Spring 2025

The Hebrew Bible in the cultural setting of the ancient Near East; the formation of theological and ethical concepts which have shaped Western culture.

Examination of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in their origins and their development in relation to Western civilization.

Focus primarily on works of Buddhist literature written in a variety of genres. Introduction of basic teachings that link Buddhist traditions across time and space.

Historical and thematic survey of Chinese religious history from earliest times to the present.

Congregational and individual expressions of religion in Los Angeles.

History and contexts of anti-Semitism, racism and other discourses about difference examined through religious, national and cultural forms in Europe and in the US.

History, thought, institutions, and religious practices of Islam.

The development of religious thought and practice in the Japanese islands, with Buddhism and Shinto being the most prominent.

Exploration of the rise of Islam in Black America, and the relationship of Blackamerican Muslims to more recent Muslim immigrants using historical and sociopolitical frameworks.

How human appetites for sex, food, community or immortality are articulated as mystical desires in different religions, either within institutional structures or working against them.

Examines various topics in the process of rapid modernization and globalization in Buddhism including environmentalism, gender, nationalism, social activism, and war and peace.

Studies of the presence and influence of Zen Buddhism and Daoism in Asian literature, with a focus on China and Japan.

The interaction of archaeology and contemporary societies through political and moral claims; archaeologists' role as stewards and interpreters of ancient cultures and their remains. Capstone course for the Archaeology major.

The role of religion in modern society from the standpoint of sociological theory and research.

Intellectual, institutional, and social history of religion in America from colonial times to the present.

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Individual research for honors in the major leading to a substantial project.

Research methods and recent scholarship in Christian Studies.

Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Application of comparative and transhistorical methods for understanding the most prominent themes in Asian Pacific Religions.

Skills for academic professionalization, presentation of research in progress and formal responses to academic writing.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded CR/NC.