Religion and Culture

Overview

The Department of Religion and Culture critically investigates religion, culture, and their relationships by problematizing what is commonly considered self-evident, especially since these subjects are intrinsic to understanding the human condition both locally and globally. In our research, teaching, and engagement, we seek to craft and apply new forms of critical inquiry that advance integrative intellectual thought. These paths of inquiry inform our engagement with students, who become well prepared to understand complex transformations throughout their lives, whether they pursue graduate studies or other life trajectories.

The department offers undergraduate degrees in Religion and Culture (RLCL) and Humanities for Public Service (HPS) and minors in American Studies, Appalachian Cultures and Environments, Judaic Studies, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Middle East Studies, Popular Culture, and Religion.

The department also offers two graduate certificates--one in Religion and the Public Sphere and the other in Material Culture and Public Humanities; and is a core member of the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) Ph.D. program.

For more information on the department or any of our degree programs, please contact rlcl@vt.edu.

Religion and Culture Major (RLCL)

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and Culture (RLCL) combines the strengths of the department in the areas of the humanities and study of religion in order to provide students with opportunities to examine several of the twenty-first century's most important global phenomena. Students completing this cutting-edge, one-of-a-kind degree will explore the impact of religious and cultural practices on politics, economics, the arts, and everyday life (including pop culture), as well as the impact of these practices on moral and ethical practices in today's world. Graduates will be prepared to contribute as employees and citizens to the state of Virginia, the United States, and indeed the world as all levels of society seek better ways to live and work together in the increasingly diverse contexts of the twenty-first century. Religion and culture shape the world and will continue to do so in dramatic and changing ways.

Students who choose this major will develop complex problem-solving skills, alongside critical thinking that will prepare them for a wide range of careers. The global focus of the major affords career opportunities in education, business, government, many private industries, and the non-profit sector. The major has a strong academic and career-advising component.

Humanities for Public Service Major (HPS)

The major in Humanities for Public Service gives intellectual weight to the Virginia Tech motto Ut Prosim ("That I may serve"). The course of study allows students the depth of knowledge to understand the religious and/ or cultural issues confronting modern society, both at home and abroad, while also allowing the flexibility to work directly with faculty on specialized topics ranging from environmental issues in Appalachia, to the impact of Artificial Intelligence on human flourishing.

Students in the major, Humanities for Public Service, build a strong foundation in humanistic learning about cultural and religious traditions with the aim of preparing for careers in public service. The major cultivates cultural awareness and critical thinking skills, familiarizing students with the ways that people have conceptualized, encoded, and reflected on human experience. Therefore it prepares them to sensitively and thoughtfully work for the public good. Requirements include selected courses in theory and practices, as well as a field study/ internship to give students direct experience that will benefit their future careers.

Study Abroad

Students are strongly encouraged to complete an approved study abroad program outside of the U.S. Study abroad programs are occasionally run by faculty in the department.

Honors College

Eligible students are encouraged to participate in the University Honors Program. Completing a degree "In Honors" is an excellent way for outstanding students to integrate the knowledge from several disciplines. Honors students have considerable flexibility in completing the degree requirements.

Double Majors

For information on earning a double major or second degree, contact the Department Chair. Since Religion and Culture major is flexible and dynamic, students are encouraged to earn a second major.

Religion and Culture Minors

The department offers the following minors. Please contact our undergraduate advisor, Benjamin WIley (wiley89@vt.edu), for more information.

American Studies
Appalachian Cultures and Environments
Judaic Studies
Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Middle East Studies
Popular Culture
Religion

American Studies

American studies is an interdisciplinary field that draws upon a number of academic disciplines, including history, literature, and sociology, to consider relationships between culture and society in the United States as it is embedded in global processes and issues.

Appalachian Cultures and Environments

Appalachian Cultures and Environments is a Pathways minor supporting teaching, research, outreach, and service on topics pertaining to Appalachia in relation to pertinent transglobal issues. Courses focus on these issues from a critical regionalism perspective in which the relationship between these issues and region is considered problematic and open to investigation.

Judaic Studies

Endowed in 1996, the Malcolm and Diane Rosenberg Program in Judaic Studies offers students the opportunity to explore, examine, and critically engage the rich and multifaceted history, religion, and culture of the Jewish people. Judaic culture has significantly contributed to Western and other civilizations.

Medieval and Early Modern Studies

Medieval & Early Modern Studies fosters an interdisciplinary approach to the Medieval and Early Modern Worlds (roughly 300-1700 C.E.).

Middle East Studies

The interdisciplinary minor in Middle East Studies allows students to gain a broad understanding and appreciation of the languages, religions, and cultures of the Middle East and of the region's history and its place in international relations.

Popular Culture

The Minor in Popular Culture provides an understanding of the broadly shared cultures made possible by mass production. Popular culture includes all widely practiced and distributed expressions: news; entertainment; religion; sports; popular art; and styles of decoration, dress, and architecture.

Religion

By examining a diversity of traditions and viewpoints, a program in religious studies provides the resources for an intellectually responsible appraisal of one's own value commitments. A minor in Religion is part of a broad liberal arts education and may lead to graduate study in a variety of fields or to professional training in ministerial or social service vocations.

Chair: Rachel Scott
Professors: B. Britt, M. Gabriele, E. Satterwhite,¹⁰ and R. Scott
Associate Professors: A. Abeysekara, A. Ansell, D. Christensen, Z. Ni,¹⁰ and P. Seniors
Assistant Professors: A. Armstrong, C. Buckner, S. Patel,¹⁰ and D. Polanco
Visiting Assistant Professor: R. Aras, and S. Sidky
Instructor: T. Edmondson
Post-Doctoral Associate: S. Plummer

Footnotes:

¹: Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising
²: Academy of Teaching Excellence inductee
³: Wine Award recipient
⁴: Sporn Award recipient
⁵: Alumni Award for Extension Excellence
⁶: Alumni Award for Research Excellence
⁷: Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence
⁸: Academy of Faculty Service
⁹: Commonwealth of Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award
¹⁰: Diggs Teaching Scholar Awards

Undergraduate Course Descriptions (APS)

APS 1704 - Introduction to Appalachian Studies (3 credits)

Introduces students to the history of the Appalachian region from European contact to the present. Traces the idea of Appalachia by tracing ways in which Americans have imagined the region over time. Explores humanistic problems of cultural identity, race and ethnicity, place and globalization, and impacts of natural resource extraction.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 1704

APS 2124 - Music Traditions in Appalachia (3 credits)

Survey and study of music traditions in Appalachia. Investigation of the formal elements of this music, including instruments and musical terms and forms. Exploration of style as a reflection of many cultural influences. Study of the impact and development of these traditions in contemporary musical practices.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 6A Critique & Practice in Arts, 6D Critique & Prac in Design, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: MUS 2124

APS 2404 - Folk Cultures in Appalachia (3 credits)

Examination of the expressive genres and cultural processes of communities in Appalachia. Documentation of art and skill in everyday life, including material culture (e.g., foodways, architecture), customary behavior (e.g., music, ritual, occupational practice), and verbal art (e.g., narrative, speechplay), and analysis of how people have used these forms to shape social identities, physical spaces, and power relations.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 6A Critique & Practice in Arts, 6D Critique & Prac in Design, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 2404

APS 2434 - The Cultural Politics of Music in Appalachia (3 credits)

Examines cultural, political, and social aspects of music in, of, and about Appalachia, including such commercialized and increasingly globalized products as “old-time,” “bluegrass,” and “country.” Ways in which music contests and reproduces social relations of race, class, and gender. Role of migration and racial diversity in formation of Appalachian music. Economic significance of music, such as Virginia’s The Crooked Road as a regional touristic undertaking.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

APS 2974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 2974H - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Honors

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 2984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 3124 - Societal Health in North America (3 credits)

Study of human health within and across a variety of geographic contexts in North America. Describe the health consequences of inequity and injustice within and across American contexts. Consider the roles of collectives, social movements, mutual aid, interdisciplinary thinking, power and social justice in addressing pathologies of power and working towards human well-being. Advocate a biosocial lens that considers the dynamic relationships between biology and environmental, social, geographic, and historical contexts.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: STS 3124

APS 3214 - History of Appalachia (3 credits)

Early settlement, religion, the pre-industrial economy, the coming of the coal and lumber industries, labor activism, politics, migration, and regional identity.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 3214

APS 3464 - Appalachian Communities (3 credits)

The concept of community in Appalachia using an interdisciplinary approach and experiential learning. Interrelationships among geographically, culturally, and socially constituted communities, public policy, and human development. Pre: Junior standing.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: AHRM 3464, GEOG 3464, HD 3464, HUM 3464, SOC 3464, UAP 3464

APS 3624 - Appalachian Literature (3 credits)

Appalachian literature from the region’s beginnings to the present, including such diverse voices as women, Native American, Affrilachian, LGBTQ, and Latinx populations. Literary perspectives on the relationships between self, family, and community; place and displacement; and humans and the natural world. Analysis of stereotypes that have perpetuated inequity and displacement of power, as well as consideration of regional efforts to reclaim equity, power, place, and identity.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1106 or COMM 1016

Pathway Concept Area(s): 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: ENGL 3624

APS 3984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 4034 - Appalachian Languages and Cultures (3 credits)

An empirical examination of how Appalachian speech both reflects and constitutes regional cultures. Emphasis is on applying sociological and anthropological methods and theories to the study of language in use.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: SOC 4054

APS 4094 - Appalachian Community Research (3 credits)

Undergraduate participatory community research as applied to issues of cultural heritage, sustainability, and identity. Students engage in projects defined by community groups and organizations as being critical to their well-being, continuity, or growth. Emphasis is on developing concepts of civic professionalism and developmental democracy.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: PHS 4094, SOC 4094

APS 4414 - Issues in Appalachian Studies (3 credits)

Research conducted by students on issues relevant to local or regional sustainability in contemporary Appalachia on contemporary environmental and community issues. Focus on environmental justice ethical issues expressed in or created by various forms of discourse.

Prerequisite(s): HUM 1704 or APS 1704

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 4414

APS 4964 - Field Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 4974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 4974H - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Honors

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 4984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 4994 - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

APS 4994H - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Honors

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

Undergraduate Course Descriptions (HUM)

HUM 1024 - Introductory Humanities: Great Books (3 credits)

An introduction to the humanities through the topic of “Great Books.” Students will closely analyze primary canonical texts from the West and from the global south. Political, religious, philosophical, and literary works by important writers and communities from across the globe will be explored to understand the human condition and self-formation. Such engagement with primary texts will be put into the context of larger topics such as class, race, and gender in addition to colonialism, decolonialism, and postcolonial modernity.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

HUM 1054 - Virginia Tech Prison Book Project (1 credit)

A one-hour course with the Virginia Tech Prison Book Project. Students will complete a learning module about carceral institutions in the United States and the impact of educational opportunities on the lives of incarcerated people. They will then participate in a service learning event where they match individual requests from incarcerated readers to books and prepare the books for shipping.

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lab, 1 Crd)

Course Crosslist: CRIM 1054, RLCL 1054

HUM 1074 - Ghosts (3 credits)

Fundamental humanities and social scientific frameworks underlying belief in ghosts and the paranormal as sites of human meaning-making and as expressions of cultural norms and anxieties concerning human behavior and social relationships, especially in US contexts pertaining to enslavement, displacement, and gender disparity. Introduces students to key concepts and methods such as auto-ethnography, the study of material culture, historical criticism, and literary criticism via an appealing and engaging topic. Training in ethical self-assessment and assessment of human meaning-making and behavior concerning ghosts and the paranormal such as affect theory, empiricism, and experience.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 1074

HUM 1324 - Introductory Humanities: The Modern World (3 credits)

The shifts in thought and values during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the global imagination, including issues of commerce, scientific inquiry, industrialization, nationalism, war, labor, gender, class differences, race, and the beginnings of postmodernity. Emphasis on interpretive and analytic skills in terms of reading, discussing, and writing about the interrelationships among the arts, literature, philosophy, history, religion, and science, and their contributions toward shaping the values and aspirations of the age, including global contexts and Asian cultures.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

HUM 1504 - Introduction to Popular Culture (3 credits)

The development and formation of the category of popular culture. Competing theories and methods for analyzing popular culture. Activities, objects, and ideas included under the rubric of popular culture. Critical thinking about the production of popular culture in relation to race, gender, class, and other forms of human difference.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 1504

HUM 1604 - Introduction to Humanities and the Arts (3 credits)

Explores the written, visual, and performing arts of selected periods and cultures, setting them in the context of their times. Study of these periods linked with overarching questions of cultural encounters, interactions, and negotiations. Introduces principles of each art form as well as the means of appreciation. Students taught methods in researching, writing, and presenting on these art forms.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 6A Critique & Practice in Arts, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

HUM 1704 - Introduction to Appalachian Studies (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: APS 1704

HUM 1984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 1984A - Special Study (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

HUM 2104 - Oral Traditions and Culture (3 credits)

Examination of the worlds great oral traditions, both ancient and contemporary. Emphasis on performance contexts, relationships among multicultural traditions, including American Indian oral traditions, and the relationships among orality, literacy, technology, media, and culture.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: NDIG 2104

HUM 2204 - The Creative Process (3 credits)

Explores ways in which creativity and design can be understood historically as well as understood and practiced in a classroom setting. Subjects include any or all of the following: theories of creativity; traditions associated with understanding and making several kinds of art; studying artworks from different cultural backgrounds, working with the limitations and possibilities inherent in design projects, and examining how and why they were created; and preparing final creative projects for classroom presentation.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 6A Critique & Practice in Arts, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

HUM 2244 - Campus Free Speech (3 credits)

Historical, religious, philosophical, and legal frameworks that shape modern debates on campus free speech and academic freedom. Focusing on case studies this course offers a non-partisan examination of hate speech codes, speaker shout-downs, ideological diversity, university neutrality, the limits of academic freedom, and other issues relevant to students, faculty, and administrators at public and private US universities. Students will engage in practical training in civil and respectful deliberation about matters of law and policy, the pursuit of truth, and the pursuit of permissive versus censorious approaches to campus speech.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

HUM 2404 - Folk Cultures in Appalachia (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 6A Critique & Practice in Arts, 6D Critique & Prac in Design, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: APS 2404

HUM 2504 - Introduction to American Studies (3 credits)

Methodology and tools of American studies, with a focus on developing analytic skills to assess discourse across varied media. Interdisciplinary investigation of histories, politics, cultures, and beliefs in the Americas, including the impacts of encounter and exchange. Intensive study of a specific topic or period.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 2504

HUM 2964 - Field Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 2974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 2974H - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 2984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 3034 - Theories of Popular Culture (3 credits)

Examination of theories for understanding the ways in which popular objects and practices (such as television programs, films, or attending sporting events) represent, maintain, and contest societal norms, including norms regarding gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and class and place, with an emphasis on the United States.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 3034

HUM 3034H - Theories of Popular Culture (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 3034H

HUM 3204 - Multicultural Communication (3 credits)

Exploration of communication in and among various cultural groups through an examination of communicative practices, registers, discourse, and performance. Emphasis on understanding cultural differences and similarities in the different styles and stances in communication and their meanings to participants.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 3204

HUM 3204H - Multicultural Communication (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 3204

HUM 3464 - Appalachian Communities (3 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: AHRM 3464, APS 3464, GEOG 3464, HD 3464, SOC 3464, UAP 3464

HUM 3954 - Study Abroad (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 4104 - Explorations in Advanced Humanities Topics (3 credits)

In-depth study of special interdisciplinary topic. Topics vary but involve a close and extensive study of the interrelationship between cultural ideas and their expressions in several of the following forms: literature, philosophy, religion, art, music, drama, material culture, and popular culture. May be repeated with different topics, for a maximum of 9 credits.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 9 credit hours

Course Crosslist: RLCL 4104

HUM 4124 - Topics in Culture (3 credits)

Uses sociological, anthropological, as well as artistic and humanist paradigms to analyze culture. Discusses 20th and 21st century cultural trends. Analyzes the implications of social context for cultural artifacts such as art. Topics are variable. Example topics include the cultural construction of race and the cultural of the nineteen sixties. Course may be repeated with different course content for up to 6 credits. Pre: Junior or Senior standing.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 1004 or SOC 1014 or AFST 1714 or AINS 1104 or RLCL 1004 or RLCL 2004 or WGS 1824

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours

Course Crosslist: SOC 4124

HUM 4414 - Issues in Appalachian Studies (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): HUM 1704 or APS 1704

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: APS 4414

HUM 4964 - Field Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 4974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 4974H - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 4984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 4994 - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

HUM 4994H - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

Undergraduate Course Descriptions (JUD)

JUD 1105 - Elementary Modern Hebrew (3 credits)

Introduction to speaking, listening, reading, and writing the modern Hebrew language. Emphasis on developing proficiency in practical language use, comprehension and cultural competency. 1105: Basic tasks such as greetings, counting, and simple requests; for students with no prior knowledge of the language. 1106: More advanced tasks like asking directions, expressing personal preferences, or making purchases.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HEB 1105

JUD 1106 - Elementary Modern Hebrew (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): JUD 1105

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HEB 1106

JUD 2134 - Judaism: A Survey of History, Culture, and Heritage (3 credits)

Introduction to the academic study of Judaism; a variety of scholarly approaches to Jewish textual and cultural sources, including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic literature, and diverse contemporary cultural, religious, and social expressions. Emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing about Judaism as a way of understanding the beliefs, philosophies, and histories of global Jewish communities past and present.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 2134

JUD 2414 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (3 credits)

Introduction to the academic study of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), including its contents, contexts, major themes, and reception; a variety of scholarly approaches, including historical-critical, literary, ethical, and gender studies methods. Emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing about the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 2414

JUD 2974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

JUD 2974H - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

JUD 2984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

JUD 3404 - Torah and Tradition (3 credits)

Detailed study of the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah or Pentateuch. Scholarly approaches will include historical-critical research; comparative mythology; form and canon criticism; gender and literary studies; and the reception of these books in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and beyond.

Prerequisite(s): REL 2414

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 3404

JUD 3404H - Torah and Tradition (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): RLCL 2414

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: RLCL 3404H

JUD 3494 - The Holocaust (3 credits)

This course provides a historical account, a psychological analysis, and an occasion for philosophical contemplation on the Holocaust. We will examine the deliberate and systematic attempt to annihilate the Jewish people by the National Socialist German State during World War II. Although Jews were the primary victims, Gypsies, people with disabilities, homosexuals, Jehovahs Witnesses and political dissidents were targeted; we will discuss their fate as well. The class will be organized around the examination of primary sources: written accounts, photographic and film, personal testimony.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 3494, RLCL 3494

JUD 3544 - The State of Israel: A Political History (3 credits)

This course provides a survey on the political history of the State of Israel and highlights major themes uniquely characterizing the specific events surrounding its establishment and its first 50 years of existence. Additionally, the course will add a comparative dimension by using the political history of Israel as a case study to discuss major themes in political science such as democracy, government, political economy, etc.

Prerequisite(s): JUD 2134 or PSCI 1024

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: PSCI 3544, RLCL 3544

JUD 4974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

JUD 4974H - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

JUD 4994 - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

JUD 4994H - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

Undergraduate Course Descriptions (RLCL)

RLCL 1004 - Introduction to Religion and Culture (3 credits)

This course introduces students to foundational concepts and debates within the humanities and social sciences by studying one of a rotating set of themes (e.g. love, evil, apocalypse) located at the intersection of religion and culture. Emphasis on cultural diversity, historical transformation, interdisciplinary inquiry, problem-solving and the application of academic discussions to everyday life situations.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1004H - Intro to Religion & Culture (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1014 - World Religions (3 credits)

Formation of the category of world religions in the modern West. Basic worldviews, embodied practices, and traditions included under the rubric of world religions. The encounter of and mismatch between traditions identified as world religions and the category of world religions as an instrument of colonialism and imperialism.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1024 - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (3 credits)

Nature of religion and the analysis of it from an academic perspective. Basic tenets of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including their manifestations in the United States and their involvement in critical issues in a global context Interpretation of key texts from various historical and cultural contexts.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1034 - Religion and the Modern World (3 credits)

Modern challenges to traditional religion and responses to these challenges, including: religion as an object of critique; law, sovereignty, and religion; religion, gender, and race; religion, science, and technology; religion and media presentations.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1034H - Religion and the Modern World (3 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1044 - Religious Ethics (3 credits)

Influential representative social and religious ethical perspectives from ancient Greek philosophers to the present; ethical reasoning on current pressing and perennial social issues - bioethics, sexuality, family, poverty-- based on historical and ethical analysis of case studies; theoretical assumptions about morality as the relation between living a virtuous life and performing ethical duties.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1054 - Virginia Tech Prison Book Project (1 credit)

Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lab, 1 Crd)

Course Crosslist: CRIM 1054, HUM 1054

RLCL 1074 - Ghosts (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 1074

RLCL 1084 - Food Studies (3 credits)

Interdisciplinary introductory course explores how food shapes and is shaped by culture and society. Examines how people use food to express meanings (e.g., via foodways, story, art, architecture, religion, ethical codes), how food options, practices, and inequities are shaped by social structures (e.g. cultural and legal norms regarding race, class, and gender), and how the material properties of food (e.g., chemical, ecological, technological) are linked to identities, ideological commitments, and historical moments.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 10 Ethical Reasoning, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 1084, PSCI 1084, SOC 1084

RLCL 1134 - The Ancient Mediterranean World (3 credits)

Ancient cultures of the Mediterranean world with a focus on their embodiments in the arts, literature, history, philosophy, and religion. Emphasis on Greek, Hellenistic and Roman cultures, their interrelationships with each other and their historical, cultural, material and intellectual encounters with contemporary Mediterranean cultures as well as their influence on later and modern cultures.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: CLA 1134

RLCL 1214 - The Medieval World (3 credits)

Introduction to Europe and the Mediterranean world in the period between antiquity and the European encounter with the Americas. Investigation of the arts, literature, philosophy, and history of the period in the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions and the multiple types of encounters that those communities experienced. Analysis of the impact the medieval world continues to have on the modern West.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1504 - Introduction to Popular Culture (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 1504

RLCL 1904 - Religion and Culture In Asia (3 credits)

Historical and geographical overview of diverse religious/cultural traditions in Asia, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto. Investigation of the categories religion and culture and their interactions in Asia. Examination of different methodological and interdisciplinary approaches and their integration, with emphasis on critical thinking about the complexities of studying religion and culture in Asia. Asia on a global stage, including Western views of Asia and Asian views of the West.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 1904H - Religion and Culture in Asia (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 2004 - Case Studies in Religion and Culture (3 credits)

Significant case studies in the study of religion and culture with an emphasis on influential and emerging research. Focused engagement with humanities and social sciences research grounded in analysis, comparison, and evaluation of relevant case studies.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 2054 - Ethnography: Studying Culture (3 credits)

Introduction to the methodological tools used by anthropologists and other social scientists to study culture. Engagement with the development of, and debates about, ethnographic methods, as well as their application to case studies. Focus on sample ethnographic accounts of peoples throughout the world, as well as research techniques applicable to many different cultural environments.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: SOC 2054

RLCL 2104 - Greek New Testament (3 credits)

Readings from the New Testament in Greek, with attention to grammatical analysis, historical background and other clues interpretation. May repeated with different content for a maximum of 9 credits.

Prerequisite(s): GR 1106

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 9 credit hours

Course Crosslist: GR 2104

RLCL 2124 - Religion in American Life (3 credits)

Understanding and integrating source materials for the study of religion in American life. Genealogy of religion and culture in America (USA). Changes and transformations in religious beliefs and practices and their influences on American life. Debates about religion and culture. Entanglements of religion, politics, race, ethnicity, and law.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 2134 - Judaism: A Survey of History, Culture, and Heritage (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: JUD 2134

RLCL 2204 - Race and Gender in Religion and Culture (3 credits)

Influence of race and gender on religion and culture. Overview of approaches to categories of diversity, particularly race and gender, in religious and cultural traditions. Utilization of humanistic and social scientific approaches to investigate geographically variable historical and/or contemporary case studies.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: AFST 2204, WGS 2204

RLCL 2324 - Islam (3 credits)

Addresses the rise of Islam under the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia, the development of Islam in the Middle Ages, and its resurgence in the 20th century. Issues of geographical, temporal, and ideological diversity, and critical thinking about representations of Islam in the West. Islamic orthodoxy addressed by examining the question of who represents Islam, when, and how.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 2374 - Gods and Kings in Premodern India (3 credits)

History of India from pre-historical times to approximately 1700, with particular focus on the interplay between religion and politics. Emphasis on sources for and interpretations (historiography) of early Indian history. Literary versus archaeological record of pre-historic India, the earliest empires and rulers, and impact of the Islamic and wider world on India. Legacies of ancient and medieval India in the contemporary world.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 2374

RLCL 2384 - Gandhi in the Making of Modern India (3 credits)

History of India since approximately 1700, with particular focus on Gandhis influence on modern India and the world. Emphasis on sources for and interpretations (historiography) of modern Indian history. Examination of pre-colonial and colonial pasts and legacies. Exploration of Gandhis role in political, social, cultural, and religious movements of the early 20th century, and Gandhis legacy in the independent states of South Asia and the contemporary world.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 2384

RLCL 2394 - Tofu to Tikka: Food in Asian History (3 credits)

Exploration of the evolution and alterations of food and cuisines throughout Asian history. Examination of the economic, geographical, political, philosophical/religious, and social underpinnings of food in premodern Asian societies; influence of the Columbian Exchange of Asian and global cuisines; Euro-American imperialism’s impact on food and society in Asia and in the European and American metropoles; emergence of national cuisines in Asia; and Asian food in the post-colonial diaspora.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 2394

RLCL 2414 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: JUD 2414

RLCL 2424 - New Testament (3 credits)

Introduction to the academic study of the New Testament, including gospels, Pauline materials, theological themes, and sources on the emerging church. A variety of scholarly approaches to the New Testament texts and contexts, including historical-critical, redaction critical, and literary methods. Emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing about the New Testament and the ancient Mediterranean world as a way of understanding the religion and history of early Christianity.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 2434 - Legends of King Arthur (3 credits)

Introduction to legends of King Arthur, including stories, novels, and films from a wide historical timespan. Tales of knights, kings, and fair maidens that have entertained generations and irrevocably shaped cultural values surrounding gender relations, justice, violence, and the use and abuse of power. Analysis of individual texts and broader consideration of the Arthurian tradition during key literary-historical periods from the medieval era to the present.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1106 or COMM 1016

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: ENGL 2434

RLCL 2444 - Greek and Roman Myth (3 credits)

Surveys ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Provides students with an introduction to selected myths from ancient Greek and Roman literature, including appropriate historical background information. Familiarizes students with how theories of myth have been applied to individual stories and how such mythological tales have been received by authors and artists in subsequent cultures. Explores the interaction and interdependence of mythological tales from different cultures and perspectives. In English.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: CLA 2444, ENGL 2444

RLCL 2464 - Religion and Science (3 credits)

Exploration of the relationships between religion and science in the western tradition. Basic frameworks for relationships between religion and science in historical and cultural context, types of human knowledge and truth, similarities and differences between science and religion, evolution, the origins of the creationist movement, and contemporary moral and ethical issues.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: STS 2464

RLCL 2474 - Religion and Violence (3 credits)

Investigation of the categories of religion and secularity as they apply to war and peace. Analysis of episodes from both past and present in which religion seems to have played a role. Introduction to research skills related to the study of religion and violence, building from theoretical and historical considerations.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: IS 2474

RLCL 2484 - Religion and Politics (3 credits)

Investigation of religion and politics as distinct categories in different times and places. Analysis of episodes from both past and present in which religion and politics have come together, or have been kept apart. Examination of the roles religion and politics play in the modern world and how they impact the lived experience of diverse populations both in the United States and throughout the world.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: IS 2484, PSCI 2484

RLCL 2504 - Introduction to American Studies (3 credits)

Methodology and tools of American Studies, with a focus on developing analytic skills to assess discourse across varied media. Interdisciplinary investigation of histories, politics, cultures, and beliefs in the Americas, including the impacts of encounter and exchange. Intensive study of a specific topic or period.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 2504

RLCL 2514 - Asian American Experience (3 credits)

Interdisciplinary overview of the diverse Asian American experience, incorporating non-Eurocentric perspectives on the Asian immigrant experience and dialogue between Asian American and non-Asian American students. Examination of different historical tracks of various Asian ethnicities, experience of racism, discrimination, cultural adaptation and conflict, and economic survival and success. Gender, age, religious affiliation, family values and inter-generational differences among Asian Americans. The complexity of minority status and the stereotype of “model minority.” Activism, political participation, leadership and the meaning of citizenship among Asian Americans. Representations of Asian Americans in the arts and media.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: SOC 2514

RLCL 2964 - Field Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 2974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 2974H - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 2984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 3014 - Women and Gender in Islam (3 credits)

An examination of women and gender in Islam from a variety perspectives including Muslim women in Islamic history, normative constructions of the role of women in Islam, and womens roles in contemporary Muslim societies. Understanding of women in classical Islam; feminist and reformist approaches; and Western constructions of the rights of women if Islam.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: WGS 3014

RLCL 3024 - Religion and Literature (3 credits)

Read works from world literature, guided by selected critical readings. Compare/contrast diverse models of religion and literature. Study how modernity has impacted traditions of religion and culture. Interpret literary texts that draw from multiple religions. Analyze religion-literature controversies in a range of social, cultural, political contexts. Synthesize sources of multiple media, formats, and contexts.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: ENGL 3024

RLCL 3034 - Theories of Popular Culture (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 3034

RLCL 3034H - Theories of Popular Culture (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 3034H

RLCL 3144 - Language and Ethnicity in the United States (3 credits)

Exploration of how racial and ethnic identity are expressed through the use of different languages and dialects. Examination of how language is related to issues of equality, social opportunity, and discrimination in the United States.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1106 or ENGL 1204H or COMM 1016

Pathway Concept Area(s): 1A Discourse Advanced, 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: ENGL 3144, SOC 3144

RLCL 3204 - Multicultural Communication (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 3204

RLCL 3204H - Multicultural Communication (3 credits)

Pathway Concept Area(s): 3 Reasoning in Social Sciences, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 3204

RLCL 3214 - Religion and Culture in India (3 credits)

Interdisciplinary examination of the genealogy of Indian religions (including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism) through anthropological, literary, historical, and textual source materials. Colonial construction and reform of these religions according to modern, universal European ideas of religion; how European notions of the modern nation-state, law, and religious tolerance, and European concepts of self, autonomy, community, (univocal) language, and multiculturalism impacted Indian religions. Pre-modern versus modern notions of tradition and power in Indian religions. Concepts of secularism, gender, race, conversion, caste, and religious-political identity.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 3224 - Religion and Culture in China and Japan (3 credits)

Premodern model of Chinese and Japanese religions: interactions of various traditions (e.g. Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Shinto, and folk); inseparability of religion, culture, society, and politics. Modern reinventions of religion in China and Japan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Contemporary issues such as state-religion relations in East Asia, religions of China and Japan in America, East Asian religions and globalization.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 3344 - Early Modern and Reformation History, 1500-1650 (3 credits)

The phenomenon of religious Reformations, and development of political, cultural and economic institutions,1500-1650. Themes include the advent of Protestantism, the reinvention of Catholicism, and adaptation of Islam and Judaism in early modern Europe. Contextualization of primary sources. Develops students' historical communication skills. Emphasis upon the shared challenges and divergent solutions of European religious sects to social, political, and theological challenges.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 3344

RLCL 3404 - Torah and Tradition (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): RLCL 2414

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: JUD 3404

RLCL 3404H - Torah and Tradition (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): RLCL 2414

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: JUD 3404H

RLCL 3414 - Jesus in Earliest Christianity (3 credits)

Literary survey of the various representations of Jesus of Nazareth in canonical and apocryphal Christian literature of the first four centuries. Perspectives on Jesus and the interpretive authority involved in producing such variety. Ancient and modern interpretive frameworks for understanding the person and legacy of Jesus in earliest Christianity, including historical-critical frameworks, redaction criticism, genre criticism, and other literary methods. Analyses of modern religious/political discourses as continuations of ancient theological debates. Emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking and close reading of early Christian texts as a means of understanding the religion(s) and histories of the earliest Christians.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 3424 - Orthodoxy and Heresy in Early Christianity (3 credits)

Literary survey focusing on the diversity of Christian beliefs in the first four centuries. Highlights a variety of theological debates and the historical and cultural contexts involved in the eventual production of a Christian orthodoxy, over and against so-called heresy. The history and content of early Christian texts, both canonical and apocryphal. Ancient and modern interpretive frameworks for understanding the variety and diversity of earliest Christian beliefs, including historical-critical frameworks, comparative reading, source criticism, and other literary methods. Emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking and close reading of early Christian texts as a means of understanding the religion(s) and histories of the earliest Christians.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 3454 - Philosophy of Religion (3 credits)

A consideration of religious belief and its justification with attention to such philosophical issues as the nature and existence of the Judeo-Christian-Muslim God, proofs for the existence of God, the problem of evil, a religious basis for ethics, the nature of faith, and the variety of religious beliefs.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 10 Ethical Reasoning

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: PHIL 3454

RLCL 3494 - The Holocaust (3 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 3494, JUD 3494

RLCL 3504 - The Age of The Crusades (3 credits)

The origins and development of religious violence examined from an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective; the place of that phenomenon in medieval society. Christianity, Islam, Judaism and their interactions in the medieval world.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HIST 3504

RLCL 3544 - The State of Israel: A Political History (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): JUD 2134 or PSCI 1024

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: JUD 3544, PSCI 3544

RLCL 3644 - Religion in the Middle East (3 credits)

Critical issues in religion in the Middle East. Competing methods for analyzing religion in the Middle East. Key concepts relating to religion and inter-religious relations in the Middle East such as minority, majority, tolerance, citizenship, and family law. Critical thinking about the relationship between Islam and other religions with particular reference to Muslim-Jewish and Muslim-Christian relations.

Pathway Concept Area(s): 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: ARBC 3644, IS 3644

RLCL 3884 - Culture and Society in Contemporary Europe (3 credits)

The impact of religion and culture in contemporary European politics and societies. Nationalism versus European cosmopolitanism. Religion, religious radicalism and religious tolerance in Europe. Culture and society in European urban and rural areas. Attitudes towards women and LGBTQ in Europe. Social foundations and cultural determinants of marginalization of social groups, migrants and refugees.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: IS 3884, SOC 3884

RLCL 3954 - Study Abroad (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 4014 - Religion and the Public Sphere (3 credits)

Debates about the resurgence of religion in the modern world. Complexities involved in defining religion. Social-scientific, phenomenological, and cultural approaches to the study of religion. Theories concerning what role religion should play in the public sphere. Theories about secularism, secularization, and the differentiation between religion and politics.

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

RLCL 4024 - Sociology of Religion (3 credits)

Religion as a social structure as well as an institution; with special attention to the functions of religion for individuals, groups and societies, social organization; and the interplay between religion and other social institutions including economics and polity. Taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 1004

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: SOC 4024

RLCL 4104 - Explorations in Advanced Humanities Topics (3 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Course Crosslist: HUM 4104

RLCL 4324 - Topics in Religion and Culture (3 credits)

Selected topics from the religions of the world such as time and the sacred, preliterate religions, women and religion, religion and science, mysticism. May be taken three times for credit with different topics.

Prerequisite(s): RLCL 2004

Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd)

Repeatability: up to 9 credit hours

RLCL 4964 - Field Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 4974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 4974H - Independent Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 4984 - Special Study (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 4994 - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

RLCL 4994H - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)

Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course

2025-2026 Academic Catalog

2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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Religion and Culture

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Religion and Culture Major (RLCL)

Humanities for Public Service Major (HPS)

Study Abroad

Honors College

Double Majors

Religion and Culture Minors

American Studies

Appalachian Cultures and Environments

Judaic Studies

Medieval and Early Modern Studies

Middle East Studies

Popular Culture

Religion

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