Introduction to the interdisciplinary study of the humanities. Taking as its entry point a significant work, the course is organized by topics related to that work, selected and arranged to invoke lively intellectual debate among faculty and students alike. Group lectures by the three core humanities faculty members. The instructors teaching the course will provide material for smaller weekly discussion sections led by each of those faculty members. Requirements include lively discussions, papers, and examinations. Writing intensive. Not repeatable

Explores the meanings of epidemics as represented in literature. Topics include mysterious ancient disasters, the Black Death, AIDS, and hypothetical diseases used as thought experiments, as well as current controversies about the spread and prevention of disease. How do disease and its control shape state and social structures? How have the meanings of disease, health, medicine, and the body changed over time? What kind of art does disease give rise to?

This course provides an introduction to religion, exploring the various ways that this phenomenon has been understood, approached, practiced, and studied across human history. The course will examine the different ways that religion can be defined, drawing from a variety of humanities and other disciplines. Foundational theories explaining the origins, persistence, and continued relevance of religion will be compared and applied to different traditions. Topics include concepts of divinity, rituals, myth, mysticism and spirituality, pilgrimage, death and the afterlife, and ultimate reality.