Introductory Courses

REL 110 The Nature of Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
This introductory course considers what is distinctively religious about religions. Using a combination of in depth case study and cross-cultural comparison, it introduces the student to recurrent themes, forms and structures of religion, considering such topics as: the nature of myth and ritual; sacred time and sacred space; gods, spirits and ancestors; as well as the roles of shaman, prophet, and priest.

REL 111 Approaches to Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
A modern critical study of religion using a variety of methods to further understanding of the role of religion in personal and social life. Approaches include those of philosophy, psychology, the arts, history, sociology, and anthropology. Readings are from a variety of differing religious traditions.

Theoretical Studies

ANTHC 307 Anthropology of Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Examination of religions in their cultural settings with emphasis on non-western societies. Analysis of theories about the nature of religion and magic, cultural and psychological function, symbolic meanings, interrelationships with other cultural patterns and cross-cultural comparisons.

GEOG 348 Geography of Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Geographic view of religion and religious phenomena. Origin, diffusion, distribution. Pilgrimages. Environmental impact. (Prereq: GEOG 101 or REL110 or REL111 or permission of the instructor.)

PHILO 262 Philosophy of Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
A study of some of the major world religions, including writings from Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. We shall examine how each religion endeavors to pursue the Ultimate in its own way. Emphasis will be placed on the unity underlying the different religions as well as the specific uniqueness of each. The texts for Hinduism and Taoism will be classic, those for Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism will be twentieth century. (Prereq: one course in philosophy or religion.)

SOC 205 Sociology of Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
This course will equip the student with the basic concepts in the sociology of religion. Secularization, concepts in Protestant ethics, church/ sect/ denomination, etc., will be discussed. Prereq SOC 101 or Permission of the instructor.

REL 270 Religion and Psychology (W) (3 firs., 3 crs.)
"Every statement about God is a statement about the human person, and every statement about the human is a statement about God." This course will examine the complementarity between religion and psychology in many aspects of the human person through the media of selected text, film, and story.

REL 260 Special Topics: Theoretical Studies in Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Specialized study of a methodological approach to the study of religion. Different topic offered each time.

REL 360 Special Topics: Theoretical Studies in Religion (W) (3hrs., 3 cr.)
Specialized study of a methodological approach to the study of religion. Different topic offered each time.

REL 390 Modern Theories in Religion (W) (3hrs., 3 cr.)
An advanced methodology course surveying key issues and main approaches under discussion in the current study of religion when standard methods of interpretation are being subjected to exhaustive critique and revision and new theories are being proposed. (Prereq: ENGL 120; REL 111 or its equivalent; and at least one other course in religion or one of the theoretical courses offered in one of the participating departments such as ANTHRO 307, PHILO 262, or SOC 205; permission of instructor required to register.)

Issues in Religion

REL 204 Religious Experience (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Here the emphasis is not on doctrines of religion, but on central experiences that underlie the institutions of religion. Readings are drawn from a variety of cultures: from ancient writings to contemporary ones; from religious traditions and from outside religious systems as such. Most of the readings concern the experiences themselves, in material such as the Australian initiation rites, Islamic and Native American rituals, The Epic of Gilgamesh, biblical narratives, the enlightenment of the Buddha, mystical experiences, the journals of Etty Hillesum. Work by several theorists will also be read. Questions will include: What is the experience like? What is "religious" experience? How does the experience affect people and their lives?

REL 205 Faith and Disbelief (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
An examination of questions raised in religious faith and in disbelief, concentrating particularly on the challenge to religion made by existentialism. Among the authors to be read are both critics and defenders of religion: Camus, Buber, Kierkegaard, Teilhard de Chardin, Sartre, Nietzsche, Tillich, and Bonhoffer.

REL 206 Ideas of God in Contemporary Western Thought (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
How does contemporary Western theology understand faith in God? What is meant--or ought to be meant--by the word "God"? How does the reality of evil figure into faith? Answers to these questions will be our primary focus as we read works by representative Jewish, Christian, and heterodox religious thinkers since World War II. Examples will be drawn from liberal, process, feminist, and radical perspectives, among others.

REL 207 Religious Sources for Morality (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Ethics has been defined as the tension between that which "is" and that which "ought" to be. This course will focus on the origin of the "ought": How do we decide what is good and evil? What are the sources of our understanding of what ought to be? Are these sources religious? Have they to do with belief in God? (What do we mean by "religion" and by God"?) Reading will be in Buber, The Book of Job, Genesis, Psalms, The Gospel of Matthew, Wiesel, Kant, Kierkegaard, and Tillich.

REL 208 Religion in Social Justice (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
While all religions agree that securing a socially just world is a 'constant occupation,' they disagree as to the concrete nature of that vocation. This course is designed to examine contemporary religious reflection on four social issues: war, race, the economy, and gender relations. The issues will be approached from as many sides as possible, examining them in light of the attitudes they reveal about God, society, and justice. The course will focus primarily on readings from a range of different traditions, in large part to illustrate the plurality of perspectives that exist.

REL 307 Religious ideas in Literature (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Storytelling has been a nurturing and necessary activity of the human species, and a primary medium for conveying religious inquiry and insight. Through careful reading, discussion, and student essays, this class will consider the inquiry into key religious issues--e.g., the human condition and possibilities of transformation, divine justice, the sacred and society, alienation and meaning--in novels, short stories, and plays by authors such as Dostoyevsky, Unamuno, Camus, Lagerkvist, Malamud, Baldwin, O'Connor, Endo, and Atwood. (Auditors require permission of the instructor to register.)

REL 308 Religion and the Arts (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
The arts have always been a medium for transforming spiritual beliefs, from prehistoric figurines to William Blake’s mystical paintings. Even in today’s society, the arts serve as a vehicle for religious expression, reflecting not only the individual’s experience with the sacred but society’s view of what art constitutes and how religion should be depicted. But how did we get to this point? We shall examine the relationship between religion and sculpture, painting, dance, theater, decorative arts, music and, finally, photography and film from a chronological and cross-cultural perspective.

REL 309 The Religious Meaning of Sex and Love (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Sex remains one of the great powers in human life to which religion has not been indifferent. This cross-cultural and interdisciplinary course asks about the relation between the religious and the erotic, inquiring into such issues as: what lies behind speaking of the gods as sexual and/or loving; what lies behind speaking of faith as a matter of 'loving' God; what rationales underlie the various religious codes of sexual ethics? In short, what are the connections among the love of God, the love for God, and sexual love between human beings--in both historical and contemporary religion?

REL 310 The Religious Meaning Of Death (W) (3hrs.,3cr.)
The fact of death is at the center of the study of religion. The meaning one gives to death often determines the direction of one's life. This course will explore the various meanings which different cultures in different historical periods have discovered in the reality of death. Attention will also be given to contemporary formulations. Material studied will be cross-cultural and interdisciplinary. Discussion will center on the assigned readings.

REL 311 Women and Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
The focus is on contemporary feminist theologies. Feminist students of religion contend that male-defined traditions have set the patterns of religious and societal life, without adequate attention to women's experiences, insights or participation. The course focuses mainly on the traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (some other traditions are included and welcome from the class), and explores the what and why of patriarchy, the power of symbols, feminist sources and methods for doing theology, as women reclaim their traditions or envision new ones, with new models for the sacred, the self and society.

REL 312 Religion and Politics (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
This course examines the interplay between religion and politics: how religious beliefs influence politics and how historical, cultural, and social factors affect religious views. Examined are contemporary situations in which religion is playing a visible role in the aims and understandings of political purposes. Included are "fundamentalist" movements in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and theologies of liberation in Latin America, U. S. Black Churches, and the feminist movement. The religious foundations and historical backgrounds of each movement will be considered, as will the present religious perspectives and interpretations of tradition that underlie specific political positions.

REL 313 Spirit and Nature (W) (3 hrs., 3 cr.)
The religious traditions of the world give expression to--and are frequently the supports for--many of our attitudes towards the natural world; both conscious and unconscious. The religious traditions treated in the course are chosen to present a typology of the different ways religions have conceptualized and thereby evaluated nature and animal life; whether, for example, the human is conceptualized as being kin to nature (as among Australian Aborigines and Native Americas), or part of nature (e.g., Taoism and Buddhism), or indeed "above" nature (e.g., the Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). At the same time, the course is rounded out by an exploration of religious grounds for and against vegetarianism.

REL 315 The Problem of Evil (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Is it possible to say that we are living in an "age of evil," that the events of our time reveal the presence of a "spirit of evil" in our midst? What does religion have to say about such a phenomenon? How does religion think about and define evil? Who or what is responsible? Can anything be done about it? These are the questions this course will address by way of Eastern and Western religious materials.

REL 334 Mysticism (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
A critical analysis of the patterns and nature of mystical experiences. Analyzing mystical reports and writers from a variety of traditions and eras, we will explore the nature of the transition processes which lead to these experiences and the experiences themselves. We will also ask of the commonalities and differences of the thoughts of mystics, and explore several typologies of them. Finally, we will look at the very lively contemporary debate about these experiences, focusing on the question of the role of language, background, and expectations in mystical experiences.

REL 335 Myth and Ritual (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
What does a ritual do for its practitioners? How does it do it? What does the recitation of a myth do for people? Does a ritual or myth bring or express the infinite to its participants? What is the relationship of ritual or mythical events to people’s ordinary lives? The course, which assumes a working knowledge of more than one religious tradition, will look at rituals and myths from a variety of traditions including our own “secular” life. Focusing on the motifs of “heroes” and “goddesses,” we will identify and explore patterns of ritual/mythical life, and ask of their philosophical, social, psychological and theological significance.

REL 340 Homosexuality in World Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
This course surveys and analyzes typical ways in which homosexuality has been understood, evaluated and, in some cases, institutionalized in a variety of religious traditions, attending especially to implicit constructions of gender.

REL 261 Special Topics: Issues in Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Study of particular religious topics or thinkers. Different subject each time offered.

REL 361 Special Topics: Issues in Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Study of particular religious topics or thinkers. Different subject each time offered.

Religious Traditions

REL 251 Eastern Religions (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
In an age of increasing encounter between very different cultures, it is critical that we attempt to understand religious traditions that are not historically our own. In this course we will encounter primarily the religious traditions of India (Hinduism and Buddhism) and China (Confucianism and Taoism). Readings are in sacred texts and secondary sources.

REL 320 Hinduism (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
A study of the nature of Hinduism and its development, literature, philosophy, and religious practices. Readings in such traditional texts as the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita, as well as in modern texts,will explore Hinduism's understanding of God, human beings, the feminine principle, society and community, time and history, and we shall study how these understandings develop from 2000 BCE to the 21st century.

REL 321 Buddhism (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Study of Buddhism, its development, literature, and religious practices. We will begin with the life story of the Buddha and explore his teachings as they developed from their beginnings in Theravada and expanded as Mahayana, Vajrayana, Zen, and various other contemporary expressions.

REL 324 Islam and Buddhism (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
A constructive study of Buddhism and Islam, two dynamic world religions propagating differing world views. In the past, they have had historical interactions with one another. This course is an examination of their founders, their development, their major texts, their beliefs and rituals. Special attention is given to their historic collisions and to the manner in which they have met the challenges posed by the different cultural and geographic contexts they have encountered. Their contrasting appeals for contemporary Americans are considered.

REL 366 Zen (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
An inquiry into the complex nature of Zen--thought by some as the essence of Buddhism, by others as a Buddhist-Daoist hybrid-- this course focuses on the intellectual difficulties in understanding a teaching which represents itself as "beyond words and phrases."

PHILO 234 Asian Philosophies (3hrs., 3cr.)
Some of the principal movements in Asian thought. Readings will be selected from Buddhist, Brahmin, Taoist, and Confucian works: emphasis may be placed on Indian, Chinese, Japanese, or Tibetan writings. Some general comparisons with Western ideas may be made. (Prereq: one course in Philosophy or Religion.)

BLPR 220 African Spirituality in the Diaspora (3hrs., 3cr.)
An investigation into the nature and expression of unique ethos which made for survival of Afro-American humanity. This course helps to answer questions of cultural identity for people of African descent by demonstrating in what ways we are African, and looking at the results of the confrontation between African and European culture in New Europe.

REL 256 Afro-Caribbean Religions (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
This course is a survey of some of the most salient forms of African-based religions in the Caribbean and South America, and in New York City. The course will include some consideration of the transformations that have occurred in the journey of the belief systems from Africa to the New World, but the focus of the course will be on the integrity of the Afro-Caribbean forms of religion. The course will include not only attention to beliefs, but to art and ritual forms in which these religions have expressed themselves. In addition, the course will raise the question of the ongoing appeal of these religions.

BLPR 323 Islam and Christianity in Africa (3hrs., 3cr.)
This course is designed as a panoramic survey of the effects of Islam and Christianity as they interact with traditional religious beliefs on the peoples of Africa. The course will start with the earliest contact of the Judeo-Christian religion with Africa,which, many people believe, dates back to the reign of King Solomon and the establishment of the Ethiopian Coptic Church. Special attention will be paid to some fundamental issues such as the rise of the nativistic (separatist, independent) churches, the phases of Islamic expansion and Islamic culture zones in Africa, and the religious life of African Muslims. We will examine the stance of Christianity and Islam on some basic issues such as race, social justice, and women's liberation.

BLPR 420 The Black Church and Social Change (3hrs., 3cr.)
A historical and sociological examination of the evolution of the Black Church in the United States: the founders and their ideas, the dynamics of organization and the role of the church, over the years, in social change. An inquiry into the nature of the relationship between religious thought and revolution as a response to problems of colonialism, oppression and slavery.

REL 255 Religions of Two Gods (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
This course explores religious traditions which conceive of the world as constituted by mutually exclusive, and indeed antagonistic, realities. Gnosticism and Manichaeanism were once historically potent movements, but are no longer practiced. Others, like Zoroastrianism and Jainism, are not only of historical importance, but still claim adherents. Dualistic currents of thought also manifest themselves in non-dualistic contexts. This course examines the major historical dualistic religions--and some of theological dualism's historical and contemporary step-children--to understand what accounts for the appeal of dualistic understanding and to appreciate the motivations behind the lifestyles to which they have characteristically given rise.

REL 252 Ancient Near Eastern Religions (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
This course is a survey of the basic history and of the most significant aspects of the religions of the major Near Eastern peoples in the Bronze Age (8000BCE-3000 BCE), including the Egyptians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, Canaanites, and Israelites. The magnificent civilizations that they built had an enormous influence on subsequent human culture. This course is based on primary material, of both archeological and literary natures, and will discuss the most important texts produced by religious and secular sources.

REL 253 Western Religions (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Introduction to fundamental religious ideas in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, focusing on the essential sacred texts in the Bible and the Qur'an. Attention is given to the influence of dualistic thought from Zoroastrianism and Gnostic systems, and to some mystical and contemporary interpretations.

HIST 210 History of Judaism (3hrs., 3cr.)
An introduction survey of the development of the Jewish religious tradition from its origins to the present, with special attention to the interaction between Judaism and other civilizations, ancient, medieval, and modern, and to the role of Judaism in the formation of Christianity and of Islam.

HIST 309 Jewish History in the Ancient World (3hrs., 3cr.)
The Jewish people from origins to late antiquity; social, economic, and intellectual developments from the Biblical to the Talmudic periods. (Not open to freshmen.)

HEBR 290 Biblical Archeology (3hrs., 3cr.)
Comprehensive study of ancient Israelite history as reflected in Biblical and ancient Near Eastern sources, and as illuminated by archeological discoveries in Israel and the Near East. Course begins with the patriarchal period and ends with the Israelite settlement of Canaan. Readings and lectures in English.

HIST 310 Jewish History in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods (3hrs., 3cr.)
The Jewish people from late antiquity to the 17th century; social and legal status under Islamic and Christian rulers; religious and intellectual movements. (Not open to freshmen.)

HIST 320 Jewish History in the Modern World (3hrs., 3cr.)
After describing the social, economic, and religious features of Jewish life in Christian and Muslim lands in the 15th-18th centuries, the course deals with the changes and crises in Jewish history during the modern era, political and economic forces on the Jewish people, the rise of Jewish nationalism, Zionism, and Jewish socialism, the spread of virulent anti-Semitism, and Jewish migrations to America and Palestine. The last part of the course focuses on the Nazi holocaust of World War II, the establishment of the state of Israel, and the condition of other Jewries at present.

REL 322 Islam (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
An introduction to the major concepts, practices, and texts of Islam, as well as an examination of the life and faith of the prophet Mohammed. A study of Islam's origin in its own sociocultural framework, its ideologies, ethos, and ethics, as well as its adaptive changes and reinterpretations in the course of history, including its status in the modern world as one of the most populous and wide-spread religions.

REL 337 Sufism (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Within the Muslim community, Sufism has been alternatively regaled as being profoundly un-Islamic and hailed as the completion of the Straight Path which is Islam, by supplementing right action and belief with matters of the heart. While considering the origins of Sufism within Islam, this course concentrates on Sufism in its integrity, focusing on the nature of Sufi path, its historical transformations, and its theological-doctrinal and metaphysic underpinnings. Thus, the course offers the student an opportunity to explore the continuities of Sufism with more conventional forms of Islam as well as its innovativeness, but importantly concentrates on an 'appreciation' of the Sufi path in its own right.

CLA 303 Religion of Ancient Greece (3hrs., 3cr.)
The nature of Greek mythology and its relationship to religious experiences and practices, oracles and mysteries. A study with modern theoretical analysis of official rites, family cults, private rituals, and the relations of all classical sources.

CLA 304 Pagans and Christians (3hrs., 3cr.)
Discussion of the various religious forces and ideas in the Later Roman Empire, both East and West; the collisions and compromises, the amalgams of religion and politics which influenced Christianity. Readings from primary sources, both pagan and Christian, both Eastern and Western, in translation.

REL 323 Christianity (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
An upper level introduction to the liturgical, doctrinal, and spiritual heritage of the various forms of Christianity.

REL 330 New Testament Religion (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
A scholarly consideration of the religion of the New Testament and earliest Christianity. Examination of the theological interest of the authors of the books of the New Testament in order to consider the major facets of New Testament religion: the mystery of Jesus Christ, Paul's mission and message, ethics, the relation to the Law of Judaism, salvation theology, and apocalyptic thinking. Reading in the New Testament and secondary sources.

REL 333 Christian Theology (W) (3hrs., 3cr,)
Every religious tradition pauses to reflect upon its central religious experience; "theology" is the articulate expression of this reflection. In this course, we will examine the Christian form of theology with regard to key doctrines in key works: the doctrines of Trinity, Incarnation, existence of God, and Grace – by way of a range of Christian theologians from the 5th century Agustine to the 20th century Barth.

HIST 314 Ancient and Medieval Christianity (3hrs., 3cr.)
A history of the Christian religion from the birth of Christ, ending before the Protestant Reformation. For the period after about 500 A.D., the course will focus primarily on the development of the Roman church in Western Europe. Our approach will be historical with the development of Christian theology viewed as response to the changing needs of the church over a long period of time. The history of church discipline and ecclesiastical institutions will be studied in the context of development of European civilization with emphasis on social, economic, and psychological impact of the church upon the people of the West.

HIST 316 History of Religion in the United States (3hrs., 3cr.)
Selected topics in American religious history including the changes in European religions in an American environment; and the relationship of churches to other aspects of American history. (Not open to freshmen.)

REL 254 Tribal Religions: From Australia to the Americas (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
An examination of the traditional religions of Australia, the Pacific Islands, and North America. Study of the theological implications of myths and rituals (ideas of God, good and evil, humanity and the world), consideration of social values and the role of the individual in relation to the group, discussion of the meaning found in life and in death in traditional cultures.

REL 262 Special Topics: Religious Traditions (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Different topic each time offered. Specialized study of specific tradition or groups of religious traditions.

REL 362 Special Topics: Religious Traditions (W) (3hrs., 3cr.)
Different topic each time offered. Specialized study of specific tradition or groups of religious traditions.

REL 410 Independent Study in Religion (3 hrs., 3cr.)
Independent research and writing on a specific topic within the field under the supervision of a Religion professor. (Prereq: permission of Program Director; majors only.)

REL 450 Seminar in Religion (3 hrs., 3cr.)
Specialized studies in Religion. Different topic each time offered. May be taken a second or third time with another subject. (Prereq: Five courses in Religion; Permission of Program Director required; for majors or CUNY-BA students focusing in religion only.)

REL 490 Honors Tutorial in Religion (3hrs., 3cr.)
Individual research and writing on a specific topic within the field under the direction of the Honors Committee of the Program in Religion. This course may be taken as a one semester 3 or 6 credit, or as two consecutive 3 credit courses. (Prereq: Permission of Program Director; majors only.)

Related Courses

ANTHC 306 Folklore and Myth (3hrs., 3cr.)
Introduction to the comparative study of folklore with particular emphasis on myths and other types of oral literature including fairy tales, Chelm stories, toasts, soundings (ritual insults), riddles and jokes. Various approaches to the study of folklore and oral traditions will be examined, especially the structural analysis of Levi-Strauss, and the recent developing interest of folklorists in performance through films of actual Yanammamoll myth performances. Students will be encouraged to collect samples of folklore with which they are familiar or in which they are interested as a basis for their term papers.

BLPR 141 Puerto Rican Folklore (3hrs., 3cr.)
This course is a study of the main expressions of Puerto Rican folklore; traditional 'beliefs, legends, customs, feasts, religious rites, popular poetry, and typical music. Also develops researches around the folkloric transplantations among the Puerto Ricans who live in New York.

CHIN 111 Chinese Culture (3hrs., 3cr.)
Introduction to Chinese cultural tradition, with emphasis on Pre-Chin period, the Age of Philosophers and classics: Confucius, Lao Tzu, Mencius, Hsun Tzu, Han Fei Tzu, among others. Lectures and readings in English.

CHIN 112 Chinese Culture II (3hrs., 3cr.)
Emphasis on modern transformation against background of classical tradition. Lectures and readings in English. Not currently given.

CLA 101 Classical Mythology (3hrs., 3cr.)
Greek and Roman myth as represented in ancient art and literature, with emphasis on modern interpretation and theories.. Especially recommended to those interested primarily in modern literature, whether English or foreign or in art.

CLA 302. Comparative Backgrounds of Classical Mythology (3hrs., 3cr.)
An exploration of the mythological systems that bear on classical mythology, including Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Sumerian, Babylonian, Hittite, Ugaritic and Celtic myths. Reading of the ancient sources in translation and of modern theoretical analysis. Especially recommended to those students who have taken CLA 101.

HEBR 288 Ancient Hebraic Folklore (3hrs., 3cr.)
A survey of general trends and intensive study of specific examples of folk beliefs, folk practices, and folk literature as preserved or reflected in the Hebrew Bible, apocryphal literature, and Rabbinic texts. Special emphasis will be placed on the comparative study of ancient Hebraic folklore in the light of cross- cultural parallels. All texts will be read in English.

HEBR 295 Ancient Hebraic Law (3hrs., 3cr.)
Historical and comparative study of Biblical and Rabbinic law. Readings and lectures in English.

HEBR 290 Biblical Archeology (3hrs., 3cr.)
Comprehensive study of ancient Israelite history as reflected in Biblical and ancient Near Eastern sources, and as illuminated by archeological discoveries in Israel and the Near East. Course begins with the patriarchal period and ends with the Israelite settlement of Canaan. Readings and lectures in English.

HEBR 296 Dead Sea Scrolls in English (3hrs., 3cr.)
Close study of the major Dead Sea Scrolls in English translation, e.g.; the "community rule," sectarian hymns, Biblical manuscripts, and Biblical commentaries. The historical background of the sect at Qumran will be studied from contemporary literary evidence as well as archeological excavation at the site. The Scrolls will be considered from the standpoint of their historical, literary, and religious content, as well as their significance for the history of Judaism and Christianity. Special attention will be given to parallels between the Scrolls and the New Testament.