Academics

The purpose of the Master Degree program in Comparative Religious Studies is to develop religious scholars with a passion for research and comparative analysis. The curriculum covers topics such as Christianity and Islam, Gender and religion as well as theoretical approaches to the study of religion. The following are course requirements for the Program. Courses must be completed with a grade of C - or better in order to successfully complete the program.

MDT 402 Biblical Hebrew 3 Credits

Development of the students’ familiarity with the spoken and written language through grammar review, discussions, and vocabulary building. Varied readings on literary and cultural topics related to modern Israel.

MTD 403 Biblical Greek I 3 Credits

A study of the grammar, vocabulary, and syntax of Biblical Greek. The purpose of this course is to begin the preparation of students to read the Greek New Testament.

MDCR 801 Philosophy for Theology 3 Credits

The course is designed to meet the needs of a variety of learners: those who show an interest in the subject but are not intending to study it further; those who will enter employment, for which knowledge of the subject is helpful or necessary; and those who intend to study it at a higher level.

MDE 701 History of Israel 3 Credits

A study of the history of Israel in light of the Old Testament books of Joshua through Esther. Emphasis will be on God’s activities and interventions into the affairs of mankind, as well as on how heroes of faith impacted their culture.

MDR 802 American Culture and Religion 3 Credits

This course surveys the diverse manifestations of religion in American culture.

MDR 803 Philosophy of Religion 3 Credits

This course introduces the Western philosophical tradition of reasoned, systematic, and critical reflection on various matters about monotheistic religious belief. We will examine the relationship between faith and reason; the question of religious miracles; the relationships among science, religion, and evolution; and the nature and validity of religious experience. The course aims to provide both general philosophical methods for analyzing religious belief and to develop the student’s capacity for logical, analytical, and critical thinking about such matters in particular.

MDR 804 Intro to Islam 3 Credits

Introduction to Islam provides an overview of basic Islamic beliefs and practices through an examination of Islamic history, law, and an array of theological orientations as articulated in the traditions of teachings of various traditions. The course also examines Islamic practices in the contemporary period and thereby exposes students to reflect on the realities of religious everyday life and religious change. The course aims to give the students the ability to critically analyze the impacts of Islamic beliefs and values on social and cultural practices, and the formation of institutions, communities, and identities. The course also aims to challenge students to grasp the complex relationship between the discursive traditions of a major world religion as well as the ambiguities of some key terms of Muslim religious thinking.

MDR 805 Intro to Hinduism 3 Credits

This course focuses on the main developments and expressions of Hinduism in India. First, we begin with a discussion of the pre-Aryan, indigenous religious context of the Indus Valley, and then turn to the emergence of the Vedas, the earliest stratum of the Hindu tradition.

MDR 806 Intro to Buddhism 3 Credits

This course examines the known historical facts of the Buddha’s life. His teachings are introduced, including the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment, and the Five Noble Precepts. Participants will learn the nature of Karma, and the distinction between Rebirth in Buddhist philosophy and reincarnation as it is envisioned in Hinduism and other religions.

MDR 806 Intro to South Asia 3 Credits

South Asia has been one of the world’s most dynamic crossroads, a place where cultures met and exchanged ideas, goods, and populations. The region was the site of the most prolonged and intensive colonial encounter in the form of Britain’s Indian empire, and Indian individuals and ideas entered into long conversations with counterparts in Europe, the Middle East, East, and Southeast Asia, and elsewhere.

MDR 807 Intro to the Middle East 3 Credits

The Middle East is built on a magnificent legacy of civilizations dating back to ancient times. Today, the Middle East continues to offer the world a rich cultural contribution. This course explores the peoples’ and cultures of the Middle East, covering a region stretching from the North African shores of the Atlantic to the Anatolian shores of the Black Sea and from the southern tip of the Red Sea to the eastern highland of Persia. It offers an anthropological understanding of the diversity in the Middle East by examining societal differences in cultural practices, male-female relations, music, literature, kinship systems, religions and traditions, history and heritage, ethnic minorities, social identity, and social change. This course will also analyze the impact of historical relationships, including colonialism and imperialism, on the contemporary political conflicts and cultural adaptations occurring among the various peoples of the Middle East.

MDT 412 Revelation 3 Credits

A study of the Book of Revelation with a focus on its literary genre, theological themes and the various schools of interpretation.

MDR 808 Advanced Biblical Themes and Link Analysis 3 Credits

Survey and evaluation of the various methods of interpreting the Scriptures. Required of all ministerial students.

MDR 809 Approaches to the Study of Religion 3 Credits

Religion is basic to the human experience. For thousands of years, people have turned to religious traditions for answers to life’s most important questions. But only with the birth of modern research universities did scholars begin to study religion from an objective, nonsectarian perspective. This course is an introduction to the academic study of approaches to religion, one of the most foundational, fascinating, and interdisciplinary fields in the humanities.

MDR 810 Advanced Analysis: Christianity and Islam 3 Credits

This course examines foundational Islamic narratives and texts — including the Qur’an and the Prophetic Tradition — and how Muslims have interpreted these in law, doctrine, and spirituality through the centuries. Gender issues, the history of Muslim-Christian relations, and the emergence of contemporary Muslim movements will shape discussions in the course along with case studies drawn from different parts of the world. This will inform discussion of a way forward in Christian witness and service among Muslims.

COMP535 Advanced Study of Gender and Religion American Culture 3 Credits

This course covers the role of religion in lives of American women and men, gender as a category of analysis for the study of religion, the often-conflicted relationship between religion and sexuality, and perhaps most importantly, how religion and the religious construct, reconstruct and deconstruct gender norms. Religion informs gender, but gender also informs religious discourse. American men and women practice and live religion, and thus, religion cannot be separated from the sexed bodies we inhabit. Gender matters.

MDR 811 Comparative Study of New Religious Movements 3 Credits

This course explores the origin, development, and the contemporary state of Christianity with reference to the many cultures and societies that have shaped it, the world’s largest religion. We begin with the origin and early development of Christianity within the context of ancient Judaism and the Roman Empire. We consider the development of Christianity into its many contemporary forms and focus throughout the class on how Christianity is practiced throughout the world.

MDR 812 Religions of Indigenous Peoples 3 Credits

Our increased awareness of the global community has given rise to a new interest in the religions of indigenous peoples. This course will explore the religious heritage of Native Americans, Africans, and Australian aborigines and other indigenous peoples, including their views of the role of human beings relative to the rest of nature.

MDR 813 The Way of the Shaman 3 Credits

The shaman, a figure in some form or another in nearly every culture past and present, is a healer of the body and soul who is the protector of the psychic integrity of the people he or she serves. Through initiation, the shaman is a human bridge to the supernatural. The course will use the methods of psychology and anthropology to analyze examples ranging from Siberia to Tibet to the Great Plains.

MDR 814 Religious Cults II 3 Credits

This course examines religious cults that span specific times and religions. Its focus is on the causes of cult formulation, cult leadership, cult purpose, and cult interactions with the outside world. Course content also explores what is meant by the terms “cult,” “new religious movement,” and “alternative religion,” using historical and contemporary examples to illustrate these ideas.

MDT 422 Eschatology I 3 Credits

A study of eschatology, including various systems, history of chiliasm, major themes and problems in Eschatology, the order of predicted events, and the rapture question.

Special Lecture 3 Credits

TOTAL: 66 Credits