205 / 256
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2017-2018
204
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
institutions) is created and sustained by and through religious practices, traditions, and
beliefs. Possible topics include the role of food in the construction of religious identity,
the tension between religious identity and modernity, and comparative religious
identities. Prerequisite: at least one unit in RE. Fall.
RE 311 Christian Ethics (1)
An examination of the implications of Christian faith for contemporary ethical problems.
Prerequisite: RE 201.
RE 315 Contemporary Christian Theology (1)
A survey of the thought of certain leading theologians in the twentieth century. Particular
attention is given to Barth, Tillich, Bonhoeffer, the Niebuhrs, process theology, and
liberation theology. Prerequisite: RE 201.
RE 325 Social Justice and Biblical Traditions (1)
An exploration of the Bible and assumptions (ancient and modern) about social justice,
human rights, wealth and poverty, and concepts of otherness. This service-learning
course includes student engagement with a Birmingham community partner working on
social justice issues.
A service-learning integrated course.
RE 331 Religious Ethics of War and Peace (1)
An investigation of how religious traditions approach issues of force and peacemaking.
The course provides an overview of classical authors as well as activists and writers
engaging issues of war and peace. Case studies will be used to ground discussions in real-
life situations.
RE 343 Sainthood and Power (1)
An examination of the concept of sainthood, and the biographies and functions of saints
across religious traditions, including (but not limited to) Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism, and Islam. The course will also explore the relationship between gender and
sainthood.
RE 345 Power and Religion (1)
An examination of the relationship between “power” and “religion,” and how religious
agents and institutions interact with political order through examples drawn from
classical South Asia, post-Reformation Europe, and revolutionary Iran. Topics include
the role played by religion in the “post-secular,” global political order; the dramatic
resurgence of religion in politics; and the future of religious authority.
RE 350 The Ethical Vision of the Christian Scriptures (1)
An exploration of and critical reflection upon various approaches to using the Christian
Scriptures as a source for ethical reflection. The course addresses two primary questions.
First, what are the ethical perspectives of the Christian Scriptures regarding specific
themes, such as community and justice, violence and liberation, wealth and poverty,
sexuality, and the care of the Earth? Second, how might we structure the conversation
between the ancient text and the modern world? Prerequisite: at least one unit in RE.