Religion

Overview

The Religion Department offers courses which satisfy the general requirement in religion and which prepare students for advanced work in theology, religious study, and ministry. All St. Olaf students take courses which orient them to the study of religion and acquaint them with the principal elements of the Christian tradition.

In addition, students may take further course work in Biblical studies, theological studies, and historical and cultural studies in Christianity. The department also offers courses both on campus and abroad in the religious traditions of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism in order to prepare students to live in our religiously diverse world. Students may choose to major in religion as a way of focusing their liberal arts education, or as preparation for seminary or graduate work in religion; they may add a religion major to complement another major; or they may study religion in the Paracollege or in a variety of domestic and international studies programs.

Prerequisites

General Education Credit

Comprehensive Credit

No more than one course in non-Christian religions may be counted toward the basic, three course requirement. Religion 240, 241, 246, 248, 249, 253, 254, 256, 257, 351, and 390 count as non-Christian courses. Not more than one Interim course may be counted toward the three courses required. Sophomore and junior transfer students are required to take two Level II or III religion courses at St. Olaf unless these courses have been transferred from another college.

Requirements for the Major

Part I:

1. Religion 121
2. Course in Theological Studies [BTS-T] (This course may also count toward Area A, B, or C in Part II.)

Part II:

Three courses, one in each area, covering more than one major religious tradition; Level II or Level III courses may be used to fulfill this requirement; a general education course in theological studies [BTS-T] may count toward this requirement):

(A) Sacred Texts (Text-oriented studies of sacred writings: 221, 222, 270, 273, and 274, 277, 279),

(B) Religion in History and Culture (Historical studies of religious communities and expressions: 140, 209, 212, 213, 214, 215, 228, 240, 241, 246, 248, 249, 256, 260, 261, 264, 280, and 282),

(C) Religious Thought (Theological and philosophical studies of religious ideas: 201, 202, 203, 207, 208, 231, 232, 233, 257, 301, 302, 340, 341, 342 and 351).

Part III:

Level III Course (may also count towards Part II requirement in Area A, B, or C.); Senior Seminar (topical seminars open primarily to majors, but to others by permission of instructor).

Part IV:

One of the eight courses in the major may be a supporting course from another department. Religion majors' attention is called to Philosophical Theology (Philosophy 241) and Sociology of Religion (Sociology 265). Two Interim courses may be counted toward the major.

Courses

121 Bible in Culture and Community

The Level I religion course introduces students to the dialogue between the Biblical tradition and the cultures and communities related to it. Study of the Biblical storyline, major Biblical texts and their interaction with (e.g.) theology, religious practice, ethics, and social values. Consideration of methods and fields in the study of religion in a liberal arts setting. Taught in multiple sections, examples of themes listed below. Open only to first-year students.

The Bible in Our Time

This section focuses on 20th-century interpretations of the Bible and Biblical themes. Through the use of literature, film, and the writings of several Christian interpreters (Martin Luther King, Jr., Paul Tillich, and feminist Christians), we will study some of the various ways that major Biblical themes emerge in modern theologies and in our secular culture. Emphasis on developing good study, discussion and writing skills.

The Bible And/As Literature

The Bible is arguably the most influential piece of literature in the Western world, although the Jewish Christian tradition claims that the Bible is more than literature. This section will study both literary as well as theological aspects of major portions of the Scripture, with particular emphasis on the way Biblical themes and images are represented in novels, drama, and poetry from classical and modern times. Special attention to the skills of intelligent analysis, discussion and writing. Among other things, students will read Giants in the Earth, Oedipus Rex, Silence, and Billy Budd.

The Bible and Ethics

The primary focus of this section will be on what the Bible says about God's relation to humanity and world as these are created good, fallen into sin and corruption, being redeemed through Christ and the covenants, and to be fully renewed in the age to come. We will explore the bearing of these theological perspectives for ethical analysis of such moral issues as relativism, moral conflict, guilt, forgiveness, suffering, war, poverty, and sexism.

140 Sacred Cities

This course focuses on the historical development and religious significance of the three cities which for centuries have been a focus of attention of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. By examining what these cities are like and how they have acquired their special status, this course provides an introduction to similarities and differences between the three monotheistic religions and analyzes the role religion has played in the formation of Western and Middle Eastern civilizations.

201 Essentials of Christian Theology

This course introduces students to Christian theology, provides an overview of central Christian beliefs (e.g., about God, Christ, creation, salvation, sin, faith, the church), and critically examines their origins, meaning, coherence, and contemporary validity. How should Christians understand themselves and the world in light of the God made known in Jesus Christ?

202 Classics and Moderns

This course introduces the central matters for argument in Christian theology -- God and Christ -- through close reading and critical analysis of selected classic 1700) and modern theological texts. We will pay special attention to the reasons supporting classic Christian beliefs about God, Christ, and related topics, and to the modern theological criticism of those beliefs. Is it still possible to be a Christian at the end of the twentieth century? If so, how?

203 The Greats

This course treats the major moments of theology by focusing on five or six important theological figures, movements, or texts spanning ancient, medieval and modern Christian theology.

207 Christian Theology and the Moral Life

Examining essential Christian beliefs with special attention to their implications for the moral life, students in this course will analyze the meaning and truth of Christian symbols and claims about God, Christ, creation, fall, providence, redemption, etc., and explore their bearing upon ethical perspectives and principles, moral character and community, and societal institutions and practices. Readings include classical and contemporary Christian theological sources.

208 Christian Theology and Human Existence

This course traces the significance of essential Christian theological doctrines (e.g., God, Christ, sin, salvation) for contemporary understandings of human being and human behavior. Selected comparisons with alternative and/or complementary views of human nature (e.g., philosophical, psychological, sociological, literary) are also included.

209 Introduction to Feminist Theology

Traditional Christian doctrines examined in light of feminist critiques and reformulations. Special focus on language and images of God, the person of Christ and the work of redemption, and understandings of human nature. Evaluation of arguments for and against the compatibility of Christianity and feminism.

212 Christian Theology in Historical Context

This course offers an overview of the development of Christian thought and practice in the ancient, medieval, and modern periods and analyzes the way Christian beliefs have evolved in response to changing historical situations. Special consideration is given to how different theological perspectives have influenced the activities of religious communities and the lives of notable individuals.

213 Lutheran Heritage

Analyzing continuity and change within the Lutheran tradition, students will consider Luther's theology and proposals for the reform of Catholicism and evaluate major reappraisals of Lutheran beliefs and practices which developed in response to new issues and social situations. Topics include: Orthodoxy and Pietism, conservative and liberal responses to the Enlightenment, modern European Lutheranism and issues of particular importance to Lutheranism in Scandinavia, America and the Third World.

214 Reformation Theology

Sixteenth-century reform movements critically analyzed in light of their theological and historical contexts and their significance for contemporary theology. Focus on contributions and lives of the major figures in the Protestant Reformations (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc.) and the Roman Catholic Reform. Special attention to doctrines of Christ, salvation and the Spirit, and to the question of religious authority.

215 Types of Protestantism

Students examine the major forms of Protestant Christianity, their distinctive beliefs and practices, and the historical circumstances which led to their formation. Topics include study of the contributions of major theologians (e.g., Luther, Calvin, Wesley); comparison of similarities and differences in belief and practice among Protestant churches, and modern conflicts between theological liberals and conservatives (sometimes within denominations).

221 Jesus and the New Testament

This course explores the meaning and significance of Jesus Christ in major New Testament writings: the Gospels, the letters of Paul, Hebrews, Revelation. Students also examine the development of New Testament ideas about Christ in subsequent Christian tradition, both classical and contemporary.

222 The Biblical God

Students examine key texts in the Old and New Testaments with the aim of exploring the issues such writings pose for Christian theological reflection. In addition, they explore selected readings on doctrine of scripture and language about God.

223 Paul: his Letters, his Gospel

Distinguishing Paul in our context from Paul in the context of his times. A careful reading of the Pauline letters for their major issues such as apocalyptic, gospel, apostleship, Jew and Gentile, faith and Torah, the Spirit, Christian communities and common life. Analysis of interpretations of Paul in later Christian writers and thinkers, leading to discussion of topics such as Jews and Christians, men and women, sexuality and marriage in view both of Paul and present day experience.

228 Worship and Theology

This course examines what Christians are doing when they worship -- in both senses (actions and intentions). Christian groups in present and history are compared to discover forms, functions and theologies of worship illuminated by connections to Judaism, Israel, and other religions.

231 History of Christian Thought I

Students critically analyze the development of Christian thought from its beginnings to the ninth century. Special attention is placed on the theological controversies which led to the formation of the Christian community's central doctrines: God as Trinity, Jesus Christ as divine and human, salvation as divine action and human response. Readings from Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, and others.

232 History of Christian Thought II

This course provides a critical analysis of the development of Christian thought in the Middle Ages and Reformation, 11th through 16th centuries. Particular attention is paid to the great theological systems of the Middle Ages and to the theological aims of the 16th-century reforming movements, drawing upon readings from Anselm, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Luther, Calvin, and others.

233 History of Christian Thought III

A critical analysis of the development of Christian thought in the modern period, 17th century to 1970. Students pay special attention to the rise of modern historical and philosophical outlooks which challenge traditional Christian claims and to the appropriation and criticism of these outlooks in modern theology. Readings from Edwards, Schleiermacher, Barth, Bultmann, and others.

240 Understanding Religious Traditions

The themes of this introduction to major religious traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam vary from semester to semester; possible topics include sacred texts, religious experience, images of the divine, and the understanding of death and afterlife.

241 Judaism, Christianity, Islam

This introduction to three different but related monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) provides insight into the historical development of the religions, the formation of their distinctive beliefs and practices, and the role they have played in shaping individual and communal identity. Students compare the similarities and differences of the religions, with additional attention to diversity within each of the communities of faith, and analyze past conflicts between the religions and future prospects for mutual understanding and dialogue.

246 Islam -- Religion and Community

Students examine the formation of Islamic traditions and institutions and their religious meaning, paying special attention to the dynamism and crises of Islam in the 19th and 20th centuries.

248 Judaism

This survey of the historical, cultural, and theological developments within Judaism pays special attention to major periods in Jewish life and thought, as well as to contemporary Judaism. Students also consider related issues, such as anti-Semitism, religious pluralism, and Jewish-Christian dialogue.

249 Modern Judaism

This course concentrates on the major historical changes that took place in Judaism between 1650 and the present. Its primary focus is on how European Judaism adapted to the modern era, but it also covers Judaism in America and the Land/State of Israel. It examines historical changes that have occurred as well as contemporary Jewish thought and practice.

253 Hinduism

The general nature and assumptions of Hindu thought; focus on the diversity of doctrines and practices within some of its major traditions. Students analyze selections from authoritative Sanskrit texts like the Upanishads and Bhagavad-gita analyzed in class, directing special attention to the central issues and developments in Hindu-Christian dialogue.

254 Major Developments in Modern Hinduism

This course examines the impact of the West on India and the Hindu response, with special attention to the reform and conservative movements which arose as a reaction to the Westernizing influence and to important individual reinterpretations of Hindu thought. Students also consider Hindu traditions which have become established in the West.

256 Religions of China and Japan

This course introduces the religious and philosophical traditions of China and Japan: Confucianism, Chinese Taoism, Buddhism, Japanese Shinto, and the folk traditions. Students read classical texts such as Chuang tzu and Mencius and analyze fundamental values and concepts such as Tao, yin/yang, and humaneness.

257 Buddhism

This course studies the Buddhist view of the human predicament and its solution. Students examine the life of the Buddha, Buddhist scriptures, and the historical and philosophical development of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism in East and Southeast Asia.

260 Religion in America

This course introduces students to the history of religion in America in the context of American culture, paying attention both to the formal structures and leadership of Christianity and Judaism in America and to questions of what "being religious" has meant to people in the pews. The course also focuses specifically on the voices and contributions of women and minorities.

264 Women in Judaism and Christianity

A study of the relationship of women and religion in the western world, this course covers both religious ideas about the nature and roles of women and the contributions of outstanding individual women. Students survey scriptural, historical and contemporary materials on both Judaism and Christianity.

270 Covenant and Community

This course examines the faith of Israel in the God of the covenant and how the covenant faith was shaped in the community of Israel and expressed in its literature.

273 Hebrew Prophets

This course features close reading of the prophetic literature of Israel with attention to literary forms, historical context, and theological insights. Students discuss the contribution of the Hebrew prophets to Jewish and Christian tradition, and prophecy as a religious phenomenon.

274 Wisdom Literature

This course involves study of the Biblical Wisdom Literature, with primary emphasis upon the Old Testament Wisdom tradition (e.g., Job, Psalms, Proverbs), and careful reading of primary texts, including material from the Ancient Near East and the Apocrypha.

277 Interpreting the Gospels

Close reading in Matthew, Mark, Luke-Acts, John, selected Gnostic gospels, and Hellenistic writings. Attention to questions of structure, plot, and character. Attention to ways these narratives become theologically and culturally meaningful, e.g. in the formation of early Christian creeds, prayers, and hymns; in the quest of the historical Jesus; and in their use in novels, poetry, art, music, and film.

279 Feminist Interpretation of the Bible

A survey of historic and contemporary feminist hermeneutics. Attention to biblical portrayals of women and women's roles, feminist critiques of these depiction's, literary and historical-critical strategies for interpreting these passages, and the question of biblical authority.

280 Religion and Literature

Students explore the religious significance of selected works of literature and examine how literary plot, character, symbolism, and theme raise religious questions, reveal ethical concerns, and imply theological convictions.

282 People of the Story

The Jewish community is renowned for its great storytelling ability. This class begins in the Bible and moves into the modern era. It focuses on narrative material and the way in which Jewish sages through history have continued to turn to narrative rather than systematic theology to convey theological ideas to the Jewish people.

290 Biblical Hebrew I

This course introduces students to the elementary structures and vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew, and to tools of Biblical interpretation -- lexicons, concordances, and technical commentaries that require a knowledge of Hebrew. Students read sections of the Hebrew Bible in the original language. Does not count toward the graduation requirement in foreign language. Prerequisite: Religion 121

291 Biblical Hebrew II

Students continue the study of Hebrew grammar and vocabulary, with increasing emphasis on translation of the Biblical text and introduction to text-critical principles and to exegesis of the Hebrew text. Does not count toward the graduation requirement in foreign languages. Prerequisite: Hebrew I

301 Roman Catholic Theology

Students consider the present situation and future prospects of Roman Catholic theology through an engagement with the figures (e.g., Congar, de Lubac, Rahner, von Balthasar) and the event -- Vatican II -- which have most deeply shaped Catholic theology in this century. The course also examines recent Catholic views on the central topics of Christian theology: God, Christ, salvation, and the Church, and the relationship of these views to Protestant ideas about the same issues and considers the historical background of 20th-century Catholic theology.

340 Christian Ethics

This course explores theological beliefs essential for an understanding of Christian ethics and their application to specific ethical situations confronting people and society. Prerequisite: a BTS-T course.

341 Conscience and Its Critics

An examination of traditional and recent Christian views of conscience, as well as alternative views and criticisms from various normative perspectives. Consideration of philosophical theories, psychological views, feminist thought, political issues, and literary texts that explore difficult cases of conscience. Prerequisite: a BTS-T course.

342 Christian Environmental Ethics

The environmental crisis as an urgent issue of moral reflection from the vantage point of biblical, historical, and contemporary Christian perspectives. The central task of the course is to explore a range of contemporary proposals for an environmental ethic grounded in Christian theology. We also assess the widespread accusation that the Christian worldview is a prime contributor to the crisis by studying how classic Christian theologies have understood humanity's relationship to "nature." Prerequisite: a BTS-T course.

351 Buddhism, Peace and Justice

Students examine contemporary Buddhist moral teachings on social issues such as violence and peacemaking, human rights and social justice, and humanity and the environment. Coursework focuses on the writings of Vietnamese monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, Tibetan leader-in-exile Tenzin Gyatso (Fourteenth Dalai Lama), American ecologist Joanna Macy, and others. Students consider the moral paradigms of Christianity and Buddhism: Christ and the Bodhisattva. Prerequisite: a BTS-T course.

Level III Seminars for Majors

389 Studies in Women and Religion

This seminar offers selected topics in the study of women and religion, which may include theological, Biblical, sociological, spiritual and historical perspectives in Christian and/or non-Christian traditions. Specific topics announced each year.

Interim 1997: Spiritual Autobiography

This course explores the religious experiences of women, using recent autobiographies. Topics include conversion and loss of faith, experiences of evil and grace, the search for individuality and community, and the distinctive qualities of women's writing and women's spirituality. Taught at Holden Village, a Christian retreat center in the Cascade mountains of Washington, where we participate in the work and worship of the community.

390 History of Religions Seminar

391 Biblical Seminar

Spring 1997: The Book of Revelation: The Aim of Apocalyptic This seminar will study the last book of the New Testament as a writing, a style of writing, a kind of communication, a religious experience, a use of imagination and in all, a part of Christian theology. Students will explore Revelation's background, contents and situation, structure and strategies, afterlife and implications within Christian communities.

392 Historical Seminar

393 Theological Seminar

Fall 1996: The Americans

America has had a distinctive theological tradition, often influenced or even interrupted from Europe, and sometimes only feebly present in the church, but nevertheless identifiable. We will in this seminar read early Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Horace Bushnell and Reinhold Niebuhr as typical figures in this tradition. All works will be read together; each discussion will be led jointly by the instructor and a team of two or three students.

Spring 1997: The New Jesus

The seminar examines the new Jesus research of the last ten or fifteen years, set into the context of two centuries of "questing" for the historical Jesus. Consideration of the breadth of the current research and special attention to the methodological issues and theological consequences of contemporary Jesus research. Open to majors and others who have completed at least one course in bible and one in theology.

395 Ethics Seminar

396 Studies in Religion

397 Religion in Dialogue

Fall 1996: Issues in Inter-Religious Dialogue Developments in communication technology coupled with immigration have enhanced our knowledge of religious diversity and made us spiritual neighbors. This experience of religious diversity has presented us also with new questions about the truth and significance of exclusive religious claims. In this seminar, we will study some of the theological and philosophical responses of the major religious traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam) to each other's claims and examine the general conditions which make interreligious dialog possible and meaningful as well as the difficulties of such encounters. Our reading will consist of critical accounts of historical attitudes in each tradition as well as representative writings from the religions.

394 Internship

398 Independent Research

See also Interdisciplinary 250 Western Christianity and the Orthodox East: Unity and Separation

This thematic study of the encounter of Western Christiantiy with the Orthodox East begins with their common Biblical origins. Students are introduced to the theology, worship, and religious culture of the Orthodox world that marked Eastern Chistianity off from the Latin (and later Reformation) West. They study key moments in the theological contact between West and East through classical theological and spiritual texts.

See also Interdisciplinary 310: "Ethical Issues and Classic Normative Perspectives: The Great Conversation Continued"

This course examines ethical issues from perspectives that are contemporary expressions of or reactions to classic normative traditions covered in the two-year sequence of the Great Conversation program. Included among these perspectives will be one or more contemporary representatives of the Christian theological tradition. Among the possible ethical issues considered are political morality, sexuality, gender, matters of life and death (war, euthanasia, abortion), economic justice, and environmental responsibility. Prerequisite: completion of the Great Conversation or permission of instructor required.

Interim

• Religion 220 Jesus
• Religion 222 The Biblical God
• Religion 235 Prayer and Praying
• Religion 251 Religion and Cultural Diversity in South Africa (abroad)
• Religion 258 The Holocaust: History and Theology
• Religion 259 Religion and Culture in Rome (abroad)
• Religion 275 Historical Geography and the Bible (abroad)
• Religion 282 People of the Story
• Religion 389 Women and Religion: Contemporary Feminist Theologians
• Religion 390 Seminar: Buddhist Literature
• Interdisciplinary 250 Western Christianity and the Orthodox East: Unity and Separation

Paracollege Seminars

Religion in Life's Journey

Christian Women in the Third World

History of Religions Seminar

Faculty

Kenneth Appold
Assistant Professor of Religion, 1994-
B.A., M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Yale
Theology

John D. Barbour
Professor of Religion, 1982-
B.A., Oberlin; M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago Divinity School
Religion and literature, theology

David Booth
Associate Professor of Religion, Paracollege Tutor, 1985-
B.A., Harvard; M.A., Ph.D., Chicago
Theology

Gary B. Deason
Associate Professor of Religion, History, and Philosophy, 1977-78, 1980-
B.A., Texas (Austin); M.Div., Ph.D., Princeton Seminary
Systematic theology, history of science

N. Robert Glass
Assistant Professor of Religion, Paracollege Tutor, 1996-
B.A., University of British Columbia; M.A., Temple; Ph.D., Syracuse
Buddhism and comparative thought; comparative ethics

Yosi Gordon
Visiting Lecturer of Religion, 1990-
Ordination
Jewish Studies

Mark Granquist
Assistant Professor of Religion, Paracollege Tutor, 1992-
B.A., St. Olaf; M.Div., Yale; Ph.D., University of Chicago
History of Christianity

James Hanson
Instructor in Religion, 1992-
B.A., St. Olaf; M.Div., Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary
New Testament

Robert Jenson
Professor of Religion, 1988-
B.A., Luther; B.D., Luther Seminary; Dr. Theol., Heidelberg
Theology

Joel Kaminsky
Assistant Professor of Religion, 1994-
B.A., Miami University; M.A., Ph.D., Chicago
Hebrew Bible, Judaism

L. DeAne Lagerquist
Associate Professor, Senior Paracollege Tutor, 1988-
of Chicago Divinity School
Church history, women's studies

Susan H. Lindley
Professor of Religion, 1976-
B.A., Mount Holyoke; Ph.D., Duke
American religion, women's studies

Bruce D. Marshall
Associate Professor of Religion, 1985-
B.A., Northwestern; M.A.R., Yale Divinity School; M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Yale
Theology

Margaret Odell
Assistant Professor of Religion, 1994-
Pittsburgh/Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Old Testament

Barbara Pitkin
Assistant Professor of Religion, 1991-92, 1993-
B.A., Carleton, M.A., University of Chicago
Theology

William R. Poehlmann
Associate Professor of Religion, 1973-
A.B., Texas Lutheran; B.D., Luther Seminary; Ph.D., Harvard
New Testament

Rosemary Rader
Visiting Associate Professor of Religion, 1995-
Stanford
History of Christianity

Anantanand Rambachan
Professor of Religion, 1985-
B.A., West Indies; M.A., Ph.D., Leeds
Hinduism

Barbara E. Reed
Associate Professor of Religion, 1982-
B.A., Southern Methodist; Ph.D., Iowa
Buddhism, East Asian religions

Edmund N. Santurri
Professor of Philosophy and Religion, 1980-
B.A., M.A., Virginia; M.Phil., Ph.D., Yale
Theology and ethics

Douglas J. Schuurman
Associate Professor of Religion, Paracollege Tutor, 1986-
B.A., Calvin; M.Div., Calvin Seminary; Ph.D., Chicago
Theology and ethics

Gary Stansell
Professor of Religion, 1973-
Heidelberg
Old Testament

Charles A. Wilson
Professor of Religion, Paracollege Tutor, 1973-77, 1981-
Ph.D., Chicago
Theology