Religious Diversity

Contact or visit us

Religion and Philosophy Department
Stephanie Loos, Staff Assistant
Old Main, Room 102
Lincoln, NE 68504
(402) 465-2343
sloos [at] nebrwesleyan.edu (sloos[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu)

Religious Diversity

Core Courses 6 hours
Religious Diversity Minor (17-23 hours)

RELIG 1150 World Religions

3 hours
RELIG 2300 Women and Religion 3 hours

RELIG 2340 Religious Diversity in the United States

3 hours
RELIG 2350 Judaism, Christianity and Islam 3 hours
Intermediate Courses 5-9 hours

RELIG 2300 Women and Religion

3 hours

RELIG 2250 Religion, Peace and Social Justice

3 hours

RELIG 2800 Apocalyptic Imagination in America

3 hours

RELIG 2970 Internship Practicum

1-8 hours

RELIG 3200 Constructing Religious Identity

3 Hours

RELIG 3960 Special Projects

1-3 hours
Elective Courses 6-8 hours

Two courses beyond required Core or Intermediate courses may be taken to fulfill elective requirements

 

ARH 1030FYW Survey of Non-Western Art History

4 hours

COMM 1510 Intercultural Communication

4 hours

COMM 3800 Communication through Dialogue

4 hours

ENG 2260 Topics in World Literature: Religious Experience

4 hours

ENG 3410 Women Writing Across Cultures

4 hours

ENG 3500 Postcolonial and Global Literature

4 hours

POLSC 2110 Making Social Change: Political Activism and Grassroots Organizing

2 or 4 hours

ANTHR-2540

ANTHR-2540

SOC 1330 Race Relations and Minority Groups

4 hours
*Other possible electives considered by the Department Chair of Philosophy and Religion, on a case by case basis, in consultation with Religion faculty.  

ANTHR-2540
ARH 1030FYW Survey of Non-Western Art History (4 hours)

This course surveys the art of “Non-Western” societies from prehistory to the present. Cultures discussed include South and Southeast Asia, China and Japan, Africa, and cultures of the Americas (Pre-Conquest and Native American). The term “Non-Western” traditionally refers to cultures that initially developed outside the realm of Western culture and at some distance from the European artistic tradition. The term is not only excessively broad but also problematic, because it implies an opposition to western art. We will explore these issues. The main objective of the course is to provide students with a global perspective on the richness and diversity of art produced by the cultures studied. It also considers the impact of colonization and globalization on the treatment of artworks from non-western cultures and the development of new art forms.

Archway Curriculum: First-Year Curriculum: First-Year Writing
Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Global
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Going Global Thread
COMM 1510 Intercultural Communication (4 hours)

The study of cultural differences that influence the exchange of meaning between individuals and groups of different cultural and/or racial backgrounds. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the uniqueness of cultures and the resulting variations in communication styles and preferences, and to provide strategies and skills for successfully communicating across cultural barriers. Students will spend at least 20 hours during the semester working with community agencies serving clients from different cultures.

(Normally offered each semester.)

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Discourse Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Experiential Learning: Exploratory
Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – U.S.
COMM 3800 Communication through Dialogue (4 hours)

This course is designed to help students develop theoretical and practical understandings of dialogic communication. Students will develop the skills necessary to effectively participate in and facilitate transformational dialogue. In addition to developing a comprehensive understanding of current dialogic research, students will have several opportunities to practice their facilitating skills by helping NWU and Lincoln community groups engage impasse through dialogue.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing and permission of the instructor.

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Discourse Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Chaos Thread
ENG 2260 Topics in World Literature: Religious Experience (4 hours)

Each course in the Topics in World Literature group will study a selection of literary works that engage the chosen topic--texts of different genres, from historical eras, and from different cultural traditions. The selected readings will present both abstract principles involved in the topic and its immediate, lived realities.
Prerequisite(s): Any First Year Writing course.

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Writing Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Science and Religion Thread
ENG 3410 Women Writing Across Cultures (4 hours)

Fiction and essays by women from various cultures (including the U.S., Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean) will be the focus of this course. The multicultural, international reading list will provide students insight into the lives and experiences of women most likely very different from themselves; thus they can appreciate and learn from the differences and make connections across cultures.
Cross listed with GEND 3410.
Prerequisite(s): First Year Writing and sophomore standing.

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Writing Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Global
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Gender and Sexuality Thread
ENG 3500 Postcolonial and Global Literature (4 hours)

A thematic course designed to complement the more traditional offerings in British and American literature. The emphasis will be on the shock of colonization, the oppression of imperialism, and the struggle for independence. Attention will also be paid to the encounter of the individual with the questions of God, family, love, war, work, change, and death.
Prerequisite(s): First Year Writing and Sophomore standing.

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Writing Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Power Thread
POLSC 2110 Making Social Change: Political Activism and Grassroots Organizing (2 or 4 hours)

This class will give students first-hand experience making social and political change. Our goal is to understand how ordinary citizens work for social, economic, and political justice within their communities. Students will work with a grassroots organization to experience the way in which mobilization and change in Lincoln occurs. When the course is offered for 2 credits, the focus will be on the strategy of grassroots organizing and how that is manifested in the students' experiential learning projects. When the course is offered for 4 credits, there will be an additional focus on theories grassroots organizing and on the tactics employed by influential political activists in the United States and globally.

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Discourse Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Experiential Learning: Exploratory
Archway Curriculum: Justice Thread
RELIG 1150 World Religions (3 hours)

This course is a study of the cultural settings, lives of founders when appropriate, oral or written traditions and literature, worldviews, myths, rituals, ideals of conduct, and development of some of the world's religions. Religions studied will typically include tribal religions, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, and Bahai. Readings, videos, and websites will help introduce and illustrate not only the cultural settings in which these religions appear, but also the voices and faces of contemporary religious practitioners.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Global
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Power Thread
RELIG 2250 Religion, Peace and Social Justice (3 hours)

This course explores religious responses to social justice issues, such as conflict, poverty, oppression,discrimination, and the environment. Particular focus is lent to the distribution of resources, gender and racial discrimination, war and other forms of violent behavior and the historical, philosophical, religious, economic, cultural influences therein. The course will also show some implications that theories and implementations of justice have that could aid in framing public policy and social justice activism around particular issues.

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Speaking Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Justice Thread
RELIG 2300 Women and Religion (3 hours)

This course will examine the roles and views of women in religious traditions. Students will encounter scholarship on gender, religion, and feminist theology in different traditions. The primary focus of this course will be on the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, although other traditions and contemporary religious movements may be considered.
Cross listed with GEND 2300R.
(Normally offered every year.)

Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Global
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Gender and Sexuality Thread
RELIG 2340 Religious Diversity in the United States (3 hours)

Religion in the U.S. is vital and diverse and its study illuminates not only early American society, but also the current pluralism within our contemporary culture. This course will introduce religious traditions in the U.S. through thematic, historical, denominational, and cultural considerations. Though the Puritan roots of U.S. religious history will be considered, this course emphasizes the variety and diversity of religious experiences in the U.S., including Native American, Protestant, Catholic, African-American, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions.
(Normally offered every year.)

Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – U.S.
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Democracy Thread
RELIG 2350 Judaism, Christianity and Islam (3 hours)

This course explores the formation, differences and conflicts among and between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam through comparative themes.

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Writing Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Global
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Identity Thread
RELIG 2800 Apocalyptic Imagination in America (3 hours)

This course explores a religiously diverse range of end of time stories. Ancient and modern, oral and written, apocalyptic scenarios can function as ethical and political criticism of the status quo, a literature of, by, and for the marginalized, and offer alternative, cosmic justice or future renewal. All of the religions examined, which include tribal, world religions as well as movements that prioritize ethnicity, race, and anti-colonialism are international but will be examined in the context of their contemporary North American expressions.
(Normally offered every year.)

Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – U.S.
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Chaos Thread
RELIG 2970 Internship Practicum (1-8 hours)

This course allows students to participate in an internship for the purpose of supplementing their academic coursework, exploring vocational options, and professionalizing their approach to career choices. Students might intern as a volunteer in a non-profit organization, as a research or field case study assistant, or in formal or informal ministry or in other relevant areas. P/F only.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department chair.

Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Experiential Learning: Exploratory
RELIG 3200 Constructing Religious Identity (3 Hours)

The course explores the modern construction of religion and religions as a legal, international, historical, and cultural category. We will investigate what definitions and assumptions are at work and who religious tradition is invented, maintained, or changed and for what ends. Classifications interrogated include religious, spiritual and secular, academic and folk. Materials and movements examined include intentionally provocative juxtapositions of ancient, new, tribal, world, localized and international. It is common in contemporary discourse to privilege individual freedom to choose or create a religious identity, therefore, this course will pay special attention to the ways in which spirituality obscures the extent to which individualistic ideology legitimates the creation of self-identity through consumer and lifestyle choices.

Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Global
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Identity Thread
RELIG 3960 Special Projects (1-15 hours)

Supervised individual projects for students on topics selected by the student in consultation with the instructor. Special Projects may not duplicate courses described in the catalog.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.

SOC 1330 Race Relations and Minority Groups (4 hours)

See SOC 2330 Race Relations and Minority Groups.

Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – U.S.
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Power Thread