Religious Studies Minor
The Department of Religious Studies is dedicated to the study of religions as historical and cultural phenomena. It examines the history, texts, objects, beliefs, practices, and rituals of a variety of local and global religious traditions. Inherently interdisciplinary in its approach, religious studies explores religions in light of related fields in the humanities and social sciences such as anthropology, archaeology, classics, geography, history, philosophy, political science, and sociology.
Requirements
In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:
- take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Core Requirements | ||
Minimum requirements for the minor consist of five courses, two of which must be numbered above 400 | 15 | |
Additional Requirements | ||
At least one course in two of the department's subfields (see lists below). | ||
Total Hours | 15 |
Introductory and intermediate language courses (RELI 401, RELI 402, RELI 403, RELI 404, RELI 409, RELI 410) are recommended for their usefulness but do not count towards the minor in religious studies.
Courses listed more than once can be counted for only one subfield.
Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
RELI 63 | 3 | |
RELI 65 | 3 | |
RELI 70 | 3 | |
RELI 78 | 3 | |
RELI 80 | 3 | |
RELI 104 | 3 | |
RELI 105 | Religions of the Greco-Roman World | 3 |
RELI 109 | 3 | |
RELI 114 | 3 | |
RELI 117 | 3 | |
RELI 201 | 3 | |
RELI 205 | 3 | |
RELI 207 | 3 | |
RELI 208 | 3 | |
RELI 209 | 3 | |
RELI 211 | 3 | |
RELI 212 | 3 | |
RELI 215 | 3 | |
RELI 217 | 3 | |
RELI 314 | 3 | |
RELI 315 | Religious Frauds: Lies, Forgeries, and Fake News H | 3 |
RELI 390 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
RELI 411 | Advanced Akkadian | 3 |
RELI 412 | Ugaritic | 3 |
RELI 413 | 3 | |
RELI 414 | Syriac | 3 |
RELI 501 | 3 | |
RELI 504 | Readings in Hebrew Bible | 3 |
RELI 590 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
RELI 602 | 3 | |
RELI 603 | 3 | |
RELI 607 | Problems in Early Christian Literature and History H | 3 |
RELI 608 | The Messiah and the Apocalypse | 3 |
RELI 609 | 3 | |
RELI 610 | Readings in the Apostolic Fathers | 3 |
RELI 614 | 3 | |
RELI 617 | 3 | |
RELI/CLAR 375 | Archaeology of Cult | 3 |
RELI/CLAR/JWST 110 | 3 | |
RELI/CLAR/JWST 512 | 3 | |
RELI/FOLK 502 | 3 | |
RELI/JWST 103 | 3 | |
RELI/JWST 106 | 3 | |
RELI/JWST 206 | Prophecy and Divination in Ancient Israel and Judah H | 3 |
RELI/JWST 503 | 3 |
H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
Asian Religions-Islamic Studies
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ANTH/ASIA/RELI 574 | Chinese World Views | 3 |
ARAB/ASIA/RELI 681 | Readings in Islamicate Literatures | 3 |
ASIA/COMM/RELI 386 | Dance and Embodied Knowledge in the Indian Context | 3 |
ASIA/COMM/RELI 387 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 180 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 181 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 183 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 280 | Hindu Gods and Goddesses H | 3 |
ASIA/RELI 284 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 285 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 382 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 383 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 384 | Religion and Globalization in Southeast Asia | 3 |
ASIA/RELI 445 | Asian Religions in America | 3 |
ASIA/RELI 486 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI/WGST 482 | Sex, Gender, and Religion in South Asia | 3 |
ASIA/RELI 487 | Mountains, Pilgrimage, and Sacred Places in Japan | 3 |
ASIA/RELI 488 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 489 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 581 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 582 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 583 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 584 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 587 | 3 | |
ASIA 300/RELI 283 | 3 | |
ASIA 301/RELI 286 | 3 | |
ASIA 302/RELI 287 | 3 | |
ASIA 303/RELI 288 | 3 | |
HNUR/RELI 592 | Religious Conflict and Literature in India | 3 |
PWAD/RELI 481 | 3 | |
RELI 64 | 3 | |
RELI 66 | 3 | |
RELI 73 | 3 | |
RELI 165 | 3 | |
RELI 184 | 3 | |
RELI 185 | 3 | |
RELI 248 | 3 | |
RELI 279 | 3 | |
RELI 289 | 3 | |
RELI 381 | Religions of South Asia | 3 |
RELI 385 | 3 | |
RELI 390 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
RELI 474 | Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness, and Modernity | 3 |
RELI 480 | 3 | |
RELI 485 | 3 | |
RELI 524 | Ethnographic Approaches to Contemporary Religion | 3 |
RELI 580 | 3 | |
RELI 585 | Religion and Culture of Turkey | 3 |
RELI 586 | 3 | |
RELI 590 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
Medieval and Early Modern/Historical Studies
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ASIA/RELI 180 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 284 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 488 | 3 | |
ASIA/RELI 581 | 3 | |
ASIA 301/RELI 286 | 3 | |
ASIA 303/RELI 288 | 3 | |
EURO/RELI 270 | 3 | |
GSLL/RELI 218 | Christianity and Islam in the Middle Ages | 3 |
GERM/RELI 227 | 3 | |
HIST/RELI 263 | 3 | |
HIST/RELI 454 | The Reformation | 3 |
RELI 62 | 3 | |
RELI 77 | 3 | |
RELI 87 | 3 | |
RELI 88 | 3 | |
RELI 108 | 3 | |
RELI 161 | 3 | |
RELI 162 | 3 | |
RELI 163 | 3 | |
RELI 164 | 3 | |
RELI 165 | 3 | |
RELI 166 | Ideals, Cultures, and Rituals of the University H | 3 |
RELI 184 | 3 | |
RELI 209 | 3 | |
RELI 215 | 3 | |
RELI 220 | 3 | |
RELI 266 | 3 | |
RELI 365 | 3 | |
RELI 366 | Medieval Religious Texts | 3 |
RELI 367 | The Art of Devotion in Medieval and Early Modern Europe | 3 |
RELI 368 | 3 | |
RELI 390 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
RELI 450 | 3 | |
RELI 465 | Monotheistic Mysticism | 3 |
RELI 565 | Medieval Jews and the Bible | 3 |
RELI 564 | 3 | |
RELI 566 | Islamic and Jewish Legal Literature | 3 |
RELI 569 | Interfaith Marriages and Intimacy in World Religions | 3 |
RELI 586 | 3 | |
RELI 590 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
RELI 617 | 3 | |
RELI 662 | Advanced Seminar in Contemporary Catholicism | 3 |
RELI/WGST 362 | 3 | |
RELI/WGST 371 | Women Mystics | 3 |
RELI 665/WGST 664 | Body and Suffering in Christian Mysticism | 3 |
H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
Religion and Culture
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ANTH/FOLK/RELI 428 | Religion and Anthropology H | 3 |
ANTH/FOLK/RELI 688 | Observation and Interpretation of Religious Action | 3 |
CMPL/GSLL 270/JWST 239/RELI 239 | German Culture and the Jewish Question | 3 |
HIST/RELI 263 | 3 | |
JWST 100/RELI 123 | 3 | |
JWST/RELI 343 | 3 | |
JWST/RELI/WGST 533 | 3 | |
PHIL 134/RELI 126 | 3 | |
RELI 60 | 3 | |
RELI 61 | 3 | |
RELI 67 | 3 | |
RELI 68 | 3 | |
RELI 71 | 3 | |
RELI 74 | 3 | |
RELI 75 | 3 | |
RELI 76 | 3 | |
RELI 77 | 3 | |
RELI 79 | 3 | |
RELI 85 | 3 | |
RELI 101 | Introduction to Religious Studies | 3 |
RELI 102 | 3 | |
RELI 121 | 3 | |
RELI 122 | 3 | |
RELI 125 | 3 | |
RELI 127 | 3 | |
RELI 130 | 3 | |
RELI 134 | Introduction to Religious Ethics H | 3 |
RELI 135 | 3 | |
RELI 138 | 3 | |
RELI 163 | 3 | |
RELI 166 | Ideals, Cultures, and Rituals of the University H | 3 |
RELI 167 | 3 | |
RELI 205 | 3 | |
RELI 220 | 3 | |
RELI 222 | 3 | |
RELI 224 | 3 | |
RELI 225 | Christian Cultures | 3 |
RELI 226 | 3 | |
RELI 232 | Shrines and Pilgrimages | 3 |
RELI 233 | 3 | |
RELI 235 | 3 | |
RELI 236 | 3 | |
RELI 245 | Latina/o Religions in the United States-Mexico Borderlands H | 3 |
RELI 246 | 3 | |
RELI 322 | Theories of Religion H | 3 |
RELI 323 | Social Theory and Cultural Diversity | 3 |
RELI 325 | 3 | |
RELI 338 | 3 | |
RELI 345 | 3 | |
RELI 352 | 3 | |
RELI 390 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
RELI 420 | 3 | |
RELI 421 | 3 | |
RELI 423 | Ethnicity, Race, and Religion in America | 3 |
RELI 425 | Psychology of Religion H | 3 |
RELI 426 | 3 | |
RELI 427 | 3 | |
RELI 430 | 3 | |
RELI 438 | 3 | |
RELI 452 | 3 | |
RELI 474 | Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness, and Modernity | 3 |
RELI 522 | 3 | |
RELI 524 | Ethnographic Approaches to Contemporary Religion | 3 |
RELI 525 | Seminar in Religion and Literature | 3 |
RELI 527 | 3 | |
RELI 528 | Rituals and Rhetorics of Religion | 3 |
RELI 530 | 3 | |
RELI 564 | 3 | |
RELI 590 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
RELI 620 | 3 | |
RELI/SOCI 429 | 3 | |
RELI/WGST 244 | 3 | |
RELI/WGST 362 | 3 | |
RELI 368/WGST 370 | 3 | |
RELI/WGST 424 | 3 | |
RELI 665/WGST 664 | Body and Suffering in Christian Mysticism | 3 |
H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
Religion in the Americas
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ANTH/FOLK/RELI 342 | African-American Religious Experience | 3 |
ASIA/RELI 445 | Asian Religions in America | 3 |
JWST/RELI 107 | Introduction to Modern Judaism | 3 |
JWST/RELI 143 | Judaism in Our Time | 3 |
JWST/RELI 243 | Introduction to American Judaism | 3 |
JWST/RELI 343 | 3 | |
JWST/RELI 444/WGST 448 | Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Judaism | 3 |
RELI 60 | 3 | |
RELI 66 | 3 | |
RELI 69 | 3 | |
RELI 71 | 3 | |
RELI 72 | 3 | |
RELI 87 | 3 | |
RELI 130 | 3 | |
RELI 135 | 3 | |
RELI 140 | 3 | |
RELI 141 | 3 | |
RELI 142 | 3 | |
RELI 151 | 3 | |
RELI 235 | 3 | |
RELI 240 | 3 | |
RELI 241 | Messianic Movements in American History | 3 |
RELI 242 | 3 | |
RELI 245 | Latina/o Religions in the United States-Mexico Borderlands H | 3 |
RELI 246 | 3 | |
RELI 247 | Uncertain Truths: Conspiracy Theories, Aliens, and Secret Societies in America | 3 |
RELI 248 | 3 | |
RELI 332 | 3 | |
RELI 338 | 3 | |
RELI 340 | Liberal Tradition in American Religion | 3 |
RELI 345 | 3 | |
RELI 390 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
RELI 423 | Ethnicity, Race, and Religion in America | 3 |
RELI 441 | 3 | |
RELI 442 | History of Religion in America since 1865 | 3 |
RELI 443 | Evangelicalism in Contemporary America H | 3 |
RELI 446 | Christian-Jewish Relations throughout the Ages | 3 |
RELI 448 | 3 | |
RELI 452 | 3 | |
RELI 501 | 3 | |
RELI 540 | Mormonism and the American Experience | 3 |
RELI 541 | 3 | |
RELI 542 | Religion and the Counterculture H | 3 |
RELI 580 | 3 | |
RELI 590 | Topics in the Study of Religion (based on topic) | 3 |
H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
See the program page here for special opportunities.
Department Programs
Majors
Minors
- Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Minor
- Jewish Studies Minor
- Religious Studies Minor
- Study of Christianity and Culture Minor
Graduate Programs
Chair
Barbara Ambros