Religion Course Descriptions
Scripture Course Descriptions
RLGN 1001/3101 Old Testament Survey (3 units)
A survey of the origins and development of the Hebrew Bible/Christian Old Testament with attention to its theological and literary importance for the Western mind. Spring Semesters.
RLGN 1018/3118 The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and the Acts (3 units)
A detailed study of these books and of the historical Jesus. We will reconstruct the social setting and major themes of each gospel and examine the life, teaching, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Some attention will also be paid to the content and message of the Acts of the Apostles. Fall Semesters.
RLGN 1022/3122 The Gospel of Mark (3 units)
Study of the earliest gospel to determine its theological message, its understanding of Christ, miracles and discipleship, and its social relevance. Summer Sessions.
RLGN 1026/3126 The Gospel and Epistles of John (3 units)
Study of major themes of these New Testament books with special attention to Christology and their presentation of the Christian spiritual life. Fall Semesters.
RLGN 1027/3127 New Testament (3 units)
A survey and introduction to the book that has shaped the Western mind more profoundly than any other for nearly 2000 years. Fall, Spring Semesters.
RLGN 1028/3128 The Book of Revelation (3 units)
Examination of the context, message, and contemporary relevance of this extraordinary final book of the Christian New Testament. Summer Sessions.
RLGN 1030/3130 The Letters of St. Paul (3 units)
A study of the major themes of Paul’s thought through the letters he wrote as responses to problems in the early Christian church. Fall, Spring Semesters.
Theology Course Descriptions
RLGN 1005/3005 Message of Islam through the Voice of a Sufi Master (1 unit)
Exploration of the core beliefs of Islam, with its history, origins, and developments, including the life of the Prophet Muhammad, Quranic principles, major philosophical schools (Sunna, Shi’a, and Sufi) and the meaning of jihad. Summer Session, offered intermittently.
RLGN 1010/3110 Christianity in Contemporary Film (3 units)
Investigation of contemporary feature films which deal substantially with Christian themes. Offered regularly.
RLGN 1012 Introduction to Christianity through Art (3 units)
Reviews Christianity’s Biblical foundations and the basic history, teaching, and liturgy of the church and illustrates these by looking at Christian art from various times and places. This course is especially intended for students who have no previous knowledge of Christianity.
RLGN 1032/3132 Women, Religion, and Sexuality (3 units)
A cross-cultural study of the impact of traditional religious teachings about sex on society’s perception of women’s role and status and on women’s own self-perception, with particular attention to the historical origins of female subordination. Fall, Spring Semesters
RLGN 1042/3142 Catholic Moral Philosophy (3 units)
A critical investigation of Catholic moral reasoning on a range of contemporary ethical issues. Fall, Spring Semesters.
RLGN 1052/3152 Contemporary Views of Christ (3 units)
A general introduction to the person of Jesus Christ. Various Christian/Catholic traditions along with contemporary reflections from the third world reveal the rich spectrum of meaning Jesus Christ holds for contemporary Christians. Spring Semesters.
RLGN 1053/3153 Spirituality Through Life Story (3 units)
This course explores the life-stories and spiritual journeys of remarkable human beings and illustrious fictional characters through the media of literature, film, music, and art. Spring Semesters.
RLGN 1054/3154 Theology of Women (3 units)
How does a woman evolve a personal spirituality beyond male images and language? Study of both the patriarchal roots of (some) religions and of the womanist revolution in theology will lead this exploration into the question of how we name and relate to the sacred. Fall Semesters.
RLGN 1055/3155 A Passion for Justice: Contemporary Christian Liberation Theologies (3 units)
Overview of contemporary effort to reinterpret Christian theology in the context of social justice projects emerging from and in solidarity with the poor of Latin American, North American feminists, and the African American Christian community. Fall, Spring Semesters.
RLGN 1058/3158 Catholic Thought and the Contemporary World (3 units)
A survey of Catholic intellectual response since the Second Vatican Council to the issues, questions, and concerns of the contemporary world. Topics covered will include: war and peace, social, economic, and environmental justice, ecumenism and collegiality, and sexuality. Fall Semesters.
RLGN 1062/3162 Feminist Spirituality and Fairy Tales (3 units)
An examination of feminist religious criticism of popular fairy tales and cultural myths used in the socialization of women that enables students of both sexes to explore spiritual questions of identity, power, relationship, dependency, and freedom. Summer Sessions.
RLGN 1063/3163 Mysticism (3 units)
“Mysticism” refers to the writings produced by those who have claimed a direct experience of God. This course draws from Christian and/or global sources to examine the mystic mind. Offered regularly.
RLGN 1085/3185 Judaism and Christianity in the Greco-Roman World (3 units)
A study of the evolution of Jewish beliefs and practices from the Babylonian Exile in the 6th century B.C.E. to the emergence of a distinctive Christian identity by the end of the 1st century C.E. Emphasis on primary texts in translation. No prerequisites.
RLGN 3145 Scripture: God in History (3 units)
Exploration of the scriptures of the Jews, the Christians, and the Muslims, the Tanakh, the New Testament, and the Qur'an respectively.
RLGN 3180 Theory and Practice of Christian Prayer and Meditation (3 units)
A study of various types of prayer within the Christian tradition from verbal prayer to meditative prayer to silence in the presence of God through both lectures and hands-on workshops in the actual practice of prayer. Prerequisite: one course in religion or philosophy or by permission of the instructor. Offered every year.
RLGN 3712 Religion in American History (3 units)
A chronological survey of the relationship between diverse religious beliefs and their social, economic, and political contexts in the United States, from the 1490’s to the 1990’s. We explore religion’s role in shaping the national experience, and how the national experience has shaped the nature of religious faith.
Cross-Cultural Study of Religion Course Descriptions
RLGN 1064/3164 Psychology of Religious Experience (3 units)
Analysis of the experiences people call religious or transcendent, and the various ways psychology has tried to understand such experiences. Offered intermittently, cross-listed with psychology.
RLGN 1070/3170 The Spirit of the Earth (3 units)
A sustained reflection on the role of religion in the task of developing an ecologically sound relationship to the Earth, and on the degree to which that relationship suggests new possibilities for the human spirit. Fall Semesters.
RLGN 1075/3075 Religion and Social Theory (3 units)
Drawing on Durkheim, Marx, Weber, Mead, Parsons and Bellah, this course examines religious consciousness within a general theory of human action to identify the role religious expression and activity has played in society and social organization. Offered intermittently.
RLGN 1076/3176 Western Religions (3 units)
An exploration of one or more of the major religious traditions of the Western world–Judaism, Christianity, and Islam–in their historical and cultural contexts, examining how each conceives the nature of reality, the goals of human life, and the way to those goals. Fall Semesters.
RLGN 1077/3177 Philosophies and Religions of Asia (3 units)
A survey of one or more of the major religious traditions of Asia–Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism–in their historical and cultural contexts, examining how each conceives the nature of reality, the goals of human life, and the way to those goals. Spring Semesters.
RLGN 3181 Theory and Practice of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim Prayer and Meditation (3 units)
A study of various types of non-Christian contemplative practices from hatha yoga, to Buddhist meditation, to Islamic zekr, through both lectures and hands-on workshops in the actual practice of these disciplines. Prerequisite: one course in religion or philosophy or by permission of the instructor.
RLGN 3186: Catholic Social Teaching (3 units)
A study of the literature of Catholic social teaching and ways in which people of faith have attempted to change the world for the better.
RLGN 3156 Religious Fundamentalism in the Modern World (3 units)
Surveys the rise of fundamentalist movements in a number of world religions, investigates their origins and causes, and tries to understand their consequences for the human future. Offered intermittently.
RLGN 3165 Native American Religions (1.5 units)
Surveys the history and religious beliefs and practices of the Native American peoples. Offered intermittently.
RLGN 3175 Philosophy of Religion (3 units)
A rigorous inquiry into topics central to the philosophy of religion including the nature of God, grounds for belief and disbelief, the problem of evil, death and immortality, and the problem of conflicting truth claims in a religiously plural world. Offered intermittently.
RLGN 3178 The World’s Religions (3 units)
A study of humankind’s ultimate and enduring questions–the nature of reality and the meaning and end of human life–against the background of its multiform spiritual heritage. The course will survey the world’s great religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism), accenting both their commonalities and their distinctiveness with special attention to the unique social vision of the Judeo-Christian tradition. (Pathways only) Fall, Spring Semesters.
RLGN 3179 Myth, Symbol, and Ritual (3 units)
The phenomenon of religion viewed anthropologically. Religious beliefs in oral traditions and pre-literate cultures; analysis of anthropological theories concerning the evolution and function of religious belief, myth, symbolism, and ritual; relation of religion to culture and social organization. Offered regularly.
RLGN 3191 HONORS: Worldviews and Practices of the Great Religions (3 units)
A World’s Religions course augmented by a number of participant-observer field studies of phenomena such as a Native American sweat lodge, Hindu yoga and chant, Buddhist meditation, Jewish prayer, Christian worship, and Islamic invocation. Most semesters.
RLGN 3193 Special Interest Seminar
When appropriate, special seminars for upper division students will be scheduled to give an opportunity for study of special topics. Offered as needed.
RLGN 3195 Interfaith Spirituality and Community (3 units)
Does interfaith spirituality exist? If so, what does it look like? Is interfaith community truly possible in our world today? We will explore these questions and more, through assigned readings, class discussion, invited guests and class/individual visits to several Marin religious communities.
Miscellaneous Religion Course Descriptions
RLGN 1093 Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest (1 unit)
Shows how keeping a journal can provide insight into memories, relationships, life patterns, and can help one to discover the meaning of the sacred in life. Offered intermittently.
RLGN 4910 Senior Project, First Semester (1-3 units)
RLGN 4911 Senior Project, Second Semester (1-3 units)
RLGN 4920 Senior Project Workshop, First Semester (0.5 units)
RLGN 4921 Senior Project Workshop, Second Semester (0.5 units)
RLGN 4994 Teaching Assistantship (1-3)
RLGN 4996 Internship (1-3 units)
For full description see General Description – ART 4996 – All Internships at end of Art Course Descriptions. Offered every semester.
RLGN 4999 Independent Study (1-3 units)
