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

Lower-Division Courses

RLST 001 Sex, Sin, and Scripture 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; individual study, .5 hours; term paper, .5 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to the academic study of religion. Engages the study of religion thematically, thinking through taboos and injunctions as they are related to specific social and historical contexts. Examines global religious beliefs and practices from diverse cultural perspectives. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST 001 or RLST 001H.

RLST 001H Honors Sex, Sin, and Scripture 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours; individual study, .5 hours; term paper, .5 hours. Prerequisite(s): admission to the University Honors Program or consent of instructor, Honors course corresponding to RLST 001. An introduction to the academic study of religion. Engages the study of religion thematically, thinking through taboos and injunctions as they are related to specific social and historical contexts. Examines global religious beliefs and practices from diverse cultural perspectives. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available. Credit is awarded for only one of RLST 001 or RLST 001H.

RLST 002 Introduction to Comparative Scripture 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to the comparisons of Scripture. Includes Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Also addresses a number of the 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 literatures and rituals for their therapeutic claims. Also examines the positive psychology movement, which weds academic research to the task of individual self-help.

RLST 004 Religion, Society, and Culture 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Introduction to the study of religion through the lenses of sociology and cultural studies. Explores the mutual influence of religion and social institutions, politics, social movements, and popular culture. Topics may include pluralism, new religious movements and “spirituality”, popular culture, social power, and politics. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 004 or RLST 004H.

RLST 004H Honors Religion, Society, and Culture 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): admission to University Honors; or consent of instructor. Honors course corresponding to RLST 004. Introduction to the study of religion through the lenses of sociology and cultural studies. Explores the mutual influence of religion and social institutions, politics, social movements, and popular culture. Topics may include pluralism, new religious movements and “spirituality”, popular culture, social power, and politics. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 004H or RLST 004.

RLST 005 Introduction to Asian Religions 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to Asian religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. Credit is awarded for one of the following 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 University Honors; or consent of instructor. Honors course corresponding to RLST 005. An introduction to Asian religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 005H or RLST 005.

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 investigations of Jesus in his first-century context and modern representations of Jesus in the United States.

RLST 007 Jews, Christians, and Muslims 5 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Surveys the history, institutions, theologies, and representations of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Includes distinguishing characteristics, foundational texts, interpretive traditions, rituals, material culture, ethics, political ideologies, and historical interactions of the three religious traditions. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 007 or RLST 007H.

RLST 007H Honors Jews, Christians, and Muslims 5 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 2 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): admission to University Honors. Honors course corresponding to RLST 007. Surveys the history and contemporary religious institutions and representations of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Includes distinguishing characteristics, foundational texts, interpretive traditions, rituals, material culture, ethics, political ideologies, and historical interactions. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 007H or RLST 007.

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

RLST 011 Islam and Feminism 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; written work, 1 hour; term paper, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Focuses on the intersections between Islam and feminism. Topics include feminist interpretations of the Qur’an, Muslim women’s movements and activisms in Islamic and nonIslamic societies, and the complex interactions between the nation-state, religion, gender, and sexuality. Cross-listed with GSST 012, and MEIS 012. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 011, GSST 012, MEIS 012, GSST 012H, MEIS 012H, or RLST 011H.

RLST 011H Honors Islam and Feminism 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Honors course corresponding to RLST 011. Focuses on the intersections between Islam and feminism. Topics include feminist interpretations of the Qur’an, Muslim women’s movements and activisms in Islamic and nonIslamic societies, and the complex interactions between the nation-state, religion, gender, and sexuality. Cross-listed with GSST 012H, and MEIS 012H. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 011H, GSST 012H, MEIS 012H, GSST 012, MEIS 012, or RLST 011.

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 or ETST 012H/RLST 012H.

RLST 012H Honors Religious Myths and Rituals 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): admission to University Honors 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. Crosslisted with ETST 012H. Credit is awarded for only one of ETST 012/RLST 012 or ETST 012H/ RLST 012H.

RLST 013 Religion and Democracy 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. 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. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 013 or RLST 013H.

RLST 013H Religion and Democracy 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): admission to University Honors. Honors course corresponding to RLST 013. 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. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 013H or RLST 013.

RLST 014 Religion and Science 5 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Covers major themes in the relation of science and religion. Addresses issues between science and Western religions focusing on Islam and Buddhism. Includes in-depth study of creationism and Darwinian evolution. Explores religious meaning in a scientific cosmos through the study of the contemporary world.

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 (such as new life, resurrection, and rebirth); and medical, ethical, and legal issues such as physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 015 or RLST 015H.

RLST 015H Honors Death 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): admission to University Honors 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 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 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 016 Sexuality and Religion in Global Perspective 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Introduces sexuality studies within the comparative study of religion, rooted in the theoretical frameworks of gender and sexuality studies. Explores the central themes of transnationalism and global dynamics of power. Focuses on critical heterosexuality studies with some LGBT studies and an underlying queer studies perspective. Crosslisted with GSST 016. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 016, GSST 016, GSST 016H, or RLST 016H.

RLST 016H Honors Sexuality and Religion in Global Perspective 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): admission to University Honors; or consent of instructor. Honors course corresponding to RLST 016. Introduces sexuality studies within the comparative study of religion, rooted in the theoretical frameworks of gender and sexuality studies. Explores the central themes of transnationalism and global dynamics of power. Focuses on critical heterosexuality studies with some LGBT studies and an underlying queer studies perspective. Crosslisted with GSST 016H. Credit is awarded for one of the following RLST 016H, GSST 016H, GSST 016, or RLST 016.

RLST 019 Black Religion in the United States 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Introduction to religion in the experiences of Black people in the United States. Topics include Black religion in the social imagination, in ritual, the arts (e.g., African American spirituals, literature), Black Nationalism, social change, and queernesses in Black religion. Engages primary sources for examining religious contributions in society. Cross-listed with BLKS 019. RLST 024 Introduction to Native American Culture and Religion 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. 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 044 Gods, Ghosts, and Grandparents 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. 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.

RLST 067 Language and Text in Contemporary South Asian Religions 4 Seminar, 3 hours; written work, 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Prepares to undertake independent research of literary sources in contemporary South Asian religious traditions, as well as navigating impacts of Hindi and Urdu linguistic traditions. Focuses on the modern linguistic landscape of Hindustani (hybrid Hindi/Urdu) within the context of religious and culturally revered literary texts. Cross-listed with AST 067.

RLST 068 Language and Text Inner Asian Religions 4 Seminar, 3 hours; written work, 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Focuses on classical linguistic landscape of Tibetan and, in some years, classical Mongolian within the context of religious and culturally revered texts and literary practices. Introduces students to advanced study of major classical language and literature. Cross-listed with AST 068.

RLST 098 Religion of Modern China 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Examines religions of modern China from Ming to the present. Considers religion and its relationship to politics, society, and culture in the imperial, republican, and communist contexts and the American diaspora. Engages with both heterodox and “mainstream” or “officially sanctioned” traditions while evaluating the factors that merit labels. Upper-Division Courses

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; 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 Decolonizing Religion 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours; research, 2 hours; term paper, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior. Introduces the constitution of the Western category of religion as it was (and is) fortified through colonial encounter. Engages deeply with colonial archives and underscores the collaboration between religion and colonial domination. Topics also include decolonizing methodologies in Religious Studies including liberation theology and critical theory.

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 Gender, Sexuality, and Islam 4 Lecture, 3 hours; written work, 2 hours; term paper, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of sophomore, junior, or senior. Focuses on the intersections between gender, sexuality, and religion in Islamicate societies. Discusses the ways in which those formations have been shaped by histories of slavery, imperialism, colonialism, human rights discourses, neoliberalism, contemporary practices of Islamophobia, nationalism, and global LGBTQ activism. Cross-listed with GSST 110, and MEIS 110.

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 Judaism 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Introduces Judaism as a religious tradition. Topics include Torah, rabbinic literature, theology, philosophy, mysticism, messianism and nationalism, ritual and worship, the synagogue, life cycle events, and festivals. Emphasizes global manifestations.

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 110 Yoga: Ancient and Modern 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 1 hour; research, 1 hour; term paper, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Investigates yoga in its transition from an ancient Indic system of contemplative practice to its modern postural forms. Engages the history of yoga in India and its primary texts and current cultural and religious debates activated through the globalization of modern postural yoga.

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): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; 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, ritual, 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 114 Jainism: An Indian Religion of Non-Violence 4 Lecture, 3 hours; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): Restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Introduces the Indian religion of Jainism. Explores various aspects of Jainism including history, sectarian divisions, texts, doctrines, practices, and its relationship with other Indian traditions

RLST 115 Black Religion, Resistance, and Moral Imagination 4 Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior. A survey of various figures and communities that have resisted hegemonic norms in Black religion in the United States. Explores historical primary resources, literature, oral histories, and contemporary artistic and cultural productions. Examines moral visions of Black and collective resistance and thriving. Cross-listed with BLKS 115.

RLST 116 Religion and Violence 4 Lecture, 3 hours; 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): upperdivision 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; 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 119 Meditation as Medicine: A Critical Exploration 4 Seminar, 3 hours; written work, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior. A critical exploration of the transformation of Buddhist meditation traditions over the last twenty-five centuries. Addresses the foundational techniques and debates in India; mass meditation as colonial resistance in Burma; recent interest in the brain sciences; and the commodification of mindfulness, compassion, and selflessness in the neoliberal marketplace. Cross-listed with AST 117, and MHHS 119.

RLST 120 Tibetan Buddhism: Dalai Lamas, Tantric Madness, and Mass Monasticism 4 Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 1 hour; written work, 1 hour; research, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): Restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Introduces the globally influential Tibetan Buddhist tradition of the Dalai Lamas, Covers the development of its unique history, doctrine, literary heritage, and gendered ritual cosmologies. Cross-listed with AST 120

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 122 Medicine and Asian Religions in Global Circulation 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individualized study, 6 hours; research, 1 hour; term paper, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): Restricted to class level standing of Sophomore, Junior, or Senior. Considers the relationship between religious cosmologies, the organization of knowledge, and the practices for managing bodily and natural order that underpin three major medical traditions of Asia in premodern and modern periods: Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Tibet’s Four Tantra Tradition.

RLST 123 Global Christianity and Mission 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): Restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Explores how Christianity was indigenized in the cultures of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where it is growing most rapidly today. Examines the role of the mission including historic dominance of Western Europe and North America. Considers the interactions of Christianity with gender, economics, vernacular language, local and international politics.

RLST 125 Studies in Religion 4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; written work, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior. Provides an in-depth consideration of specific topics in the study of religion. Course is repeatable as content or topic changes to a maximum of 16 units.

RLST 126 Israel: the Jewish State 4 Lecture, 3 hours; 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; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upperdivision 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 HISE 147.

RLST 129 History of Philosophy in India 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. An examination of the main philosophical themes, figures, and texts in premodern India. Pays particular attention to Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain philosophy. Crosslisted with AST 130, and PHIL 129.

RLST 130 The Bible: New Testament 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upperdivision 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 The Buddha’s Brain: Mind, Reality, and Power in the Buddhism-Science Dialogue 4 Seminar, 3 hours; written work, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior. A critical history of the “BuddhismScience dialogue.” Focuses on contested characterizations of mind, brain, and personhood. Includes reading and analyzing primary sources in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition alongside the brain sciences. Prepares for advanced courses and research in religious studies, the medical humanities, and Asian studies. Cross-listed with AST 131, and MHHS 131.

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 135A History of Christianity: Origins to the Reformation 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upperdivision 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. Crosslisted 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. Crosslisted with HIST 130B.

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; HIST 017B 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 140 Language and Text in Classical South Asian Religions 4 Seminar, 3 hours; written work, 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior. Prepares to undertake independent research of literary sources in South Asian religious traditions. Focuses on the linguistic landscape of Sanskrit within the context of religious and culturally revered literary texts. Topics include literature, translation theories, and introductory grammatical and syntactic analysis.

RLST 142 Zhuangzi 4 Lecture, 3 hours; research, 1 hour; extra reading, 1 hour; term paper, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): CHN 107 or CHN 112 or PHIL 110. An examination of chaos, epistemological and linguistic relativism, fate, skill, and the character of the sage in the Chinese Daoist text Zhuangzi. 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 143 Divination and Prediction in China and Greece 4 Lecture, 3 hours; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): AST 030 or CHN 030 or CPLT 030 or CHN 104 or CHN 105 or CHN 107 or CHN 108 or AST 142 or CHN 142 or RLST 142 or AST 148 or CHN 148 or CLA 010A or CLA 010B or CLA 010C or CLA 040 or CLA 050 or CLA 100 or CLA 112 or HISE 110 or CPLT 112 or RLST 117 or CLA 114 or CPLT 114 or CLA 120 or CPAC 102 or CLA 102 or CPAC 112 or CLA 113 or HISE 113 or CPAC 121 or CLA 121 or POSC 121 or CPAC 132 or AST 132 or CHN 132 or CLA 132 or CPAC 133 or HISE 114 or CPAC 134 or HIST 110 or CPAC 141 or AST 145 or CHN 141 or CLA 141 or POSC 140; restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Comparative study of early divination and prediction in early China, ancient Greece, or two other areas of the ancient world. Perspectives include social and intellectual contexts and institutions, as well as gender and boundaries between science, philosophy, and religion. Utilizes primary source material in texts and visual arts. Cross-listed with CHN 143, CLA 143, and CPAC 143.

RLST 144 Buddhist Literature 4 Lecture, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Explores 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.

RLST 146 Rhetoric and Discipline in Buddhist Studies 4 Lecture, 3 hours; written work, 2 hours; activity, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of key works in Buddhist studies in an effort to flesh out a critical history of academic portrayals of Buddhism. Explores the history and boundaries of the field and its relationship to modes of Buddhist and non-Buddhist rhetoric and interpretation in colonial, Orientalist, socialist, and neoliberal contexts.

RLST 148 Religions of the Silk Road 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours; written work, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to religious traditions that flourished along the ancient Silk Road. Includes Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Manichaeism, Nestorian Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Focuses on the spread, development, and interaction through the medieval period. Considers ways in which the Silk Road period legacy figures in religious and political debates in contemporary Central Asia.

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 152 Religion and Oppression 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): GSST 001 or GSST 001H or GSST 001S or RLST 001 or RLST 001H or RLST 002 or RLST 003 or RLST 005 or RLST 005H or RLST 007 or RLST 007H or RLST 010 or RLST 012 or ETST 012 or RLST 012H or ETST 012H or RLST 014 or RLST 015 or RLST 015H or RLST 024 or HIST 034 or RLST 044 or HIST 044; may be taken in sequence with RLST 153; or consent of instructor. Analyzes the relationship between religion and oppression, including religion as target of oppression, religion as cause of oppression, and religion as mitigating or exacerbating force in oppression. Religious studies, feminist, critical race, queer, and post/anti-colonial theoretical perspectives undergird the analysis.

RLST 153 Religion and Social Justice 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): GSST 001 or GSST 001H or GSST 001S or RLST 001 or RLST 001H or RLST 002 or RLST 003 or RLST 005 or RLST 005H or RLST 007 or RLST 007H or RLST 010 or RLST 012 or ETST 012 or RLST 012H or ETST 012H or RLST 014 or RLST 015 or RLST 015H or RLST 024 or HIST 034 or RLST 044 or HIST 044; may be taken in sequence with RLST 152. Analyzes the roles of religion in revolution, resistance, protest, and social justice movements, including religion as motivation for revolution, religion as target of revolution, and revolution within religions. Religious studies, feminist, critical race, queer, and post/anti-colonial theoretical perspectives undergrid the analysis.

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 PHIL155.

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 159 Queer Religiosities 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): GSST 001 or GSST 001H or GSST 001S or RLST 001 or RLST 001H or RLST 002 or RLST 003 or RLST 005 or RLST 005H or RLST 007 or RLST 007H or RLST 010 or RLST 012 or ETST 012 or RLST 012H or ETST 012H or RLST 014 or RLST 015 or RLST 015H or RLST 024 or HIST 034 or RLST 044 or HIST 044. A comparative, thematic exploration of religion in the lives of contemporary same sex attracted and gender variant or gender nonconforming people around the world. Topics may include intersections of religion with: neoliberal economic and political strategies; globalization; global North/South inequities; settler colonialism; racial, economic, and gender inequalities; homonormativity/ homonationalism; queer activism. Cross-listed with GSST 159.

RLST 160 Religion, Gender and Sexuality 4 Lecture, 3 hours; consultation, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. 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 GSST 160.

RLST 161 Gender and Sexuality in U.S Religious History 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): GSST 001 or GSST 001H or GSST 001S or RLST 001 or RLST 001H or RLST 002 or RLST 003 or RLST 005 or RLST 005H or RLST 007 or RLST 007H or RLST 010 or RLST 012 or ETST 012 or RLST 012H or ETST 012H or RLST 014 or RLST 015 or RLST 015H or RLST 024 or HIST 034 or RLST 044 or HIST 044; or consent of instructor. Overview and analysis of gender and sexuality in religion from colonial period (including Spanish, French, Russian, and British colonies in what is now the United States) to present day. Combines critical and comparative religious studies approaches with historical methods and the analytical perspectives of intersectional gender, sexuality, and queer studies. Cross-listed with GSST 158.

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. Examines Muslim writings produced during the past century. Cross-listed with GSST 162.

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 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 soundenhanced 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 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 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. 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 179 Pilgrimage 4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A study of pilgrimage and religious tourism in selected traditions. Includes historical, sociological, anthropological, and ritual analysis of the construction of sacred time and space and of the formation of communal and personal identity.

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

RLST 193 Senior Seminar 4 Seminar, 3 hours; written work, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upperdivision 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 to 4 Enrollment by request of student with the approval of the Program faculty, which must be granted no later than the quarter before the course is to be taken. May be 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 to 2 Individual research, 3 to 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. Course is repeatable to a maximum of 4 units

RLST 198I Individual Internship 1 to 6 Internship, 2 to 12 hours; reading and writing, 1-6 hours. Prerequisite(s): upperdivision 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). Course is repeatable to a maximum of 6 units.