Southwestern University

2003-2004 Catalog

Course Descriptions

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RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT

Division of Humanities

Associate Professor N. Elaine Craddock, PhD, Chair

Associate Professor Shannon M. Winnubst, PhD

Assistant Professor Michael Bray, PhD

Assistant Professor Alejandro de Acosta, PhD

Assistant Professor Laura Hobgood-Oster, PhD

Assistant Professor Philip E. Hopkins, PhD

Assistant Professor David T. Stewart, PhD

Visiting Assistant Professor Rachel Wagner, PhD

Assistant Professor Molly Jensen, PhD (part-time)

Instructor John Elia, MA (part-time)

Students may major either in religion or in philosophy but may not combine courses in these two areas for a major. A student may minor in either religion or philosophy.

Religion

The program in the study of religion introduces students to a variety of global religious traditions, experiences and expressions, and invites an empathetic understanding of difference. The program provides students with tools to critically engage “religious texts,” including written, oral, performative, and symbolic. Religion courses engage students in the comparative study of themes and dimensions such as beliefs, practices, rituals, and myths within and between religious traditions. The religion program facilitates interdisciplinary engagement with the study of religion and other human endeavors by encouraging students to learn and use a variety of methodologies, including: textual, social-scientific, historical, feminist, and post-colonial.

100-200-LEVEL COURSES are introductions to the study of religion, generally focusing upon a different tradition or geographic area, literature or topic. Many of these courses satisfy the University requirement for POK-The Religious Perspective. Some are prerequisites for 600-level courses.

300-LEVEL COURSES are topical courses that introduce comparisons between or within religious traditions. These courses are open to all students. Several of these courses are cross-listed with interdisciplinary programs.

400–500-LEVEL COURSES are courses related to other areas of study. These courses are open to all students.

600-LEVEL COURSES are second-level courses in religious tradition and literature. These courses are primarily for religion majors and minors, but are open to other students with permission of the instructor.

900-LEVEL COURSES are advanced courses and are for Religion majors.

A major in Religion is good preparation for graduate work in a number of liberal arts fields (in addition to religion), and is also an excellent complementary (second) major to other liberal arts majors. It is a good undergraduate major for seminary though a number of other liberal arts majors serve as well. Students may also choose the 54-hour paired major between Religion and Feminist Studies.

A major in Religion consists of 33 semester hours distributed as follows:

a. Three introductory courses (9 hours, from 19-103, 123, 133, 143, 153 163, 173, 183);

b. Two topics courses (6 hours, from 19-203, 213, 223, 243, 273, 323, 343, 353, 363, 383);

c. Two seminars (6 hours, from 19-613, 623, 633, 643, 663);

d. Two electives (6 hours) from any of the courses in religion (one of which must be 200 or above);

e. 19-313 (Theories and Methods of Religion); and

f. 19-903 (Colloquium in Religion) as a capstone experience.

A minor in Religion consists of 18 semester hours of study, of which at least 12 hours must be in courses at the 200-level or above.

Religion (REL)

†19-103	INTRODUCTION TO THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION. A historical and thematic introduction to the Christian thought and practice. The survey begins with the Jesus movement and continues through the current growth of Christianity in the southern hemisphere, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Literary genres, gender issues, political contexts, social movements, and ethical dimensions are explored (POK-The Religious Perspective).
†19-123	INTRODUCTION TO THE HEBREW BIBLE. An introduction to the literature of the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) in its historical and social context. (POK-The Religious Perspective)
†19-133	INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT. An introduction to the literature of the New Testament in its historical and social context. (POK-The Religious Perspective)
†19-143	INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM. This course surveys the history, practices, and beliefs of Islam from Muhammad’s era to the modern. It investigates special themes such as mysticism, gender, and politics with attention to diverse cultural contexts. (POK-The Religious Perspective)
†19-153	INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM. A survey of the development of Judaism from the Hebrew Bible’s understanding of Creation through the cultural traditions of the present day. The course balances historical narrative with detailed examination of important topics such as rabbinic interpretation, mysticism, the Holocaust, and emigration. (POK-The Religious Perspective)
†19-163	DIMENSIONS OF RELIGION. An introduction which examines some of the multiple dimensions of religious life through various perspectives from the secular study of religion. The course investigates such aspects as ritual, belief, experience, community, myth, and ethics with a focus on one or more religious traditions. (POK-The Religious Perspective)
†19-173	INTRODUCTION TO HINDUISM. A historical and thematic introduction to the religious ideas and practices that developed primarily in the Indian subcontinent. The course surveys central religious concepts and myths in classical texts and popular traditions; the interaction with Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Sikhism; gender issues; and the relationship between religion and politics in South Asia. (POK-The Religious Perspective)
†19-183	INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM. A historical and thematic introduction to the central ideas and practices of Buddhism. The course begins with the historical Buddha and early developments in India, Sri Lanka, and Tibet, then surveys the spread of Buddhism to China and Japan and the interaction with Confucian, Daoist, and Shinto traditions. (POK-The Religious Perspective)
19-203	DEATH, DYING, AND THE AFTERLIFE. A cross-cultural investigation of beliefs regarding the meaning of death and the possibilities for life after death, as well as the way these various constructs impact the relationship between the living, the dying, and the dead. Concepts addressed include: transmigration of souls, resurrection, reincarnation, nirvana, ancestor worship, heaven and hell, extinction and Armageddon. Current media, sacred and secular literature, and rituals provide “texts” for the study.
19-213	RELIGION AND ECOLOGY. An environmental/ecofeminist investigation of the construction of “nature” and the “non-human” in the world’s religions, particularly addressing the problematic and destructive impact of religious-based anthropocentrism. How have religions encouraged human culture in our quest to dominate and destroy nature? Do some religions/cultures offer different constructs of the world that could transform this ruinous relationship? Religions studied include: various indigenous traditions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, capitalism, and ecofeminist spirituality. Also Environmental Studies 49-213.
19-223	JOURNEY TO WISDOM. Biblical (Christian Old Testament) and ancient Near Eastern (i.e. Mesopotamian, Egyptian) wisdom literature is read together with later wisdom traditions of Southwest Asia in the Apocrypha, Gnostic texts, New Testament, etc. The course examines wisdom themes and motifs such as “the journey”, the tutelage of Woman Wisdom, despair, un-knowing, unjust suffering, the fiery strength of love, and the cosmic carnival.
19-243	PILGRIMAGE. A cross-cultural study of religious journeys, focusing on the construction of sacred space and time in several traditions. Different theoretical approaches, as well as case studies, will be investigated. Some of the issues explored are the distinction between physical, metaphorical, and metaphysical journeys, the relationship between religious journeying and “ordinary” life, and how cultural values shape and are shaped by pilgrimages. Traditions studied include Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Catholicism.
19-273	CHAOS AND ORDER IN RELIGION. An exploration of the ways in which various religions deal with the threat of chaos by ordering time, space, society, and the cosmos. The course draws on a wide variety of written sources, visual materials, and theoretical perspectives.
19-313	THEORIES AND METHODS OF RELIGION. An exploration of some of the theories and methods used in contemporary secular studies of religion. Reviews various Western scholars who in the past century have sought to analyze the phenomenon of religion apart from theology through the use of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and comparative studies.
19-323	WOMEN AND RELIGION. A cross-cultural study of the ways women’s voices have been heard and silenced, of the ways that their lives have been influential (as well as violently ended) and of the vital roles women have played in various religious traditions in the Mediterranean/Western/American and, finally, increasingly global cultures of the world. Goddesses, rituals, communities, visual symbols and sacred texts will provide the material for our explorations and a feminist methodology will provide the lens for our gaze. Also Feminist Studies 04-223.
19-343	GENDER, SEX, AND VIOLENCE IN THE BIBLICAL WORLD. Texts from the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) are read in the light of feminist and postcolonial criticisms with some reference to the literatures of the ancient Near East and early rabbinic literature. The course examines gender systems, sexual “systems”, women and women’s voices in texts, slavery, sacrifice, rape, and conquest in the light of patriarchy and monotheism. Also Feminist Studies 04-343.
19-353	MYSTICISM. A cross-cultural investigation into the varieties of deeply personal religious experiences. Examines not only individual mystical experiences but also the institutional, social, material, and ritual dimensions as manifested within a select group of religious traditions.
19-363	DESIRE AND THE BODY IN RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE. A feminist, cross-cultural examination of notions of the embodied human self in various religious traditions, focusing on sexuality and sexual desire. The course will explore how the body is conceptualized; moral proscriptions regarding the body and what they reveal about religion and culture; self-cultivation techniques; and the relationship between gender and sexuality and salvation. Written texts and visual arts will be the media of exploration. Also Feminist Studies 04-263.
19-383	WOMEN AND GODDESSES. A feminist, cross-cultural investigation of the notion of the “female divine” and the ways in which divine and human “femaleness” has been conceptualized in various ancient and modern, primarily non-Western religious traditions. The course explores the relationship between divine models and human gender roles, how different religious traditions have incorporated as well as excluded women, and how women have resisted and transformed the boundaries placed on their access to spiritual and institutional power. Also Feminist Studies 04-283.
19-403	GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY. See Classics 07-203 and English 10-203.
19-413	PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. See Philosophy 18-223.
†19-423	ANCIENT CHINA. See History 16-243. (POK-Other Cultures and Civilizations)
19-513	TOPICS IN JEWISH LITERATURE. See English 10-513.
19-593	MODERN JEWISH HISTORY. See History 16-593.
19-613	SEMINAR ON THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION. Study of a selected aspect of or a topic related to the Christian tradition. Course can be repeated with different content. Prerequisite: 19-103 or by permission of the instructor.
19-623	SEMINAR ON HEBREW BIBLE. Study of a selected portion of Hebrew scripture or aspect of the early Judaic tradition within its cultural setting. Course can be repeated with different content. Prerequisite: 19-123 or by permission of the instructor.
19-633	SEMINAR ON BUDDHISM. Study of a selected aspect of or a topic related to Buddhism. Course may be repeated with different content. Prerequisite: 19-183 or by permission of the instructor.
19-643	SEMINAR ON HINDUISM. Study of a selected aspect of or a topic related to Hinduism. Course may be repeated with different content. Prerequisite: 19-173 or by permission of the instructor.
19-663	SEMINAR ON ISLAM. An in-depth exploration of the varieties of Muslim perspectives regarding themselves and the world through the study of a specific topic related to Islam. Course may be repeated with different content. Prerequisite: 19-143 or by permission of the instructor.

19-001, 002, 003, 004	SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
19-301, 302, 303, 304	SELECTED TOPICS. Lectures and readings on subjects of special interest. May be repeated with change in topic.
19-903	COLLOQUIUM IN RELIGION. Intended primarily for majors in religion but open to other students with the permission of the instructor.
19-941, 942, 943, 944	ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP.
19-951, 952, 953, 954	INDEPENDENT STUDY: DIRECTED READING. Reading selected to round out the student’s acquaintance with the field of religion or special areas of interest. May be repeated with changed content.
19-983	HONORS. By invitation only.

Philosophy

Philosophy deals with a wide variety of topics ranging from the principles of knowledge, valid reasoning, and scientific method to the foundations of law, art, religion, morality, and the ultimate structures of reality. It identifies and critically examines basic commitments and world views that guide our lives and that have had an important place in human culture. A major in Philosophy is good preparation for all fields requiring clear thinking and communication skills. Many Philosophy majors have gone into such areas as law, journalism, education, business management, and government service. Some students combine a major in Philosophy with a major in another field and do graduate work in the other field. A Philosophy major will include, within the 30-hour block, 18-413, 423, 433, 443 and either 903 or 953 as a capstone course or project (to be chosen or designed in consultation with the philosophy faculty). A minor in Philosophy will include 18 semester hours of study, of which at least 12 hours must be in courses at or above the 200-level. It is also possible to do a 54-hour paired major in Philosophy and Feminist Studies by double-counting two courses cross-listed in Philosophy and Feminist Studies—Feminist Positions (18-213) and Theories of Race (18-253).

Philosophy (PHI)

†18-103	INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS. An introduction to issues surrounding moral deliberation, commitment, and choice. Attention will be given to traditional ethical theories, to their implications for moral discussion and decision, and perhaps to related issues such as personal identity and human freedom. (POK-Values Analysis)
†18-113	CONTEMPORARY MORAL PROBLEMS. A study of the process of making ethical decisions in the context of personal and social contemporary moral problems. (POK-Values Analysis)
†18-123	VALUES AND THE LIBERAL ARTS. An historical survey of predominant models of liberal arts education along with contemporary critiques and apologies. The focus will be analysis of the values explicit or implicit in such models of education in order to assist the student in gaining proficiency at critically engaging his/her own education. (POK-Values Analysis)
18-203	EXISTENTIALISM. A critical study of the concern for values, freedom, and the meaning of life as expressed by Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, and others. Attention also may be given to the influence and reflection of existentialist thought in literature, drama, and films.
18-213	FEMINIST POSITIONS. A careful exploration of the variety of feminist positions within the larger discourse known as “feminism.” Begins with a general, historical introduction to liberal, Marxist/socialist, and radical feminist perspectives, with close attention paid to bridging the apparent gap between French and Anglo-American feminists. Specific focus is given to the sex/gender distinction and the re-thinking of identity in ways that do not silence sexual, gender, racial, ethnic, physical, historical or economic differences. The course will also raise the question of theory’s place in feminist political resistance and the possibility of speaking out of non-totalizing, pluralistic, feminist positions. Also Feminist Studies 04-213.
18-223	PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. An examination of some of the principal philosophical problems involved in the nature of religion. Attention will center on the problem of religious knowledge and its relation to religious affirmation. Also Religion 19-413.
18-233	AESTHETICS. An introduction to the philosophical discourses of the 18^th and 19^th centuries that attempted to comprehend and grapple with the historical emergence of art-making and art-experience as an apparently unique and separate domain of human understanding, value and practice. We will also discuss various 20^th century efforts to clarify and problematize the relationships between art, politics, technology and popular culture.
18-243	THEORIES OF CLASS. This course will consider both the advent of the concept of class as a key to social analysis, as well as its apparent decline as a meaningful term. Our guiding consideration will be the extent to which class distinctions and structures remain central to the analysis and understanding of society, as well as the way in which class differs from and intersects with social structures of race and gender.
†18-253	THEORIES OF RACE. An introduction and survey of contemporary race theory, with emphases on intersections with gender, class, nationalism, and imperialism. Specific focus on the ways race has been constructed as a category of identity across various cultures, academic disciplines, and historical periods. Also Feminist Studies 04-253. (POK-Values Analysis)
18-263	PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE. A philosophical exploration of modern science—its history, aims, methods, conceptual underpinnings and implications.
†18-273	BIOMEDICAL ETHICS. An examination of fundamental moral questions arising in contexts of medical treatment, research, and social policy. (POK-Values Analysis)
18-293	ASIAN PHILOSOPHIES. A survey of major philosophical schools of thought and practice arising from Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist traditions.
18-353	PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY. An examination of the ways that writers from the pre-Socratics through the 19th century have framed the field of human history as a philosophical object of analysis and the challenges that have been posed to those methods by 20th century thinkers. Attention will focus on whether and how the discipline of philosophy can “think historically.”
18-363	LOGIC AND REASONING. An introduction to the history of western logic, including formal languages and techniques, and the use of informal logic and argument analysis for the evaluation of reasoning. Significant attention will be given to learning the common fallacies of argumentation and applying this knowledge to contemporary public debate, and to exploring the differences between reasonableness and rationality as historically constructed.
18-373	POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. An examination of topics at the intersection of philosophy and politics, including historical and contemporary philosophical defenses and critiques of social and political orders, and analysis of political and social theories and concepts.
18-383	PHILOSOPHY AND LITERATURE. An examination of the philosophical significance of literature and how different modes of figurative and poetic expression confront philosophers with epistemological, metaphysical, and methodological problems and issues that bear on the presuppositions and practices of their own discipline. Such issues may include their historical relation, questions concerning representation and meaning, or the relation of fact and fiction. Also English 10-383.
18-413	HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY: ANCIENT. A study of the beginnings of philosophical inquiry, emphasizing ancient views of human nature, the nature of society, value, and the limits of knowledge. Also Classics 07-333. Prerequisite: Three semester hours of philosophy.
18-423	HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY: MODERN. An inquiry into the works of Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, and others. Central concerns will be the rise of the modern conception of “self” and the problem of knowledge. Prerequisite: Three semester hours of philosophy.
18-433	HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY: 19TH CENTURY. An investigation of the diverse and influential philosophical theories of the 19th century, including the works of such authors as Hegel, Marx, Mill, and Nietzsche. Prerequisite: Three semester hours of philosophy.
18-443	HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY: 20TH CENTURY. A study of the diverse fields and movements in the 20th century, focusing on the widespread concerns with the role of language in philosophical inquiry. Prerequisite: Three semester hours of philosophy. Students are strongly encouraged to take this course only after having taken at least one other History sequence course.
18-513	HISTORICAL STUDIES. Investigation of a specific figure, period, or movement in the history of philosophy—content will vary from year to year. Intended for students who have taken relevant courses from among 18-413, 423, 433, and 443; but open to others with the permission of the instructor.
18-523	CENTRAL TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY. A critical survey of some major area of contemporary philosophical concern—epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, etc. Intended primarily for students majoring or minoring in philosophy, but open to others with permission of the instructor.