Religious Studies Minor

This program draws together the University’s resources across many disciplines to offer a concentration in the area of Religious Studies. Religion is a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon involving the overarching worldview of a culture, its social norms, ethics and politics. In the private dimension, religious experiences are among the most profound an individual can have. In the public sphere, religion has inspired powerful institutional forms, literary and artistic works throughout history and across the globe. This program is designed to foster a nuanced understanding of religious phenomena, and to cultivate critical thinking skills in the discipline of Religious Studies.

Requirements: 18 credit hours

•  At least 9 credits of upper division courses
•  At least 9 credits taken at UCD from CLAS faculty
•  Required minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all UCD courses taken for the RLST  Minor, with no individual course grade lower than C-
•  RLST 1610- Introduction to Religious Studies
•  One 3 credit hour course in Western Religion from approved list
•  One 3 credit hour course in Eastern Religion from approved list
•  9 credits of Religious Studies electives from approved list

RLST Course Electives List:

Introductory

RLST 1610 Introduction to Religious Studies*
RLST 2660 World Religions* 

Traditions

RLST 2680/ETST 2606 The American Indian Experience
RLST 3000 Judaism, Christianity and Islam: Affinity and Difference
RLST 3060/HIST 4017 History of Early Christianity
RLST 3486/HIST 3486 Renaissance and Reformation Europe
RLST 3100/PSC 4165 Islamic Politics and Culture
RLST 3120 Islamic Traditions+
RLST 3300-ETST 3300 Shamanic Traditions
RLST 3410/PHIL 3410 Asian Philosophy & Religions+
RLST 3500 Religions of India
RLST 3660/PHIL 3981 Chinese Philosophy and Culture

Literature

RLST 1010/GREK 1010 Biblical Greek
RLST 2700/ENGL 2520 The Bible as Literature
RLST 3720/ENGL 3520 Religious Narratives
RLST 3740 Biblical Traditions: Old Testament
RLST 3760 Biblical Traditions: New Testament
RLST 3770 Archaeological Discoveries Relating to the Bible

Fields

RLST 4000 Religion and Cultural Diversity**
RLST 4010/5010-ANTH 4130/5130 Comparative Religious Systems
RLST 4020/5020-SOC 4610/5610 Sociology of Religion
RLST 4040/5040 Psychology of Religion
RLST 4060/5060-PHIL 4600/5600 Philosophy of Religion
RLST 4070/PHIL 4710 Western Religious Thought
RLST 4080/PHIL 4720 Eastern Religious Thought

Topics

RLST 4100 Special Topics in Religion
RLST 4160/5160 Mysticism
RLST 4300/5300 Myth and Symbol
RLST 4320 Spirituality in the Modern World
RLST 4340/ENGL 3530 The Hero’s Journey
RLST 4360/5360 Freudian and Jungian Perspectives in Dream Analysis
RLST 4400/5400-PHIL4650/5655 Differing Concepts of God
RLST 4420/5420-WGST 4420 Goddess Traditions
RLST 4440/5440-PHIL4470/5470 Concepts of the Soul
RLST 4460/5460 Death and Concepts of Afterlife
RLST 4462/5462/HIST4462/5462 Islam in Modern History
RLST 4480/5480-PHIL 4480/5480 Perspectives on Good and Evil
RLST 4500/5500-PSCI 4057/5057 Religion and Politics
RLST 4710/5710-WGST 4710/5710 Women and Religion
RLST 4730/5730-ENGL4510/5510 Whores & Saints: Medieval Women
RLST 4840 Independent Study
RLST 4880/5880 Directed Research

Fulfills Western Religion Requirement

RLST 2660 World Religions***
RLST 3000 Judaism, Christianity and Islam: Affinity and Difference
RLST 3060/HIST 4017 History of Early Christianity
RLST 3120 Islamic Traditions+
RLST 2700/ENGL 2520 The Bible as Literature
RLST 3740 Biblical Traditions: Old Testament
RLST 3760 Biblical Traditions: New Testament
RLST 3770 Archaeological Discoveries Relating to the Bible
RLST 4070/PHIL 4710 Western Religious Thought
RLST 4400/PHIL 4650 Differing Concepts of God***
RLST 4440/PHIL 4470 Concepts of the Soul***
RLST 4460 Death and Concepts of Afterlife***
RLST 4462/5462/HIST4462/5462 Islam in Modern History

Fulfills Eastern Religion Requirement

RLST 2660 World Religions***
RLST 3410/PHIL 3410 Asian Philosophy & Religions+
RLST 3500 Religions of India
RLST 3660/PHIL 3981 Chinese Philosophy and Culture
RLST 4080/PHIL 4720 Eastern Religious Thought
RLST 4160 Mysticism
RLST 4400/PHIL 4650 Differing Concepts of God***
RLST 4440/PHIL 4470 Concepts of the Soul***
RLST 4460 Death and Concepts of Afterlife***

*Fulfills CLAS core requirement in Humanities
**Fulfills CLAS core requirement in Diversity
***Fulfills requirement for either Eastern or Western Religion, but not both simultaneously.
+ Fullfill core requirement in International Perspectives