Current Courses

CURRENT COURSES

Spring 2009

PHI 333 Philosophy of Love and Sexuality - Dr. Rempel
This course is designed to serve as an introduction to the philosophy of love and sexuality via classic texts by a handful of philosophers, religious thinkers, poets, psychologists, etc. We will consider such matters as the nature and origin of both love and sexuality; the relationship between love, sexuality, and marriage; Christian love, feminist perspectives on love, etc.

PHI 372 - Philosophy of Religion - Dr. Holley
This course is a survey of philosophical reflection about religion. Topics include the nature of ultimate reality, arguments for God's existence, the problem of evil, non-evidential justifications of religious belief, religious experience, life after death, and religious diversity. We will consider and discuss ideas of historical and contemporary philosophers from both Eastern and Western traditions on these topics as we explore the issues and try to arrive at defensible positions of our own. The primary text is Andrew Eshleman, ed., Readings in Philosophy of Religion: East Meets West, Blackwell Publishing, 2008.

PHI 480 - Philosophical Discourse - Dr. Holley
This class is a capstone course for philosophy majors, focusing on preparing and presenting philosophical work. In the course we will deal with such issues as philosophical research, philosophical concepts and methods, the writing process, and communicating philosophical ideas to professional and lay audiences. During the course students will prepare a major paper as if for journal submission. They will present a version of their work on the paper topic as they would to a philosophic audience, and they will do a class presentation demonstrating their ability to explain a philosophic issue to introductory students. Students will share their work with the class at various stages and go through an extensive critique and revision process. The topic for the class paper is in the area of morality and self-interest. We will be reading some philosophical writing on this issue that should serve to stimulate thinking, to initiate the research process, and to exemplify various aspects of the nature of philosophic writing.

PHI 758 - Philosophy of Biology - Smithka and Curry
This course is about the nature of biological science. Basic notions such as hypotheses, theories, laws, models, perception, knowledge, evidence, falsification, the nature of truth, teleology, etc., are explored under major biological topics including the nature of life, ecology, systematics, developmental biology, and evolutionary theory. The course will contain some lecture components but will be largely group discussion. The course is team-taught by Paula Smithka (Philosophy) and Kenneth Curry (Biological Sciences) on TR 2:25-3:40.

REL 424/524 Religion and Healing - Dr. Capper
This course studies several examples of religious healing practices found in ethnographic literature. Emphasis will be placed on understanding indigenous theories and practices of illness and cure within the context of wider social systems and processes. Classic Western theories of religious healing such as those of Freud, Jung, Turner, and Lévi-Strauss will be explored along with the ethnographic material, allowing us to create a dialogue between indigenous and academic theories of religious healing. The approach will be interdisciplinary, drawing from psychology, anthropology, and religious studies. Students should leave the course with a better understanding of issues regarding human curing and transformation, the roles of myths and rituals within cultures, the roles of dreams for individuals and societies, and the applicability of Western modalities to non-Western cultures.

REL 445 Islam and Politics - Dr. Hardman
This course will offer the student an historical approach to Islamic thought from the end of the 18th century to our times. Two of the basic themes that arise are “Islam” and “Modernity.” We will begin with a brief attempt to come to grips with both concepts before proceeding to an historical survey of 19th and 20th century thought. We will finish with an examination of some contemporary views of the Islam and the future. By the end of the course, the student should be able to appreciate the complexity of Islam(s) and the vitality of Muslim approaches to contemporary issues.

REL 480 Senior Capstone in Eastern orthodox Christianity - Dr. Slagle
This capstone course is an introduction to the history, doctrine, and ritual complexes of Eastern Orthodox Christianity from its beginnings in the early church to the present. Particular attention will be paid to the cultural and devotional aspects of Orthodox belief and practice such as its iconography, liturgy, and rich monastic and ascetic heritages. The development and interplay of Orthodoxy's many national churches including the Greek, Russian, and Serbian as well as those comprising the growing Orthodox "diaspora" in North America and Western Europe will be highlighted in this course.

Fall 2009

PHI 412/512 Modern Philosophy - Dr. Bruton
This class is an introduction to one of the most important periods of western philosophy - the "modern" period, defined roughly as 1600 - 1800. Significant figures to be discussed include Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz (the "rationalists"), Locke, Berkeley, and Hume (the "empiricists"), and Kant, who is often regarded as having synthesized insights from the rationalist and empiricist traditions. The emphasis will be on these thinkers' metaphysics and epistemology. Specific topics include: the self, God, knowledge of the external world, free will, and causation.

PHI 450 /550 Existentialism - Dr. Rempel
This course is designed to serve as an Introduction to Existentialism via the study of classic philosophical and literary texts by Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus and Frankl. We will also examine several cinematic depictions of existential themes. Topics to be considered will include: Freedom, Absurdity, Responsibility, Faith, Death, Authenticity, the Self, Woman, Morality, God, and Religion.

PHI 480 Philosophical Discourse - Dr. Holley
This class is a capstone course for philosophy majors, focusing on preparing and presenting philosophical work. In the course we will deal with such issues as philosophical research, philosophical concepts and methods, the writing process, and communicating philosophical ideas to professional and lay audiences. During the course students will prepare a major paper as if they were doing a submission to a philosophical journal. They will present a version of their work on the paper topic as they would to a philosophic audience, and they will do a class presentation demonstrating their ability to explain a philosophic issue to introductory students. Students will share their work with the class at various stages and go through an extensive critique and revision process. Specific tasks along the way will allow students to demonstrate competency in using computers, as it relates to philosophical research and writing.

REL 303 Introduction to Islam - Dr. Hardman
This course looks at the development of Islam as both an historical and a spiritual phenomenon that has both shaped and been shaped by its intellectual and physical environment. We begin with an exploration of the life and circumstances of the Prophet Muhammad and the emergence of Islam as a distinct monotheistic tradition. We then trace the development of the faith in light of the emergent events that create both orthodoxies and heterodoxies, with special attention to Islamic philosophy, science and mysticism. The final part of the examines the major cultural spheres of the "Islamic World" in Arabia, Turkey, Persia and India, culminating in the interaction of Islam with colonialism and the West and the various strands of "modernist" movements.

REL 320 Tibetan Religions - Dr. Capper
This course explores the traditional Tibetan cultural dialogue between folk religiosity, the Bön religion, Islam, and Buddhism. These four interpenetrating religious styles are highlighted primarily within a religious-historical survey from pre-Buddhist Tibet to the present. Complementing this historical approach is a more typological one, singling out aspects for investigation such as shamanism and spirit possession, Tantric Buddhist theory and practice, reincarnate leaders, models of sainthood, devotionalism, and magic and divination.

REL 326 Religions of India - Dr. Capper
India, one of the great cradles of religion in the world, offers an unrivaled environment of religious diversity and intensity. This course studies this environment by examining ancient Indian religion, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Sikhism, and Christianity.

REL 335 The Life of Jesus - Dr. Slagle
This course is a cultural and historical exploration of the different portraits of Jesus of Nazareth produced and circulated from the first to the twenty-first centuries. Beginning with the political and religious context for the "historical Jesus," we will study how authors of the New Testament, extra-canonical Christian literatures, church doctrine as well as modern scholarship responded to cultural expectations and pressures in crafting their various, often conflicting, portrayals of Jesus. In this course, special attention will be paid to the place of Jesus in non-Christian religions as well the different Jesuses that appear in art and film.

REL 350 Religion and Violence - Dr. Eickelmann
This course addresses the global phenomena of religiously motivated violence by tracing its history, assessing the current situation and considering prospects for the future.

Spring 2009

PHI 151 Introduction to Philosophy - Dr. Floyd
What is knowledge? What is the difference between truth and justification? How do you determine what is real? What does it mean for something to be real in the first place? How ought one to live? What really matters in life? These are the kinds of questions that students will explore in this introductory course focused on philosophical ideas about knowledge, reality and value. Other topics may include free will, the existence of God, personal identity, and faith and reason.

PHI 171 Ethics and Good Living - Dr. Rempel
In this course we will consider questions such as: What kinds of choices are "moral" choices, and how can we best make moral choices? Who decides if a behavior is "moral" or "immoral"? Why should I follow moral rules? Is morality a matter of the head, the heart, or both? What is "conscience" and where does it come from? Does following my conscience necessarily mean I do the right thing? What gives life meaning? What qualifies as a "good life"?

PHI 253 Logic - Dr. Smithka
Developing good critical thinking skills is useful for clarity of reasoning and evaluating the views of others both in philosophical studies and everyday life. In Logic, students will learn the importance of having evidence or reasons to support one's views, how to evaluate arguments for their strength and cogency, and how to construct good arguments. Students will not only learn what constitutes a good/strong argument, but will also examine common mistakes in reasoning. The reasoning skills that students begin to develop by taking a logic course will aid them in whatever academic or professional directions they choose.

PHI 407/507 The Critique of Christendom - Dr. Rempel
Towards the end of their careers, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Freud all turned increasing attention to religion in general, and Christianity in particular. This course will focus on the very different critiques of Christianity and Christian belief advanced by these three thinkers. We will also examine like-minded texts by Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Marx.

PHI 411/511 MUS 411/511 - Philosophy of Music - Dr. Bruton
This class examines various answers to two broad and deceptively simple questions: What is music?, and Why does it matter? Works of music - unlike paintings or sculptures, which can be identified with particular physical objects - seem elusive. Is a musical work an idea in the composer's mind, a score, a performance, or something else?
Moreover, since music lacks obvious semantic content, how can it be meaningful? Many have answered this question by appealing to the relationship between music and the emotions, but the precise nature of this relationship is puzzling and controversial. One need not be sad to write or perform sad music, for example, and neither does sad music necessarily make its listeners sad. Music matters to us partly because it can be really good, but what makes music good, and how can evaluative judgments about music be justified? Although much that has been written about the philosophy of music focuses on classical music, the questions raised in the class will also be applied to jazz, pop and rock.

PHI 480 - Philosophical Discourse - Holley
This class is a capstone course for philosophy majors, focusing on preparing and presenting philosophical work. In the course we will deal with such issues as philosophical research, philosophical concepts and methods, the writing process, and communicating philosophical ideas to professional and lay audiences. During the course students will prepare a major paper as if for journal submission. They will present a version of their work on the paper topic as they would to a philosophic audience, and they will do a class presentation demonstrating their ability to explain a philosophic issue to introductory students. Students will share their work with the class at various stages and go through an extensive critique and revision process. The topic for the class paper is in the area of morality and self-interest. We will be reading some philosophical writing on this issue that should serve to stimulate thinking, to initiate the research process, and to exemplify various aspects of the nature of philosophic writing.

PHI 735 - Research Ethics and Skills - Dr. Bruton
This is a 1 hour class focusing on the ethics of academic research. It will meet once a week for 6 sessions (1 hr. and 45 minutes each) followed by a final. The readings and class discussions will be oriented towards the sciences; topics will include research misconduct, conflicts of interest, whistleblowing, intellectual property, collaborative research and mentoring. Students will be required to take a final exam, write a short (4-5 page paper) and complete a small number of short writing assignments.

REL 432/532 - Mysticism - Dr. Capper
Mysticism might be defined as the direct experience of ultimate sacredness and the doctrines and techniques designed to foster such experience. Mystical practices are central to many different religious traditions and are found all over the world. This Religion capstone course will explore some of these mystical practices and experiences as found in anthropological literature. An interdisciplinary approach that combines anthropology with religious studies perspectives regarding mysticism will be pursued. Goals of the class include defining mysticism, gaining an appreciation for the wide variety of mysticisms found in the religions of the world, and understanding the roles of these different forms of mysticism within their respective religious and cultural contexts.

Fall 2008

PHI 451/551 - Philosophy of Politics - Dr. Bruton
This class examines classic and contemporary discussions of some of the central questions in political philosophy, such as: What justifies state authority? Why should one obey the law? What are the limits of legitimate state regulation? What is justice? What kind of political equality is morally defensible and desirable? We will also consider several "applied" topics; for example, issues connected to the "war on terror."

PHI 458/558 Symbolic Logic - Dr. Smithka
In this course we will study the aspects of all languages, namely, the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, but in particular as they apply to formal languages in logic. The course incorporates some proof theory, i.e., deriving conclusions from premises, in two different, but compatible, formal language systems. Thus, there is "formalism" in the course, but we also focus on the philosophy of logics. We will also ask interesting philosophical questions about formal systems, such as: How does one generate a formal system? Can logic lead us to falsity? What is the nature of logical thought? Are logical systems decidable and complete? How does a formal logical system deal with fictional beings? No previous logical experience required! We will be beginning at the beginning.

REL 303 Introduction to Islam - Dr. Speegle
This course examines the development of Islam from its origins in sixth-century Arabia to its various manifestations in the modern world. Classical Islamic civilization will be our initial focus. After delving into the sacred biography of the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur’an, Islam’s Holy Scriptures, we will study the rise of an Islamic Empire over much of Asia and Africa. The diverse academic, aesthetic, and devotional paths through which medieval Muslims interpreted their religious heritage will then be addressed. The conflicts, accommodations, and syntheses that emerged when Arab Islam encountered other cultures will be our next broad rubric of inquiry. We will then study Islam in non-Arab societies, paying special attention to the case of Islam in the African-American community. Finally, Islam’s encounter with modern Europe will be discussed.

REL 322 Native American Religions - Dr. Capper
This class pursues an introductory understanding of the different myths, concepts of the sacred, religious practices, and lifestyles found among indigenous North American peoples. Emphasis will be placed on the varieties of traditional religious experiences, including shamanism, art, ceremonies, vision quests, and dances, as well as cultural backgrounds of these experiences. Issues arising from contact between traditional forms of religiosity and Euroamerican culture will also be addressed. Readings include secondary academic resources and Native American primary texts. Students should come armed with healthy curiosity about and respect for others’ ways of life.

REL 334 The New Testament - Dr. Slagle
This course is an historical study of the contents and development of the New Testament within their social and religious contexts. Through a close examination of the New Testament itself in addition to relevant pagan, Jewish, and extra-canonical Christian literatures, we will investigate the ways in which the New Testament came to be forged against a backdrop of multiple, competing Christianities. We will pay particular attention to the varied and evolving ways in which early Christian writers understood and portrayed the figure of Jesus as well as interpreted the Jewish origins of their religion. The life and teachings of the Apostle Paul in addition to early Christian attitudes towards women and the body will also stand as significant course themes.

REL 430/530 Buddhism - Dr. Capper
This course offers an introductory survey of Buddhist religion and culture. Topics discussed include the birth of Buddhism in India, essential Buddhist philosophical positions, historical transmission to other countries, basic institutions, doctrinal schools, various practices such as meditation and devotion, concepts of sainthood, and the transmission of Buddhism to the West. Effort will be made to ground local manifestations of Buddhism in their respective social and cultural environments. Readings include Western secondary scholarship, ethnographic accounts, and Buddhist sacred texts. This course might appeal to students in religion, philosophy, anthropology, history, or international studies. Prerequisite: Religion 131.

Spring 2008

PHI 635 Ethics Seminar - Dr. Bruton
This class focuses on three great traditions in ethical theorizing: 1) virtue ethics, 2) consequentialism, and 3) deontology. We will begin by exploring Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, the most important text in the virtue ethics tradition. Next, we will examine J.S. Mill’s classic Utilitarianism. Finally, we will focus on Kant’s seminal Groundwork Metaphysics of Morals, a work which articulates what is often taken to be the most philosophically significant deontological view. All three texts have had an extraordinary influence on philosophical ethics in the Western tradition and continue to shape contemporary debates.

PHI 735 Research Ethics and Skills - Dr. Bruton
This is a 1 hour class focusing on the ethics of academic research. It will meet once a week for 6 sessions (1 hr. and 45 minutes each) followed by a final. The readings and class discussions will be oriented towards the sciences; topics will include research misconduct, conflicts of interest, whistleblowing, intellectual property, collaborative research and mentoring. Students will be required to take a final exam, write a short (4-5 page paper) and complete a small number of short writing assignments.

PHI 658 Philosophy of Biology - Dr. Smithka
In this graduate-level course we will investigate topics that address life, ecology, systematics, developmental biology, and evolution. Among the questions we will ask are: What is life? Does the concept of 'artificial life' make sense? Exactly what constitutes a niche? What is 'a species'? What is the unit of evolution, if there is one? The course will contain some lecture components, but will be largely group discussion. It is a team-taught course by Paula Smithka (Philosophy) and Kenneth Curry (Biological Sciences) and meets TR 2:25-3:40.

PHI 436/536 Aesthetics - Dr. Smithka
'Aesthetics' is the philosophy of art and beauty. In this class, we will investigate the various connections and "disconnects" between the artwork, artist, and "perceiver." Some of the questions we will investigate include: What constitutes art? What are the standards for beauty, if there are any? What is the nature of 'the aesthetic'? Does the artist's intention matter? Does art convey truth? Can one have an aesthetic experience of nature, or only of human-made art? How does the horrific, the ugly, and the grotesque figure in "art"? This class will include some lecture components, but will largely be discussion oriented. The course is taught by Paula Smithka and meets Wednesdays, 3:30-6:15.

Fall 2007

PHI 656 Seminar in Philosophy of Science - Dr. Smithka
There is a commonly held view that the nature and practice of science is "cut and dried." In other words, science gives us exactly one right picture of the world and that scientific theories are not up for debate. The philosophical side of science shows otherwise. Scientists employ different methodologies, prefer different explanatory models, argue about the nature of scientific theories and which ones should be chosen among rivals, and even have different views regarding the nature of reality. In this seminar, we shall investigate this philosophical side of science, addressing such questions as: What is the nature of experimental (empirical) evidence and how does it relate to scientific theories? What criteria are used for choosing among rival scientific theories and explanations? What is scientific knowledge and is there only one such "body of knowledge"? Do scientific theories give us "the truth" about the world or are they pragmatic means for understanding the phenomena around us? In addition, we will investigate some areas of applied philosophy of science, such as philosophy of biology, philosophy of physics, and philosophy of psychology.

PHI 333 The Philosophy of Love and Sexuality - Dr. Rempel
This course is an introduction to the philosophy of love and sexuality via the study of classic texts by a handful of philosophers, religious thinkers, poets, psychologists, etc. We will consider such matters as the nature and origin of both love and sexuality; the relationship between love, sexuality, and marriage; Christian love, romantic love, feminist perspectives on love, etc.

REL 446 Women in Islam - Dr. Wagner
Some argue that women are the primary focus of the ongoing clash between Islam and the West. This course will address Muslim views of women and gender. We will begin by examining scripture (Qur’an), religious law (shari‘ah) and early Islamic history with an eye towards the changing roles of women. We will then address the attitudes towards women espoused by reformers in Egypt, Iran, and South Asia. Contemporary Islamic political groups’ efforts to enshrine their views of women in law will be a recurring theme in this course, as will the question of the universality or cultural specificity of feminism. The course will construct its picture of women’s status in the Islamic world using religious, legal, historical, cinematic, and novelistic sources in translation.

REL 447 Dreams in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - Dr. Wagner
Dreams are a facet of human experience as mysterious to modern people as they were to people in antiquity and the Middle Ages. Dreams occupy a prominent place in the religious imaginations of Judaism, Christianity and Islam where they were seen as potential means for communication with the divine. In this class, students will learn to distinguish between dreams, their representation, and theories of dreaming. The course will focus on the dreams of medieval Jews, Christians, and Muslims, as described in primary sources in translation. In order to understand such dreams and their context, we will study influential theories of dreams and dreaming, including those of Freud, Aristotle, and modern science. The subject matter is perhaps unique in that it will allow students to apply these theories, as well as the writings of medieval people about their dreams and ideas about dreams, to their own dreams. This is a capstone course for the religion major. As such it involves substantial writing assignments and two oral presentations.

REL 320 Tibetan Religions - Dr. Capper
In this course we examine some of the varieties of religious forms found in Tibetan culture areas following historical, anthropological, and philosophical approaches. We will explore the traditional Tibetan cultural dialogue between folk religiosity, the Bön religion, Islam, and Buddhism. These four interpenetrating religious styles are highlighted primarily within a religious-historical survey from pre-Buddhist Tibet to the present. Prerequisite: REL 131.

Spring 2007

REL 334 The New Testament - Dr. Eickelmann
This course provides the beginning student with a historical and literary survey of the New Testament, including its composition and compilation. Specific areas to be covered will be the synoptic problem, the quest for the historical Jesus, the process of canonization, early forms of Christian mysticism and the challenge of Gnosticism. In addition, the student will become familiar with the varying theological themes present in the New Testament.

PHI 735 Research Ethics and Skills - Dr. Bruton
This class focuses on the ethics of academic research. While it would be of interest to any graduate student involved in research, the readings and class discussions tend to be oriented towards the sciences and social sciences. It may be taken for either 1 or 3 credit hours. Students taking the course for 1 credit hour study the topics of research misconduct, conflicts of interest, whistleblowing, intellectual property and mentoring, and are required to take the midterm exam, write a short paper (4-5 pages) and complete several short writing assignments. Students taking the course for 3 credit hours study (in addition to the previously mentioned topics) human subjects experimentation, animal experimentation and genetics, and are expected to complete a midterm, final exam and a term paper in addition to several short writing assignments. The class regularly features provocative discussions, guest speakers, interesting in-class group assignments, and students from a variety of academic disciplines.

REL 430/530 Buddhism - Dr. Capper
This course offers an introductory survey of Buddhist religion and culture. Topics discussed include the birth of Buddhism in India, essential Buddhist philosophical positions, historical transmission to other countries, basic institutions, doctrinal schools, various practices such as meditation and devotion, concepts of sainthood, and the transmission of Buddhism to the West. Effort will be made to ground local manifestations of Buddhism in their respective social and cultural environments. Readings include Western secondary scholarship, ethnographic accounts, and Buddhist sacred texts. This course might appeal to students in religion, philosophy, anthropology, history, or international studies. Prerequisite: Religion 131.

Fall 2006

PHI 451/551 Philosophy of Politics - Dr. Bruton
This class examines classic and contemporary discussions of some of the central questions in political philosophy, such as: What justifies state authority? Why should one obey the law? What are the limits of legitimate state regulation? What is justice? What kind of political equality is morally defensible and desirable? We will also consider several issues connected to the ongoing "war on terror," such as the moral justifiability of the Bush doctrine of "preventive" war and state sponsored torture.

PHI 460/560 Contemporary Philosophical Issues: The Modern Critique of Christendom - Dr. Rempel
Towards the end of their careers, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Freud all turned increasing attention to religion in general, and Christianity in particular.
This course will focus on the very different critiques of Christianity and Christian belief advanced by these three thinkers. We will also examine like-minded texts by Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Russell. Though the majority of readings will be drawn from the continental philosophical tradition, the analytic tradition will not be ignored.

PHI 480 Philosophical Discourse - Dr. Holley
This class is a capstone course for philosophy majors, focusing on preparing and presenting philosophical work. In the course we will deal with such issues as philosophical research, philosophical concepts and methods, the writing process, and communicating philosophical ideas to professional and lay audiences. During the course students will prepare a major paper as if for journal submission. They will present a version of their work on the paper topic as they would to a philosophic audience, and they will do a class presentation demonstrating their ability to explain a philosophic issue to introductory students. Students will share their work with the class at various stages and go through an extensive critique and revision process. Specific tasks along the way will allow students to demonstrate competency in the use of computers, as it relates to philosophical research and writing.

The topic for the class paper is some issue related to “the good life.” We will be reading some philosophical writing on this topic that should serve to stimulate thinking, to initiate the research process, and to exemplify various aspects of the nature of philosophic writing. Students will be assigned to present the readings on specific days, bringing out what they notice both about the content of the material and about what might be learned from the piece about writing philosophically (e.g., how to argue, how to organize a paper, how to fit what you say into an ongoing conversation, how to consider objections, etc.).

REL 333 The Old Testament - Dr. Eickelmann
This course provides the beginning student with a historical and literary survey of the Hebrew Bible, including its historical context, theological themes and literary sources. Special attention will be given to the institution of kingship and the social role of the Hebrew prophets.

REL 351 Theories of Religious Experience - Dr. Eickelmann
This course deals with the nature of the religious phenomena as it is reflected in collective human experience, especially as that experience must strive to address the critiques of both modernism and postmodernism.

Department of Philosophy and Religion
Last modified: October 16, 2009 / Questions or comments?
The University of Southern Mississippi / URL: http://www.usm.edu/philrel/intro.html
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