Religious Studies

This course introduces Buddhism and its philosophies. In this course, students examine the basic tenets of Buddhism, its mythology and Buddhism’s impact in the world.

Taoism is an important school of ancient Chinese philosophy, and Laozi is the core text of Taoism. This course is conducted around the main philosophical concepts and topics in the text of Laozi. The seemingly loose text of Laozi is reorganized. On the basis of in-depth interpretation of the text, we are able to make the chapters as well as the internal specific expression of the text show their relationship in terms of meaning, and thus a “substantive system” can be organized in a text with a “formal system.” The course emphasizes text reading as the starting point for any discussion, and attempts to demonstrate how resources can first be sought from within the text, rather than from outside, to interpret the main ideas of Laozi and construct his main ideas. The class explains the connotation and significance of the core ideas and concepts of Laozi, on the basis of which, some misunderstandings about the philosophy and Taoism of Laozi are clarified. It guides students to experience the unique spirit of Laozi philosophy, and leads students to reflect on the possible relevance of classical thinking to the contemporary world. The course integrates the cultivation of philosophical speculative thinking into classroom oral expression and academic writing training. 

After taking this course, students grasp the explanation of the origin of Taoism, the status and development of Taoism in Chinese philosophy, and the discussion between Laozi and Laozi, to know the basic situation of different editions of Lao Zi, especially the relationship between the unearthed documents and the handed down literature, to understand the tradition of Chinese annotation, and to understand the relationship between Laozi and Laozi’s annotation.

The course will deal with the involvement of Jews as a group and as individuals in the civic and political life of the United States, during the period since 1920. The course will be given in English. The students will learn about the complex character of civic participation in a changing American political landscape, in which Jews have expressed their interests and taken part in the discourse of political events and public affairs.

Not long after the canonization of the Bible, it had already become the subject of fierce debate between Jews and the nascent Christian church. With the appearance of Islam centuries later, all three major monotheistic religions took part in such polemics. These polemics involved both technical issues surrounding the biblical text and larger theoretical issues such as the method by which it should be interpreted, the identity of its author(s), and the editorial process which it underwent. For each of these issues, the course proceeds chronologically from the earliest Jewish-Christian debates in the ancient period to the polemics involving Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Middle Ages. Finally, as the course moves into the modern period, it explores the pivotal role that Jewish-Christian disputes played in the evolution of modern biblical criticism. Examining the inter-religious debate about the Bible throughout the ages provides a window into central themes in the history of these religions as well as familiarizing us with the questions that form the core of modern biblical studies.

This course examines overview of Buddhist intellectual and social history of over 2500 years, covering several geographical regions and aspects including historical traditions, scriptures, fundamental doctrines, basic ethical ideas, practices and customs.

Modern Jews address contemporary issues by communicating across time and space, in words and practices, with other generations and other communities. Is this a "traditional" approach? How did Jews in early modern Europe think about "tradition"? How did they create traditions in the age of the European Enlightenment, how did they challenge them in the nineteenth century, and how do they argue about them today? We will explore these questions by looking at unity and diversity among Jews in early modern Europe; examining the implications of the European Enlightenment for their innovations; studying major movements, texts and practices that will allow us to understand Jewish perspectives on tradition and modernity in Europe, America, and the Middle East.