Religious Studies
Religious Studies Courses
Course Information
For more information, please contact the Office of the Registrar.
RELS-110 APPROACHES TO RELIGION
Introductory course in the academic study of religion. Required for majors and minors. 4 credits (UQ or GP)RELS-115 RELIGIOUS ETHICS
Formation and meaning of religious ethics in contemporary life. Human responsibility, community, racism, sexism, violence, war. 4 credits (UQ or GP or US)RELS-120 OLD TESTAMENT
Literature of the Old Testament: its form, content, historical development, and interpretation. 4 credits (UQ or VP)RELS-130 NEW TESTAMENT
Literature of the New Testament: its form, content, historical development, and interpretation. 4 credits (UQ or VP)RELS-140 THE HOLY QUR'AN
Literature of the Qur'an: its form, content, historical development, and interpretation. Course designed especially for students with some familiarity with Old and New testament narrative. Provides students an opportunity for further study of the major world faith that is Islam. 4 credits (UQ or VP or GP)RELS-200 NEW TESTAMENT GREEK
Study of Greek grammar; readings from the New Testament; use of exegetical tools. With 201 (Greek Readings), meets the language requirement for the BA. 5 creditsRELS-201 GREEK READINGS
Greek from the New Testament, Stoic authors, Hellenistic Jewish texts, and early church fathers. Prerequisite: 200. 3 creditsRELS-202 HEBREW I
Elements of Hebrew grammar. Language tapes and class exercises to give the student experience in spoken, elementary, Modern Hebrew; readings from prose sections of the Hebrew Bible. With 203, meets the language requirement for the BA. 5 creditsRELS-203 HEBREW II: READINGS IN BIBLICAL HEBREW
Selected passages from the prose and poetry of the Hebrew Bible. Prerequisite: 202. 3 creditsRELS-210 LIVING FAITHS
Exploration of wisdom and faith within the world's great religions. An introduction to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism as living religions. Focus on sacred texts, spirituality, and ethics within world religions and their relation to today's global events. 4 credits (UQ or GP)RELS-220 CHRISTIANITY
Prominent people, movements, and doctrines within Christianity. Special attention to primary source materials and biographies. 4 credits (UQ or VP)RELS-230 RELIGIOUS THINKERS
Exposition of contemporary theologians through primary reading sources. 4 credits (UQ)RELS-254 FOLKLORE AND MYTHOLOGY (CROSS-LISTED WITH ANTH 254)
Comparative anthropological study of traditional oral literature: myths, legends, folktales, riddles, proverbs, jokes. Dynamics of folklore, its creation, performance, and transmission; functions of folklore and myth in diverse cultures, including the contemporary United States. 4 creditsRELS-260 DEAD SEA SCROLLS
The discovery, content, and historical context of the Dead Sea Scrolls. What the Scrolls tell us about Second Temple Judaism, the origins of Christianity, the history of the biblical text, the Qumran community. Making the scrolls available to the general public. NOTE: Not open to those who have taken INQS 125 "The Dead Sea Scrolls." 4 credits (UQ or VP)RELS-265 JOHN AND THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS
Examination of the Gnostic Christian texts discovered at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, as context for the Gospel of John. Topics include: the variety of early Christian communities; roles of women in early Christian churches; the so-called Q document; the politics of Christian canon formation; the Gospel of John as an orthodox response to Gnostic Christians. NOTE: Not open to those who have taken INQS 125 "John and the Gnostic Gospels." 4 credits (UQ or VP)RELS-310 HISTORY OF RELIGION OF THE MIDDLE EAST (CROSS-LISTED WITH HIST 310)
Prominent periods and events in the formation and development of the three major religious traditions of the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Historical context, the prophet, conquest and empire, crisis and disaster, Holy Text. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or above. 4 credits (UQ or VP or GP)RELS-315 POLITICS AND RELIGION (CROSS-LISTED WITH POLS 315)
Examination of the relationship between politics & religion in varying contexts: theories of the role of religion in government and society, religious social movements, contemporary political controversies involving religion. Prerequisite: POLS 201, 210, or 220; or 110 or 115, or consent of instructor. 4 creditsRELS-320 PILGRIMAGES: SACRED JOURNEYS
A study of the role and practices of pilgrimages in major religious traditions. Exploration of symbolic pilgrimages including the use of labyrinths. Relevance for personal practice and sacred journeys. 4 credits (UQ or GP)RELS-325 FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION
A study of the theology, role and practices of forgiveness in four major religious traditions: Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Includes examination of forgiveness, revenge, reconciliation and restorative justice. Case studies will focus on individuals, group/cultures, and national contexts. Relevance for personal practice will be explored. 4 credits (UQ)RELS-330 HISTORY OF RELIGION IN AMERICA (CROSS- LISTED WITH HIST 330)
History of prominent religious experiences in America. Protestant empire, Native American presence, minority appropriation, post-Christian responses. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or above. 4 credits (UQ or VP or US)RELS-340 MONKS AND MYSTICS
Study of western monasticism and the way of the mystic. Focus on Trappists, their community and spiritual disciplines. Visits to Trappist Abbey, dialogue with monks. Additional trip to Brigittine monastery and Benedictine convent. Academic reflection and personal exploration. 4 credits (UQ)RELS-345 GENDER & SPIRITUALITY
An interdisciplinary exploration of the mutual interaction of gendered experience and spirituality in the context and history of world religions. Special attention given implications for the construal of body, nature, self, and ethics. 4 credits (UQ or GP or US)RELS-350 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Conceptions of God; arguments for belief and disbelief in Christian theism; the question of life after death; the mystery of evil; religious language and symbolism. Primary source readings from Anselm, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Buber, Tillich, Flew, Hartshorne, Whitehead, and others. 4 credits (WI)RELS-355 NATURE & SPIRITUALITY
An interdisciplinary exploration of the relationship between nature and spirituality in the context and history of world religions. 4 credits (UQ or GP)RELS-380 BUDDHISM
Examination of Buddhist teachings on the cause of suffering and its mitigation. Four Noble Truths, Dependent Causation, meditation, scriptures, the Sangha, Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, Pure Land, Tibetan, and Zen groups. Buddhism in America. 4 credits (UQ or GP)RELS-410 CS LEWIS SEMINAR
The life and writings of C. S. Lewis. Focus on reason and imagination, faith and apologetics, pain and suffering, grief and hope. Lewis's legacy for religion and moral reflection. 4 credits (UQ)RELS-435 DEATH & DYING
American ways of death and dying. Cultural immorality, obscenity, confrontation, technicalities, realities, living. 4 credits (UQ)RELS-439 PEER INSTRUCTION
Advanced opportunity for outstanding students to assist faculty members in the classroom. Normally the student will function as a tutor in a language course or introductory content course. Focus on course content and pedagogy. Prerequisites: application and consent of instructor. 4 credits (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) (EL)RELS-452 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION AND CONSCIOUSNESS 452)
Interdisciplinary approach to theory and research on the nature of religion and spiritual experience in human existence. Issues in the transformation of consciousness. Prerequisite: any one of the following--PSYC 101, 181, 182, 183, 186, 187, 188; or consent of instructor. 4 credits (IS or GP or UQ)RELS-460 DIETRICH BONHOEFFER IN NAZI GERMANY
Focus on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian who opposed Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. Issues of freedom and responsible action in a time of tyranny and oppression highlighted. Includes study of both Bonhoeffer's life and theological ethics. NOTE: Not open to students with credit for INQS 125 "Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany." 4 credits (UQ or VP)RELS-480 INDEPENDENT STUDY
Independent study for students of advanced standing under the supervision of departmental faculty. By permission. 1-5 creditsRELS-485 SENIOR SEMINAR
Departmental capstone course. Examination of approaches to the understanding of religious phenomena. Classical books read, discussed, and interpreted. Students may submit a thesis showing mature scholarship under the direction of one or more members of the department. For majors and minors. Departmental permission required. 4 credits (MWI)RELS-487 INTERNSHIP
Individualized learning in applied religion through working in a church, synagogue, temple, or other institution related to a denomination or ecumenical group. Letter grades. Prerequisite: consent of department. 4 credits (EL)RELS-490 SENIOR THESIS
Advanced research and writing in consultation with one or more members of the department. Required for departmental honors. Departmental permission required. 4 credits (WI)Top of Page
Any Questions? If you are interested in learning more about the curriculum at Linfield, please contact the Office of Admission at (800) 640-2287 or email admission@linfield.edu. An admissions counselor will be happy to answer your questions or put you in touch with a faculty member.