Religious Studies Courses

This course connects the history of Kansas to past and present freedom movements. We will explore the significance of the KU Jay Hawk during 19th century anti-slavery struggles in Lawrence and “Bleeding Kansas.” They we will then study 21st century resistance strategies captured by social media hashtags, public education campaigns, and collective action to re-galvanize a demand for abolition and the declaration that Black Lives Matter. A focal lens will be to examine the role of multiracial, interreligious, and transglobal communities as a guide to advance a faith-based abolitionist movement that imagines a more just and equitable world.

This course examines the complex role of Christianity in American politics, with a special focus on the origins, rise, and ongoing impact of White Christian Nationalism (WCN). Although the course will focus on the rise of Christian nationalism in American politics, the origins of this ideology, which precede the founding of the United States, will also be examined. The course will include a look at early foundations of Christian Nationalism in medieval Catholicism, the Protestant Reformation, and the so-called Wars of Religion, as well as more recent developments in Christian political theology in the United States. By exploring the connections between authoritarian political theology and right-wing politics, students will gain a more nuanced understanding of the religious and political forces at work in the United States today.

This course explores connections between Christianity and popular culture by examining four of the most prominent modern fantasy series: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. Through reading, discussing, and writing about these series, we will analyze the role played by Christianity in fantasy literature and discover how various theological themes are addressed in fantasy books. We will also reflect upon the difficulties inherent in determining what makes a text “religious” and explore how the author’s intentions, the audience’s interpretations, and other factors figure into this determination.