 3 s.h. GE: Values and Culture. Same as AFAM:1250. Essentials of world’s religions; focus on religion’s role in national and international events, fundamentalism, RELS:1400 Biblical Archaeology 1,3 s.h. millenarianism, protest movements, religion and youth Introduction to the science of archaeology and the culture, religion and popular culture, contact between archaeology of the lands of the Bible to understand historical, religious communities past and present. GE: Diversity and cultural, economic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds of the Inclusion. Bible and biblical periods. Same as CLSA:1400. RELS:1041 African American Religion and Popular RELS:1404 Living Religions of the East 3 s.h. Culture 3 s.h. Religious beliefs, practices in India, China, Japan. GE: Values Examination of the role African American religions play in and Culture. Same as ASIA:1040, HIST:1610. shaping 20th century and contemporary popular culture in RELS:1410 Introduction to Indian Religions 3 s.h. the United States; students explore recent histories of Black Religions with origins in the South Asian geographic region Christianity, American Islam, and African diaspora religions; (e.g., Vedas in mid-second millennium BCE, Jainism and gender and race; cultural production in hip hop, jazz, rhythm Buddhism from sixth to fourth centuries BCE, Sikhism in and blues, literature, poetry, film, sports, cuisine, visual art, 15th century, Indian Christianity, Islam); focus on Hinduism and style. Same as AFAM:1041. and Buddhism; rise of varied literary forms, ritual, rise of RELS:1050 Big Ideas: Introduction to Information, devotional religion, Tantra, how religious practices affect Society, and Culture 3 s.h. Indigenous medical traditions, how these traditions developed What is information? What does it teach us about societies in different South Asian regions; broad changes in South Asian and cultures? How is information used to shape societies and religion in 20th and early 21st centuries, current politicization even personal preferences? What types of information are of religion. there and how can we understand and use them? Students RELS:1430 The Bible: Frequently Asked Questions 3 s.h. work with faculty from multiple disciplines to investigate these Curious about what the Bible is or how it was created, the questions using inquiry-based activities to build success in biblical character that your friends keep referencing, where critical thinking and teamwork. GE: Quantitative or Formal ideas like Satan and the apocalypse come from, or how the Reasoning. Same as POLI:1050. Bible influences our world today? Introduction to the Bible and RELS:1060 Journey Through World Religions 3 s.h. its influences on Western culture; course format organized by What makes a religion work, where do they come from, question types to allow flexibility in learning. why and how religion(s) become structured in the lives of RELS:1470 Contemporary Science Fiction: Beyond the individuals and cultures, and how different cultures define and Usual 3 s.h. inhabit the religions that are practiced on their soil. A different perspective on fantasy and science fiction; focus RELS:1070 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old on authors "beyond the usual"; issues of race, gender, societal Testament 3 s.h. injustice, and reimagining tomorrow as depicted in speculative History, religion, and thought of ancient Jews as recorded in fiction by authors writing from more diverse perspectives. their scripture. GE: Values and Culture. 2 Religious Studies RELS:1502 Asian Humanities: India 3 s.h. RELS:1997 Harry Potter: The Mystery and Magic of Introduction to 4,000 years of South Asian civilization through Life 3 s.h. popular stories. Taught in English. GE: Values and Culture. Exploration of Harry Potter novels and films that offer millions Same as ASIA:1502, SOAS:1502. of people an entrée into a world of wizards, witches, and RELS:1506 Introduction to Buddhism 3 s.h. muggles; this engrossing world created by J.K. Rowling Development of Buddhism in India, its spread across Asia, invites readers and viewers to explore the power of human and arrival in the West; exploration of diverse Buddhist imagination, creates a space for asking questions of personal philosophies, practices, and cultures; readings from India, significance (What defines me as a person? What sort of Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. GE: Values and person am I in the process of becoming? What are the most Culture. Same as ASIA:1060, HIST:1612. significant factors that are shaping my identity and destiny?); students read selections and view film segments while RELS:1606 Civilizations of Asia: South Asia 3-4 s.h. exploring these essential questions. Civilization of a vast region that includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. GE: Historical Perspectives; RELS:2041 Understanding "The Muslim World" 3 s.h. International and Global Issues. Same as ASIA:1606, Exploration of expressions and experiences of Muslims in HIST:1606. increasingly diverse societies around the world. Same as ASIA:2041, IS:2041. RELS:1620 Bhagavad Gita: Essential Teachings of Indian Religion 3 s.h. RELS:2068 Jews in Popular Culture 3 s.h. Students read the Bhagavad Gita and discuss its Exploration of a wide variety of ways in which Jewish interpretations and use in classical and modern religious, people represent themselves through production of cultural literary, and political contexts; composed around 2000 years media. ago, it is the best known and most influential religious text in RELS:2080 Public Life in the U.S.: Religion and Indian history and concisely addresses war and peace, duty Media 3 s.h. and righteousness, renunciation, devotion, and the nature Examination of how the U.S. came into being through specific of the universe; its been read, debated, and discussed by communication practices, how religion has helped and ancient philosophers, modern religious teachers, and political hindered that process; religious roots of the idea of the figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, the father of modern U.S., intertwined histories of print media and religion, role Independent India. Same as SOAS:1620, TRNS:1620. of religion and secularism in public discourse; U.S. pride RELS:1670 Korea in the World 3 s.h. as a nation in which diversity thrives in public discourse; Comprehensive and critical understanding of Korea's place in communicative acts that created and sustained this country the world; emphasis on historical and sociocultural roots of and also mark sites of discord, conflict, and confusion from the various aspects of life on the contemporary Korean peninsula very beginnings of the U.S. to today; how religion has been (both North and South Korea); comprehensive list of topics a source of national identity and national division. Same as including cultural production (K-pop and film), religions, COMM:2080. economy, gender relations, cuisine, politics, and prospects RELS:2087 Narnia and Beyond: The Writings of C.S. for reunification. Taught in English. Same as ASIA:1670, Lewis 3 s.h. KORE:1670. Exploration of C.S. Lewis's use of fantasy to describe the RELS:1702 Religion in America Today 3 s.h. indescribable, his efforts to empathize with human suffering How American men, women, and children practice their while hoping in possibility of miracles, and his jargon-free beliefs in today's society. GE: Values and Culture. narration of Christian beliefs for a war-weary country; Lewis's works that continue to attract attention, ranging RELS:1765 U.S. Latina/o/x Religions 3 s.h. from children's literature to science fiction to autobiography Beliefs and practices of U.S. Latina/o/x, ways that their and nonfiction; as a professor of medieval and renaissance beliefs and practices are unique and where they overlap with literature, Lewis's unique perspective on Christianity that mainstream U.S.
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