Fall 2021 Religious Studies

Location: 409 UH; Phone: (312) 996-3361.

Last generated: Friday, October 15 2021 09:28 AM CDT

NOTE: 500 level courses require graduate standing

RELS 101

Introduction to World Religions

3 hours. World Cultures course.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
38477LCD12:30 PM - 01:45 PMTRC0042LCCBasheer, A; Dingeldein, LOn Campus
Our world is filled with religions: nearly 6 billion people across the globe affiliate themselves with Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, or some other religious group. In this course you will learn how to analyze, from an academic perspective, these religious groups and the people who affiliate with them. The majority of our readings, lectures, and discussions will focus on people and events associated with the so-called world religions in the United States during the late modern period (1850 through the present day).

RELS 117

Understanding the Holocaust

3 hours. Same as HIST 117 and JST 117. Individual and Society, and Past course.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
37592LCD09:30 AM - 10:45 AMTR2082BHLyons, FMixed in-person & online instr

RELS 126

Introduction to Jewish History

3 hours. Same as JST 102. Individual and Society, and Past course.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
38720LCD11:00 AM - 12:15 PMTR1012LHShiran, AOn Campus
The Jewish People today comprise approximately one quarter of one percent of the worlds population. Despite their small numbers, their influence on religion and culture has been remarkable. This course will survey the history of the Jews primarily from a secular/academic perspective, that is, not as the sacred history of the people of the Bible, but as a socio-political phenomenon. Since Judaism the religion of the Jews has been important to the self-understanding of the Jewish people, some attention will necessarily be paid to the basic elements of Jewish religious tradition, as well as its relationship to Christianity and Islam. There will also be opportunities to reflect on what we mean by history, as well as to consider the relevance of the Jewish experience to that of other peoples, especially those who have been diasporic minorities. Course Information: Same as JST 102.

RELS 127

Diaspora, Exile, Genocide: Aspects of the European Jewish Experience in Literature and Film

3 hours. Same as GER 125 and JST 125. No credit toward a major or minor program offered by the Department of Germanic Studies. Taught in English. Past, and World Cultures course.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
39380LCD01:00 PM - 01:50 PMMWF1202THLoentz, EOn Campus
Through literature and film students will gain an understanding of important aspects of the European Jewish experience before and after the Holocaust. We will read and discuss texts and films about Jewish life in German and Yiddish-speaking Central and Eastern Europe (and in other parts of the world to which Jews from Europe immigrated) from the Enlightenment to the present to learn about cultural interchange between Jews and non-Jews; Jewish cultural autonomy and Jewish nationalisms; migration, immigration, and exile; and racism, anti-Semitism, persecution, and genocide. No prerequisites. Taught in English. Course Information: Same as GER 125 and JST 125. No credit toward a major or minor program offered by the Department of Germanic Studies. Taught in English.

RELS 130

Introduction to Islam

3 hours. World Cultures course.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
13470LCD09:30 AM - 10:45 AMTRA0032LCAGreene, AMixed in-person & online instr
Both the fastest growing religion in the world and the frequent subject of misunderstanding and suspicion, Islam is a significant feature of the modern landscape. This course explores various facets of Islamic religion (beliefs, practices, history, society) from its origins in seventh-century Arabia to its status as a multicultural and global religious expression today.

RELS 215

Anthropology of Religion

3 hours. Same as ANTH 215. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 161. Individual and Society, and World Cultures course.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
44165LCD02:00 PM - 02:50 PMMWF1352ARCGiampaoli, MOn Campus

RELS 241

Philosophy of Religion

3 hours. Same as PHIL 241. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion and one Lecture.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
41517DIS - AD03:30 PM - 04:45 PMR2092BHSinkler, GOn Campus
The course is intended to introduce students to some basic problems in the Philosophy of Religion: for example, whether it's acceptable to believe in God without full rational support, whether God's existence would undermine human free choice, and whether one can prove the non-existence of God. Readings will be drawn from both classical and contemporary sources. Prerequisite: One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor.
41516LEC - AL03:30 PM - 04:45 PMT2092BHSinkler, GOn Campus
The course is intended to introduce students to some basic problems in the Philosophy of Religion: for example, whether it's acceptable to believe in God without full rational support, whether God's existence would undermine human free choice, and whether one can prove the non-existence of God. Readings will be drawn from both classical and contemporary sources. Prerequisite: One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor.

RELS 293

Dante's Divine Comedy

3 hours. Same as CST 293 and ITAL 293. Previously listed as RELS 193. Creative Arts, and Past course.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
37094LCD03:00 PM - 04:15 PMMW3122LHFabbian, CMixed in-person & online instr
Close readings of selected cantos from Dante's "Divine Comedy" will bring into relief the history and culture of the Medieval Mediterranean world. We will discuss various aspects of medieval culture, such as Medieval views on women or the persistence of classical tradition, while learning about Dante's idea of love and relationship to literary models as well as his political views, philosophical thought and theology. While Dante's poetic vision of the afterlife offers a panorama of the medieval world, many of the issues confronting Dante and his age are important to individuals and societies today: social justice, the relationship between church and state, personal and civic responsibility, governmental accountability, literary and artistic influences. No pre-requisites. Taught in English. Course Information: Same as CST 293 and ITAL 293. Previously listed as RELS 193.

RELS 295

Topics in Catholic Thought

3 hours. Same as CST 295. May be repeated if topics vary.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
41494LCD03:30 PM - 04:45 PMTR1372BSBDingeldein, LOn Campus
The Beginnings of Christianity Today, Christianity is the largest religion in the world: nearly a third of the world's population identifies as Christian. Two thousand years ago, though, there were no Christians. Rather, in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, there was a small group of people who had begun worshipping a deceased Jewish healer and teacher named Jesus. This is the historical moment to which we turn in this course, because it marks the beginnings of Christianity. We will study the people, events, and texts of the first and second centuries that shaped Jesuss small Jewish reform movement into an empire-wide religion known as Christianity, using as our main evidence the letters and stories of the New Testament. Course Information: Same as CST 295. May be repeated if topics vary.

RELS 399

Independent Study

1 TO 3 hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or above; and consent of the instructor. Recommended Background: Two courses in religious studies. Departmental Approval Required

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
45901CNFARRANGEDDingeldein, L

RELS 494

Topics in Jewish Studies

3 OR 4 hours. Same as JST 494. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): JST 101 or JST 102 or consent of the instructor.

CRNCourse TypeStart & End TimeMeeting DaysRoomBuilding CodeInstructorMeets BetweenInstructional Method
46475LCD03:00 PM - 05:30 PMM3012LHUnderhill, KOn Campus
3 hours "Writing in the Third Language: Between Theology and Materialism in Modern Central European Prose" Taking its inspiration from Jacques Derridas essay The Eyes of Language, this course will seek to explore how the concept of a Third Language, between theology and materialism, can be useful in the study and description of modern literary and critical texts. What does a text written in the third language look like? What does it sound like? Our study will consider 20th century works that are invested in summoning this adversity, and in using the text to open a space between non-sacred and sacred. Drawing on theoretical work by Walter Benjamin, Gershom Scholem, Giorgio Agamben, Alan Badiou, Emmanuel Levinas, and Derrida, we will explore the potential validity of the concept of writing in the Third Language, building a vocabulary of specific narrative strategies and formal techniques. Together we will test this concept against the work of modern Polish, Yiddish and German-language writers, including Franz Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Moyshe Kulbak, Itzik Manger, and Nachman of Bratslav. Theoretical and formal concepts explored will include: language as such or pure language; the Face and the Name; theatricality, gesture and mask; modern messianism; the dialectical image; the abyss, and the figures of clown, charlatan, magician and fool. Course Information: Same as JST 494. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): JST 101 or JST 102 or consent of the instructor. Same as JST 494 & POL 460. Restricted to Undergrad - Chicago.
46476LCD03:00 PM - 05:30 PMM3012LHUnderhill, KOn Campus
4 hours "Writing in the Third Language: Between Theology and Materialism in Modern Central European Prose" Taking its inspiration from Jacques Derridas essay The Eyes of Language, this course will seek to explore how the concept of a Third Language, between theology and materialism, can be useful in the study and description of modern literary and critical texts. What does a text written in the third language look like? What does it sound like? Our study will consider 20th century works that are invested in summoning this adversity, and in using the text to open a space between non-sacred and sacred. Drawing on theoretical work by Walter Benjamin, Gershom Scholem, Giorgio Agamben, Alan Badiou, Emmanuel Levinas, and Derrida, we will explore the potential validity of the concept of writing in the Third Language, building a vocabulary of specific narrative strategies and formal techniques. Together we will test this concept against the work of modern Polish, Yiddish and German-language writers, including Franz Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Moyshe Kulbak, Itzik Manger, and Nachman of Bratslav. Theoretical and formal concepts explored will include: language as such or pure language; the Face and the Name; theatricality, gesture and mask; modern messianism; the dialectical image; the abyss, and the figures of clown, charlatan, magician and fool. Course Information: Same as JST 494. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): JST 101 or JST 102 or consent of the instructor. Same as JST 494 & POL 460. Restricted to Graduate - Chicago or Graduate Non-Degree Chicago.