RELC 2360

Paul Jones is adorable and a wonderfully engaging lecturer. The readings can sometimes be dry and dense, but I recommend doing them after he lectures about them so they make more sense. This is interesting, complex material, and Jones encourages you to think critically about it which is great.

If you can read and write critically, you'll be fine on the tests. 3 short response papers, and the midterm and final are written take-home exams.

Don't take this class if you want a super easy class or are uncomfortable talking about religion, but do take it if you're looking to actually learn about interesting material!

Reuben was a great TA!

Jones is easily the best lecturer I've had at UVa. He is engaging, thought provoking, and so very charming. I looked forward to going to class, and feel that I really learned a lot. This is not an easy A, but it is definitely manageable.

Only evaluations are 3 short response papers, a midterm paper, and a final paper.

Jones received a standing ovation in his final lecture, and it was certainly deserved. Seriously, take this class!

This is a great class for a non Religious Studies major and a MUST-TAKE if you are a Religious Studies major.

fulfills the Second Writing Requirement.

There are three response papers that get you to think deeply about the readings

There are no in-class exams, but rather a midterm of 6-8 pages and a final of 10-12 pages.

Paul Jones is brilliant, has deeply outlined and focused lectures, and always ends each lecture by allowing students to ask clarifying questions. He cares far more about students getting a better sense of Christian ideas than getting a good grade spread. He is really approachable in person or by email.

I absolutely loved Professor Jones! If his accent alone isn't enough to draw you in, his enthusiasm and passion for the material definitely will. When I initially walked into the class I was worried about my limited religious background; however, all of the content of the course is highly approachable.
Throughout the semester you have 3 response papers, each of which must be 2-3 pages in length written on a passage of your choosing. For the midterm, you get to choose two prompts and write 3-4 pages for each. For the final, again you get to choose two prompts and write 5-6 pages for each. (All of the papers are to written at home.)
Although it may seem like a lot of reading when you get the syllabus, you'll get the most out of this course if you actually do the readings and attend lecture.
Charlie was an absolutely wonderful TA!!!!

Professor Jones is one of the best professors I've ever had at UVA. He is so excited for every lecture and really makes you want to do the readings and learn the subject. Lectures are long and very informative, so you have to pay attention, but they make your week much more interesting. I recommend going to all of them, even though they aren't required. Most of your grades come from your writing, so keep that in mind if you are signing up for this class.

Paul Jones is probably the best lecturer at UVA. This is a great class to take if you are interested at all in Christian Theology, probably my favorite class at UVA so far. We also spent some time on modern christian theology; such as, black theology of liberation and womanist theology, and how those theologians have impacted American Christianity.

We did three 2 page response papers, a 6 page midterm paper, and a 12 page final paper. At least 25 pages of reading assigned every week, sometimes more. I didn't do all of the reading and still got a B.

Scott (Leonard is his first name) Lipscomb was an awesome TA, take it with him if you can.
If you are looking to fulfill your second writing requirement use this class!

If you are looking for an interesting second writing requirement course, I highly recommend this class! It is a straight forward, interesting class that allows you to learn a lot without a ton of effort. Jones is a fantastic lecturer. The syllabus is well-crafted moving from Augustine and old Church writings to Reformation writers to modern theology. You do not need to do every reading -- three response papers, a midterm, and a final are all that is required. I personally went to lecture (because they were so good!) and did not read until I needed to write a paper, and only read the authors I decided to write on. This class is great if you are a Christian, and it is great if you are not a Christian. Charlie was a fantastic TA -- so helpful, fair grader, and made Thursday discussions go by quickly. Take anything with Jones! He has a British accent!

Professor Jones is an amazing guy! Sadly, this course depends wholly on your TA. All the grades come from writing exercises so if you are looking to sharpen your writing skills, this class is not a bad idea. Jones knows a lot about the subject he teaches so it is a worthwhile experience. Try to avoid Rachel as TA.

Jones is a very good lecturer. Material is presented in a concise, informative manner. There is a fair amount of reading for each class, but I found it helpful to do the reading after hearing Jones's lectures on the subjects. Chris was a nice enough TA, but had a tendency to dominate discussions and was not very responsive to emails.

This was a great course!! Very interesting subject material if you're looking into bigger theological ideas. I loved Prof. Jones as a lecturer as he kept us engaged and was passionate about his work. Go to his office hours just to talk to him! Evan was a great TA--he had very thoughtful responses to questions and really knew his information. This class is pretty heavy on reading, though. The lectures tie directly into what the readings are on and really support the lectures.