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ENG 255B: Literature of the Holocaust
TTH 10:30-12:10, Prof. Lyday
This course will explore a variety of literature with the Holocaust as its central theme. Genres of literature will include short and long fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama and film. The Holocaust will be explored through the historical, spiritual, cultural and literary viewpoint s of first and second generation survivors, witnesses, deniers and perpetrators. Guest speakers and field trips to local museums and synagogues will be considered as well as an overnight visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
HEB 170: Elementary Modern Hebrew I
MW 3:35-5:15
This course is designed for students with little or no prior experience in the language. Special emphasis will be placed on active communication to develop oral and comprehension skills. Students will learn to converse, read, and write basic modern Hebrew.
HEB 172: Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
MW 5:30-7:10
This course provides intensive development of all language skills, focused emphasis on reading and composition. Students will learn to describe, analyze, and express opinions on cultural topics. Prerequisite: HEB 171 or permission by chair of the department.
HST 339: History of the Holocaust
MW 1:40-3:20, Prof. Crowe
This history of the Holocaust explores the roots of this event, beginning with historical anti-Semitism and the impact of this tradition on Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. Topics also include Hitler's racial policies between 1933-1938, their spread throughout Nazi Europe between 1939-1941, the evolution of the Final Solution from 1941-45 and post-World War II Holocaust developments and questions.
REL 205: Jewish Traditions
MWF 12:15-1:25, Prof. Claussen
This course traces the history of the Jewish community from its origins in ancient Israel to the present day, considering the evolution of its major ideas and practices as well as the diversity of Jewish cultures throughout the world. We will explore a range of classical and contemporary Jewish approaches to theology, ethics, ritual, gender, peoplehood, spirituality, authority, and relations with other communities. This course is required for a minor in Jewish Studies.
REL 212: Introduction to the New Testament
MWF 10:50-12:00
In this course students approach the writings of early Christianity as literary and rhetorical responses to ancient social, political, and religious concerns. Students are introduced to the multi-faceted worlds surrounding the emerging Christian communities, as well as some of the realities created by these writings. In so doing, this course equips students with the tools for reading complex and ancient texts from a critical perspective.
REL 379: Jewish-Christian Dialogue
MW 1:40-3:20 Prof. Claussen and Prof. Pugh
Judaism and Christianity have shared a troubled history since the moment Christianity separated itself from Judaism. This separation gave rise to horrible actions perpetuated on Judaism by Christianity right up to the Holocaust. It was this event and its consequences that prompted persons in both communities to establish a new conversation between Judaism and Christianity that extends into the present time. This course will explore the history of Jewish-Christian encounters, beginning with an examination of who Jesus was and culminating in an exploration of contemporary dialogues between Jews and Christians about their respective religious traditions.
REL 460: Gods and Monsters in Biblical Traditions
T/Th 2:20-4:00 Prof. Huber
.Leviathan. Giants. A great red dragon. Horned beasts that arise from the sea. Bodies emerging from tombs. The texts of biblical tradition, including Jewish and early Christian writings, include creatures that many think would be more likely to see appear the silver screen than on the parchment and paper of religious communities’ sacred texts. In this seminar participants will examine the rhetorical nature and function of “monsters” within their ancient historical settings. We will seek to understand how monsters and references to the monstrous are used, especially within Ancient Near Eastern, Hellenistic Jewish, and Roman contexts, to persuade communities toward particular ways of thinking and acting. Among other lines of inquiry, we will address how the category of the monstrous is employed to depict power, regulate sexuality and gender, and to characterize the ethnic or cultural “other.” Some attention will be paid to how these monsters are interpreted in later, including medieval and modern, contexts. This course assumes that the student has taken at least one course in Religious Studies.