Lower Level Coursework in Religion

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Upper Level Coursework in Religion

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Introduction to World Religions explores the sacred writings, traditions, and beliefs of the various religions of the world. The course investigates the diversity within religions and the lived experiences of participants in those religions.

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This course introduces students to lived religion in the Des Moines metro, to the principles and practices of interfaith leadership, and to the relationship between religious literacy and interfaith leadership. It includes site visits to local religious communities, the creation and screening of digital stories about personal faith/meaning experiences, and exercises in intercultural development and interfaith leadership. Additionally, it incorporates traditional classroom learning and academic scholarship about religious traditions, theory and method in the study of religion, and the western-colonial construction of “religion” and “world religion.”

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Anthropology of Religion begins with the study of the everyday religious practices of people in their local communities. Through fieldwork, anthropologists focus on the real religious worlds in which people experience religion and express it through their actions. They explore the ways people draw on religious practices to solve conflicts, attenuate uncertainty, and search for meaning, order, and power. By studying religions in everyday life, anthropologists are interested in the myriad ways religion intersects with other aspects of social/cultural life, whether economics, politics, race, gender, or history, within a cultural tradition as well as cross-culturally (the ‘holistic approach’). We will familiarize ourselves with the ways anthropologists engage with religions by reading ethnographic works and by conducting research ourselves.

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A reconstruction of the life and message of Jesus of Nazareth from the Gospels of the New Testament against the background of his Palestinian cultural and religious environment.

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This course serves as an introduction to the history of religious beliefs and practices in India (and to a lesser degree South East Asia and Tibet) with special attention to the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam. It will make some effort also to observe the contemporary practice of some of these religions in the greater Des Moines area.

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This class will introduce you to the diverse traditions of Buddhism, with a focus on (1) how Buddhist traditions change in their historical transition from India to China and (2) contemporary manifestations of Buddhism in America. We will explore Buddhist perspectives on a variety of religious and philosophical questions of enduring human concern. Experiential learning components will focus on meditation practices and visits to local Buddhist temples and/or interactions with local practitioners (when available).

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Three of the largest and oldest religions developed from the cultures of the Middle East. Although the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share similar foundations and many similar beliefs, their histories and innovations led to distinct religions that are often entangled in deep religious and political conflict. Religions of the Middle East will begin by exploring the histories and beliefs of these religions. The class will then examine two major issues that affect and are influenced by the religions of the Middle East. (These topics are open and will rotate each semester.)

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Study of contemporary ethical problems from the perspective of philosophical and religious principles. Various sections of the course may specialize in different types of ethical problems. Crosslisted with Phil 091. May be used as part of Women's Studies Concentration.

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This class explores China's major philosophical and religious traditions, or the ""Three Teachings"" of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. We look at doctrinal debates that unite and divide these three traditions, as well as at their rituals and practices. We pay special attention to how early texts discuss the effectiveness of various ritual actions. That is, how does Confucian rituality aid in moral cultivation? How does Buddhist meditation lead to enlightenment? And, what practices produce the astonishing skills of Daoist sages? Along the way, we will learn about Chinese culture and society, in both historical and contemporary contexts. Students will gain a solid foundation for continued study of China in various disciplines."

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This class serves both as an introduction to the academic field of comparative religion and as an actual comparison of several of the world's religions with respect to some question or theme (which will vary from year to year).

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This is a course about the invention of religion as a category of scholarly inquiry. It tracks the genealogy of ""religion"" and religions from ancient Rome to the present; it explores the various ways in which religion is constructed and studied by scholars of religion; and it reenacts the 1893 World Parliament of Religions, the first ever dialogue of practitioners and scholars of the world's diverse religions."

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This class serves as an introduction to the contemporary practice of philosophy of religion as well as an exercise in the comparative explanation and evaluation of religious reason-giving. Each year we will examine one particular set of religious ideas and reasons in several different religious traditions from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.

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Selected topics in the study of religion (for which there is currently no assigned course in the curriculum).

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Additional requirements: Consent of instructor.

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