Requirements
Religion Major
The major consists of nine courses.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses | ||
REL 1101 | Introduction to the Study of Religion | 1 |
REL 3390 | Theories about Religion | 1 |
Select one course on religious texts and traditions in each of these four geographic areas: a,b | ||
Middle East and North Africa | 1 | |
REL 1150 | Introduction to the Religions of the Middle East | |
REL 2207 | Modern Judaism | |
REL 2208 | Islam | |
REL 2232 | Approaches to the Qur'an | |
REL 2237 | Judaism Under Islam | |
South and Southeast Asia | 1 | |
REL 1188 | Epics Across Oceans | |
REL 2219 | Religion and Fiction in Modern South Asia | |
REL 2220 | Hindu Literatures | |
REL 2221 | Religious Cultures of India | |
REL 2222 | Early Buddhism | |
REL 2223 | Mahayana Buddhism | |
REL 2745 | The Tigress' Snare: Gender, Yoga, and Monasticism in South and Southeast Asia | |
REL 2808 Islam in Asia | ||
Ancient Mediterranean | 1 | |
REL 2215 | The Hebrew Bible in Its World | |
REL 2216 | The New Testament in Its World | |
REL 2239 | Judaism in the Age of Empires | |
Modern Europe and North America | 1 | |
REL 2201 | Black Women, Politics, Music, and the Divine | |
REL 2250 Modern Christian Thought | ||
REL 2251 | Christianity | |
REL 2252 | Marxism and Religion | |
REL 2257 | Christian Sexual Ethics | |
REL 2258 Citizenship and Religion in America | ||
REL 2522 | Buddhism in America | |
REL 2540 | The History of American Christianity | |
REL 2544 | Religion in the United States South | |
REL 3310 | Religious Toleration and Human Rights | |
Select two courses on thematic approaches a,b | 2 | |
REL 2204 | Science, Magic, and Religion | |
REL 2210 Esoteric Themes in Islamic Thought | ||
REL 2214 | A History of Anti-Semitism | |
REL 2229 | Religion on the Move: Religion, Migration, and Globalization | |
REL 2230 | Human Sacrifice | |
REL 2235 | Gender and Sexuality in Early Christianity | |
REL 2253 | Gender, Body, and Religion | |
REL 2280 | Goddesses, Gurus, and Rulers: Gender and Power in Indian Religions | |
REL 2288 | Religion and Politics in South Asia | |
REL 2500 | New Religious Movements in the United States | |
REL 2520 | Popular Religion in the Americas | |
REL 2534 | Race and Religion in American Religious History | |
REL 3305 | Religion and Emotion | |
REL 3325 | Deadly Words: Language and Power in the Religions of Antiquity | |
REL 3333 | Islam and Science | |
Select an elective course in religion at any level | 1 |
a | One course, on either texts and traditions or thematic approaches must be at the 3000 level. |
b | Please consult the department for more information about additional courses that might satisfy these requirements. |
Religion Minor
A minor consists of five courses.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses | ||
REL 1101 | Introduction to the Study of Religion | 1 |
REL 3390 | Theories about Religion | 1 |
Select three courses on religious texts and traditions in three of the four following geographic areas: b | 3 | |
Middle East and North Africa | ||
REL 1150 | Introduction to the Religions of the Middle East | |
REL 2207 | Modern Judaism | |
REL 2208 | Islam | |
REL 2232 | Approaches to the Qur'an | |
REL 2237 | Judaism Under Islam | |
South and Southeast Asia | ||
REL 1188 | Epics Across Oceans | |
REL 2219 | Religion and Fiction in Modern South Asia | |
REL 2220 | Hindu Literatures | |
REL 2221 | Religious Cultures of India | |
REL 2222 | Early Buddhism | |
REL 2223 | Mahayana Buddhism | |
REL 2745 | The Tigress' Snare: Gender, Yoga, and Monasticism in South and Southeast Asia | |
REL 2808 Islam in Asia | ||
Ancient Mediterranean | ||
REL 2215 | The Hebrew Bible in Its World | |
REL 2216 | The New Testament in Its World | |
REL 2239 | Judaism in the Age of Empires | |
Modern Europe and North America | ||
REL 2201 | Black Women, Politics, Music, and the Divine | |
REL 2250 Modern Christian Thought | ||
REL 2251 | Christianity | |
REL 2252 | Marxism and Religion | |
REL 2257 | Christian Sexual Ethics | |
REL 2258 Citizenship and Religion in America | ||
REL 2522 | Buddhism in America | |
REL 2540 | The History of American Christianity | |
REL 2544 | Religion in the United States South | |
REL 3310 | Religious Toleration and Human Rights |
Additional Information and Department Policies
- No more than one first-year writing seminar may be counted toward the major.
- Typically, up to three courses taken at another college or university may count toward the major with departmental approval. One credit taken at another college or university may count toward the minor with departmental approval.
- With departmental approval, an independent study (intermediate, advanced, or honors) can be used to satisfy the elective course requirement for the major.
- In order to enroll in REL 3390 Theories about Religion, a major normally is expected to have taken four of the nine required courses.
- Courses that count toward the major or minor must be taken for regular letter grades (not Credit/D/Fail).
- Each religion course required for the major or minor must be passed with a grade of C- or higher.
- Majors and minors may not double-count courses with another department or program.
Honors in Religion
Students contemplating honors candidacy should possess a record of distinction in departmental courses, including those that support the project, a clearly articulated and well-focused research proposal, and a high measure of motivation and scholarly maturity. At the start of the fall semester of their senior year, honors candidates enroll in REL 4050 with a faculty member who has agreed to supervise the project. If the proposal, due toward the end of the fall semester, is accepted, the student goes on to enroll in REL 4051 for the spring semester in order to complete the project.
This is an excerpt from the official Bowdoin College Catalogue and Academic Handbook. View the Catalogue