Courses

Fall Quarter offerings are now available and the new academic year brings both perennial favorites, like “Religion in LA” and “Religion and Violence”, and newer courses like “Animals in Religious Literature” and “Global Jainism”.  Curious about all of the offerings? Click here to take a look at all of the course offerings for the current academic year which fulfill Study of Religion requirements.

Have questions? Contact College Advisor/Counselor, Beth Kraemer.

For information about specific section times and locations, please view the UCLA Schedule of Classes.

Click here to see a full list of courses with their numbers and short names which fulfill requirements for the Study of Religion major and minor.

Fall 2024

  • RELIGN 177 - Variable Topics in Religion

    Instructor(s): Anahita Hoose, Anahita Hoose

    In recent centuries, globalization has been catalyst for innumerable cultural confrontations and negotiations, born from coexistence and cross-fertilization of traditions with vastly different roots. Jainism, one of world's oldest living religions and confined until modern times to South Asia, is now practiced by diaspora spanning world. Introductory survey of Jainism's Indian origins, and understanding of cosmos and humanity's place within it developed in premodern Jain learning. Examination of experiences, perspectives, and practices of modern Jains following ancient faith in global context, within India and outside it--including in Southern California.

  • RELIGN 110 - Religion and Violence

    Instructor(s): Simon Joseph

    Seminar, three hours; discussion, one hour. Exploration of capacity of religion to mobilize and legitimate violence. Materials include theoretical texts by Rene Girard, Walter Burkert, Jonathan Z. Smith, and David Rapoport and case studies dealing with religion and violence in India, Northern Ireland, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Sri Lanka, and the U.S. Letter grading.

  • RELIGN M60C - Introduction to Korean Religions

    Instructor(s): Sung-deuk Oak

    (Same as Korean M60.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Knowledge of Asian languages not required. General survey of history of religions in Korea--Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Christianity, Tonghak, and some new religions--with focus on religious doctrines, practices, Korean characteristics, and social impacts. P/NP or letter grading.

  • RELIGN M60A - Introduction to Buddhism

    Instructor(s): Stephanie Balkwill

    (Same as Asian M60.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Not open for credit to students with credit for course M60W. Knowledge of Asian languages not required. General survey of development of Buddhism in India, with focus on those religious doctrines and meditative practices most essential to various Asian traditions of Buddhism. Letter grading.

  • RELIGN 55 - Spirit of Medicine

    Instructor(s): Ryan Gillespie

    Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Examination of relationship between medicine, religion, and society; how religion is help or hindrance to health; and what health care might look like beyond biomedical clinic. Examination of historical entwinement of religion, medicine, and society in Western antiquity to early modern period; disentanglement in Enlightenment to early 20th century; and confluence of science, technology, and capitalism in biomedicine compartmentalized from religion today. Conceptualization of rhetorics and epistemplogies of healing--what it means to be healed and how one would know--and put in tension with faith healings and religion-as-medicine, medicine-as-religion, and integrated approaches. Analysis of alternatives to biomedical status quo in theoretical medicine and in health care delivery, with particular attention to questions of justice and holistic care in U.S. and of policy and practice globally. P/NP or letter grading.

  • RELIGN 11 - Religion in Los Angeles

    Instructor(s): Simon Joseph

    Lecture, four hours. Introduction to varieties of religious experience in Los Angeles and its environs. Presentations, required readings, and (where possible) site visits to examine selected faiths and spiritual practices throughout Southern California and provide deeper understanding of myriad ways that sacred is made manifest and encountered. Foundational academic orientations within study of religion (anthropological, historical, psychological, sociological, etc.) used as framework to examine and interpret almost unparalleled religious diversity of City of Angels. Recognizing that spiritual traditions are crucial reflection of region's ever-changing demographics, emphasis on role of ethnicity, gender, nationality, and race in shaping of religious landscape. P/NP or letter grading.

  • RELIGN M10 - Introduction to Judaism

    Instructor(s): Catherine Bonesho

    (Same as Jewish Studies M10.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Judaism's basic beliefs, institutions, and practices. Topics include development of biblical and rabbinic Judaism; concepts of god, sin, repentance, prayer, and the messiah; history of Talmud and synagogue; evolution of folk beliefs and year-cycle and life-cycle practices. P/NP or letter grading.

  • RELIGN M179 - Topics in Moral Philosophy: Evil

    Instructor(s): Mark Johnson

    (Same as Philosophy M152B.) Lecture, three to four hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Preparation: one philosophy course. Exploration of philosophical issues raised by topic of evil actions and/or evil people. Issues may include nature of evil, problem of evil and theodicies, responsibility for evil and problem of free will, causes and motivations for evil action, and variant responses to evil such as forgiveness and punishment. P/NP or letter grading.

  • RELIGN M182A - Ancient Jewish History

    Instructor(s): Jeremy Smoak

    (Same as History M182A and Jewish Studies M182A.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Survey of social, political, and religious developments. P/NP or letter grading.