Jewish Studies - JST

The information below lists courses approved in this subject area effective Fall 2015. Not all courses will necessarily be offered these terms. Please consult the Schedule of Classes for a listing of courses offered for a specific term.

500-level courses require graduate standing.

Back to Course Index

101 Introduction to Judaism
3 hours. Introduction to the Jewish religion as it has developed from its roots in the Hebrew Bible until today, emphasizing its central texts and concepts. Same as RELS 121. Individual and Society course.

102 Introduction to Jewish History
3 hours. Overview of Jewish history from Biblical times until the present. Topics will range from second Temple Judea and the beginning of the diaspora through 21st-century Jewish life in America and Israel. Same as RELS 126. Individual and Society, and Past course.

103 Introduction to Israel Studies
3 hours. Introduction to major themes, issues, writers and contexts of the founding, establishment, and conflicts of the modern state of Israel. Past, and World Cultures course.

116 Jewish American Literature of the 20th Century
3 hours. Introduction to ways of analyzing literature within the specific thematic and cultural lens of Judaism, focusing on major works of literature in a variety of genres throughout the twentieth century. Same as ENGL 116.

117 Understanding the Holocaust
3 hours. Examines the Holocaust of European Jewry as the result of antisemitic ideology and the development of modern German political forces; implementation of the Final Solution. Same as HIST 117 and RELS 117. Individual and Society, and Past course.

122 Minority Perspectives in the Germanic Context
3 hours. Investigation of the challenges and/or opportunities of multicultural societies by examining in a socio-historical context texts created by members of Europe's ethnic, religious, and national minorities. Same as GER 122 and RELS 122. No credit toward a major or minor program offered by the Department of Germanic Studies. Lectures, discussion, and readings in English. Creative Arts, and World Cultures course.

123 Introduction to Yiddish Culture and Literature
3 hours. Yiddish culture in Europe and the U.S. in socio-historical context. Focus on the role of Yiddish in conceptions of secular, cultural, religious, national Jewish identities. Same as GER 123 and RELS 123. No credit toward a major or minor program offered by the Department of Germanic Studies. Lectures, discussion, and readings in English. Creative Arts, and World Cultures course.

124 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
3 hours. A study of the Five Books of Moses (a.k.a Torah or Pentateuch) within the contexts of the ancient Near East and biblical literature. Same as CL 124 and RELS 124. Taught in English. Past course.

125 Diaspora, Exile, Genocide: Aspects of the European Jewish Experience in Literature and Film.
3 hours. Literature and films on European Jewish responses to anti-Semitism and persecution in a historical context to reveal the condition of post-Enlightenment German-speaking Jewish and Yiddish-speaking societies. Same as GER 125. No credit toward a major or minor program offered by the Department of Germanic Studies. Taught in English. Past, and World Cultures course.

203 Israel Film: Aspects of History, Life, and Culture
3 hours. Exploration of major themes related to life in Israel via its national cinema. Historical, social, and cultural aspects of Israeli society are examined through film. World Cultures course.

220 Modern Polish-Jewish Culture and Literatures
3 hours. Polish-Jewish literature and non-fiction works in English translation from Polish, Yiddish and Hebrew are studied as expressions of a distinct Ashkenazi or East European Jewish culture that developed on historically Polish lands. Same as POL 220. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 160 or ENGL 161. Creative Arts, and World Cultures course.

225 Topics in Muslim-Jewish Relations
3 hours. Muslim-Jewish interactions from the rise of Islam until contemporary times, the relationship between Biblical and Quranic materials, the Jewish and Islamic interpretive tradition and the legal systems of the two religious traditions. Same as CL 225 and RELS 225.

230 Topics in Jewish Thought
3 hours. Survey of major topics in Jewish theology, philosophy, ethics and political thought. Same as RELS 231. May be repeated if topics vary. Recommended Background: JST 101 or the equivalent.

235 Introduction to Jewish Thought I
3 hours. Introduces students to the fundamental Jewish texts, theology, and thought of the Rabbinic period (100CE - 900 CE). Topics include: ethics, authority, sexuality, exegesis, and law. Same as CL 235 and RELS 235. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or above.

240 Philosophy and Revelation: Jewish and Christian Perspectives
3 hours. Introduction to philosophical ways of addressing the claim that a book (the Bible, the Quran) comes from God. Texts by Immanuel Kant, Moses Mendelssohn, and Soren Kierkegaard, among others. Previously listed as JST 141. Same as RELS 240 and PHIL 240. Prerequisite(s): Two courses in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Individual and Society, and World Cultures course.

242 The History of Jewish Biblical Interpretation
3 hours. Jewish interpretation of the Hebrew bible. A survey of the span of Jewish history and the wide range of cultural contexts that have impacted the understanding of the Torah. Same as CL 242 and RELS 242. Past course.

243 Politics and Government of the Middle East
3 hours. Contemporary Middle East political institutions, culture, processes, and conflicts. Emphasis on interaction of traditional and modern forces, such as Islam, nationalism, political elites, ideologies, states. Same as POLS 243. Prerequisite(s): POLS 130 or POLS 190; or consent of the instructor. World Cultures course.

254 Prophets in Judaism and Islam
3 hours. A cross-cultural survey of prophets. Texts include the Hebrew Bible, the Quran and Islamic and Jewish exegetical material. Same as CL 254 and RELS 254. Past course.

296 Topics in Jewish Studies
3 hours. How Jews became a modern ethnic group, how their experiences compare with other ethnic groups, and how their experiences in modern times vary from nation to nation. Same as RELS 296. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Previously listed as JST 294.

311 Gender and Sexuality in Early Christianity and Judaism
3 hours. Examination of the root of contemporary perspectives on gender and sexuality in the early traditions of Judaism and Christianity including the Bible, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Church Fathers, the Talmud, and legends of the saints. Same as GWS 311 and RELS 311.

394 Topics in Jewish Studies
3 hours. Selected topics in Jewish culture and history. Same as RELS 395. May be repeated to a maximum of 9 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.

402 Jewish-Christian Relations before the Modern Era
3 OR 4 hours. Social and intellectual relationships between Jewish communities and medieval Christendom, with attention to Jewish understandings of diaspora and redemption; and the roles Jewish scholars played in the rise of Christian humanism. ame as RELS 402. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Recommended background: JST 101 or JST 102.

403 Advanced Topics in Israel Studies
3 OR 4 hours. Focused study of specific topics in Israeli literature, culture, or history. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s) if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): Any Jewish Studies course or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: JST 102 or JST 103.

410 Advanced Studies in Jewish Literature, Art and Culture
3 OR 4 hours. Selected topics in Jewish literature and/or arts, in one or more places and time periods. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s) if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): One course in Jewish Studies. Recommended background: JST 102.

420 Advanced Studies in Jewish Religion
3 OR 4 hours. In-depth study of a period or mode of Jewish religious development or textual production, or an examination of a religious tenet or practice across various historical periods. Topics will vary.Same as RELS 420. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s) if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): JST 101; and JST 230 or JST 242 or JST 254.

430 Advanced Studies in Jewish Thought
3 OR 4 hours. Advanced topics in Jewish theology, philosophy, ethics or political thought. Same as RELS 430. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): One 100-level and one 200-level course in Jewish Studies.

478 The Bible as Literature: Hebrew Bible
3 OR 4 hours. Literary analysis of genres and themes of the Hebrew Bible and close reading of the biblical texts. Sources of the Bible and their historical context. Same as ENGL 478, and RELS 478. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Taught in English. Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in ENGL 240; and Grade of C or better in ENGL 241or Grade of C or better in ENGL 242 or Grade of C or better in ENGL 243; or consent of the instructor.

494 Topics in Jewish Studies
3 OR 4 hours. Selected topics in Jewish studies. Same as RELS 494. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): JST 101 or JST 102 or consent of the instructor.

Information provided by the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment.

This listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract. Every attempt is made to provide the most current and correct information. Courses listed here are subject to change without advance notice. Courses are not necessarily offered every term or year. Individual departments or units should be consulted for information regarding frequency of course offerings.