Religion

W40 Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. This course explores the historical, moral, and theological dimensions of the Nazi Holocaust. Students study the history of anti-Semitism that culminated in Hitler's persecution of the Jews, the historical account of the Holocaust itself, and the moral and theological issues raised by it. Resources used in this class are books on the history of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, two writings of Elie Wiesel, and a number of films about the Holocaust and its significance. The course also includes a four-day field trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington , D.C. Evaluation is based on class discussion, a short written report, and a final exam. Fee: $250 (approximate) for field trip. K. Pomykala. 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

W42 Birth, Sex, and Death in the Biblical World. Why is sexual intercourse unclean according to Leviticus 15:18? If the body is in the grave, where is the person after death? In recent years, anthropologists and other social scientists have begun to examine more closely the ways in which human cultures conceptualize and organize the ordinary events of the human life cycle. Biblical scholars, too, have begun to consider these things by using the Bible, not as a theological textbook, but as a window on the lives of ordinary people in ancient Israel and the early church. This course looks at various aspects of the human life cycle as they are described or discussed in the Bible. Material from other ancient Near Eastern cultures is used to illuminate the thought world of the Bible. Some of the aspects of the life cycle covered in this course are the reasons why people wanted to have children, theories of conception and fetal development, birth and the postpartum period, the female reproductive cycle, the structure of marriage, raising children, sexual activity and restrictions, celibacy, old age, death, and the afterlife. In addition to regular class participation, students write a final paper. R. Whitekettle. 8:30 a.m. to noon.

W43 Learning to Pray Like Jesus. What does the Bible teach about prayer and how does that translate into real life? This course explores the place of prayer in the Old and New Testaments, including the Jewish roots of Christian practice, and how the church developed its own monastic tradition through the desert fathers. Delving into the practical dimensions of the practice of prayer includes a look at the traditional spiritual disciplines of fasting and meditation. Students also investigate some of the theological questions raised by prayer: Can God be influenced? Does God change his mind? Does prayer make a difference in the world? Student evaluation is based on a book review, class participation, and a personal prayer journal. The final goal of this course is for each student to cultivate a more deeply, personal, theologically informed, and historically aware life of prayer. D. Crump. 8:30 a.m. to noon.