The Faculty
Program Coordinator: Michael Plekon
Program Faculty:
- Carla Bellamy (Sociology and Anthropology)
- Thomas Desch-Obi (History)
- Kenneth Guest (Sociology and Anthropology)
- Meir Lubetski (Modern Languages and Comparative Literature)
- Michael Plekon (Sociology and Anthropology)
- Murray Rubinstein (History)
- Tansen Sen (History)
- Randolph Trumbach (History)
Religion and culture courses are taught by additional faculty from a number of disciplines and departments, including History, Modern Languages and Comparative Literature, Philosophy, Psychology, and Sociology and Anthropology
Field Description
Religion is one of the most powerful and complex forces in human history. To study the religions of man from the earliest times to the present and how they have shaped and been shaped by the forces of history (among them, nationalism, war, the challenge of secularism, and technology), Baruch's Religion and Culture Program presents an interdisciplinary approach to the study of religious and cultural histories, doctrines, concepts, and practices.
The Major
Arts And Sciences Ad Hoc Major In Religion And Culture
When a student's educational objectives cannot be fully attained solely by study within an existing department, program, or school, he or she is given the option of devising an ad hoc pattern of courses in an area of concentration of his or her own choosing. A student may embark upon an ad hoc major following preparation and acceptance of a proposal outlining the area of study, the desired outcomes, and the educational values of the program. The program must be approved by the Office of the Associate Dean,Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.
Students interested in including courses in religion and culture as part of an arts and sciences ad hoc major should contact Professor Michael Plekon, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 646-312-4472; e-mail michael.plekon@baruch.cuny.edu.
The Weissman School of Arts and Sciences ad hoc major requires 30–33 credits.
The Minor
To fulfill the College-wide requirement for the Tier III minor with a concentration in religion and culture, students are required to take two courses numbered 3000 and higher and REL 4900, the capstone course.
| Required Course | |
| Issues in Religion and Culture | |
| |
| World Religious Traditions | |
| The Traditions of Judaism | |
| The Christian Tradition | |
| Special Topics in Religion and Culture | |
| Mysticism: A Comparative Approach | |
| Medieval Jewish Thought | |
| Modern Jewish Thought | |
| Christian Thought | |
| Contemporary Christianity | |
| The Hebrew Bible | |
| The Christian New Testament | |
| Religion in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries | |
| The Tradition of Islam | |
| Tutorial or Advanced Independent Study in Religion and Culture | |
Philosophies from India ( ), () | |
Classical Buddhism ( ), (), () | |
The Lives of Hinduism ( ), (), () | |
South Asian Religion ( ), () | |
Religious Worlds of New York ( ), () | |
Religion and Politics in the United States ( ), () | |
The Historical Search for the Prophet Mohammad ( ) | |
Jesus—A Historical and Critical Approach ( ) | |
History of African Religions ( ) | |
History of Chinese Religion ( ) | |
| Islamic Art | |
| History (Ancient) of the Jewish People as Reflected in Literature | |
| History (Medieval/Modern) of the Jewish People as Reflected in Literature | |
| Biblical Prose | |
| Biblical Poetry | |
| Talmud I | |
| Talmud II | |
| Hebrew Philosophical Literature | |
| The Modern Middle East and North Africa | |
| Contemporary Islamic World | |
| History of the Jewish People in America | |
| Music and Religion | |
| Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages | |
| Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics | |
| Psychology of Religion | |
| Sociology of Religion | |
Cultures and Peoples of India ( ) | |
Magic, Witchcraft and Religion ( ) | |
Courses
Courses in Religion (REL)
Introduction to World Religions | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Introduction to the Religions of Asia | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Contemporary Judaism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Judaism and Christianity | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Bible II | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Religion in the Twentieth Century | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Culture and the Religion of Islam | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Black Religion of America | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Philosophies from India | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Classical Buddhism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Philosophy of Religion | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
World Religious Traditions | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Traditions of Judaism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Christian Tradition | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Religion And Politics In The United States | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Historical Search for the Prophet Mohammad (Cross-listed with HIS) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Special Topics in Religion and Culture | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Mysticism: A Comparative Approach | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Jesus - An Historical and Critical Approach | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Philosophies from India | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Classical Buddhism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Lives of Hinduism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Medieval Jewish thought | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Modern Jewish Thought | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Hasidism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Contemporary Christianity | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Hebrew Bible | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Christian New Testament | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Religion in the 20th and 21st Centuries | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Tradition of Islam | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of African Religions | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of Chinese Religion | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
South Asian Religion | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Religious Worlds of New York | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Issues in Religion and Culture | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Ind Stud Rel I | 1 hour; 1 credit | |
Ind Stud Rel II | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Ind Stud Rel III | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Ind Stud Rel IV | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Senior Seminar | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
HNRS TOPICS REL&CUL | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Hon Ind Stud Rel I | 3 hours; 3 credits |