Religious Studies

Ethics

This course studies the foundations for moral beliefs, judgments, and values, and the part they play in practical ethical judgments. In its application, the course covers a spectrum of ethical and moral issues.

Prerequisite: Open only to seniors, offered in the spring term when available.

Intro to Bible

“The Sacred Story of the Bible has had a great effect on the thinking and institutions of the West, and on our understanding of our relationship to the rest of nature. Biblical cosmology has extensively shaped our law, medicine, religion, politics, economics, and education.”–Michael Dowd.

This survey course provides students with an introduction to an ageless book. Through reading portions of the Old and New Testaments, students can view the Scripture as literature, a historical document, and an expression of doctrine for two major faith traditions: Christianity and Judaism. Besides the Bible, students peruse Chaim Potok’s bestseller The Chosen, an insightful and poignant novel delving into Jewish tradition and heritage.

World Religions

This course studies the foundations for moral beliefs, judgments, and values, and practices, as well as the history of the world’s great religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism and the parts they have played throughout the history of the world.