Fall 2008 Graduate Courses

RELS 5000.001 Advanced Biblical Hebrew I. A critical reading and translation of biblical, non-biblical, and postbiblical Hebrew prose and poetic texts. R 3:30-6:45 (John C. Reeves)

RELS 5010.001 Major Figures: Constantine. The Roman emperor Constantine remains a fascinating, if enigmatic, subject for historians of late antiquity and early Christianity. In this course, students will examine the social, political, cultural, and religious history of the “Age of Constantine” (c. 292-337 C.E.). How did Constantine reshape the Roman Empire? What differences did his Christianity make, if any? TR 3:30-4:45 (Jeremy Schott)

RELS 6000.091 Elementary Sanskrit I. TBA (J. Daniel White, on demand) Note: students interested in this course should contact Prof. White directly in order to set up its place and time.

RELS 6000.092 Literary Chinese. TBA (David Mozina, on demand) Note: students interested in this course should contact Prof. Mozina in order to set up its place and time.

RELS 6000.090 Jewish Aramaic I. This course provides an introduction to the Aramaic language for those graduate students who are already reasonably conversant with the linguistic structures of biblical Hebrew. We will learn the basic principles of Aramaic grammar, vocabulary, and syntax while simultaneously reading and translating Aramaic texts drawn from the Bible, the Elephantine corpus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and rabbinic literature. TBA (John C. Reeves, on demand) Note: students interested in this course should contact Prof. Reeves directly in order to set up its place and time.

RELS 6000.093 Readings in Greek/Latin. TBA (Jeremy Schott, on demand) Note: students interested in this course should contact Prof. Schott directly in order to set up its place and time.

RELS 6101.090 Approaches to the Study of Religion. This course provides students with critical tools for research, analytical thinking, and writing in the academic study of religion. The topics and individuals this course covers represent several major currents of thought in the field of religious studies. M 6:30-9:15 (Judith Fagan)

RELS 6615.090 Seminar in the Religions of Late Antiquity. Current and seminal issues related to the academic study of one or more of the religions practiced in the Roman and/or Sasanian Empires during late antiquity. The seminar for this semester will focus upon the resources available and the primary issues involved in the study of the nativist and scriptural religions of Roman Syria, Arabia, and Sasanian Babylonia. Particular attention will be devoted to so-called ‘paganism,’ Judaism, Syriac-language Christianity, Manichaeism, Mandaeism, Zoroastrianism, and the rise of Islam. T 6:30-9:15 (John C. Reeves)

RELS 6631.001 Seminar in Islamic Studies. Current and seminal issues related to the academic study of Islam. The topic this semester will be American Muslim Intellectuals and Islamic Thought. This course will study the considerable contribution of Muslim intellectuals in America to the development of contemporary Islamic thought. We will read and discuss works by Fazlur Rahman, Ismail al-Faruqi, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Khaled Abou El Fadl, Amina Wadud, Hamza Yusuf, and others. Each in their own right raises questions about epistemology, Muslim modernities, religious/scholarly authority, and the role of public intellectuals. In addition, the course will explore the dynamics of global exchanges of ideas and the significance of Muslim scholars for religious pluralism in America. W 3:30-6:15 (Juliane Hammer)

RELS 6800. Directed Studies. (TBA, John C. Reeves)

RELS 6999. Thesis. (TBA, John C. Reeves)

RELS 7999. Master’s Degree Residence. (TBA, John C. Reeves)