Winter Quarter 2027
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Catalog Descriptions
Undergraduate Course Descriptions
- RST 001 Survey of Religion | Wendy Terry
Basic concepts introduced through readings of the primary religious literature. Discussion of central ideas (creation, history, law, prophecy, suffering, mysticism, asceticism, karma, reincarnation, moksha, etc.); readings from the Bible, Bhagavad Gita, the Koran, selections from Plato and early Buddhist writings.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); American Cultures, Governance, & History (ACGH); Domestic Diversity (DD); Oral Skills (OL); Visual Literacy (VL); Writing Experience (WE).
- RST 032 History of Yoga | Lynna Dhanani
History of yoga from antiquity to its most recent formulation in American popular and consumer culture.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); Domestic Diversity (DD); World Cultures (WC); Writing Experience (WE).
- RST 040 New Testament | Wendy Terry
New Testament literature from critical, historical, and theological perspectives.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); World Cultures (WC); Writing Experience (WE).
- RST 069 Hindu Mythology | Layne Little
Survey of the major narrative traditions within Hinduism, including epic literature and local stories in oral, textual, visual and performative forms.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); Visual Literacy (VL); World Cultures (WC); Writing Experience (WE).
- RST 115 Mysticism | Ryan Brizendine
Historical and descriptive analysis of selected key figures in mystical traditions and readings of representative mystical texts. Analytic term paper.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); Oral Skills (OL); Visual Literacy (VL); World Cultures (WC); Writing Experience (WE).
- RST 154 The Hindu Temple | Layne Little
Comparative history of architecture and symbolism of the Hindu Temple in India, Southeast Asia and the United States. Attention to the temple as expression of religious knowledge, political authority, and cultural heritage through the lens of colonialism and postcolonialism.
Cross Listing: AHI 154.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH) or Social Sciences (SS); Visual Literacy (VL); World Cultures (WC); Writing Experience (WE).
- RST 158 The Ramayana | Danny Dyer
Exploration of the Indian epic, Ramayana, through the lens of literature, performance, and visual art. Emphasis on the text's diversity and its contemporary global relevance. Topics include Ramayanas in Southeast Asia, and in various South Asian diaspora communities.
Cross Listing: COM 156.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); World Cultures (WC); Writing Experience (WE).
- RST 165 Islam in Asia | Ryan Brizendine
Islam as a lived religion in the Indian sub-continent, Central Asia, China, and Southeast Asia. Emphasis is on primary sources studied comparatively and historically.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); World Cultures (WC); Writing Experience (WE).
Courses Outside of the Department
- More Elective Options for Religious Studies Majors
Religious Studies majors can use up to 4 courses related to religion offered outside of the department as electives for the major as long as the student receives approval from an RST advisor, which should be noted on the Major Checklist Form.
Religious Studies Elective Course Options:
ANT 134 - Buddhism in Global Culture
GER 116 - Readings in Jewish Writing & Thought in German Culture
HIS 113 - History of Modern Palestine/Israel
HIS 142A - History of the Holocaust
PHI 105 - Philosophy of Religion