Princeton University

Graduate Program

REL 502
Philosophy and the Study of Religion
Professor(s): Jeffrey L. Stout
Description:
This course examines the impact of twentieth-century philosophical ideas on the academic study of religion. It gives attention to naturalism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, structuralism, Nietzschean genealogy, and American pragmatism, among other philosophical movements.

REL 503
Studies in East Asian Religions: Mahayana Literature
Professor(s): Stephen F. Teiser
Description:
Introduction to Buddhist texts written in Classical Chinese. Intended for students with some background in Classical Chinese who want to learn how to read Buddhist texts. Will emphasize grammar, vocabulary, and genre. Focuses on Mahayana sutras translated by Kumarajiva (early fifth century) and on commentaries important in East Asian Buddhism.

REL 505
Studies in the Religions of the Americas : The Social Gospel
Professor(s): Wallace D. Best
Description:
The social gospel movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries has provided the foundation for some of the most profound acts of social activism in the last 100 years. This course will explore the basic theological and philosophical tenets of the social gospel, trace its history, and discuss the work of its progenitors, such as Walter Rauschenbusch and principal practitioners, such as Martin Luther King, Jr.

REL 510
Special Topics in the Study of Religion: Religion in Modern Japan
Professor(s): Jacqueline I. Stone
Description:
This seminar will examine issues in the study of Japanese religion from the seventeenth century to the present. Topics may include religion and national identity formation, religion and civil society, new religious movements, millenarianism, and contemporary forms of spirituality. Japanese reading ability is required.

REL 518
Religion and Critical Thought Workshop
Professor(s): Leora F. Batnitzky
Description:
A weekly seminar focused on current student and faculty research in religion and critical thought, designed primarily for graduate students working on dissertations and general examination essays on the philosophy of religion, religious ethics, and the role of religion in politics.

REL 521
Religion and Culture Workshop
Professor(s): Stephen F. Teiser
Description:
A weekly, year-long workshop devoted to the critical discussion of research in progress in the ethnographic, historical, and normative study of religion and culture. Designed for dissertation writers receiving fellowships from the Center for the Study of Religion and post-doctoral fellows.

REL 523
American Religious History Workshop
Professor(s): R. M. Griffith
Description:
A weekly, year-long workshop focused on the current research of visiting presenters, current students, and faculty in American religious history. The workshop is designed primarily for Ph.D. students in the field, but is open as well to undergraduate concentrators with a strong background in the study of American religion and culture. In order to receive a grade, students must take the course both semesters.