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  • Religions, Study of (REL)/
  • Religious Studies, B.A.

Religious Studies, B.A.

  • Requirements
  • Honors

Requires a minimum of 27 hours, of which 18 must be in courses above the 100-level:

Course List
Code Title Hours
Select courses above the 100-level18
REL 200Approaches to the Study of Religion3
Select one three hour course (or two 1.5 hour courses) from each of the three groups designated:9
I. Biblical Studies
II. Religion, History and Society
III. World Religions

A minimum GPA of 2.0 in all courses completed in religious studies at Wake Forest is required for graduation with the major. Up to 3 hours from NLL courses 200 or above may be counted toward the major. Up to 9 hours of coursework completed outside the department and no more than 6 hours of directed reading may be counted toward the major. Majors may not take 100-level courses during their senior year.

A concentration in religion and public engagement for declared majors and minors in religious studies requires 15 hours and provides an opportunity for students to undertake a community-based study of educational, economic, cultural and political development strategies, and action.

Course List
Code Title Hours
REL 332Religion and Public Engagement3
Select one of the following:3
REL 200
Approaches to the Study of Religion
REL 305
Ethnography of Religion
REL 336
Religious Traditions and Human Rights
REL 338
Religion, Ethics, and Politics
REL 288Field Program in Religion and Public Engagement (an internship)3
Select two Elective Courses related to the community partner’s context, history, and values *
*

Elective courses may be chosen from other departments and programs with approval from the RPE committee.

I: Biblical Studies

Course List
Code Title Hours
REL 261Foundations of Traditional Judaism1.5
REL 264Jesus and Buddha3
REL 308Sacred Scripture in the Traditions of Abraham3
REL 310The Prophetic Literature3
REL 312The Critical Study of the Pentateuch3
REL 313Near Eastern Archeology3
REL 315Field Research in Biblical Archeology3
REL 316Field Research in Biblical Archeology3
REL 317Wisdom Literature3
REL 318Feminist and Contemporary Interpretations of the New Testament3
REL 319What Would Jesus Do? The New Testament and Christian Ethics3
REL 323Jesus Traditions3
REL 324Early Christian Literature3
REL 328Jewish-Christian Relations and the New Testament3

II: Religion, History, and Society

Course List
Code Title Hours
REL 210Jerusalem in History and Tradition3
REL 214Excavating the Sacred3
REL 230Religion and the U.S. Constitution3
REL 231Against God: Atheism, Secular Humanism, & the Problem of Belief3
REL 232Trauma Tourism and Religion3
REL 233Religious Ethics and Moral Problems3
REL 242Sex, Death and Salvation3
REL 244Religion, Terrorism, and Violence3
REL 246Religion and Race3
REL 266Religious Sects and Cults3
REL 267Religion and Popular Culture3
REL 330Pope, Jefferson and Imam: A Study in Comparative Ethics3
REL 331Religion and Law3
REL 332Religion and Public Engagement3
REL 335Religious Ethics and the Problem of War3
REL 336Religious Traditions and Human Rights3
REL 338Religion, Ethics, and Politics3
REL 340Holy Chow! Food and Religion3
REL 341Religion and Ecology3
REL 342Religious Intolerance in the U.S.3
REL 345The African-American Religious Experience3
REL 347Religion, Politics, and Sexuality in North America3
REL 355Jewish Identities: Religion, Race, and Rights3
REL 356Faces of Modern Judaism3
REL 357Jews in the United States3
REL 364Topics in U.S. Religious History1.5-3
REL 365History of Religions in America3
REL 367Christian Mysticism3
REL 368Protestant and Catholic Reformations3
REL 369Radical Christian Movements3
REL 372History of Christian Thought3
REL 373Special Topics in African-American Religious Traditions3
REL 374Black Messiahs and Uncle Toms3
REL 375Race, Myth, and the American Imagination3
REL 376Race, Religion, and Film3
REL 378Latin American Liberation Theologies3
HST 378Race, Memory, and Identity3
HST 381Religious Utopias and the American Experience3

III: World Religions

Course List
Code Title Hours
REL 233Religious Ethics and Moral Problems3
REL 263The Religions of Japan3
REL 264Jesus and Buddha3
REL 265Culture and Religion in Contemporary Native America3
REL 280God, Gods, and the Ultimate3
REL 282Religion and Culture in China3
REL 306Ritual Studies3
REL 329Chinese Medicine3
REL 339Religion, Power, and Society in Modern Africa3
REL 343Religion, Culture, and the Body3
REL 349Asian Meditation Practices3
REL 354Meditation and Mindfulness Practices3
REL 359Hinduism in America3
REL 360Hindus, Muslims, & Sikhs in North America3
REL 361Topics in Buddhism3
REL 362Topics in Islam3
REL 379Muslim Youth3
REL 380Islamic Bioethics3
REL 381Zen Buddhism3
REL 383The Quran and the Prophet3
REL 384Islam and Law: Varieties in Interpretation and Expression3
REL 385Topics in South Asian Religions3
REL 386The Mahābhārata: Heroes, Demons, Women, and War.3
REL 387Priests, Warriors and Ascetics in Ancient India3
REL 388South Asian Women: Religion, Culture and Politics3
REL 389Islam in the West: Changes and Challenges3
REL 391Topics in East Asian Religions3
REL 392Topics in First Peoples' Traditions3
REL 393Topics in Religions of Africa3

Highly qualified majors are encouraged to apply for admission to the honors program. Students who wish to pursue this option should refer to the honors guidelines, available on the Department website, for an overview of requirements and procedures. Upon completion of all requirements, a recommendation of honors at graduation will be made by the department based upon the student’s overall academic record and the quality of the final project.

2024-2025 Bulletin

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