BA in Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures

For more information or to declare a major or minor, contact:

The Director of Undergraduate Studies

Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures is an interdisciplinary major with two tracks: "Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures" & "Languages and Literature," reflected over four sub-plans. The major enables students to gain a broad and in-depth appreciation for the complexities of ancient Mediterranean religion and culture. Through exploration of ancient literature, archaeological sites, artifacts, inscriptions, and manuscripts, students learn about major historical figures (e.g., Egyptian rulers, Alexander the Great, Cicero, Socrates and Plato, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Roman Emperors, etc.), fascinating ancient literature (e.g., Homer’s Iliad  and Odyssey, the Epic of Gilgemesh, Plato’s Apology and Symposium, Euripides’s Medea and Bacchae, poetry by Catullus and Virgil, the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, the Quran, etc.), and everyday ancient social realities (e.g., family, gender, status, economy, politics, agriculture, religious practice, sanctuaries, magic, etc.). You will also learn how to analyze ancient Mediterranean religions (Greek and Roman religion, ancient Israelite and Jewish religion, ancient Christianity and Islam).

After some initial course requirements in one of several of our larger courses, students in the CNRC sub-plan take courses in three interrelated areas: State, Self, and Social Power; Literature and Intellectual History; and Religious Discourse, Authority, and Practice. Students in the Languages and Literature subplan take specific introductory courses and then can go on to study Greek, Latin, or Modern Hebrew. The field of classical and Near Eastern religions and cultures is at the root of many varied disciplines and careers from law and communications to non-profit work and administration. Any career that requires the skills of careful, critical analysis, deep research and understanding of cultural systems, and insight into the motivations of a plurality of religious perspectives active in the world today will benefit from this major. Our professors offer a collegial and friendly yet academically rigorous environment where you can grow in these skills and bring them to your current situation and future work.

Updated track information coming soon.

Full Requirements
Tracks
Open Close

Tracks

Classical & Near Eastern Religions & Cultures

The Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures track allows students to gain a broad and in-depth appreciation for the complexities of ancient Mediterranean religion and culture. After some initial course requirements in one of several of our larger courses, students take courses in three interrelated areas: State, Self, and Social Power; Literature and Intellectual History; and Religious Discourse, Authority, and Practice. No ancient languages are required, although they are available as electives.

Greek

Greek is the Western language with the longest continuous history, from the poetry of Homer in the first millennium BCE to the present. The Greek sub-plan focuses on literature, philosophy, religion, archaeology, and art associated with the Greek language from its earliest appearance through the rise of the Greek city-state in the 5th century BCE and into the Roman Empire.

Latin

The Latin sub-plan allows students to explore a large range of literature written over a period of more than 1,500 years. It is concerned with the language and literature of the Roman Republic and Empire and later Latin literature from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, as well as with Roman religion, history, archaeology, and art. Modern "romance" languages (French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese) are derived from Latin.

Modern Hebrew

The Modern Hebrew sub-track focuses on gaining competency in the language of the modern state of Israel. After completing two introductory and two intermediate courses, students expand their Hebrew at the advanced level through the study of modern cultural dynamics, multiculturalism in Israel, or the Israeli Mossad (Israel's equivalent to the CIA).