REL 382 Women and Religion in the Ancient World (3 credits)

A study of a variety of selected topics relating to women in ancient religions, with a special interest in ancient Israelite, Jewish, and Christian traditions. Topics may vary, but at least some attention usually will be given to the relationship between ancient religions outside the biblical tradition and some feature of the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. Representative examples include goddesses in the ancient Near East, women’s roles in Israelite religion, women in Greco-Roman mystery cults, Jewish women in Palestine, women in the churches of Paul, and female Christian martyrs and ascetics. Methodological implications for the broader study of religion and theology will be addressed. Level 3, Religious Difference.