Course List

Number	Title	Description
ANTH 3400	Myth, Magic, and Religion	Explores the many aspects of religion, including its history, diversity, and how it relates to social science studies. Also examines terms such as myth, magic, religion, ritual and shamanism, among others, and how these items are used to discuss religious and spiritual practices around the world.
ANTH 3420	Andean Religion	Poses the question of what religiosity was prior to the Spanish conquest in the countries that were part of the Inca Empire--Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. Asks how one can determine religiosity given the fierceness of the conquest and the extirpation of idolatries that followed it. Explores the nature of Catholicism that was recreated on these Andean bases. Discusses the contemporary religious issues of Andean societies, such as secularity, and how Andean categories differ foundationally in nature from those on which academic ideas of religion are constructed.
ANTH 3450	Shamanism and Indigenous Religion	Studies the religious systems of indigenous peoples, particularly those which have been called shamanic. Focuses on the classical study of shamanism and the literature on indigenous shamanism. Locates the study of shamanism within a social context that includes social relational and political economic contexts of the groups within which shamanism is found. Poses questions of how shamanism is different from the expanding world religions and compares and contrasts shamanism with non-shamanic indigenous religions. Looks at the current marketing of shamanism in New Age contexts.
ANTH 3460	Anthropology of Mormonism	Examines the anthropological and sociological work on Mormonism, both the Church and Mormon society and culture. Studies Mormonism in a comparative framework, and will explore the question of the adequacy of the conceptual apparatus of a social science of religion for comprehending Mormonism.
ANTH 3480	Global Christianity	Explores the key issues that have arisen in the literature that explores Christianity from an anthropological perspective. Examines the development of Christianity from its historical origins to its current status as a "world religion." Discusses how Christianity becomes relevant to different cultural contexts in the modern world. Analyzes Pentecostal, Evangelical Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and Catholic forms of Christianity.
COMM 3780	Mormons Media and Culture	Examines the intersection of media, popular culture, and Mormonism. Analyzes the social construction of Mormonism through representations in the media, official and unofficial LDS discourse, folklore, material culture, and history. Discusses cultural theories of race, gender, orientalism, and tribalism.
ENGL 374G	Literature of the Sacred	Focuses on reading and interpreting primary texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and others emphasizing resonances of these texts in later works of literature. Discusses texts from a literary standpoint within the genre of "religious writings." Requires reading, informal and formal writing, and tests.
ENGL 3780	Mormon Literature	For students majoring in humanities-related disciplines and other students interested in the academic study of religion. Presents the comparative study of the history, ritual, "theology," and ethical beliefs of the major western religions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Baha'i, and nontraditional religious belief in the western world. Explores similarities and differences between them by examining the primary sources and sacred texts along with the unique beliefs and practices of each tradition.
HIST 3160	Renaissance and Reformation	Explores European history from the rise of modern Humanism, in the fourteenth century, to the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century. Studies the Italian Renaissance, the spread of Italian cultural influence throughout Europe, the European discovery of the Americas and voyages around the globe, the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation, and the social and economic transformations of the early modern period.
HIST 4100	Jewish History	Surveys the history of the Jewish people from the Biblical period to the present. Analyzes Jewish cultural and religious contributions to world history. Examines religious and political Zionism leading to the establishment of the State of Israel.
HIST 463G	Missions and Conversion in Early North America	Examines in a comparative perspective various European religious missionary enterprises in North America and their reception among Indians from the seventeenth century through the antebellum period. Surveys the origins, doctrines, methods, and changes over time of the Jesuit, Franciscan, Moravian, Puritan, and other Protestant missions, emphasizing the international and multicultural aspects of the missionary landscape in early America. Addresses the ways in which various Native American groups and individuals responded to these European missionary efforts.
HIST 330G	Mediterranean World 1500-1800	Examines religious, political, and social life of the Mediterranean Basin from 1500 to 1800. Focuses on the shared traditions, rituals, and cultural practices of Christians, Jews, and Muslims of the Mediterranean Basin. Analyzes the legacy and influence of this period of Mediterranean History on today's world.
RLST 1620 (PHIL 1620)	Introduction to Eastern Religions	For students majoring in humanities-related disciplines and other students interested in the academic study of religion. Presents the comparative study of the history, ritual, "theology," and ethical beliefs of the major eastern religious traditions including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism. Explores similarities and differences between them by examining the primary sources and sacred texts along with the unique beliefs and practices of each tradition.
RLST 3540 (PHIL 3540)	Christian Ethics	Examines key developments and conceptions in Christian ethics through historical and conceptual methodologies. Explores the relationship between religious and secular approaches to ethics in their approach to questions of war, economics, politics, and/or other relevant issues.
RLST 3600 (PHIL 3600)	Philosophy of Religion	For students majoring in humanities-related disciplines and other students interested in the academic study of religion. Teaches critical thinking methods and strategies regarding traditional philosophical issues in religious belief and practice. Explores various topics including the traditional arguments for the existence of God, religious experience, the relation between faith and reason, religious pluralism, and the traditional problem of evil.
RLST 3610 (PHIL 3610)	Introduction to Christian Theology	Examines key developments and conceptions in Christian theology through historical and conceptual methodologies.
RLST 3620 (PHIL 3620)	Mormon Theology and the Christian Tradition	For students majoring in humanities-related disciplines and other students interested in the academic study of religion. Engages students in exploring the defining features of Mormon thought in relation to the broader Christian tradition. Examines traditional theological questions such as the problem of evil, the scriptural canon, the nature of God and humanity, and the role of ritual.
RLST 3650 (PHIL 3650)	Approaches to Religious Studies	For students majoring in humanities-related disciplines and other students interested in the academic study of religion. Teaches methodological approaches and critical thinking strategies in the study of religion. Explores various disciplines in their approaches to religious belief and practice. Includes the study of such thinkers as David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Rudolf Otto, William James, Ludwig Feuerbach, Soren Kierkegaard, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, John Hick, and Rene Girard
RLST 366R (PHIL 366R)	Engaging Religious Diversity	Explores how religious communities engage one another and examines the implications of these interactions for religious conflict, spiritual identity, and the role of religion in societal contexts. Employs the tools from diverse disciplines to study the phenomenon of religious encounter in both historical and contemporary contexts. Investigates theories of religious diversity, American religious history, interreligious leadership practices, and narrative encounters.
RLST 367G (PHIL 367G)	Issues in Religious Studies	For students majoring in humanities-related disciplines and other students interested in the academic study of religion. Addresses specific topics and theoretical approaches related to religious studies. Topics may include religion and violence, religion and public discourse, religious ritual, etc. Subject matter varies by semester and is repeatable for a total of nine hours of credit
RLST 367G (PHIL 367G)	Interreligious Studies Practicum	Engages religious, spiritual, and secular diversity through experiential learning opportunities. Explores how religious and worldview diversity affects the ethical, social, civil, and personal dimensions of the human experience. Provides opportunities for students to apply the theories and principles studied in the other Interreligious Studies Certificate courses.
SOC 3400	Sociology of Religion	Examines religion from a sociological perspective. Analyzes religion as a social phenomenon. Discusses religious organizations, religion and politics, and religion and social class.