courses of instruction - Lafayette College

RELIGION
proved by the department. Honors candi
dates enroll in Religion 496, as a tenth
course, after successfully completing Reli
gion 490/495.
Requirements for the minor: The minor
consists of five courses in religious studies
chosen from a broad survey of the field or
a concentration in a particular area.
TRADITIONS
101. Introduction to Religion. This
course introduces the student to basic reli
gious questions, concepts, and phenome
na in the human religious experience, both
Eastern and Western. Different forms of
religious experience are examined along
with the myths, rituals, and symbols that
convey that experience. A variety of meth
odologies and source materials are used.
Offered in fall and spring semesters. Staff
104. Saints, Mystics, Ecstatics. An intro
duction to the comparative and historical
study of religion through an examination
of three often interrelated types of reli
gious personality: saint, mystic, ecstatic.
After considering classic and recent stud
ies of these three types from both Western
and Eastern perspectives, the course ana
lyzes autobiographical, biographical, ha-
giographic, iconographic, and cinematic
portrayals of representative figures, focus
ing upon the expression of the figures' de
fining experiences and followers' respons
es to the persons' lives and experiences.
Mr. Ziolkowski
211. Hinduism. An introduction to Hin
duism, with special consideration to the
question of what precisely Hinduism
is a religion, or something more. Read
ings from important Hindu texts such as
the Rig Veda, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad
Gita. Discussion includes Hinduism's rich
mythological tradition and the caste sys
tem and its implications, as well as consid
eration of the many forms of Hindu wor
ship and meditation. The course includes
slides, pictures, films, and a visit to a local
Hindu temple. Ms. Rinehart
164
212. Buddhism. An introduction to the
Buddhist tradition in Asia beginning with
the origin of Buddhism in India and the
development of important Buddhist con
cepts such as suffering, meditation, and
the means to attaining release from suffer
ing. The course covers the spread of Bud
dhism into China, Japan, and southeast
Asia, and considers the practices of monks
and laypeople. Readings are from Bud
dhist texts (in translation) throughout the
course. Ms. Rinehart
213. Judaism. A general course covering
the religion, history, and literature of the
Jewish people. Among the areas covered
are: the religious development of Israel in
Biblical times; the development of rabbin
ic Judaism; the flowering of Jewish philos
ophy and mysticism; and the reactions of
Judaism to modern developments such as
political emancipation, the Holocaust, and
the state of Israel. Mr. Cohn
214. Christianity. A study of the main
branches of Christianity Eastern Ortho
doxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestant
ism with reference to their common bib
lical inheritance, historical developments,
characteristic doctrines, and institutional
expressions. Readings are assigned in au
thors representing the viewpoints studied.
Mr. Ziolkowski
215. Islam. This course is a study of the ori
gin and growth of Islam as a religious, cul
tural, and political force in the world. Be
ginning with the founding by the Prophet
Muhammad in the early seventh century,
the course presents a detailed explanation
of the Qur'an, the fundamental scripture of
Islam, as well as the core of Islamic leaders
and sects, the worldwide growth of Islam,
and Islam's strength and influence in the
contemporary world. Mr. Opoku
216. Traditional West African Religion.
A systematic study of the attitudes of mind
and belief, as well as practices, which have
evolved in the many societies of West
Africa, showing the traditional religious
heritage as a profound reflection on the
human condition. The course examines