2002-2003 PLU Catalog

Religion is an attempt to understand the meaning of human existence. For Christians meaning is revealed in the love of God in Jesus Christ. The Department of Religion stands within and affirms this Christian context.

In a university setting this means the serious academic study of the Bible, of the history of the Christian tradition, of Christian theology, and of world religious traditions. Critical study calls for open and authentic dialogue with other religious traditions and seeks to understand a common humanity as each tradition adds its unique contribution. It calls for a critical yet constructive interchange with contemporary society. Finally, it calls for a sharing of insights with other disciplines in the university as each sheds light on the human condition.

To these ends the Department of Religion offers a wide range of courses and opportunities. Furthermore it calls students, majors and non-majors alike, to consider questions of meaning, purpose, and value in a society which all too often neglects these questions.

Faculty: Oakman, Chair; Batten, Breazeale, Gross, Ingram, Killen, Petersen, Stivers, Torvend, Trelstad.

University Core Requirements: 8 semester hours for students entering as first-year students or sophomores. Four lower-division hours should be taken before the end of the sophomore year. The second 4 hours may be selected from most of the other offerings in the religion curriculum. Transfer students entering as juniors or seniors are required to take 4 semester hours of religion (from lines 1 or 2), unless presenting 8 transfer hours of religion from other regionally accredited colleges or universities. Courses offered through correspondence, on-line, and independent studies are not accepted to meet the core requirement in Religious Studies.

The Core I requirement in Religious Studies (8 hours) specifies that 4 hours must be taken from each of two lines, as follows:

Biblical Studies (R1) - 111, 211, 212, 330, 331, 332.
Christian Thought, History, and Experience (R2) - 121, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 360, 361, 362, 364, 365, 367, 368.
Integrative and Comparative Religious Studies (R3) - 131, 132, 133, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 239, 390, 391, 392, 393.

Perspectives on Diversity Requirement: 131, 132, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 247, 341, 344, 347, and 392 fulfill the cross-cultural line. 257, 351, 354, 357, and 368 fulfill the alternative line.

Bachelor of Arts Major: 32 semester hours with at least 4 hours in each of the three lines plus 499. 16 of the 32 hours for the major must be taken in upper-division courses (numbered 300 or higher). Transfer majors will normally take 20 hours in residence. Majors should plan their program early in consultation with departmental faculty. Closely related courses taught in other departments may be considered to apply toward the religion major in consultation with the chair of the department.

Minor (Teacher Education Option): 24 semester hours; at least 4 hours in each of the three lines. Transfer minors under this option normally take 16 hours in residence. Intended primarily for parochial school teachers enrolled in the School of Education.

Minor: 16 semester hours with no more than 8 hours in one of the lines listed above. Transfer minors under this option must take at least 8 hours in residence.

Back to topCourse Offerings

111 Biblical Literature: Old and New Testaments - R1
Emphasizes the Bible as a whole; selected passages interpreted in contemporary contexts, such as religion and health care. (4)

121 The Christian Tradition - R2
The study of selected theological questions and formulations examined in their social and historical contexts. (4)

131 The Religions of South Asia - C, R3
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism - their origins and development, expansion, and contemporary issues. (4)

132 The Religions of East Asia - C, R3
Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, Shinto, and the "new religions" of Japan - their origins, development, and contemporary issues. (4)

133 The Bible and Culture - R3
Opens a window onto the "strange new world" in the Bible. Builds on social scientific studies of the Bible as a document of Mediterranean antiquity; shows the distinctiveness of biblical culture and how a reader's own culture shapes an understanding of the Bible. (4)

211 Religion and Literature of the Old Testament - R1
Literary, historical, and theological dimensions of the Old Testament, including perspectives on contemporary issues. (4)

212 Religion and Literature of the New Testament - R1
Literary, historical, and theological dimensions of the New Testament, including perspectives on contemporary issues. (4)

221 Ancient Church History - R2
Origins, thought, and expansion of the Christian Church; rise of the Papacy, expansion in Europe and the growth of Christian involvement in culture, to the end of the Papacy of Gregory I (604 CE). (4)

222 Modern Church History - R2
Beginning with the Peace of Westphalia (1648), interaction of the Christian faith with modern politics, science, and philosophy; expansion in the world, modern movements. (4)

223 American Church History - R2
Interaction of religious and social forces in American history, especially their impact on religious communities. (4)

224 The Lutheran Heritage - R2
Lutheranism as a movement within the church catholic: its history, doctrine, and worship in the context of today's pluralistic and secular world. (4)

225 Faith and Spirituality - R2
Reflection on Christian lifestyles, beliefs, and commitments. (4)

226 Christian Ethics - R2
Introduction to the personal and social ethical dimensions of Christian life and thought with attention to primary theological positions and specific problem areas. (4)

227 (247, 257) Christian Theology - R2
Survey of selected topics or movements in Christian theology designed to introduce the themes and methodologies of the discipline. (4)

231 Myth, Ritual, and Symbol - R3
The nature of myth and its expression through symbol and ritual. (4)

232 The Buddhist Tradition - C, R3
Introduction to the history and practice of Buddhist tradition in its South Asian, East Asian, and Western cultural contexts. (4)

233 The Religions of China - C, R3
Introduction to the major religious movements of China. (4)

234 The Religions of Japan - C, R3
Introduction to the religious traditions of Japan. (4)

235 Islamic Traditions - C, R3
An introduction to the history, teachings, and practices of Islam. (4)

237 Judaism - C, R3
Historical development of Judaism's faith and commitment from early Biblical times to the present. (4)

239 Environment and Culture - R3
Study of the ways in which environmental issues are shaped by human culture and values. Major conceptions of nature, including non-western perspectives and issues in eco-justice. Critical evaluations of literature, arts, ethics, conceptual frameworks, history, and spirituality. (Crosslisted with ENGL 239.) (4)

330 Old Testament Studies - R1
Major areas of inquiry: the prophets, psalms, wisdom literature, mythology, theology, or biblical archeology. (4)

331 New Testament Studies - R1
Major areas of inquiry: intertestamental, synoptic, Johannine, or Pauline literature, or New Testament theology. (4)

332 The Life of Jesus - R1
Historical survey of "Life of Jesus" research; form and redaction criticism of the gospel tradition; the religious dimensions of Jesus' life and thought. Prerequisite: one lower-division RELI course or consent of instructor. (4)

360 Studies in Church Ministry - R2
The church in human service: the congregation, the church-related college, contemporary contexts of world mission. (4)

361 (341, 351) Church History Studies - R2
Selected area of inquiry, such as American-Scandinavian church history, religious experience among American minority communities, and the ecumenical movement. (4)

362 Luther - R2
The man and his times, with major emphasis on his writing and creative theology. (4)

364 (344, 354) Theological Studies - R2
Selected topic or movement within Christian theology. (4)

365 Christian Moral Issues - R2
In-depth exploration from the perspective of Christian ethics of selected moral issues such as peace and violence, the environment, sexuality, political and economic systems, hunger, and poverty. (4)

367 (347, 357) Major Religious Thinkers, Texts, and Genres - R2
In-depth study of major figures, texts, or genres in Christian and non-Christian religious traditions, focusing especially on the theology and religious thought of these traditions. Fulfills either line 2 or 3 as appropriate. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (4)

368 Feminist and Womanist Theologies - A, R2
A study of major theological themes and issues through global women's perspectives on gender. (4)

390 Studies in History of Religions - R3
Historical study of specific non-Christian religions such as the traditions of India and China, Judaism, and Islam. (4)

391 Sociology of Religion - R3
Multi-cultural investigation of religious experience, belief, and ritual in relation to their social settings with particular attention to new forms of religion in America. (Crosslisted with SOCI 391.) (4)

392 God, Magic, and Morals - C, R3
Anthropology of religion. (Crosslisted with ANTH 392). (4)

393 Religion and the Life Cycle - R3
Selected periods considered from a religious and social scientific viewpoint. (4)

491 Independent Studies
Intended for religion majors, advanced and graduate students; consent of the department is required. (1-4)

499 Capstone: Research Seminar - SR
Discussion of common readings and a major research and writing project with public presentation around the student's area of interest. (4)