Religion Courses
- RELI S-13 Study Abroad in Venice, Italy: The Contested Bible—The Sacred-Secular Dance
- RELI S-43m Summer Seminar—Psychology of Religion
- RELI S-1010/W World Religions
- RELI S-1013 Religion and Animals
- RELI S-1063 Literature of Journey and Quest
- RELI S-1805 Islam: Fundamentals of Thought and Practice
RELI S-13 Study Abroad in Venice, Italy: The Contested Bible—The Sacred-Secular Dance (32867)
Limited enrollment.
See Study Abroad for more information.
RELI S-43m Summer Seminar—Psychology of Religion (32599)
Class times: Tuesdays, Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 pm.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $2,700.
Summer seminars are open only to Secondary School Program juniors and seniors, and to college undergraduates.
Limited enrollment.
This course addresses the fundamental issues of the nature of the self, issues that appear at the intersection of religion and psychology, and it focuses on the ways we create frameworks of meaning. The readings explore philosophical, psychological, and literary perspectives on religious experience. (4 credits)
RELI S-1010/W World Religions (32778)
Class times: Tuesdays, Thursdays, 3:15-6:15 pm.
Course tuition: noncredit, undergraduate, and graduate credit $2,700.
Online option available. Harvard College students see additional information.
Writing-intensive course.
The historical origins, central teachings, and devotional practices of the major religious traditions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—are considered in relation to common themes of human experience: the holy or sacred, evil and suffering, love and compassion, wisdom and justice, death and deliverance. The roles and meanings of religious symbols are explored through lectures, discussion, film, and the writing of short critical essays. (4 credits)
RELI S-1013 Religion and Animals (32394)
Class times: Mondays, Wednesdays, noon-3 pm.
Course tuition: noncredit, undergraduate, and graduate credit $2,700.
Students trace the history and shape of this emerging academic field and its relation to other academic disciplines. Students also examine social, public policy, conceptual, environmental, ethical, and philosophical implications of the field. Class sessions are discussion-based, and students undertake both group work and a number of individual writing projects. (4 credits)
RELI S-1063 Literature of Journey and Quest (32543)
Class times: Mondays, Wednesdays, 8:30-11:30 am.
Course tuition: noncredit, undergraduate, and graduate credit $2,700.
This course explores the theme of journey and quest in the company of great travelers, among them the ancient Mesopotamian hero, Gilgamesh, the Japanese Haiku poet, Basho, and the nameless man and boy who travel across the landscape of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Through direct encounter with imaginative literary works from a variety of contexts and genres, we consider the relationship between interior journeys and journeys through external landscapes, between home and exile, between bewilderment and certainty, and between the religious and literary dimensions of literature itself. Special attention is given to the religious dimension of the human practice of making journeys and quests. (4 credits)
RELI S-1805 Islam: Fundamentals of Thought and Practice (32701)
Class times: Mondays, Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 pm.
Course tuition: noncredit, undergraduate, and graduate credit $2,700.
Online option available. Harvard College students see additional information.
This course seeks to introduce students to the core beliefs and practices of Islam, with special focus on how Islam has manifested in diverse cultures throughout its vast history. Topics explored include theology, ritual, art, music, law, politics, and Sufism. Students have opportunities to relate course material to their own interests through research papers and presentations. (4 credits)
