Courses - Fall 2023
RELS
Religious Studies
RELS120
Islamic Civilization
Cross-listed with: HIST120.
Credit only granted for: HIST120 or RELS120.
Introduction to society and culture in the Middle East since the advent of Islam: as a personal and communal faith; as artistic and literary highlights of intellectual and cultural life; and as the interplay between politics and religion under the major Islamic regimes.
RELS170
Cross-listed with: CLAS170.
Credit only granted for: CLAS170 or RELS170.
Additional information: This course cannot be taken for language credit.
What are myths and why do we tell them? What powers do myths have? We will tackle these questions by looking at the enduring and fascinating myths from ancient Greece and Rome. In addition to studying how they shaped ancient societies, we will also look at their modern influence and reflect upon the power that myths still hold in our contemporary world. Taught in English.
RELS171
Cross-listed with: JWST171.
Credit only granted for: JWST171 or RELS171.
Jewish identity can be framed in terms of ethnicity, culture, and religious practice, but also in terms of more contemporary social constructions including social action, political engagement, and intellectual pursuit. In the context of such diverse social and individual frames, what does it mean to identify Judaism as a religion? Attention to Jewish society in historical and global perspective will provide a backdrop for a particular focus on contemporary Jews in the United States and Israel.
RELS273
Jesus, Mani, and Muhammad: The Dynamics of New Religious Movements
Cross-listed with: HIST289T.
Credit only granted for: RELS273 or RELS289M or HIST289T.
Formerly: RELS289M.
We examine three significant ancient religious figures: Jesus (d. 30s CE), Mani (d. 276 CE), and Muhammad (d. 632). All three were founders of long-lasting religions that were part of a dramatic change in the society and religion of the ancient world. Special areas of focus: the biographies of these founding figures, and how we know them; a historical approach to religious founders; and the sociology of new religious movements.
RELS274
Jerusalem in Antiquity: The History of Sacred Space in a Holy City
Cross-listed with: JWST274.
Credit only granted for: JWST274, RELS274, JWST289J or RELS289J.
Formerly: JWST289J, RELS289J.
Examines the complex history of Jerusalem's status as a holy city, with a focus on constructions of sacred space in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
RELS342
Renaissance Europe
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with: HIST332.
Credit only granted for: HIST332 or RELS342.
Intellectual developments in Italy and Northern Europe from 1300 to 1550 and their influence on the arts and religion; social and economic trends, including the rise of the commercial economy in cities; the family and the role of women in society; expansion of Europe overseas and the beginnings of colonization; emergence of the state and consequent changes in political theory.
RELS439A
Advanced Topics in Religious Thought; Islamic Reformism
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with HIST428G. Credit only granted for HIST428G, HIST779C, or RELS439A.
Islam is far from a monolithic religious tradition. We will debate a wide range of perspectives on the various facets of Islamic Reform and modernization in the 18th-21st centuries. Students will learn to appreciate the diversity of Islamic thought in the contemporary world and its manifestations in daily practice, and in social, political, regional, and international conflicts.
Islam is far from a monolithic religious tradition. We will debate a wide range of perspectives on the various facets of Islamic Reform and modernization in the 18th-21st centuries. Students will learn to appreciate the diversity of Islamic thought in the contemporary world and its manifestations in daily practice, and in social, political, regional, and international conflicts.
RELS499
Independent Study in Religious Studies
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
RELS619B
Directed Readings in Religous Studies; Islam and the Body
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Flagship Institution of the University System of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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301.405.1000
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