ENGL 199
David Maldonado Rivera offers courses that explore the development of the Christian tradition in ancient and modern times. His primary research interest focuses on the discourses surrounding the notions of orthodoxy and heresy in the later Roman Empire. David also teaches introductory courses on the New Testament, the reception of Pauline literature, Christian mysticism and the expansion of Christianity in the global south. His other research and teaching interests include Christian religion and popular culture, religion and ecology and the emergence of liberation theologies.
David has also worked for TRIO programs (U.S. Department of Education) at Indiana University and the University of Puerto Rico and served as editorial assistant of the Journal of Early Christian Studies (published by Johns Hopkins University Press).
Before arriving at Kenyon, David taught introductory courses on the academic study of religion, religion and popular culture, and religious tolerance and religious violence…
Read MoreDavid Maldonado Rivera offers courses that explore the development of the Christian tradition in ancient and modern times. His primary research interest focuses on the discourses surrounding the notions of orthodoxy and heresy in the later Roman Empire. David also teaches introductory courses on the New Testament, the reception of Pauline literature, Christian mysticism and the expansion of Christianity in the global south. His other research and teaching interests include Christian religion and popular culture, religion and ecology and the emergence of liberation theologies.
David has also worked for TRIO programs (U.S. Department of Education) at Indiana University and the University of Puerto Rico and served as editorial assistant of the Journal of Early Christian Studies (published by Johns Hopkins University Press).
Before arriving at Kenyon, David taught introductory courses on the academic study of religion, religion and popular culture, and religious tolerance and religious violence at Indiana University and DePauw University.
History of Christianity, Religions in Late Antiquity
2017 — Doctor of Philosophy from Indiana University
2009 — Master of Arts from Indiana University
2006 — Bachelor of Arts from University of Puerto Rico: Rio
This course includes brief introductions to four or five major religious traditions, while exploring concepts and categories used in the study of religion, such as sacredness, myth, ritual, religious experience and social dimensions of religion. Traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism and Native American traditions are presented through their classic scriptures and traditional practices. Readings vary among sections but typically include important primary sources on Hindu thought and practice (e.g., the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-gita), Buddhist thought and practice ("The Questions of King Milinda," "The Heart Sutra"), Jewish life and thought (selections from the Hebrew Bible, "The Sayings of the Fathers"), Christian origins (one or more Gospels, selected Pauline letters), Islam (selections from the Qur'an and Sufi mystical poetry), Confucianism (the Analects), Taoism (the Tao Te Ching) and modern expressions of religion (e.g., Martin Buber's "I and Thou"). Many of the primary sources are studied in conjunction with relevant secondary sources (e.g., Rudolf Otto's "The Idea of the Holy," important articles by anthropologists of religion). This counts toward the core course requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every semester.
This course presents an inquiry into the main elements of the historical development, beliefs and practices of Christians and an examination of historical and modern Christian diversity on topics such as God, Christ and the Spirit, the church, the role of faith and the end-time. Students will read selections from the New Testament as well as selections from historical and contemporary Christian writers that address both traditional issues — such as the division of ordained clergy and laity and the role of women — and contemporary concerns, such as liberation theology and stem-cell research. This counts toward the Christianity requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
This course is an introduction to the literature of the New Testament. Primary texts in English translation will be read to understand the social, political and religious concerns of Christian writers of the first and second centuries. Students will learn about canon formation, problems of historical criticism and competing forms of Christianity within the ancient world (including differing views of Jesus within canonical and noncanonical writings). The course also will examine the relationships between Christianity and the Roman Empire, Christianity and Judaism, Christianity and Gnosticism and women within the New Testament. Methodologies currently practiced in biblical exegesis, including form criticism, redaction criticism, literary criticism and sociohistorical criticism are also introduced. Students must read assigned writings critically, analyzing structure, themes and the narrative voices of the texts to discover the distinctive literary and religious difference among New Testament writings. No previous familiarity with the New Testament is required. This counts toward the Christianity requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every two years.
At the threshold of the 21st century a series of political, social, cultural and demographic shifts locate over sixty percent of adherents of Christianity in the Global South (Africa, Latin America and Asia). This course explores these shifts by offering a historical and regional survey and analysis of Christianity in the Global South (along with its contacts with the Global North). The course will engage with detailed test cases from each region with an interdisciplinary outlook, emphasizing the richness and diversity of what we can call "World Christianities." The students will gain a sense of Christianity as a conglomerate of polycentric and culturally diverse traditions and of the challenges that Christians in the Global South face in the contemporary world. The course devotes special attention to the emergence of new Christian movements, the development of liberation theologies, colonial and postcolonial struggles and the complex processes of identity formation of Christians in the Global South. This counts as an elective for the major. No prerequisite.
This course is an introduction to the formation of Judaism and Christianity in the Ancient Mediterranean, focusing on their shared developments, tensions and relationships. What aspects of their religious worlds did Jews and Christians share? What were the continuities and disruptions on their stances on issues ranging from communal authority, scriptural interpretation, ritual action and tolerance? How did they confront social issues like gender, ethnicity, legal power and poverty? We will explore these and other questions by focusing on a variety of approaches ranging from “lived religion,” material culture, contemporary readings of critical theory and others. We will devote our attention to pre-modern and modern examples of these interactions. This counts as a Judaism or Christianity foundation course for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every two to three years.
This course explores the evolution and development of the Christian mystical traditions from the origins of Christianity to today. It analyzes the philosophical traditions based upon neo-Platonic theories and the development of monasticism as well as popular and ecstatic mystical practices. One goal of the course is to problematize the term "mysticism" and trace its linguistic and philosophical development through the 19th and 20th centuries. Questions we will be asking include: Is mysticism a solitary or a communal experience? Do mystics who engage in somatic practices (such as copious weeping, bleeding or fasting) represent a "less pure" variant of mysticism than those who prefer solitary contemplation? Questions of gender also are pertinent, as women's access to the philosophical traditions was more limited than men's. We also will explore the role of mystical traditions in contemporary "mainstream" Christianity. What does mysticism look like today? This counts as an elective for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every two years.
In all cultures, the idea of death and dying has shaped the imagination in myth, image and ritual. This course will explore the symbols, interpretations and practices centering on death in diverse religious traditions, historical periods and cultures. We will use religious texts (the Bible, Buddhist texts and Hindu scriptures), art, literature (Gilgamesh, Plato, Dante), psychological interpretations (Kübler-Ross) and social issues (AIDS, atomic weapons, ecological threats) to examine the questions death poses for the meaning of existence. This counts as an elective for the major. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Offered every two years.
This course examines various religious perspectives on the meaning and value of the natural world and the relationship of human beings to nature. The focus will be on environmental ethics in comparative perspective. We will look at Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Native American religions to see what conceptual resources they can offer to a contemporary understanding of a healthy relationship with the natural world. Prerequisite: any 100- or 200-level course in religious studies or permission of instructor. Offered every three years.
The department reserves individual studies to highly motivated students who are judged responsible and capable enough to work independently. Such courses might entail original research, but usually they are reading-oriented, allowing students to explore in depth topics that interest them or that supplement aspects of the major. Students may pursue individual study only if they have taken all the courses offered by the department in that particular area of the curriculum. An individual study course cannot duplicate a course or topic being concurrently offered. Exceptions to this rule are at the discretion of the instructor and department chair. Students must secure the agreement of an instructor to provide guidance and supervision of the course. The instructor and student agree on the nature of the work expected (e.g., several short papers, one long paper, an in-depth project, a public presentation, a lengthy general outline and annotated bibliography). The level should be advanced, with work on a par with a 300- or 400-level course. The student and instructor should meet on a regular basis, with the schedule to be determined by the instructor in consultation with the student. Individual studies may be taken for 0.25 or 0.5 units, at the discretion of the instructor. A maximum of 0.50 units of IS may count towards major or minor requirements in RLST department. A student is permitted to take only one 0.5-unit class of IS in the department (one 0.5-unit course or two 0.25-unit courses). A student must present a petition with compelling reasons in order to obtain special permission to take an additional IS course. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the established deadline. Prerequisite: GPA of at least 3.0. Exceptions (e.g., languages not taught at Kenyon are granted at the discretion of the instructor, with the approval of the department chair.)\n