Department of Classics
College of Arts and Sciences
338 MFAC
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14261-0011
(716) 645-2154
Fax: (716) 645-2225
Susan G. Cole, Director
*This area of study is available as a special major through the College of Arts and Sciences and must be approved by the Special Major Committee. It is not a separately registered degree program. Refer to the Special Majors section of this catalog for more information.
With the cooperation of faculty in various departments and with an extended adjunct faculty, the Department of Classics offers courses in religious studies. The goals of the program are to (1) analyze religion as a human phenomenon, (2) provide the student with the intellectual tools necessary for the academic investigation of religion and religious texts, and (3) allow the student a degree of specialized study in a specialized area of religion or religious history. The approach is academic and is based upon objective, critical methods.
210 Introduction to the Old Testament (3)
Introduces the traditions of the Hebrews throughout
the patriarchal narrative of Genesis; the law corpus in Exodus; and the early history in
Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Texts will be studied in the context of history and literature
of the ancient Near East. LEC
213 World Religions (3)
Introduction to the world’s religious systems
and their cultural bases. Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Judaism, and
modern religious substitutes. LEC
223 Western Church History (3)
Examines the development of the Christian church in
western European history from Pentecost to the start of the Enlightenment. Material is
covered in three major divisions of time: the ancient church (to A.D. 600), the medieval
church (600–1517), and the Reformation church (1517–1700). Emphasis is placed on
the important leaders and issues of each era. LEC
224 American Church History (3)
This course surveys the background and development
of the Christian church in American history from the first establishment to the present
era. Emphasis is placed on major individuals associated with the American church, and
material is covered in four major divisions: the colonial era (1607–1789), the
national era (1790–1860), the federal era (1860–1919), and the modern era
(1920–present). LEC
242 New Testament Literature and Thought (3)
Selected topics chosen from the New Testament: the
significance of the incarnation, sacrifice, resurrection, apocalyptic expectation, etc.
LEC
244 Workshop in New Testament (3)
Development of the first-century Christian church in
Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, and Rome; non-Pauline N.T. literature and
pseudo-epigraphic works, such as the Book of Enoch, letters of Ignatius, Gospel of Thomas,
Shepherd of Hermes, the Apologetics. LEC
245 Gospel of Luke and Acts (3)
Comprehensive study of Luke’s gospel—its
literary structure, characteristics, primary sources, and content followed by an intensive
investigation of his account of the spread of the gospel of Jesus by the early disciples
in Acts, primarily Peter and Paul. LEC
246 Gospel of John and Apocalypse (3)
Comprehensive study of the fourth gospel; its
authorship, time, and situation of composition; its unique theological perspective. By way
of comparison and contrast, the book of Apocalypse or Revelations. LEC
260 Introduction to Christian Ethics (3)
Specific ethical issues in light of the message of
Jesus, the Christian concept of love, how ethical decisions are made, the role of Jesus in
ethics. LEC
282 Christianity in Western Culture (3)
The interplay and cross-fertilization of European
cultures and the various branches of the Christian religion; an examination of these in a
historical and contemporary context. LEC
288 Old Testament Prophets (3)
Using Biblical texts, this course will study the
prophetic vision of the Old Testament and relate it to the realities of life of the people
of Israel—personally, as well as socially and politically. LEC
321 The Synoptic Gospels (3)
The first three gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke;
authorship, audience, style, structure, comparative studies of specific themes and
emphases. LEC