RELS Course in the Spotlight: Fall 2025

RELS 350 is a new class taught 11:30am-1pm Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester. It explores the variety of religious practices and traditions that flourish in the richly pluralistic context of the Roman Mediterranean, from roughly the 1st through the 5th centuries of the Common Era– the period in which rabbinic Judaism and Christianity emerged on the scene. The class considers a range of religious expression, including myths and stories, philosophy, ritual practice, and art, encountering a world that is truly different from our own yet strangely familiar as well. 

The class will be taught by Daniel J. Kimmel, visiting Assistant Professor of Religion & Classics for the 2025-26 academic year. They completed their doctorate with distinction at Syracuse University in May 2025. Daniel’s 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. Daniel teaches courses on topics that include: Jewish and Christian origins, Ancient Greek religion & mythology, Greco-Roman religion & philosophy, Roman thought & culture, and healing & magic in the ancient world. Daniel is 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 Unit Steering Committee.