PHIL 3560 Judaism

Examination of the beliefs, practices, laws, and movements in Judaism from Biblical times to the present. Explores the diversity and multiplicity of Jewish lives, identities, and experiences in relation to other religions, cultures, and societies, as well as contemporary questions of prejudice, tolerance, and inclusion within and beyond Judaism.

PHIL 3510 Hebrew Bible
Philosophical and ethical concepts of the Hebrew Bible compared with ancient pagan thought and subsequent Western culture. Concepts discussed include creation, revelation, holiness, faith, covenant, prophecy, idolatry, chosen people, justice, mercy, truth and peace.
HIST 3308 Ancient Israel
Survey of the Hebrew people’s attempts at early state formation from their origins to the Persian period (ca. 3000 BCE–ca. 500 BCE). Major themes include early incarnations of Israel as a state bordering stronger powers, notions and problems of state formation in the tradition of “Western” thought, the interplay between Jewish monotheism and assimilation with neighboring polytheistic cultures, and how this interrelationship informed Jewish notions of leadership and community. Concentrates on primary sources and on the most influential modern scholarship on Hebrew culture, ancient Israel, and its neighbors; also explores the use of archaeology and other non-literary sources to address the basic issues of the course.
HIST 4385 Nazi Germany

Comprehensive, sophisticated account and analysis of the Nazi period in German history, exploring issues related to the content and implications of Nazi ideology, the role of Hitler, the complicity of elites such as Junkers, the military, the churches and big business. Examines the origins both of the Nazi movement and of the conditions in Germany that led to the movement’s rise to power. Analyzes the consequences of the implementation of Hitler’s policies in the forms of genocide, military conquest and defeat.

HIST 4435 Jewish American Pop Culture

This course examines the Jewish experience in America from the colonial period to the present with a particular emphasis on using 20th century visual culture to interpret the broader history and experience. We will investigate the experience of Jews as participants, influencers, and creators within popular American cultural mediums, such as comics, theatre, and film. Topics that will be explored include: ethnicity, community, individual vs. national identity, immigration and migration, artistic and social performance, anti- Semitism, and acculturation.

ENGL 3370 The Bible As Literature

Considers the variety of literary genres and narrative strategies in the Bible and the historical contexts in which its various writers wrote. Books of major literary interest or influence selected both from the Torah, Prophets, and Writings of the Hebrew Bible and from the New Testament. Some biblical readings may also be paired with works of literature in English influenced by the Scriptures. No acquaintance with the Bible is assumed.

GERM 4314 The Third Reich

Overview of the history and culture of the Third Reich (1933-1945) and the German postwar period until the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic in 1949. Taught entirely in German.

THEA 4395 Theatre and the Holocaust
The exploration and examination of performance and the arts as reflections of the experiences of people during the Holocaust.