Undergraduate Course Catalog 2008-2009

College of Liberal Arts

» http://www.unh.edu/liberal-arts/

http://www.unh.edu/colaminors/religious-studies

Coordinator: David Frankfurter

The religious studies program at the University of New Hampshire currently offers an interdisciplinary minor, bringing together courses in several fields that address religion as a cultural, logical, or expressive phenomenon in human history. A religious studies major is available through the self-designed major program. Religious studies courses at UNH avoid theological or confessional biases and emphasize multicultural tolerance and diversity.

Requirements of the religious studies minor include the basic two-semester sequence, History of World Religions (RS/HIST 483) and Patterns in World Religions (RS/HIST 484), the advanced Minors’ Seminar in Religious Studies to be taken one’s senior year (RS 699), and at least two other courses either cross-listed in religious studies, announced in the Religious Studies Bulletin, or otherwise relevant to the study of religion (by student’s petition to the program director). Students especially interested in religious studies are encouraged to combine the minor with further pertinent coursework in one of the established departments contributing to the program: history, philosophy, anthropology, and English. The religious studies self-designed major involves seven courses beyond the minor requirements, at least five of which are 600 or higher. The program director can aid in advising such a major program.

Courses included in the biannual Religious Studies Bulletin ordinarily have some degree of focus on issues related to the academic study of religion, conceptualizing religion or religious influences as a principal problem, asking comparative questions, and/or developing models of cross-cultural usefulness. Courses listed here are generally offered at least once every two years:

Historical-Cultural
RS/HIST 483, History of World Religions
HIST 585, Middle East History to the Medieval Islamic Era
HIST 587, Africa South of the Sahara
HIST 589, Islam in Africa
RS/ENGL/AMSTUD 607, Religion in American Life and Thought
RS/ANTH 617, Religion and Conflict in South Asia
HIST 642, Religious Conflict in Early Modern Europe
HIST 688, African Religions

Theoretical
PHIL 417, Philosophical Reflections on Religion
RS/HIST 484, Patterns in World Religions
ANTH 616, Religion, Culture, & Society
RS/HIST 682, Cults & Charisma
RS 699, Senior Seminar in Religious Studies
RS/ANTH 770, Anthropology of the Sinister

Textual
ENGL 518, The Bible as Literature
HIST/RS 576, The Hebrew Bible in Historical Context
HIST/RS 601, Seminar in Religious Texts
HIST/RS 689, The New Testament in Historical Context

Interested students should also be alert for special topics courses in history (HIST 600), English (ENGL 697/698), anthropology (ANTH 500), religious studies (RS 600), and other disciplines that might be relevant to the study of religion. Copies of the Religious Studies Bulletin, which includes all such courses each semester, can be picked up outside the director’s office.

Students interested in the religious studies minor should see the director to fill out an intent-to-minor form by the beginning of their junior year. For more information, consult the director, David Frankfurter, Department of History, 436 Horton Social Science Center, (603) 862-3015; e-mail davidtf@hopper.unh.edu.