RELS 350: Social and Religious World of Early Judaism and Christianity
TTH 11:30am-1:00pm
A new and exciting course has entered the spotlight of Lewis & Clark’s Religious Studies department! RELS 350, Social and Religious World of Early Judaism and Christianity, will explore the variety of religious practices and traditions that flourished in the richly pluralistic context of the Roman Mediterranean. It will focus on the period in which rabbinic Judaism and Christianity emerged on the scene, roughly from the 1st through the 5th centuries of the Common Era. The class will consider a range of religious expressions, including myths and stories, philosophy, ritual practice, and art, encountering a world that is truly different from our own and yet strangely familiar as well.
The course will be taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion and Classics for the 2025-26 academic year, Daniel J. Kimmel. Professor Kimmel completed their doctorate with distinction at Syracuse University in May 2025. Their research and teaching expertise encompass religion, philosophy, and magic in the ancient Mediterranean (c. 500 BCE to c. 500 CE), with a focus in late ancient Judaism & Christianity. Professor Kimmel teaches courses on topics that include: Jewish and Christian origins, Ancient Greek religion and mythology, Greco-Roman religion and philosophy, Roman thought and culture, and healing and magic in the ancient world. They are an active member of the North American Patristics Society and of the American Academy of Religion, where they serve as a member of the Platonism & Neoplatonism Unity Steering Committee.
We hope you’ll take the time to check out this fantastic new course taught by this fantastic professor.
Religious Studies is located in room 2nd Floor of John R. Howard Hall on the Undergraduate Campus. MSC: 45
