# Religious Studies (REL STD) courses UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog · 34 courses Source: https://catalogue.uci.edu/allcourses/rel_std/ "Offered" lists sections in this catalog year's class schedules: Fall 2026. ### REL STD 5A — World Religions I - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as HISTORY 16A - (IV and VIII) An introduction to the history, doctrine, culture, and writing of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ### REL STD 5B — World Religions II - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 5 sections (/c/uc-irvine/schedule/fall-2026/rel-std.md) - Same as HISTORY 16B - (IV and VIII) An introduction to various religious traditions in selected areas of the world—including India and South Asia, East Asia, Africa, and the Americas. ### REL STD 5C — Religious Dialogue - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as HISTORY 16C - (IV and VIII) Lectures and discussion on controversial topics in religion: sexual morality; religious violence; science; treatment of women and girls; religious truth, American Constitutional matters; secularization; the future of religion, and other topics. ### REL STD 17 — An Economic Approach to Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as ECON 17 - (III) Introduction to how basic economic concepts such as demand, supply, consumption, production, competition, free-riding, innovation, regulation, and rent-seeking can be applied to understand observed religious behavior. ### REL STD 21 — Philosophy and Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as PHILOS 21 - Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary - (IV) Examines the intersection of religion and philosophy from a standpoint that does not presuppose previous academic study of either. Both Western and Eastern traditions and perspectives may be explored. ### REL STD 60 — Global Themes in Sikh Studies - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as ANTHRO 60 - (III and (VII or VIII).) Serves as an introduction to Sikhism and the field of Sikh Studies. Examines the development of the religious tradition and the formation of the scholarly field of Sikh Studies in the contemporary Western university. ### REL STD 61 — Gender and Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as GEN&SEX 60C - (III and VIII.) Introduces the topic of religion in a feminist context by performing cross-cultural exploration of gender, authority, and faith in various traditions. Study includes (but is not limited to) writings of contemporary Jewish, Christian, and Muslim feminists. ### REL STD 100 — Topics in the Study of Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary The intersection of religious belief and practices with selected subjects of continuing interest. ### REL STD 103 — Topics in the Philosophy of Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/uc-irvine/schedule/fall-2026/rel-std.md) - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary Critical examination of philosophical concepts in religious scripture and theology, e.g., the nature and existence of God, miracles, the problem of evil, and divine command theories in ethics. May include any religious tradition. ### REL STD 110W — Religion Research Lab: Applied Theories and Methods - **Units:** 4 - **Prerequisite:** Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Overlaps with REL STD 110 - Restrictions: Religious Studies majors have the first consideration for enrollment - (Ib) A survey and investigation of the major thinkers, theories, and methodologies in the study of religions. Designed to develop the student's ability to analyze and articulate theoretical arguments in writing; includes a paper on relevant Religious Studies topics. ### REL STD 115 — Religion and World Politics - **Units:** 4 - **Prerequisite:** POL SCI 41A or INTL ST 11 or INTL ST 12 or REL STD 5A or REL STD 5B or REL STD 5C - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule Examines the relationship between religion and world politics historically and today, focusing on connections with peace/war, democracy, human rights, secularism(s), and globalization. Covers major debates, scholarship, concepts, and theories through class exercises, exams, and essays. ### REL STD 120 — Topics in Asian Religious Traditions - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 3 sections (/c/uc-irvine/schedule/fall-2026/rel-std.md) - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary Studies involving (but not limited to) Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Jainism, Sikhism, Daoism, Shinto or Shamanism, including both elite and doctrinal aspects and forms of more popular religiosity. ### REL STD 122 — Ancient India - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as ART HIS 155A, HISTORY 170A - Concurrent: ART HIS 255A Examines the visual and religious history of the region defined as "India" today, but necessarily encompassing modern Bangladesh and Pakistan. Culminates with the supposed Golden Age of the Gupta empire and its far-reaching legacies. ### REL STD 123 — Medieval India - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as ART HIS 155B, HISTORY 170B - Concurrent: ART HIS 255B Begins with the Gupta period's aesthetic legacies in South Asia's architecture, sculpture, and painting. Explores the dispersal of Islam throughout South Asia, including the Muslim communities of southern India. ### REL STD 124 — Topics in Modern Indian Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/uc-irvine/schedule/fall-2026/rel-std.md) - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary Topics in religions of the Indian subcontinent including, but not confined to, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, and Buddhism from the founding of the Mughal Empire in 1526 to the creation of the several modern states of the Indian subcontinent. ### REL STD 125 — Jain History, Culture, and Ethics - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Concurrent: REL STD 225 Introduces history, texts, philosophy, culture, and ethical practices of the Jain tradition as it developed in India and now exists globally, including in Orange County. ### REL STD 126 — Topics in Jain Studies - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary - Concurrent: REL STD 226 Studies involving aspects of the Jain tradition in relation to philosophy, ethics, culture, ritual, art, or diaspora, and/or analyses of environment, gender, or in relation to other Indian traditions. ### REL STD 130 — Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Religious Traditions - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/uc-irvine/schedule/fall-2026/rel-std.md) - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary Character and evolution of Egyptian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Muslim, and other religious communities of the region from their formative periods to the present era. ### REL STD 130D — History of Antisemitism - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as HISTORY 130D Survey of the history of antisemitism, ancient to modern. Topics include medieval religious anti-Judaism, persecution of Jews and Judaism during the Crusades and the Inquisition, the rise of modern racial antisemitism, Nazi antisemitism, and the persistence of antisemitism since 1945. ### REL STD 130F — Jews and Power - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as POL SCI 154J, HISTORY 130F Examines the relationship between the Jewish people and political power over a 3500 year period. How have Jews preserved their communal interests and personal safety? How have they defined the proper relationship of the people to political authority? ### REL STD 131A — History of Zoroastrianism - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as HISTORY 131A - Concurrent: IRAN 231A Reviews major trends in the history of Zoroastrianism. ### REL STD 140 — Early Western Religious Traditions - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary Religious perspectives of the Mediterranean and European regions from the earliest times to approximately 1500 C.E. ### REL STD 150 — Religion in the Americas - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/uc-irvine/schedule/fall-2026/rel-std.md) - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary Religious belief and social context in North and South America from the earliest human societies to the present. ### REL STD 155 — Topics in Race and Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary - Concurrent: REL STD 255 Critical analysis of race and religion as expressed through (1) various structures of socio-political ordering, metaphysics, language, class, colorism, power, biology, nationalism, and culture, and (2) various expressions of moral philosophy, ethics, music, literature, arts, rituals, liberation, and revolution. ### REL STD 158 — Topics in Indigenous Religions - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary A study of Indigenous Religions. Focus may be local, regional, or global. Primary texts may come from a variety of disciplines, with varying attention to similarities and differences to colonial religious conceptions. ### REL STD 165 — Topics in Religion and Science - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary - Concurrent: REL STD 265 Examinations of the dynamic interplay between religion and science, including historical conflicts, contemporary dialogues, and ethical implications. Classes analyze how these two realms shape our understanding of the universe, humanity, and morality. ### REL STD 170 — Topics in Comparative Studies in Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary Literary, historical, or philosophical comparison of selected religious and quasi-religious traditions, their beliefs and practices. ### REL STD 175 — Medical Ethics - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Same as PHILOS 131C Analysis of moral issues concerning health care. Topics may include just allocation of scarce medical resources, the doctor/patient relationship, genetic engineering, surrogate motherhood, abortion, euthanasia, or social policy concerning AIDS. ### REL STD 199 — Independent Study - **Units:** 1-4 - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/uc-irvine/schedule/fall-2026/rel-std.md) - Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times Directed reading and research in consultation with a faculty member. Substantial written work required. ### REL STD 225 — Jain History, Culture, and Ethics - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Concurrent: REL STD 125 Introduces history, texts, philosophy, culture, and ethical practices of the Jain Tradition as it developed in India and now exists globally, including in Orange County. ### REL STD 226 — Topics in Jain Studies - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary - Concurrent: REL STD 126 Studies involving aspects of the Jain tradition in relation to philosophy, ethics, culture, ritual, art, or diaspora, and/or analyses of environment, gender, or in relation to other Indian traditions. ### REL STD 255 — Topics in Race and Religion - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Concurrent: REL STD 155 Critical analysis of race and religion as expressed through (1) various structures of socio-political ordering, metaphysics, language, class, colorism, power, biology, nationalism, and culture, and (2) various expressions of moral philosophy, ethics, music, literature, arts, rituals, liberation, and revolution. ### REL STD 265 — Topics in Religion and Science - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule - Concurrent: REL STD 165 Examinations of the dynamic interplay between religion and science, including historical conflicts, contemporary dialogues, and ethical implications. Classes analyze how these two realms shape our understanding of the universe, humanity, and morality. ### REL STD 399 — University Teaching - **Units:** 4 - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/uc-irvine/schedule/fall-2026/rel-std.md) - Grading Option: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only - Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times Limited to teaching assistants.