Pre-Approved Tracks for Comparative and Thematic Studies

Overview:

By petition students may combine any courses from upper-division Areas A and B to create
a custom comparative or thematic course of study.

Examples of potential thematic tracks emphases include but are not limited to:

  • Religion, Gender & Sexuality
  • Religion, Ethics & Politics
  • Religious Art, Media & Iconography


A list of pre-approved courses for these 3 tracks can below.
However, students may also work with faculty to craft their own unique emphasis by petition.

RELIGION, GENDER & SEXUALITY RELIGION, ETHICS & POLITICS RELIGIOUS ART, MEDIA & ICONOGRAPHY

Recommended Lower Division Coursework*
*Not required. Students may count up to 2 of these courses towards their lower division preparation.

RG ST 29: Patriarchy and Religion 

EACS/RGST 40: Gender & Sexuality in Modern Asia (to be cross-listed with RGST 40). 

RG ST 62: Dark Goddesses and Black Madonnas

RGST 63: Witches & Brujxs / Black Magic & (Afro-)Latinx Feminism

RG ST 81/HIST 46MI: Modern Iran

Upper Division Coursework
2-3 courses from this area REQUIRED to earn a secondary or primary emphasis in this area, respectively.

RG ST 107: Black Gods of Cuba, Brazil, and Beyond: The Orishas

RGST 110L: LGBT Religious History: Queering the Spirit

RGST 110Q: Religion and Sex/Gender in Speculative Literature

RG ST 111: Religion, Politics and Marriage in the Middle East

RG ST 112: Trickster Tales, Religion, and the Body

RG ST 112A: Legal Feminism and Religion

RG ST 124G. The Virgin of Guadalupe: From Tilma to Tattoo

RG ST 140E: Islam in America

RG ST 158C: Consciousness &  the Body in Hindu Traditions

RG ST 164C: Buddhist Ethics

RG ST 187A: Veiling in Modern Egypt

RG ST 191A: Latino Religious Thought

RGST 193B: Religion and Healing in Global Perspective

Graduate Coursework*
Graduate coursework must be petitioned for undergraduate enrollment and credit.

RGST 200X: Feminism and Religion (Coming Soon!)

RG ST 206G: Seminar on South Asian Discourses of the Body

RGST 217: Sex, Marriage, and Religion in the Middle East: 1400-1900

Potentially:

Anshu Malhotra: Global 256: Global History of Women, Gender and Sexuality (soon to be cross-listed with RGST) 

Upper Division Coursework
2-3 courses from this area REQUIRED for secondary or primary emphasis in this area, respectively.

Middle East Studies (MES)

MES 145:  Model Arab League

Religious Studies (RG ST)
RG ST 100D:
Religion, Politics, Modernity: An Anthropological Approach

RG ST 102A: Muslim Diasporas and Law

RG ST 111: Religion, Politics & Marriage in the Middle East

RG ST 111B: Mongolian Buddhism

RG ST 112A: Legal Feminism and Religion

RG ST 116E: Evangelical Christianity in the U.S.

RG ST 119A: Intro to Islamic Law
RG ST 119B: The Qur’an and Interpretations

119C: Jihad and Just War Theory

RG ST 119D: Islam and Women

RG ST 119E: Islam and Government

RG ST 125A: The Mind of Egypt

RG ST 128/228:Religious Environmentalism and Science in the Anthropocene

RG ST 131H: Politics and Religion in the City: Jerusalem

RG ST 133C: Jewish Law

RG ST 140B: Religion, Politics and Society: The Persian Gulf

RG ST 140F: Modern Islamic Movements

RG ST 141D: Church-State Relations

RG ST 141E: Religious Liberty

RG ST 144: The Problem of Evil

RG ST 149: Comparative Religion and Politics of the Middle East

RG ST 156BE: Biomedical ethics, 

RG ST 156CC: Seminar in Social Ethics

RG ST 156EE: Environmental Ethics

RG ST 156CE: Ethics and the College Experience

RG ST 157:  Religion, Law & Society

RG ST 162G: The Caste System

RG ST 164C: Buddhist Ethics

RG ST 177: Religion & Law

RG ST 183B: Religious Practice and the State in China

RG ST 190GA: Have Ethics Gone Awry?

RG ST 190EI: Ethical Investing

RG ST 190WE: Wall Street Ethics

Graduate Coursework*
Graduate coursework must be petitioned for undergraduate enrollment and credit.

RG ST/EACS 268:  Religion, Modernity, and the State in Asia
RG ST 200PO:  Religion and Politics
 
RG ST 228/128: Religious Environmentalism and Science in the Anthropocene

Recommended Lower Division Coursework*
*Not required. Students may count up to 2 of these courses towards their lower division preparation.

RG ST 13: Religion & Popular Culture

RG ST 61: African Religions of the Americas

Upper Division Coursework
2-3 courses from this area REQUIRED to earn a secondary or primary emphasis in this area, respectively.

RG ST 112. Trickster Tales, Religion, and the Body

RG ST 113: Religion and Film

RG ST 116C: Archaeology and the Study of Religion

RG ST 128A: Religion and Spirituality in the Roman Empire

RG ST 157CP: Contemporary Persian Literature and Translation

RG ST 157G: Persian Cinema

RG ST 157I: Persian Media & Translation

RG ST 157J: Persian Translation

RG ST 110: Religion and Literature

RG ST 110F: Science Fiction

RG ST 110G: Photography and Religion

RG ST 162I. Desire, Sex, and Romance in Traditions of India

RG ST 163B. Chinese Martial Arts through Film

RG ST 181B. Political Islam and the Response of Iranian Cinema

RG ST 133F. Image of Jews in Film

RG ST 150B. Religion and Tourism in Modern America


For more information on examples of approved tracks and how to apply courses towards this Area, please reach out the the Undergraduate Program Coordinator/Advisor Kailee Lencioni (klencioni@HFA.ucsb.edu).