(as of 11/18/2009)

RELIGIOUS STUDIES: 301 CAMPBELL HALL
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
BERKELEY, CA 94720
510-642-2363

RELIGIOUS STUDIES 90B: Introductory Topics in Religious Studies
Topic: Introduction to Islamic Law and Society
This is an introductory course in Islamic Law, which assumes that the
student has little or no knowledge of the subject material. The course
goals are to introduce the student to the ideas that shaped Islamic law
and to train students in the methodology of Islamic legal inquiry and
thought. This is a course in thinking about Islamic Law, sources of the
Law and its application. It is designed to get the student to understand
Islamic sources and how to approach, in an academic manner, these
established sources.
To accomplish our academic goals the course will start with a brief
chronology of Islam and then move into an examination of Islamic law. We
will spend time in tracing the early development of the main schools of
law, their interpretations and differing approaches to addressing legal
questions. The course will cover textual analysis of the sources of
Shar'iah through primary texts that are used by students of law in the
Muslim world. Modern differences between the schools of law, and the
emerging trends will be examined in relations to the Qur'an and Hadith.
Contemporary challenges and legal problems in the Muslim world will be
examined throughout the semester and connected to the study of the textual
sources. At times contemporary cases will be introduced for the purpose of
illustration and legal discussion so as to understand the current legal
issues confronting Muslim societies.
Instructor: Hatem Bazian, Wed. 2-5, 4 units

RELIGIOUS STUDIES C104: Babylonian Religion
Also cross listed as Near Eastern Studies C104.
A survey of Babylonian religious beliefs and practices based on indigenous texts and monuments.
Instructor: Niek Veldhuis TuTh 2-3:30, 3 units

RELIGIOUS STUDIES C132: Jewish Civilization I: The Biblical Period
Also cross listed as Near Eastern Studies C135 and UGIS C152.
This is the first course in a four-course sequence in the history of Jewish culture and civilization. It covers the biblical period and the period up to the destruction of the second temple. This course will explore the current state of our knowledge, including the legacy of ancient Near Eastern myth and religion, the history of Israelite religion, the literary features of biblical narrative, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Instructor: Ron Hendel and Robert Alter, TuTh 11-12:30, 4 units

Religious Studies C166: India's Great Epics: The Mahabharata and the Ramayana
Also cross listed as South Asian C142.
The course entails substantial selected readings from the great Sanskirt epic poems--the Mahabharata and the Ramayana in translation, selected readings from the corpus of secondary literature on Indian epic studies as well as lectures on salient issues in both. Discussion will focus on a variety of historical and theoretical approaches to the study of the poems and their extraordinary influence on Indian culture. Readings will be supplemented with selected showings of popular cinematic and television versions of the epics.
Instructor: the staff , MWF 11-12, 4 units

RELIGIOUS STUDIES C182: Sociology of Religion
Also cross listed as Sociology C 112.
The course will locate the place of religious consciousness in human action and then survey comparatively and historically the role that religion has played in human society. Will include a general theory of the nature of religious experience, religious symbolism, and the basis of religious community.
Instructor: Paula Nesbit, TuTh 5-6:30, 4 units

Courses approved for the METHODOLOGICAL REQUIREMENT of the Religious Studies Major:

Anthropology 156: Anthropology of the Contemporary "Culture, Religion, Ethics and Science"
TuTh 3:30-5, 4 units

Sociology C 112: Sociology of Religion, TuTh 5-6:30, 4 units
Also cross listed as Religious Studies C182.

Courses approved for the THEMATIC REQUIREMENT of the Religious Studies Major:

South Asian C142: India's Great Epics: The Mahabharata and the Ramayana, MWF 11-12, 4 units
Also cross listed as Religious Studies C166.

Courses approved for the HINDUISM EMPHASIS of the Religious Studies Major:

South Asian C142: India's Great Epics: The Mahabharata and the Ramayana, MWF 11-12, 4 units
Also cross listed as Religious Studies C166.

Courses approved for the BUDDHIST EMPHASIS of the Religious Studies Major:

Buddhism C114: Tibetan Buddhism, TuTh 2-3:30, 4 units
(Also cross-listed as Tibetan C114 and South Asian C114.)

Buddhism C115: Japanese Buddhism, MWF 12-1, 4 units
Also cross listed as Japanese C115.

Buddhism C130: Zen Buddhism, TuTh 2-3:30, 4 units
Also cross listed as East Asian Languages and Cultures C130.

Buddhism C174: Japanese Buddhism in Diaspora, Tu Th 11-12:30, 4 units
Also cross listed as Japanese C1174.

Courses approved for the JUDAISM EMPHASIS of the Religious Studies Major:

Jewish Studies 101: The Cultural Legacies of the Jews, Wed. 10-11, 2 units

Near Eastern Studies C135: Jewish Civilization I: The Biblical Period, TuTh 3:30-5, 4 units
(Also cross listed as Religious Studies C132 and UGIS C152.)

Near Eastern Studies 139: Modern Jewish Literature, Wed, 3-6, 4 units

Courses approved for the ISLAM EMPHASIS of the RELIGIOUS STUDIES Major:

Anthropology 181: Themes in the Anthropology of the Middle East and Islam, TuTh 12:30-2, 4 units

Arabic 108, Islamic Religious and Philosophical Texts in Arabic, TuTh 3:30-5, 3 units

Near Eastern Studies 146B: Islam, TuTh 11-12:30, 3 units

Courses approved for the CHRISTIANITY EMPHASIS of the Religious Studies Major:

Celtic Studies 173, Celtic Christianity, MW 4-5:30, 4 units

History 185A: History of Christianity to the Crusades, TBA, 4 units

OTHER RELATED COURSES:

Anthropology 160: Forms of Folklore, TuTh 12:30-2, 4 units

Anthropology 162, Topics in Folklore, TuTh 3:30-5, 4 units

Celtic Studies 129, Aspects of Modern Celtic Cultures and Folklore, MWF 10-11, 4 units

L&S 160B: Effective Personal Ethics for the 21st Century: Awakening at the Center of an Evolving Universe, MW 4-5:30, 3 units

Philosophy 125: Metaphysics, TuTh 12:30-2, 4 units

South and Southeast Asian Studies C135: Tantric Traditions of Asia, TuTh 3:30-5, 4 units
(Also cross listed as Buddhist Studies 135 and East Asian Languages C135.)

THE FOLLOWING LOWER DIVISION COURSES MAY BE OF
GENERAL INTEREST TO RELIGIOUS STUDIES MAJORS:
(THEY WILL NOT COUNT AS UNITS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO THE RELIGIOUS STUDIES MAJOR OR MINOR.)

Classics 28: The Classic Myths, MWF 3-4, 4 units

Philosophy 11, Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, MWF 1-2, 4 units