218 The New Testament World (4) The first Christians wrote letters to each other, they wrote tales about Jesus, they wrote sermons, and apocalypses. An introduction to some of those writings preserved in the New Testament and to those apocryphal and non-canonical works that shaped how the New Testament was remembered and how Christianity developed. Examines both the earliest Christians and the literature they used to create communities and to express and communicate their faith. Prerequisite: at least 3 semester hours in English, history, philosophy, or religious studies. Offered every spring. 232 Religion and American Politics (4) Investigates the relationship between religion and politics in the United States, especially the role of traditional religious identities and issues, while acknowledging non-traditional religious movements, ideas, and issues. Emphasizes upcoming elections. Students are expected to be informed on the current debates in the various national elections which form basis of class discussions and student presentations. Identical to CSRF 232. Offered fall of even-numbered years. 233 Religion and Constitutional Law (4) Introduces students to the relationship between religion and American law. Students explore the origins, history, and current legal foundations guiding disputes over religious freedom, providing the backdrop for discussions of current issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and euthanasia. Offered spring of odd-numbered years. 238/338 Topics in American Religion (4) A focused examination of religion in specific areas of American culture. May include the study of specific religious traditions (e.g., Catholicism), movements (e.g., evangelicalism, new religions), or areas of cultural interaction (e.g., education, science) in American religion. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Offered spring when circumstances permit. 250 Religion and Popular Culture (4) Introduces students to the role religion plays in creating and maintaining culture through such popular venues as motion pictures, television, sports, and fashion, as well as the impact of religious values on popular cultural expressions. Offered in selected January Terms.
251/351 Bible and Literature (4) Examines the Bible as the source and inspiration for works of fiction, non-fiction, biography, letters, parables, poetry, and epistles from the world’s literature, both classic and modern. These works are studied from the perspective of the literary modes of discourse drawn from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Offered intermittently. 253/353 Topics in Religious Ethics (4) A focused examination of ethical theory and methods and of issues in moral theology within religious traditions. Courses offered under this designation may focus on a particular religion, on a specific practice, or on a comparative approach to religious ethics. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Offered when circumstances permit. 303 Saints and Heretics: Christian History I (4) Traces the “plot” of the development of Christian thought about questions of fundamental human importance from the formation of the medieval world to the Reformation. Students examine the mutual dependence of theology and wider culture with special attention to developing strategies for reading the Bible. May be taken in conjunction with RELST 304 or independently. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent. Offered fall of even-numbered years. 304 Damned and Saved: Christian History II (4) Continues the “plot” of the development of Christian thought. Students trace the creation of our own modern world view from the wake of the Reformation through the Enlightenment and into the 19th and 20th centuries. Emphasizes the development of strategies for reading the Bible as students examine the interrelation of theology and its cultural context at each step of the way. May be taken in conjunction with RELST 303 or independently. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent. Offered spring of odd-numbered years. 308 Lobbying and Religious Advocacy (4) Examines how, through approaches to lobbying and political advocacy, different religious communities engage in American politics, how their religio-historical views play a role in that engagement, and how their socio-historical context often has determined (or continue to determine) their level of access in the political realm. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent. Offered in January Term.
Virginia Wesleyan University 2021 - 2022 Academic Catalog
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