WREL 501     World Religions  (3)

Using historical and ethnographic approaches and some of the lenses of cultural history, anthropology, and comparative religions, this course explores a number of religious traditions, situating them in terms of the milieu in which they developed and their key concepts and teachings followed by particular attention to how they take shape in religious life and lives in contemporary US contexts. Texts, films, multimedia, and off-campus site visits are utilized, and critical reflection upon all these comprises the heart of the course. Native American, Yoruba, Jewish, Islamic, Baha'i, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucianist, Daoist, and Chinese popular religious cultures are considered.

WREL 502     Missiology  (2)

This course examines all aspects of the mission of the Church, including theology and history of missions, current mission practice and experience.

WREL 503     Missions and Slavery in East Africa  (3)

This course focuses on the role of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa and the Church Missionary Society in East Africa and the Indian Ocean in the abolition of slavery. These nineteenth century mission societies to Central and East Africa emerged in response to David Livingstone's call to introduce Christianity, Commerce, and Civilization to Africa as a means to combat and replace (and mitigate the effects of) the inhumane trade in African human beings with legitimate commerce.