Religious Studies

451 College, 432.0828
M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Chair
Dale Martin

Director of Graduate Studies
Harry Stout (432.0828, harry.stout@yale.edu)

Professors
Marilyn McCord Adams, Robert Adams (Philosophy), Harold Attridge (Divinity School), Gerhard Böwering, Jon Butler, Adela Collins (Divinity School), John J. Collins (Divinity School), Carlos Eire, Margaret Farley (Divinity School), Steven Fraade, Christine Hayes, Paula Hyman, Serene Jones (Divinity School), David Kelsey (Divinity School), Bentley Layton, Ivan Marcus, Dale Martin, Thomas Ogletree (Divinity School), Gene Outka, Deepak Sarma (Visiting), David Smith (Visiting), Harry Stout, Miroslav Volf (Divinity School), Robert Wilson

Assistant Professors
Shannon Craigo-Snell, Stephen Davis, Frank Griffel, Ludger Viefhues

Lecturer
Hugh Flick, Jr.

Fields of Study
Students must enroll in one of the following fields of study: American Religious History, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, History of Ancient Christianity, Islamic Studies, Judaic Studies, New Testament, Philosophy of Religion, Religious Ethics, and Theology. (Buddhist Studies, normally included, is admitting no graduate students at this time.)

Special Admissions Requirement
The department requires the scores of the GRE General Test and previous study in areas relevant to the chosen field of study, including ancient languages where applicable.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
Twelve term courses must be completed, in which the Graduate School Honors requirement must be met. Proficiency in two modern scholarly languages, normally French and German, must be shown, one before the end of the first year, the other before the beginning of the third; this may be done by passing an examination administered by the department, by accreditation from a Yale Summer School course designed for this purpose, or by a grade of A or B in one of Yale’s intermediate language courses. Mastery of the languages needed in one’s chosen field (e.g., Chinese, Hebrew, Greek, Japanese) is also required in certain fields of study. A set of four qualifying examinations is designed for each student, following guidelines and criteria set by each field of study; these are normally completed in the third year. The dissertation prospectus must be approved by a colloquium, and the completed dissertation by a committee of readers and the departmental faculty. Upon completion of all predissertation requirements, including the prospectus, students are admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. This is expected before the seventh term in American Religious History, Philosophy of Religion, Religious Ethics, and Theology; before the eighth term in other fields. Students begin writing their dissertation in the fourth year and normally will have finished by the end of the sixth. There is no oral examination on the dissertation.

In the Department of Religious Studies, the faculty considers learning to teach to be an important and integral component of the professional training of its graduate students. Students are therefore required to teach as teaching fellows for at least two years during their graduate programs. Such teaching normally takes place during their third and fourth years, unless other arrangements are approved by the director of graduate studies.

A combined Ph.D. degree is available with African American Studies. Consult departments for details.

Master's Degrees
M.Phil. and M.A. (both en route to the Ph.D.). See Graduate School requirements. Alternatively, the Department of Religious Studies offers, in conjunction with the Medieval Studies program, a joint M.Phil. degree. For further details, see Medieval Studies.

Prospective students must apply in one of the ten fields of study, and when requesting information they should specify their particular field of interest. Program materials are available upon request to the Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Religious Studies, Yale University, PO Box 208287, New Haven CT 06520-8287.

Courses
RLST 510a, Theories in the Study of Religions: Major Thinkers.  Ludger Viefhues. Th 4–5.50
This seminar explores critically the category formation of “religion” in the history of the field of religious studies. We read founding texts of our discipline together with contemporary reflections on the colonial and postcolonial construction of “religion.” We discuss psychological, anthropological, sociological, and philosophical approaches to “religion.” Authors include, among others, Weber, Freud, Durkheim, Douglas, McCarthy-Brown, Geetz, Bell, Lopez, Chidester.

RLST 511au, Religious Diversity and Philosophy.  Ludger Viefhues. MW 11.30–12.20, 1 HTBA
Critical survey of philosophical models addressing religious diversity in the twentieth century. How theories from religious studies, feminist philosophy, anthropology, and non-Western writings on religious life and practice change the understanding of religious diversity.

RLST 534b, The Life and Thought of Jonathan Edwards.  Harry Stout. W 1.30–3.20
This reading course is designed to offer students an opportunity for intensive reading in and reflections upon some of the writings of early America’s premier philosophical theologian and his Puritan setting. The course is also meant to familiarize students with the life and times of Edwards, encouraging extensive reading and discussion about Edwards’ background, historical and intellectual context, and legacy.

RLST 601a, The Required New Testament/Ancient Christianity Seminar: Rhetoric and Early Christianity.  Dale Martin. W 4–5.50
The topic and instructor of this seminar change yearly. For 2003–2004, the seminar provides an introduction to Graeco-Roman rhetoric, including a reading of various speeches and handbooks. We consider the social placement of rhetoric in the ancient world, theories of rhetoric, letter-writing as part of rhetorical education, and the significance of ancient rhetoric and modern rhetorical analysis for the study of the New Testament and early Christianity.

RLST 603bu,Women and Gender in Early Christianity.  Stephen Davis. MW 2.30–3.45
An examination of the tensions found in early Christian discourses about women through the study of various primary sources, including the New Testament, Gnostic texts, monastic treatises, saints’ lives, and early Christian art. Ways that the representation of women in ancient Christian literature and art help shape social understandings of gender identity.

RLST 604au, The Making of the Christian Bible.  Stephen Davis. MW 10.30–11.20, 1 HTBA
Study of historical factors in the formation of the Christian Bible, especially the exclusion of so-called heretical or apocryphal writings, and the way that early Christianity interpreted and thereby shaped its scripture.

RLST 607bu, Creation and Fall: Genesis 1–3.  Stephen Davis. Th 3.30–5.20
Study of ancient Jewish, Christian, and Muslim interpretations of Genesis 1–3, and their implications for views of God, society, and human body.

RLST 608a, Problems in the Study of Christianity in Late Antiquity. Stephen Davis. T 2.30–4.20
This course, a required seminar for Ph.D. students in the field of Ancient Christianity, addresses key methodological and historiographical issues in the study of Christianity from the rise of Constantine (313) to the Council of Chalcedon (451), focusing especially on the fourth and fifth centuries. Among the topics to be covered: the relation of church and state after Constantine, theological controversies and the function of church councils, the formation of Christian identity in relation to other religious communities (including pagans and Jews), variety of pieties and practices (including monasticism, pilgrimage, and the cult of the saints), and the study of material culture in late antiquity.

RLST 619a, Gift and Grace.  Miroslav Volf. T 1.30–3.30
Examination of some recent anthropological, philosophical, sociological literature on gift with the purpose of relating it to the theological reflection on the nature of grace. Limited enrollment. Also REL 767a.

RLST 622b, History and Methods of the Discipline of New Testament Studies. Adela Collins. HTBA
The objectives of this course are to become familiar with the history of scholarship on the New Testament; to grasp the theory and practice of the classic methods of historical criticism; and to become acquainted with newer methods being applied to the interpretation of the New Testament. The course is designed primarily for students in the Ph.D. program in New Testament. Doctoral students in Ancient Christianity and Ancient Judaism are also welcome. Other students with knowledge of Greek and experience in advanced exegetical courses, with the permission of the instructor. Graded on a pass/fail basis. Also REL 691b.

RLST 625b, Advanced Greek Exegesis.  Harold Attridge. HTBA

RLST 655b, Christianity in the Second Century.  Bentley Layton. W 4–5.50
Principal research areas in ancient Christian literature, controversy, and thought from Ignatius to Clement of Alexandria. A proseminar, required of all graduate students in New Testament Studies and Ancient Christianity.

RLST 659bu, Seminar: The Making of Monasticism.  Bentley Layton. T 2.30–4.20
The history of Christian monasteries, hermits, ascetics, and monastic institutions and values in late antiquity, with special attention to the eastern Mediterranean world.

RLST 680a, Popular Religion in Europe, 1300–1700.  Carlos Eire. T 1.30–3.20
Readings in primary texts from the period 1300–1700 which focus on definitions of the relationship between the natural and supernatural realms, both Catholic and Protestant. Among the topics to be covered: mystical ecstasy, visions, apparitions, miracles, and demonic possession. All assigned readings in English translation. Also HIST 556a.

RLST 701au, The Growth of Islam: Conquest, Culture, and Conversion.   Gerhard Böwering. TTh 2.30–3.45, 1 HTBA
The development of Islamic civilization in the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Iran, and India from Muhammad through the Mongol Invasions to the rise of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Timurid empires (600–1500). Emphasis on the intellectual and religious history of the Arabs and Iranians.

RLST 720b, Seminar on the Qur’an.  Gerhard Böwering. Th 2.30–4.20
Intensive study of the Qur’an. Readings in the literature of Qur’anic commentary. Special emphasis on the pre-Islamic background of the Qur’an. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Arabic. Permission of the instrucor required.

RLST 751au, Midrash Seminar: Sifre Va’ethannan.  Steven Fraade. Th 9.30–11.20
Close study of the earliest commentary to the book of Deuteronomy with focus on the commentary to Moses’ petition for divine permission to enter the promised land, and its denial (Deut. 3:23–29), and the “Shema” proclamation of monotheistic faith and wholehearted attachment to the divine teachings (Deut. 6:4–9). Introduction to the language and methods of rabbinic scriptural interpretation with particular attention to the interplay of exegesis, narrative, and religious ideology. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Hebrew.

RLST 756b, The Required Second Temple Judaism Seminar: Scriptual Translation in Antiquity.  Steven Fraade. W 1.30–3.20
The topic of this seminar changes yearly. This year we study the history and varieties of scriptural translation methods and purposes in relation to ancient and modern understandings of translation practice. In particular, we consider scriptural translations into Greek (Septuagint), Aramaic (Targum), and Syriac (Peshitta), by Jewish, Samaritan, and Christian communities. Required for all graduate students in ancient Judaism.

RLST 757au, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the History of Ancient Judaism.   Steven Fraade. T 9.30–11.20
Examination of the place of the Dead Sea Scrolls and their community of “readers” within the history of ancient Judaism. Focus on the major genres of the sectarian scrolls, with an eye to understanding the community’s history, religious ideology, social structures, and place within the broader varieties of Graeco-Roman Judaism. Readings in translation. No prerequisites.

RLST 761au, Introduction to the Talmud in Translation.  Christine Hayes. MW 1–2.15
An introduction to the Babylonian Talmud in English translation. Examination of legal (halakhic) and non-legal (aggadic) texts that address a wide range of theological and cultural issues central to rabbinic Judaism, including the relationship of written and oral Torah, the interaction of divine revelation and human interpretation, the nature of God, the nature of humankind, sin and virtue, marriage and sexuality, and the problem of human suffering.

RLST 768au, Historical Perspectives in the Study of the Holocaust.  Paula Hyman. MW 10.30 –11.20, 1 HTBA
A survey of the major historical issues raised by the Holocaust, including the roots of Nazism; different theoretical perspectives and ways of accounting for genocide; the behavior of perpetrators, victims, and bystanders; and problems of representation. Also HIST 979au.

RLST 769b, Critical Methods in the Study of the Talmud.  Christine Hayes. Th 10.30–12.20
An introduction to the modern critical study of the Talmud with special emphasis on the work and methodology of Shamma Friedman (on Yevamot 10 and Bava Metsia 6). The course includes a review of fundamental skills required for the analysis of talmudic texts (Talmudic Aramaic, terminology, and halakhic concepts). Hebrew required; knowledge of Aramaic preferred. Undergraduates admitted with instructor’s permission.

RLST 776a, Jews in Christian and Muslim Lands from the Fourth to the Sixteenth Century.  Ivan Marcus.
T 1.30–3.20
Research seminar that focuses on a comparison of the two medieval Jewish sub/cultures of Ashkenaz (northern Christian Europe) and Sefarad (mainly Muslim and Christian Spain). Issues in historiography and comparative methodology complement discussions about the symbols and reality of literary, political, and economic features of each society. Also HIST 541a.

RLST 777au, Jews in Muslim Lands from the Seventh to the Sixteenth Century.   Ivan Marcus.
Th 11.30–12.45
Introduction to Jewish culture and society in Muslim lands from the Prophet Muhammad to Suleiman the Magnificent. Topics to be discussed include Islam and Judaism; Jerusalem as a holy site; rabbinic leadership and literature in Baghdad; Jewish courtiers, poets, and philosophers in Muslim Spain; the Jews in the Ottoman Empire. Also HIST 532au.

RLST 801a, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Bible Seminar: Genesis and the Formation of the Pentateuch.  Robert Wilson. M 1.30–3.20
A close reading of selective chapters of the Book of Genesis against the background of classical and current theories of Pentateuchal composition. Prerequisite: two years of Biblical Hebrew or the equivalent; previous work in the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible; reading knowledge of German helpful but not required.

RLST 805a, The History and Methods of the Interpretation of the Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible.  John Collins, Robert Wilson. T 1.30–3.20
Reading and critical evaluation of major classical works in the history of Old Testament studies from Wellhausen to the present. Prerequisite: working knowledge of Biblical Hebrew and reading knowledge of German.

RLST 816a, Hellenistic Judaism.  John Collins. W 3.30–5.20
Review of the history and literature of Greek-speaking Judaism. Segments of the course focus on the Hellenistic Reform in Judea, the settlement of Jews in Egypt under the Ptolemies, and the Jewish experience in Egypt in the Roman period. Also REL 694a.

RLST 818b, Judaism in the Persian Period.  John Collins. T 1.30–3.20
Graduate seminar focusing on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, with some consideration of Haggai, Zechariah, and the Elephantine papyri. (Hebrew and Aramaic required.) Also REL 693b.

RLST 852b, Agape and Special Relations.  Gene Outka. W 1.30–3.20
The aim overall is to explore possible links between the love commandments and different sorts of special relations. We consider depictions of agape as neighbor-love that is universal in scope (the “neighbor” is anyone who “bears the human countenance”) and the claims of particular bonds between persons, and examine four different special relations: among co-religionists (especially ties among those in the church); among members of the same political community (including the relations between the Christian community and the civil community); among family members (between spouses, and parents and children); among friends (and the place generally of preferential relations).

RLST 856a, Covenant, Federalism, and Public Ethics.  Thomas Ogletree. M 1.30–3.20
This course is an advanced seminar in religious social ethics. It examines biblical, Jewish, Reformed Protestant, and Puritan notions of covenant in their bearing on the development of federal conceptions of government, as exemplified in the U.S. Constitution and elaborated in The Federalist papers of James Madison. The aim of the seminar is to stimulate fresh critical reflection on the contributions that Jewish and Reformed Protestant thought might make toward enhancing the quality of public life in contemporary American society. More broadly, it is about the proper role of faith-based communities within the public life of liberal democratic societies. Also REL 887a.

RLST 858b, Critical Social Theory and Constructive Inquiry in Religious Social Ethics.  Thomas Ogletree. W 1.30–3.20
The seminar is devoted to a critical assessment of modern ventures in constructive social theory in their bearing upon normative teachings in religious social ethics. The underlying premise of the seminar is that religiously grounded social teaching can gain practical pertinence for human will being in complex societal systems only by critically engaging the organizational principles and the normative values that already configure those systems of social order. Thus, principles of justice or of basic human rights, no matter how well grounded they may be in cogent rational arguments or in core religious convictions, simply cannot be imposed upon any and all forms of social organizations. To become effective, norms and values of this kind must themselves be realistically and prudently adapted to the standard operations of specific societies, especially the prevailing economic and political arrangements. Selections from the writings of Max Weber, Talcott Parsons, Alfred Schutz, and Jürgen Habermas are foundational to the work of the seminar, with other writings added in response to the interests of seminar members. The critical method that informs the seminar builds upon the work of Ernst Troeltsch as outlined in his Social Teaching of the Christian Churches.

RLST 863a, Freedom and Action.  Margaret Farley. W 1.30–3.20
This course aims to explore the experience of free choice. Some brief time is spent on questions of determinism and freedom, but primary attention is paid to historical and contemporary analyses of choice and its components (reasons, emotions, objects, judgments, goals). Related issues of the possibilities of human selfhood, moral luck, obligation, love, character, etc., are considered. Readings are selected from classical sources (Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Kant); contemporary phenomenologists and action theorists (e.g., Sartre, Ricoeur, Frankfurt, C. Taylor, B. Williams, Meyers); and theologians (e.g., J. Edwards, K. Rahner). This is an advanced course, designed primarily for doctoral students in religious ethics. Also REL 777a.

RLST 865au, Playing God? Biomedical Ethics and the Limits of Power.   David Smith. TTh 9–10.15
This course focuses on a series of issues or problems created by the increasing power of biomedicine. These are problems of ethics—of right and wrong, good and bad. They are also religious problems about identity, destiny, and the human response to the power of nature or fate. The course ultimately revolves around one complex question: How—if at all—should religious and moral traditions help us separate right from wrong as we face difficult, sometimes unprecedented, issues of morality? How do the resources of a religious tradition or standpoint compare with other perspectives? We are interested in the best resolution of problems, and in the role of religion in their resolution.

RLST 867bu, Bioethics, Religion, and the Limits of Freedom.  David Smith. Th 3.30–5.20
This seminar covers a crucial set of methodological issues related to biomedical ethics. Religious and secular perspectives compete for attention. The great majority of our population claims to believe in God, but this belief comes in a variety of traditional and idiosyncratic forms. As bioethics relates closely to the beginning and end of life, this pluralism is hard to avoid. And it may be our greatest strength. We study a group of writers whose attention to method is explicit. They are diverse in religious allegiance (if any), and on the complicated “liberal-conservative” axis. We read what they have to say on issues at the beginning and end of life and on questions of social justice in medicine. Our central concerns are with the values of liberty and health, professional integrity and compassion, tradition and the common good.

RLST 901a, The Philosophical Theology of John Duns Scotus.   Marilyn McCord Adams. T 3.30–5.20
This seminar examines the principal metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, and theological theories of B. John Duns Scotus by a careful study of some of his major works (De Primo Principio, Sentence-Commentary selections, Quodlibet Questions). An analytical and critical understanding of the text is emphasized. Students may read the works in translation or in Latin. Students are expected to make seminar presentations and write a long final paper on some aspect of Scotus’s philosophy of theology. Also PHIL 612au.

RLST 905a, The Required Theology Seminar.  Shannon Craigo-Snell. W 7.30–9.30

RLST 911a, The Metaphysics of Christology.  Marilyn McCord Adams. M 3.30–5.20
The Council of Chalcedon declares that in Christ there are two (unconfused) natures and one person. This seminar examines attempts to give this formula a metaphysical interpretation. Readings come from medieval Latin authors (Anselm, Aquinas, Scotus, Ockham), from late nineteenth-century kenotic theologians, and from contemporary philosophy of religion (e.g., Thomas Morris, Richard Swinburne). Students are expected to read, take part in discussion, and write a twenty-five-page term paper. (Significant preparation in philosophy or theology is required.) Also PHIL 700a.

RLST 918b, Contemporary Trinitarian Thought.  Miroslav Volf. T 1.30–3.20
Examination of recent developments in the doctrine of the Trinity against the backdrop of the classical formulations of this doctrine. Limited enrollment. Also REL 756b.

RLST 920au, Reason, Faith, and Feeling : Early Modern Christian Thought.   Shannon Craigo-Snell.
TTh 10.30–11.20, 1 HTBA
A survey of major developments in religious thought in the West from Descartes to Schleiermacher, focusing on the struggles to defend, discredit, or distance religious belief in relation to reason. Exploration of connections between theology, philosophy, and social history.

RLST 921bu, History, Hope, and the Self: Modern Christian Thought.   Shannon Craigo-Snell. TTh 10.30–11.20, 1 HTBA
An overview of important developments in Western religious thought during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Topics include changing understanding of the significance and movement of history, challenges posed to religious traditions by growing historical knowledge, shifting conceptions of the human person, and contrasting estimation of the role of religious persons in secular and political life. Connections between philosophy, theology, and social history are addressed. Authors include Hegel, Marx, Barth, and Gutierrez. No background assumed.

RLST 935a, Jesus’ Death as Saving Event.  Adela Collins, Serene Jones. T 1.30–3.20
The course is an exploration of biblical and theological materials related to the interpretation of Jesus’ death as a saving event, asking the question “What happened on the cross?” Critical attention is given to themes such as sacrifice, the scapegoat, vicarious suffering, atonement, reconciliation, redemptive violence, and the redemption of violence. We explore literature ranging from biblical texts and classical theologies to modernist, post-modernist, and feminist critiques and reconstructions of these. We also view together at least one film and read at least one novel that attend to one or more of these topics. Students are encouraged to formulate their own constructive proposals concerning the salvific character of the cross. Limited enrollment. Also REL 671a.

RLST 955b, Divine Will and Goodness.  Marilyn McCord Adams. M 3.30–5.20
This seminar explores a family of issues in Divine and human action theory: whether it is possible to will anything except under the aspect of goodness, the relation between the agent’s intellectual judgments and its choices, the structure and source of putative normative relations between Divine and human wills. Readings are taken from medieval Latin and modern classical philosophers and theologians (e.g., Anselm, Aquinas, Henry of Ghent, Giles of Rome, Godfrey of Fontaines, Peter Olivi, Scotus, Ockham, Peter of Ailly, Luther, Calvin, Descartes, and Leibniz).

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