Academics > Majors and Areas of Study > Religion > Course Offerings

Religion department courses are designed to expose students to the variety of modes of religious expression, both past and present. Courses often emphasize student participation and dialogue, giving students the opportunity to think critically about the material and develop their own viewpoints. Research papers and reading of original sources, from Saint Augustine to the Bhagavad Gita, help students to also develop critical reading, writing, and analytical skills important for any career. Because religion traditions are so diverse, Thiel's course selection offers something for everyone, whether you are planning to go on to the ministry, seeking to deepen your faith experience, or just curious about the religious traditions of our global village.

REL/GREK 150/151 Introduction to Greek Language Skills (6 C.H.) A basic course designed to give students a knowledge of the structure of the Greek language and begin preparing them for the reading of Greek literature. The primary emphasis is on Koine (New Testament) Greek.

REL 110 Introduction to Religion (3 C.H.) This course is designed to introduce students to the study of religion, the language of religion, the person of religion, and the community of religion.

REL 120 Interpreting the Jewish and Christian Scriptures (3 C.H.) An introductory course to the Scriptures of the Jewish and Christian traditions. The writings of the Old and New Testaments are surveyed, utilizing literary and historical criticism. Students will be exposed to major questions raised in interpreting the Bible in the 21st century. A prerequisite to all other courses in religion. (P: INDS 010)

REL 130 Introduction to Ministry (3 C.H.) This course provides an examination of historic and contemporary understandings of the nature, function and practice of ministry in various traditions of the Christian church. The course is intended to help students with a general interest in religion understand the relationship between ministry and religious community; and to help students with a specific interest in preparing for ministry understand the expectations and responsibilities before them.

REL 140 History of Christianity (3 C.H.) An historical study of Christianity concentrating on its major teachings, practices, and institutional forms from its origin to the present day. (P: REL 120)

REL 155 Christian Beliefs (3 C.H.) An introductory course to Christian theology. Various systematic presentations of Christian beliefs are examined in order to appreciate the plurality of approaches to reinterpreting Christian doctrine in the modern world. (P: REL 120)

REL 160 Religion in the United States (3 C.H.) A topical study of the historical phenomena of religions in the U.S. with primary emphasis on Christianity, and some attention to other U.S. religions especially Judaism. The study includes general background of each religion with subsequent U.S. developments presented through such phenomena as revivalism, immigration, liberal theories, and social emphases. (P: REL 120)

REL 170 African Religion (3 C.H.) This introductory course of African religion will examine the theology of indigenous African tribes to ascertain the of their belief systems. Learning about African traditional religion through Africa’s rich cultural heritage, the writings of African and African-American theologians, and interactive experiences, students will be helped to bridge the historical and theological gap between the African and African-American experience.

REL 180 Christian Worship (3 C.H.) Christian Worship introduces students to the academic methods and techniques used by scholars in the study of Christian Worship practices and what the results of that study are, particularly in recent years. The course is ecumenical in focus, and seeks to free students from preconceived notions about religious ritual while developing the students’ powers of observation and analysis. The course focuses on ritual practices of the Christian faith and on texts and sources which are available in English translation.

REL 190 World Religions (3 C.H.) A study of the thought, history, and practice of the major contemporary religions of the world, focusing especially on Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, as well as Chinese, Japanese, and African religions. These will be compared with each other and with Christianity and Judaism with a view to better understanding the religious dimension of human life. (P: REL 120)

REL 200 Contemporary Ethical Issues (3 C.H.) Different methods of Christian ethics are examined in relation to current social issues in the areas of sexual relationships, bio-medical advances, economic order, political liberation, and environmental survival. (P: REL 120)

REL 210 Religion and the Sciences (3 C.H.) This interdisciplinary seminar will investigate how religion and science have related and should relate to one another. The aim of the course is to present a comprehensive survey, comprehending both the historical developments of the relation and the current prospects for interaction and dialogue. The course will emphasize the relation between the natural sciences (especially the physical and biological sciences) and Western religion (especially Christianity) while at the same time recognizing diversity, especially at the level of philosophical and religious commitment.

REL 215 Intermediate New Testament Greek I (3 C.H.) In this course students will read selections from the New Testament, Septuagint, or extra-canonical Greek writings in their original language. Questions about the transmission of the text and its theological implications will be discussed. Along the way, we will review the basic vocabulary, grammar, and syntax learned in Rel/Grek 100 and 101. (P: REL 150/151)

REL 220 Women in Jewish and Christian Traditions (3 C.H.) This course introduces Women and Religion as a discipline within the academic study of religion. Students engage in review, analysis, and discussion of representative literature in the history, theology, and spirituality of women in Jewish and Christian traditions. (P: REL 120)

REL 230 Philosophy of Religion (3 C.H.) Deals with philosophical reflection upon such questions as the nature of religion, the concept of God, the problem of evil, the religious dimension of human experience, the justification of religious claims, and the character of religious language. Explored in relation to these matters are the thoughts of representative figures from skepticism, existentialism, and pragmatism. (P: REL 120)

REL 240 African American Religion in the U.S. (3 C.H.) Investigates the history of black religion from its African roots through the period of slave trade to the experience to blacks in the United States over the past two centuries.

REL 250 Psychology of Religion (3 C.H.) An examination of the relationship between religious belief and experience and the psychological make-up and functioning of persons. (P: REL 120)

REL 260 Religion, Fiction, and Popular Culture (3 C.H.) This course approaches the study of religion from two perspectives, each governed by a core conviction. The first conviction is that religion has a deeply complicated and at times highly problematic relation with the culture in which the religion is expressed. The second conviction is that religious concepts, practices and beliefs are articulated creatively in non-dogmatic forms. To say that something is “dogmatic” is not to say anything necessarily bad; it is merely to say that the genre in which dogma (and to a lesser extent, doctrine) is written calls attention to itself as something overtly religious and is generally straightforwardly theological. Thus the first perspective from which we shall approach the study of religion is through literature. We will read novels, poems, short stories, and memoirs from writers of many different faiths on any number of religious themes, attempting to understand indirectly what dogma and doctrine say directly. The second perspective uses literature as a lens for viewing the relationship of religion and popular culture, determining whether the relationship one of, for example, parasite/host, symbiosis,  predator/prey, dueling contestants for power, or others.

REL 270 Judaism (3 C.H.) An exploration of Judaism from its biblical origins to the present day. Particular attention is given to Jewish history and the meanings of festivals and “life-cycle” events. Additional topics may include biblical monotheism and its impact on Western civilization, strategies for Jewish survival throughout history, the implications of the Holocaust, and the impact of feminism on contemporary Jewish life.

REL 280 Currents in Late Modern Theology (3 C.H.) Contemporary currents in theology from the death of God movement and process theism of the 1960s to the hermeneutical and deconstructionist theologies of the 1980s are investigated. The investigation proceeds through an analysis of various attempts to articulate the meaning and truth of God in the postmodern situation of relativism and pluralism. (P: REL 120)

REL 290 Luther and His Legacy (3 C.H.) An examination of the theological writings of Luther, the immediate context that influenced him, and the rich legacy of theological reflection that he has evoked.

REL 300 Foundations of Parish Education (4 C.H.) This course is designed to introduce students to the basic theory of parish education. It also has a field work component that provides practical experience and fulfills the required supervised field training for parish education majors. (P: REL 120)

REL 310 Liberation Theology in a Latin American Context (1-6 C.H.) The writings, ideas, and dynamics of liberation theology are explored with an eye on the Peruvian situation in a seminar which culminates in a three-week immersion experience during which students and faculty encounter the lived praxis of liberation theology among the people of Peru.

REL 320 Special Topics (1-4 C.H.) An opportunity for students not qualifying for independent study in any of the various fields in religion. The study may not duplicate any other departmental course offering. Departmental approval for the project is required. (P: REL 120)

REL 330 Readings in Religious Studies (2 C.H.) A reading program based on a bibliography which includes material in the area of the history of religious studies deemed essential to supplement and integrate the normal course work in order to provide the student with a comprehensive understanding in the field of religion. Required of religion majors. (P: REL 120)

REL 340 Readings in Theology (2 C.H.) A reading program based on a bibliography which includes material in the areas of the theological ethics and systematics deemed essential to supplement and integrate the normal course work in order to provide the student with a comprehensive understanding in the field of religion. Required of religion majors. (P: REL 120)

REL 380 Cooperative Education (C.H. Variable)

REL 390 Independent Study (1-4 C.H.) Independent study will enable students to work individually on a project or a reading program designed for their specific interests. Students of senior standing who meet the qualifications outlined elsewhere in the catalog may with the consent of the instructor, register for this course.