DVSC 622 30100

Introduction to the Study of Religion and the Human Sciences

Doniger / Rosengarten

PQ: Open only to 1st year AMRS and AM Students.

DVSC 622 45100

Reading Course: Special Topics in Divinity

Staff

Petition with bibliography signed by instructor; enter section from faculty list.

DVSC 622 49900

Exam Preparation: Divinity

Staff

Open only to Ph.D. students in quarter of qualifying exams; enter section from faculty list.

DVSC 622 50100

Research: Divinity

Staff

Petition signed by instructor; enter section from faculty list.

DVSC 622 59900

Thesis Work: Divinity

Staff

Petition signed by instructor; enter section from faculty list.

BIBL 603 30600

Jewish Civilization I

Brinker

Ident. JWSC 2000, JWSG 31000

BIBL 603 33900

Intro to Biblical Hebrew

Staff

BIBL 603 35100

Introduction to Koine Greek I

Blanton

PQ: Open to Undergraduate Students with Consent of Instructor
Ident NTEC 35100

BIBL 603 37600

The Babylonian Talmud and Critical Scholarship: Tractate Berakhot, Ch. 4

Hirshman

PQ: Knowledge of Hebrew required.
Ident. JWSG 37600

BIBL 603 39500

Gods on Earth, the Author of the Bible

Frymer-Kensky

This course will be a discussion of the many facets of the biblical theology of humanity. We will consider such issues as the image of God, humanity of nature, the glory of humanity, holiness and other issues toward building a biblical theology of humankind. Implications for contemporary religious anthropology will also be considered.
Ident. THEO 39500, HIJD 39500, JWSG 39500, RLST 21501

BIBL 603 42200

The Farewell Discourses of the Gospel of John

Klauck

Among the characteristic components of John's gospel that have no parallel in the synoptic gospels, the farewell discourses in John 14-17 take a prominent place. The genre is well known from Biblical and Jewish literature, but there are some Greco-Roman examples too (esp. Plato's Phaedo). In John, the farewell discourses are part of the extended passion narrative that starts already with "The plot to kill Jesus" in John 11:45-53 (or even with the cleansing of the temple in John 2:13-22). We will first discuss genre and structure and then move on to a detailed reading of the texts, beginning with the narrative embedded in chapters 11-13. Special attention will be paid to the way the author of the gospel makes use of the farewell discourses to encode information on and messages to the community of his own day.
PQ: Introduction to New Testament. Greek not required.
Ident. NTEC

BIBL 603 43000

Tradition and Tradition Building in Ancient Judaism

Fishbane

Ident JWSG 43000

BIBL 603 44400

Lucian of Samosata

Martinez

Lucian of Samosata (b. approx. AD 120), like many authors of the New Testament, wrote in Greek but was born and grew up in an Aramaic speaking community. His idiosyncratic literary output comprises around 80 prose pieces which reflect an engaging synthesis of comedy, satire, popular philosophy, and theological musing. Many of his works present a savvy commentary on his cultural and religious environment, and especially enjoyable is his mirthful abandon in identifying religious quackery and the victims of it. As one of the most important and prolific pagan authors of the early centuries AD, Lucian's works form an important background to the early Christian movement, both in his direct references to Christians (in the Peregrinus and Alexander) and in his sensitive description of the vast religious mélange in which early Christianity grew.
The class will focus on daily close reading and analysis of Lucian's Greek and discussion of his ideas. Our reading will include the treatises Lover of Lies, Alexander the False Prophet, and the Death of Perigrinus. As time permits we will also read around in other works such as the Dialogues, the Eunuch, the Council of the Gods, and the "Munchausenesque" True History.
Ident. GREK 24000 / NTEC 34000
PQ: Two years of Greek

BIBL 603 52900

The Image of Humanity in the Bible

Frymer-Kensky

This is a biblical theology and exegesis course in which the passages assigned contribute to our understanding of the bible's view of humanity. We will study each passage in depth and also read them intertextually to build up a theological understanding of humanity.
PQ: Ability to read the Bible in Hebrew

BIBL 603 52200

Pseudo-Petrine Writings in Early Christianity

Klauck

Besides the Pauline school, a kind of Petrine school seems to have existed in early Christianity, and this school, which expressed itself in a broader range of Pseudo-Petrine writings (1 Peter, 2 Peter, Acts of Peter, Gospel of Peter, Apocalypse of Peter, and so on), sometimes even shows open hostility towards Paul. This is especially the case in the Pseudoclementines, a kind of Christian novel, attributed to Clement, the first bishop of Rome, which is preserved in two forms: the Homilies (in Greek) and the Recognitions (in Latin). The history of tradition of these two texts is a very complicated one. We will discuss this and other items, while reading mainly the Greek Homilies and comparing them to other Petrine material.
PQ: Greek and two Bible courses.
Ident. NTEC

THEO 604 31100

History of Theological Ethics I

Schweiker

This is the first part of a two part history. It is conducted through the study of basic, classic texts. The course moves from the philosophical ethics of the Greek and Roman worlds through strands of Hebrew scripture, the origins of the Christian movement, the end of the Roman age to the emergence of Islam, and, finally, Christian and Jewish scholastic and mystical thought in the Western middle ages. While the golden thread of the history is the origin and differentiation of Christian moral thinking, this is set within and compared with the complexities of traditions (Hellenistic philosophical, Jewish, Islamic) that intersect and often collide through this formative century in Western thought. In this way, the exploration of one tradition opens onto rich comparative thinking. The course proceeds by lectures and discussion. Most readings are in translation. There will be a final examination. This is a basic course and thus no previous work in theology, philosophy, or ethics is required.
Ident. RETH 31100

THEO 604 39500

Gods on Earth, the Author of the Bible

Frymer-Kensky

This course will be a discussion of the many facets of the biblical theology of humanity. We will consider such issues as the image of God, humanity of nature, the glory of humanity, holiness and other issues toward building a biblical theology of humankind. Implications for contemporary religious anthropology will also be considered.
Ident. BIBL 39500, HIJD 39500, JWSG 39500, RLST 21501

THEO 604 48200

Religious Eros

Tanner

The course concerns Christian interpretations of human desire, dissatisfaction, and the search for human happiness: the desire for God as the ground and goal of all human thought and action. Variations on this theme from Plato, Plotinus, Gregory of Nyssa, Aquinas, Pascal, and Rahner. Counter-themes from Marcus Aurelius, Nygren, Nietzsche, Deleuze, and Levinas.

THEO 604 50400

Schleiermacher's "The Christian Faith"

Tanner

A close study of the "Glaubenslehre," supplemented by other relevant readings from Schleiermacher's corpus.
PQ: Prior familiarity with Schleiermacher would help but is not absolutely required.

THEO 604 50800

God and Morality

Schweiker

Currently the world's religions are having profound impact on social, cultural, and political realities around the world. From questions in genetics to global conflict, sexuality to the reality of death, the religious have global moral significance. This seminar addresses a basic question within this current reality, namely, what is and ought to be the connection between religious beliefs and the domain of moral value and right. The seminar addresses a range of contemporary answers to this question mindful of the history of the question, reaching the West at least back to Socrates, and different religious and philosophical traditions. The seminar will focus intensely on four crucial works, with attention to others as well. The basic texts include Iris Murdoch's Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals where the argument, drawing on Platonic and some Buddhist ideas, is that the "good" must replace traditional beliefs about God: Emmmanuel Levinas's Otherwise Than Being and some of his more distinct Jewish writings wherein God is a "trace" within the encounter with the other; James Gustafson's Ethics from a Theocentric Perspective that advocates theocentrism in the face of a modern anthropocentric ethical outlooks; and, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, an Islamic thinker, in his Gifford lectures, Knowledge and the Sacred. Classical background texts, ranging from Plato's Euthyphro to Kant and Calvin, will accompany our engagement with the main texts. This is an advance seminar in theological ethics. Presentation and research paper required. Previous Ph.D. level work in theology and/or ethics is also required.
Ident. RETH 50800

DVPR 605 46200

Whitehead: Metaphysics and Ethics

Gamwell

An introduction to Whitehead's metaphysical system, with special attention to its implications for philosophy of religion and philosophical ethics.
Ident. RETH 46200
Ident. FNDL 22201

CHRM 606 30200

Public Church

Brekus

Restricted to entering M.Div. students

CHRM 606 30500

Introduction to the Study of Ministry

Boden / Lindner

PQ: First year M.Div students only
Do not register for this course.

CHRM 606 35500

Arts of Ministry: Worship and Liturgy

Holper

PQ: M.Div. students only

CHRM 606 40600

The Practice of Ministry I

Staff

CHRM 606 42500

Senior Ministry Project Seminar I

Gilpin

HIJD 625 35000

Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages

Robinson

This course will introduce the major Jewish philosophers and schools of thought from the tenth through the fifteenth century. Emphasis will be on dominant themes, such as cosmology, prophecy, providence, the nature of man, and immortality of the soul, but literary form and cultural context will also be considered. Philosophers will be studied in relation to their sources and parallel developments in Islamic and Christian philosophy. Sessions will consist of both lectures and textual studies. There will be an extra hour for students who possess reading knowledge of Hebrew.
Ident. JWSG 34100, Ident. NEHC 30441

HIJD 625 39500

Gods on Earth, the Author of the Bible

Frymer-Kensky

This course will be a discussion of the many facets of the biblical theology of humanity. We will consider such issues as the image of God, humanity of nature, the glory of humanity, holiness and other issues toward building a biblical theology of humankind. Implications for contemporary religious anthropology will also be considered.
Ident. BIBL 39500, THEO 39500, JWSG 39500, RLST 21501

HIJD 625 40600

Research and Methods in the History of Judaism

Mendes-Flohr

HIJD 625 42600

Spinoza and Mendelssohn

Mendes-Flohr

Ident. JWSG 32600

HIJD 625 43000

Tradition and Tradition Building in Ancient Judaism

Fishbane

Ident. JWSG 43000

HCHR 626 41200

Religion in America, 1865-1920

Brekus

This course is a survey of American religious history from the Civil War to 1920. Topics include the southern religion of the "lost cause," industrialism, the social gospel, urban religion, and World War I. Requirements: two short papers (2-3 pages each) on the weekly readings, and a final 15 page review essay. All students are also required to lead class discussion once during the quarter.
Ident. HIST 63700

HREL 628 35000

The Mahabharata in English Translation

Doniger

Ident. SALC 20400/48200, FNDL 24400, RLST 26800

HREL 628 50700

Contemporary Theory and the Study of Religion

Lincoln

PQ: Students should have taken "Classical Theories in Religion" or have a background in critical theory.

RLIT 635 30000

Introduction to Religion and Literature

Yu

PQ: Divinity School students have priority to register; students of other units per consent of instructor.
Ident. CMLT 31700, ENGL 30100

RLIT 635 52100

Renaissance Romance

Murrin

Selections from a trio of texts will be studied: Ovid's Metamorphoses (as the recognized classical model), Boiardo's Orlando innamorato (which set the norms for Renaissance romance), and Spenser's Faerie Queene. A paper will be required and perhaps an oral examination.
Ident. ENGL 16302/36302

RETH 638 31100

History of Theological Ethics I

Schweiker

This is the first part of a two part history. It is conducted through the study of basic, classic texts. The course moves from the philosophical ethics of the Greek and Roman worlds through strands of Hebrew scripture, the origins of the Christian movement, the end of the Roman age to the emergence of Islam, and, finally, Christian and Jewish scholastic and mystical thought in the Western middle ages. While the golden thread of the history is the origin and differentiation of Christian moral thinking, this is set within and compared with the complexities of traditions (Hellenistic philosophical, Jewish, Islamic) that intersect and often collide through this formative century in Western thought. In this way, the exploration of one tradition opens onto rich comparative thinking. The course proceeds by lectures and discussion. Most readings are in translation. There will be a final examination. This is a basic course and thus no previous work in theology, philosophy, or ethics is required.
Ident. THEO 31100

RETH 638 33500

Introduction to Ethical Theories

Gamwell

An introduction to major alternatives in Western philosophical ethics and especially to the ethical theories of Aristotle, Aquinas, and Kant.

RETH 638 46200

Whitehead: Metaphysics and Ethics

Gamwell

An introduction to Whitehead's metaphysical system, with special attention to its implications for philosophy of religion and philosophical ethics.
Ident. DVPR 46200
Ident. FNDL 22201

RETH 638 50800

God and Morality

Schweiker

Currently the world's religions are having profound impact on social, cultural, and political realities around the world. From questions in genetics to global conflict, sexuality to the reality of death, the religious have global moral significance. This seminar addresses a basic question within this current reality, namely, what is and ought to be the connection between religious beliefs and the domain of moral value and right. The seminar addresses a range of contemporary answers to this question mindful of the history of the question, reaching the West at least back to Socrates, and different religious and philosophical traditions. The seminar will focus intensely on four crucial works, with attention to others as well. The basic texts include Iris Murdoch's Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals where the argument, drawing on Platonic and some Buddhist ideas, is that the "good" must replace traditional beliefs about God: Emmmanuel Levinas's Otherwise Than Being and some of his more distinct Jewish writings wherein God is a "trace" within the encounter with the other; James Gustafson's Ethics from a Theocentric Perspective that advocates theocentrism in the face of a modern anthropocentric ethical outlooks; and, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, an Islamic thinker, in his Gifford lectures, Knowledge and the Sacred. Classical background texts, ranging from Plato's Euthyphro to Kant and Calvin, will accompany our engagement with the main texts. This is an advance seminar in theological ethics. Presentation and research paper required. Previous Ph.D. level work in theology and/or ethics is also required.
Ident. THEO 50800

RETH 638 51301

Law-Philosophy Seminar: Sexuality and the Family

Nussbaum / Sunstein

This is a seminar/workshop most of whose participants are faculty from seven area institutions. It admits approximately ten students by permission of the instructors. Its aim is to study, each year, a topic that arises in both philosophy and the law and to ask how bringing the two fields together may yield mutual illumination. There are ten to twelve meetings throughout the year, on alternate Mondays from 4 to 6 pm. Half of the sessions are led by local faculty, half by visiting speakers. The leader assigns readings for the session (which may be by that person, by other contemporaries, or by major historical figures), and the session consists of a brief introduction by the leader, followed by structured questioning by the two faculty coordinators, followed by general discussion. Students write either two 4-6 page papers per quarter, or a 20-25 page seminar paper at the end of the year. The course satisfies the Law School Writing Requirement. The schedule of meetings will be announced mid-September, and prospective students should submit their credentials to both instructors by September 20. Past themes have included: practical reason; equality; privacy; autonomy; global justice; pluralism and toleration; war. The theme for 2003-4 will be Sexuality and Family. Likely speakers to be invited include: Emily Buss, Mary Anne Case, William Eskridge, Martha Fineman, David Halperin, Andrew Koppelman, Martha Minow, David Novak, Susan Moller Okin, Fran Olsen, Kenji Yoshino.
Ident. LAW PHIL PLSC HMRT GNDR

RETH 638 51600

Religion and the State

Nussbaum

This course will study philosophical issues that arise in connection with the Church-State relationship: establishment, free exercise, non-discrimination on grounds of religion, non-discrimination on grounds of sex and gender, respect for pluralism, and others. We will study some major conceptions of the Church-State relationship, asking how these conceptions influence the nature of the family, the role of women in society, and other important goods. John Rawls's Political Liberalism is one work that we will study in depth, along with criticisms from a variety of viewpoints, and along with major historical antecedents in the Western tradition, including Locke's Letter on Toleration, Moses Mendelssohn's Jerusalem, Kant's Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone, and Marx's On the Jewish Question. We will devote a substantial portion of the course to studying the major developments in this area in U.S. Constitutional Law, but the approach of the course will be comparative, and we will also study material from India, Israel, South Africa, and Europe.
PQ: Permission of instructor. Candidates should submit a description of their background and relevant preparation (in philosophy, religion, and law) by the Friday before the first day of classes.
Ident. LAW 97502, PLSC HMRT GNDR PHIL 51401

AASR 607 34000

Theorizing Religion

Riesebrodt

Ident. SOC 40123

AASR 607 50100

Religion and Violence

Riesebrodt

Ident. SOCI 50009

Other Courses of Interest

JWSG 37300

Elementary Yiddish

Jan Schwarz

This is the first quarter of the three-quarter Elementary Yiddish sequence: an introduction to Yiddish language and culture. All four language skills-speaking, listening, comprehension, reading and writing-are stressed to insure that students acquire a basic command of Yiddish. Additionally, the course introduces the cultural and historical context for the Yiddish language through film, music (klezmer), and song. Yiddish conversation skills will be developed through role-plays and listening to native speakers on CD in language lab and/or at home.

No prerequisites. Inquiries may be addressed to the instructor by email at: schwarzj@uchicago.edu, or by phone at: 773-381-1368.

Ident. JWSC 20300, LGLN 37200/27200