PUBLIC HEALTH

Christopher A. Mundorf (2016), Assistant Professor of Community & Public Health
B.A. The Ohio State University;
M.P.H., Ph.D, Tulane University
Academic Interests: environmental health, public health policy, epidemiology

INTRODUCTION

What is Public Health?

Public health is the study of the health of a population. It complements medicine by researching problems, and pursuing evidence-based solutions in a population. Graduates in public health are able to get entry level jobs within federal, state, nonprofit, research, and industry in the areas of health education, project management, or communication. Empowered with problem-solving skills, graduates also use their diploma as a gateway to advanced degrees in public health, medicine, law, social work, health administration, and many others.

Hiram’s interdisciplinary public health program is made up of the basic elements of public health: epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health systems, policy, and global health. Students will then have the ability to personalize their major by specializing in material available through the trans-disciplinary offerings at Hiram.

All students majoring in Public Health will be able to demonstrate the following competencies:

• Describe the history, philosophy, core values, concepts, functions and population-based approaches of public health
• Discuss the underlying science of human health and disease including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
• Demonstrate the basic concepts, methods and tools of public health data collection, use and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice
• Explain the behavioral, environmental, biological and socio-economic determinants that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
• Apply data collection and analysis to develop evidence-based population approaches to public health problems.
• Describe the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system as well as the systems in other countries
• Describe the legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory aspects of public health practice and health policy
• Demonstrate public health communication skills using oral, written, mass media and electronic technology formats.

Requirements for the Major

A.  Mandatory Public Health Core (complete all 4: 16 credits)

• PUBH 2xxxx Biological Basis of Health and Disease (offered every other Spring 12-week)
  • With instructor approval, other Biology classes can count for this requirement.
• PUBH 10100 Introduction to Public Health (offered every Fall 12-week)
  • UD Core Designation
• PUBH 20200 Epidemiology and Health Research (offered every other Spring 12-week)
  • SM Core Designation
• PUBH 20100 Epidemiology and Biostatistics (offered every Spring 12-week)
  • MM Core Designation

B.  Public Health Seminar (choose 1: 3 credits)

These will be seminar courses (PUBH 28000) that will investigate a current issues that is affecting public health in rural settings, urban setting, or globally. They will be offered under different titles every Fall 3-week (e.g., Urban Health Issues: Lead poisoning; Rural Health Issues: Heroin and Opioids). Students are permitted to take multiple seminars, but only one is necessary and sufficient for satisfying the Public Health Seminar requirement for the major.

C.  Applications of Public Health Core (choose 1: 4 credits)

These are offered in rotation during the Spring 3-week and Fall 12-week.

• PUBH 3xxxx Environmental Health and Policy
• PUBH 3xxxx Health Systems Policy and Management
• PUBH 3xxxx Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health

D.  Supplemental Pubic Health Core (choose 2: 8 credits)

These are courses offered in other departments that teach fundamental concepts of public health, and regardless of a Student’s concentration, are essential to the Public Health degree. Relevant 28000/38000 courses may be added to this Core, upon the department chair’s approval.

• SOAN 35100 Stratification and Health
• SOAN 35900 Medical Sociology
• EVST 33800 Environmental Activism and Policy
• BIMD 37500 Issues in Women’s Health
• INTD 30020 Global Health and Human Rights

E.  Concentration (choose 3 classes from a concentration: 9-12 credits)

The concentration provides the student a chance to focus on specializing knowledge which complements the core courses. In recognition of the inter-disciplinary nature of public health, students are encouraged to apply public health concepts to other academic fields. Students choose their concentration by taking a minimum of 3 courses (9-12 credits) from one of the concentrations. Students also have the option of creating their own concentration (contingent upon approval from the department chair). Students cannot count one class for both the Supplemental Public Health Core (D), and the Concentration (C).

Concentration 1: Public Health Biology

This concentration is for students interested in pursuing a career in science, by allowing them the opportunity to apply public health principles in researching issues in infectious diseases and the cellular, molecular, and genetic basis of health and disease. Students can simultaneously use this concentration to work toward a minor in Biology.

Student must take 3 courses within the Biology (BIOL) Department.

Relevant courses may include the following: (other courses may be chosen with the PUBH program chair’s approval)

• BIOL 13100/13300 Human Anatomy and Physiology w/Lab * counts as one
• BIOL 23000 Molecular and Cellular Biology
• BIOL/EVST 27800 Ecology
• BIOL 36500 Genetics
• BIOL 32100 Parasitology
• BIOL 33800 Microbiology

Concentration 2: Environmental Health and Sustainability

This concentration is for students interested in exploring the relationship between socio-environmental issues and human health. Using relevant knowledge from multiple disciplines, students can pursue a career as environmental scientists (field analysis, research assistants, or socio-environmental researchers). Students can simultaneously use this concentration to work toward a minor in Environmental Studies.

Students must take 3 courses within the Environmental Studies (EVST) Department.

Relevant courses may include the following: (other courses may be chosen with the PUBH program chair’s approval)

• INTD 22500 Humans and the Environment – Required for Environmental Studies
• EVST/SOAN 21500 Human Settlements
• EVST 27800/24100 Ecology
• EVST 31000 Introduction to GIS w/lab
• EVST 32000 GIS Applications
• EVST 33800 Environmental Activism and Policy
• HIST 24000 Environmental History
• PHIL 27000 Environmental Ethics

Concentration 3: Health Communication

This concentration encourages students to improve public health by harnessing the power of communication to create and perfect improved outreach and services that change behavior and prevent disease. Students can simultaneously use this concentration to work toward a minor in Communication.

Students must take 3 courses from the Communications (COMM) Department.

Relevant courses may include the following: (other courses may be chosen with the PUBH program chair’s approval)

• COMM 10100 Foundations of Public Communication – Required for a Communication major/minor
• COMM 22000 Interpersonal Communication
• COMM 22100 Group Interaction Processes
• COMM 22200 Organizational Communication
• COMM 24500 Public Relations
• COMM 25000 Communication between Cultures
• COMM 26000 Desktop Publishing
• COMM 26200 Web Design
• COMM 32600 Persuasion and Attitude Change
• COMM 33400 The Rhetoric of Social Movements
• COMM 35300 Intercultural Health Care Communication

Concentration 4: Health Care in Public Context

This concentration gives public health students the opportunity to apply their public health knowledge onto the contemporary issues surrounding a range of health care professional careers. Students can simultaneously use this concentration to work toward a minor in Biomedical Humanities.

Students must take 3 medical humanities seminar courses from the Biomedical Humanities (BIMD) Department.

Relevant courses may include the following: (other courses may be chosen with the PUBH program chair’s approval)

• BIMD 35600 How We Die
• BIMD 37500 Issues in Women’s Health
• INTD 2022 The Science and Culture of Sleep
• INTD 21500 Pushing Up Daisies: Western Perspectives on Death and Dying
• INTD 29900 What is Human?
• INTD 30020 Global Health and Human Rights
• INTD 30120 Aging, Sex, and the Body
• INTD 30200 Narrative Bioethics
• INTD 32600 Exploring Ability and Disability Through Performance: Autism Spectrum Disorder
• INTD 36100 What’s Normal? I: Physical Abnormalities
• INTD 38200 What’s Normal? II: Mental and Emotional Disorders
• INTD 38900 Alternative Health Care Systems
• PSYC 25500 Abnormal Psychology
• PSYC 36700 Drug Use and Abuse

Concentration 5: Social Determinants of Health

This concentration gives public health students the opportunity to investigate the condition in the places where people live, learn, work, and play, and how they affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. Students can simultaneously use this concentration to work toward a minor in Biomedical Humanities or Sociology.

Students must take 3 courses from the Sociology (SOAN) Department

Relevant courses may include the following: (other courses may be chosen with the PUBH program chair’s approval)

• SOAN 15500 Introduction to Sociology – Required for a Sociology major/minor
• SOAN 22600 Ethnicity in America
• SOAN 24010/23900 Sex and Gender in Society
• SOAN 25100 Social Demography
• SOAN 25500 Sociology and Human Development
• SOAN 26700 Sociology of Black Families
• SOAN 35100 Stratification and Health
• SOAN 35400 Sociology of Age, Aging, and Life Course
• SOAN 35600 Sociology of mental health
• SOAN 35900 Medical Sociology

Concentration 6: Health and Fitness

This concentration gives public health students the opportunity to prepare for a range of health care professional careers. They will have both the depth of medical knowledge about the human body, but will also be able to apply their public health knowledge to utilize a range of leadership and policy skills to meet the needs for population programming. Students can simultaneously use this concentration to work toward a minor in Integrative Exercise Science and Athletics.

Students must take 3 courses from the Integrative Exercise Science (IES) Department.

Relevant courses may include the following: (other courses may be chosen with the PUBH program chair’s approval)

• BIOL 13100/13300 Human Anatomy and Physiology* This is a pre-requisite for several IES classes
• IES 10100 Foundations of Exercise Science
• IES 31100 Nutrition and Fitness
• IES 31200 Physiology of Muscular Activity and Exercise
• IES 32000 Kinesiology and Applied Biomechanics
• IES 34600 Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning
• IES 39700 Fitness Administration and Organization
• IES 40000 Exercise Testing and Prescription
• IES 40100 Exercise Testing and Prescription for Special Populations

Concentration 7: Student-Driven Concentration

This concentration offers a tailored pursuit for students. Upon approval from Chris Mundorf, students can choose their own three courses that best apply public health principles to the career or topic of their choice.

F.  Public Health Practicum (2 credit)

Students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge out of the classroom. For the major, they must complete a 100-hour internship at a public health agency, organization, or non-profit. This will be offered as a 2-credit hour course

G.  Capstone (1 credit)

The capstone is a student-driven practical experience. Using projects and ideas developed in the public health core, students can fulfill this in one of two ways:

Carry out, analyze, and present an epidemiological study of their choosing

Carry out a public health project in the community

Public Health Minor

20 credits from the following:

• PUBH 10100  Introduction to Public Health
• 1 from the following
  • PUBH 20200 Epidemiology and Health Research
  • PUBH 20100 Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• 2 from the following
  • PUBH 3xxxx Environmental Health and Policy
  • PUBH 3xxxx Health Systems Policy and Management
  • PUBH 3xxxxSocial and Behavioral Aspects of Health
• 1 courses from the Supplemental Public Health Core (D. above in major)

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

PUBH 10100: INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH:UD 4 hour(s)

This course will offer an overview of the basic concepts of public health. Health systems -both in the U.S. and abroad- will be detailed, with special attention to the essential services they provide. Past public health events will be examined, giving students a framework to analyze current issues in the news. Through a mixture of guest speakers, discussions, and case studies, students will develop a strong grasp of this multidisciplinary field, and the core philosophy and functions of public health.

PUBH 20100: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS:MM 4 hour(s)

This is a beginning course in applied epidemiology and biostatistics. The course will introduce the essential models used to analyze and interpret the distribution and determinants of disease in a population. It is designed to give students a general introduction to epidemiological and statistical principles that help professionals investigate health in a population, and determine what increases (and decreases) the risk of disease. Students will be introduced to the many models used in health research, their purpose, and how to apply them to their own research ideas. Through hands-on practice with real health data, the student will acquire the basic tools needed to understand and address threats to global health at the population level.

PUBH 20200: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND HEALTH RESEARCH:SM 4 hour(s)

This course provides a survey of the epidemiological principles and practices of research design and data collection used in public health. We will focus on (a) how research is designed to test hypotheses, and (b) the hurdles and biases during study design, data collection, and data analysis that must be anticipated and managed by health researchers. Applying the scientific method, students will apply epidemiological principles to develop their own research that will be submitted for presentation at a national public health conference. Laboratories will provide hands-on experience for students to evaluate the many potential limitations and biases in research.

PUBH 28000: SEMINAR 1 - 4 hour(s)

PUBH 38000: SEMINAR 1 - 4 hour(s)

PUBH 48000: SENIOR SEMINAR 1 - 4 hour(s)

PUBH 49800: INTERNSHIP 1 - 4 hour(s)

PUBLIC LEADERSHIP MINOR

James A. Thompson (2008), Chair, Director, Garfield Center for Public Leadership, Associate Professor of Political Science
B.A., St. Mary’s College;
M.A., Ph. D., University of Notre Dame
Academic Interests: international relations, political theory

John C. Koritansky (1970), Professor of Political Science
A.B., Cornell University;
M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago
Academic Interests: American constitutional law, American politics, political philosophy; public administration

Kathy Luschek, Associate Director, Garfield Center for Public Leadership

Department Web Site:  http://www.hiram.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/public-leadership-minor

Other Faculty and visiting scholars contribute to the courses in this program.

Mission

The minor in public leadership is a curricular element of the Garfield Center for Public Leadership whose mission is to prepare students for leadership in matters of public policy, foreign and domestic. It is grounded in the liberal arts education that Hiram College has maintained throughout its history. The GCPL also serves to inform the public by bringing to campus persons whose own responsible leadership enables them to clarify issues of public policy. The minor in public leadership combines interdisciplinary teaching and experience to prepare students for careers of service in multiple publics.  The minor develops vision, knowledge and practical skills to foster a new generation of policy makers. Through coursework and participation in opportunities on and off campus, students develop self understanding and the insight and abilities from multiple disciplines for successful careers in public service, nonprofit organizations, and international institutions. 

Core requirements for the minor

INTD 24100: Public Leadership (team taught) Central to public leadership is the ability to connect public issues and policy solutions. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the course will study public policy analysis – the process by which an issue becomes public and the debates regarding appropriate courses of action.  Students will understand and apply relevant theories and skills through an examination of cases involving policy issues.  These issues may at times focus on broad societal concerns (e.g. environment, education, healthcare, global security) or a specific policy issue (e.g. international trade agreements or social security).  Students enrolled in the course will have opportunities for mentoring, participation in the Garfield seminars (as a Scholar or as an attendee), and community service. 

POLS 29100: Garfield Center for Public Leadership Course This is a one credit hour course which consists of the activities which are engaged in by the Garfield scholars each semester, via their participation in the GCPL.

POLS 49800: Internship All students in the minor must complete an internship relevant to the minor and individual career interests.  Internship opportunities are available through the Bliss Institute and the Washington Semester.  A variety of other internship opportunities may also be pursued in nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits, and other international institutions here or abroad. The minor offers the opportunity for students to focus in one of two career areas.  Students will choose 13 hours of electives with the approval of a Garfield advisor.  These electives should complement and extend a major area of study and the student’s long term career objectives.  Each student, in consultation with the advisor, will submit a statement of intent and the proposed course of study to the Garfield Advisory Committee.  For more information, contact Professor James Thompson, Director of the Garfield Center for Public Leadership. 

Career Opportunities for Minors in Public Leadership

Public Leadership in Local, State and Federal Government

Students with interests in careers in government at the local, state, or federal levels may pursue positions in the executive, legislative or judicial branches. Working in a wide variety of government agencies, serving as support staff for elected officials, and/or running for public office are all possible career options for students after graduation. Successful leaders in these careers will require a broad understanding of political, social, economic, and legal institutions within which problems are identified and policies are shaped, as well as the abilities essential to engage effectively in the process of developing and implementing policy decisions.    

Public Leadership in International Affairs

Students with interests in diplomatic, consular, commercial, and overseas cultural and information services may pursue positions as administrative, economic, and political officers for government agencies such as the Department of State or Commerce or with a variety of nongovernmental organizations here and abroad. Successful leaders in these careers will require a broad understanding of international institutions, economic and security concerns, and power relations influencing policy decisions. The study of at least one foreign language at the 103 level or the equivalent is required. Electives in the minor may concentrate in specific public policy domains to complement a major field of study. 

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Kerry Martin Skora (1999), Chair, Professor of Religious Studies
B.A., University of Chicago;
M.A., University of California, Santa Barbara;
Ph.D., University of Virginia
Academic Interests: Hindu and Buddhist studies; Tantric and Shamanic studies; religions of India, Tibet, and Bhutan; pilgrimage and saints in Bhutan; embodied phenomenology and radical empiricism; religious studies theory and methodology
 

Department Web address:  http://www.hiram.edu/religion

Introduction

The Department of Religious Studies has a long and proud history of making the academic study of religion easily available to anyone who wishes to develop a deeper understanding of this basic part of human experience.

Religion does in fact permeate society, and it has done so ever since cave dwellers began to draw on the walls of their homes and workers in clay began to fashion their images. Thus, religious architecture, sculpture, and painting play a significant role within the history of art. Because religious devotion has often been a major musical inspiration, the same is true of the history of music. Religious themes also permeate literature both ancient and modern. Again, its religious dimensions omitted, the study of history certainly suffers. Furthermore, a background in this field provides solid footing for work in various areas of philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology.

As a result, the study of religion lies very near the center of a liberal education. It enriches our personal lives, prepares us to be productive members of a democratic society, and opens the door to a more exciting encounter with the world around us. Not surprisingly, therefore, Hiram College graduates who have majored in religious studies pursue a wide variety of careers. Among others, these include business, public school education, teaching at the university or seminary level, social work, the practice of law, the practice of medicine, law-enforcement at the national level, and professional religious service.

Requirements for Majors

Religious Studies Pathway

The Religious Studies major requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of course work, at least six of which will be traditional four-hour courses and two of which will be traditional three-hour courses. The courses include (1) an introductory course in the study of religion; (2) two courses in religious traditions; (3) three electives chosen from thematic and/or interdisciplinary courses; and (4) two advanced seminars. Majors will fulfill the departmental capstone requirement in conjunction with one of these latter seminars taken during their senior year, in consultation with their Religious Studies academic advisor. 
 
Because the academic study of religion is inherently multi-cultural, majors normally complete one year of foreign language study.

Requirements for Minors

In conjunction with their departmental advisor, students who minor in Religious Studies pursue a minimum of 20 semester hours of course work. These hours include at least one course by each departmental faculty member as well as one 30000-level seminar.

Requirements for Honors

In order to receive departmental honors, in addition to having the minimum GPA requirement, student must fulfill additional requirements, in consultation with their Religious Studies academic advisor, and receive the approval of the Religious Studies faculty, who will review the student’s overall work. The minimum GPA requirement is: (1) an overall GPA that is equal to 3.1 or better; and (2) a departmental GPA that is equal to 3.7 or better. 

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

RELG 10800: WESTERN CHRISTIANITY 4 hour(s)

This course will look at the life and practice of western Christianity as viewed through the works of Christian mystics in conjunction with an analysis of the history of the institutional church. This analysis not only describes the ideal Christian life but gives us insight into the actual practice of Christian life through the ages.

RELG 11000: INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE:IM 4 hour(s)

What does the word bible mean? And what exactly is The Bible? From where did it come? In what languages was it written? Have not the original texts been lost or changed in the course of the long history of their transmission? What is the relationship of English translations to the original texts? What is a "testament?" What does it mean that there is an "old" and a "new" one? Why are there at least three (Jewish, Protestant, Catholic) Bibles? And what about those early "secret" Jewish and Christian writings which did not find their way into anyone's Bible? These and other such questions, the outlines of Biblical history, sketches of key figures, and the basic religious ideas of its text are the focus of this course on this ancient and important body of literature. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as Religious Studies 109 or 10900. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses. This course fulfills the Interpretive Methods requirement.

RELG 20600: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD 4 hour(s)

This course offers an historical and thematic overview of selected non-Judaeo-Christian religious traditions, such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Native American Religions, and African Religions. The multidimensional nature of each tradition studied is emphasized through an exploration of sacred narratives, teachings, practices, experiences, and communities.

RELG 20730: RELIGION IN AMERICA:UD 4 hour(s)

Whether a person wants to walk in this direction or not, one cannot really understand America without understanding the dominant roles that Religion has played (and continues to play). Because of this, we will come to understand the Protestants who shaped the formation of the nation, along with the struggle of whether to keep religions separate from government or not. We will come to understand the unique entity often labeled as “civil religion” which functions quietly as a kind of generic American national religion. In this class we will learn a great deal of the important history which will enable to us better understand who and what we are as a people today, and how we continue to struggle with the many aspects of religion as children of both the Puritans, and of Jefferson and Madison. Please know that this course cannot be exhaustive, covering every detail of any random religion that has come along in US history. But you will understand America in a completely new way because of the course. This course fulfills the Understanding Diversity in the USA requirement.

RELG 21800: WIZARDS, SORCERERS, AND SHAMANS:IM 3 hour(s)

An investigation of the problem of rationality, carefully considering the perspectives of both "insiders" and "outsiders." From the inside, we will engage with firsthand encounters of wizards, sorcerers, and shamans in non-Western religious traditions, such as Songhay, Mayan, and Hindu. From the outside, we will explore various theoretical positions on rationality, examining classical and contemporary works in religious, anthropological, and philosophical studies, such as Evans-Pritchard's pioneering text on magic among the Azande, Merleau-Ponty's meditations on perception, and Paul Stoller's recent scholarship in "embodied phenomenology." Questions to be pursued in this course include: Is there one form of rationality that is "universal"? Is rationality "relative" to one's own socio-religious context? Is there an alternative approach to both universalism and relativism that allows the student of religion to make sense of apparent "multiple realities"? This course fulfills the Interpretive Methods requirement.

RELG 24300: THE RELIGIOUS WORLD OF THE FIRST CENTURY 4 hour(s)

In the Greco-Roman world of the first century, religion was very much alive and well. Judaism spread through the cities of the Roman empire, and Christianity was on the move, but the traditional deities still received their due, people continued to consult Apollo's oracles at Delphi and Didyma, the Great Mother flourished under various forms, emperors living and dead had become gods worthy of prayer and sacrifice, the mystery religions with their unusual rites were welcoming initiates, and the planets, omens and fate remained a daily source of anxiety and expectation. Designed for the general student, and using the extensive slide library of its instructor, the present course therefore introduces students to this fascinating world of first century religion. No prerequisites. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as Religious Studies 242 or 24200. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses.

RELG 24400: OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE AND INTERPRETATION:IM 3 hour(s)

Whether we call it the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Tanak, this document provides us with an exciting witness to ancient Israel's walk with its god. Beginning with Abraham and Sarah it carries us from Mesopotamia to Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the land of promise. It introduces us to kings both good and bad, recounts God's demands for a just society, describes the horrors of Jerusalem destroyed, and continuously recalls God's parental love for Israel. In a very special religious language it tells of how the world was formed and of the ultimate goal of that creation, provides both consolation for the downtrodden as well as songs of love for the bride and her groom, and even tells a great fish story! Thus, in this course designed for the general student we use the results of modern Biblical research in order to gain an appreciation for a most remarkable body of literature. A revised version of this course is offered for four credit hours as Religious Studies 24500. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses. This course fulfills the Interpretive Methods requirement.

RELG 24500: OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE AND INTERPRETATION:IM 4 hour(s)

Whether we call it the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Tanak, this document provides us with an exciting witness to ancient Israel's walk with its god. Beginning with Abraham and Sarah it carries us from Mesopotamia to Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the land of promise. It introduces us to kings both good and bad, recounts God's demands for a just society, describes the horrors of Jerusalem destroyed, and continuously recalls God's parental love for Israel. In a very special religious language it tells of how the world was formed and of the ultimate goal of that creation, provides both consolation for the downtrodden as well as songs of love for the bride and her groom, and even tells a great fish story! Thus, in this course designed for the general student we use the results of modern Biblical research in order to gain an appreciation for a most remarkable body of literature. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as Religious Studies 24400. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses. This course fulfills the Interpretive Methods requirement.

RELG 24600: NEW TESTAMENT LITERATURE AND INTERPRETATION:IM 3 hour(s)

The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven fascinating writings from the first hundred years of Christianity, and it was created to be the Church's norm for right belief. In this course desgined for the general student, we examine who wrote them, who first read them, when they were written, and, most interestingly, why they were written. For example, the Apocalypse (Revelation) was prepared by an Asian Christian at a particularly desperate time within the early years of the Church and reads most interestingly when understood from that perspective. A revised version of this course is offered for four credit hours as Religious Studies 24700. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses. This course fulfills the Interpretive Methods requirement.

RELG 24700: NEW TESTAMENT LITERATURE AND INTERPRETATION:IM 4 hour(s)

The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven fascinating writings from the first hundred years of Christianity, and it was created to be the Church's norm for right belief. In this course designed for the general student, we examine many of these writings from the perspective of their original purpose. In other words, we examine who wrote them, who first read them, when they were written, and, most interestingly, why they were written. For example, the Apocalypse (Revelation) was prepared by an Asian Christian at a particularly desperate time within the early years of the Church and reads most interestingly when understood from that perspective. No prerequisites. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as Religious Studies 24600. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses. This course fulfills the Interpretive Methods requirement.

RELG 24800: JUDAISM:IM 3 hour(s)

Designed for the general student, this course has a twin focus: concentration on the origins of Judaism in its formative period, 587 or 58700 BCE to 200 or 20000 CE, and a more general introduction to Jewish history and thought including primary readings in modern Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, and Reconstructionist Judaism. No prerequisite. A revised version of this course is offered for four credit hours as Religious Studies 24900. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses. This course fulfills the Interpretive Methods requirement.

RELG 25000: INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM:VEILED BEAUTY, VOICES OF FAITH:CA,UD 4 hour(s)

This course will take us from historic through modern expressions of Islamic faith. We will learn about Islam through religious, philosophical, and historical texts, as well as through literature, poetry, music, food, Arabic and Persian art (painting, calligraphy and architecture) as well as through political manifestations of belief past and present. We will attend Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in Parma and/or the African-American Mosque on the East Side to talk with members about their experiences as American Muslims, and, afterward, to enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine. If possible, we will embark on an additional fieldtrip to view Persian art or to attend a cultural performance such (as of the sema ritual, also known as the "whirling dervishes"). The goal of this course is to explore the basic premises of Islam while acquiring an appreciation of its diverse manifestations depending on various cultural contexts, especially how Islam manifests in our own society of the United States.

RELG 25300: BUDDHISM 4 hour(s)

This course offers an introduction to Buddhist religious traditions. Students will be introduced to key historical periods of Buddhism in India, beginning with the life and teachings of the historical Buddha; moving to the development of the "Teaching of the Elders" and early Indian Buddhism; continuing with the rise and development of the "Great Vehicle;" and ending with the "Diamond Vehicle." The course also emphasizes the expression of Buddhism outside India in varying cultural forms; we will focus on its manifestation in different geographical areas, such as Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Tibetan cultural area.

RELG 25800: RELIGIOUS IMAGINATION REALITIES OTHERWORLDLYJOURNEYS:IM 3 hour(s)

A cross-cultural and interdisciplinary study of other realities and otherworldly topologies as imagined and discovered in both our own and other cultures and times.Focusing on the religious imagination in particular, this course introduces students to theories and methods of the phenomenology of religion, and theories of the imagination. The course also emphasizes the approaches taken and the alternative answers given by historians of religion with respect to traditional theories and open questions on consciousness and reality in Western and non-Western philosophy. Questions to be pursued in this course include: How seriously should we take visions of other realities? What is the role of "consciousness" in such vision? What is its relationship to "reality"? What is the relationship between imagination and discovery? How seriously should we take the imagination? What is the relationship between religious imagination and artistic and scientific creativity? This course fulfills the Interpretive Methods requirement.

RELG 26000: CREATIVITY AND MINDFULNESS IN BUDDHISM 4 hour(s)

This course is especially designed for both Religious Studies and Entrepreneurial Studies students, but will be relevant and compelling to anyone interested in Buddhist understandings and practices of creativity and mindfulness in relation to self-development in work, vocation, and other relevant life-situations. We focus on new forms of Buddhism arising in the United States that apply traditional teachings and practices of what Buddhists call "mindfulness"--and related aspects of the natural self, including creativity, spontaneity, and playfulness--to a 21st-century context. Students ground themselves in the historical and thematic foundations of four essential manifestations of Buddhism--Theravada, Mahayana, Zen, and Tibetan--before studying the appropriation of ideas and practices of creativity, mindfulness, contemplation, and vision, from these traditions, and applied to new life-situations. We analyze, interpret, evaluate, and apply a variety of these teachings and practices, drawing on case studies and works from a wide variety of contemporary Buddhist teachers and practitioners. This course will contain several experiential components, based on Buddhist methods, as students learn and apply various techniques such as creative journaling, contemplation/meditation, and creative visualization.

RELG 28000: SEMINAR 1 - 4 hour(s)

This course is for the general student to introduce them to a current topic in religious studies.

RELG 28100: INDEPENDENT STUDY 1 - 4 hour(s)

This offering provides an opportunity for students to pursue a topic of their interest under the guidance of a faculty member.

RELG 28300: TOPICS IN BIBLE STUDY 3 hour(s)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity for in-depth study of the prophet Isaiah, or Jeremiah, Psalms or Proverbs, the Deuteronomic history, or a fascinating text from the Catholic Bible such as First or Second Maccabees, or from the New Testament, perhaps the Gospel of Matthew or John, the Acts of the Apostles, or the Apocalypse. Because necessary introduction will be part of the class lectures, there is no prerequisite. This course is repeatable. An version of Religious Studies 28310 for four (4) semester hours is also available.

RELG 28310: TOPICS IN BIBLE STUDY 4 hour(s)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity for in-depth study of the prophet Isaiah, or Jeremiah, Psalms or Proverbs, the Deuteronomic history, or a fascinating text from the Catholic Bible such as First or Second Maccabees, or from the New Testament, perhaps the Gospel of Matthew or John, the Acts of the Apostles, or the Apocalypse. Because necessary introduction will be part of the class lectures, there is no prerequisite. This course is repeatable. The course syllabus or the instructor will provide the course description for a specific course offering. An version of Religious Studies 283 or 28300 for three (3) semester hours is also available.

RELG 28400: TOPICS IN THE LOST BOOKS OF THE BIBLE 3 hour(s)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity for in-depth study of important early Jewish and Christian documents which did not find their way into either the Jewish or Christian canon of Scripture. There exist, for example, a variety of Christian gospels and fragments thereof, an Acts of Paul, various Jewish and Christian "revelations" the texts from Qumran, the Testaments of the Twelve patriarchs and many others. Because necessary introduction will be part of the class lectures, there is no prerequisite. This course is repeatable.

RELG 31100: SEMINAR IN BIBLICAL LITERATURE 4 hour(s)

This seminar focuses on issues of special interest within the world of the Bible. It includes an offering on the historical Jesus and the gospels, as well as a comprehensive analysis of prophecy in ancient Israel. Prerequisite: Any 100 or 10000- or 200 or 20000-level Religious Studies course, or permission.

RELG 31200: SEMINAR IN ASIAN RELIGIONS 4 hour(s)

This seminar focuses on a selected topic in Asian Religions. Possible topics include a key figure (such as Shankara, Nagarjuna, or Chuang-tzu), a key text (such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, or the Tao-te-ching) or a particular set of related traditions (such as the Tantric traditions, Zen Buddhism, or Taoism). Additionally, we may study a selected theme comparatively in the context of Asian Religions. Possible comparative themes include models of ultimate reality, meditative disciplines and rituals of transformation, concepts and understandings of the self, or religious experiences and visions.

RELG 38000: SEMINAR 1 - 4 hour(s)

RELG 38100: SPECIAL TOPICS 1 - 4 hour(s)

RELG 48000: SENIOR SEMINAR 1 - 4 hour(s)

RELG 48100: INDEPENDENT RESEARCH 1 - 4 hour(s)

This offering provides an opportunity for students to pursue a topic of their interest under the guidance of a faculty member. Prerequisite: at least two courses in Religious Studies and permission of the department.