History of Rock and Roll
AFST 212
T/Th: 4:15 – 5:30 PM
F. Brittan | C. Vance
This course surveys the music and culture of the rock and roll era, broadly defined to include much popular music since the 1950s to the present day. Music majors are to enroll in MUHI 312. Offered as AFST 212 and MUHI 212.

African-American History, 1865 – Present
AFST 261
M/W: 12:35 – 1:50 PM
N. Voltz
This course examines the African American experience from emancipation to the present. The history of African peoples in the United States has primarily been a chronicle of strivings for liberation, justice, and equality. Much of this story represents Black people’s desires to retain their racial identity and autonomy, to build community, and create a sense of nationalism, while simultaneously asserting their right to be treated as equal American citizens. During this course, student will gain insight into the conditions of life for people of African descent in America while also being introduced to the myriad ways in which African Americans have continually pushed for freedom. This course will discuss a variety of themes in African American history including slavery and freedom, politics, resistance, gender, culture, identity, economy, etc. The specific topics explored include: Reconstruction, the Racial Nadir, the New Negro Movement, Black Radicalism in the Depression Era, The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, Black Feminism, Black Politics in the 1980s, and finally, the state of Black America in the New Century with particular emphasis placed on contemporary topics including mass incarceration and the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to lectures, readings, films, and class discussion that will enable them to analyze the impact of various forms of human difference on lived experiences and individual and collective choices made by black folks throughout American history. Offered as AFST 261, ETHS 261 and HSTY 261.

History of Jazz and American Popular Music
AFST 315
T/Th: 10:00 – 11:15 AM
P. Ferguson
Musical styles and structures of jazz and American popular music; emphasis on music since 1900. Recommended preparation: MUTH 202, MUTH 211, or MUHI 202. Offered as AFST 315 and MUHI 315.

History of Black Women in the U.S.
AFST 318
M/W: 3:10 – 4:25 PM
N. Voltz
This course focuses on the history of black women in the United States. Moving from enslavement to the present, this course is designed to give you an overview of the lived experiences of women of African descent in this country. This course will focus on themes of labor, reproduction, health, community, family, resistance, activism, etc., highlighting the diversity of black women’s experiences and the ways in which their lives have been shaped by the intersections of their race, gender, sexuality, and class. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to lectures, readings, films, and class discussion that will enable them to analyze the impact of various forms of human difference on lived experiences and individual and collective choices made by black women throughout American history. Offered as AFST 318, ETHS 318, HSTY 318, and WGST 318.

Capitalism, Cities, and Inequality
AFST 328
T/Th: 4:15 – 5:30 PM
T. Black
This course focuses on social inequality, but through an examination of cities in the U.S. and abroad. In many ways, cities provide a window onto the organization of the larger social world, including regional, state, national and global areas. As such, understanding cities goes far beyond their geographical boundaries. The purpose of this course then is to learn the central role that cities play within a larger capitalist economy, how public policies shape life in cities, how cities organize and reproduce social inequality, and how community groups and organizations challenge and negotiate the organization of power and inequality. The course will examine topics such as the formal and informal labor force, immigration, the growth of global cities and slums, urban poverty, racial segregation, housing and homelessness, crime, gentrification, policing, community organization and political resistance. Offered as AFST 328, SOCI 328 and SOCI 428.

Doing Buddhism: Texts, Images, and Objects
ASIA 207
T/Th: 2:45 – 4:00 PM
J. Liang | R. Quist
Contrary to the popular belief that Buddhists eschew worldly possessions, the rich practical tradition in Buddhism reveals a world of textual and visual materials. By embracing the roles these objects play in various Buddhist contexts, this course explores the reciprocal relationship between things and actions. How do practitioners interact with material cultures, such as scriptures, icons, and architecture? And what modes of practice do these objects inspire in turn? With a chronologically grounded structure that traces how Buddhism developed across Asia, the course takes a thematic approach to these questions. We begin by introducing the earliest examples of textual and visual practices before expanding into units that explore how Buddhism changed across time and space. In this course, students will engage with many modes of experiential learning within the classroom and beyond. In addition to attending in-class lectures and discussions, students will analyze the Cleveland Museum of Art’s expansive collection of Buddhist texts and images through visits to the galleries, Art Study Room, and Educational Art Collection. In this Communication Intensive course, students will hone their critical and creative analytic skills by developing an original research project in consultation with their professors. Offered as ARTH 207, ASIA 207, and RLGN 207.

Southeast Asia And The World: History, Politics, Religions
ASIA 226
T: 6:00 – 8:30 PM
J. Tan
This course explores the background and factors contributing to the development and shaping of contemporary Southeast Asia, as well as the intersection and synthesis of the social, cultural, geographical, religious, and political dimensions by placing ordinary lives within the context of emerging postcolonial nation states in Southeast Asia. It analyzes major trends and transformations across the whole Southeast Asia region during different historical periods — the conquest of traditional kingdoms, colonial rule, the impact of World War II, nationalist revolutions, and the emergence of new postcolonial nations. More broadly, it also examines the intersection and synthesis of the social, cultural, geographical, religious, and political dimensions by placing the ordinary lives of Southeast Asian peoples within the context of emerging postcolonial nation states. At the end of the course, students will gain a firm foundation in acquiring a foundational knowledge in the history, religion, culture, geography, and society of Southeast Asia, as well as understanding the implications of the continuing socio-cultural, economic, and political transformation of contemporary Southeast Asia and the significance that this region has for the rest of the world. Offered as ASIA 226, ETHS 226, HSTY 226, and RLGN 226.

Ghosts, Zombies, and Monsters: What We Fear and Loathe in Religions
ASIA 244
T/Th: 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
J. Liang
Our religious imaginations are constantly haunted by myriad frightening and loathsome beings. In this class, we will explore the many ways in which ghosts, zombies, and monsters have symbolized and personified the issues, concerns, hopes, and fears that have shaped our lives. Combining the two threads of eschatology (theological considerations about death and “the end”) and monster theory, it brings to the fore what is commonly demonized, marginalized, or unseen in religious traditions across the globe and asks what it is about the ghosts, zombies, and monsters that appalls and arrests us. To understand the diverse cultural traditions and their imagination of ghosts, zombies, and monsters, the majority of the course content is dedicated to these fearsome beings in Asian contexts — China, Japan, Tibet, Thailand, to name a few. Offered as ASIA 244 and RLGN 244.

Reform, Revolution, Republics: China 1895 to Present
ASIA 289
M/W/F: 11:30 AM – 12:2o PM
Y. Gao
Beginning with the First Sino-Japanese War (1895), this course reviews the historical development of intellectual discourse, public reaction, and political protest in later Imperial China through the creation of the People’s Republic in 1949 forward to contemporary times. In contrast to the conventional description of China from a Western point of view, this course tries to explain the emergence of modern China in the context of its intellectual, political, and socio-economic transformation as experienced by Chinese in the late 19th and into the 20th century. By discussing the influence of the West, domestic rebellions, and political radicalism, we examine how the Chinese state and society interacted in search for modernization and reforms, how these reforms were continued during the Republican period, and to what extent historical patterns can be identified in China’s present-day development. Offered as ASIA 289 and HSTY 289.

Korean Popular Culture
ASIA 312
M/W: 12:35 – 1:50 PM
H. Kim
This course examines the development and global circulation of Hallyu (the Korean Wave), highlighting various contemporary Korean popular culture genres including K-pop music, cinema, TV dramas, webtoons and animation, digital games and esports, lifestyle media, fashion, and food. Students will engage with primary sources such as K-pop music videos, films, and excerpts from TV dramas and other media products, alongside academic secondary readings that provide theoretical, methodological, and contextual perspectives. By exploring diverse K-media products and engaging in academic readings, multidisciplinary discussions, presentations, and a research project, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of Korean pop culture and social phenomena while developing analytical tools to critically approach cultural objects and texts. The primary language of instruction, including lectures and discussions, is English, and no prior knowledge of Korean is required. Offered as ASIA 312, KORE 312, and WLIT 312.

Chinese Popular Culture
ASIA 320
T/Th: 1:00 – 2:15 PM
C. Wu
In this course we are going to study Chinese (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Chinese Diaspora) popular culture since the 1980s. By examining different forms of popular culture, including popular literature, film, music, TV programs, posters, the Internet, etc., we will be looking into their political, ideological, sociological, cultural, and psychological mechanisms. The film viewing will take place outside the class. Offered as CHIN 320, ASIA 320 and WLIT 320.

Religion and Culture
RLGN 01
M: 6:25 – 8:55 PM
J. Tan
This course introduces students to the study of religion by examining religious practices within a variety of cultural and historical contexts around the world. The course invites students to think comparatively and critically about the role of religion within broader cultural discourses (e.g., gender, politics, and the environment). Instead of surveying what were formerly called the “world’s great religions,” this course builds religious literacy by examining religious practices within particular geographical and thematic areas. Through comparative case studies drawn from a diverse range of “non-western” cultures, students will learn about religions and spiritualities across the globe. These cultural touchstones will build core literacy in other cultures, positioning students to engage more fully in the religious and cultural diversity that they will encounter in their own lives and careers. Alongside these geographic case studies, the course will also examine key themes in the study of religion, such as diasporic transnationalism, liberation theology, and ritual practice. We will use these themes to tease out and debate some of the core theoretical and methodological challenges in the study of religion, including postcolonial critiques of the origin and history of the field of religious studies itself. To be clear, religion is our subject, not our approach. Although students will find opportunities to reflect on their own spirituality/disbelief, the course does not presume any particular religious or non-religious perspective. Indeed, the study of religion is itself concerned not only with the world’s religious traditions, but also with contemporary questions of skepticism, science, disbelief, and secularity. Evaluation will be based on class preparation and participation, regular short papers, a midterm exam, and a final take-home essay exam.

Introducing Islam
RLGN 172
M/W: 3:10 – 4:25 PM
R. Islambouli
This course is an introduction to the beliefs, practices, sacred texts, and intellectual traditions of Islam. We will approach the many dimensions of Islam from the perspective of religious studies. Our goal is to develop a foundational understanding of the core aspects of Islam, while exploring the scholarly approaches to the study of Muslim belief, practices, and communities. Throughout the term, we will examine major developments in the history of Islam, underscoring the dynamic changes that the tradition has undergone in its 1400+ year history and in various cultural contexts in West Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and China.

Religion and Ecology
RLGN 206
M/W: 4:40 – 5:55 PM
T. Beal
Cross-religious and cross-cultural introduction to the interdisciplinary field of religion and ecology. Ecological ideas and practices from Indigenous religions, South and East Asian religions, and monotheistic religions will be examined and compared as they relate to ecology and environmental ethics in our contemporary context. Themes include: climate crisis and climate justice in the Anthropocene, human exceptionalism, ideas of the wilderness, human-animal relations, and ecological interdependence.

Sharp Edges/Tender Bodies: Religion, Health and Resilience
RLGN 225
T/Th: 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
M. Berger
This course examines how women of color understand, negotiate, and practice health through religious belief, spirituality, and embodied knowledge. Through interdisciplinary texts, narratives, and case studies, students explore how faith traditions shape experiences of illness, healing, wellness, activism, and care in the context of race, gender, and power.

Islam, Gender, and Sexuality
RLGN 227
M/W: 12:35 – 1:50 PM
J. Howe
Gender and sexuality are central to understanding Muslim societies, past and present. From debates about the veil to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, gendered concerns have been especially prominent in contemporary debates about Islam in the modern world. How are masculinity and femininity constructed in Muslim contexts? How have Muslim thinkers interpreted Islamic scriptures with respect to topics such as marriage, child custody, inheritance, and sexuality? In what ways do these interpretations reflect the political, economic, and social conditions in which they lived? How does gender structure authority and power in Muslim communities? How and why have Muslim women become so central to contemporary political debates? This course explores each of these questions, while inviting students to construct alternative narratives around Islam, gender, and sexuality. This course begins by examining gender and sexuality in the foundational Islamic texts, the Qur’an and Sunna (the practice of the Prophet Muhammad), and pre-modern interpretations of these texts. The course then turns to marriage and divorce in Muslim jurisprudence, in order to examine themes such as women’s spiritual capacities, female leadership, sexuality, and slavery. Next, we will turn to the headscarf as a lens though which to explore modern configurations of gender and sexuality, as they intersect with conceptions of national belonging, religious identity, and individual freedom. Finally, we will study contemporary debates over polygyny, LGBTQ+ identities, and female religious authority. There are no prerequisites for this course. No prior knowledge of Islam is expected. Offered as RLGN 227 and WGST 227.

Soul Murder: Religion and Sexual Abuse
RLGN 252
T/Th: 2:45 – 4:00 PM
B. Clites
“Soul murder” is a term that psychologists and survivors use to describe the way that clergy sexual abuse destroys a child’s network of relationships. In addition to sexual, developmental, and psychological harm, victims of religious abuse also experience intense theological, moral, and familial suffering. This course analyzes these topics through religious, legal, medical, and anthropological case studies. What are the cultural, racial, and gendered dynamics of religious abuse? How is it different than sexual assault in non-religious contexts? How has abuse shaped Christian and Hindu sexual ethics? These are some of the questions that you will be able to answer by the end of this seminar. Offered as RLGN 252 and WGST 252.

The Holocaust
RLGN 254
M/W: 12:35 – 1:50 PM
J. Geller
This class seeks to answer fundamental questions about the Holocaust, the German-led organized mass murder of nearly six million Jews and millions of other ethnic and religious minorities. It will investigate the origins and development of racism in modern European society, the manifestations of that racism, and responses to persecution. An additional focus of the course will be comparisons between different groups, different countries, and different phases during the Nazi era. The class concludes with an examination of the memory of the Holocaust. Offered as ETHS 254, HSTY 254, JWST 254 and RLGN 254.

Religion in the City: Skyscrapers, Hip-Hop, and Urban Spirituality
RLGN 275
T/Th: 4:15 – 5:30 PM
B. Clites
“Religion in the City” examines how immigration, globalization, and diaspora have reshaped the social and spiritual landscape of American cities, with an emphasis on African, Asian, and Latin American religions. Through case studies, we will examine the complex and sometimes-contested interplay of multiple religious influences within the urban boundaries of historic neighborhoods in Boston, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Cleveland.

Independent Study
RLGN 392
Up to three semester hours of independent study may be taken in a single semester. Must have prior approval of faculty member directing the project.

Honors Research I
RLGN 395
Intensive study of a topic or problem leading to the writing of an honors thesis. Requires RLGN 201 plus 9 RLGN credits and department approval.

Majors Seminar
RLGN 399
This capstone seminar is required for all Religious Studies majors and is typically taken in the junior or senior year. Students will explore a research question in religious studies, build their theoretical and methodological expertise in the field, engage in critical reflection on the writing process, and conduct peer review. The course culminates in the final capstone project and an oral presentation.