The Faculty

Program Coordinator:  Michael Plekon

Program Faculty:

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

REL 4900

Issues in Religion and Culture


Electives

Choose two courses from the following:

REL 3001

World Religious Traditions

REL 3002

The Traditions of Judaism

REL 3003

The Christian Tradition

REL 3085

Special Topics in Religion and Culture

REL 3094

Mysticism: A Comparative Approach

REL 3210

Medieval Jewish Thought

REL 3220

Modern Jewish Thought

REL 3310

Christian Thought

REL 3320

Contemporary Christianity

REL 3525

The Hebrew Bible

REL 3530

The Christian New Testament

REL 3531

Religion in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

REL 3540

The Tradition of Islam

REL 5000

Tutorial or Advanced Independent Study in Religion and Culture

REL 3155

Philosophies from India  (

AAS 3155

), (

PHI 3155

)

REL 3165

Classical Buddhism  (

AAS 3165

), (

HIS 3165

), (

PHI 3165

)

REL 3175

The Lives of Hinduism   (

AAS 3175

), (

ANT 3175

), (

SOC 3175

)

REL 3821

South Asian Religion  (

AAS 3821

), (

ANT 3821

)

Religious Worlds of New York  (

ANT 4050

), (

SOC 4050

)

Religion and Politics in the United States   (

HIS 3008

), (

POL 3008

)

The Historical Search for the Prophet Mohammad   (

HIS 3084

)

Jesus—A Historical and Critical Approach  (

HIS 3100

)

History of African Religions  (

HIS 3815

)

History of Chinese Religion  (

HIS 3820

)

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  (

ANT 3113

)

Magic, Witchcraft and Religion  (

ANT 3165

)

 


Courses


Courses in Religion (REL)

REL 1001

Introduction to World Religions

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 1512

Introduction to the Religions of Asia

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 1521

Contemporary Judaism

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 1525

Judaism and Christianity

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 1530

Bible II

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 1531

Religion in the Twentieth Century

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 1540

The Culture and the Religion of Islam

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 1560

Black Religion of America

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 2155

Philosophies from India

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 2165

Classical Buddhism

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 2210

Philosophy of Religion

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3001

World Religious Traditions

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3002

Traditions of Judaism

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3003

The Christian Tradition

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3008

Religion And Politics In The United States

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3084

The Historical Search for the Prophet Mohammad (Cross-listed with HIS)

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3085

Special Topics in Religion and Culture

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3094

Mysticism: A Comparative Approach

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3100

Jesus - An Historical and Critical Approach

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3155

Philosophies from India

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3165

Classical Buddhism

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3175

The Lives of Hinduism

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3210

Medieval Jewish thought

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3220

Modern Jewish Thought

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3230

Hasidism

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3320

Contemporary Christianity

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3525

The Hebrew Bible

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3530

The Christian New Testament

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3531

Religion in the 20th and 21st Centuries

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3540

The Tradition of Islam

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3815

History of African Religions

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3820

History of Chinese Religion

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3821

South Asian Religion

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 4050

Religious Worlds of New York

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 4900

Issues in Religion and Culture

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 5000

Ind Stud Rel I

1 hour; 1 credit

REL 5001

Ind Stud Rel II

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 5002

Ind Stud Rel III

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 5003

Ind Stud Rel IV

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 5050

Senior Seminar

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 3085H

HNRS TOPICS REL&CUL

3 hours; 3 credits

REL 5000H

Hon Ind Stud Rel I

3 hours; 3 credits