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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2016-2017
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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.
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.
RE 353 Nonviolence (1)
A study of the concept of nonviolence in spiritual, ethical, and political perspective. This
course examines the virtue of nonviolence within religious traditions, particularly within
the pacifist religion of Jainism, and seeks to understand how personal commitment to
nonviolence operates within greater spiritual and ethical dispositions. It also examines the
evolution of nonviolence as a political strategy for the resolution of conflict from the
interpersonal to the national. Emphasis is placed on the 1963 civil rights campaign in
Birmingham and the study of the strategy and tactics of nonviolent direct action. A
Leadership Studies designated course.
RE 360 Understanding Religion: History, Theory, and Method (1)
An investigation of the concept of religion as well as the theory and methods that define
the academic study of religion. This course is a critical inquiry into the origins and
evolution of the concept of religion and its use as category in the study of the human
experience. This inquiry is carried out by examining the work of the major theorists of
religion from Marx and Freud to Eliade and Geertz. Examination of these theorists
highlights the various methodological approaches to the study of religion. Emphasis will
be placed on the evolution of new approaches to the study of religion under the
conditions of postmodernity.
RE 375 Gender and the Hebrew Bible (1)
An exploration of the Hebrew Bible through the lens of gender theory. On a theoretical
level, students develop the skills to read and critique primary and secondary readings
according to their presuppositions and ideological commitments concerning gender.
Additionally, the course equips students with a more developed understanding of the