Religious Studies Courses (RLST)

This course introduces students to religion through critical and constructive reflection.  This course focuses on three themes:  religious beliefs, major world religions with an emphasis on Christianity, and Christian theology.
Prerequisite:  ENGL 103

This course will explore the Old Testament with a special attention to the historical and cultural context in which the various books developed. Introducing and using modern critical tools for studying scripture, the course will survey the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the historical books, and the prophetic and wisdom literature and will raise questions concerning the theological meaning of the Old Testament both then and today.
Prerequisite: RLST 130

This course will explore the New Testament with a special attention to the historical and cultural context in which the various books developed.  The course will introduce modern critical methods for examining the Gospel texts, with a focus on the historical Jesus question, and will survey the other literature of the New Testament, including Paul's letters and the Book of Revelation.  The theological meaning of these books both then and now will be discussed.
Prerequisite: RLST 130

This course will trace the development of Christianity from its founding up to the Reformation.  Focusing primarily on key events in the life of church and society, this course will survey such topics as early church life and the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, the development of early doctrines about Jesus, the development of monasticism, the Christianization of Europe in the Middle Ages, the Crusades, the papacy and the Renaissance.
Prerequisite:  RLST 130

This course will survey the development of Christianity from the time of the Reformation to the present.  Covered in this course will be the Reformation, both Protestant and Catholic, the development of Protestant churches from Anglicans to Quakers, the Enlightenment and its effects on religion, and the relationship of modern democracy and capitalism to Christianity.  Special emphasis will be given the key events in Catholic history, especially the Second Vatican Council and its significance for the contemporary Church.
Prerequisite:  RLST 130

Worship and reverence are the nearly universal human responses to the presence of the divine.  This course will examine the specifically Christian response to the divine initiative in Jesus Christ: worship and liturgy through word and sacrament.  Using the Eucharist or Lord's Supper as a focus, this course will examine both the history of Christian doctrines and practices with regard to the sacraments, and the many ways in which Christians worship today.
Prerequisite:  RLST 130

This course surveys the history of religion in America, with an emphasis on the development of both American Protestantism and Catholicism from the time of the first European settlers down to the present.  The course will also survey such topics as Native American religion, Judaism in America, African-American religion, and the relationship of religion and American culture.
Prerequisite:  RLST 130

The four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are the main sources for the Christian narrative about the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus. This course will study these Gospels using the tools of contemporary historical-critical and literary scholarship in order to understand how each Gospel theologically portrays Jesus.  One of the four Gospels will be studied in depth.  Prerequisite:  RLST 130; RLST 320 recommended.

One central claim of Christianity is that God is most fully and finally revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.  This course will explore the wide range of Christian understandings of Jesus, examining first the scriptural sources, then the historical development of Christian doctrines and church teachings about Jesus and finally the writings of contemporary theologians and other thinkers.
Prerequisite:  RLST 130; RLST 320 recommended.

The Catholic Church has undergone a massive amount of change in the thirty years since the close of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). This course will examine the Council in detail in order to understand what changes it began in Catholic worship, practice and thought.  Particular emphasis will be given to the new styles of theology, which have become prevalent in the Catholic Church. Selected theologians will be read on a series of important theological issues such as God, Christ, church, ministry, etc.
Prerequisite: RLST 130

This course will examine both the process of moral reasoning and a range of contemporary moral issues using critical tools drawn from theological ethics. Drawing on Scripture, tradition, reason and the contemporary situation, the course will examine Christian ethical responses to such issues as sexuality, family life, medicine and health, the environment, business, violence, and euthanasia.
Prerequisite:  RLST 130

The mystery of God is at the heart of religion.  This course will examine the particularly Christian doctrine of God, the claim that God is One and Three, a Trinity of Father, Son and Spirit.  Beginning with the scriptural sources about the relationship of God and humanity, this course will survey the development of the Christian doctrine and the understanding of this mystery today.
Prerequisite:  RLST 130; RLST 320 and 330 recommended.

This course will introduce students to the basic teachings, practices and contemporary expressions of the major world religions.  The course is designed to facilitate understanding of differences and interactions among these religions in shaping the contemporary religious experience.
Prerequisite:  RLST 130.

This course will examine topics of special interest in the religious studies field such as Death and Afterlife in Religious Traditions, Ecclesiology, the Nature and Life of the Church, Liberation, Third World and Environmental Theology, Christian Spirituality and Faith Development, Women and Spirituality, Black Churches, History, Spirituality, and Theology, Hispanic Catholicism, Book of Revelations and Apocalyptic Literature, Prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures, Psalms, Proverbs and Wisdom Literature, etc.  Topics courses (but not specific topics) may be repeated for a total of 6 hours.

By participating in a semester-long research program, students earn credit for their degree.  Training in research methodology provides students with the opportunity to pursue this discipline by designing, implementing, and constructing a formal report on a research topic.  This course requires senior status, a cumulative 3.25 index in the major, and the approval of the Program Director.
Prerequisites: RLST 130 and RLST major.

This capstone course is designed to assist students in the integration and critical examination of the various concepts, theories, and methods of inquiry presented both in general education and the major.  Learning outcomes for both the general education program and the major are reviewed.  Course assignments assist students in assessing the degree for which learning outcomes have been mastered.  Senior standing is required.
Prerequisites: RLST 130 and RLST major.

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