Religious Studies Courses


New 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.

An examination of utopian communities in North America from the seventeenth century to the present. The course will survey the history, literature, and social dynamics of representative communal societies and movements including but not limited to the Shakers, the Hutterites, the Oneida Community, Catholic religious communities, egalitarian, and other religious communities.

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 some of the most prominent modern fantasy series such as: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. Through reading, discussing, and writing about these series, students will analyze the role played by Christianity in fantasy literature and discover how various theological themes are addressed in fantasy books. Students 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.

This course will explore the idea that comic books are a unique art form capable of expressing ideas in ways that prose, poetry, and film cannot. These include religious ideas, and the history of comics are full of examples of powerful religious and anti-religious ideas from around the world. Topics may include: how to read comics as literature, examples of comics dealing with major issues and ideas in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and traditional Native American religions, and the relationships between superheroes and gods.

Spring 2026 Course Schedule

CourseTimeRoom
REL 325 - Introduction to Judaism2:00-3:15pm SNOW 452
REL 379 -  Prophets and Profits3:30-4:45pm ST 338A
CourseTimeRoom
REL 137 - Religious Ethics & Moral Decisions 9:30 - 10:45amWES 4047
REL 343 - Christianity in Fantasy Literature9:30 - 10:45amWES 1045
REL 145 - Jailbirds & Jayhawks: Abolition in Bleeding Kansas11:00am - 12:15pmWES 4045
REL 171 - Religion in American Society11:00am - 12:15pmMAL 1001
REL 340 - Christianity & American Politics11:00am - 12:15pmST 335
REL 330 - Native American Religions12:30 - 1:45pmWES 4040
REL 373 - The Supreme Court & Religious Issues in the United States5:00 - 6:15pmBA 105
First Half, 1/20 - 3/13Second Half, 3/23 - 5/15
REL 309 - Religion in JapanREL 104 - Introduction to Religious Studies
REL 372 - Religion and Environment in the USREL 290/305 - Spirituality, Travel, and Wellbeing in Japan

Fall 2025 Course Schedule

CourseTimeRoom
REL 100 - Introduction to Religious Ethics2:00-3:15pm DHDC 2092

REL 312 - Black Feminist and Womanist Ethics

3:30-4:45pm BL 210
CourseTimeRoom
REL 104 - Introduction to Religious Studies2:00-3:15pmROB 156
REL 107 - Jews, Christian, Muslims2:00-3:00pmMAL 1003
REL 124 - Understanding the Bible9:30-10:45amWES 1007
REL 171 - Religion in American Society11:00-12:15pmMAL 1001
REL 177 - First Year Seminar - Learning Across Cultures12:30-1:45pmWES 4068
REL 290/338 - Heaven on Earth9:30-10:45amWES 4051
REL 290/348 - Supergods: Religion & Comics11:00-12:15pmLEA 2115
First Half, 8/18 - 10/10Second Half, 10/15 - 12/12
REL 106 - Asian ReligionsREL 360 - The Buddhist Tradition in Asia
REL 350 - IslamREL 372 - Religion and Environment in the US

Courses