Cross-cultural analysis of the religious narratives, beliefs, practices, iconography, and sacred sites related to female deities in the Americas, Polynesia, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe from prehistory to 1500 C.E. (Crosslisted as WGSS 149)
Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shinto, Taoism and indigenous traditions of Hawai‘i and/or Oceania.
Basic ideas and issues in contemporary religious thought about the meaning of existence.
Basic ideas and issues in contemporary religious thought about the meaning of existence.
Religious persons and organizations play significant roles in fighting for issues of social justice worldwide. Introduces students to the relationship between religions and social
justice in China, South America, U.S., and Hawai‘i. Repeatable one time. A-F only.
Examines the roles contemporary religious groups play in ground movements for sustainability. Introduces students to key scholars, religious leaders, and activists who
are implementing sustainable solutions to pressing environmental problems. A-F only. (Cross-listed as SUST 170)
Examines the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) as an expression of the religious life, history, and thought of ancient Israel and as a sacred text within later Judaism and Christianity.
Origin and development of early Christian message as set forth in the New Testament; special attention to Jesus and Paul.
Historical survey of the teachings and practices of major religious traditions of India.
Taoist, Confucian, Buddhist and folk beliefs and practices in their social and historical context. Repeatable one time.
Broad survey, with primary focus on Shinto, Buddhist, and modern sectarian movements, analyzed in relation to social and cultural themes of major historical periods.
Major teachings and practices from ancient times to present, their cultural influence; analysis of religious texts; relation to other traditions of Oceania and to Christianity.
Survey of major forms and practices.
Survey from origin to modern times with an emphasis on writing-based analysis of Jewish thought in Talmudic and Medieval Periods.
Historical survey of the beliefs and practices of Islam as a world religion, including the prophet Muhammad, scriptures, philosophy and science, theology, law, major sectarian movements, relations with other religious traditions, and fundamentalism. (Alt. years)
History of ideas concentrating on events, persons, and issues with the greatest impact on the evolution of Christianity.
Comparative and historical survey of the religious beliefs and practices in ancient times throughout Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria-Canaan, Anatolia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. A-F only. (Cross-listed as CLAS 211)
Introduction to the Scandinavian religions in the Viking Age, their depiction
in popular culture, and reconstruction in the form of new religious movements.
Theories and methods used in the study of myth, ritual, and
religion. Sophomore standing or higher. (Cross-listed as CLAS 300) DH
Orthography and structure of Biblical Hebrew, history and development of Hebrew as the sacred language of Judaism, overview of religious and historical development of the Hebrew Bible. Pre: sophomore standing or consent. (Fall only) (Cross-listed as CLAS 301)
Reading of selected prose passages from the Hebrew Bible; essay-based analysis of literary forms, with attention given both to stories important to the development of the Abrahamic religions and writing-based interpretation of religious traditions. Pre: REL/CLAS 301 with C- or better. (Spring only) (Cross-listed as CLAS 302)
An exploration of interactions between science and religion with a focus on cosmogonies. Pre: 150 or consent.
Introduction to indigenous and decolonial approaches to the study of religion and culture. Includes a critical assessment of tools and terminology traditionally used in academia. Sophomore standing or higher. (Cross-listed as CLAS 304)
Critical study of the ethical treatment of nonhuman animals and the religious beliefs and practices associated with them throughout history and across various cultures. Emphasis on teaching oral communication.
Study of lives, teachings, practices of Zen masters in China, Japan, Korea, and the West. Pre: one of 150, 203, 204, 207; or consent.
Christianity as a transcultural religion, through the study of Christian art, literature, ritual, and theology in diverse cultures; including the Near East, Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific. Pre: 150, 201, or 210; or consent. (Once a year)
Survey of and selected readings from the Hawaiian Bible (Baibala Hemolele). Conducted in Hawaiian. Repeatable one time. Pre: HAW 201.
Study of cults and new religious movements in America, the Pacific, and East Asia; examining types, causes, and functions of these movements. Pre: 150 or consent.
Analyzes selected historical examples of religious conflicts in America, discerning characteristic patterns of American religious discourse, and identifying the social structures, interests, and ethical principles at stake in conflicts about religion. Sophomore standing or higher. (Fall only) (Cross-listed as AMST 345)
Exploration of the diverse approaches and perspectives that American religious groups embrace in addressing controversial and diverse issues of contemporary American life. Emphasis on considering and discussing ethical approaches and practicing oral communication. DH
The meaning of Christian faith for the moral life with reference to contemporary moral issues. Pre: 150 or 151, or consent.
Introduction to the history, literature, and worldview of Sufism. Students will encounter the following topics in relation to Islamic mysticism: asceticism, monotheism, philosophy, love, union, sainthood, ecstatic experience, and spiritual uses of art. Pre: 209 or 383 or PHIL 330 or HIST 354, or consent. (Once a year)
Persecution of witches, witchcraft in Europe, 1300–1700, examined as crisis of church and theology; origins, effects on church and society. Pre: one of 201, HIST 151, HIST 152, PSY 100, or consent.
Examination of the historical connections between Islam and other civilizations will focus on the role of Islam in world history. Pre: 150 or 209 or consent.
Examining roles of, and attitudes toward, women in major religious traditions through autobiographies, films, and primary texts. Pre: 149 or WGSS 149 or REL 150 or HIST 151 or WGSS 151. (Cross-listed as WGSS 356)
Love and sex as themes in religions of Asia and the West. Pre: 150 or consent.
The uses of art in religion are studied with historical examples. Pre: 150 or consent.
In-depth look at ancient Judeo-Christian apocalyptic texts and the communities in which they originated, followed by a survey of the medieval and modern day heirs of apocalyptic traditions. Pre: 150 or consent.
Study of major Hindu myths of the Vedic Sanskrit literature within the perspective of ancient Indian civilization. Literary sources will be tapped for understanding creation, cosmogony and celestial, atmospheric and terrestrial divinities. Sophomore standing or higher, or consent. A-F only. (Fall only) (Cross-listed as IP 373)
Study of major myths of Epic Sanskrit literature, primarily with focus of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Literary sources will be tapped for appreciating myths and epics, especially with reference to dharma, karma, ways of life. Sophomore standing or consent. (Spring only) (Cross-listed as IP 374)
Mystic traditions of the West from desert monasticism to
Renaissance mystics compared with those of South and East Asia. Focuses on the ethical lives of these mystics, and developing oral communication skills. Sophomore standing or higher.
The traditions and practices related to one or more major indigenous gods, or class of gods, will be studied by the interpretation and analysis of primary texts. Develops written communication skills. Repeatable one time. Pre: 205 or consent.
Aspects of death and dying; relation to our culture and society, to understanding of each other and of ourselves. (Crosslisted as COA 394)
Pre: one 200-level REL course and consent.
Critical study of synoptic gospels and of extra-Biblical sources. Sophomore standing or higher.
Cults, legends, millennial movements, myths, possession, rituals, sacred healing, shamanism, sorcery, spirits, symbolism, witchcraft, and other forms of religious and symbolic expression and experience, from small scale to highly urban societies. Pre: ANTH 152. (Cross-listed as ANTH 422)
Issues of health and disease in the light of religious beliefs and practices with a focus on ethical matters shaping policies in the U.S. and the world. A-F only.
Writing-based seminar exploring foodways as a basic component in the practice of religions. Examines theoretical issues, foodways as creators of community and identity, sustainability, and other ethical issues, abstinence and fasting, and healing. Pre: 150. (Alt. years: fall)
Selected aspects of national, regional and local manifestations of Buddhism are explored through the perspective of anthropology with an emphasis on the daily lives of monks, nuns and lay persons in their socio-cultural contexts. Pre: 207, 422, 475, or consent. (Alt. years) (Cross-listed as ANTH 443)
Lectures and seminars provide a cross-cultural survey of the relationships between religions, environment and environmentalism. Junior standing or higher. Pre: consent. (Alt. years) (Cross-listed as ANTH 444)
Lectures and seminars provide a cross-cultural survey of sites which societies recognize as sacred and their cultural, ecological and conservation aspects. Junior standing or higher. Pre: consent. (Alt. years) (Cross-listed as ANTH 445)
Seminar on research in sociological aspects of religious sectarianism, historical and current; special reference to Hawai‘i. Pre: SOC 300 or consent. (Cross-listed as SOC 455)
Selected historical, thematic, and textual research topics in Buddhism; topics and geographical focus to be announced each semester.
Seminar on religious Taoism, its historical development and its role in the present-day context. Sophomore standing or higher.
Study of cross-cultural patterns in ritual behaviors and creolization of African, indigenous, and Iberian ideological frameworks in the Americas. Topics may include syncretic religions (voodoo, candomble), Andean Christianity, spiritual conquest, conceptions of death, etc. Sophomore standing or higher. Minimum C- required grade for prerequisites. Pre: LAIS 360, or consent. (Fall only) (Cross-listed as ANTH 478 and LAIS 478)
Introduction to theoretical and methodological approaches to doing fieldwork in the study of religion. Application of these in studying Hawai‘i’s diverse religious environment. Pre: 300 or consent.
Major features and trends in thought, institutions, and practices in the context of Japanese history and culture, 6th–20th century. Pre: 204 or 207, or consent.
Introduction to field, comparison of several traditions; beliefs and practices from analysis of texts. Historical interactions with Christianity. Sophomore standing or higher.
Topics pre-announced each semester. Pre: upper division standing or consent. Repeatable one time.
Repeatable up to six credits. A-F only. Pre: consent of instructor and department chair.
Survey of development of history of religions; application of methodologies from anthropology, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology.
Introduces ways that sacred sites are used by religious adherents in Asia and the Pacific. Students will survey different methodologies, and develop a final project on a single sacred site. Graduate students only. Graduate students only. Pre: instructor consent. (Alt years)
The study of rituals and practices in the religious traditions of Asia and the Pacific, with a focus on the importance and significance they play in people’s lives. Graduate students only. Pre: instructor consent. (Alt. years)
Seminar exploring methods developed for the study of New Religions, particularly in the U.S., Asia, and the Pacific. Considers implications of these methodologies for studies of other religious traditions. Graduate students only. Pre: instructor consent. (Alt. years)
Surveys decolonial approaches to the study of religion(s) and focuses on a specific Indigenous religion of Asia and the Pacific to examine the ways that historical paradigms have adversely influenced the study of Indigenous religions.Graduate students only. Pre: instructor consent. (Alt. years)
Seminar focused on approaches to healing in the religious traditions of Asia and the Pacific. Explores commonalities between religious traditions, geographical areas, historical periods, and disciplines. Graduate students only. Pre: instructor consent. (Alt. years)
Selected historical, thematic, and textual research topics in East Asian religions and traditions: (B) Chinese religions; (C) Japanese religions; (D) East Asian Buddhism. Repeatable up to six credits for (D), up to nine credits for (B) and (C). A-F only. Pre: 661B or 661C for (D).
Selected historical, thematic, and textual research topics in Indian religious traditions: (B) Indian religions; (D) Indian Buddhism. Repeatable two times, up to nine credits for (B). A-F only
Selected historical, thematic, and textual research topics in Polynesian and Hawaiian religious traditions: (B) Polynesian religions; (C) Hawaiian religion. Each alpha repeatable up to nine credits. A-F only.
Theory, preparation, and practice in the teaching of religious studies at the community college level: (B) teaching religion; (C) teaching religion practicum. REL majors only. A-F only.Pre: 650 for (B); 600, 650 and (B) for (C).
Research for master’s degree Plan B. Restricted to students in the Religion Masters Program in Plan B. Enrollment must be approved by student’s project committee. A-F only. Pre: consent of committee.
Topics in the study of religion with special emphasis on theoretical approaches and concerns. Specific topics to be preannounced. Repeatable one time. Pre: 600 or consent. (Alt. years)
Repeatable unlimited times.
Repeatable unlimited times. Pre: consent of thesis chair.