An introduction to African religions that originated south of the Sahara. Drawing on ethnographic, historical, and religious studies scholarship, we explore indigenous religious systems, institutions, and ways of knowing ¿ including cosmologies, rituals, healing and devotional practices. We assess the impact of colonialism on African religious cultures, consider developments in the postcolonial era, and discuss Islam and Christianity.

Examines the Yogachara-Svatantrika system as presented in Jang-kya's Presentation of Tenets, oral debate, and exercises in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, 5470, 5480 or equivalent.

This course offers MA students in Religious Studies resources for conceiving and executing a major research project or thesis. By the end of the semester, each participant will have completed a well-organized, detailed prospectus. The prospectus will reflect the guidance of one's thesis advisor as well as the scrutiny of the instructor and input from peers. Each student will thus be poised to begin writing his/her thesis the following semester.

The modern state is often depicted in irreparable conflict with visions of sovereignty and ethical goals of diverse religions, earthy and transcendent. However, recent research has pointed not only to shared genealogies between state and religion, but also how both have come to shape one another. Readings will consist of ethnographic and micro-historical cases of religions within and beyond the state from the dawn of modernity to the present.

This course introduces students to midrashic literature in the original Hebrew. It gives students the interpretive skills to make sense of the texts and provides an overview of the scholarly issues pertinent to the study of midrash.

Given the multidisciplinary character of religious studies, it is imperative for new scholars to gain a basic sense of theoretical and methodological options in the field. By way of an examination of landmark texts, this course surveys the formation of religious studies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and considers some important contemporary approaches.

Examines current historiographical issues in the interpretation of religion in American history. Prerequisite: instructor permission.

This topical course provides Master's and Doctoral students in Religious Studies an opportunity for advanced coursework in selected, established areas of the department's curriculum.

This tutorial is designed to introduce students to the study of Hebrew manuscripts. It provides a foundation for codicology and training in paleographic analysis. The tutorial is ideal for graduate students who are preparing to conduct advanced manuscript research.

In this tutorial, students will work on developing translation skills: grammar will be reviewed as necessary.