Religious Studies Courses
NOTE: All upper division courses in Religious Studies carry
as a prerequisite English 110 or its equivalent. Some courses also carry
additional prerequisites--see individual descriptions. Prerequisites may be
waived with the consent of the instructor. Each course not otherwise designated
carries five quarter units of credit.
Lower Division
RS 100 Introduction to
Religion (5)
A comparative study of the way people express themselves religiously. Topics
might include religious experience, beliefs about God, salvation and liberation,
the expression of religion in scripture, myth, ritual, ethics, community, art,
faith, life after death, immortality, reincarnation, worship, prayer and
meditation, the near-death experience and the effect of religion on individuals
and societies. Specific religious traditions, Eastern and Western, provide
examples for the study of these topics. [F,W,S]
RS 110 Religion in Western Civilization (5)
A comparative study of the religions and cultures which have shaped Western
civilization. This course traces the development and interaction of religions
and various aspects of Western civilization. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
and the role they have played in shaping the values and world views of Western
civilization receive special attention. Some religions and cultures of the
ancient Near East, Greece, Rome, and ancient Europe may
also be studied. [F,W,S]
RS 111 Religion in Asian Cultures (5)
A comparative study of the religions and cultures of India, China, and Japan.
The origins and development of selected religious traditions such as Hinduism,
Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism are examined. The
interaction between religion and various aspects of culture such as art,
literature, politics, and economics is included. [Usually S]
RS 289 Experiential Prior Learning (variable units)
Evaluation and assessment of learning which has occurred as a result of prior
off-campus experience relevant to the curriculum of the department. Requires
complementary academic study and/or documentation. Available by petition only,
on a credit, no-credit basis. Not open to postgraduate students. Interested
students should contact the department office. May not be counted toward major
or minor requirements.
RS 290 Orientation: Study of Philosophy & Religious Studies (2)
Introduction to Philosophy and Religious Studies, including requirements for the
major, computer and information competency. In addition, an exploration of
academic and non-academic careers, as well as information about graduate school
(including financial issues). Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only. [S]
RS 296/396 Human Corps Community Service I (variable units)
This course provides students a volunteer community service experience working
with nonprofit, governmental, educational or community-based service
organizations. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only.
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Upper Division
RS 301 Hebrew Bible (Old
Testament) (5)
A study of the Hebrew Bible with special attention given to the historical
development of the religion and literature of ancient Israel. Several Hebrew
literary forms are examined, including historical narrative, poetry, law,
prophecy and apocalypse, as well as the Hebrew wisdom tradition. [Alternate
years]
RS 302 New Testament (5)
The history, literature, and religion of early Christianity considered
against the background of the Greco-Roman world. The gospels and epistles of
the New Testament are analyzed and discussed. [Alternate years]
RS 311 Psychology of Religion (5)
A study of the psychological dimension of religion, Western and Eastern.
Attention is given to various psychological theories of religion, including
those of Freud, Jung, and James. Such topics as religious experience,
meditation, psychic phenomena, and the role of religion in personality
development are included. Carries credit in Religious Studies or Psychology.
[Alternate years]
RS 313 Sociology of Religion (5)
A study of the sociological dimension of religion, Western and Eastern. The
various sociological theories of religion, including those of Durkheim and
Weber, are examined. Such topics as religion and social change, the social
aspects of religious experience, and religious institutionalization are studied,
with particular attention to the function of religion in contemporary secular
societies. Carries credit in Religious Studies or Sociology. [Alternate years]
RS 332 Judaism (5)
A study of the history and literature of post-biblical Judaism from the
Maccabean Revolt to the founding of the Jewish State. Attention will be given
to major events and major movements during this period, such as Messianism,
Rabbinic Judaism, Hasidic Judaism, the Jewish Enlightenment, Zionism, and the
Nazi Holocaust. [Alternate years]
RS 335 Christianity (5)
A study of the history and literature of the Christian tradition from its
beginnings as a Jewish sect in Judea to its transformation into Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant branches.
Some attention will be given to the development of sectarian and heretical
movements. [Alternate years]
RS 338 Islam (5)
A study of the history, literature, religion, governments, and culture of
Islamic civilization from its beginnings in the Arabian desert to its spread
throughout Asia, Africa, and the Western world.
Attention will be given to tensions between traditional Islamic culture and
modern Western society. [S]
RS 342 Philosophy of Religion (5)
An examination of the following issues: the nature of religion and
religious experience, various conceptions of God, evidence for the existence of
God including the classical arguments, faith and its relationship to knowledge,
the problem of evil, the meaning and the logical status of religious language,
the possibility and nature of personal immortality. Carries credit in
Philosophy or Religious Studies. [Alternate years]
RS 343 Asian Philosophy (5)
A study of the major Confucian philosophers: Confucius, Mencius, and Hsun
Tzu; of the Taoist masters Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu; of the chief sources of Hindu
philosophy – the Upanishads, the Bhagavadgita – and the three major Vedanta
philosophies which grew out of them; and of Buddhist thought, in both the
Theravada and Mahayana (including Zen) traditions. Carries credit in Philosophy
or Religious Studies. [Alternate years]
RS 345 India (5)
A study of India’s culture, especially her religious, mythical, and artistic
expressions; the values and living patterns of her citizens; the historical
events leading up to her independence from Great Britain; and the social,
economic and spiritual effect of independence on her people. [W]
RS 348 China and Japan (5)
A study of the cultures of China and Japan. Emphasis will be placed on
their philosophical, religious, and artistic expressions, as well as on typical
oriental attitudes towards family, community, and state. The overall objective
of the course is to understand something of the Chinese and Japanese people as
they perceive themselves today, both religiously and socially. [Alternate
years]
RS 361 Mythology and Symbolism in Religion (5)
An exploration of the nature, function, and types of mythology and symbolism
in religion. Such topics as mythology and truth, symbol and reality, and
literalism versus symbolic modes of comprehension and expression are studied.
Source readings are drawn from the world religions. [Alternate years]
RS 362 Spirituality and Mysticism (5)
A study of spirituality and mysticism, including classical expressions of
mystical experience. Meditation and prayer, spiritual art and music, nature
mysticism, and what it means to live spiritually are topics typically covered.
Different traditions, both Eastern and Western, will be compared. [Alternate
years]
RS 363 Philosophy and Religion in Literature (5)
An examination of such concepts as freedom, love, morality, God, death,
afterlife, faith, and meaninglessness in novels, short stories, and poetry.
Authors include Rumi, Kabir, Tagore, Pope, Dickinson, Millay, Hopkins, Hesse,
Maugham, Greene, Camus, and Betty. Carries credit in Philosophy or Religious
Studies. [S]
RS 365 Native American Religion (5)
Religious life among Native Americans is rich and diverse. This course will
sample some of this diversity from the remote past to the present with primary
focus on North American cultures. Issues relevant to gender, ritual practice,
moral values, sacred stories and world views will be examined. Native and
non-native sources will be studied, including the experiences of individual
women and men. Native American guest speakers and video interviews will be
utilized where appropriate. [Alternate years]
RS 377 Special Studies in Religion (1-5)
Topics to be offered will be announced prior to registration. May be
repeated for different course content. [Offered irregularly]
RS 381 New Religious Movements (5)
An historical and sociological examination of popular cults and sectarian
movements in contemporary America. Among the groups this course may highlight include the Shakers,
Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons,
Unification
Church, Hare Krishna, the Nation of Islam, and the so-called religions of the
New Age. [Offered irregularly]
RS 396 Human Corps (5)
RS 401 Religion in Ancient Western Civilization (5)
An examination of Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Canaanite cultures. This
course will consider their influence upon western civilization, using such
examples as religious beliefs and practices, literature, law, government and the
development of writing. [F]
RS 444 Buddhism and Christianity in Dialogue (5)
A comparative historical, systematic and critical investigation of such
topics as the nature of ultimate reality, the meaning of life in the world,
salvation and enlightenment as presented in various Buddhist and Christian
traditions. Along with traditional materials, students will read contemporary
academic and nonacademic texts that address various aspects of this ongoing
inter-religious dialogue. [Alternate years]
RS 465 The Meaning of Death (5)
A study of various attitudes toward death and dying in world cultures.
Problems of aging, disease, euthanasia, the impact of technology on the dying,
grief, suicide and the impact of life after death are topics typically covered.
[F]
RS 477 Special Studies in Religion (1-5)
Topics to be offered will be announced prior to registration. May be
repeated for different course content. [Offered irregularly]
RS 489 Experiential Prior Learning (variable units)
Evaluation and assessment of learning which has occurred as a result of
prior off-campus experience relevant to the curriculum of the department.
Requires complementary academic study and/or documentation. Available by
petition only, on a credit, no-credit basis. Not open to postgraduate
students. Interested students should contact the department office. May not be
counted toward major or minor requirements.
RS 490 Senior Seminar (6)
Consideration of the nature of religion and of religious studies and of
various related subjects. Prerequisite: Senior Standing. [S]
RS 496 Internship in Applied Religious Studies (1-5)
Supervised field experience in applying religious studies skills in dealing
with individuals and in community organizations and institutions.
Career-oriented experience in community setting is combined with academic
activities in the college setting. Hours in the field, placement and academic
requirements such as conferences, reports, and readings are arranged in
consultation with the work supervisor and faculty supervisor. Prerequisites
vary depending on the specific internship, but enrollment is limited to students
with good academic records who are committed to understanding the religious
elements present in professional life.
RS 497 Cooperative Education (5)
The Cooperative Education program offers a sponsored learning experience in
a work setting, integrated with a field analysis seminar. The Cooperative
Education office contracts the field experience on an individual basis, subject
to approval by the department. The field experience, including the seminar and
reading assignments, is supervised by the cooperative education coordinator and
the faculty liaison (or course instructor), working with the field supervisor.
Students are expected to enroll in the course for at least two quarters. The
determination of course credits, evaluation, and grading are the responsibility
of the departmental faculty. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only.
Department will determine application of credit.
RS 499 Individual Study (1-5)
Individual program with regular consultations and/or examinations as
instructor may require. Admission with consent of department chair.
RS 577 Special Studies in Religion (1-5)
Topics to be offered will be announced. May be repeated for different
course content. Requires graduate level standing.
RS 580 Advanced Research Participation (1-5)
Individual investigation under the
supervision of an identified instructor. (Experience as a research or teaching
assistant does not count for credit.) Prerequisite: 3.0 GPA and consent of
department chair.
RS 599 Advanced Individual Study (1-5)
Special projects developed by the individual in consultation with an
identified instructor. Prerequisite: 3.0 GPA and consent of department chair.
RS 677 Special Studies in Religion (1-5)
Topics to be offered will be announced. May be repeated for different
course content. Requires graduate level standing. Top
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