All upcoming Philosophy & Religion programs

Death is the one thing all humans throughout history have in common, and yet it is still a mystery. Robert Garland, a professor emeritus of classics, explores the death-related beliefs and practices of a range of ancient cultures and traditions, including Egyptian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Etruscan, Greek, Roman, early Christian, and Islamic. Garland puts himself in the sandals of ancient peoples and imagines how they sought—in ways that turn out to be remarkably similar to ours—to assist the dead on their journey to the next world and to understand life’s greatest mystery.

From Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from a Dead House to Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, literature offers a powerful medium for delving into profound questions about existence, free will, and the essence of reality. Philosophical counselor Samir Chopra examines philosophical themes found in literary genres such as the legal novel, post-apocalyptic fiction, and religious literature as he explores how literature can serve as a tool for moral education and instruction.

Home to practitioners of over 20 religions, Baltimore’s spiritual landscape is marked by hundreds of places of worship, each with its own story. Embark on an architectural journey visiting five sites with historian and deacon James Reaves, who showcases the beauty and history of these sacred structures.

The stone statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, were the largest representations of standing Buddhas in the world until their destruction by the Taliban in 2001. Historian Justin M. Jacobs delves into the history of the Bamiyan Buddhas, their construction and original purpose and function, and how they exemplified Buddhist civilization in Central Asia. He also examines their complex and surprising relationship with successive Muslim rulers of Afghanistan.

The rapid changes brought during the first weeks after Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in January 1933 made it clear to the country’s Jewish population that they would never be viewed as assimilated German citizens. Historian Michael Brenner explores the broad variety of reactions from Jews to Hitler’s rise—including Zionist, Liberal, and Orthodox branches—ranging from attempts to accommodate the new regime to religious responses to calls for emigration.

In his published works and private journals, the 19th-century philosopher Søren Kierkegaard presented an analysis of the dangers of the daily press—particularly how it fosters a culture of anonymity and conformity, eroding the foundations of meaning, truth, and moral responsibility. Steven M. Emmanuel, a professor of philosophy at Virginia Wesleyan University, explores the parallels between Kierkegaard’s stance and present-day concerns about the effects of algorithm-driven social media and news culture.

From the 8th to the 14th centuries, Andalusia—Spain under Muslim rule—flourished as an artistic, cultural, scientific, and intellectual hub for the Mediterranean world. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic artisans, translators, philosophers, architects, and scientists all contributed to a vibrant cultural exchange. Art historian Louisa Woodville discusses the region’s artistic legacy and this unique convergence of influences. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Did Thomas Cromwell, chief courtier of Henry VIII and architect of the English Protestant Reformation, resemble the pragmatic striver of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy or the sinister nemesis of the martyr Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons? Historian Jennifer Paxton uncovers the intrigues of Henry’s court, where religion, politics, bureaucracy, and sex were entangled in a dangerous mix that led Cromwell to follow his enemy.

The Church of Santa Maria Glorioso dei Frari, commonly known as Frari’s Church or the Church of the Frari, is a minor basilica in Venice, Italy. It has an unassuming façade, but don’t let that fool you: The church contains splendors from over 500 years of Venetian history, including works by Titian, Donatello, and Bellini. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero delves into the church and the treasures inside. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The magnificent temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia marks the rise of the Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia and its incorporation of Indic cultural influences into the architecture of one of the largest religious monuments in the world. Historian Justin M. Jacobs also explores how it became a center of Buddhist worship, a symbol of French imperial pretensions, and finally an icon of the modern Cambodian nation and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.