2019-2020 University Catalog 
    
    May 16, 2024  
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2019-2020 University Catalog archived

Course Descriptions

 

Physics
  

  • PHYS 401 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 1
    Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Advanced work and reading in topics selected by the instructor to fit special needs of advanced students. This course may be repeated with permission for a total of six credits. Staff.
  

  • PHYS 402 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 2
    Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Advanced work and reading in topics selected by the instructor to fit special needs of advanced students. This course may be repeated with permission for a total of six credits. Staff.
  

  • PHYS 403 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Advanced work and reading in topics selected by the instructor to fit special needs of advanced students. This course may be repeated with permission for a total of six credits. Staff.
  

  • PHYS 421 - Directed Individual Research


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Directed research in physics. May be repeated for degree credit with permission of the instructor. May be carried out during the summer. Staff.
  

  • PHYS 422 - Directed Individual Research


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 2
    Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Directed research in physics. May be repeated for degree credit with permission of the instructor. May be carried out during the summer. Staff.
  

  • PHYS 423 - Directed Individual Research


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Directed research in physics. May be repeated for degree credit with permission of the instructor. May be carried out during the summer. Staff.
  

  • PHYS 473 - Senior Thesis


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Previous research experience, senior standing, declared major in physics, and instructor consent. Culminates in the writing of a thesis on original scholarship undertaken with the guidance of a faculty adviser. May also involve additional research in physics, individual or group conferences with the faculty adviser, literature review, interim reports, and dissemination activities. Staff.
  

  • PHYS 493 - Honors Thesis


    Credits: 3-3
    Prerequisite: Instructor consent and departmental honors candidacy. Honors Thesis.



Politics
  

  • POL 100 - American National Government


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    A study of the constitutional origins and historical development of the national government with special attention to Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, and the role of political parties, interest groups, and the media in the policy process. Staff.
  

  • POL 105 - Introduction to Global Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    A survey of the comparative study of national and international politics and the interaction between the two. Topics may include power relations among and within states, changes in the conduct of international affairs and conflict resolution, contrasting ideas about democracy, economic development, justice, globalization, terrorism, causes and alternatives to war, social movements and the role of the nation-state. Staff.
  

  • POL 111 - Introduction to Political Philosophy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    An introduction to some of the perennial themes of politics, such as the relationship between human nature and political institutions, individual freedom and community, private conscience and civic virtue, the claims of reason and faith, the nature of law, obligation, and rights, among others. Our inquiry is guided by selections from influential works in the history of political thought, ancient, modern and contemporary, as well as plays, dialogues, comedies, tragedies, novels, and films. Consult with instructor for specific reading assignments and course requirements. Staff.
  

  • POL 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar


    Credits: 3

    First-Year Seminar. Prerequisite: First-Year class standing only. First-year seminar.

    Fall 2019, POL 180-01: FY Seminar: The Future of Law: The Impact of Science and Technology (3). First-year Seminar. Prerequisite: First-Year class standing only. An introduction to traditional legal conceptions of rights and justice, examining how advances in science and technology force us to reconsider their scope or rearticulate their meaning. Topics include individual and group rights, privacy, property, speech and autonomy, conscientious objection, and how advances in science and technology enhance and constrain the exercise of these rights. The seminar requirements include attendance at public lectures by several speakers in the Mudd Center’s 2019-20 Series on The Ethics of Technology. [Under consideration to count towards the Law, Justice, and Society minor, though not yet approved]. (SS2) Rush.


  

  • POL 191 - Issues in World Affairs


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Experiential Learning. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Open to students of any class year or major. Requires completion of a winter-term trip to New York City. This course exposes students to ideas, issues, and individuals that play a role in contemporary debates about world affairs and American foreign policy. The program, sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), provides an opportunity for students to participate in national conversations with leading experts on international relations and contemporary foreign-policy problems. On six occasions in the fall term, students meet for an hour to hear a conference call presentation by a CFR expert and then, along with students on campuses across the county, pose questions to the speaker about the topic at hand. Each conference call includes a set of background readings and is transcribed for posting on the CFR website. In order to receive credit, students must travel with all class participants in the winter term to New York City to meet individuals, including W&L graduates, who are actively practicing careers in international relations. May not be taken more than once. Staff.
  

  • POL 203 - State and Local Government


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    An introduction to the structures and functions of United States subnational governments, with particular emphasis on the policy-making process and on the relationships between policy makers and the public. Computer-assisted analysis of survey-research data is included. Finch.
  

  • POL 214 - The Conduct of American Foreign Policy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100 or 105. Constitutional basis, role of the President and the Congress, the State Department and the Foreign Service, role of public opinion, political parties, and pressure groups. Relation to other political areas and to the United Nations and other international agencies. Strong.
  

  • POL 215 - International Development


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    A study of international development and human capability, with a focus on Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The course analyzes theories to explain development successes and failures, with a focus on the structures, institutions, and actors that shape human societies and social change. Key questions include measuring economic growth and poverty, discussing the roles of states and markets in development, and examining the role of industrialized countries in reducing global poverty. The course explores links between politics and other social sciences and humanities. Staff.
  

  • POL 227 - East Asian Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    An investigation of East Asian political systems and the global, historical, and cultural contexts in which their political institutions have developed. Students consider the connections between political structure and the rapid social and economic changes in East Asia since World War II, as well as the effectiveness of varied political processes in addressing contemporary problems. Emphasis is given to China, Korea, and Japan. LeBlanc.
  

  • POL 229 - Political Parties, Interest Groups, and the Media


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100. A study of the three central extra-constitutional mediating institutions in the American political system: political parties, interest groups, and the media. The course explores theoretical and practical, historical and contemporary developments in party politics, interest group politics, and media politics. Special attention to the debate between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Connelly.
  

  • POL 230 - Separation of Powers in the U.S. Constitution


    (LJS 230) FDR: SS2
    Credits: 4
    This course probes the origins, development, advantages, and disadvantages of the tripartite structure of the federal government, beginning with an examination of the background and text of Articles I, II, and III of the U.S. Constitution. We analyze structural explanations provided in the Federalist Papers, along with Classical and Enlightenment sources addressing the nature of political power, the problem of faction, the role of checks and balances, and the purpose of separated functions. In-depth analyses of leading U.S. Supreme Court decisions trace evolving conceptions of legislative. executive. and judicial powers along with attention to the relevance of war and economic crisis to the authority and function of each branch. In discussions of landmark decisions, students compare the legal thought of a number of Justices–John Marshall, William Howard Taft, Robert Jackson, William Brennan, Sandra Day O’Connor, Anthony Kennedy, and Antonin Scalia. We trace the creation of the so-called “fourth branch” of government–the administrative state– and examine whether this “branch” can be reconciled with ideas of representative democracy and constitutional text. Students prepare and deliver two oral arguments based on assigned cases and write an appellate brief on a separation-of-powers topic. Murchison.
  

  • POL 232 - Public Policy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100. Introduction to public policy formation and implementation, decision making in government, the concepts and techniques of policy analysis, and ethical analysis of policy. Policy issues such as education, the environment, and public health are used as illustrations. Harris.
  

  • POL 233 - Environmental Policy and Law


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, or POL 100. A study of major environmental laws and the history of their enactment and implementation. Discusses different theoretical approaches from law, ethics, politics, and economics. Reviews significant case law and the legal context. Emphasis is on domestic policy with some attention to international law and treaties. Harris.
  

  • POL 234 - Congress and the Legislative Process


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100. A review of the constitutional origins and historical development of Congress as a representative and deliberative institution. Course focus includes the relation between the President and Congress, bicameralism, congressional elections, congressional reform, legislative rules and procedures, and the policy process. The course follows the current Congress using C-SPAN and Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report. Connelly.
  

  • POL 235 - The Presidency


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100. A review of the origins and development of the office of the presidency from Washington to the present, with an emphasis on post-war administrations. Topics include constitutional issues arising from presidential powers, policy making within the executive branch, and modern presidential leadership styles. Connelly, Strong.
  

  • POL 236 - The American Supreme Court and Constitutional Law


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100. A survey of the development of American constitutional law and a study of the role of the Supreme Court as both a political institution and principal expositor of the Constitution. Staff.
  

  • POL 245 - European Politics and Society


    (SOAN 245) FDR: SS4
    Credits: 3
    A comparative analysis of European political systems and social institutions. The course covers the established democracies of western and northern Europe, the new democracies of southern and east-central Europe, and the post-Communist regimes in eastern and southeastern Europe. Mechanisms of European integration are also discussed with attention focused on institutions such as European Union, NATO, OSCE, and Council of Europe. Jasiewicz.
  

  • POL 246 - Post-Communism and New Democracies


    (SOAN 246) FDR: SS4 as sociology only
    Credits: 3
    A comparative analysis of transition from Communism in the countries of the former Soviet bloc. Cases of successful and unsuccessful transitions to civil society, pluralist democracy, and market economy are examined. The comparative framework includes analysis of transition from non-Communist authoritarianism and democratic consolidation in selected countries of Latin America, the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. Jasiewicz.
  

  • POL 247 - Latin American Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    This course focuses on Latin American politics during the 20th and 21st centuries. Major topics include: democracy and authoritarianism; representation and power; populism, socialism, and neoliberalism; and economic development and inequality. The course places particular emphasis on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, and Cuba. In addition, the course examines political relations between the United States and Latin America. Staff.
  

  • POL 250 - Race and Equality


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100 or POL 111 or AFCA 130. Not to be repeated by students who completed POL 180: FS: Black American Politics in Winter 2018. A study of important black figures in American political thought. The course focuses on the intellectual history of black Americans but also considers contemporary social science and public policies dealing with race in America. Morel.
  

  • POL 255 - Gender and Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100, 105 or 111 or instructor consent. This course investigates the gendered terms under which women and men participate in political life. Attention is given to the causes of men’s and women’s different patterns of participation in politics, to processes that are likely to decrease the inequalities between men’s and women’s political power, and the processes by which society’s gender expectations shape electoral and institutional politics. The different effects of gender on the practice of politics in different nations are compared, with a special emphasis placed on advanced industrial democracies. LeBlanc.
  

  • POL 265 - Classical Political Philosophy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 111. An examination of some of the central questions and concerns of classical political philosophy. The course is not restricted to a historical period but extends to classical themes within contemporary culture. A mixture of plays, novels, epics, dialogues, treatises, and films are used. Authors, texts, and themes vary from year to year. Consult with the instructor for specific course details. Hale.
  

  • POL 266 - Modern Political Philosophy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 111. An examination of some of the central questions and concerns of modern political philosophy. The course is not restricted to a historical period but extends to modern themes within contemporary culture. A mixture of plays, novels, epics, dialogues, treatises, and films are used. Authors, texts, and themes vary from year to year.  Staff.
  

  • POL 267 - Contemporary Political Philosophy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 111. The principal aim of this course is to help students understand and think critically about contemporary political life and the crises facing democracy. We examine central questions and concerns in contemporary political philosophy surrounding the topics of democracy, (neo)liberalism, identity, race, and gender. Attention is given to the sources and implications of crises threatening democratic governance, to processes of neo-liberalization, and to how we might better (re)cognize identity, hierarchy, and solidarity in contemporary conditions of pluralism. Consult with the instructor for specific course details. Gray.
  

  • POL 268 - Migration, Identity, and Conflict


    (SOAN 268) FDR: SS4
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: SOAN 102, POV 101, or POL 105. This course focuses on the complex relationship between migration, political institutions, group identities, and inter-group conflict. The course is a hybrid of a seminar and research lab in which students (a) read some of the key social-scientific literature on these subjects, and (b) conduct team-based research making use of existing survey data about the integration of migrant populations into various polities. Eastwood.
  

  • POL 271 - Black Mirror


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Through a critical engagement with the television series “Black Mirror”, this course is intended to help students understand and think critically about how various technologies are actively shaping what it means - and what it might mean in the future - to be human, live a good life, and act as a socio-political agent. We examine some of the central questions and themes presented in each episode through supplementary readings drawn from various fields, including political philosophy, literature, science fiction, and journalism. Topics include technology’s impact on romantic and family relationships, social surveillance and punishment, and political leadership, among others. Gray.
  

  • POL 274 - Terrorism


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    The principal goal of this course is to help students understand the complexities of contemporary terrorism. We discuss definitional issues, the historical roots of modern terrorism, and various micro- and macro-explanations for this form of violence. We also investigate the life cycles of terrorist groups: How do they emerge? What kinds of organizational challenges do they face? How do they end? Other topics include leaderless movements (e.g., “lone wolves”) and state sponsorship. Throughout the course, students observe that terrorism is not a phenomenon unique to one class of people. The course ends with three weeks focused on a certain kind of terrorism which some have called violent Islamic extremism. Cantey.
  

  • POL 276 - Intelligence in Practice


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Not open to those who have already taken POL 278 and precludes future enrollment in POL 278. An examination of the responsibilities of, and challenges faced by, the U.S. intelligence community (IC). Drawing on current literature and case studies, topics include the history and evolution of the IC, the intelligence cycle, ethical and moral issues, oversight and accountability, covert action, and intelligence reform. Through an intelligence lens, we explore the rise of al Qaeda, 9/11 and its aftermath, successes and failures associated with the Iraq War, Russian efforts to sway the 2016 US presidential election, and more. Cantey.
  

  • POL 278 - Intelligence and National Security


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100 or 105. Not open to those with credit for POL 276. This course examines the responsibilities of, and challenges faced by, the U.S. intelligence community (IC). Drawing on current literature and case studies, topics include the history and evolution of the IC, the intelligence cycle (direction, collection, processing, analysis, dissemination), ethical and moral issues, oversight and accountability, covert action, and intelligence reform. Through an intelligence lens, we explore the rise of al Qaeda, 9/11 and its aftermath, successes and failures associated with the Iraq War, Russian efforts to sway the 2016 US presidential election, and more. Cantey.
  

  • POL 283 - Minority Voting Rights and Fair Redistricting


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 4
    No prerequisite. Meets the American politics field requirement in the politics major. This course introduces students to the redistricting process and election law by engaging them in a lab setting in which they use geographic information systems (GIS) software to develop alternative election district plans for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition to learning basic GIS skills, students also study voting rights case law, electoral systems and electoral reform. Staff.
  

  • POL 285 - Contemporary Britain


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Acceptance into the London Summer Internship Program. Corequisite: INTR 453. A summer course taught in Britain, this is an introduction to some key features of contemporary life in the United Kingdom (UK). It focuses on political institutions and processes and extends to take in wider British society. Consideration is given both to the history of recent decades in the UK and to currently prevailing circumstances. Class meetings are combined with a series of visits to relevant sites of interest intended to enhance and expand upon the learning experience. Blick.
  

  • POL 286 - Contemporary South Africa Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Rising sophomore, junior, or senior class standing from any major; minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 at the time of application. Corequisite: INTR 453 (Cape Town). This summer, study abroad course examines post-apartheid politics of South Africa. Our initial focus is on the Apartheid era, emphasizing the domestic and global politics that led to the rise and fall of the National Party Government. This includes an overview of apartheid, a detailed account of the transition process, and how this process structured the post-apartheid political system and societal landscape. We also explore important current questions facing South Africans, from national identity to economic inequality. Overall, this course aims to give students the tools to look beyond an uncritical adoption of the “miracle rising” and “rainbow nation” discourse on South Africa. LeBlanc and Kroenke.
  

  • POL 287 - The Maghreb: History, Culture, and Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Experiential Learning (EXP): YES
    Credits: 4
    This course examines the history, culture, and politics of the Maghreb, and especially the Kingdom of Morocco. After a few days in Lexington, most of the course is based in the old cities of Rabat and Fez, the latter a UNESCO world-heritage site and home to the oldest continually operating university in the world. We take field trips to the blue city of Chefchouen, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, and Africa’s largest mosque in Casablanca. Throughout the course, students explore the region’s political history, including the influence of imperialism and Islam on politics, gender relations in North Africa, Morocco’s relationship with the United States, and more. Cantey.
  

  • POL 288 - Supervised Study Abroad


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisites: Instructor consent and other prerequisites as specified in advance. This spring-term course covers a topic of current interest for which foreign travel provides a unique opportunity for significantly greater understanding. Topics and locations change from year to year and is announced each year, well in advance of registration. This course may be repeated if the topics are different. Offered when interest and expressed and department resources permit.


  

  • POL 290 - Seminar in Politics, Literature and the Arts


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3

    Prerequisites: Set by instructor, varies with topic. In this course, we study how literature, film, and other media are used to examine political themes and how they are used to achieve political ends. We address how politics shapes the arts and how the arts shape politics. The topic is announced at registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Only one such seminar may be counted towards the politics major.

    Spring 2020, POL 290-02: Seminar in Politics, Literature and the Arts: Dystopian Fiction, Horror, and Politics (3). An examination of the political commentary included in dystopian fiction and horror novels and films. Through the analysis of seminal novels such as 1984 and Brave New World, and more recent films such as US, students assess different political concepts, including power, government, freedom, and equality. Literature and film can offer the most mesmerizing yet frightening depictions of our present and future world. At the same time, they can provide us with the opportunity to critically compare our contemporary experiences to those portrayed in them. Our main goal is to critically assess the role of the government and powerful actors in our society. We complement our analysis with a variety of academic readings and opinion pieces. (SS2) Ponce de Leon.


  

  • POL 291 - Special Topics in American Government: Washington and the Arts of Leadership


    Credits: 1
    A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.


  

  • POL 292 - Topics in Politics and Film


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 4

    Prerequisites: Vary by offering. Open to non-majors and majors of all class years. This course examines how film and television present political issues and themes. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

     


  

  • POL 294 - Spring-Term Topics in Public Policy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3-4

    This course is designed to give students additional expertise and awareness of discrete policy challenges in the United States. Students learn to explain current policy systems, including political institutions and political behavior by political actors. Students also formulate policy evaluations acknowledging the strengths and the weaknesses in the policy system. 

    Spring 2020, POL 294-01: Spring-Term Topics in Public Policy: Food Policy (3). Prerequisite: POL 100 or instructor consent. Students with interest in or majoring in politics, economics, business, environmental studies, public health, or poverty are encouraged to take the course.  An introduction to the institutions and politics of U.S. food, nutrition, and farm policy. Major considerations include farm and food-policy history, USDA policy tools, and political issues.  Specific topics focus on the farm bill (economics and conservation), poverty and nutrition programs, and food-industry regulation. Students engage in a community-based research project working with Rockbridge County Extension Office on current nutrition programming. (SS2) Harris.

     


  

  • POL 295 - Special Topics in American Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring

    Prerequisite: May vary with topic. A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

    Fall 2019, POL 295A-01: Special Topics in American Politics: Presidential Impeachment (3). No prerequisite. A consideration of the debates during the Constitutional Convention and the constitution’s ratification process regarding the removal from office of presidents. Students study in detail the impeachments of Andrew Johnson and William Jefferson Clinton, and the impeachment process that led to Richard Nixon’s resignation. When should a president be removed? For what offenses? What constitutes a high crime or misdemeanor?  Is it necessary to establish that a president has committed a crime before removal can be considered? Do the Constitution and the precedents in American history set the bar for presidential removal too high or too low? These and similar questions are discussed in connection with long-standing constitutional arguments and the political lessons from prior impeachments. (SS2) Strong.

     


  

  • POL 296 - Special Topics in Global Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring

    Prerequisites vary by topic. Meets the global politics field requirement in the politics major. A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

    Fall 2019, POL 296A-01: Topic in Global Politics: International Political Economy (3). Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. An introduction to the study of international political economy, including a critical examination of globalization as a dominant trend in the 21st century. First, we explore major theoretical approaches to analyzing international political economy, such as realism, liberalism, and critical theory. To apply the theory, we use The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy as a case study that represents specialization and division of labor in production, distribution, and consumption of goods on a global scale. Then, we discuss key issues of globalization and international political economy, such as international economic organizations, trade relations, regionalism, multinational corporations, international development, global financial instabilities and economic crisis, U.S. economic hegemony, and the U.S.-China trade war. (SS2) Lee

    Spring 2020, POL 296-03: Topic in Global Politics: Avoiding Armagedon:The Politics and Science of Nonproliferation (3). Prerequisite: POL 105 or instructor consent. This course, team-taught by a political scientist and a chemist, introduces students to complex technical and political issues connected to the proliferation of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and the possibilities that such weapons could be used by rogue nations or terrorist groups. Students are expected to design a realistic terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD), engage in the debate over whether nuclear proliferation might make the world safer, and propose a specific policy proposal for enhancing global security in the age of WMD proliferation. (SS2) Strong, Settle.

     

     


  

  • POL 297 - Special Topics in Political Philosophy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring
    Prerequisites: First-year or sophomore standing or instructor consent. A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.


  

  • POL 342 - Seminar: Law and the Judicial Process


    FDR: SS2
    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100 or POL 111, or instructor consent. A survey of legal theories and the problems of reconciling such theories with the realities of administering a legal system. The course draws upon readings from literature, philosophy, legal scholarship, and political science. Topics include the nature of law and justice, constitutionalism, the role and power of courts and judges, and the function of a legal system. Note: re-numbered from POL 237. Harris.
  

  • POL 360 - Seminar: Lincoln’s Statesmanship


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 100. This seminar examines the political thought and practice of Abraham Lincoln. Emphasis is on his speeches and writings, supplemented by scholarly commentary on his life and career. Morel.
  

  • POL 370 - Seminar in American Political Thought


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3 credits in fall or winter; 4 credits in spring.
    Prerequisite: POL 100 or POL 111. An examination of classic themes and current issues in American political thought. Depending on the instructor, emphases may include the Federalists, Anti-Federalists, Alexis de Tocqueville, Abraham Lincoln, and voices from the Progressive and civil rights eras. Course readings stress primary sources including speeches, essays, and books by politicians and theorists. The course explores the effort to reconcile liberty and equality, individualism and community, liberalism and republicanism, politics and religion, among other themes. The course highlights the contemporary relevance of the enduring tensions between political principles and practice.


  

  • POL 380 - Seminar in Global Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3

    Prerequisite: Normally POL 105 or instructor consent, though prerequisite may vary with topic. Open to majors and non-majors of all classes. Meets the global politics field requirement in the politics major. Examination of selected topics dealing with international and comparative politics. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

    Winter 2020, POL 380A-01: Seminar in Global Politics: Immigration Attitudes (3). Prerequisite: POL 105 or instructor consent. An examination of immigration attitudes in Europe, the United States, and Latin America. When and why do individuals choose to migrate to a different country? How do natives of the receiving country react to immigration and form preferences on the issue depending on their socio-economic and political context? The study of immigration has received a lot of attention in recent times as a consequence of the increased political salience of the topic. We examine the different factors that determine immigration attitudes in European countries and the United States, as well as the transportability of these explanatory factors to other regions of the world, such as Latin America. Immigration has become a pressing issue in this region, as the flow of people to countries outside the region has reduced since the 2000s while immigration across Latin American countries has increased. (SS2) Ponce de Leon.

    Fall 2019, POL 380B-01: Seminar in Global Politics: The Architecture of Urban Community (3). Prerequisite: A 100-level course in politics or instructor consent. An investigation of the literal and social architecture of democratic community in cities in Italy, South Africa, Japan, and the United States. The seminar examines how the physical spaces of urban life support or constrain the civic relationships of residents of varying backgrounds and unequal socioeconomic positions. We also consider the ways in which political and economic power structures shape citizens’ opportunities for creative community building and self-determination, and we address issues of poverty, exclusion, and environmental constraints. (SS2) LeBlanc.

     


  

  • POL 381 - Seminar in International Political Economy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 102, or POL 105, or instructor consent. Meets the global politics field requirement in the politics major. This course provides an intermediate-level introduction to the major actors, questions, and theories in the field of international political economy (IPE). Course participants discuss political and economic interactions in the areas of international trade, fiscal and monetary policy, and exchange rates; discuss globalization in historical and contemporary perspectives; and examine the international politics of the major intergovernmental organizations, multinational corporations, states, and other institutional actors in the global economy. Staff.
  

  • POL 384 - Seminar in Middle Eastern Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 105 or instructor consent. This course examines contemporary politics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Topics include the role of colonial legacies in state formation, the region’s democratic deficit, nationalism, sectarianism, and the influence of religion in politics. We explore inter- and intrastate conflict, including the use of terrorism, economic development and underdevelopment, and the recent Arab uprisings (commonly referred to as the Arab Spring). Throughout, we consider why the Middle East attracts as much attention from policymakers and scholars as it does, how analysts have studied the region across time and space, and why understanding different cultural perspectives is critical to understanding the region. Cantey.
  

  • POL 385 - Seminar: Freedom


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POL 111. An examination of differing conceptions of political and individual freedom in the modern world. We explore the political thought of thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Nietzsche, Michel Foucault, and Emma Goldman. Students analyze the meaning of freedom through novels and/or short stories, including the work of authors such as Jonathan Franzen and Franz Kafka. Key questions include the meaning and ends of freedom, its conditions, and connections between personal and political articulations of freedom. Gray.
  

  • POL 392 - Seminar in Asian Politics


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Vary with topic. A topical seminar focusing on Chinese politics, other Asian countries, or selected subjects in Asian politics. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.


  

  • POL 396 - Seminar in Political Philosophy


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring

    Prerequisite: POL 111 or instructor consent. An examination of selected questions and problems in political philosophy and/or political theory. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.


    Winter 2020, POL 396A-01: Seminar in Political Philosophy: Tocqueville (3). Prerequisite: POL 111 or instructor consent. Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, perhaps the most penetrating, insightful and comprehensive book ever written on American politics, provides a useful guide for examining the nature of the American regime: in particular, the nature of a liberal regime, with its emphasis on rights and its tendency to ignore responsibilities or duties. We explore many contemporary political and policy debates in light of Tocqueville’s thought. Does religion have a role in politics? What is the responsibility of the press in a free society? Are political parties part of the problem or part of the solution? Do political and civil associations matter? What role is there in America for philosophy, art, literature, and science? What is the proper relationship between a university and a liberal polity? And what is the appropriate posture for intellectuals and artists toward a liberal regime? What is the connection between laws, manners, and morals? What role do gender and race play in American politics today? What is the proper balance between economics, commerce, and politics in a liberal society? Are liberal democratic regimes effective in the conduct of war and foreign policy? And finally and most importantly, as Americans who are we? (SS2) Connelly.

    Fall 2019: POL 396A-01: Seminar in Political Philosophy: Gandhi and His Critics (3). Prerequisite: POL 111. Who was Mahatma Gandhi, and how should we think of him as a political activist and thinker? Interestingly, Gandhi continues to be one of the most admired and influential, yet polarizing, figures in modern political theory. His ideas and activism have motivated an intense, sympathetic following as well as ardent critics on topics such as colonialism, political leadership, caste politics, and gender relations. In this course, we carefully examine Gandhi’s influences, political activity and writings, and some of the most significant criticisms of his ideas in pre- and post-independence India. We also explore how Gandhian ideas have been used in creative ways to address pressing contemporary issues. Examining Gandhi through the medium of literature, scholarship, and film, we unpack the tremendous complexity of Gandhian political thought, its impact, and how we should view Gandhi in the 21st century. (SS2) Gray.

     


  

  • POL 397 - Seminar in American Government


    FDR: SS2
    Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring

    Prerequisites: POL 100 or instructor consent. Examination of selected topics in American political institutions, ideas, and processes. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

     


  

  • POL 401 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 in politics and permission of the instructor. This course permits a student to follow a program of directed reading, library research, or data collection and analysis in some area not covered in other courses. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • POL 403 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 in politics and instructor consent. This course permits a student to follow a program of directed reading, library research, or data collection and analysis in some area not covered in other courses. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.


  

  • POL 453 - Internship


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 in politics and 3.000 overall, and permission of the instructor. Supervised off-campus experience in a governmental agency or political institution. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.  May be carried out during the summer. Connelly.
  

  • POL 456 - Internship


    Credits: 6
    Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 in politics and 3.000 overall, and permission of the instructor. Supervised off-campus experience in a governmental agency or political institution. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. May be carried out during the summer. Connelly.
  

  • POL 466 - Washington Term Program


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 6
    Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.000 overall and in politics courses; POL 100, 105, or 111. Competitive selection process each October. The Washington Term Program aims to enlarge students’ understanding of national politics and governance. Combining academic study with practical experience in the setting of a government office, think tank, or other organization in Washington, it affords deeper insight into the processes and problems of government at the national level. A member of the politics faculty is the resident director, supervising students enrolled in this program while they are in Washington, D.C. Alexander.
  

  • POL 493 - Honors Thesis


    Credits: 3-3
    Prerequisites: Grade-point average of 3.300 overall and 3.500 in politics major. Honors Thesis.



Portuguese
  

  • PORT 113 - Accelerated Elementary Portuguese


    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: Romance Language placement into FREN 161 or SPAN
    161 or higher, or by instructor consent for students with prior experience in Portuguese.     An accelerated course in elementary Portuguese emphasizing grammar and the skills of speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension and meeting five days per week. Pinto-Bailey.
  

  • PORT 163 - Accelerated Intermediate Portuguese


    FDR: FL
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: PORT 113 or equivalent. This course develops intermediate communicative Portuguese vocabulary and active intermediate competence in the language. The traditional skills of world-language instruction (structure, listening comprehension, reading, writing, and speaking) are stressed. This course meets five days per week. Pinto-Bailey.
  

  • PORT 261 - Advanced Conversation and Composition


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: PORT 163 or equivalent. Further development of conversational skills and beginning work in free composition, with systematic grammar review and word study in various relevant cultural contexts. Pinto-Bailey.
  

  • PORT 295 - Topics in Brazilian Culture


    Credits: 3
    A second-year topics course focusing on issues and texts related to Portuguese literature and culture. All discussion, writing, and exercises are in Portuguese. May be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.


  

  • PORT 401 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: Two terms of Portuguese language or equivalent and consent of the department head. Taught in Portuguese. The nature and content of the course is determined by the students’ needs and by an evaluation of previous work. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • PORT 402 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 2
    Prerequisites: Two terms of Portuguese language or equivalent and consent of the department head. Taught in Portuguese. The nature and content of the course is determined by the students’ needs and by an evaluation of previous work. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • PORT 403 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Two terms of Portuguese language or equivalent and consent of the department head. Taught in Portuguese. The nature and content of the course is determined by the students’ needs and by an evaluation of previous work. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.

Poverty and Human Capability Studies
  

  • POV 101 - Poverty and Human Capability: An Interdisciplinary Introduction


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    An exploration of the nature, scope, causes, effects and possible remedies for poverty as a social, moral, political and policy, economic, legal, psychological, religious, and biological problem. The course focuses on domestic poverty but also considers poverty as a global problem. Pickett, Staff.
  

  • POV 102 - Fieldwork in Poverty and Human Capability


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: Prerequisite or corequisite: POV 101. Not eligible for POV 102 if POV 103 completed. Sustained critical reflection on pivotal issues in poverty studies based on supervised volunteer work, journals, and weekly discussions and papers related to the readings in 101. Pickett, Staff.
  

  • POV 103 - Poverty and Human Capability: An Interdisciplinary Introduction and Fieldwork


    FDR: HU
    Experiential Learning (EXP): YES
    Credits: 3
    Students may not take for degree credit both this course and POV 101 and 102. An exploration of the nature, scope, causes, effects, and possible remedies for poverty as a social, moral, political and policy, economic, legal, psychological, religious, and biological problem. The course focuses on domestic poverty in the United States but also considers poverty as a global problem. This spring term version of the course integrates service fieldwork into the introductory course taught in the fall and winter and offers the same credit as POV 101 and 102 combined. Pickett, Staff.
  

  • POV 197 - Bonner Program


    Experiential Learning (EXP): YES
    Credits: 1
    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This course is offered to members of the Bonner Program at Washington and Lee and provides structured learning activities related to students’ local internships and related leadership training. Students commit to 8-10 hours of service per week through this internship model. May be repeated for up to 8 credits toward the degree. Charley.
  

  • POV 202 - Respect, Community and the Civic Life


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POV 101 and instructor consent. This course facilitates improved student understanding of the important intersections of community engagement, respect, and deepening conceptions of the civic life, and focuses on intentional synthesis of students’ community engagement and community-based learning experiences (including POV 102, POV 453, and other discipline-based and co-curricular opportunities). Students consider what it means to live in community with others and explore topics of respect and responsibility on individual, institutional, and global scales in ways that unite their own experiences and questions with continued examination of the problems associated with poverty and marginality. A variety of perspectives are provided on what it means to live into the mission of Washington and Lee and the Shepherd Program as thoughtful, engaged citizens prepared to understand and address the causes and consequences of poverty in ways that respect the dignity of all. Students in this course engage in significant reflective work around their own community engagement experiences. As such, it is the expectation that all students enrolled engage in the Rockbridge Area through coursework, continuing community engagement, or other community-based learning opportunity. Charley.
  

  • POV 241 - Poverty, Ethics, and Religion


    (PHIL 241) FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    This course introduces students to some of the most influential and compelling ethical arguments (both secular and religious) about our moral obligations regarding poverty. The course also examines the benefits and challenges of doing comparative religious and philosophical ethical analysis of a pressing moral and social problem. In particular, students will consider the arguments for and against including religiously inflected arguments in public deliberation about anti-poverty policy. Pickett
  

  • POV 243 - Martin Luther King Jr.: Poverty, Justice, and Love


    (PHIL 243) FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    This course offers students the opportunity to examine the ethics and theology that informed the public arguments about poverty made by one of the 20th century’s most important social justice theorists and activists, Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the competing views of his contemporaries, critics, forebears, and heirs. The course asks the following questions, among others: How do justice and love relate to one another and to poverty reduction? What role should religion play in public discussions and policies about poverty and justice? Are the dignity and the beloved community King championed the proper goal of anti-poverty efforts? Pickett.
  

  • POV 245 - Poverty, Dignity, and Human Rights


    (PHIL 245) FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    Is severe poverty a human rights violation? This course examines that question and others by means of an investigation of the main philosophical and religious debates about human rights. More broadly, the course provides students with the opportunity to examine our duties (individually and collectively) to those said to suffer from any human rights abuse. Questions considered include: Are human rights universal or culturally specific? What (if anything) grounds human rights? Are religious justifications of rights permissible in a pluralistic world? Is dignity a useful concept for defending and/or discerning human rights? Do we only have liberty rights (to be free of mistreatment) or do we also have welfare rights (to claim certain positive treatment from others)? What are the practical (moral, political. and legal) implications of identifying severe poverty as a human rights violation? Pickett.
  

  • POV 247 - Medicine, Research, and Poverty


    (PHIL 247) FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    This seminar introduces students to central ethical issues in the provision of medical care and the conduct of medical research in the context of poverty. Specific topics include medical research on prisoners and the indigent; ancillary care obligations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); meeting the standard of care in LMICs; access to essential medicines; allocation of scarce medical resources; and compensated donation for organs or tissues. Taylor.
  

  • POV 249 - Poverty, Oppression, and Privilege


    (PHIL 249) FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    This seminar asks one overarching question: Are the increasingly common - and contested - concepts of “oppression” and “privilege” useful in poverty studies and in the pursuit of justice? Along the way, we consider the following more specific questions: Is poverty a form of oppression? Is systemic disadvantage always oppressive or is it sometimes justifiable? What is the relationship between privilege and moral responsibility? Is privilege blameworthy? Do the privileged have distinct responsibilities to advocate for the just treatment of the disadvantaged? For that matter, do the oppressed have their own distinct responsibilities or would such a burden be an additional form of oppression? Is advocating for the disadvantaged privileged and (sometimes) oppressive? If so, is failing to advocate even worse? Who is responsible for the pursuit of justice and what, if anything, should be done? Pickett.
  

  • POV 253 - Narrating Our Stories: Culture, Society, and Identity


    (SOAN 253) FDR: SS4
    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 3
    Taught at Augusta Correctional Center with an equal number of W&L and incarcerated students. Use insights from sociology, anthropology, and the humanities, students uncover how cultural metaphors, socioeconomic inequalities, and global realities inform and shape our identities and experiences. By reading different story-telling formats, we work towards recognizing how the ways we tell our stories impact our ability to see new outcomes and reshape cultural scenarios for ourselves, our families, and our communities. We utilize the Inside-Out Model for class instruction and assignments. Goluboff.
  

  • POV 280 - Poverty Law


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: POV 101 or instructor consent. Historical and contemporary policy debates about poverty in the United States. Topics include the constitutional treatment of poverty, as well as the legal and policy treatment of questions of access to specific social goods, such as housing, health care, education, and legal services. Coverage of those topics include a look at the federalism dimensions of the legal approach to poverty in the United States. We also examine the intersection of the criminal justice system and poverty and touch on international perspectives on poverty. Shaughnessy.
  

  • POV 295 - Child Abuse and Neglect Seminar


    (LAW 221)
    Credits: 2
    Prerequisites: POV 101 and at least junior standing or instructor consent. This seminar examines the response of the legal system to issues of child abuse and neglect. Attempts by courts and legislators to define abuse and neglect are reviewed and critiqued. The seminar also explores the legal framework which governs state intervention to protect children from abuse and neglect. Attention is paid to both state and federal law, including the federal constitutional issues which arise in many child abuse and neglect proceedings. Issues relating to the professional responsibilities of lawyers involved in abuse and neglect proceedings are examined. Shaughnessy.
  

  • POV 296 - Special Topics in Poverty Studies


    Credits: 4

    An intensive, in-depth examination of particular thinkers, approaches, policies or debates in the field of poverty and human capability studies.

    Spring 2020, POV 296-01: Special Topics in Poverty Studies: Justice and Mercy: Philosophical and Religious Perspectives (4). Prerequisite: POV 101. This interdisciplinary community-based seminar takes place at Augusta Correctional Center in Craigsville, Virginia (approximately 35 miles from Lexington), a level-3 (out of 6) medium-security state prison. W&L undergraduates attend class with inmates who are pursuing higher education while in custody at the center. Our focus is mainly on questions related to justice and forgiveness as they relate to governmental/political injustices and atrocities (e.g., the Holocaust, white supremacy, colonialism). (HU) Howard Pickett.


  

  • POV 423 - Poverty and Human Capability: A Research Seminar


    (LAW 391)
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: At least junior standing, POV 101 or POV 103, POV 453, or instructor consent. An inquiry into principal factors or agents responsible for the causes, effects, and remedies of poverty. This examination is conducted through reading appropriate in-depth studies from various disciplines and perspectives, and it culminates with an independent research project into specific aspects of poverty drawing on students’ internships and respective areas of study and looking forward to their professional work and civic engagement. This seminar serves as a capstone for undergraduate poverty studies and includes second- and third-year law students in Law 391. Pickett, Staff.
  

  • POV 450 - Shepherd Summer Internship


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 0
    Prerequisites: POV 101 or POV 103 or POL 215 or SOAN 268. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Eight-week summer internship working with individuals and communities. Supervised work with agencies in business and economic development, community organizing, education, environmental advocacy, health care, law, religious ministry, and social services that engage impoverished persons and communities. Eight weeks of full-time work is preceded by an orientation to prepare the interns to reflect critically on what they have learned. W&L students work with students from other participating colleges. Students keep journals reflecting on their work. Financial support is available; in rare instances the Shepherd Program director may approve other internship programs to meet this requirement, but approval must be in advance with special conditions and stipulations. Pickett, Staff.
  

  • POV 453 - Shepherd Summer Internship


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: POV 101 or POV 103 or POL 215 or SOAN 268. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Eight-week summer internship working with individuals and communities. Supervised work with agencies in business and economic development, community organizing, education, environmental advocacy, health care, law, religious ministry, and social services that engage impoverished persons and communities. Eight weeks of full-time work is preceded by an orientation to prepare the interns and followed by a closing conference for interns to reflect critically on what they have learned. W&L students work with students from other participating colleges. Students keep journals reflecting on their work. Financial support is available; in rare instances the Shepherd Program director may approve other internship programs to meet this requirement, but approval must be in advance with special conditions and stipulations. This course may not be repeated, but students who complete POV 453 may apply for a different second internship and receive recognition without credit for POV 450. Pickett, Staff.

Religion
  

  • REL 100 - Introduction to Religion


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    Not open to students who have taken REL 210. Through consideration of texts in a diversity of humanistic and social scientific disciplines, this course explores the nature, function, and meaning of religion in individual and collective experience. It also explores texts, practices, and symbols from a variety of world religions. Students who have taken REL 210 are ineligible for taking REL 100. Kosky.
  

  • REL 101 - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Staff.
  

  • REL 102 - New Testament


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    An introduction to the history, literature and interpretation of the New Testament. Brown.
  

  • REL 103 - Introduction to Asian Religions


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    A survey of the teachings, practices, and historical significance of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. Lubin.
  

  • REL 104 - Secularity, Disenchantment, and Religion


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    A study of the decline, transformation, and/or displacement of religious thought and practice in the west. Students explore depictions of religion and secularity in the modern west from the perspective of a variety of disciplines, including some or all of the following: sociology, psychology, philosophy, theology, literature, art.  These explorations address the disenchantment that is supposed to have pervaded modern secularity, and they ask if secularity offers alternatives to such disenchantment. Kosky.
  

  • REL 105 - Introduction to Islam


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    This course familiarizes students with the foundations of the Islamic tradition and the diverse historical and geographical manifestations of belief and practice built upon those foundations. Throughout the course, the role of Islam in shaping cultural, social, gender, and political identities is explored. Readings are drawn from the writings of both historical and contemporary Muslim thinkers. Atanasova.
  

  • REL 106 - Judaism: Tradition and Modernity


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    Through a variety of sources, including Talmudic debate, fiction, drama, liturgy, memoirs, film, and history, this course introduces the main concepts, literature, and practices of the classical forms of Judaism that began in the first centuries C.E., and then examines how Judaism has changed during the past two centuries, in modernist movements (Reform, Neo-Orthodoxy, Zionism) and contemporary fundamentalist movements (Ultra-Orthodoxy, messianic settler Zionism), as well as current ideas and issues. Staff.
  

  • REL 108 - The Qur’an


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Instructor consent required. This course approaches the Qur’an from a range of modern and pre-modern perspectives: as an oral recitation; as a material object; as a historical document; as a literary text; as it relates to the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; as a foundation for Islamic law, theology and mysticism; and as a source for ethics and social activism. Particular attention is devoted to issues of gender and politics raised by the Qur’an, supplemented by a number of film screenings. Prior knowledge of Islam is not required. Atanasova.
  

  • REL 120 - War and the Bible


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    From the battle of Jericho to the apocalyptic wars in the Book of Revelation, the Bible is full of violent conflict. Wars are waged between nations, peoples, and even gods. What ideologies of war underlie these depictions? How does the Bible understand warfare and its many facets? What is a just or holy war? Are there war crimes in the ancient world? What is the role of divine beings in these conflicts? Does the God of the Bible ever lose? Through close readings of both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, we consider the different ways in which war is depicted by biblical texts in different historical periods. We also examine the ongoing influence of biblical warfare on later discourses about violent conflict around the world. Sonia.
  

  • REL 130 - Us, Them, and God: Religion, Identity, and Interaction in the Middle East and South Asia


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    This course surveys the historical and social dynamics that have contributed to the formation of religious identities in the Middle East and South Asia. These identities, shaped over many centuries by the rise, spread, and interaction of religious ideas, peoples, and institutions, become important factors in socio-political movements and conflicts. The course takes a long view of the historical roots of these religious identities, their shifting boundaries and significance in the era of European colonialism, and their role in the formation of post-colonial nations. Particular emphasis is placed on the cultural linkages between the various Middle Eastern and South Asian cultural spheres, and broader patterns of Identity-formation and cultural influence through forms of globalization, both modern and pre-modem Lubin.
  

  • REL 131 - Buddhism


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 3
    A survey of the historical development of the doctrines and practices of Buddhism. After a discussion of the Hindu origins of Buddhism, the course focuses on the development of the Theravada, Vajrayana and Mahayana traditions. A class trip to at least one Buddhist center is included. Lubin.
 

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