Module #1 Introduction to the Development of Religious Thought Overview of the course, definitions of key terms, and an exploration of the significance of studying religious thought.
Module #2 Ancient Mesopotamian Religions Examination of the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Mesopotamia, including the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians.
Module #3 Ancient Egyptian Religion Study of the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Egypt, including polytheism, the role of the pharaoh, and funerary practices.
Module #4 The Emergence of Judaism Exploration of the development of Judaism from its ancient Near Eastern roots to the Babylonian exile.
Module #5 The Hebrew Bible Analysis of the Hebrew Bibles literary structure, themes, and theological ideas, including the concepts of covenant and redemption.
Module #6 The Development of Christianity Examination of the life and teachings of Jesus, the spread of Christianity, and the Council of Nicaea.
Module #7 The New Testament Study of the literary structure, themes, and theological ideas of the New Testament, including the Gospels and Pauline epistles.
Module #8 The Rise of Islam Exploration of the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, the Five Pillars, and the early Islamic community.
Module #9 The Quran and Hadith Analysis of the literary structure, themes, and theological ideas of the Quran and the role of Hadith in Islamic theology.
Module #10 The Development of Hinduism Examination of the Vedic period, the Upanishads, and the emergence of classical Hinduism.
Module #11 The Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Study of the Bhagavad Gitas literary structure, themes, and theological ideas, including the concept of dharma and the development of yoga.
Module #12 The Emergence of Buddhism Exploration of the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Four Noble Truths, and the early Buddhist community.
Module #13 The Pali Canon and Mahayana Buddhism Analysis of the literary structure, themes, and theological ideas of the Pali Canon and the development of Mahayana Buddhism.
Module #14 The Development of Chinese Religions Examination of the emergence of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in ancient China.
Module #15 Confucianism and the Analects Study of the life and teachings of Confucius, the Analects, and the role of Confucianism in Chinese society.
Module #16 Daoism and the Daodejing Analysis of the literary structure, themes, and theological ideas of the Daodejing and the development of Daoist thought.
Module #17 Religious Thought in the Middle Ages Examination of the development of Christian theology, the rise of Islamic philosophy, and the impact of the Crusades.
Module #18 The Reformation and Protestantism Study of the causes and consequences of the Reformation, including the thought of Martin Luther and John Calvin.
Module #19 The Enlightenment and the Emergence of Modernity Analysis of the impact of the Enlightenment on religious thought, including the rise of deism and the challenge of skepticism.
Module #20 Religious Thought in the Modern Era Examination of the development of liberal theology, the rise of fundamentalism, and the impact of secularization.
Module #21 Eastern Religions in the Modern Era Study of the impact of colonialism, globalization, and modernization on Eastern religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.
Module #22 Religious Pluralism and Interfaith Dialogue Analysis of the challenges and opportunities of religious pluralism, including the role of interfaith dialogue and cooperation.
Module #23 Religion and Science Examination of the relationship between religion and science, including the debates over evolution and creationism.
Module #24 Religion and Ethics Study of the role of religion in shaping ethical systems, including the challenges of moral relativism and absolute morality.
Module #25 Course Wrap-Up & Conclusion Planning next steps in The Development of Religious Thought career
