'Socrates left behind no written works, but conversations with him made such a powerful impression on his contemporaries that he inspired several philosophical 'schools' as well as a new genre ('the defense of Socrates'). By examining the contradictions among several ancient portraits of Socrates, and by placing Socrates within the historical context of fifth-century Athens, we will try to understand why the Athenians thought that they should put him to death.

'Hundreds of ancient religious texts did not make it into the Hebrew Scripture (aka the Old Testament). This course examines some of these excluded writings. In particular, we will focus on works found among the Apocrypha, the Pseudepigrapha, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, We will read an ancient Harlequin romance, tour heaven and hell, hear of the adventures of fallen angels who sired giants (and taught humans about cosmetics), and learn how the world will end.

'Judaism is a 3,500-year-old tradition that has developed over time as Jewish communities all over the world creatively interacted with the different cultural and historical milieus in which they lived. This course explores the ways in which Judaism has sought to transform ordinary life into sacred life. What are the ways in which Judaism conceives of God, and what is the meaning of life? What roles do study, prayer, ethics, sex, marriage, family, rituals of the life cycle, and community play in Judaism?

'This course investigates the social and historical context of first and early second-century Christianity, examines New Testament and select noncanonical documents, and introduces participants to the principal methods of New Testament studies. Students will read the 27 works that make up most modern collections of the New Testament, a number of early Christian documents that did not make the final cut, and several ancient non-Christian sources.

'This year-long course introduces students to modern, spoken Hebrew by a systematic study of grammar and vocabulary. Emphasis will be placed on conversational Hebrew as it is spoken in Israel today. Some attention will be given to the cultural setting of modern Hebrew as well. No previous knowledge necessary.'

'This course will examine the historical and cultural creation of the Shaker society. The religious vision of an alternative society whose birth and development paralleled that of the new American nation; by contrast and by imitation, the separate Shaker route thus offers an intriguing critique of American society and its values, and an unusual laboratory for examining a religious community based on a dual godhead.'

'Despite the biblical prohibition against 'graven images' there exists a rich history of Jewish religious art and aesthetics. This course will study ancient Israelite art and archeology, including the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the extraordinary mosaic floors and frescoes of early synagogues throughout the Mediterranean world, medieval illuminated Hebrew manuscripts and printed book culture, synagogues of later periods, including the wooden synagogues of Eastern Europe, and Judaic ritual objects of many types.

'Despite the biblical prohibition against 'graven images' there exists a rich history of Jewish religious art and aesthetics. This course will study ancient Israelite art and archeology, including the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the extraordinary mosaic floors and frescoes of early synagogues throughout the Mediterranean world, medieval illuminated Hebrew manuscripts and printed book culture, synagogues of later periods, including the wooden synagogues of Eastern Europe, and Judaic ritual objects of many types.

'Some scholars have argued that there is no such thing as 'Buddhism' in the singular, but only 'Buddhisms' in the plural. This course introduces students to select historically and culturally diverse forms of Buddhism, including Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhism, Japanese Zen Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism. The course pays particular attention to modern (and modernist) reinterpretations of Buddhism, including contested views of gender.'

'Hundreds of ancient religious texts did not make it into the Hebrew Scripture (aka the Old Testament). This course examines some of these excluded writings. In particular, we will focus on works found among the Apocrypha, the Pseudepigrapha, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, We will read an ancient Harlequin romance, tour heaven and hell, hear of the adventures of fallen angels who sired giants (and taught humans about cosmetics), and learn how the world will end.