The four-skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) introduction to the Russian language with the focus on communicative skills development. Major structural topics include pronunciation and intonation, all six cases, all tenses and verbal aspect. By the end of the course, students are able to sustain conversation on basic topics, write short compositions, read short authentic texts, as well as develop an understanding of Russian culture through watching, discussing and writing on movies, short stories, folk tales and poems. This is a full-year course.

This seminar surveys modern pilgrimage practices in traditional religions, new religious movements, and religion-like assemblages, such as fan scenes. In studies ranging from an ethnography of Jim Morrison’s Paris grave to a history of Birthright trips to Israel, the course examines the diverse ways that humans engage travel, shrines, and constructions of the sacred.

This course explores how American spiritual communities have produced radical social change and alternative visions for the future.

Offered as HST 271 and REL 271. Was Jesus a revolutionary socialist? Or did he preach an ethic of self-help? Is it holy to be poor? Or is prosperity a moral duty? This course focuses particularly on the relationship between religion and capitalism in the realms of economic and moral ideas, labor and working class politics, business history, and grassroots social movements.

Whether revered as the Mother of God or remembered as a single Jewish mother of an activist, Mary has both inspired and challenged generations of Christian women and men worldwide. This course focuses on key developments in the "history of Mary" since early Christian times to the present. How has her image shaped global Christianities? What does her perceived image in any given age tell us about personal and collective identities?

Offered as REL 140 and RES 140. Often portrayed as hostile to the West, Vladimir Putin and the Russia he rules remain little known. Going beyond the headlines, this course examines contemporary Russia and historical events and figures that have shaped Putin-era Russia. The course traces the culture wars that have ensued in this post-communist and post-atheist state, across historical documents, art, film, literature and journalism.

Offered as REL 125 and JUD 125. Who are the Jews? What is Judaism? How have Jews understood core ideas and texts, and put their values into practice, from biblical times until today? An interdisciplinary introduction to the dramatic story of Jewish civilization and its conversation with different cultures from religious, historical, political, philosophical, literary and cultural perspectives, organized around different themes.

Offered as BKX 202 and PYX 202. This course focuses on various professional practice aspects of publishing, including manuscript submissions, selection, poetry craft and literary citizenship, through Nine Syllables Press, in partnership with the Boutelle-Day Poetry Center. Students learn about the publishing industry and contemporary US poetry landscape. Students have the opportunity to directly participate in reading and selecting manuscripts for a chapbook to be published by Nine Syllables Press. Preference given to Poetry and Book Studies concentrators. Cannot be taken S/U.