Department of Religion
Dunton Tower 2121

The Department
  Chair of the Department:
      S.G. Wilson
  Departmental Supervisor of Graduate Studies:
      A.R. Gualtieri

The Department of Religion offers programs of study leading to the degree of
the Master of Arts.

Master of Arts

 Admission Requirements

  The minimum requirement for admission to the master's program is an honors
  bachelor's degree in religion (or the equivalent) with at least high
  honors standing.

  Applicants who do not hold an honors degree in religion (or the
  equivalent) will be required to register in a qualifying-year program
  before proceeding to the master's program.

  The regulations governing the qualifying year are outlined in the general
  section of this calendar.

 Program Requirements

  The student will choose a program of study concentrating on one of the
  following major areas: comparative religion, with special emphasis on one
  of the major traditions; biblical and ancient near eastern studies; and
  modern religious thought and culture. Candidates must follow either a
  thesis or non-thesis program. The specific requirements are as follows:

  Thesis Program

  *   Seminars equivalent to one full course in major area

  *   Seminars equivalent to one full course, selected from one or both of
      the other areas

  *   Tutorial in major area for one-course credit

  *   Thesis (equivalent to two full courses) on a topic in major area,
      which must be defended at an oral examination

  Non-Thesis Program

  *   Seminars equivalent to three full courses; of these, at least two
      half-course seminars must be from the major area, at least two from a
      second area, and at least one from the remaining area

  *   Comprehensive reading course in major area

  *   One additional course in major area

  The student's program will be worked out in consultation with, and with
  the approval of, the department's supervisor of graduate studies and its
  committee on graduate studies. The prescribed program will take into
  account the student's background and special interests, as well as the
  research interests and competence of the staff.

  Deadlines

    Thesis Proposal: In the case of the thesis program, full-time students
    will normally submit their thesis proposal to the thesis proposal board
    by the end of the first month of their second term in the M.A. program.

    Thesis: The candidate will inform the thesis supervisor two weeks in
    advance of the date on which he intends to submit copies of his thesis.
    The date of the defense will be set upon submission of the thesis and
    will take place no sooner than two weeks after the date of submission.
    This assumes a minimum of four weeks between the candidate's statement
    of intent and the defense.

 Language Requirements

  The student will be required to acquire, or to demonstrate that he/she
  already has, a reading knowledge of whatever language is essential to
  his/her research.

  Students are advised to consult the departmental handbook for further
  regulations.

Graduate Courses

* Religion 34.511W1
  Seminar in Comparative Religion
  Attitudes Toward Other Religions
  This enquiry focuses on Christian attitudes to the religious traditions
  and faith of others, concentrating on the modern period and especially on
  the thought of Hendrik Kraemer, Raymond Pannikar and Wilfred Cantwell
  Smith. The view of traditions other than Christian toward the faith of
  others will also be considered.

* Religion 34.512T2, S2
  Tutorial in Comparative Religion

* Religion 34.513F1, W1, S1
  Directed Studies in Comparative Religion
  Seminar for additional study in this area.

* Religion 34.520F1
  Seminar in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
  Critical Theory and the Bible an exploration of trends in biblical
  scholarship influenced by current literary theory and the philosophy of
  language. Selected biblical texts from Deuteronomy through 2 Kings are
  interpreted according to these new approaches.
  (Also offered as Comparative Literary Studies 17.582)

* Religion 34.522T2,S2
  Tutorial in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies

* Religion 34.523F1, W1, S1
  Directed Studies in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
  Seminar for additional study in this area.

* Religion 34.530W1
  Seminar in Modern Religious Thought and Culture
  A Critical Theory of Religion
  The course will examine the implications of the Frankfurt School's
  critical theory and sociology of religion for an understanding of religion
  and religious experience, within the wider context of recent theoretical
  approaches to the study of religion.

* Religion 34.532T2, S2
  Tutorial in Modern Religious Thought and Culture

* Religion 34.533F1, W1, S1
  Directed Studies in Modern Religious Thought and Culture
  Seminar for additional study in this area.

* Religion 34.590T2, S2
  M.A. Comprehensive Reading
  Not open to students pursuing a thesis program.

* Religion 34.599F4, W4, S4
  M.A. Thesis

Courses Not Offered in 1992-93

      34.510  Seminar in Comparative Religion
      34.521  Seminar in Biblical and Near Eastern Studies
      34.531  Seminar in Modern Religious Thought and Culture