Religious Studies

Dixon Slingerland (1979), Professor of Religious Studies
B.A., Tufts University;
M.Div., Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago;
Ph.D., Union Theological Seminary, New York City

Academic Interest: Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures, Pseudepigrapha, ‘lost books’ of the Bible, Roman religion, New Testament; the Holocaust

Jonathan Moody (1991), Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Foote Chair in Ethics
B.A., Colby College; B.D., Yale Divinity School;
Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School

Academic Interest: Christian social ethics, comparative ethics, science and religion, death and dying.

Kerry Martin Skora (1999), Chair, Associate Professor of Religious Studies
B.A., University of Chicago;
M.A., University of California, Santa Barbara;
Ph.D., University of Virginia

Academic Interest: Hinduism, Buddhism, religions of India and Tibet

Department web address:

http://admission.hiram.edu/learn/majors/major.php?id=25

 

Introduction

The Department of Religious Studies has a long and proud history of making the academic study of religion easily available to anyone who wishes to develop a deeper understanding of this basic part of human experience.

Religion does in fact permeate society, and it has done so ever since cave dwellers began to draw on the walls of their homes and workers in clay began to fashion their images. Thus, religious architecture, sculpture, and painting play a significant role within the history of art. Because religious devotion has often been a major musical inspiration, the same is true of the history of music. Religious themes also permeate literature both ancient and modern. Again, its religious dimensions omitted, the study of history certainly suffers. Furthermore, a background in this field provides solid footing for work in various areas of philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology.

As a result, the study of religion lies very near the center of a liberal education. It enriches our personal lives, prepares us to be productive members of a democratic society, and opens the door to a more exciting encounter with the world around us.

Not surprisingly, therefore, Hiram College graduates who have majored in religious studies pursue a wide variety of careers. Among others, these include business, public school education, teaching at the university or seminary level, social work, the practice of law, the practice of medicine, law-enforcement at the national level, and professional religious service.

Requirements for Majors

34 semester hours of course work. In consultation with their departmental advisor, students choose broadly among the departmental course offerings. While some of these classes will be at the 100 and 200 level, the development of sophistication within the field encourages students to participate as often as possible in the 300-level seminars. Majors participate in at least three such seminars taught by different faculty members.  As part of the departmental capstone requirement, one of these must be in the major's senior year.

Because the academic study of religion is inherently multi-cultural, majors normally complete one year of foreign language study.

Majors are also required to fulfill the departmental capstone requirement in consultation with their academic advisor.

Requirements for Minors

In conjunction with their departmental advisor, students who minor in Religious Studies pursue a minimum of 20 semester hours of course work. These hours include at least one course by each departmental faculty member as well as one 300 level seminar.

Requirements for Honors

In order to receive departmental honors, in addition to having the minimum GPA requirement, student must receive the approval of the Religious Studies faculty, who will review the student’s overall work.  The minimum GPA requirement is: (1) an overall GPA that is equal to 2.8 or better; (2) a departmental GPA that is equal to 3.6 or better; and (3) a sum of overall GPA and departmental GPA that is equal to 6.8 or better. 

Departmental Offerings

108 Western Christianity                                                                     4 hours

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a basic history of Christianity. Beginning with the earliest Church, it traces the key historical and theological developments that have lead to modern Christianity.

109 Introduction to the Bible IM                                                         3 hours

See Religious Studies 110 for a description of this course.

110 Introduction to the Bible IM                                                       4 hours

What does the word bible mean? And what exactly is The Bible? From where did it come? In what languages was it written? Have not the original texts been lost or changed in the course of the long history of their transmission? What is the relationship of English translations to the original texts? What is a “testament?” What does it mean that there is an “old” and a “new” one? Why are there at least three (Jewish, Protestant, Catholic) Bibles? And what about those early “secret” Jewish and Christian writings which did not find their way into anyone’s Bible? These and other such questions, the outlines of Biblical history, sketches of key figures and the basic religious ideas of its text are the focus of the department’s introductory course on this ancient and important body of literature. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as Religious Studies 109. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses.

206 Religions of the World                                                                  4 hours

This course offers an historical and thematic overview of selected non-Judeo-Christian religious traditions, such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Native American religions, and African religions. The multidimensional nature of each tradition studied is emphasized through an exploration of sacred narratives, teachings, practices, experiences, and communities.

207 The American Religious Experience UD                                       3 hours

This course, designed for the general student, traces the development of America’s religious life in its many forms from Native American religion to the present. Among the issues studied are religious freedom, frontier life, urban religious development, religious pluralism, civil religion, and new religious movements. Special attention is paid to the experience of a region, usually Ohio, and the groups that left a mark on that region’s religious scene.

215 Death and Dying IM                                                                      3 hours

This course will explore the ways we understand and respond to death in our culture, and by inference in any other culture. What are the ways we might understand life and death itself? What are the ways we might respond to give care to the dying? How do we deny and accept death? What are the ethical and religious issues surrounding this discussion? How do we cope with loss?

218 Wizards, Sorcerers, and Shamans IM                                          3 hours

An investigation of the problem of rationality, carefully considering the perspectives of both “insiders” and “outsiders.” From the inside, we will engage with firsthand encounters of wizards, sorcerers, and shamans in non-Western religious traditions, such as Songhay, Mayan, and Hindu. From the outside, we will explore various theoretical positions on rationality, examining classical and contemporary works in religious, anthropological, and philosophical studies, such as Evans-Pritchard’s pioneering text on magic among the Azande, Merleau-Ponty’s meditations on perception, and Paul Stoller’s recent scholarship in “embodied phenomenology.” Questions to be pursued in this course include: Is there one form of rationality that is “universal”? Is rationality “relative” to one’s own socio-religious context? Is there an alternative approach to both universalism and relativism that allows the student of religion to make sense of apparent “multiple realities”?

220 Tricksters and Holy Fools:

          A Comparative Study of Laughter, Play, and Madness IM        3 hours

Cross-cultural study of the religious phenomena of tricksters and holy fools, and the related phenomena of laughter, play, and madness, as manifested in both religious discourse (myth and philosophy) and practice. What is the significance of these phenomena?  What roles do they play within religious traditions?  How are tricksters and holy fools understood in their own contexts?  What grounds do we have for decontextualization and comparison?  Our texts will include both primary accounts of tricksters and holy fools, and interpretative models of these same phenomena.

223 Asian Religions IM                                                                        4 hours

This course examines selected Asian religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese Religions, and Japanese Religions. Each tradition studied will be investigated both historically and analytically. One goal will be to discern fundamental aspects of each tradition’s theoretical, practical-experiential, and social expressions. We will also place each tradition in a comparative context, considering themes such as cosmology and cosmogony, religious transformation, concepts of non-duality, and otherworldly journeys.

224 Comparative Religious Ethics EW or ES                                       4 hours

This course begins an attempt to understand how various religious traditions treat the issue of good behavior. It will look at different ways of defining the nature of ethics, and different ways of describing action appropriate to a good person. The good will be related to different theological or religious philosophical thought. We will typically focus on traditions in a limited area (e.g., China).

233 New Religions of Twentieth Century America UD                         4 hours

This course will explore the emergence of what Robert Elwood calls “non-normative religious movements” in our culture over the past century. There is a long history of new religions in America, but we will concentrate on the twentieth century and more particularly on those that emerged in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Many of them are American adaptations of imported religions (the Hare Krishna movement) and many of them began here (Scientology). We will also look at the Unification Church (Moonies), the Branch Davidians, the New Age, and others. We will look at the reasons for their emergence and at the theology and practice of the religions themselves. 

234 New Religions of Twentieth Century America UD                         3 hours

This course will explore the emergence of what Robert Elwood calls “non-normative religious movements” in our culture over the past century. There is a long history of new religions in America, but we will concentrate on the twentieth century and more particularly on those that emerged in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Many of them are American adaptations of imported religions (the Hare Krishna movement) and many of them began here (Scientology). We will also look at the Unification Church (Moonies), the Branch Davidians, the New Age, and others. We will look at the reasons for their emergence and at the theology and practice of the religions themselves.  A revised version of this course is offered for four credit hours as Religious Studies 233.  A student may receive credit for only one of these courses.

242 The Religious World of the First Century IM, CA                          3 hours

See Religious Studies 243 for a description of this course.

243 The Religious World of the First Century IM, CA                          4 hours

In the Greco-Roman world of the first century, religion was very much alive and well. Judaism spread through the cities of the Roman empire, and Christianity was on the move, but the traditional deities still received their due, people continued to consult Apollo’s oracles at Delphi and Didyma, the Great Mother flourished under various forms, emperors living and dead had become gods worthy of prayer and sacrifice, the mystery religions with their unusual rites were welcoming initiates, and the planets, omens and fate remained a daily source of anxiety and expectation. Designed for the general student, and using the extensive slide library of its instructor, the present course therefore introduces students to this fascinating world of first century religion. No prerequisites. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as Religious Studies 242. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses.

244 Old Testament Literature and Interpretation IM                         3 hours

An abbreviated version of Religious Studies 245 for three semester hours. Students taking this course may not take Religious Studies 245.

245 Old Testament Literature and Interpretation IM                         4 hours

Whether we call it the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Tanak, this document provides us with an exciting witness to ancient Israel’s walk with its god. Beginning with Abraham and Sarah it carries us from Mesopotamia to Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the land of promise. It introduces us to kings both good and bad, recounts God’s demands for a just society, describes the horrors of Jerusalem destroyed, and continuously recalls God’s parental love for Israel. In a very special religious language it tells of how the world was formed and of the ultimate goal of that creation, provides both consolation for the downtrodden as well as songs of love for the bride and her groom, and even tells a great fish story! Thus, in this course designed for the general student we use the results of modern Biblical research in order to gain an appreciation for a most remarkable body of literature. No prerequisites. Students taking this course may not take Religious Studies 244.

246 New Testament Literature and Interpretation IM                        3 hours

See Religious Studies 247 for a description of this course.

247 New Testament Literature and Interpretation IM                        4 hours

The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven fascinating writings from the first hundred years of Christianity, and it was created to be the Church’s norm for right belief. In this course designed for the general student we examine many of these writings from the perspective of their original purpose. In other words, we examine who wrote them, who first read them, when they were written, and, most interestingly, why they were written. For example, the Apocalypse (Revelation) was prepared by an Asian Christian at a particularly desperate time within the early years of the Church and reads most interestingly when understood from that perspective. No prerequisites. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as Religious Studies 246. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses.

248 Judaism IM                                                                                  3 hours

See Religious Studies 249 for a description of this course.

249 Judaism IM                                                                                    4 hours

Designed for the general student, this course has a twin focus: concentration on the origins of Judaism in its formative period, 587 BCE to 200 CE, and a more general introduction to Jewish history and thought including primary readings in modern Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, and Reconstructionist Judaism. No prerequisite. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as Religious Studies 248. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses.

251 Hinduism IM                                                                                  4 hours

This course investigates the fascinating variety of Hindu religious traditions. Historically, we will examine key epochs beginning with the Vedic period and the world of visionaries, deities, and sacrifice; moving to the speculative period of the sacred gnostic texts; continuing through the great epic period, and the medieval period of devotional and tantric movements, and systematic philosophy; and ending with Hinduism’s most recent incarnations. Analytically, we will explore the sacred narratives of central Hindu deities, such as the erotic-ascetic Shiva and the Great Goddess; the lives, thoughts, and religious experiences of significant thinkers and saints such as Shankara and Gandhi; the ritual practices of yoga and devotional worship; and the dynamics of Hinduism as lived today.

253 Buddhism                                                                                                            4 hours

This course offers an introduction to Buddhist religious traditions. Students will be introduced to key historical periods of Buddhism in India, beginning with the life and teachings of the historical Buddha; moving to the development of the “Teaching of the Elders” and early Indian Buddhism; continuing with the rise and development of the “Great Vehicle;” and ending with the “Diamond Vehicle.” The course also emphasizes the expression of Buddhism outside India in varying cultural forms; we will focus on its manifestation in different geographical areas, such as Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Tibetan cultural area.

258 Religious Imagination, Other Realities,

                                   and Otherworldly Journeys IM                         3 hours

A cross-cultural and interdisciplinary study of other realities and otherworldly topologies as imagined and discovered in both our own and other cultures and times. Focusing on the religious imagination in particular, this course introduces students to theories and methods of the phenomenology of religion, and theories of the imagination. The course also emphasizes the approaches taken and the alternative answers given by historians of religion with respect to traditional theories and open questions on consciousness and reality in Western and non-Western philosophy. Questions to be pursued in this course include: How seriously should we take visions of other realities? What is the role of “consciousness” in such vision? What is its relationship to “reality”? What is the relationship between imagination and discovery? How seriously should we take the imagination? What is the relationship between religious imagination and artistic and scientific creativity?

262 Christian Social Ethics ES                                                             3 hours

This course will reflect upon the nature of Christian ethical reflection, discuss contemporary Christian approaches to ethics, and apply this learning to contemporary ethical issues such as war and peace, abortion, and ecology.

263 Christian Social Ethics ES                                                             4 hours

This course will reflect upon the nature of Christian ethical reflection, discuss contemporary Christian approaches to ethics, and apply this learning to contemporary ethical issues such as war and peace, abortion, and ecology.

280 Seminar                                                                                   1 - 4 hours

This course is for all students. It will introduce them to a current topic in the field of religious studies.

281 Independent Study                                                                  1 - 4 hours

This offering provides an opportunity for the individual student to pursue a topic of his or her interest under the guidance of a faculty member.

283 Topics in Bible Study IM                                                               3 hours

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity for in-depth study of the prophet Isaiah, or Jeremiah, Psalms or Proverbs, the Deuteronomic history, or a fascinating text from the Catholic Bible such as First or Second Maccabees, or from the New Testament, perhaps the Gospel of Matthew or John, the Acts of the Apostles, or the Apocalypse. Because necessary introduction will be part of the class lectures, there is no prerequisite. This course is repeatable.

284 Topics in the “Lost Books” of the Bible IM                                   3 hours

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity for in-depth study of important early Jewish and Christian documents which did not find their way into either the Jewish or Christian canon of Scripture. There exist, for example, a variety of Christian gospels and fragments thereof, an Acts of Paul, various Jewish and Christian “revelations” the texts from Qumran, the Testaments of the Twelve patriarchs and many others. Because necessary introduction will be part of the class lectures, there is no prerequisite. This course is repeatable.

298 Internship Program Field Experience                                    1 - 4 hours

                                                    

310 Seminar in Theology                                                                     4 hours

A critical topic in modern religious thought is our focus. Key concepts such as the doctrine of God, movements such as liberation theology, or contemporary questions such as inter-religious dialogue will be explored. Prerequisite: Any 100 or 200-level religious studies course, or permission.

311 Seminar in Biblical Literature IM                                                  4 hours

This seminar focuses on issues of special interest within the world of the Bible. It includes an offering on the historical Jesus and the gospels as well as a comprehensive analysis of prophecy in ancient Israel. Prerequisite: Any 100 or 200-level religious studies course, or permission. This course is repeatable.

312 Seminar in Asian Religions                                                           4 hours

This seminar focuses on a selected topic in Asian Religions. Possible topics include a key figure (such as Shankara, Nagarjuna, or Chuang-tzu), a key text (such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, or the Tao-te-ching) or a particular set of related traditions (such as the Tantric traditions, Zen Buddhism, or Taoism). Additionally, we may study a selected theme comparatively in the context of Asian Religions. Possible comparative themes include models of ultimate reality, meditative disciplines and rituals of transformation, concepts and understandings of the self or religious experiences and visions. This course is repeatable.

313 Seminar in Religious Ethics ES                                                     4 hours

This seminar focuses on a particular topic of religious ethics, which may be a theological or normative concept such as love or justice, or a social issues of particular concern such as peace or the environment. Prerequisite: Any 100 or 200-level religious studies course, or permission.

315 Seminar: Paul and His Opponents IM, ES                                     4 hours

Although more than half of the writings within the New Testament have been attributed to him and though he has been considered the founder of Christianity, Paul was—and still is—a controversial figure. Many of his Christian contemporaries loved Paul; however, perhaps just as many scorned and ridiculed him. In the present course we apply historical methods to his letters and to the Acts of the Apostles in order to establish an accurate portrait of this most intriguing person, to describe the course of his life, and to determine the content of his gospel in relationship to his Christian opponents. Prerequisite: Any 100 or 200-level religious studies course, or permission.

380 Upper-Level Seminar

This course is for upper-level Religious Studies students.  It will focus on a on a selected topic in Religious Studies.               

481 Independent Research                                                            1 - 4 hours

This offering provides an opportunity for students to pursue a topic of their interest under the guidance of a faculty member. Prerequisite: at least two courses in religious studies and permission by the Department.

Additional Information