Religion Courses - Fall 2019

REL106 Exploring the Bible - Eight sections (M,W, F, 10,12,1; T,Th,  9:25,10:50, 12:15, 1:40) and one section online- core: Religion

There is a reason it is a best seller -- take this class and find out why for yourself.

REL107 Exploring World Religions - Four sections in a classroom (M,W, F, 11; T,Th, 12:15; 1:40) and three sections online - core: Religion

REL109 Exploring Christian Ethics - Two sections (T,Th, 12:15 (Dr. Hovey) & 1:40 (Dr. Spaulding))  
Start thinking about the BIG ISSUES--immigration, homosexuality, justice, war, abortion, love-- in this essential class for sentient beings.

REL208 Exploring Christian Theology (T,Th: 9:25) with Dr. Hovey

An introduction to central doctrines of the Christian faith that is both respectful of classic theological traditions and open to the new voices and emphases of recent theologies.  A required course for religion majors and one of the best ways to start loving God with your mind at AU.

REL305 Advanced New Testament: Gospels - (T, Th, 10:50) with Dr. Aune
Do you want to learn more about the life of Jesus while asking critical questions raised by recent scholarship in Biblical studies? In this course we focus on the four Gospels individually (focusing on the distinctive themes, occasion, and purpose of the writings) and then alongside one another as we consider their historical reliability for studying the life of Jesus. 
Fulfills the upper-level Biblical studies requirement for the Religion major.

REL341 World Christianity, Culture, and Mission - (T,Th, 12:15) with Dr. Dickson
Dr. Dickson recently spent a semester in Kenya working with local church leaders, and she will have just been in Peru and Israel; she will have a wealth of knowledge, ideas, and enthusiasm to share. Don't miss this class.

REL 375OLB Understanding Israel core: CCI with Study Away
Dr. Dickson says: take the online course, designed to prepare students for the Passages ten-day, (subsidized!!), trip to Israel over the Winter break of 2019/20. Half the course is online; half the course is in Israel. We will study the literature, history and archeology of biblical sites and discuss award-winning books about modern Israel. On the trip you will view the Dead Sea from the ruins of Masada; slosh through the waters of Hezekiah's tunnel; dance on the deck of a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee; pray in the Garden of Gethsemane; dine in the home of Orthodox Jews; explore Old Jerusalem; hear world-class lecturers-- and much more. This is a wonderful opportunity but seats are limited. Taking REL375 GUARANTEES you a seat on the bus-- so sign up today!  

REL497 Religion Thesis Seminar (M,W: 3-3:50) with Dr. Slade

Write a 30 page thesis in one semester on a (religious) subject of your choice. This is a required class for religion majors BUT it is also a great elective for everyone else.

'Last Lecture': Bonhoeffer and a New Call to Discipleship

On Monday, April 15 at 7:00pm in Room 115, Dauch College of Business and Economics on the Ashland University campus, the Religion Department will celebrate its graduating seniors, induct new members into Theta Alpha Kappa (the religion honors society) and close out the year with lecture by Mark Thiessen Nation, emeritus professor of theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and co-author of Bonhoeffer the Assassin?: Challenging the Myth, Recovering His Call to Peacemaking (Baker, 2013).

The lecture,“Bonhoeffer and a New Call to Discipleship” is free and open to the public. This is the fifth annual 'last lecture', which is an invitation for a speaker to address the graduating class of Religion majors as if it were their last time to do so.

This event is co-sponsored by the Ashland Center for Nonviolence.

Public Lecture: Women and War in the Biblical Worlds

Dr. Caryn Reeder, associate professor of New Testament Religious Studies at Westmont College, will present a lecture titled “Women and War in the Biblical Worlds” on Friday, April 5, at noon in room 115 of the Dauch College of Business and Economics on the Ashland University campus. The event, which is hosted by the Ashland University Department of Religion, is free and open to the public.

Reeder received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and is the author of Gendering War and Peace in the Gospel of Luke (Cambridge, 2018)  and The Enemy in the Household: Family Violence in Deuteronomy and Beyond (Baker, 2012). At Westmont College, she is also co-coordinator of the Gender Studies Program and chair of the Department of Religious Studies.