Religious Studies
Course Offerings – Fall 2011
RELI 1000
TR
1:20-2:35
Introduction to Religion - CH/G (A&S non-Western)
Fall
Religion is central in shaping human societies. While cultural differences stem from religion, many similarities find their
expression in religion. Learn about several world religions and the way each understands the world and influences its
adherents.
And Outreach
RELI 2050-01
MW
3:00-4:15
RELI 2175
TR
11:00-12:15
RELI 2225
TR
9:35-10:50
RELI 2450
Outreach
RELI 2500
MWF
10:00-10:50
RELI 3235
T
3:10-5:40
RELI 4000
W
9:00-12:00
RELI 4500-01
TR
1:20-2:35
RELI 4500-02
TR
1:20-2:35
And Outreach
RELI 4500-04
TR
2:45-4:00
RELI 4500-05
TR
2:45-4:00
Religions of Asia – CH/G
DeNapoli
This course introduces the four major Eastern religions of Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. We will study
these religions’ texts, belief systems, rituals and practices; the ultimate goals they emphasize for the adherents; and the ways
in which these Asian religions have responded and adapted to their historical, cultural, social, political, and gendered
contexts.
Teachings of Jesus
Neely
As the Christian Messiah, Jesus played an important role in western history. Nations and people took Jesus’ teachings and
applied them to their own situations. Go to the earliest evidence and investigate Jesus’ life and thoughts; study how he
expressed ideas; and how the earliest church recorded the stories.
History of Christianity
Utterback
How did Christianity rise from obscurity to dominance and then maintain that dominance over many centuries? Learn where
the Church “got it right” and where it sometimes went terribly wrong. And why is the 21st century church growing rapidly in
Africa, South America and Asia, even as European churches stand largely vacant. Cross listed with HIST 2225.
Traditional African Religion
Keller
Just as Africa is a continent of many peoples, it is also a continent of many religions. These religions divide as well as unite
the peoples. Focus on the traditional religions that originate in Africa while studying the importation and exploitation of
outside religions-especially Christianity and Islam. Cross-listed with AAST 2450
Bible as Literature
Nye
This course deals with the special status of the Bible as a sacred text and its profound influence on our culture. We learn
techniques of literary close reading, the history of text and translation, the relation of doctrine and story, narrative style and
literary form, the culture and politics of the ancient Mideast, the emergence of the Hebrews as a distinct people centered on a
book–a law--and how these all affect modes of interpretation. Cross listed with ENG 2170
Medieval Christianity
**Was previously Reli 4500.03**
Utterback
The Middle Ages, ca. 500 – 1500, saw European Christianity develop many of its most recognizable aspects, including the
papacy as a spiritual and governmental power, the crusades, persecution of Jews and religious minorities, the idea of
purgatory. These developments were hotly contested, as groups vied for power and authority, seeking control of this life and
the next. Cross listed with HIST 4990
Theory of Religion
DeNapoli
Is religion an "illusion" or a "neurosis," as Freud wrote? Is it anthropology’s "cultural system," or society's representation of
itself, or…? Examine what some of the world's most influential thinkers have said about what religion is and how it should be
studied. Warning: this capstone course is not for the intellectually faint of heart.
Bible & Archaeology
Elliott
Archaeological excavations over the last century enable us to see events and people described in the Bible in their historical
context. This course uses archaeology to illuminate the historical, theological, and cultural landscape of ancient Near East and
the Mediterranean world and to understand the texts of the Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.
Islamic World in the Pre-Modern Era
Ward
Study how Islam grew from its origins in an obscure desert town to its geographical dominance at the start of the Modern era,
when the Ottoman Empire and other Gunpowder regimes ruled from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Islamic civilization
stretched from Siberia to equatorial Africa and Indonesia. Understand the flowering of Islamic science and culture, dynasties
and empires, and the rise and fall of Islamic law and philosophy. Cross listed with HIST 3210
Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad
Ward
Christianity claims it picked up where Judaism left off in the first century. But Judaism continued its own development,
despite Christian claims. Study the history and forms of Judaism during the early centuries of the common era and learn how
it understood Scripture and how it reshaped itself against a triumphant Christianity.
Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions
Flesher
What makes a text sacred and what difference does that status make? Through reading a variety of sacred and religious
writings, this course will explore the different ways in which texts because important to the world's religions and how that
importance affects a text's use within the religion. Sacred works studied will include the Jewish and Christian Bibles, the
Book of Mormon, the Muslim Quran, the Hindu Ramayana, and Buddhist sutras.
If you would like more information or want to pursue a Major or a Minor in Religious Studies, contact the Religious Studies
department at 766-3204. Check out the Religious Studies homepage at: http://www.uwyo.edu/RelSt