HIST 204 - Introduction to the History of Judaism [GEKH]
An introductory history of Judaism and the Jewish people. Surveys Judaism from archaic roots in ancient West Asia to the present, from religious ideas and practices of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) to the development of Jewish religious, social, and intellectual life in Christian, Islamic, medieval, and modern societies.
Credit 3 hrs May not be repeated for additional credit
Grade Mode Normal (A-F) Course Rotation Fall
Class-Level Restriction Undergraduate standing
This course is an introduction to the academic discipline of Jewish Studies, an interdisciplinary field that draws on approaches from both the humanities and the social sciences. This course focuses primarily on the questions and methods of the humanities, because of this it counts toward the Knowledge of the Disciplines requirement in the Humanities area. Students in this class will develop their ability to interpret religious texts and other religious expressions, to analyze religious and historical ideas about human existence and the nature of the world, and to understand religions as historical traditions characterized by conflict and change.
To appreciate this educational requirement, it helps to recognize why the humanities are a distinct field of learning. As the label implies, the humanities start with human experience, human activities and experience through time. The humanities recognize cultural differences as both the results and the causes of human activities. The humanities consider both the actual and the possible. The humanities encourage thinking from multiple perspectives.
The chief tool for describing and explaining in the humanities is narrative. Whether spoken or written, a narrative is essentially a story. In the humanities, explanatory narratives appeal to sources (in speech, writing, and experience) and logic to construct arguments about meaning.
Notes -
Updates Course Rotation added 1/2015; Gen Edu Approval 12/2012, effective Winter 2013; New Course 6/2011, effective Fall 2011
Summer 2024 Course Sections
Fall 2024 Course Sections
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