Religion and Culture Minor

Religion is one of the most powerful and complex forces in human history. To study religions from earliest times to the present and how they have shaped and been shaped by the forces of history (among them: nationalism, war, the challenge of secularism, and technology), the Religion and Culture Program at Weissman presents an interdisciplinary approach to the study of religious and cultural histories, doctrines, concepts, and practices.

Religion and culture courses are taught by faculty from various disciplines and departments including history, modern languages and comparative literature, philosophy, psychology, and sociology and anthropology.

To fulfill the college-wide requirement for the Liberal Arts minor with a concentration in religion and culture, students are required to take two courses numbered 3000 and higher and REL 4900, the capstone course.

Requirements for the Minor

Required Course Electives

Choose two courses from the following:

REL 3001	World Religious Traditions
REL 3002	The Traditions of Judaism
REL 3003	The Christian Tradition
REL 3008	Religion and Politics in the United States (POL 3008)
REL 3084	The Historical Search for the Prophet Mohammad (HIS 3084)
REL 3085	Special Topics in Religion and Culture
REL 3094	Mysticism: A Comparative Approach
REL 3100	Jesus—A Historical and Critical Approach (HIS 3100)
REL 3155	Philosophies from India (AAS 3155), (PHI 3155) (formerly REL 2155)
REL 3165	Classical Buddhism (AAS 3165), (PHI 3165) (HIS 3165) (formerly REL 2165)
REL 3175	The Lives of Hinduism (AAS 3175), (ANT 3175), (SOC 3175)
REL 3180	The Religion of Everyday Life (ANT 3180) , (SOC 3180)
REL 3220	Modern Jewish Thought
REL 3310	Christian Thought
REL 3320	Contemporary Christianity
REL 3525	The Hebrew Bible
REL 3530	The Christian New Testament
REL 3531	Religion in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
REL 3540	The Tradition of Islam (AAS 3540), (ANT 3540), (SOC 3540)
REL 3815	History of African Religions (HIS 3815)
REL 3820	History of Chinese Religion (AAS 3820), (HIS 3820)
REL 3821	South Asian Religion (AAS 3821); (ANT 3821)
REL 4025H	Writers and Their Spiritual Searches: Religious Themes in Contemporary Literature (ANT 4025H), (SOC 4025H)
REL 4050	Religious Worlds of New York (ANT 4050), (SOC 4050)
REL 5000	Independent Study in Religion and Culture
ART 3220	Islamic Art
HEB 3311	History (Ancient) of the Jewish People as Reflected in Literature
HEB 3312	History (Medieval/Modern) of the Jewish People as Reflected in Literature
HEB 4315	Biblical Prose
HEB 4316	Biblical Poetry
HEB 5301	Talmud I
HEB 5302	Talmud II
HEB 5320	Hebrew Philosophical Literature
HIS 3086	The Modern Middle East and North Africa
HIS 3380	Contemporary Islamic World
HIS 3560	History of the Jewish People in America
MSC 3023	Music and Religion
PHI 3130	Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages
PHI 3210	Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics
PSY 3057	Psychology of Religion
SOC 3141	Sociology of Religion
SOC 3113	Cultures and Peoples of India (ANT 3113)
SOC 3165	Magic, Witchcraft and Religion (ANT 3165)

Students are expected to complete the minor requirements in place at the time they are officially accepted into their programs. Please review the College Bulletin for the relevant academic year.

Spring 2026 Religion and Culture Course Offerings

(Subject to Change)

REL 3085 Spec Topics: Religion & Cult

DWA-LEC Regular; Class Number: 26714

Hybrid Asynchronous: We 12:50PM – 2:05PM

Instructor: Carla Bellamy

PHI 3130 Christ,Islam,Jewsh Philosophy

CMWA-LEC Regular; Class Number: 27786

In Person: MoWe 10:45AM – 12:00PM

Instructor: Douglas Lackey

PHI 3210 Philo of Relig/Ethic

EMWA-LEC Regular; Class Number: 27768

In Person: MoWe 2:30PM – 3:45PM

Instructor: Hagop Sarkissian

Contact

Ken Guest
Coordinator, Religion and Culture Program
Phone: 646-312-4477
Fax: 646-312-4461
Location: NVC 4-258