An exploration of five salient controversies concerning the Qur’ān (the Islamic Revealed Book) and the role they played in the history of Islam.  We will investigate (1) how Muslims have explained the Qur’an’s own proclamation of its supernatural origin and its miraculous nature; (2) clarity and ambiguity in the Qur’an; (3) theories of language and revelation; (4) the Qur’an and violence/terrorism; the ideological use of the Qur’an; (5) Islamic feminisms; female liberation and the Qur’an. 

Spring 2026. Professor Jaffer.

(Offered as ASLC-245, PHIL-245, RELI-245) What is ultimately real? Does God exist? Is there such a thing as a soul? How do we know? What is beauty? What is the ideal political state?  When, if ever, is violence legitimate? This course introduces systems of metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics, philosophy of language, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy in ancient India, along with modern Indian interpreters.

What does religious studies study? How do its investigations proceed? Can a religion only be truly understood from within, by those who share its beliefs and values? Or, on the contrary, is only the person who stands “outside” religion equipped to study and truly understand it? Is there a generic “something” that we can properly call “religion” at all or is the concept of religion, which emerged from European Enlightenment, inapplicable to other cultural contexts? This course will explore several of the most influential efforts to develop theories of religion and methods for its study.

This course is a critical introduction to the literature of the earliest Christians, including the New Testament and so-called Christian apocrypha, and to the academic approaches to this literature. The distinctive concerns and literary features of individual texts will be studied in the contexts of the historical development of early Christian communities and the surrounding cultures of the Roman Mediterranean. Our focus throughout will be on the variety of interpretations of Christian scriptures as Christians encountered new social circumstances and theological developments.

This course explores what Judaism has to say about living a good life. Judaism’s teachings on responsibility, obligation, and the development of character have both particular and universal elements. They speak to Jews in their particular identity as participants in a covenant between God and the Jewish people, as well as in their universal identity as human beings (for this reason, Jewish ethical teachings have garnered interest beyond a Jewish audience). They also address ethical attention in particular and universal ways, toward the Jewish people and toward the world as a whole.

What is happiness? What is a life well lived? How is happiness connected to virtue and ethics? How are considerations of happiness and meaning connected to beliefs about the afterlife?  This course explores the basic problem of living a meaningful life by considering the wisdom of philosophers and religious thinkers from across the world, past and present. As we develop scholarly tools to address these questions, we combine a critical eye with an openness to many different conceptions of human flourishing and how they might offer possibilities for us.

Open to senior majors in Psychology who have received departmental approval. A double course.

Spring semester. The Department.

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Writing-intensive, attention to research, and attention to writing.

Open to senior majors in Psychology who have received departmental approval.

Spring semester. The Department.

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Writing-intensive, attention to research, and attention to writing.

A double course. Open to seniors majors in psychology who have received departmental approval. 

Spring and Fall semester. The department.

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Students who enroll in this class will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning and assessment. Writing attentive, attention to research, and attention to writing.

This course will be an in-depth examination of major theoretical models of psychotherapy. The course will focus on theoretical models and empirical support for the second wave (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and third wave (e.g., Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) psychotherapies. Students will examine how different psychotherapeutic approaches conceptualize mental illness and approach the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Issues related to ethics and the empirical evaluation of treatment outcomes will also be discussed.