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
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, 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 consider 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 department for details.

Master's Degrees
M.Phil. and M.A. (both en route to the Ph.D.). See Graduate School requirements. Additionally, students in Religious Studies are eligible to pursue a supplemental M.Phil. degree in Medieval Studies. For further details, see Medieval Studies.

Prospective students must apply in one of the nine 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 505bu, Apocalyptic Religion in Cross-Cultural Perspective.  Robert Wilson.
Th 1.30–3.20
An examination of millennial and “end-time” beliefs in a variety of cultures around the world. Attention given to Jewish and Christian texts as well as Native American traditions, African and Pacific Islander movements, and modern manifestations such as Jonestown, the Branch Davidians, and Heaven's Gate.

RLST 510a, Theories in the Study of Religion: Postcolonial Theory and Religion. Ludger Viefhues.
T 4–5.50
This seminar explores current works on the intersection of postcolonial theory and religious studies. After introducing poststructuralist and postcolonial theorists (e.g., Anderson, Derrida, Spivak, Kristeva, Bhabha), we study how religious identity is produced on the intersection of gender, race, and class within contexts marked by globalization.

RLST 605a, Greco-Roman Environment of the New Testament.  Dale Martin.
W 4–5.50
An introduction for advanced students to the religious, philosophical, and cultural milieu in which the New Testament took shape. The course requires extensive readings in primary sources and selected secondary literature. Students not in the Ph.D. program may be admitted with permission of instructor.

RLST 615b, Ancient Apocalypticism.  Adela Collins.
W 3.30–5.30
Students are expected to become familiar with the primary texts of ancient apocalypses in English translation and to consult those texts in the original languages as far as possible. Important secondary literature should also be read. Students are also expected to master the issues involved in the debate about the apocalypse genre and the definitions of apocalyptic eschatology and apocalypticism. All Ph.D. students in New Testament and Ancient Christianity who are in residence are required to participate and to give a presentation. Students are encouraged to prepare their presentations and the related papers on a topic that relates the phenomenon of apocalypticism to their own research interests. This course is required for doctoral students in the Ph.D. programs in New Testament and Ancient Christianity. It is open to other students only with the permission of the instructor.

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. Also CPTC 504b, HIST 531b.

RLST 661b, The Manichaean World Religion.  Bentley Layton.
W 4–6
Recent research on the world religion of Mani, founded in the third century. Its spread to Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and central Asia, as attested in text, art, and archaeology. An exploratory seminar, with no special prerequisites. Texts are read in modern translation. The grades of Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory will be assigned. Also HIST 539b, NELC 736b.

RLST 675b, Ancient Judaism.  Christine Hayes.
T 9.30–11.20
An in-depth survey of the history and literature of Judaism in late antiquity through the rabbinic period. Special attention is given to the problems and possibilities of employing rabbinic sources for the purposes of historical reconstruction in the period that saw the emergence of the Gospels and the formation of Christianity. This course is designed primarily for students in the Ph.D. program in New Testament and Ancient Christianity. Doctoral students in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism are also welcome.

RLST 710b, The Theology of al-Ghazali.  Frank Griffel.
W 2.30–4.20
Al-Ghazali (d. 1111) was one of the most influential Muslim theologians active at a time when Sunni theology had just passed through its consolidation and entered a period of intense challenges from Shi'i Isma'ili theology and the tradition of Arabic Peripatetic philosophy. Yet, despite his influence, interpreters are still divided on the nature of his theology. Has al-Ghazali been faithful to the theological system of Sunni Ash'arism or has he been won over by the cosmology of the falasifa? We read key texts by al-Ghazali that have been discussed in this dispute and see how they are represented in the secondary literature. Readings include newly discovered texts like ms. London, Or. 3126, and the so-called Maragha manuscript. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Arabic.

RLST 720a, Seminar on the Qur'an.  Gerhard Böwering.
Th 4–5.50
Intensive study of the Qur'a¯n. Readings in Sufi commentaries on the Qur'an. Special emphasis on textual and hermeneutical problems included in sura 7 (al-Araf) and sura 20 (Ta-Ha). Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Arabic; permission of the instructor.

RLST 720b, Seminar on Islamic Religious Thought.  Gerhard Böwering.
Th 4–5.50
Intensive study of Islamic religious texts. Selected readings in classical Arabic and Persian sources, e.g., Sarraj, Kitab al-luma', Kubra, Fawa'ih, Ibn al-Arabi, Fusus al-hikam, Aziz-I Nasafi, Kashf ul-haqa'iq. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Arabic; permission of the instructor.

RLST 752bu, Mishnah Seminar: Tractate Rosh Hashanah.  Steven Fraade.
Th 9.30–11.20
Mishnah Berakhot, dealing with the recitation of public and private prayers and blessings. Legal traditions as they reflect rabbinic attitudes toward worship in historical context. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Hebrew.

RLST 755au, The Literature of the Rabbis.  Steven Fraade.
Th 9.30–11.20
An examination of the several genres of rabbinic “textuality” as “oral Torah”: midrash, targum, mishnah, tosephta, and gemara (Talmud). For each, sections of primary texts closely studied, with consideration of traditional and modern critical views of their histories, forms, and functions. Topics include similarities and differences between genres; antecedents; uses for historical purposes; relation of form to contents and narratives to laws. No prior background assumed.

RLST 756b, The Required Second Temple Judaism Seminar: Ancient Jewish Historiography.  Isaiah Gafni.
W 1.30–3.20
An examination of historical consciousness and the historiographical enterprise in the variegated literary works of Jews in late antiquity. Considers the different contexts and systems employed to encourage a historical consciousness and explores the nature of classical rabbinic literature as a possible reflection of contemporary historical reality.

RLST 757au, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the History of Ancient Judaism: The Damascus Document.  Steven Fraade.
T 9.30–11.20
Study of one of the most important of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Attention to its place within the history of biblical interpretation and ancient Jewish law, the nature and rhetorical function in relation to the central sectarian writings of the Qumran community. Prerequisite: reading fluency in ancient Hebrew.

RLST 762au, Memory, Memoirs, and Modern Jewish History.  Paula Hyman.
W 1.30–3.20
An exploration of the representation of Jewish historical experience from the seventeenth to the twentieth century through a selection of memoirs. Focus on the construction of identity, with special attention to the interaction of minority status, gender, and class in a variety of historical contexts. Also HIST 951au.

RLST 764au, Jews in America, 1654 to the Present.  Paula Hyman.
MW 10.30–11.20
A survey of the development of American Jewry from the colonial period to the present. Topics include the Americanization of Judaism, constructing identity and community, political and economic participation, and Jews in American culture. Also HIST 765au.

RLST 766bu, Jewish Immigration and American Society.  Paula Hyman.
W 1.30–3.20
An exploration of the Jewish immigrant experience in America in the context of American immigrant history. Topics include work and family, constructing identity, the role of religion, and political and cultural participation in American society. Also HIST 766bu.

RLST 773au, History of Jewish Culture to the Reformation.  Ivan Marcus.
TTh 11.30–12.45
A broad introduction to the history of Jewish culture from its beginnings until the late Middle Ages, with the main focus on the formative period of classical rabbinic Judaism and on the symbiotic relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. An overview of Jewish society and culture in its biblical, rabbinic, and medieval settings. Also HIST 535au.

RLST 774bu, History of Jewish Culture, 1500 to the Present.  Paula Hyman.
TTh 10.30–11.20, 1 HTBA
A broad introduction to the history of Jewish culture from the late Middle Ages until the pres-ent. Emphasis on the changing interaction of Jews with the larger society as well as the transformation of Judaism in its encounter with modernity.

RLST 776b, 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 541b.

RLST 801a, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Bible Seminar: Problems in the Book of Ezekiel.  Robert Wilson.
M 1.30–3.20
A close reading of the Hebrew text of Ezekiel, with special attention to the literary structure and theological argument of the book. Various contemporary approaches to the book are considered, but the focus is on the biblical text. Prerequisite: two years of Biblical Hebrew or the equivalent; reading knowledge of German helpful but not required.

RLST 851b, Contemporary Protestant and Roman Catholic Ethics.  Gene Outka, Margaret Farley.
T 1.30–3.20
The seminar critically explores literature in contemporary Protestant and Roman Catholic ethics; it analyzes issues and trends, and it encourages engagement with instructors in constructive work in contemporary Christian ethics.

RLST 855b, Lutheran Ethics in a Comparative Context.  Gene Outka.
W 1.30–3.20
Representative themes in ethics in the Lutheran tradition, centering on “faith active in love,” with selected comparisons with the Roman Catholic and Reformed traditions. Special attention to two twentieth-century topics: comparative responses to the rise of Nazism in Germany and associated issues about anti-Semitism; and the content of social policy statements that Lutheran church bodies in America have issued since World War II.

RLST 857a, Love and Justice.  Gene Outka.
Th 1.30-3.20
An examination of how love and justice as basic normative standards are construed in themselves and related to one another. Claims across a spectrum are examined from love and justice as opposed, to love and justice as distinguished, to love and justice as equated. Readings from theological and philosophical literature, both historical and contemporary, are canvassed.

RLST 861a, Theological Ethics.  Thomas Ogletree.
TTh 11.30–12.45
The course offers a comprehensive framework for critical reflection in theological ethics, engaging contemporary appropriations of classic Roman Catholic and ecumenical Protestant traditions, including the distinctive contributions of independent African American traditions, and feminist and womanist perspectives. Lectures are organized around three discrete yet interrelated foci of inquiry: (1) an exposition of normative moral standards and substantive moral values that regulate and guide human actions and practices; (2) accounts of instruction and nurture that facilitate the moral formation of persons, equipping them to honor their basic moral obligations, to exercise discriminating moral judgment in complex situations, and to maintain value priorities appropriate to their personal life callings; and (3) an analysis of the social arrangements that structure the primary spheres of collaborative human actions and practices: churches and faith-based communities, families, neighborhoods, community organizations, civic associations, culture bearing institutions, economic structures, and political systems.

RLST 864a, Ethics and the Economy: Theological-Ethical Reflection on Economic Policy in an Expanding Global Market.  Thomas Ogletree.
M 1.30–3.30
The course is an advanced seminar in Christian social ethics critically assessing U.S. economic policy within the context of expanding global markets. Attention is given to the work of economists, political economists, philosophers concerned with public ethics, and specialists in theologically grounded treatments of social ethics, including formal ecclesiastical documents that represent Roman Catholic, Ecumenical Protestant, and Evangelical Protestant traditions. Much of the work of the seminar focuses on clarifying the dynamics of a free-market economy, drawing upon contemporary studies in economic theory. The task is to discern how a free-market economy works, and the contributions such an economy can make to the common social good. Attention is also given to ways in which free-market economies tend to produce harm, in particular, irreversible damage to the natural environment, and disparities of income and wealth that generate an underclass of disadvantaged persons.

RLST 913b, Theology of Karl Rahner.  Shannon Craigo-Snell.
M 1.30-3.20
This course explores in depth the theology and spirituality of Karl Rahner, focusing on his theological anthropology. Particular attention is paid to the influence of Ignatius of Loyola and Rahner's historical placement in the trajectory of twentieth-century theology.

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.

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