Office & Contact Information

Religion is a major force in human experience. It has shaped the world's history, literature, art, culture, politics, ethics, and economics. In addition to offering courses in all the major religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism,) the Religious Studies Program has developed cross cultural courses dealing with religious symbols, myths, and rituals in written texts, art, theater, and film, and the Internet, as well as, thematic courses dealing with such topics as religion and the body, the rise of fundamentalism, religion and science, religion and ethics, and religion and violence.

The Program

The major introduces students to the academic study of religion. Students can choose from a broad range of courses both in the program itself and in other departments and programs-history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, American studies, classics, and medieval studies. In addition to studying religious thought per se, students in the major can also study the way religion has shaped human behavior in such matters as family life, gender roles, ethics, artistic life, concepts of individual freedom, the pursuit of science, and economics. For some students, Religious Studies is an appropriate second major and combines well with anything from philosophy to international agricultural development, political science, and the physical sciences.

Career Alternatives

Because of the program's focus on developing critical thinking, writing, and reading skills, students who major in Religious Studies are well prepared to enter a variety of careers, including, the health professions, law, business, teaching, and government. In an increasingly global society, knowledge of the world's religious traditions and practices has become an essential part of a student's education.

Recommended

A reading knowledge of a foreign language is highly recommended.

Course Equivalents

The major advisors have a list of lower and upper division courses that can be substituted for courses suggested above.

Honors & Honors Program

A student becomes eligible for graduation with honors by meeting the minimum GPA and course requirements established by the College of Letters & Science. Upon successful completion of the additional requirements of the College of Letters & Science Honors Program, individual students may be recommended by the program for graduation with high honors or highest honors on the basis of an evaluation of their academic achievements in the major.

Education Abroad Program

The Religious Studies program encourages students to study in the Summer Abroad program, the Quarter Abroad program, or the Education Abroad program. With the approval of a major advisor, applicable courses taken abroad may be accepted in the major or minor programs.

Teaching Credential Subject Representative

See the Teaching Credential/M.A. Program.

Hebrew

Students interested in Hebrew courses should see Hebrew.

Human Rights Minor

Students interested in the Human Rights minor should see Human Rights Minor.

Jewish Studies

Students interested in Jewish Studies should see Jewish Studies.

Major Advisors

Consult the Program office.

The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Religious Studies Bachelor of Arts is 60.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Preparatory Subject Matter
(A) Choose one from the RST 001 series:		4
RST 001	Survey of Religion
RST 001A	Pilgrimage (Discontinued)
RST 001B	Death & Afterlife
RST 001C	Sacrifice
RST 001D	Conversion (Discontinued)
RST 001E	Fundamentalism
RST 001F	Religion Today
RST 001G	Myth, Ritual, & Symbolism
RST 001H	Sex, Marriage, & Divorce in Medieval & Modern Society
RST 001J	Music, Voice, & the Word
(B) Choose four from other lower division RST offerings:		16
RST 005	Comparative Religion
RST 006	Introduction to Health Sciences & the Humanities
RST 008	Healthcare & Religious Ethics
RST 010	Contemporary Ethical Issues
RST 010A	Contemporary Ethical Issues
RST 011	Ethical Eating
RST 012	Emergence of Judaism, Christianity & Islam
RST 015Y	Reading War/Fighting War
RST 021	The Bible & Its Interpreters
RST 023	Introduction to Judaism
RST 030	Religions of South Asia
RST 031	Introduction to Jainism
RST 032	History of Yoga
RST 033	Magic & Demons in South Asia
RST 040	New Testament
RST 042	Religion & Science Fiction
RST 045	Christianity
RST 060	Introduction to Islam
RST 065C	The Qur'an & Its Interpretation
RST 066	The Song of God: The Bhagavad Gita
RST 067	Modern Hinduism
RST 068	Introduction to Hinduism
RST 069	Introduction to Hindu Mythology
RST 070	Religion & Language
RST 075	Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
RST 080	Religion, Gender, Sexuality
Preparatory Subject Matter Subtotal		20
Depth Subject Matter
RST 100	Study of Religion: Issues & Methods	4
or RST 190	Seminar
Choose nine upper division RST courses. Four of these courses may be upper division courses related to religion that are offered by other departments and taken with the approval of a Religious Studies advisor:		36
RST 102	Christian Origins
RST 103	Medieval & Byzantine Christianity
RST 104	Christianity 1450-1700
RST 105	Christianity & Modernity, 1700-1920
RST 106	Christianity in the Contemporary World
RST 110	Life, Meaning & Identity
RST 111	Persuasion & Conviction in Religious Tradition
RST 115	Mysticism
RST 120	Religion, Magic & Science
RST 122	Studies in Biblical Texts
RST 123	Sex & Gender in the Bible
RST 124	Topics in Judaism
RST 125	Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha, & Pseudepigrapha
RST 126	The Formation of the Rabbinic Tradition
RST 130	Topics in Religious Studies
RST 132	Topics in Mediterranean Ancient Religion
RST 135	The Bible & Film
RST 136	Topics in Jainism
RST 137	Topics in Buddhism
RST 139	Topics in Hinduism
RST 140	Christian Theology
RST 141A	New Testament Literature: Synoptic Gospels
RST 141B	New Testament Literature: John
RST 141C	New Testament Literature: Paul
RST 143	New Testament Apocrypha
RST 144	History of the Bible
RST 145	Contemporary American Religion
RST 150	Religious Ethics
RST 152	Justice, Equity, & Privacy in Medical Humanities
RST 154	The Hindu Temple
RST 155A	Bhakti: Indian Devotional Traditions to 1200 CE
RST 155B	Bhakti: Indian Devotional Traditions, 1200 CE to Present
RST 156	Religion & the Performing Arts in India
RST 157	Hindu Women & Goddesses
RST 158	The Ramayana
RST 159	The Mahabharata
RST 160	Introduction to Islamic Thought
RST 161	Modern Islam
RST 161B	Modern Islam: Authority & Tradition In Process
RST 162	Introduction to Islamic Law
RST 163	Social Life of Islam
RST 165	Islam in Asia
RST 166	Religion & Media in the Arab World
RST 169	Topics in Islam
RST 171	Buddhist Art
RST 172	Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism
RST 175A	Daoist Traditions
RST 180	Popular Religious Art in India
RST 181	Hindu Gods & Hindu Symbols
RST 182	Ramayana, Religion, & the Arts
RST 189	Senior Colloquium
Depth Subject Matter Subtotal		40
Total Units		60