For the most up-to-date list of courses offered each academic quarter, see courses.ucr.edu.

Lower-Division Courses

RLST 002 Introduction to Comparative Scripture (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Examines sacred texts of several religious traditions from a comparative perspective. Contextualizes readings in primary texts from traditions including Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, classical Confucianism, and a number of modern new religious movements.

RLST 003 Is There a Path of Joy? (3) Seminar, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Explores therapeutic wisdom traditions that make claims about how to reduce suffering and achieve fulfillment and happiness. Considers worldwide literature and rituals for their therapeutic claims. Also examines the positive psychology movement, which weds academic research to the task of individual self-help.

RLST 005 Introduction to Asian Religions (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. A survey of major religions of Asian origin including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. Emphasizes thought structures, practices, and ethics. Includes readings in the basic texts of the traditions. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST 005 or RLST 005H.

RLST 005H Honors Introduction to Asian Religions (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): admission to the University Honors Program or consent of instructor. Honors course corresponding to RLST 005. A survey of major religions of Asian origin including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. Emphasizes thought structures, practices, and ethics. Includes readings in basic texts of the traditions. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST 005 or RLST 005H.

RLST 006 Jesus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Examines the figure of Jesus from two main perspectives: historical perspectives on Jesus in his first-century context and representations of Jesus in the United States, primarily in the 19th and 20th centuries. Explains why representations of Jesus remain simultaneously so contested and so influential.

RLST 007 Jews, Christians, and Muslims (5) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. An introductory survey of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Emphasizes distinguishing characteristics, major ceremonies, foundational texts, and historical interactions. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST007, RLST 007H, or RLST 007W.

RLST 007H Honors Jews, Christians, and Muslims (5) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): admission to the University Honors Program or consent of instructor. Honors course corresponding to RLST 007 and RLST 007W. An introductory survey of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Emphasizes distinguishing characteristics, major ceremonies, foundation texts, and historical interactions. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST 007, RLST 007H, or RLST 007W.

RLST 007W Jews, Christians, and Muslims (5) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 001B with a grade of “C” or better or consent of instructor. A writing-intensive introductory survey of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Emphasizes distinguishing characteristics, major ceremonies, foundational texts, and historical interactions. Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of “C” or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student’s college permits as alternatives to English 001C. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST 007 or RLST 007H or RLST 007W.

RLST 009 Introduction to Latin American Religions (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. An introduction to religious practices, beliefs, and movements in Latin America from conquest to the present. Topics include indigenous religions and legacy, the impact of mission, evangelization, conversion, Virgin of Guadalupe devotion, Afro-Latin traditions in Cuba and Brazil, the growth of Pentecostal churches, and transnational religion.

RLST 010 Introduction to the Bible (5) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Preparation for the informed study of the Bible. Examines contemporary interpretive stances, history, methods, and major themes through the study of significant portions of the Bible.

RLST 012 Religious Myths and Rituals (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to the meanings, origins, and functions of religion; the roles of myths, rituals, and symbols; and images of transcendence. Examines religious beliefs and expressions from diverse cultural perspectives. Utilizes materials from indigenous Native (North and South) American, African American, and/or Asian American religions. Cross-listed with ETST 012. Credit is awarded for only one of ETST 012/RLST 012, ETST 012H/RLST 012H, ETST 012W/RLST 012W, or ETST 012X/RLST 012X.

RLST 012H Honors Religious Myths and Rituals (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): admission to the University Honors Program or consent of instructor. Honors course corresponding to ETST 012/RLST 012. An introduction to the meanings, origins, and functions of religion; the roles of myths, rituals, and symbols; images of transcendence; and understanding religious beliefs and expressions from diverse cultural perspectives. Utilizes source materials from indigenous Native (North and South) American, African American, and/or Asian American religions. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available. Cross-listed with

ETST 012H. Credit is awarded for only one of ETST 012/RLST 012, ETST 012H/RLST 012H, ETST 012W/ RLST 012W, or ETST 012X/RLST 012X.

RLST 012W Religious Myths and Rituals (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 001B with a grade of “C” or better or consent of instructor. A writing-intensive introduction to the meanings, origins, and functions of religion; the roles of myths, rituals, and symbols; and images of transcendence. Examines religious beliefs and expressions from diverse cultural perspectives. Utilizes materials from indigenous Native (North and South) American, African American, and/or Asian American religions. Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of “C” or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student’s college permits as alternatives to English 001C. Cross-listed with ETST 012W. Credit is awarded for only one of ETST 012/RLST 012 or ETST 012H/RLST 012H or ETST 012W/RLST 012W, or ETST 012X/RLST 012X.

RLST 012X Religious Myths and Rituals (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): admission to the University Honors Program, ENGL 001B with a grade of “C” or better or consent of instructor. Honors course corresponding to ETST 012W/RLST 012W. A writing-intensive introduction to the meanings, origins, and functions of religion; the roles of myths, rituals, and symbols; images of transcendence; and understanding religious beliefs and expressions from diverse cultural perspectives. Utilizes materials from indigenous Native (North and South) American, African American, and/or Asian American religions. Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of “C” or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student’s college permits as alternatives to English 001C. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available. Cross-listed with ETST 012X. Credit is awarded for only one of ETST 012/RLST 012 or ETST 012H/RLST 012H or ETST 012W/RLST 012W or ETST 012X/RLST 012X.

RLST 013 Religion and Democracy (5) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. A broad exploration of the complex relationships between religion and democracy. Topics may include the treatment of religion in state constitutions; the role of religion in promoting or repressing democratic governments and movements; state repression of religion; religion in social and civic activism; and religion, peace, and conflict. 

RLST 014 Religion and Science (5) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. It covers major themes in the relation of science and religion. The primary focus is on issues between science and Western religions, with attention to Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Major attention is given to creationism and Darwinian evolution. Explores religious meaning in a scientific cosmos through the study of contemporary science fiction and film.

RLST 015 Death (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Investigates the psychological aspects of facing death and dealing with dying persons; cross-cultural religious and philosophical interpretations of death (as new life, resurrection, rebirth, etc.); and medical, ethical, and legal issues such as physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST 015 or RLST 015H.

RLST 015H Honors Death (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): admission to the University Honors Program or consent of instructor. Honors course corresponding to RLST 015. An examination of three sets of issues pertaining to death and dying: psychological and experiential aspects of facing a medical crisis, illness, death, and grief; cross-cultural perspectives on the ways in which death is conceived in selected religions of the world with respect to life and claims about the afterlife; public policy issues that involve ethical, legal, and medical concerns regarding euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and hospice alternatives. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST 015 or RLST 015H.

RLST 024 Introduction to Native American Culture and Religion (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Interdisciplinary study of contemporary and historic Native American efforts to resist colonialism, with a strong emphasis on land matters, identity issues, and religious forms. Promotes critical reflection on historic and contemporary culture and politics. Cross-listed with HIST 034.

RLST 039 Introduction to African American Religions (5) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to religious practices, beliefs, and movements of African Americans from the seventeenth century to the present. Topics include black religions in North America under slavery, black churches, Black Muslims, Jewish and Spiritualist congregations, and the civil rights movement. Considers the relation of African American religion to literature and music.

RLST 044 Gods, Ghosts, and Grandparents (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Introduction to the rich diversity of Chinese beliefs and practices concerning gods, ghosts, and ancestors through primary and secondary sources. Includes oracle bone inscriptions, philosophical arguments on the existence of spirits, tomb contracts, sutra promoting the goddess Guanyin as Giver of Sons, ghost stories, and eyewitness accounts of funeral rituals. Cross-listed with HIST 044. Credit is awarded for only one of HIST 044/RLST 044 or HIST 044W/RLST 044W.

RLST 044W Gods, Ghosts, and Grandparents (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): ENGL001B with a grade of “C” or better or consent of instructor. Introduction to the rich diversity of Chinese beliefs and practices concerning gods, ghosts, and ancestors through primary and secondary sources. Includes oracle bone inscriptions, philosophical arguments on the existence of spirits, tomb contracts, sutra promoting the goddess Guanyin as Giver of Sons, ghost stories, and eyewitness accounts of funeral rituals. Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of “C” or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student’s college permits, as alternatives to English 001C. Cross-listed with HIST 044W. Credit is awarded for only one of HIST 044/RLST 044 or HIST 044W/RLST 044W.

Upper-Division Courses

RLST 100 The Problem of Religion (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): one Religious Studies course or upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of critics and defenders of religion who debate meanings and functions of religion in relation to modern challenges such as religious pluralism, secularism, and scientific inquiry. Addresses topics of assigned instructor’s expertise.

RLST 101 Religions of India (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): one lower-division course in Religious Studies or consent of instructor. An examination of the major religious traditions in India with special emphasis on Hinduism and Buddhism.

RLST 102 Contemporary Themes in Religion and Theory (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of contemporary cultural issues which pose challenges to the nature of religion and the way it is studied in the public university. Issues discussed include race, gender, power, colonialism, and religious commitment.

RLST 103 Confucian Traditions (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of Confucian thought and practice. Focuses on the classical cultivation of virtue and ritual practice, the historical spread of the tradition beyond China, and contemporary issues such as gender and human rights.

RLST 104 Sikhism (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores the social and religious evolution of Sikhism over the past five centuries, tracing its formation in North India to traditions beyond the Indian subcontinent; examines the teachings of Guru Nanak and major doctrinal developments under subsequent Gurus.

RLST 105 Religions of Japan (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): one lower-division course in Religious Studies or consent of instructor. An examination of the major religious traditions in Japan with special emphasis on Shinto and Japanese Buddhism.

RLST 106 Buddhism (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Aspects of the history and development of Buddhism in its major forms (Theraveda, Mahayana, and Vajrayana). Studies of principal sutras, biographies, ethical treatises, birth narratives, and poetry.

RLST 107 Taoist Traditions (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): AST 030/CHN 030 or upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of the ancient mystical and philosophical aspects of Taoism as well as the living religious tradition, their relationships to each other, and their expression in Chinese culture and civilization. Topics include the Tao Te Ching, the Chuang-tzu, the Taoist Canon, meditation, immortality, alchemy, and ritual. Cross-listed with AST 107 and CHN 107.

RLST 108 Modern Hinduism (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of developments in the Hindu religious tradition during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, inside and outside of India. Topics covered include the impact of colonialism and nationalism on Hinduism, the rise of neo-Hindu movements, modern Hindu “fundamentalism,” and Hinduism in the modern Western world.

RLST 109 New Religious Movements (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Analyzes the contexts in which new religions emerge, their relations with dominant religious traditions or normative cultures, and the religious content of such movements. Examines the “cult” versus “religion” debate; apocalyptic, eschatological, and millennial views of the world; the nature of charismatic leadership; regional patterns; and transnational trends.

RLST 111 Islam (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. An overview of Islam from the time of Muhammad (d. 632 A.D.) to the present. Attention is given to its distinctive beliefs and practices, its influence upon societies in which it became dominant, and its interaction with other traditions.

RLST 112 Islam in America (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores historical and contemporary dimensions of Islam in America and the way in which Islam shapes and is shaped by American politics and cultures. Introduces analytical tools for understanding Islam and contemporary ideas and practices, including conversion, migration and diaspora, knowledge production, ritual, identity politics, ethics, education, gender, and media.

RLST 113 Topics in Modern Islam (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines key issues facing Islam in the modern world such as Islam’s engagement with and reaction to nationalism, feminism, the status of sacred texts in the face of critical historical and philological studies, science, and technology.

RLST 116 Religion and Violence (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores the capacity of religion to mobilize and legitimate violence. Materials covered include theoretical texts by Rene Girard, Walter Burkert, Jonathan Z. Smith, and others, and case studies dealing with religion and violence in India, Northern Ireland, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Sri Lanka, and the United States.

RLST 117 Mythology (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A comparative study of mythic traditions from several world cultures and religions viewed from a variety of theoretical perspectives. Includes material drawn from epics, religious texts, divine hymns, creation myths, heroic legends, and concepts of the afterlife as reflected in literary and nonliterary sources. Cross-listed with CLA 112 and CPLT 112.

RLST 118 The Problem of Evil: Understanding Evil and Its Manifestations (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores the ways that Western culture and religion have defined evil. Primarily investigates religious discourses, but also considers philosophical, social scientific, and popular ideas of evil. Examines evil from the perspectives of the victim, the perpetrator, and the voyeur, and in a variety of media such as fiction, nonfiction, and film.

RLST 121 The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of the collection of books usually called the Old Testament by Christians and the Bible by Jews (the acronym T’N’CH is often used by Jews as well). The books are examined in their historical, cultural, and religious contexts, with attention to the methods of modern literary criticism.

RLST 124 (E-Z) Studies in Judaism from 70 C.E. To Modern Period (4) For hours and prerequisites, see segment descriptions. Exploration of developments in Judaism during this period, such as the collection of the Mishna, the development of the Talmud, Jewish Gnosticism, the medieval philosophers, Hassidism, the Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative movements.

RLST 124G Modern Jewish Thought: Classical Sources and Modern Influences (4) Lecture, 3 hours; consultation/reading, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Major modern thinkers including Buber, Rosenzweig, Kaplan, and Heschel among others will be studied in light of their inspirations from the Talmudic, philosophic, and mystical literature of the Jewish past and in response to the impact of Christian and secular thought of the present.

RLST 124J The Essentials of Judaism (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside reading, 3 hours, or consultation, 1 hour. An exploration of major teaching of Judaism. A brief historical background is related to central affirmations. Emphasis is placed on the historical shape of faith and contemporary dynamics of faith.

RLST 124K Zionism and Holocaust (4) Lecture, 3 hours; consultation, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): one lower-division course in Religious Studies or consent of instructor. A survey of the religious, historical, and ideological background regarding the origins of the Zionist idea and Holocaust.

RLST 126 Israel: The Jewish State (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines Zionism and the state of Israel in the period from the First Zionist Congress in 1896 to the present. Addresses religious, social, economic, and political aspects of the Jewish state. Cross-listed with HIST 127.

RLST 127 The Holocaust (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores the extermination of European Jewry during World War II. Surveys the history of the “Jewish Question”; Jewish-Christian relations; race; the systematic persecution and genocide of the Jews; and world responses to genocide. Addresses religious, philosophical, and political implications of the Holocaust, as well as continuing anti-Semitic trends. Cross-listed with HISE147.

RLST 128 (E-Z) Topics in the Bible (4) For hours and prerequisites, see segment descriptions. Academic examination of issues relating to the Bible.

RLST 128E Contemporary Views of Jesus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. An examination of contemporary ways in which Jesus has been understood by academically oriented scholarship. Particular attention is given to the question of sources and of the methods used to identify those parts of the preserved tradition that are attributed to Jesus himself.

RLST 128F Biblical Fictions (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): RLST 010; upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines artistic rewritings of biblical narratives from antiquity to the present (ancient Jewish and Christian novels, medieval plays and stories, modern films and novels) to explore the intersections of religion, culture, and society.

RLST 130 The Bible: New Testament (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. An examination of the literature and history of the early Christian movement. Attention is given to New Testament materials and apocryphal writings.

RLST 131 Jesus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A quest for the historical Jesus, using the methods of modern scholarship, and including a review of those who have dealt with the topic from Reimarus (eighteenth century) to the present.

RLST 132 Black Exodus: The Great Migration and Religious Imagination (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduces the history of the Great Migration (approximately 1910-1950) and the spiritual, occupational, and cultural diversification that ensued. Explores the impact of dislocation and urbanization on black religious and artistic production. Topics include the religious marketplace; Exodus theme, Stranger and Home; the impact of commercial culture on identity; and class and culture intersections among migrants.

RLST 133 Christian Origins (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of the social, religious, and cultural development of Christianity in its first six centuries. Particular attention paid to issues of heresy/orthodoxy, material piety, and the rise of ecclesiastical institutions.

RLST 134 Christian Martyrs, Monastics, and Mystics (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores avenues to holiness in the Christian tradition. Course materials include sources written by and about religious men and women, both as records documenting their lives and as devotional and instructional texts for others.

RLST 135A History of Christianity: Origins to the Reformation (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Surveys the history of Christianity from its origins through the Reformation. Includes the development of Christian beliefs, practices, and institutions in historical contexts. Cross-listed with HIST 130A.

RLST 135B History of Christianity: Modern Era (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Surveys the history of Christianity since 1500. Emphasizes the Christianization of Asia, Africa, and the Americas in the long colonial era. Follows developments in Christian belief, practice, and institutions up to the present. Topics include Reformation, mission, colonialism, empire, conversion, syncretism, modernity, Vatican II, and the rise of evangelical Christianity. Cross-listed with HIST 130B.

RLST 136 Augustine and Aquinas (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examination of selected writings by and about Augustine of Hippo (354-450) and Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274), whose works have had a major impact on Western religions, literature, and history. Themes addressed include the search for wisdom, the nature of happiness, what constitutes a good life, the nature of freedom and the source of evil, the existence of God, the relationships between faith and reason, the power and limits of language.

RLST 137A Religious Cultures in Early America (4) Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor; HIST 017A is recommended. An introduction to religious beliefs and practices during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the colonies that became the United States. Cross-listed with HISA 122A.

RLST 137B Religious Cultures in Modern America (4) Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor; HIST017B is recommended. An introduction to a variety of religious traditions, movements, and cultures from 1800 to the present in the United States. Cross-listed with HISA 122B.

RLST 138 Colonialism and Religions in Mexico (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Covers the survival, revival, and invention of religious traditions in ancient and contemporary Mesoamerica. Examines indigenous and immigrant religions through themes such as myths and rituals of pre-Columbian peoples; sexuality and eroticism in religion; Indian theology and theogony; Counter-Reformation Catholicism; and growing religious syncretisms. Cross-listed with LNST 138.

RLST 140 Martin, Malcolm, and Masculinity (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines the religious thought of the two most notable black religious figures of the twentieth century. Addresses the ways notions of gender lay deeply embedded within their faith, public persona, and conceptions of black freedom. Topics include black theology of liberation, masculinist rhetoric, and black feminist and womanist responses.

RLST 142 Chuang-tzu (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 1 hour; extra reading, 1 hour; term paper, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): RLST 005 or RLST 005H or AST 107/CHN 107/RLST 107 or consent of instructor. An examination of chaos, epistemological, and linguistic relativism, fate, skill, and the character of the sage in the Chinese Taoist text Chuang-tzu. Discusses the structure and style of this literary masterpiece. Students with knowledge of classical Chinese may arrange additional work through special studies. Cross-listed with AST 142 and CHN 142.

RLST 144 Buddhist Literature (4) Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Readings in canonical and non-canonical Buddhist texts. Includes Buddhist-influenced literature written by Asian, European, and American authors. Examines themes of emptiness, impermanence, and no-self. Crosslisted with AST 133 and CPLT 144.

RLST 145 Buddhism in Southeast Asia (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): RLST 106 or consent of instructor. Explores various texts, magical practices, forms of meditation, rituals, and beliefs of ancient and modern Buddhism, focusing on the ways in which they are transformed by nuns, monks, and the laity in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and California. Cross-listed with SEAS 145.

RLST 149 Southeast Asian Religions (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): one Religious Studies course or upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduces aspects of religion in various Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Provides contextualized readings featuring historical, anthropological, literary, and other disciplinary perspectives. Cross-listed with SEAS 149.

RLST 150 Islam in Southeast Asia (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduces the religious, intellectual, and cultural history of Muslim Southeast Asia. Includes Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, as well as minority communities in Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, and the southern Philippines. Examines a series of contextualized readings in translated primary sources. Approaches texts from historical, anthropological, literary, and other disciplinary perspectives. Cross-listed with SEAS 150.

RLST 151 Reading the Qur’an (4) Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of the Qur’an, Islam’s primary scripture. Examines the contexts in which the text originated. Offers critical analyses of the Qur’an and discussion of its roles in the cultural histories of Muslim societies.

RLST 155 Peace in the Middle East (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of the roots of the Middle Eastern crises. Focuses on the Arab-Israeli conflict and possible solutions toward peace. Addresses problems through historical, religious, and political lines of inquiry. Cross-listed with PHIL 155.

RLST 156 Jews and Arabs (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Traces the formation of the shared and divided history of the Jewish and Arab peoples. Focuses on the literary and institutional dimensions of this history, as well as the formation of related areas of study, such as religion, philosophy, literature, and psychoanalysis. Cross-listed with ARLC 156, CPLT 156, and MEIS 156.

RLST 157 Introduction to Arabic Literature (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. An introduction to Arabic literature that focuses on language and rhetoric. Considers major issues such as colonialism, secularism, modernity, language, and the state. Utilizes texts from literature, the law, and philosophy. Cross-listed with ARLC 155, CPLT 155, and MEIS 155.

RLST 158 Islam and Psychoanalysis (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores contemporary psychoanalytic readings of Islam to consider the relationship between Islam and Orientalism, Orientalism and psychoanalysis, and psychoanalysis and Islam. Cross-listed with ARLC 158, CPLT 158, and MEIS 158.

RLST 160 Women and Religion (4) Lecture, 3 hours; consultation, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing. Examination of attitudes toward and images of women in diverse religious traditions. Includes issues such as the presence and absence of women in leadership roles; women’s spiritual experiences; female founders of religious groups; and recent developments in feminist religious thought. Cross-listed with WMST 160.

RLST 162 Women’s Issues in Modern Muslim Thought (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): one Religious Studies course or upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduces complex religious and social issues related to the role of women in modern Islamic societies ranging from North America to Southeast Asia through an examination of Muslim writings produced during the past century. Cross-listed with WMST 162.

RLST 163 The Women of Early Christianity (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores the social roles and literary constructs of early Christian women as evidenced in the New Testament, patristic, and Apocryphal writings. Also considers the significance of those textual traditions for later Western ideas about women’s social roles, including traditional and feminist theories. Cross-listed with WMST 163.

RLST 164 Native American Religions (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines scholarly approaches to the study of Native American religions and important dimensions of the religious traditions of diverse Native American communities (Muskogees, Koyukon, Lakotas, Apaches, and others). Themes addressed include responses to historical change, ecological worldviews, moral systems, and the arts.

RLST 166 Evangelical Religion, Media, and Culture in America (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduces the history of the use of media technologies among evangelicals. Addresses the interconnections between religious productions of meaning, proselytization, and politics. Explores the ways the critical interlace of religion and media both shapes and is shaped by the ways participants understand themselves as racial, gendered, and classed subjects.

RLST 167 Religion and Film (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside screening, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines the intersections of film, religious meaning, and contemporary society.

RLST 168 Religion and Art: Image, Icon, Idol (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduces the use of sacred images in spiritual practice in diverse religious traditions and explores the visual representation of the divine in different cultural contexts. Places special emphasis on Christian and Hindu traditions but also seeks to understand why some religions reject the use of images altogether.

RLST 169 Religion and Music (4) Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines the complex intersection of sound, religion, religious experience, and culture. Explores how sacred music and varieties of sound-induced or sound-enhanced religious experience enables groups of people to construct religious meaning and understand their world. Focuses on musical forms of practices and embodied experiences of the sacred.

RLST 170 Current Issues in Religious Ethics (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): one lower-division course in Religious Studies or consent of instructor. Consideration of the ethical dimension in contemporary religious and social issues (for example, war, sexuality, sexism, racism, hunger, ecology, medical ethics). Historical and contemporary religious thought will provide resources for critical reflection on these areas of decision-making.

RLST 173 Political Religions and Religious Politics (4) Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Investigation of major themes and issues in the intersection of religion and politics, such as the sacralization of politics, religious nationalisms, sacral kingship, revolutionary asceticism, “throne and altar,” civil religion, millennialism, political myth and ritual, integralism, and the conformity of the polity to religious values. Cross-listed with POSC 109.

RLST 174 The Power of Nonviolence (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A cross-cultural exploration of the traditions of nonviolent change as fundamental worldviews and lifestyles, as strategic alternatives to war and socioeconomic oppression, and as practical forms of interpersonal and social conflict resolution.

RLST 175 Religion and Human Rights (4) Lecture, 3 hours; independent research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. An examination of selected human rights struggles with particular attention given to the role of religion. Case examples are taken from North and Latin America, South Africa, South Asia, or China, among others.

RLST 176 Peace and War (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of peace and war from diverse religious and ethical perspectives. Addresses nuclear and conventional war and revolutionary wars of liberation as ethical issues requiring social policy and personal decision. Topics include “just war,” “holy war,” nonviolence, and pacifism.

RLST 177 History of the Church in Latin America (4) Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours per quarter. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of the history of the church (e.g. Catholic, Protestant) in Latin America. Includes conquest and mission, indigenous responses to Christian conversion, the long colonial period, independence, revolution, and liberation theology movements. Explores the dynamics of church and culture, church and state, and church and social transformation. Cross-listed with HISA 168.

RLST 178 Religious Biography (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of the construction and continuing appropriation of biographical images (textual and visual narratives)in selected religious traditions. Special attention is given to problems of intertextuality and the medium of presentation in the communication of “religious” meaning. Cross-listed with CPLT 178.

RLST 179 Pilgrimage (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of pilgrimage in religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism) from sociological, anthropological, and ritual perspectives, considering constructions of time, space, community, and ethnicity. Attention is paid to the concept of colonialism and the formation of an “American” religious identity through sacred space and travel.

RLST 180 Saints and Gurus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores how religious virtuosi have shaped the religious practice and the teaching of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam in South Asia. Examines history, myth, poetry, meditation, yoga, and ritual, with a focus on how the ascetic ideal has shaped global imagination about South Asia.

RLST 184 Contemporary Christian Theologies (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of contemporary Christian theologies and schools of thought in the context of history and society. In addition to selected thinkers, the following movements are studied: orthodoxy; neo-orthodoxy; Christian existentialism; evangelical, ecumenical, secular, process, liberation, and feminist theologies.

RLST 190 Special Studies (1-5) Individual study, 3-15 hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor and department chair. To be taken to meet special curricular problems. The course is repeatable to a maximum of 16 units.

RLST 193 Senior Seminar (4) Seminar, 3 hours; written work, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Advanced undergraduate study of specific religious texts, traditions, or key underlying themes as set by the instructor. Topics vary each year.

RLST 195 Senior Thesis (1-4) Enrollment by request of the student with the approval of the Program faculty, which must be granted no later than the quarter before the course is to be taken. Maybe taken for four units only in the first or second quarter of the senior year; two more units may be taken in a subsequent quarter. Total credit may not exceed 6 units.

RLST 197 Research for Undergraduates (1-2) individual research, 3-6 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Directed individual research. Normally graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC), but students may petition the instructor for a letter grade on the basis of assigned extra work or examination. The course is repeatable to a maximum of 4 units.

RLST 198-I Individual Internship (1-6) Internship, 2-12 hours; reading and writing, 1-6 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor; consent of department chair. An individually designed, academically grounded internship that provides an opportunity for advanced majors to apply their knowledge of religion to businesses and organizations outside the university. Prior approval of the instructor and supervisor is required for units, fieldwork, and academic content. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). The course is repeatable to a maximum of 6 units.