The Center for the Study of Religious Freedom offers three courses as part of the Virginia Wesleyan curriculum. CSRF 100, Religious Freedom Symposium, is normally offered in conjunction with a Center symposium. See the Programs listing. Other Center courses are offered approximately every other academic year. In addition, several courses offered within particular academic disciplines are designated as "Center-affiliated" courses. Center-affiliated courses may satisfy one or more General Studies requirements. Students are encouraged to consult the college catalog and course schedules for more information.
The study of religious freedom is inherently interdisciplinary. Students taking courses offered by the Center or other Center-affiliated courses learn the value of diverse perspectives and methodologies in understanding complex issues.
Center Courses
- CSRF 100 Religious Freedom Symposium
- CSRF 275 Religious Freedom and Tolerance
- CSRF 355 Law and Religion in America (same as RELST 355)
Center-Affiliated Courses
History Courses
- HIST 248 Medieval Islamic World
- HIST 317 History of Virginia
- HIST 322 Religion and Social Issues in American History
- HIST 400 The Civil Rights Movement
- HIST 426 Heresy and Witchcraft
- HIST 451 The Holocaust
Interdisciplinary Studies Courses
Philosophy Courses
Political Science Courses
- POLS 239 American Political Thought
- POLS 335 American Government
- POLS 372 Constitutional Law II: Substantive Rights
- POLS 435 Contemporary Theories of Justice
Religious Studies Courses
- RELST 116/316 World Religions
- RELST 140 Religion in American Culture
- RELST 319 Christian Ethics
- RELST 320 Science and Religion
- RELST 336 Sociology of Religion
- RELST 355 Law and Religion in America (same as CSRF 355)
Sociology Courses
- SOC 110 Cultural Anthropology
- SOC 222 Social Institutions
- SOC 230 Understanding Other Cultures
- SOC 336 Sociology of Religion
CSRF 100 Religious Freedom Symposium (1)
This non-traditional course offers students an opportunity to continue discussions arising out of the Symposium series offered by the Center. Students attend the programs, read background materials, and participate in discussions, primarily online. Pass/fail grading.
CSRF 275 Religious Freedom and Tolerance (3)
For more than two centuries, Jefferson’s Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom has shaped the way Americans think about religion and the right to freedom in matters of conscience. History teaches us that the discussion about freedom and tolerance is open-ended. Just as our democracy continues to evolve in response to changes in society, so too must we continue to interpret the meaning and relevance of democracy’s central concepts for our own time and situation. Students will become familiar with the modern literature about religious freedom and acquire a conceptual framework and vocabulary for discussing contemporary issues.
INST 202 The School and Society (3)
A study of the school and its role as an institution in our society. Introduction to the school, the teachers, the learners, and the social, historical, and philosophical foundations of the American public school system. Special attention is given to the legal status of teachers and students, including federal and state laws. Attention is also given to student diversity issues such as drug abuse, Attention Deficit Disorder, gifted and talented instruction, and multiculturalism.
HIST 248 Medieval Islamic World (3)
An honors course in the history, religion and culture of the Islamic Near East, Spain, African empires and Swahili coast, the Ottoman empire and Mogul India from Muhammad the Prophet to the seventeenth century.
HIST 317 History of Virginia (3)
A study of the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia through the Civil War. Includes field trips to historic sites in the state.
HIST 322 Religion and Social Issues in American History (3)
Examines, from an interdisciplinary vantage point, crucial social issues in American history such as slavery and issues of racial equality, and the status of women. This course explores the religious influences, background and context of these social issues which have had a profound effect on American history and continue to reverberate in American society today. Prerequisites; see catalog.
HIST 400 The Civil Rights Movement (3)
An examination of the patterns of change in race relations as a result of the activities of the Civil Rights Movement. Beginning with a study of the racial conditions in the United States prior to 1954, the course places emphasis on the “significance of chronology in understanding human culture,” in this instance, the culture of the United States.
HIST 426 Heresy and Witchcraft (3)
An intensive examination of the varying themes and viewpoints historians grapple with in their study of religious dissent in Medieval and Early Modern Europe. Includes a formal research paper in a student-led seminar format. Prerequisites; see catalog.
HIST 451 The Holocaust (3)
Examines the Holocaust in its broadest historical sense. Investigating the history of anti-Semitism, the emergence of racial ideologies at the end of the 19th century, the conditions that contributed to the rise of the Nazi Party, and the memory of the Holocaust, this course seeks to situate the Holocaust in a broad historical context. The focus is the experience of Jews in Europe; however, we also examine the Germans’ annihilation of other perceived racial enemies, including Roma and Sinti, the physically and mentally handicapped, as well as gays and lesbians. The course revolves around an all-class project that commemorates Kristalnacht on November 9. Prerequisites; see catalog.
PHIL 102 Contemporary Moral Issues (3)
Students apply various ethical theories to contemporary moral issues, such as abortion, capital punishment, animal rights, poverty, censorship, and affirmative action.
PHIL 110 Perennial Questions (3)
A critical examination of several great issues which confront us in modern philosophical thought including the question of the existence of God, the nature of ultimate reality, the sources of human knowledge, the principles of moral values, and the problems of aesthetic judgments.
PHIL 215 Philosophy of Religion (3)
Addresses some major questions that have emerged in the history of philosophy concerning the justification of theistic belief, the meaning of religious language, the nature of miracles, and mystical experience.
POLS 239 American Political Thought (3)
Focuses on major ideas shaping American institutions of government and politics from the founding generation to the present. The writings of many different individuals relating to such issues as: slavery and race; capitalism and social justice; and feminist political theory are evaluated. Readings include the Federalist Papers, selections from Democracy in America, works by Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Betty Friedan.
POLS 335 American Government (3)
Acquaints students with the workings of our system of federal government. The Constitution, the presidency, Congress, the Supreme Court, political parties and the regulatory agencies are treated as separate units of a unified focus upon our institutions of national government.
POLS 372 Constitutional Law II: Substantive Rights (3)
Privacy rights, rights of accused criminals, racial, economic, and sex discrimination in schools, jobs, and housing, reverse discrimination, and freedom of expression and religion are particular concerns of this course, which examines through the case study method, together with historical and political analyses, the nature of the Supreme Court’s authority and its relationships to other branches of American government, equal protection of the laws, and First Amendment rights. Prerequisites; see catalog.
POLS 435 Contemporary Theories of Justice (3)
In this seminar, students read and discuss four of the most important texts in contemporary liberal debates about justice. The aim is to understand the alternative views of political society and justice presented in these texts and to consider the choice worthiness of each alternative.
RELST 116/316 World Religions (4)
A survey of various religions of the world, their beliefs, practices, and ethical concerns. Focusing primarily on Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, students in this course examine the history, literature, structures, and manifestations of each of these religions. We examine how such disciplines as psychology, sociology, theology, art and ethics shape, and are shaped by, particular religious worldviews. The course ends with a specific examination of some of the key conflicts/disagreements between two of these religious traditions.
RELST 140 Religion in American Culture (4)
Focuses on religion as practiced by both mainstream and minority groups in America. It examines how religion shapes, and is shaped by, such things as American views on ethnicity, ethics, literature, business, and politics.
RELST 319 Christian Ethics (4)
Focuses both on the distinctiveness of “Christian ethics” over against other ethical theories (e.g. ethical egoism, utilitarianism, etc.) and on the different ways in which Christians themselves use biblical texts within theological ethics. Prerequisites; see catalog.
RELST 320 Science and Religion (4)
Centers around two main questions: What has been the impact of science on theology, and are science and religion incompatible? The first question is primarily historical. We examine key advances in the history of science and theological responses to them. The second question is primarily philosophical. In each case, discussions take their departure from the issues raised in important primary texts. Prerequisites; see catalog.
RELST 336 Sociology of Religion (3)
Same as SOC 336.
CSRF 355/RELST 355 Law and Religion in America (4)
Explores the various ways in which law and religion interact with and impact upon each other in American life. The approach is contextual and case-driven, meaning that we will get at the larger, philosophical issues through the medium of specific legal cases and public debates from our past and present. Through these case studies, we reach the broader concerns: the legitimacy of law (“where the law comes from”), the experience of free exercise of religion in American history, the legal enforcement of morality, and the establishment clause limits on the power of the majority. Prerequisites; see catalog.
SOC 110 Cultural Anthropology (3)
Study of the nature of culture; comparative analysis of social, religious, economic, and political institutions in specific preliterate and modern cultures; the cultural dimensions of behavior.
SOC 222 Social Institutions (3)
Examination of the enduring patterns of social action that center around basic societal needs and values such as: religion, education, family, governance, and economics. Inquiry will conern the nature of institutions and the forces that create and change them.
SOC 230 Understanding Other Cultures (3)
A study of traditional culture patterns, religious beliefs and practices, political and economic behavior, and art forms of a selected ethic group or geographic area. Prerequisite; see catalog.
SOC 336 Sociology of Religion (3)
Examination of the origin and development of religion as a social institution: theories concerning its nature and function, sociocultural dimensions of religious beliefs, values, and conduct; contemporary denominations, sects and cults in the United States; the relationship between religion and other social institutions. Identical to RELST 336. Prerequisite; see catalog.