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Accounting 010
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Hindi 505
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History/Political Science Joint Major 514
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Individualized Major
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Italian 560
Japanese 565
Jewish Studies 563
Journalism and Media Studies 567
Junior Year Abroad
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Labor Studies 575
Latin 580
Latin American Studies 590
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Livingston College Courses
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Physics 750
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Political Science 790
Portuguese 810
Psychology 830
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Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean Studies 836
Religion 840
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Camden Newark New Brunswick/Piscataway
Catalogs
  New Brunswick Undergraduate Catalog 2003-2005 Programs of Study for Liberal Arts Students Programs, Faculty, and Courses Religion 840 Courses  

Courses

01:840:101Introduction to Religion: Social Patterns (3) Varied origins of religion and motifs in its development in different cultures. Only open to first-year students and sophomores.
01:840:102Introduction to Religion: Patterns of Thought (3) Lifestyles and systems of thought represented by major religions. Only open to first-year students and sophomores.
01:840:112Death and Afterlife (3) Various religious concepts of death, resurrection, reincarnation, and other forms of afterlife; their relevance to this worldly life. Open only to first-year students and sophomores.
01:840:201Old Testament (3) Interpretation of basic Hebrew scriptures in translation; history of religious themes such as sin, covenant, and prophecy in ancient Israel.
01:840:202New Testament (3) Interpretation of basic Christian scriptures in translation; influence of Jesus and Paul on the early Christian community.
01:840:203Islamic Scriptures: Quran and Hadith (3) Introduction to sacred texts of Islam; emphasis on words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad, collectively known as the Hadith or Sunnah. Explores how revelation bridges the gap between the divine and human by examining Islamic scriptures in historical, theological, legal, and mystical contexts.
01:840:204Hindu Scriptures (3) Interpretation of basic Hindu scriptures in their historical, literary, and theological contexts to see how they contributed to the development of various traditions and spiritual paths in Hinduism.
01:840:205Buddhist Scriptures (3) Interpretation of foundational Buddhist scriptures in their historical, literary, and philosophical contexts to trace the development of Indian Buddhism as well as its process of cultural accommodation in east Asia. Credit not given for both this course and 01:685:233.
01:840:211Religions of the Eastern World (3) Religious beliefs, practices, and sacred writings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto.
01:840:212Religions of the Western World (3) Religious beliefs, practices, and sacred writings of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
01:840:221Ethical Issues, Religious Responses (3) Jewish and Christian ethical traditions related to contemporary issues in personal and social ethics, such as sexuality, racism, medical ethics.
01:840:222Issues in Religious Thought (3) Questions faced by religion in the contemporary era: faith and reason, religious experience, role of religion in a scientific society, nature of God.
01:840:240Love as Ethic and Idea (3) Judeo-Christian religious tradition, viewed through the concept of love as moral and theological ideal, from the biblical period to the present.
01:840:301Ancient Near Eastern Religions (3) Religious patterns in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Canaan, Israel, and Egypt from texts in translation; their impact on cultural development of the Near East. Green. Not open to first-year students.
01:840:302Cultural Context of the Old Testament (3) Emergence of the Hebrew scriptures from the religious, social, political, and economic milieu of ancient Israel and influence of contiguous cultures on their development. Green. Prerequisite: 01:840:201 or permission of instructor.
01:840:303Hebrew Prophets: Social and Religious Thoughts (3) Development and diffusion of Israelite prophetic thought from early associations with divination in Near Eastern culture through the Exile and later decline. Green. Prerequisite: 01:840:201 or permission of instructor. Not open to first-year students.
01:840:304Post-Exilic Literature of Israel (3) Influence of the Babylonian Exile on the religion and writings of late-biblical Israel; development of Jewish life and thought in the Persian and Hellenistic periods. Green. Prerequisite: 01:840:201 or permission of instructor.
01:840:306Greek and Roman Religions (3) Study of pagan gods and goddesses, cults, and practices of the classical Greek world, Roman Republic, and Roman Empire. Credit not given for both this course and 01:190:326.
01:840:307Jesus (3) Career and teaching of Jesus viewed in historical context; development of the Gospel tradition and its effect on later concepts of Christ. Smith. Prerequisite: 01:840:202 or permission of instructor.
01:840:308Paul (3) Letters of Paul in historical context: his background, conversion, and apostolic mission; the development and influence of his thought on later Christianity. Prerequisite: 01:840:202 or permission of instructor.
01:840:309John (3) Historical and theological backgrounds of the Fourth Gospel and its influence on the thought of early Christianity. Smith. Prerequisite: 01:840:202 or permission of instructor.
01:840:312Greek Christianity (3) Eastern church tradition from the second through the eighth centuries; theological controversies and the development of liturgy, monasticism, and mysticism.
01:840:313Latin Christianity (3) Western church tradition from the third through the thirteenth centuries; theological controversies and the development of sacraments, papacy, and religious orders.
01:840:315Protestant Reformation (3) Reform movements in the Western Christian world from the fourteenth through eighteenth centuries; focus on figures who formed Protestant thought, such as Luther, Calvin, Cranmer, Fox, Wesley.
01:840:317Catholicism and the Modern World (3) Roman Catholicism from the French Revolution to the present; thinkers such as Lammenais, Newman, and Gilson; topics such as liturgy, political rights, theological pluralism.
01:840:318Contemporary Catholic Theology (3) Selected themes in the thought of twentieth-century Roman Catholic figures, such as Rahner, Schillebeeckx, Küng.
01:840:319Religion in American History (3) Colonial patterns of established churches, revivalism, deism, and separation of church and state; denominational growth and immigration; effects of urban development, evolutionary thought, and social reform. Bowden
01:840:320Religion and Native Americans (3) Beliefs and practices in aboriginal North American cultures before European exploration; subsequent patterns of conflict, acculturation, and survival. Bowden
01:840:322Hinduism (3) Historical development of religious beliefs and practices in the culture of India; syncretism, mysticism, devotion, and personal disciplines.
01:840:323Buddhism (3) Rise of Buddhist theory and practice in the context of Indian culture; encounters with indigenous religions of East and Southeast Asia; development of Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.
01:840:324Chinese Religions (3) Religious concepts and classic texts of Confucianism and Taoism; relation of religion to society and self in China, including role models and paradigms for self-transformation; alchemy and meditation.
01:840:325Prophet Muhammad (3) Muhammad`s prophetic career in historical context; mystical and devotional tradition centering on him in Sunni and Shii Islam; sociopolitical reform movements based on prophetic model.
01:840:326Islam (3) Muhammad and the development of Muslim beliefs and practices; major movements and their effects on historical and current events.
01:840:327Encounter of Religions (3) Religions in a pluralistic world; concepts of God, man, spirit, freedom as understood in East and West. Interreligious dialogue, religious synthesis, and universalism.
01:840:329Medieval Arabic Religious Texts (3) Reading and close analysis of selected medieval religious texts, including Qur`an, Quar`anic exegesis, hadith, fiqh, and philosophical treatises exploring relationships between reason and revelation. Credit not given for both this course and 01:685:329.
01:840:330Religion in Latin America (3) Exploration of the religious complexity of Latin America, including Christianity, indigenous and syncretic practices, and traditions. Credit not given for both this course and 01:590:330.
01:840:331Myth and Ritual (3) Role of myth and patterns of ritual in primitive and ancient religious societies and their survival in contemporary cultures.
01:840:332African Religions (3) Historical examination of the multifaceted worlds of African religions in their beliefs and practices, contributions to contemporary African popular culture, and the role religion played in political life.
01:840:333Caribbean Religion (3) Examines the history and role of the diverse religious components of the Caribbean basin from indigenous practices to Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, and the emergence of African belief systems such as Vodou, Santeria, and Rastafarianism from the eighteenth century to the present. Credit not given for both this course and 01:836:333.
01:840:334Healing: Sacred and Secular (3) Examination of healing as a religious process in various cultures; discussion of transition from sacred healing to secular medicine and psychotherapy in the West. Jones
01:840:335Buddhist Meditation Traditions (3) Introduction to Buddhism. Explores meditative techniques/ practices for attaining enlightenment, with emphasis on Zen (Ch`an) meditation and roles played by Koan and Zazen in this process of transformation.
01:840:336Christian Mysticism (3) Phenomenological analysis of classic descriptions of mystical experience; evolution of relevant motifs through Christian traditions. Smith
01:840:338Religious Themes in East Asian Literature (3) Religious ideas and attitudes as expressed in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese literature.
01:840:341Religion and Psychology (3) Psychological inquiry into the role of religion in the life history of the individual and his or her relation to the transcendent. Jones
01:840:342Religious Experience and Contemporary Culture (3) Religion and modern consciousness as investigated by the social sciences; topics such as the function of religion, secularism, and modernity. Jones
01:840:343Religion and Politics (3) Function of religion in initiating social and political changes by envisioning the future, formulating utopian blueprints, and providing transcendent norms for social criticism. Obayashi. Not open to first-year students.
01:840:345Hindu Gurus in the West (3) Lives and teachings of Vivekananda, Aurobindo, Sivananda, Yogananda, Rajneesh, and others. Classical texts and problems of innovations and preservation. Sociological and psychological issues of transplanting the guru-disciple relationship to Western soil.
01:840:346Sexuality in the Western Religious Traditions (3) Ideas and problems in Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish normative traditions on sexuality. Topics include sexuality and human nature, sexual identity/roles, marriage and family. Johnson. Prerequisite: One course in Western religious traditions.
01:840:347War, Peace, and Violence in Western Religious Thought (3) Ideas of just war, holy war, and pacifism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; their relation to contemporary issues of war and peace. Johnson. Prerequisite: One course in Western religious traditions.
01:840:350Women in Eastern Religions (3) Images and roles of women in major Asian religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Women`s autobiographical accounts of religious experiences, attitudes toward women expressed in these religious institutions, the feminine as a symbol of the divine; representative great goddesses such as Kuan-yin.
01:840:351Women in Western Religions (3) Images and roles of women in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; attitudes toward women expressed in these religious institutions; religious experiences of women mystics and religious practices favored by women.
01:840:352Religion and Science (3) Theories of religious and scientific knowledge, cosmology and astronomy, life and creation. Jones
01:840:356Islamic Mysticism (3) Based essentially on primary sources. Examines both Islamic mystical theory and practice, paying particular attention to a range of core Sufi doctrines.
01:840:357Krishna (3) Examination of the various faces and theologies of Krishna, one of the most important Hindu deities.  Depiction in the Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, and Bhagavata Purana with reference to rasa theory, a medieval taxonomy of various moods in which the devotee approaches God as a lover, child, friend, or master.
01:840:358Bhagavad Gita (3) Analysis of this important Hindu scripture. Study of influential commentaries. Attention to Indian and Western appropriations of the text.
01:840:368Hindu Philosophy (3) Upanishads, Patanjali, Bhagavad-Gita; theories of matter, energy; states of consciousness; meditation. Yogas of knowledge, action, devotion. Karma. Ethics. Comparison of Hindu and Western cosmology. Credit not given for both this course and 01:730:368.
01:840:369Buddhist Philosophy (3) Interdependence, impermanence, relativity; suffering; path to liberation; meditation; karma as cosmic justice; death and rebirth. Compassion as a central ethical value. Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan Buddhism. Credit not given for both this course and 01:730:369.
01:840:374Islamic Philosophy (3) Basic characteristics and tenets of Islam as a religion; early theological controversies; the major thinkers and mystics; their interaction with the other aspects of Islamic civilization. Credit not given for both this course and 01:730:374.
01:840:393,394Topics in the Study of Religion (3,3) Selected themes in the study of religion. Topics announced when course offered.
01:840:395,396Research in Religion (3,3) Directed study resulting in a major paper. Prerequisites: Previous course work in field and permission of department.
01:840:401Seminar in Old Testament Literature (3) Role of redactional criticism in determining literary structure, interdependence of primary divisions, and development of basic themes in Hebrew scriptures. Green. Prerequisites: 01:840:301, 304, or permission of instructor.
01:840:402Seminar in New Testament Literature (3) Select problems in development of New Testament text, including oral tradition, literary sources, Greek language, and translation. Smith, Tripolitis. Prerequisite: 01:840:202 or permission of instructor.
01:840:411Seminar in the History of Eastern Religions (3) Central issues in the theory and practice of Eastern religious tradition presented in select sources from various periods; questions of method and interpretation. Obayashi, Yu. Prerequisite: 01:840:211 or permission of instructor.
01:840:412Seminar in the History of   Central issues in the theory and practice of Western religious tradition presented in select sources from various periods; questions of method and interpretation. Bowden, Tripolitis. Prerequisite: 01:840:212 or permission of instructor.
01:840:420Seminar in Religion and Psychology (3) Advanced topics in religion and psychology. Jones. Prerequisites: At least one course in religion and one course in psychology or by permission of instructor. Open only to juniors and seniors.
01:840:421Seminar in Religion and Society (3) Interaction of religion and society in the thought of selected theologians, ethicists, and sociologists of religion. Johnson. Prerequisite: One of the following: 01:840: 212, 221, 222, or permission of instructor.
01:840:422Seminar in Theology (3) Contributions of selected European and American theologians, past or present; attention to theological method. Obayashi. Prerequisite: One of the following: 01:840: 101, 102, 212, 222, or permission of instructor. Open only to juniors and seniors.
01:840:424Seminar in Religion and Science (3) Contemporary topics in the relationship between science and religion. Potential topics include evolution; cosmology and creation; mind, brain, and consciousness; religious and scientific methods. Topics change from year to year. Jones. Prerequisite: One course in religion or permission of instructor. Open only to juniors and seniors.
01:840:426Seminar in the Study of Religion  Selected topics in the study of religion which vary from term to term. Topics include religion and violence, fundamentalisms, the self in world religions, uses of scriptures, and religious experiences. Open only to majors in their junior or senior year.
01:840:481Seminar on Buddhist Religion and Art of China (3) Focus on evolution of the Buddha image in the scriptures and art of China. Yü. Prerequisites: 01:082:323, 01:840:211 or 323 or permission of instructor. Credit not given for both this course and 01: 082:481.
01:840:482Seminar in Islamic Ethics (3) Describing and evaluating reasons Muslims give for judgments they make about right and wrong or good or evil, as they relate to human acts, attitudes, and beliefs. Attention to modern Islamic ethical writings and contemporary issues, such as Islam and human rights, relativism, universalism, and interfaith dialogue.
01:840:495,496Research in Religion (3,3) Directed study resulting in a major paper. Prerequisites: Previous course work in field and permission of department.
01:840:497-498Honors in Religion (3,3 or 6,6) Both terms must be completed to receive credit.
 
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