Spring 2023 Courses

 

RELS 102 Food and Religion
Susanna Morrill MWF 12:40PM - 1:40PM
Examination of the relationship between food, American religions, and American popular culture; how food is incorporated into formal religious rituals such as the Eucharist or fasting; how cooking, communal eating, and food practices are part of the more informal religious culture of religious communities. Also, consideration of
whether eating and food have taken on religious meaning within American culture as a whole, using the Northwest as a focus.

Prerequisites: None.

RELS 106 Religion and Medicine
Jessica Starling MWF 12:40PM - 1:40PM
Critical examination of the relationship between religion and medicine, drawing on scholarship from religious studies, anthropology, sociology, and history. Examples from ancient Greece, China, and indigenous traditions. Particular attention to the secularization of Western biomedicine and the contemporary popularity of alternatives. Critical examination of the terms “religious,” “spiritual,” “secular,” “natural,” and “holistic.”

Prerequisites: None.

RELS 255 American Religious Themes/TV
Susanna Morrill MWF 11:30AM - 12:30PM
Exploration of key themes in American religious history as these are revealed in contemporary American television shows. These themes will include millennialism, exceptionalism, revivalism, restorationism, apocalypticism, freedom of religion, religious pluralism, fascination with the exotic “East,” and exploration of paranormal topics.

Prerequisites: None.

RELS 298 Religion and Climate Change
Robert Kugler MWF 9:10AM - 10:10AM
Examination of the relationship between climate change and the study of religion. Perspectives on how religious identity shapes attitudes toward climate change; the way various religious traditions engage with climate change; the ways in which the concept of “religion” has been shaped by climate change (and how the concept of religion has likewise impacted our understanding of climate change); ways in which climate change itself can be defined as a “religious event.”

Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.

RELS 335 Gender, Sex, Jews, Christians 
Robert Kugler MWF 12:40PM - 1:40PM
Study of the genesis of modern Jewish and Christian attitudes toward gender and sexuality, exploring the ways in which Greek and Roman attitudes toward gender and sexuality shaped Judaism and Christianity at their origins. Assessment of the extent to which the two religious traditions shaped broader cultural attitudes and practices relating to gender and sex, using the study of sex and gender in early
Judaism and Christianity to take a critical look at how we define “religion” in the premodern world.

Prerequisites: At least one course in religious studies, classics, or history.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.

RELS 341 Religions of the Northwest 
Susanna Morrill MWF 10:20AM - 11:20AM
Exploration of the religious history of the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on Oregon and Washington. Examination of the religious traditions of regional Native American tribes, early Protestant missions, and the growth of Catholicism and Mormonism in the region, as well as recent immigrant religions (such as Vietnamese Buddhism), nondenominational Christian groups, and alternative forms of spirituality. Using theoretical models from religious studies to consider why the Northwest does not carry the imprint of a dominant religious tradition or
traditions, as most other regions of the country do. This course is cross-listed with RELS 441. Students taking the 300-level version of this course will complete a guided research project, identifying and mastering the range of scholarly positions on a theme, critical issue, or essential primary text, and will produce a technically sound research paper. The course can only be taken once and cannot be repeated at the other level.

Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.

RELS 441 Religions of the Northwest
Susanna Morrill MWF 10:20AM - 11:20AM
Exploration of the religious history of the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on Oregon and Washington. Examination of the religious traditions of regional Native American tribes, early Protestant missions, and the growth of Catholicism and Mormonism in the region, as well as recent immigrant religions (such as Vietnamese Buddhism), nondenominational Christian groups, and alternative forms of spirituality. Using theoretical models from religious studies to consider why the Northwest does not carry the imprint of a dominant religious tradition or traditions, as most other regions of the country do. This course is cross-listed with RELS 341. Students taking the 400-level version of this course will complete a more comprehensive research paper, defending an original thesis and offering critical judgments of relevant arguments and evidence. The course can only be taken once and cannot be repeated at the other level.

Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.

RELS 490 Senior Thesis
Jessica Starling TTH 9:40AM - 11:10AM
Advanced readings and major works in religion. In consultation with faculty, selection of a thesis topic and further reading in the discipline and research in the topic area. Substantial written document demonstrating mastery of theory and methodology in the study of religion and the ability to integrate these into the thesis topic.

Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Senior standing required.