Jewish Studies (JST)
Courses
JST 101. Introduction to Judaism. 3 hours.
Introduction to the Jewish religion as it has developed from its roots in the Hebrew Bible until today, emphasizing its central texts and concepts. Same as RELS 121. Individual and Society course.
JST 102. Introduction to Jewish History. 3 hours.
Overview of Jewish history from Biblical times until the present. Topics will range from second Temple Judea and the beginning of the diaspora through 21st-century Jewish life in America and Israel. Course Information: Same as RELS 126. Individual and Society course, and Past course.
JST 103. Introduction to Israel Studies. 3 hours.
Introduction to major themes, issues, writers and contexts of the founding, establishment, and conflicts of the modern state of Israel. Past course, and World Cultures course.
JST 117. Understanding the Holocaust. 3 hours.
Examines the Holocaust of European Jewry as the result of antisemitic ideology and the development of modern German political forces; implementation of the Final Solution. Course Information: Same as HIST 117 and RELS 117. Individual and Society course, and Past course.
JST 122. Minority Perspectives in the Germanic Context. 3 hours.
Investigation of the challenges and/or opportunities of multicultural societies by examining in a socio-historical context texts created by members of Europe's ethnic, religious, and national minorities. Course Information: Same as GER 122 and RELS 122. No credit toward a major or minor program offered by the Department of Germanic Studies. Lectures, discussion, and readings in English. Creative Arts course, and World Cultures course.
JST 123. Introduction to Yiddish Culture and Literature. 3 hours.
Yiddish culture in Europe and the U.S. in socio-historical context. Focus on the role of Yiddish in conceptions of secular, cultural, religious, national Jewish identities. Course Information: Same as GER 123 and RELS 123. No credit toward a major or minor program offered by the Department of Germanic Studies. Lectures, discussion, and readings in English. Creative Arts course, and World Cultures course.
JST 124. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 3 hours.
A study of the Five Books of Moses (a.k.a Torah or Pentateuch) within the contexts of the ancient Near East and biblical literature. Course Information: Same as CL 124 and RELS 124. Taught in English. Past course.
JST 125. Diaspora, Exile, Genocide: Aspects of the European Jewish Experience in Literature and Film. 3 hours.
Literature and films on European Jewish responses to anti-Semitism and persecution in a historical context to reveal the condition of post-Enlightenment German-speaking Jewish and Yiddish-speaking societies. Course Information: Same as GER 125 and RELS 127. No credit toward a major or minor program offered by the Department of Germanic Studies. Taught in English. Past course, and World Cultures course.
JST 203. Israel Film: Aspects of History, Life, and Culture. 3 hours.
Exploration of major themes related to life in Israel via its national cinema. Historical, social, and cultural aspects of Israeli society are examined through film. World Cultures course.
JST 220. Modern Polish-Jewish Culture and Literatures. 3 hours.
Polish-Jewish literature and non-fiction works in English translation from Polish, Yiddish and Hebrew are studied as expressions of a distinct Ashkenazi or East European Jewish culture that developed on historically Polish lands. Course Information: Same as POL 220 and CEES 220. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 160 or ENGL 161. Creative Arts course, and World Cultures course.
JST 225. Topics in Muslim-Jewish Relations. 3 hours.
Muslim-Jewish interactions from the rise of Islam until contemporary times, the relationship between Biblical and Quranic materials, the Jewish and Islamic interpretive tradition and the legal systems of the two religious traditions. Course Information: Same as CL 225 and RELS 225.
JST 230. Topics in Jewish Thought. 3 hours.
Survey of major topics in Jewish theology, philosophy, ethics and political thought. Course Information: Same as RELS 231. May be repeated if topics vary. Recommended Background: JST 101 or the equivalent.
JST 240. Philosophy and Revelation: Jewish and Christian Perspectives. 3 hours.
Introduction to philosophical ways of addressing the claim that a book (the Bible, the Quran) comes from God. Texts by Immanuel Kant, Moses Mendelssohn, and Soren Kierkegaard, among others. Course Information: Previously listed as JST 141. Same as RELS 240 and PHIL 240. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course, and World Cultures course.
JST 242. The History of Jewish Biblical Interpretation. 3 hours.
Jewish interpretation of the Hebrew bible. A survey of the span of Jewish history and the wide range of cultural contexts that have impacted the understanding of the Torah. Course Information: Same as CL 242 and RELS 242. Past course.
JST 243. Politics and Government of the Middle East. 3 hours.
Contemporary Middle East political institutions, culture, processes, and conflicts. Emphasis on interaction of traditional and modern forces, such as Islam, nationalism, political elites, ideologies, states. Course Information: Same as POLS 243. Prerequisite(s): POLS 130 or POLS 190; or consent of the instructor. World Cultures course.
JST 296. Topics in Jewish Studies. 3 hours.
How Jews became a modern ethnic group, how their experiences compare with other ethnic groups, and how their experiences in modern times vary from nation to nation. Course Information: Same as RELS 296. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Previously listed as JST 294.
JST 311. Gender and Sexuality in Early Christianity and Judaism. 3 hours.
Examination of the root of contemporary perspectives on gender and sexuality in the early traditions of Judaism and Christianity including the Bible, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Church Fathers, the Talmud, and legends of the saints. Course Information: Same as GWS 311 and RELS 311.
JST 394. Topics in Jewish Studies. 3 hours.
Selected topics in Jewish culture and history. Course Information: Same as RELS 395. May be repeated to a maximum of 9 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.
JST 410. Advanced Studies in Jewish Literature, Art and Culture. 3 or 4 hours.
Selected topics in Jewish literature and/or arts, in one or more places and time periods. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s) if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): One course in Jewish Studies. Recommended background: JST 102.
JST 420. Advanced Studies in Jewish Religion. 3 or 4 hours.
In-depth study of a period or mode of Jewish religious development or textual production, or an examination of a religious tenet or practice across various historical periods. Topics will vary.Course Information: Same as RELS 420. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s) if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): JST 101; and JST 230 or JST 242 or JST 254.
JST 430. Advanced Studies in Jewish Thought. 3 or 4 hours.
Advanced topics in Jewish theology, philosophy, ethics or political thought. Course Information: Same as RELS 430. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Prerequisite(s): One 100-level and one 200-level course in Jewish Studies.
JST 475. The Bible as Literature: Hebrew Bible. 3 or 4 hours.
Literary analysis of genres and themes of the Hebrew Bible and close reading of the biblical texts. Sources of the Bible and their historical context. Course Information: Same as ENGL 475 and RELS 475. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Previously listed as JST 478. Taught in English. Recommended background: Any of ENGL 175 or ENGL 207-209.