This course is an introduction to the study of religion, assessing the nature of religion and methodological approaches through an examination of subject matter drawn from numerous traditions.

This course examines the history, structure, and themes of the Qur'an and analyzes the place of the Qur'an in Islamic religious thought. Students will read the entire text of the Qur'an in translation, as well as selections from medieval and modern commentaries.

This course investigates the social and historical context of first and early second-century Christianity, examines New Testament and select non-canonical documents, and introduces participants to the principal methods of New Testament studies. Students will read the 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.

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 is an investigation of the intersections between film and religion. In it, we will examine how the cultural phenomenon of religion is represented in film and how religion, understood critically and theoretically, can be a useful means to interpret film.

This course explores women and Buddhism during different historical periods and in different cultures. Through a variety of sources, this course will illuminate Buddhist concepts of gender and sexuality, views of women's spiritual capacities, the diversity of women's images, roles, experiences, concerns, and contributions in Buddhist societies, and scholarly approaches to women in Buddhism. Special attention will be given to how gender is constructed in each cultural and religious context encountered, with particular emphasis on Buddhist women in Southeast Asia.

This course examines body images and practices in diverse religious traditions around the world. Working with different methodological and theoretical perspectives, we will ask the following questions: What are bodies? How do body images perpetuate or challenge religious and social norms? What roles do bodies play in religious experience? We will generate answers to these questions by investigating a wide range of religious phenomena including healing rituals, relics, saints, fasting, asceticism, and modest dress.

We will examine the development of Islamic civilization from the time of the Prophet Muhammad to the sixteenth century. Particular attention will be paid to the political structures of the caliphates, the process of conquest and conversion, and interaction with non-Muslim cultures. Literature, art, architecture, and philosophical and scientific works of classical Islamic civilization will be used as primary sources for this course.

Continuation of Russian 101. A four-skills course, with increasing emphasis on reading and writing, that completes the study of basic grammar. Major topics include: predicting conjugation patterns, unprefixed and prefixed verbs of motion, complex sentences, time expressions, and strategies of vocabulary building. Students watch Russian films, read and discuss authentic texts.

Emphasis on increasing active command of grammar while focusing on conversational topics. Readings include poetry, short stories, and magazine and newspaper articles. Students watch and discuss Russian films. Classes are conducted mostly in Russian.