Religious Studies

Upcoming Courses

Courses

An Overview of Iran's History, Culture, Poetry, Society, and more

Iran is an enigma: from empires to an Islamic Republic. This course will provide an overview of Iran's history, culture, society, and especially poetry (very important to better understand the country and its people).

Tuesdays; Oct 6, 13, 20, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

How Do We Know What We Know (about the Holocaust) Part 1

In order to understand the Holocaust, historians turn to diaries and photographs. The photographs, often taken by Nazis, and the diaries, almost always written by prisoners and witnesses and hidden by survivors, speak to us as we read and view them.

Fridays, Sept 18, 25, Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, TBD - UR Campus

National Osher Online - Cults and New Religious Movements in America

America has long been fertile ground for new and alternative religions. We'll examine New Religious Movements (often labeled 'cults') within the US, explore why some became accepted, others faded, and some led to controversy or tragedy, and consider both insider perspectives and outsider views while analyzing their history, beliefs, and practices. Note: The new refund policy applies.

Tuesdays, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov 3, 10, Synchronous Online ( No seats currently available )

Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust

Based on the book 'Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust', this program highlights brave non-Jewish people who risked everything to help strangers in ten European countries Hitler ruled from 1939-1945.

Thursday, December 17th, TBD - UR Campus

Spinoza's Response to Descartes: All is One

Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) was very impressed with Descartes's philosophy, but he thought Descartes had made a serious mistake: It simply could not be true that mind and body are separate substances. Spinoza followed the logic to a surprising conclusion: that all things, both physical and mental, are aspects of one infinite substance. This class will explore Spinoza's reasoning and the ramifications of his understanding of reality, including its implications for religion, ethics, psychology, and environmentalism.

Monday, Sept 28, JPSN, Room 118 ( No seats currently available )

Trailblazer Women in Pre-modern India

Premodern India was shaped by extraordinary women who shattered patriarchal norms, ruled empires, and transformed society through spirituality. Often operating at the intersection of religion, art, and statecraft, these trailblazers forged paths of resistance long before the modern era.

Monday, Nov 2, TBD - UR Campus