--Department
of Religion Graduate Program |
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Courses |
The WFU Department of Religion offers graduate courses in all
of the areas mentioned above. Individual instruction is also
available in the form of Graduate Reading Courses in a number
of specialized areas tailored to the needs and abilities of
the student. Additionally, students may take graduate level
courses in other programs in the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences (at least half of their required hours must be earned
in the Department in Religion).
In the list of courses offered with graduate credit, not every
course is scheduled every year. Usually two courses at the 700-level
are offered in each semester. Substantive efforts are made to
offer courses that are needed by students currently enrolled
in the graduate program.
REL 600. Approaches to the Study of Religion . (3) Explores the history of and methodological resources for the study of religion. Focus may vary according to instructor, but the empasis is on the ways religion has been defined, studied, and interpreted over the last several centuries.
REL 601. Myth. (3) A study of the interpretation
of myth, with a focus on the meaning and values implicit in
the myths of contemporary culture.
REL 602. Mysticism. (3) A study of mysticism
from a multi-religious perspective with emphasis on the psychological
and sociological aspects of this phenomenon.
REL 603. Religion and Science. (3) An examination
of the ways in which religion and science have conflicted with,
criticized, and complemented one another in the history of Western
thought from Galileo to the present.
REL 608. Sacred Scripture in the Traditions of Abraham.
Comparative study of sacred texts in Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam with particular attention to the issues authority,
function, and interpretation.
REL 610. The Prophetic Literature of the Old Testament.
(3) An examination of the development and theological contents
of the literary products of Israel’s prophetic movement. Hoglund.
REL 611. The Psalms. (3) A study of the Psalter
with particular emphasis on the setting of the Psalms in Israel’s
worship.
REL 612. The Critical Study of the Pentateuch.
(3) A study of the five traditional books of Moses (the Torah)
and various lines of analysis that modern Biblical critics have
used to interpret their composition and role in the development
of Israelite theological thought.
REL 613. Near Eastern Archeology. (3) A survey
of twentieth century archeology in the Near East with attention
to its importance for Biblical studies.
REL 614. Ancient Israel and Her Neighbors.
(1.5) A study of ancient Near Eastern archeology with special
emphasis on Israel’s relationships with surrounding peoples.
REL 615, 616. Field Research in Biblical Archeology.
(3, 3) A study of the religion and culture of the ancient Near
East through the excavation and interpretation of an ancient
site.
REL 617. The Wisdom Literature. (3) An examination
of the development, literary characteristics, and theological
contents of the works of ancient Israel’s sages.
REL 618. Feminist and Contemporary Interpretations
of the New Testament. (3) A study of feminist and contemporary
approaches to the Bible in light of the history of interpretation
and a range of contemporary concerns and interpretive contexts.
REL 619. Visions of the End: Jewish and Christian Apocalyptic.
(3) Reading and study of Daniel, Revelation, and certain non-Biblical
apocalyptic texts.
REL 620. The Search For Jesus. (3) An introduction
to the issues, assumptions, evidence, and debate that shapes
the continuing quest for the historical Jesus.
REL 621. Introduction to the New Testament.
(3) An intensive introduction to the literature of the canonical
New Testament along with methodologies for its study.
REL 625. Theology and Contemporary Literature. (3) Exploration of religiousthemes in a variety of contemporary literature such as Salinger, Walker, and Silko with attention given to the intersections and differences between theological and literary writing.
REL 622. The General Epistles. (3) An exegetical
study of two or more of the General Epistles with emphasis on
the setting of the epistles in the life of the early church.
REL 623. The Parables of Jesus. (3) An examination
of the historical, social, cultural, and theological significance
of the parables of Jesus as recorded in the synoptic gospels.
REL 624. Early Christian Literature. (3) An
examination of various literature and perspectives of the first
three centuries of the Christian movement.
REL 626. Early Christian Theologians: Paul.
(3) An introduction to the Pauline interpretation of Christianity
and its place in the life of the early church.
REL 627. The Story of Jesus.
(3) An examination of the Johannine interpretation of Jesus
and Christian faith.
REL 630. Comparative Religious Ethics. (3)
A comparative study of the moral values and socio-ethical positions
in the major religious traditions of the world, with particular
focus on their various methods of reasoning and sources of authority.
REL 631. Christian Ethics and Social Justice.
(3) An inquiry from a Christian perspective into different theoretical
and practical responses to the issue of justice in society.
REL 632. Religion and Public Life. (3) An
examination of alternative historical paradigms within specific
religious traditions and the implications of those paradigms
for the public activity of their adherents. Traditions and topics,
including religious leadership, social entrepreneurship and
the separation of church and state, may vary with instructor.
REL 635. Christian Ethics and the Problem of War.
(3) An examination of the causes and characteristics of war,
various Christian response to it, and approaches to peacemaking,
with attention to selected contemporary issues.
REL 636. Religious Traditions and Human Rights.
(3) A study of the relationships and tensions between religious
traditions and human rights, with illustrations from historical
and contemporary issues and movements.
REL 638. Religion, Ethics, and Politics. (3)
An examination of ethical issues in religion and politics using
materials from a variety of sources and historical periods.
REL 639. Religions of Africa. (3) An interdisciplinary
study of the growth and transformations of Africa’s major
religious traditions (Christianity, Islam, and the indigenous
religions), and of their relations with secular social changes.
REL 640. Men’s Studies and Religion.
(3) An examination of the ways in which masculine sex-role expectations
and male experiences have both shaped religious ideas, symbols,
rituals, institutions, and forms of spirituality and been shaped
by them. Attention is given to the ways in which race, class,
and sexual orientation affect those dynamics.
REL 641. Civil Rights and Black Consciousness Movements.
(3) A social and religious history of the African-American struggle
for citizenship rights and freedom from World War II to the
present.
REL 642. Religion, Culture, and Modernity.
(3) An inquiry into the origins and development of modernity
as idea and ideology, with special emphasis on its significance
for non-Western social and religious movements.
REL 643. The City as Symbol. (3) A study of
the city, past and present, as a unique repository and symbol
of religious values and human aspirations.
REL 645. The African-American Religious Experience.
(3) An exploration of the religious dimensions of African-American
life from its African antecedents to contemporary figures and
movements.
REL 646. Pentacostalism in Global Perspective. (3) Examiniation of the history, theology, and practices of Pentacostalism, the fastest growing Christian movement worldwide. Focus is on origins among poor whites and recently freed African Americans, and the expansion in South America, Asia, and Africa.
REL 647. The Emerging Church in the Two-Thirds World.
(3) An investigation of contemporary Christian communities in
Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America with special
attention to theological, political, and economic activities.
REL 648. Reconciling Race. (3) Comparative
history of twentieth-century racial oppression, black rebellion,
and religious reconciliation. Also listed as History 678.
REL 650. Psychology of Religion. (3) An examination
of the psychological elements in the origin, development, and
expression of religious experience.
REL 651. Sociology of Religion. (3) Introduction to the sociological analysis of religion, including religious beliefs and experiences, the cultural context of religion, varieties of religious organization, religious change, and social change.
REL 654. Religious Development of the Individual.
(3) A study of growth and development from infancy through adulthood,
with emphasis on the influences of spirituality and mature religion.
REL 655. Theology of Pastoral Care and Counseling.
(3) A study of the relationship between theology and the purpose,
theories, and methods of pastoral care and counseling.
REL 659. Hinduisim in America. (3) Study of the meanings, values, and practices associated with the religions of Hinduism in dialogue with the dominant culture of America.
REL 660. World Religions. (3) An examination
of the ideas and practices of major religious traditions in
their historical and cultural context. Focus varies with instructor.
Kimball
REL 661. The Buddhist World of Thought and Practice.
(3) A survey of the development of Buddhism from India to Southeast
Asia, China, Tibet, Japan, and the West, focusing on the transformation
of Buddhist teachings and practices in these different social
and cultural contexts.
REL 662. Islam. (3) An examination of the
origins and development of Islam, the world’s second largest
religious tradition. Particular attention is given to the formation
of Islamic faith and practice as well as contemporary manifestations
of Islam in Asia, Africa, and North America.
REL 663. Religions of Japan. (3) A study of
the central religious traditions of Japan from pre-history to
the present, including Shinto, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Christianity,
and Confucianism.
REL 664. Conceptions of the Afterlife. (3)
An examination of the variety of answers given to the question,
“What happens in death?” Particular attention is
given to the views of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and
Buddhists and the ways their views relate to life in this world.
REL 665. History of Religions in America.
(3) A study of American religions from Colonial times until
the present.
REL 666. Gender and Religion. (3) An examination
of the historical and contemporary interaction between religion
and sex roles, sexism, and sexuality.
REL 667. The Mystics of the Church. (3) An
historical study of the lives and thought of selected Christian
mystics with special attention to their religious experience.
REL 668. The Protestant and Catholic Reformations.
(3) A study of the origin and development of Reformation theology
and ecclesiology.
REL 669. Radical Christian Movements. (3)
A study of selected radical movements in the Christian tradition
and their relation to contemporary issues.
REL 670. Women and Christianity. (3) A study
of the roles and contributions of women within the Christian
tradition throughout history, and an analysis of the mechanisms
of their oppression.
REL 671. Theology and Sexual Embodiment. (3)
A survey of theological responses to human sexuality, with special
emphasis on contemporary issues.
REL 672. History of Christian Thought. (1.5,
3) A study of the history of Christian thought, beginning with
its Hebraic and Greek backgrounds and tracing its rise and development
to modern times. The course may be divided into halves for 1.5
credits each:
(a) Patristic Thought
(b) Medieval and Reformation Thought
REL 673. Cinema and the Sacred. Investigation of selct theological and religious themes in contemporary film.
REL 674. Contemporary Christian Thought. (3)
An examination of the major issues and personalities in twentieth
century theology, both Western and non-Western.
REL 676. Christian Literary Classics .
(3) Study of Christian texts which are masterpieces of literature as well as faith, including works by Augustine, Dante, Pascal, Bunyan, Milton, and Newman.
REL 677. The Problem of Evil from Job to Shakespeare.
(3) A comparative analysis of the source and remedy of evil
in Job, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato, Dante, and Shakespeare.
REL 679. Feminist & Liberation Theologies. Exploration of social, political, and religious contexts that have given rise to contemporary theological understandings of salvation as freedom from conditions of oppression, poverty and exploitation.
REL 680. The Main Streams of Chinese Philosophy and
Religion. (3) An introduction to the most important
traditions in Chinese philosophy and religion: Confucianism,
Daoism (Taoism), and Chinese Buddhism or Chinese Chan (Zen)
Buddhism.
REL 681. Zen Buddhism. (3) Examination of the origins and development of Zen Buddhism from China (Ch'an) to Japan and contemporary America. Attention is given to Zen doctrine and practice in the context of the broader Buddhist tradition.
REL 682. Religion and Culture in China. (3)
A thematic study of Chinese religious traditions and culture
focusing on history, ritual, scripture, and popular practice.
Additional topics include cosmology, ancestor veneration, shamanism,
divination, and the role of women. Ford
REL 683. The Qur’an. (3) An introduction
to the history, content, and main approaches to the sacred book
of Islam. The primary focus is on the early centuries of Islam
and major developments in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Kimball
REL 684. Muhammad: Prophet and Paradigm. (3)
An exploration of the issues, assumptions, evidence, and debates
that frame the various ways Muslims and non-Muslims understand
the prophet of Islam. Kimball
REL 685. HIndu Religious Traditions. (3) Examiniation of the principal themes of traditional Hinduism with concentration on historical and cultural developments of various traditions placed under the heading "Hinduism."
REL 686. The Indian Epics in Performance. (3) Examines the two Indian epics, the Mahabharata and Ramayana, while considering comparative issues of oral transmission, aesthetic theory, and epic performance.
REL 687. Magic, Ritual, and Power in Indian Culture. (3) While paying special attention to academic theories of magic, this course considers magic in India, especially the Atharvaveda.
REL 690. Special Topics in Religion. (3) REligion topics of special interest. May be repeated for credit.
REL 695. Seminar in Jewish-Christian Relations. (3) Study of Jewish-Christian relations in historical, social, political, and religious context. Focus varies with instructor.
Near Eastern Languages and Literature
NLL 111, 112. Elementary Hebrew. (3, 3) A course
for beginners in the classical Hebrew of the Bible, with emphasis
on the basic principles of Hebrew grammar and the reading of
Biblical texts. (Both semesters must be completed.)
NLL 113. Standard Literary Arabic. (3) An
introduction to the principles of Arabic grammar and a reading
of selections from the Quran.
NLL 153. Intermediate Hebrew. (3) Intensive
work in Hebrew grammar and syntax based upon the reading of
selected texts. Readings emphasize post-Biblical Hebrew. P—Near
Eastern Languages and Literature 111, 112, or equivalent.
NLL 211, 212. Hebrew Literature. (3, 3) The
reading and discussion of significant Biblical texts. P—Near
Eastern Languages and Literature 153.
NLL 601. Introduction to Semitic Linguistics.
(3) A study of the history and structure of four languages from
the Hamito-Semitic family of languages.
NLL 602. Akkadian I. (3) An analysis of the
phonology, morphology, and syntax of the East Semitic languages
of the ancient Near East as they relate to the larger family
of Semitic languages.
NLL 603. Akkadian II. (3) A continuation of
Hebrew 302 with further emphasis on building expertise in vocabulary
and syntax through the reading of texts from the Middle Babylonian
period.
NLL 610. Intermediate Readings in Classical Hebrew. (1) Analysis of selected texts designed to expand the student's facility with Hebrew. May be repeated for credit.
NLL 611. Aramaic. (3) The principles of Aramaic
morphology, grammar and syntax based on readings from the Bible
and other ancient Near Eastern texts. P—Near Eastern Languages
and Literature 112 or POI. On request.
NLL 614. Readings from the Rabbis. (3) Texts in Hebrew and Aramaic from the Talmud and Midrash. P—Near Eastern Languages
and Literature 311 or POI. On request.
NLL 615. Syriac. (3) Study of grammar, syntax, and scripts of Syriac based on the readings of selected texts. P—Near Eastern Languages
and Literature 112 or POI. On request.
NLL 321, 322. Introduction to Middle Egyptian I and II. (3) The phonology, morphology, and grammar of Middle Egyptian. P—Near Eastern Languages
and Literature 112 or POI. On request.
NLL 325. Coptic. (3) The phonology, morphology, and grammar of Sahidic Coptic with special emphasis on the texts from Ng Hammadi. Some knowledge of Greek is helpful. On request.
For Graduate Students Only
REL 701, 702. Directed Reading. (1-3, 1-3)
REL 705. Research in Religion. (3) An examination
of the major research tools and methodologies in religion, discussion
and critique of research currently in progress, and the development
of a research model in the student’s area of specialization.
REL 708. Religious Language and Symbol. (3)
An examination of the distinct use of language in religious
discourse, with attention to theoretical understandings of human
language, the variety of philosophical efforts to define the
validity of religious language, and the role of metaphor and
analogy in religious communication. Hoglund
REL 716. Old Testament Theology. (3) Major
motifs of revelation in the Old Testament; analysis of recent
attempts to write an Old Testament theology.
REL 718, 719. Old Testament Exegesis. (3,
3) Detailed analysis and exegesis of selected portions of the
Hebrew Bible. P—Biblical Hebrew.
REL 721. New Testament Theology. (3) A delineation
of an approach to New Testament theology as a whole, a consideration
of the hermeneutical problem, and an examination of two or three
themes in New Testament theology.
REL 722. The Quest for the Historical Jesus.
(3) An investigation of the possibility and relevance of historical
knowledge about Jesus through a consideration of the seminal
lives of Jesus since the eighteenth century.
REL 723, 724. New Testament Exegesis. (3,
3) An examination of selected portions of the Greek New Testament,
with attention to the tools necessary for exegesis. P—Koine
Greek.
REL 738. Seminar in Christian Social Ethics.
(3) A critical study of classic texts and figures in the history
of Christian ethics and social thought.
REL 740. Seminar in the Sociology of Religion.
(3) An examination of selected classical and contemporary texts
illustrative of the theories, methods, and purposes of the sociological
study of religion.
REL 761. Seminar in Eastern Religion. (3)
Directed study in selected areas of the religious traditions
of the East.
REL 762. The Literature of Ancient Judaism.
(3) An examination of the rabbinic writings (Mishnah, Tosefta,
Talmud, Midrashim, Targumim, and the Liturgy), the Dead Sea
Scrolls, the Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, and
the literature of Hellenistic Judaism (e.g., Philo and Josephus).
REL 763. Hellenistic Religions. (3) Consideration
of available source materials, questions of method, and bibliography
related to such Hellenistic religions as the Mysteries, Hellenistic
Judaism, and Gnosticism.
REL 766. Seminar in Christian History. (3)
Directed study of selected areas in the history of Christianity,
including Baptist history.
REL 768. The Protestant and Catholic Reformations.
(3) A study of the origin and development of Reformation theology
and ecclesiology.
REL 775. Seminar in the History of Christian Thought.
(3) An intensive study of a selected period or movement in Christian
theological history, with special reference to seminal persons
and writings.
REL 780. Seminar in Theology and Literature.
(3) An intensive study of a single theologian in relation to
a literary figure with a similar religious outlook, the aim
being to investigate how literature and theology mutually invigorate
and call each other into question. Representative pairings:
Niebuhr/Auden, Barth/O’Connor, Tillich/Updike, Newman/Eliot,
Kierke-gaard/Percy. May be repeated for credit if the writers
studied are different.
REL 791, 792. Thesis Research.
(1-9)
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Additional Information About Our Program
For information pertaining to the Graduate Program in Religion
write or call:
Professor Simeon Ilesanmi (ilesanmi@wfu.edu)
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Religion
Box 7212 Reynolda Station
Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7212
(336) 759-5459 * (336) 759-4462 (fax)
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Click to view or download the 2006/2007
Bulletin of Graduate School of Arts & Sciences |
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Click to view or download the 2006/2007
M.A. Program in Religion Promotional Flyer |
Wake Forest University and the Department
of Religion welcomes all applications.
We do not discriminate in admission or financial aid
on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation,
or national origin.
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